I am so Worried

Vicki, dear,

I am so sorry to hear about Lou. He is in my prayers. It must have been horrible for you darling, to see him in one of the god-awful intensive care rooms. All that modern equipment!
Know that he is in good hands at St. Martins by the Sea. There are quite a few excellent physicians there. Do you remember Ted and Midge? You met them at the St. Martin's by the Sea Annual Golf Fundraiser at the Seabreeze Country Club. Well, he is the Chief of Staff of Surgery. If you would like I can have Jack call him and call you. Let me know, dear.

It must be so very difficult for you. I am certain that Lou knows that you are by his side. You are his pillar (even though we know how Lou puts on otherwise). Be strong. He will need you now and for some time to come.

I am planning on catching the first train early tomorrow. It will put me in Los Angeles by late early morning on Sunday. I will rush to be by your side as any good and loyal friend would do.
Just wanted to let you know that I received your letter. I believe in letting bygones be bygones. Please excuse me if I failed to let you know that I will always be there for you as a friend.
I have been rather occupied with my self and my husband. I am growing weary of him, his assistant and my failing confidence as a woman and wife.

I am sorry that I am continuing on about me. Nevermind about me. I just wanted you to know that I will be there.

I hate to even mention this, but is Lou's Mom there at the hospital yet? You will need your circle of close friends around that woman.

I will thinking about you and Lou as my train speeds through the desert.

Yours truly,
Francine

Life is so Short

Darling, Lou's in the hospital in critical condition. He had a mild heart attack last night, but apparently, during the episode, he got up from his desk (as he was so disoriented), fell and hit his head on the corner of his desk, and cracked his head open.

The night janitor found him at midnight (thank god!) apparently just a few minutes after he fell, and called for an ambulance, which rushed him to Saint Marten's by the Sea. I don't know what he was doing at the office at midnight, but that's another issue entirely.

He is now in ICU under one of those horrid plastic tents with tubes all over him. I, of course, will ask for a leave so I can be with him. I saw him early this morning, but he was so bandaged and medicated, he didn't even know who I was.

Francine, please keep Lou in your prayers. He is not even close to being out of the woods yet. Dr. Palmer puts on a strong and confident facade, but I know, he is deeply concerned.

Excuse me if my updates are far and few between. It is 8 AM now and I haven't slept yet. I'll try and catch a few winks in the lounge.

Please say a prayer and light a candle for Lou.

Yours,
Vicki

Forgive Me, My Dearest Friend

Dearest Francine,

Please accept my sincere apologies for my horrid and selfish behavior this past weekend. They say, "You always hurt the one you love," and this axiom could apply to how I treated you, and of course, how Lou has been treating me lately. I did not mean to take my shock, anger, and frustration with Lou out on you. What makes me even more regretful and upset with myself is that you were so looking forward to our little getaway after having a difficult two months with Jack.

It does not matter if you or Jack relayed to Lou my intentions to purchase the Palm Canyon Estates garden home. If you did indeed divulge to Jack this information, I completely understand. It would be presumptuous of me to believe that you keep secrets from Jack. I know your marriage is a strong one, and it is your wifely obligation to be open and honest with him. You should keep no secrets from each other.

There's no secrets about Lou, I know Lou like a book. I know his tactics, how strong his drive is (that is why he is an excellent businessman), and when he has a goal, a deal he wants to close, or information he needs to have, he'll do what he has to do to "get the job done." Lou is so wrapped up in getting the job done, in making and closing the deal, that sometimes he forgets (consciously or unconsciously) who he might be offending or hurting.

Lou's job was to put me in my place, to keep me in my box, and he succeeded when he outbid me on the home. Lou was in essence saying, "Oh no you don't," to my dreams.

As you know, the week previous, when I was notified of my Woman of the Year award, Lou callously told me he would be "out of town on business," (how many times have I heard that phrase) on the day of my special event. When I stormed out of the house in tears, Lou did not even bother to run after me. Did he even call to check on me later that night? NO! That's why I called Reg at 10:30 that night. Yes, Reg was my shoulder to cry on, and he gallantly offered to escort me to the event.

Word did get out to Lou about Reg, (probably from Lois, Evelyn, or Cookie), and did he bother to call me? I did not hear from him until a week after our blowup. He only called because he was looking for the key to one of his safety deposit boxes to retrieve his passport. He nonchalantly stated that he and his secretary had to fly to Tokyo for a business conference. I of course knew where the keys were, but stated I was not sure, just to make him wait, hoping he would apologize, hoping he would call everything off just to be by my side. Did this happen? NO!

This past weekend, when we pulled up to the house and saw "sale pending" on the sign (I hadn't made the offer yet!), my heart sank. Remember how flustered the realtor seemed when we pulled up in the driveway? Remember how he recoiled when I asked,"Who made the offer on the house? Lou Greene?" Francine, to be perfectly honest with you, I jumped to conclusions because I felt and sensed how uncomfortable you were during my angry interrogation of that poor young man. I know about his fiduciary duty to not reveal information, but at that moment, I felt that your fiduciary duty was to me, certainly not Lou or Jack. But I was wrong.

Your duty lies first and foremost with your husband. And for that, you are truly blessed. I, unfortunately do not have this loyalty, devotion, or respect granted to me by Lou, and frankly, after 12 years with Lou, that breaks my heart. I know I will recover, thanks to all my dear friends' compassion and understanding. Reg has been my rock lately. He just dropped by with flowers, yellow roses, of course! He stayed for a cocktail. I kept hoping Lou would drive by and see Reg's car in the driveway!

Please bear with me as I go through this difficult time in my life. How ironic, this "Woman of the Year" was made to feel like a cypher by the man she has given her heart and soul and to for the past 12 years.


With love,
Vicki

Woman of the Year

You are cordially invited to attend

Portsmouth Bay Womens' Club

Woman of the Year Banquet

Honoring Vicki Deveraux

Washington Heights High School Business Teacher
and State FBLA President
Co-founder of A.R.I.S.E.
(Assisting Reservation Indians with a Secretarial Education)

Hostess of La Frenciante Charity Ball

Las Marionatis Ladies Guild Secretary

Portsmouth Beautiful Co-chairperson

Saturday, the twenty-first of November
7 PM

Dinner and Dance

Cocktail Attire Dress

Kindly RSVP to Annette Marie Goodwin
at BEacon 5-3582

Suspicions and Separations

Dear Lois,

I am suspicious about the Navajo jewelry set. It looks EXACTLY like the set that Tina is missing out in Santa Fe. Remember, last year when she let Cookie and Art use her place to crash on their drive back east? I would not put it past those two.

Vicki is being naughty. Jack would laugh at the glass. The fellas would have a big laugh but I think that Francine wouldn't really appreciate it.

I am concerned that Vicki thinks that Francine let the cat out of the bag about the house in Palm Springs. I think that Vicki is jumping to conclusions. I know that she is so very, very upset with Lou. She still doesn't understand that Lou is a very resourceful man. He is a good business man and he has lots of tricks up his sleeve.

Francine called me on Saturday. She was in tears. She said that Vicki gave her the "silent" treatment on the drive back from Palm Springs. Francine said that Vicki was so upset that she didn't want to go to lunch. How can Vicki not see that Francine admires her and was hoping to have a swell time and a couple of laughs! With all that Francine has been through lately, I really can't believe that Vicki could react that way. Francine also said that Vicki was driving with a lead foot. Her Caddie's needle was well into the 90's on the panel.

I know that I shouldn't meddle, but I have a good mind to call Vicki and tell her to straighten up and fly right.

I am driving to Los Angeles this weekend. I am having lunch at the tearoom at the Bullock's Wilshire and doing a little shopping. I am considering inviting Francine, I am sure she is in a state.

Yours truly,
Gloria

Enough is Enough!

Darling,

Where is this lounge located? I'll have to get on my specs to read the fine print. Johnnie is so talented. I am impressed!

I drove by your place today on the way to see Des, and I saw you backing out of the driveway. I didn't honk (that would be so vulgar!), and you turned right onto the expressway. Did you have to go into the city today? Oh, no, don't tell me, Jack was working today! On the weekend?

Francine, you have to start putting your foot down. Enough is enough. Jack is truly burning the candle at both ends and well, to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't want to bring it up, but didn't Mr. Maxwell pass away at an early age from a heart attack? Oh, my dear. I'm so sorry I brought that up, but I think brutal honesty is needed right now.

Jack is the love of your life, your rock. You have got to protect him, and in doing so, yourself. Would you like me to ask Lou to have a talk with him? Lou will be back in town this Tuesday. I believe he has meetings the whole week (he has to present to the board on Friday). He promised me a night out on Saturday, and I would love to have you and Jack join us. Maybe the fellas could get together at the lounge (have a chat over their scotch) while we are getting our hair done, and then they could swing by and pick us up. What do you think?

Please, dear, get back to me. I am concerned.

Much love,
Vicki

Dear Me!

Dear Vicki, September nineteenth

I can imagine that you have had to sit down at this point to see that your dear friend has written back to you. I should have picked up the telephone to ring. After all these years of friendship, you do realize that I do get “involved in projects” and just kind of switch into other gears sometimes.

Thank you for the note you sent, checking up on me. I can confess to you that I have been in a state lately. Well, gee, it has been more than just lately. You are a dear friend and I couldn’t let even more time pass before I communicated with you.

Yes, it has been Jack’s car that you have been seeing lately at the lounge. The poor dear has been working late at the office for weeks now. I just don’t have the heart to ask him to drive back across town to have dinner with his wife and only to have to return to the office. His new boss doesn’t seem to appreciate his talents and his abilities. I don’t think that he realizes that Jack didn’t just go to any law school. It is frustrating to sit back and keep my thoughts to myself.

So I have been busy involving myself in projects. I have been redecorating the guest bedroom. I saw some dreamy wallpaper in the May issue of Metropolitain Home. I just kind of got carried away and ordered new curtains, sheers, bedspread and dust ruffle.

I would love it if you and Lou would be our first guests to stay in it. If we start up with the Bridge Club this fall again, I will insist that you and Lou stay the night. (Then maybe Lou could relax a bit and have a second or third cocktall that night.) Then you and I can get up early, and have coffee in the kitchen. I think the guys would enjoy not having to hear you and I catch-up on everything from a new strawberry shortcake recipe that I found on the back of the new Betty Crocker cake mix to wondering why I let Cookie and Art get under my skin so!

I must confess that I am a little worried about Jack. I just don’t know if he finds me “interesting” anymore. I know that he has been mentioning all of the funny and “interesting” things that his paralegal says and does at the office. Oh, Vicki, I am terrified that Jack might not have as much work at the office as he says he does. I want to believe that his boss is “hard-boiled” as Jack has me believing.

I have been almost insisting that we eat at the lounge every weeknight. Being in public and giving me the chance to force myself out of the house and put some lipstick on has been helpful. But frankly, I must confess, I am worried.

The house is becoming frightfully quiet and I could use a good cup of coffee and company. I know that you have shared with me that Lou often has gals that pay him a lot of attention to him. Of course, Lou being the smart fellow that he is, knows what he has in you and would never stray.

Dear me, this note has become a letter. I hope to hear from you soon.

Affectionately,

Francine