Jessica hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself as her friend Kate burst into the room, eyes wide with shock. "Jessica, what's going on?" Kate exclaimed, unable to believe her goody-two-shoes friend was cheating on her husband. "Looks like you've got a secret boyfriend!" she teased with a smirk.
"No, I'm not!" Jessica snapped, her face flushing. Jonathan, the man in question, stood up from the bed, grabbing his clothes. Without bothering to cover himself, he strode past Kate, giving her a fleeting glance. Kate's eyes followed him, lingering a bit too long. "What a shameless jerk!" she muttered as he left.
"Absolute jerk," Jessica agreed, her voice heavy with frustration.
In the living room, Jessica served tea and Kate's favorite cookies, trying to shift the awkward atmosphere. "You came by unannounced!" Jessica said, attempting a smile.
"If I'd told you, I'd have missed the big show!" Kate quipped, taking a bite of a cookie. "How'd this happen? You're not the type for flings."
Jessica sighed, launching into the long story of Nick, Jonathan, and the messy situation she'd stumbled into. Kate listened intently, her expression softening. "What a bastard," she said, shaking her head. "Since he's the mayor's nephew, this needs careful handling. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask." She squeezed Jessica's hand.
"Thank you," Jessica replied, grateful for the support.
The next day, Jessica went to the gym as usual, relieved to see the familiar black coach, Bob, was absent. Instead, a fit, toned blonde was instructing a brown-haired woman at the lat pulldown machine. The blonde noticed Jessica and approached. "Linda, five sets, no cheating!" she called out before turning to Jessica. "Hi, you must be the one Bobster mentioned."
"Bobster?" Jessica asked, confused.
The blonde grinned. "That's what I call Bob, the black coach from your last session. Looks like a big muscular hamster, right?" Jessica stifled a laugh. "I'm Rebecca, by the way," the blonde said, extending her hand.
"Jessica," she replied, shaking it.
"Great to meet you, Jessica! Shall we start? And, uh, please don't tell Bob I mentioned his nickname. He hates it." Jessica gave a thumbs-up, already liking Rebecca's humor and warmth.
As they trained, Jessica found Rebecca strict yet fun, their conversation flowing easily. "Rebecca, I feel like we've known each other forever," Jessica said, catching her breath between sets.
"Same here!" Rebecca agreed. "You free after this?"
Jessica nodded, curious.
"Great!" Rebecca shouted across the gym, "Hey, Linda, asshole!"
Jessica froze, stunned by Rebecca's boldness. Linda, mid-lat pulldown, dropped the weight with a thud and stormed over, fuming. "Don't EVER call me that!" she growled, teeth gritted.
Rebecca laughed, unfazed, and playfully swatted Linda's backside. "She's always like this," she said to Jessica. "Jessica, meet Linda. Linda, Jessica."
The two women shook hands, Linda still glaring at Rebecca. "Mind if we use the sauna?" Rebecca asked.
"I don't mind if it's Jessica," Linda replied, folding her arms. "But you? I'm still mad about last time."
Rebecca smirked. "Oh, come on, we had fun in the sauna, didn't we?"
Linda's face turned crimson as she clamped a hand over Rebecca's mouth. Jessica, catching the innuendo, blushed too.
Later, the trio headed to Linda's penthouse on the top floor. Jessica's jaw dropped at the luxurious space. "Wow, this is incredible!" she said.
"Welcome to my place!" Linda said, pouring Jessica a glass of wine. When she reached for another glass for Rebecca, Rebecca raised an eyebrow. Linda sighed and handed her the whole bottle.
"That's more like it!" Rebecca laughed, taking a hearty gulp. "Sipping like a baby is nonsense. Real women drink!"
Linda rolled her eyes. "That's your barbaric thinking. No wonder you're single. All the guys you meet go limp after one round."
"Linda!" Rebecca cackled, unfazed. "I meant alcohol! See why I call her asshole?"
Linda lunged to cover Rebecca's mouth again, mortified. "Don't listen to her, Jessica. She's full of nonsense."
Rebecca pulled Linda's hand away, grinning. "Her browser history is full of anal sex searches, but she's too scared to try it!"
"REBECCA!" Linda shrieked, her face scarlet.
Trying to diffuse the tension, Linda led them to a room designed like a natural hot spring, complete with rocks and plants. "How is this even possible on a penthouse floor?" Jessica marveled.
"Money," Rebecca said bluntly. "This bitch is filthy rich."
"Rich, yes. Filthy? Not as much as you," Linda shot back.
Jessica couldn't help but admire their dynamic. Despite their crude banter, Rebecca and Linda were refreshingly authentic, unapologetically themselves.
"Tell us about you, Jessica," Linda said, settling into the hot spring.
"I'm just an ordinary married woman and a good mother," Jessica replied.
"Mother?!" Rebecca and Linda gasped in unison. "You have kids?"
"Yeah," Jessica said, puzzled by their reaction. "Why?"
"You look so young!" Linda exclaimed.
Jessica smiled, warmed by the compliment. As the trio soaked in the hot spring, they shared stories, their laughter echoing. Jessica grew accustomed to Rebecca's teasing and Linda's flustered reactions, feeling an unexpected sense of belonging with her new friends. For the first time in a while, she felt free to be herself.