Crystal Lies - Melody Carlson [43]
“Doesn’t matter.” She nodded with approval. “Sometimes you just need a new outfit to make you feel special.”
“I don’t need a new outfit, Sherry,” I told her. “I need a new life.”
“Very nice,” she said as she fingered the sleeve of the rusty tweed jacket. “And the color suits you.”
I examined the tag. “Nice and expensive,” I told her. “Remember that Geoffrey canceled my debit card, Sherry.”
“Did he cancel all your cards?” Her brows lifted hopefully. I considered this. “I’m not sure.”
“When was the last time you charged something here?” she asked with a sly smile.
“I don’t know. Maybe last Christmas.” I took another look at the outfit and realized that it really was a good style for me, and since I’d lost that weight, it did look fairly nice. But still I didn’t see the purpose.
“When was the last time you bought yourself a nice outfit, Glennis?”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
“Well, I think you should give your Bradley’s charge card a little try.” I shook my head. “Oh, I don’t know, Sherry.”
“Come on,” she urged. “Geoffrey owes you this.” I studied Sherry, my one friend who usually gives me sound advice, and considered this. “Maybe you’re right.” She nodded. “Of course I am.”
“But what if the card is rejected?”
“Then we just walk.”
“Seriously?” I giggled. “We just leave it on the counter and walk out?”
“Yes.” She grinned. “Kind of exciting, isn’t it?”
So I carried the pieces of my suit up to the cash register and waited anxiously as the salesgirl rang it all up. I held my breath as she ran my card, and to my amazement she handed me a receipt to sign. Sherry winked at me, and without batting an eyelash, I signed my name.
“What about getting some shoes to go with it?” asked Sherry.
And so I purchased boots, of all things, and a matching purse and belt, along with several other nice pieces, which I felt sure must’ve maxed out the Bradley’s charge account, before Sherry and I finally decided to call it a day. Feeling as reckless as Bonnie and Clyde, we stowed my bags and packages in the back of the Range Rover, and then I threw back my head and laughed.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” I told my accomplice.
“Well,” said Sherry as we climbed into the SUV,“I’ve heard of women who’ve slit tires or burned clothes or bashed in their husband’s little sports cars with sledgehammers. A little shopping therapy seems like a small price to pay compared to that.”
“I guess.”
“Besides,” she said,“you may need that suit when it comes time to look for a job.”
“A job.” I shook my head as I backed out of the parking space. “Now that’s a really overwhelming idea.”
“One day at a time, Glennis.”
Right. One day at a time, I kept telling myself until the day of my appointment with Dr. Abrams. To bolster my confidence, and since it seemed that fall was really in the air, I decided to wear my new suit. I figured if I had to be a complete mess on the inside, I might at least look like I had it together on the outside.
I liked Dr. Abrams right from the start. She seemed intelligent and compassionate as she asked me questions, then listened with empathetic eyes as I attempted to answer. And although we didn’t really solve any major life problems during that first appointment, she did give me some coping mechanisms, including some relaxation techniques and stress-relieving exercises that included a lot of deep breathing. I was relieved that she didn’t try to prescribe any medications. Of course, I didn’t admit my fear about losing my mind. I decided I’d better save that little prize until later. Even so, she encouraged me to consider what events had brought me to this place in my life. She suggested I begin writing things down. She even gave me a short list of questions, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to think about all that yet. One thing she alluded to, but never came right out and said, is that I seemed to focus more on the problems of other members of my family than on my own.
I frowned. “But I honestly don’t think I’d have any problems if Jacob hadn’t gotten involved with drugs and if Geoffrey hadn’t cheated