Inside the Book:
Title: Girls' Weekend
Author: Cara Sue Achterberg
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: The Story Plant
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Harried Dani can't explain why she feels so discontented until she meets a young gallery owner who inspires her to rediscover the art that once made her happy.
Dependable Meg faces up to a grief that threatens to swallow her whole and confronts a marriage built on expectations.
Flamboyant Charlotte, frustrated with her stagnated life and marriage, pursues a playboy Irish singer and beachside business opportunities.
All three of these women thought they would be different. None of them thought they'd be facing down forty and still wondering when life starts. What they do when they realize where they're headed is both inspiring and wildly entertaining.
GIRLS' WEEKEND is a fun, yet poignant romp through the universal search of who we are, why we love, and what makes us happy by an author who is quickly emerging as one of our most incisive storytellers.
EXCERPT
Later, Charlotte and Dani waited on the porch
for Meg. She should have been there hours ago and wasn’t answering her cell
phone. Dani worried she’d never find the house in the dark.
“Maybe she changed her
mind,” said Charlotte.
“I don’t think so. I get
the feeling she had to move heaven and earth to make this happen.”
“I bet Peter’s pissed off.”
“I can just see him. He
might actually have to do some dishes and miss his precious golf game,” said
Dani.
Charlotte laughed. “He sure
is Mr. Perfect. I wonder if he always was. Didn’t Meg meet him in high school?”
“I bet he was hot back
then. Can you imagine being together so long?”
“No,” said Charlotte before
taking a long drink of her wine. Then she smiled mischievously. “Do you suppose
she’s never slept with anyone else?”
Dani smacked her.
“Charlotte!”
“I mean, seriously, can you
imagine?”
“I think it’s kind of
nice.”
“That’s not the word I’d
use,” said Charlotte. “Think of all you’d miss out on!”
Dani laughed. “Some of us
more than others!”
“Ouch! But I have no
regrets! How many men have you slept with?” asked Charlotte.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. Everyone
does. Unless it’s so many you can’t keep track?” Charlotte poured more wine in
Dani’s glass.
“Let me think.” She took a
sip of wine and started counting on her fingers.
“Five. But really four and
a half,” said Dani.
“How is that possible?”
Dani shrugged. “I was drunk
and I didn’t mean to sleep with the one guy. So I don’t count it because it
didn’t mean anything.”
“Oh my God! I did not
expect that from you Danielle Harper!”
“Oh c’mon! I was young! It
may be hard to believe but I wasn’t always such a model of good behavior!”
“I’d say not!”
An owl hooted in the trees
and they both jumped.
“It’s nice here,” said
Dani. “I’m so glad we did this.”
They sat in companionable
silence for a few minutes, then Charlotte asked, “Do you ever think about what
your life would be like if you’d married one of those other guys you slept
with?”
“I
don’t know. Not really. They were just kids. I think one of the reasons I
married Joe is he seemed like a grown up.”
“Are you glad you chose
him?”
“Of course,” said Dani,
climbing in the hammock that swung gently in the corner of the porch. “Now this
is nice.”
“Room for me?” asked
Charlotte, climbing in. Dani shrieked as the hammock tipped, but after the
initial dip, it leveled back off again.
“Here,” said Charlotte,
handing her a napkin to wipe the wine that had spilled on her jeans. The
hammock shifted slowly in the slight breeze.
“Why all these questions
about the men not chosen? Aren’t you glad you married Brett?”
Charlotte ran her finger
around the rim of her glass. “Not lately.”
“Really? I thought you two
were happy.”
“We are. I mean, I guess
Brett is, but I wouldn’t know since we never talk.”
“How is that possible?
Especially now with Will away?”
Charlotte shrugged. “I
don’t know. I always feel like I’m the only one doing the talking. He’s usually
willing to go along with my plans, but he never initiates anything—not dates,
not conversations, lately, not even sex.”
Charlotte was quiet. Dani
knew it wasn’t easy for her to admit this. She thought of Charlotte as the
friend who had it made—great husband, perfect son, and a successful business.
Plus, she was always upbeat. To most of the world, Charlotte appeared to have
life on a string. Dani knew it wasn’t as perfect as all that, but she hadn’t
realized there was a problem.
“I wonder sometimes if he
wishes he weren’t married to me.”
“Charlotte! That can’t be
true. Brett loves you,” insisted Dani.
“I think that may be
apparent to everyone but me.” She shook her head and took a drink of her wine.
“I suggested maybe we should have dinner last night, before I left today, and
he didn’t even show up. He called later and said he’d forgotten.”
“Wow,” said Dani. “That
sucks.”
Charlotte nodded. “Here’s
what sucks even more. We haven’t had sex in probably six months.”
“How is that possible? Don’t
you sleep in the same bed?”
“He usually goes to bed
before me. And when I suggest a little action, he always has an excuse. After a
while, the rejection starts to feel personal. Our relationship feels more
platonic these days anyway.”
“Still, he’s a guy. That
doesn’t make any sense. Joe would do it every night if I agreed. The man is
insatiable. I always feel like the party pooper. Any chance Brett’s having an
affair?”
“I’ve thought of that, but
I don’t think he would. Not because of me, but because of Will. He’d never want
to do anything to disrupt our family. And beyond that, it wouldn’t be in his
character. He always does the right thing. Brett’s a great dad. He’s a fun
guy.” She took the last sip of her wine. “Maybe he’s tired of me.”
“I can’t imagine anyone
getting tired of you, Charlotte. You’re the most exciting person I know.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
“And modest, too. That’s
what I love in a friend.”
Charlotte jumped up
quickly, causing the hammock to tip and dump Dani on the floor.
“Hey! What’s that for?”
“You
needed a little excitement. Besides, I’m out of wine.”
When Charlotte returned
with a fresh bottle of wine, Dani was sitting on the steps, picking dead leaves
off the ivy curling around the railing. Charlotte handed her a glass of wine
and a fortune cookie.
“Thanks. Where’s yours?”
“I already ate it.”
“What was your fortune?”
“In the end all things will be known,” said Charlotte in a deep, serious tone.
“Huh,” said Dani, pulling
her fortune from the cookie. She squinted in the porch light. “There are no mistakes, just lessons to be learned.”
“Profound,” said Charlotte,
clinking her glass with Dani’s.
“Look at all those stars,”
said Dani looking up at the dark sky. “It seems like there are more here than
at home.”
“They’re there, we just
can’t see them because of all the light pollution,” said Charlotte. “It’s
getting late, I hope Meg’s really coming.”
“She’ll be here.”
“I was surprised she agreed
to this. I haven’t seen her without the kids since Logan’s death.”
“Maybe she’s afraid to
leave them alone.”
“Yeah, or maybe she’s afraid to be alone.”
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