Gina sees Holly Morgan as soon as she steps inside the entrance hall. Holly flicks her sunglasses to the top of her head and moseys in Gina’s direction.
“Gina, I’m so glad I caught you before the meeting.” Holly places her tiny hand on Gina’s arm. “How are you holding up? I saw that awful video.”
“I’m OK.” An insincere statement, but what else is she supposed to say?
“Of course you are.” Holly lets out a clucking noise. “You were always so strong. It’s like I told the other gals: it’s Bobby we need to worry about, not Gina. Gina is as tough as nails.”
“Bobby is fine,” Gina says, though that might not be entirely truthful, either.
“Gina! There you are.” A voice behind her says.
Gina turns to see Terry Spencer ambling into the building. Her mind flashes to the comment Tish made during dinner. She feels her skin crawl.
Terry moves in for a hug. “How are you holding up?” she asks, releasing Gina.
Before Gina can answer, Abby Swallow joins their huddle, aflush. “Gina, I’ve been trying to call you.” She leans in for a hug, flashing smiles at Holly and Terry. “You know we’ve got your back, right? No matter what.”
“Thank you.” Gina feels a seizing in her stomach. “I appreciate it. But, really, I’m OK.” Gina hears the quiver in her voice. She wishes she sounded more confident. She wishes she felt more confident. She wishes she could stop replaying Eva Stone’s video in her mind.
Why does Eva have to look so much like Penelope? Gina remembers meeting Bobby’s ex-girlfriend the very first time she visited him at Harvard, at a coffeehouse on Central Square. Penelope had been everything Gina wasn’t: worldly, cultured, ambitious. She hadn’t been unfriendly toward Gina, but the look in Penelope’s eyes indicated that she thought Gina was beneath Bobby. And she’d flirted a little with Bobby, too. Maybe more than a little. Gina had felt intimidated, of course she had—and yet, she also remembers how Bobby hadn’t seemed to care about Penelope at all. He’d kept his arm around Gina: lovingly, protectively. It had been baffling—why would Bobby want Gina when he could have a woman like Penelope? And yet he did want her. He’s always wanted her.
“Well, just know we’re here for you,” Abby says. “I mean, what was that woman thinking going online and saying all those things?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Holly rolls her eyes. “It’s money she’s after. Extortion is what it is. And for this to happen to a lovely couple like you and Bobby? Oh, I can’t begin to imagine what you must feel like.”
“It’s so tacky.” Abby makes a face.
Holly clucks her tongue. “‘Power imbalance.’ What does that even mean?”
“This generation and their made-up words.” Terry makes a dismissive sound. “It’s political correctness run amok.”
“A culture of censorship.” Abby bounces in agreement.
“We don’t want you and Bobby to split up,” Terry says. “It would break our hearts.”
“We’re not splitting up.” Gina feels her face burn. Who said anything about splitting up?
“Oh, good.” Holly places a hand on her chest. “I was worried.”
“I’m so relieved,” Terry says. And then, a whisper, “These days, people are a lot less… understanding. I didn’t know where you’d stand.”
“I don’t know if I could forgive Archie.” Holly tilts her head to the side.
“Of course you’d forgive him,” Terry retorts. “It’s a woman’s job to put her family first.”
“Bobby didn’t do it.” Gina feels her heart creep towards her throat. Is that what they think, that Bobby had an affair? She had expected this from the world, but not from Almanacs. They’ve known Bobby all his life. They know he’s a good, honorable man.
“Of course…” Abby says, swallowing.
Before Gina can say anything else, she hears a booming voice coming from inside the meeting room. “Gina, over here!”
Gina looks up to see Elise Thompson standing at the doorway that leads to the meeting room, beneath the gilded-frame portrait of Hildegard Dewar. Gina feels a wash of relief. Elise is one of the nicest Almanacs in the ASC. It isn’t like Elise to poke and prod in people’s lives.
Gina excuses herself from the group and catches up to Elise. Elise locks elbows with her as they make their way inside the ASC meeting room, an expansive, wood-paneled space with high ceiling, elaborate crown moldings and classic decor. The room is filled with Almanacs, most of them in small groups—Gina can almost hear the sound of their necks craning in her direction as she and Elise head toward Gina’s desk.
“I heard about this, this… this scandal!” Elise whispers, arching her head close to Gina’s.
Scandal. It seems to be the town’s noun of choice. Gina isn’t fond of it at all. Maybe she should carry a sign that reads: It’s a lie! Don’t believe any of it!
“Elise, I really don’t want to—”
“Of course,” Elise says, cutting the air with her hands. “Say no more. I just want you to know that I support you. And if Lawrence were still with us, he’d be supporting you, too.” She uses her free hand to squeeze Gina’s shoulder.
“Thank you.” Gina manages a weak smile. The mention of Elise’s late husband softens her insides. Elise means well, all of her friends do. But Eva Stone has already taken over her marriage and her headspace. Gina doesn’t want her taking over the ASC, too.
“You know,” Elise continues in a hushed tone, “I have a niece who went through a similar thing—”
“Shall we get seated?” The voice isn’t loud, but it is identifiable by rank. Not a single woman fails to look at Tish as she saunters into the meeting room and makes her way over to the president’s desk.
“I’ll tell you later,” Elise
