A Tale of Dirty Laundry

Nov 9, 2010 by Peggy Nolan

My suitcase weighed five pounds too much. Rick set it on the ground.

“Take out the conch shell,” I suggested.

He opened the suitcase and we both knelt down.

“I got this,” he said.

“I stuffed my dirty underwear inside the shell” I whispered.

He dug through my clothes and found the shell. My oh so sexy panties clung to a sharp edge. I hoped no one saw as I threw them back in the suitcase. As I stood up, I grazed the bill of Rick’s ball cap.

“God. Damn. It. Cindy. I told you I got this!” He shoved the shell inside his back pack.

I felt the burn in the middle of my chest. I felt the flush of hot hot heat rise to my neck and face. No need for a mirror…I felt the bright red splotches spread across my skin…burning from the inside out

I stepped away from the suitcase and stood in the security line. I stared straight ahead, reading the same “Welcome to the Turks & Caicos” sign a dozen times. I gazed towards the departure area and spotted a not so busy bar. A shot of tequilla with a beer chaser sounded really good.

I felt him behind me. He touched my shoulder. “How much of an issue is this going to be?” he asked.

“I dunno.” I shrugged my shoulders but kept my back to him. “You just yelled at me and called me your ex-wife’s name.”