Just Another Sad Love Song

Bridget swayed her hips side to side slowly as the song's initial beat played. Her arms raised straight into the air. When they came down, her hands slid down the sides of her form-fitting trumpet dress. Several men standing nearby found the show sexy, yet they had no clue as to how spicy the respected doctor's exhibition would be over the next several minutes.

Over at the bar, Duke Hager's head perked up as the Adina Howard song started. Glancing around, he leaned over to slap Hershel Cline in the chest with the back of his hand. It took Hershel a few seconds to realize what might be happening.

"Let's go," the current Honey Hollow defensive coordinator told the legendary former backup quarterback. But then, Duke's gaze fell on one of his star players, who also happened to be the son and nephew of his old friends. "Hey, Kessler, wanna see what our boy Coy's ex-girl can do?"

When the lyrics hit, Bridget sang them while Gabby, Annette, and company mouthed along. Shelly, Cookie, and the rest of the older crop of cheerleaders shook their heads. They'd already been in college when the song debuted, leaving the younger crew to be even more raunchy than they ever imagined acting.

"Let me lay it on the line. I got a little freakiness inside and you know that the man has gotta deal with it," Bridget sang toward her friends before shaking her finger at her male observers. "I don't care what they say; I'm not about to pay nobody's way. 'Cause it's all about the dog in me, uh-huh."

"Damn, I wish Tinny was here for this," Lauren stated, half-jokingly.

Rachel frowned at the thought, recalling the lurid displays from high school and early college that she had tried to stamp out. Of course, the redhead knew that Bridget and later Shayla's captaincies had featured even more risqué moments after she graduated.

Maura Fawcett, Shayla's best friend and co-captain back in the day, immediately pulled out her phone and found Tinsley's number. Maura paused briefly before hitting the call button to tell Lemon she didn't know Sabrina Rinaldi's whereabouts. Two years younger than Bridget, Sabrina had been her little cheersister and Shayla's successor as varsity captain. The attorney from Mulberry, March & Stratton, currently danced outside as she dodged the produce getting thrown around.

Sitting with his wife, Oliver Ragg excused himself for a moment, claiming he wanted to talk to Graham. Moving to where he'd last seen the former cheerleaders, Oliver saw Hershel but not their other good friend. Hoping Graham wasn't too far away, Ollie knew his old friend would want to witness his former crush put on her moves for old time's sake. Bridget's performance of this song at her junior year Snowflake Ball had scandalized the chaperones.

"I want a freak in the morning, a freak in the evening, just like me," Bridget continued to sing with her sultry moves. First, she waved a finger at a word she wouldn't repeat, which Shayla appreciated with a nod. Then, she brought her hands close together before flinging them away as if to brush someone off.

"Cause we don't give a damn about a thing!" Gabby, Annie, and Kimberly shouted with Bridget.

The hook hit, and Bridget fully unleashed her teenage self. The hot doctor pushed her arms out straight, bringing her hands next to each other. Then, the former cheer captain started to dip down as low as she could in her form-fighting dress. Rachel prayed that her crouching friend didn't rip the straining fabric of the dress.

Cause I will be a freak until the day
Until the dawn
And we can (pump, pump)
All through the night 'till the early morn'
Come on and I will take you around the 'hood
On a gangsta lean
'Cause we can (pump, pump)
Any time of day, it's all good for me

"Fuck, she's still got it," Elliot Ridge remarked to his best friend, Kirk Langley. The former Buzzy Bee reporters recalled the scandals Bridget and her friends caused at multiple school dances. One way Bridget caused hearts to murmur came on each "pump pump" of the lyrics as she thrust her ass back and forth.

Standing about a dozen feet away from the ex-school journalists, Jerry Yegge glanced over at his buddy Art Kolek. Art's wife still had her jaw dropped down in shock. Jerry nudged Shakir Wright on his other side, who chuckled at the reaction from their old basketball teammate's wife. Both men shared the same thought: If only some of the other wives knew about the rewards the cheer and dance squads issued on their march to the state championship.

More than four thousand miles away, Tinny screamed into her phone, scaring the shit out of Ned.

As the lyrics progressed, Bridget's friends began to chant, "Go, Bee, go." Then, the rowdy mothers substituted Adina for Bridget when the next section hit.

One to the two, to the two, to the three
Adina, do you wanna get freaky wit' me?
One to the two, to the two, to the three
Adina, do you wanna get freaky wit' me?
One to the two, to the two, to the three
Adina, do you wanna get freaky wit' me?
One to the two, to the two, to the three
Adina, do you wanna get freaky wit' me?

"Looks like Bridget still hasn't lost her flair for putting on a show," Carmella Zuccaro commented.

"I bet she pumps her ass that way in those on-call rooms," Didi Kittle remarked nastily.

"Didi!" Felicity Nakano exclaimed, horrified.

"Well, I've heard things. Bedsheets Bridget never changed. She just got more discreet," Didi continued.

Nearby, Cordelia Tissled rolled her eyes at how the old beef continued strongly with some of her former Sugarbee teammates. However, one friend wasn't about to let Didi's smear go unchallenged.

"Don't listen to her, Fliss," Valentina Quill told her ditzy friend. "She's just trying to make her BFF look good."

"Yeah, why aren't you out there, Gemma? Afraid to get shown up by a cheerleader's dance moves...again," Cordelia needled her ex-dance mate.

A mane of long, cheery red hair whipped around as Gemma Harlow responded to the insult. Immediately flashing hateful eyes, Bridget's rival snarled her reply.

"Speak to me like that again, and I'll show that my dance moves still reign supreme when my heel meets your mouth, you pretentious bit--"

"Enough!" Carmela bellowed. "You were warned to behave tonight." Gemma's predecessor glanced over at the redhead's BFF, who had grown close with Carmela over the years due to their husbands' friendship. "Didi promised you'd behave."

"Why?" Gemma challenged. "This is a cheer event; we shouldn't be keeping the peace. You've gone soft, Carm. At least your girls still have fire in them."

"Whoa! Get with the times. This isn't high school anymore," Cordelia reminded.

"And my daughters will be punished for what they did," Carmela stated. Then, she glanced around at her other old friends. "We're here because Cassie was a good person. Even during high school, most of us liked her. She wasn't a cheerleader either."

"She might have been one with the unofficial student manager crap!" Gemma exclaimed before turning to face Valentina and Felicity. "But I shouldn't be surprised. Your daughters even turned traitor and joined the cheersluts."

Felicity's lip quivered as she hated her friends fighting. Valentina didn't have that issue as she stood up for Caterina and Yumi.

"That's uncalled for, and you know it. Cat does what she wants, and Yumi had issues with the dance team in Fountain Beach before they moved back."

"Yeah, give them a break. Our girls aren't us," Naomi Fitch added.

"Oh! Of course, you'd say that. You're practically besties with Cookie Keeble these days," Gemma accused.

"No, I'm friends with Cookie Flavin. People change when they grow up. They mature. And I'm not going to tell Nikki that she can't be friends with Dove because their moms were on different high squads, especially when Cookie is a few years older than us. Besides, you're the hypocrite here. Harley's a Babybee."

"Don't you dare bring Harley up!" Gemma screeched. "Hayden's allowed that Beal girl to put ideas in her head. But there is still time. Many Sugarbees start out as Babybees. She'll learn before it's too late."

"Sure, blame the responsible parent," Valentina goaded. Although she and Caterina didn't see eye to eye on much, Val liked the Beal sisters.

"Whoa! Let's take it easy!" Didi ordered, jumping in front of a furious Gemma. She realized that she'd screwed up with her earlier comments. Rather than defending her BFF, they only riled Gemma up. "Let's all agree that our daughters are not our mini-mes, okay? Lord knows that Rylee isn't anything like me."

"You can say that. I don't know how a fiery brat like you popped out such a shy sweetie," Carmela teased, lightening up the mood. "Now, let's follow the advice I gave my daughters. Have fun; no drama."

"I fully agree. Tonight's for a good cause. We should all remember that," Cordelia stated, showing far more leadership than her high school version ever did. "Besides, Bridget vanished, so Gem will have to wait for another dance-off."

After "Freak Like Me" ended, the playlist reverted to Rachel's original order. As 80s new wave songs played, Bridget and her friends toned down their sexy dance style. This pleased Rachel immensely, even causing her to risk further retaliation by grabbing Maura's phone, telling Tinny goodbye, and hanging up on her.

Unfortunately, Bridget's fun lasted only two and a half songs. That's when a handsome man about a half dozen years younger than her slid over to join her dance. Although most women would love the attention of the handsome man with his perfectly styled hair, Bridget frowned at Adam Chase. A colorectal surgeon at Honey Hollow Medical Center, Adam continued his relentless pursuit of the gorgeous blonde. With his seduction success rate, one couldn't blame him for thinking he might score with Bridget. Many engaged and married women had succumbed to his charms. Of course, Adam should've remembered Brandy's earlier hard rejection.

"Move along, Adam. I'm not in the mood for your games," Bridget said, brushing him off as she turned away.

Still taking no for an answer, the attractive doctor slid up behind Bridget to whisper in her ear.

"Don't be so rash, doll. An abandoned wife as fine as you deserves the best when it comes to getting payback on your idiotic husband."

"Seriously?" Bridget challenged, turning around to face her pursuer. "Do you really think insulting the father of my two children is a winning pickup line? Gawd, your maturity level is a solid decade younger than you."

"Ooh! It's not a worthless line when I'm the one with the knowledge. Perhaps a kiss for some facts?" Adam queried, moving his face closer. "I know things about your workaholic hubby."

"I prefer pain," Bridget replied, grinding her heel slowly down on the top of his foot. "Now, what facts?"

"Oh, I love a woman who likes it rough," he said, attempting to play off the growing pain. "Uh, I know Leonard's surgery wasn't a last-minute decision. What fool no-shows his wife's event by planning months in advance?"

"Months?" Bridget repeated, then asked what he meant.

"Nuh-uh," Dr. Chase sounded, shaking his head while puckering up.

Bridget decided to play rougher.

"Oww!"

"Tell me," she ordered softly yet steely after picking up and slamming her heel down.

"L-Leonard scheduled the surgery back in mid-October. It's been the talk around the hospital since your kid was in there the other day."

Bridget whirled around to find her friends watching the scene. Flicking her head back, Dr. Tarver motioned at Chase.

"Gabs, pass the word about this scumbag. He loves to break up couples."

"Got it," the dark-haired woman acknowledged, shooting Adam a sinister grin. But then, she noticed Bridget storming away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"To find out where Leo is."

Bridget checked her phone once again as the elevator reached the sixth floor—still no reply to the text message she sent Leonard upon exiting the ballroom. Thus, while she headed to Room 612, the increasingly agitated wife called her husband's cell phone.

It rang four times before the call got sent to Leo's voicemail. That caused Bridget to slam the hotel room door open after the keycard unlocked it. Marching inside, she checked the bathroom and closet to make sure that Leo hadn't already arrived. Emptiness met her.

Bridget considered dialing their home number, but she knew Leonard enough to call his office at the hospital. It rang four times before an annoyed voice spoke.

"Yes."

"Leo, what the hell are you still doing there? You do realize that it's ten o'clock," Bridget pointed out. "Dinner started at 7:30!"

With a sigh first, Leonard replied, "I did have a vitally important experimental surgery to conduct. As you always remind me with your patience, one can't control or predict an emergency."

"Don't give me that condescending tone. As for your emergency? I'm calling bullshit."

"Bridget, I still have work that needs to be done before I leave tonight. Let us save your complaints about my missing a dinner for another day."

"Oh! I see. So you need to finish your paperwork before midnight, is that? I bet beating the calendar year is also why you just had to perform the surgery today. Had to get it done before the new year starts, so it looks better on paper, huh?" Bridget questioned in her own sarcastic tone.

"I already explained to you that the patient's hesitation is what caused the last-minute decision. This had nothing to do with the calendar year. Stop being paranoid," Leonard ordered as if talking to one of his children.

"Sure, try and feed me what to feel. You're a neurosurgeon, so save the psychological mindfucks for your cousin," Bridget replied. "Imagine my surprise when Summer seemed shocked that I expected you to show up tonight. I mean, this little dinner, as you called it, just happens to be about creating a legacy for my dead best friend. Or have you forgotten all about Cassie?"

"There is no need to be melodramatic, Bridget. Maybe you shou--"

"No! I think I'm going to be as damned dramatic as I fucking like!"

"Please refrain from the vulgar language, dear. You know I find it embarrassing and unprofessional."

"Like I fucking care if you're embarrassed! I'm the one who just got humiliated when Adam fucking Chase, of all people, reveals that you scheduled your precious operation back in mid-October."

"And you believed Dr. Chase?"

"Oh, he's a sleazy bastard that wants to slip his prick in your wife, but something clicked about that date," Bridget said, ignoring Leo's exasperated sigh at the word prick. "Dalton agreed to hold off the reservation for the ballroom until the end of September for us. That's when Fiona bailed us out with the paperwork, prompting us to thoroughly prepare the CSS details in early October. Does this ring any bells, dear? Cause I bet it does."

"I may have started planning the surgery during that period. However, I needed the patient to agree, which took time."

"And I know when you're lying, Leo. I might have missed the signs until tonight, but all the little details over the last few months pieced themselves together into a traitorous puzzle. So stop lying to me," Bridget ordered, maintaining her composure.

"I am not dealing with you while you're hysterical. We will save this discussion for when you haven't had several drinks. Now, I have--"

"Fuck no! You're not going to call me drunk and hysterical. Stop the bullshit, Leo!" Bridget screamed after finally snapping.

"Fine! I scheduled the surgery for this week. The patient wanted to wait until after Christmas if they didn't survive. Then, he pushed it back a day and another after that."

"And you couldn't have told me any of this? So instead, I spent the week looking and feeling like a fool because my husband kept not showing up at the cabin or the hotel. Well, I hope your surgery was a success, and your patient lives a long life because now we have serious issues in our marriage," Bridget declared.

"The surgery was successful. The patient didn't survive, but that wasn't necessary for my research. He knew the chances of survival were under eight percent, but--"

"Are you fucking...." Bridget began to scream before stopping herself. Then, after a moment, she dropped the bomb. "I can't do this anymore. I can't put up with your selfish, self-centered attitude. I-I want a divorce."

A long pause ensued.

"Very well," Leonard said softly.

"That's it?! No arguing? No 'I'm sorry, honey. I'll do better,' bullshit promises?"

"Clearly, you feel strongly about the matter if you asked for a divorce. It is probably for the best, Bridget. If this is how you react to a vital surgery, then your behavior would be worse when it came time to discuss our relocation."

"Relocation? Are you starting that crap again?"

"I'm not starting anything. It is time to move. With Sean off to college next autumn, we have no reason to stay in Honey Hollow. I've already received multiple offers from prestigious research hospitals that are a good fit for my skills. A divorce simply spares us the fight over moving."

"Wow, you had everything planned, huh? And what about my practice?" Bridget questioned.

"I believe I've made more than enough sacrifices for you by staying at a hospital far beneath my abilities. We should've moved away from Honey Hollow for our residencies. Our remaining in this tiny town was my granting you your wish," Leonard explained his view.

"Sacrificing for me? What about our children? We stayed here to raise them near our family and friends," Bridget replied. Then, hearing a snort, she let loose at her husband again. "Oh, maybe I should rephrase that. I raised our children with the help of my friends and family. You didn't do shit! No, you used work as an excuse rather than help. And you wonder why Sean will never be a doctor."

"Sean will follow his destiny. I will not allow--"

"No, you're not disallowing anything. You have zero say in his choices as Sean is eighteen. And don't even think of threatening or blackmailing him with tuition payments. You know I do pretty well financially from that practice you always deride."

"I will have my say in my children's futures. However, we can save this argument when you return from your vacation. I will contact an attorney tomorrow. For now, I have paperwork that must be completed," Leonard stated, waiting for a final response.

Bridget responded by ending the call. Then, she went to hurl her phone against the wall, but stopped at the last moment. So instead, she whipped the phone down on the bed before falling onto the mattress.

Crying for almost five minutes, Bridget **** herself to stop. Rolling over, she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Reaching over, she grabbed her phone to dial the one remaining person left in her life to spill her emotions to.

"Hey, you girls start stripping yet?"

"Tin..." Bridget sniffled, looking into the phone at her friend.

"Bridge...what happened?" Tinsley questioned immediately.

"I...I asked Leo for a divorce."

"WHAT?!!" Tinny screamed, causing Ned to worry about his heart.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Bee asked Leo for a divorce!"

"What did he say?"

"I don't know! Turn that down...No, wait! I'm going into the office. Don't bother me! If your daughters call from the police station, they're your problem," Tinny rattled off a mile a minute.

"MY daughters? They take after you!" Ned pointed out.

Listening to her oldest friend, Bridget smiled briefly before Tinny demanded to know how Leonard responded.