"I'm just tired… I didn't sleep a wink last night," Julie started, taking another sip of her wine, embarrassed to discover the glass had been drained on the last weary gulp.

Ertha rested her hand on Julie's slender arm, her bracelets twinkling as if to say, "Nothing is worth the misery, honey."

"Listen, Julie, I've known you since college and I know what your problem is… you're a martyr. God, look at all you've given up for that creep Roy. And what has he given you in return? Sure, so you went to a couple of neat parties, but you didn't have a chance to get loose or meet any of the musicians he was snorting cocaine with. Right? You told me so yourself, Julie."

Her friend shrugged. "Yes, that's what happened all right. I found out later he was in the lady's room smoking dope with one of those rock n' roll queenies." She closed her eyes and shook her head, then forced a pained smile that didn't last long. Her pixie face soured into a frozen grimace of faithless endurance as if she was waiting to be struck once more… to prove the misery she felt was real and deserved. The men around her noticed, too, and chose not to pursue interest in the petite looking woman whose China Doll sophistication contrasted so sharply with the sultry woman seated next to her.

Sipping from her water glass, she bolstered her strength and continued. "That seems to be happening a lot lately. We go places together, rarely and I end up watching his camera case while he goes off flirting with every woman around. I feel like an old hag, and I'm not even married! Whoever said living with a man was bliss, was full of shit!" she blurted out of control.