Read The Scarlet Letter Society for Free Online Page B

the beautiful June morning and its fresh sunrise.
    “Hey there, Zarina,” said Eva. “You look awfully bright and chipper this early morning.”
    She smiled.
    “This must have something to do with that slightly brooding but completely adorable young hipster gentleman we often see visiting your lovely shop,” added Eva.
    “Well, I hadn’t thought about it that way,” replied Zarina, “but I guess that’s just a good a reason as any to put a smile on my face. And you know we hate being called hipsters.”
    “We know,” said Maggie. “But what else are we supposed to call you youngins? And by the way, thanks for getting the books for us this month, hipster.”
    “No problem, Mag Hag. You don’t mind if I call you that, right? Only every time you call me a hipster.” Zarina winked at Maggie, enjoying her fake horror face response, and retreated behind the counter to begin supplying the early morning caffeine.
    Maggie began the meeting with her typical style. “Ok, so which of you adultresses read the book? You know, the one our entire tiny club is named after?”
    Lisa cleared her throat. “I read it. It’s not an easy thing to do. That old-fashioned language made me remember why we all read Cliffs Notes back in the day. But the theme of sin and the conflict between heart and mind are timeless.”
    “Well that was a thought provoking, brief but detailed book review, Lisa. Thank you for that,” said Maggie. Eva laughed.
    “What are you laughing about, missy? I bet your big-shot corporate-attorney ass didn’t even read page one,” said Maggie.
    “I did so read page one!” proclaimed Eva. “Plus more than half of the Wikipedia page.” They laughed.
    Lisa always found herself a little jealous of the relationship between Maggie and Eva, who’d known each other for years. Lisa hated feeling like the perpetual third wheel on the SLS bike, but the current company represented her only friends, so she did her best to swallow her insecurity.
    “The whole first page of the book, huh? Wow, we’re impressed,” said Maggie. “Well, ladies, how about if I give my thoughts on the book? I actually took notes.”
    “Notes? Geez!” said Eva.
    “I took notes, too,” admitted Lisa, clutching her trusty notebook and flipping through it.
    “Pipe down, Eva. It looks like our little book club discussion is being led by me and Lisa, since you barely cracked the cover—er, opened the app,” said Maggie,. She continued, “There’s a reason all of our club invites include the one quote about the scarlet letter as ‘her passport into regions where other women dared not tread.’ I picked it because it describes that there are basically two types of women in this world. Those who cheat, and those who do not.”
    Lisa looked down at her coffee, then pretended to write something down in her journal.
    “Well I guess we’ve come to the right place,” said Eva. “I know I’d rather be the mistress than the wife.”
    Lisa turned to Eva and said, “But you are a wife.”
    Eva replied, “I didn’t say I wasn’t, but in addition to the fact that I’m a terrible one, obviously, I think being a mistress is so much more fun. There’s no laundry or kids’ sports practices or fights about spending money. It’s just fun.”
    “Which brings up another key quote from the book: ‘She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom’,” said Maggie. “I think that’s what Hawthorne was trying to say there. Being in a marriage can feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. But when you’re with a lover, you’re in another world, and you’re free. Even if it means you pay the price of a sinner.”
    “Exactly,” said Eva. “Sin or no sin, it’s an escape from reality. And if you’re with several lovers, you’re even more free! Right, Maggie?”
    Maggie sighed. “Why do I have the feeling that we’re never going to end up actually discussing the books in our book club? Ok, well, since you