some to muse over how nice the kiss was. “On that note, I think I’ll have another one.”
“Are you sure? You seemed a bit reluctant to have a second glass of wine.”
“Wine, I was speaking about the kiss,” and Vivian smiled, waited for her request to be fulfilled, which immediately came.
They spent the rest of the evening talking , getting more acquainted with one another. Their time together ended just as it started, smoothly.
***
Vivian was sitting sideways on her sofa with her arms crossed talking to Jennifer.
“I’m telling you, I was nearly spellbound. The man is almost too gentle.”
She was still on cloud nine since her dinner at Toni’s house.
“The point is you had a nice time and that’s all that matters,” Jennifer replied stretched out on the floor. “So what if he’s gentle. I’ll take a gentle man over a rough one any day. It’s about time you start dating again. I’m happy for you.” Jennifer began grazing the carpet with her hand. Though she was just lounging around with her best friend, her mind was on something more serious. “I could sleep on this carpet thick and delicate as it is,” she uttered.
Darren , with Darling trailing, entered the living room with full bellies.
“ There are mama’s babies. Did you two get enough to eat?” Vivian said.
Darren jump ed onto the sofa and into Vivian’s lap where she began to rub him gently on the top of his head. He tucked his head deeper into her warm space. Darling rested near Vivian’s feet. She then flopped her tail as an indication she was content.
“You were right,” said Jennifer sounding a bit despondent and as if Vivian had asked her a question.
“ I was right about what?”
Vivian continue d to give Darren, who appeared to be falling asleep, soft rubs to the top of his white furry head.
Jennifer sat up and crossed her legs and then reached for her cup of mocha sitting on the table in front of her.
“I’m going through menopause...well my doctor described it as peri-menopause. She can prescribe something for the hot flashes and insomnia to help balance my hormones. I just refused it. If it’s menopause I’m going through, I’m just going to let nature takes it course. As far as losing my desire to be intimate, no one’s come up with a solution for that.” Jennifer got gloomier almost to the point where she was about to weep. “He’s going to cheat on me isn’t he Vi?” and a few tears slid down Jennifer’s face.
“Now what would make you say something foolish like that? What you’re going through is a part of life for women.”
Jennifer t ook another sip of her mocha. “It’s not that I don’t want to make love with Charles, sometimes it hurts. Actually, it’s always painful now.”
“ Are you kidding me, with all the lubricants they have on the market.”
Darling rose a bit to stretch then moved closer to snuggle next to Darren in Vivian’s lap.
“Why does this have to happen to me now? I’m too young to be going through menopause.”
Vivian ’s eyes rolled around her head. She was tired of her friend whining. She wasn’t sure what else she could say to help her accept menopause was just another phase in life.
Vivian then began to reflect on when her mother was going through it. The only complaint she heard was that it was always hot. Even in the middle of winter her mother would open windows in whatever room she went into. If menopause was an issue in her parents being intimate, no one knew but them.
“Girl I drifted off into my own world and forgot about my mocha,” Vivian said glancing over at a still despondent Jennifer. She stirred Darren and Darling who briefly looked up at her then went back to snuggling.
Jennifer looked sadly down in her cup. “There’s something else,” she calmly stated.
“What is it Jennifer. Just what I thought, it’s cold,” and Vivian leaned to place her cup of Mocha back on the cocktail table.
“My doctor...” tears began to run from