“Goodness gracious, girl. Your mother is proud of you,” Jasper said.
Arietta hugged Shannon long and hard and reminded her to call if she had any questions about caring for her father. Shannon whispered, “Have a good time.”
Arietta found herself in the passenger seat of Jasper’s convertible. With the top down, her hair whipped out behind her, and she felt somewhere between eighteen and twenty-three, with nothing to lose. Jasper was talking fast about his trip to Nantucket, about how pleased he was that he was finally divorced, and about how dreadful it was to spend any time in the city during the summertime. “You did the right thing, coming out here,” he said. “Tell me. How do you spend your days?”
Arietta caught herself before she said anything about the blackmail.
“Shannon’s keeping me company,” she said. “We went for a hike today.”
“That’s why you look so healthy and tan,” Jasper said.
They pulled into the parking lot near the fish restaurant, where a server showed them to a table closest to the sand. Jasper ordered a bottle of wine immediately—a gorgeous French white with hints of orange that captivated Arietta, if only because it was something she or Fred would never have gotten for themselves. The server poured and left Jasper and Arietta, gazing into one another’s eyes. Or were they actually gazing? Arietta couldn’t say. All she knew was that she felt bubbly and happy. She was eager to laugh at every one of his jokes.
“To my freedom,” Jasper said finally, raising his glass. “Getting divorced is the best thing I ever did for myself.”
“Many of my friends say the same thing,” Arietta said.
“What are their reasons?” Jasper asked.
Arietta considered her friends back in Boston, who’d spouted the beauties of divorce for years at this point. “They saidthey could finally figure out who they were. They lived for their husbands for decades. When they went to the store, they considered what their husband wanted to eat. They considered what their husband wanted to wear and bought those clothes, and they thought about their husband’s needs above their own year after year. And then, maybe, throughout that time, their husband was cheating on them. Their husbands were decidedly not thinking about them first and foremost. And they were forced to sit in the silence of themselves and figure out what they really wanted—not just for dinner, but in life.”
Jasper’s eyes shone with wonder. He looked at Arietta as though she were a poet.
“I wonder,” he said then. “I wonder if my wife always thought of my needs above her own?”
“Chances are she did,” Arietta said.
Jasper turned to look out over the water. Arietta was amazed at how thoughtful he was, how eager he was to view everything from different angles. She knew his curious mind made him a good journalist.
“And now?” Jasper asked. “Now that Fred’s ill? What is married life like for you?”
Arietta considered this. Maybe, if the question hadn’t come from Jasper, she might have been angry and told that person it was none of their business.
“I’m still thinking about him,” Arietta said. “Basically all the time.”
Jasper smiled, but it was a sorrowful smile. “Remember when we were young? Everyone got married. It was the same story. The white dress, the cake, the band. But all marriages are so different, aren’t they? The stories begin in the same place, but then they separate.” He threw his hands out on either side of him.
Arietta echoed his sad smile. “I think you’re right.”
Eventually, they got to the topic of the article. Arietta explained that she’d read much of the research he’d sent and was ready to dig into it. Jasper smiled.
“I can’t wait to read your work again,” he said. “I’m sure your daughter is eager to read it, too.”
After they finished eating, Jasper footed the bill and walked her outside. On the way, Arietta spotted Hilary, Stella, Rose, and Tina sitting at a little wine bar up the sand. Hilary waved and smiled, then Stella beckoned. Although she tried to fight it, Arietta felt a pull toward them.
“Do you know those women?” Jasper asked.
“Sort of,” Arietta said.
“You should go say hi!” Jasper urged. “I’m beat for the night, anyway. We can reconnect tomorrow if you want to.”
“I’d like that.” Arietta touched her hair and allowed herself to gaze into his eyes for a split second longer than any married woman should. “Thank you for dinner. I’ll get it next time?”
“It’s a deal,” Jasper said.
Arietta said good night, then hurried up the sand to the Salt Sisters’ table. They’d already secured a glass for her. Hilary remembered Arietta liked red, and she raised the bottle and poured.
“Arietta! We’re so glad to run into you!” Rose cried, clasping her hands as Arietta grabbed the seat beside her.