Chapter 47：I didn't have much of a choice

Mary smoothed the apron on her pretty but lower-class rust-colored dress. Jessica thought the color went wonderfully with her naturally pink cheeks. Her blond hair was under a white bonnet that matched her apron.

―She's the peasant lady in the upcoming play, Jessica explained. ―I'm going to hem the dress for her later this afternoon. I didn't realize she'd wear it all day.

Mary shrugged. ―I didn't have much of a choice. After I went to the costume designer's house, I helped Mrs. Edwards get the luncheon ready for the Mother-Daughter banquet at the church. Then I had to come over here. Between going to lunch with Helen and going to your place, I won't have a chance to change. I'm afraid I will be sorely out of place at our usual restaurant.

―We can go somewhere else instead, Helen suggested. ―It might be nice to try something new for a change. That old restaurant on the corner of Jefferson and Adams isn't so particular about dress code. Let's go there. The decision was made and, unlike the other restaurant, they were seated right away. Jessica felt oddly out of place in one of her best dresses.

She wasn't the only one who noticed this minor detail. As she followed her friends, she overheard a couple of women comment on her choice of dress. She ignored the whispers, but she wondered why they couldn't have waited until she was well out of hearing range before voicing their opinion.

She took off her hat and placed it next to Mary's bonnet and Helen's modest hat in the empty chair at their table that was meant to seat four people. She hadn't been to the restaurant before but already decided she didn't like it. The men from the other room who played at the billiard tables were loud and obnoxious.

―Today is a popular billiards day, Helen said. ―I hear that every Thursday here they have two games for the price of one. It naturally draws more men here.―Do women ever play? Mary wondered. ―I haven't known one too. Do you play the game?

―My father has a billiard table at home and I play some games with him.―Really? I didn't know that. Jessica was amazed that even after all this time, she was still learning something new about her friend. She thought she knew everything there was to know about Mary.

―Are you any good? Helen wondered. ―I don't know. I've never played against anyone but my father. He seems to think I'm a challenging player, Mary replied. ―I've never seen the game, Jessica said. ―What does it involve?

―The goal of the game is to get all your balls into the holes at the edges of the table before your opponent does. You hit the balls with a long wooden stick called a cue. The game didn't sound particularly interesting to Jessica, but she noticed that Mary seemed to thoroughly enjoy it if the way she passionately continued to discuss the game was any indication of her interest level in the activity.

Mary continued to explain the rules of it after the three friends ordered their meals. When she was done, Helen laughed. ―You could write a book about it with the way you talk. I bet you play better than you let on. A couple of minutes later, their lunches came and they ate.

While Helen asked questions about the play Mary was going to be in, Jessica happened to look at the billiard room to see Leo holding a cue that Mary had mentioned, and he was listening to the man who was talking next to him. She frowned.

It didn't look like he was at a business lunch. It looked like he was playing a game during business hours. She glanced back at her fish, surprised that she felt stung by the fact that he canceled his plans with her to run off and play a game with one of his friends. I shouldn't be startled that this happened.

After all, we don't know each other. But besides feeling startled, she was also upset. Why did he even ask her to lunch if he would rather do something else? ―Jessica? Mary waved her hand in front of her friend's face. ―Jessica, are you feeling alright? Jessica blinked and focused on the blond sitting next to her.

―Did you ask me something?―No. We just noticed you weren't paying attention to us. What's wrong? ―Nothing.Simply nothing. It was ridiculous that she would be jealous that someone else was taking her husband's attention from her. She didn't know him well enough to love him. ―If you want us to believe that, then you could at least do a better job of lying, Helen remarked.