The Mistress Club: The Beginning

Where were they? What was taking them so long? Vivian looked at her watch impatiently. 

It didn't usually take the girls this long to show up for drinks. They were never on time--but never this late. 

What could be the problem? Vivian wondered to herself. 

Just then, Jacqueline and Gabrielle walked in, looking irritated and disheveled. 

"What in the world happened to ya'll? Vivian asked, genuinely concerned.


Jacqueline glanced behind her, before answering.
 "Uuuggh! Mark happened." She replied. "Gabby was waiting to pick me up, when Mark rolled up to my house all with attitude. Apparently, someone told him that they saw me at the club last Sunday, hugged up with some random dude. So, Mark showed up to make sure that it wasn't true. TRANSLATION: He wanted to argue and accuse me of being hugged up with some random dude!" 


Vivian and Gabrielle shook their heads. 

"Oh, he's back on that again?" asked Vivian.


Things with Jacqueline and Mark were always VERY dramatic. 


Gabrielle sighed and patted the top of her head. "For a married man, he sure is rather possessive."


Jacqueline rolled her eyes at Gabrielle. "I know you're not gonna start with me, today." 


Gabrielle feigned shock. "I'm only stating a fact. Don't get all upset with me. I'm not the one running up on you like a gangsta. Humph!"


Gabrielle had a valid point. Jacqueline conceded. "Yeah, okay. I guess I need to get things straight with him--Again. I can't keep going through this."


It was a common topic of discussion amongst the three friends: the mistress/husband double standard. How is it that they could have their wives but the other women were expected to remain dateless?


Jacqueline and Gabrielle had finally settled at the table with Vivian. 


Vivian looked over to her girlfriends and smiled. How strange that they were so different yet the commonality of their romantic situations made them as thick as thieves. 


Vivian thought back to how they had met each other five years ago. 


She had attended a work event in a nearby city. She hadn't really wanted to go but decided to make an appearance--for him. 


She arrived and started to mingle with her co-workers and some of the vendors--it got old quick. She took a seat and began to scheme on how to make a graceful exit. That's when Gabrielle sat down beside her. 


Usually, Vivian felt uncomfortable when strangers sat near her, especially when there was available seating elsewhere. But Gabrielle was one of the only other few black women at the whole event, so Viv decided to give her a pass. 


Gabrielle extended her plate, full of chicken wings, meatballs and small snack crackers. 
"Want some?" she offered politely.
"No thank you." Vivian replied, holding up her hand. "I've already eaten." 
"Oh, no problem. I mean, I didn't see you eat anything since you got here, but aight, then." Gabrielle stated in a slightly accusative tone. 
" I ate before I came. I wasn't even sure I wanted to come in the first place." Vivian replied with offense.
"My bad. I wasn't trying to say you were lying...I just didn't see you eat anything." Gabrielle was smiling.


Her change of tone made Vivian chuckle. "I'm sorry, girl. I just don't really want to be here." Vivian explained, as if she were talking to an old friend.
"You don't have to tell me. If I hadn't volunteered to man our vendor table, I wouldn't be here, either." Gabrielle's smile had completely taken over her face. It lifted Vivian's spirit. 
"The things we do for men." Gabrielle said. 
"I know, huh?" sighed Vivian. 


There was a pause between them that hung in the air for a moment. As if, their mind meld required the utmost silence. 


"Girl, if you ONLY knew." Gabrielle said, half hoping that Vivian did want to know. 
"I'm not trying to be up in your business like that. I don't even know your name!" chuckled Vivian, nervously. 
"Oh, I'm Gabrielle. You can call me Gabby, though." 
"Nice to meet you Gabby. I'm Vivian. You can call me Viv." 
"Cool, Viv. Nice to meet you." Gabrielle said.


"Shoot, now I AM hungry." burst Vivian. "Can I have a wing?" 
"Girl, those wings are gone!" laughed Gabrielle. "I can show you which booth has the best ones. C'mon."


The ladies walked over to a red and gold booth, advertising the best wings in the city. 


"Hi, can I help you? What would you like?" said the petite young woman at the booth. "My name is Jacqueline and I make the best wings in the city. Which flavor would ya'll like to try today?"