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Kit nods. “Good.” He shifts the gear into drive, then adds, “You look nice.”
I’m completely caught off guard by the compliment. I haven’t even taken my parka off yet. “Thanks. So do you.”
It’s the first time I’ve seen him out of a suit since Halloween. And while he wears them exceptionally well, I prefer this sweater-wearing, stubbled version. He seems more mortal. Touchable.
“You’re making me blush, Monty,” he teases.
I shake my head, dropping my warmed hands into my lap. “Did you see that James Dennis emailed this morning about changing?—”
“What happened to nothing professional on the weekends?” Kit interrupts.
“It’s time sensitive.”
“Forget about it, Collins. It can wait until Monday.”
“Fine.” I fiddle with my zipper, staring out the windshield as he navigates through my neighborhood.
“You nervous?”
“A little,” I admit. “I know you’ve met them before, but this is different.”
I’ve only spoken to my mom once since Thanksgiving—to run this visit by her. I haven’t talked to my dad at all. And Jane has been quieter than usual, busy with finals. She has one tonight. She’s going to try to stop by our parents’ after, but she won’t be there for dinner.
“It’s gonna go great.” Kit’s voice is pure confidence, and I relax into it, like slipping into a warm bath.
“Have you thought about when you’re going to tell your family?” I ask.
“I was thinking after the holidays. Lili will be back home … unless you wanted to tell her?”
I shake my head as I slip off my coat. I’ll say this for his fancy car: the heat works really well in it. “She’s your sister. You should tell her.”
I don’t think Lili’s absence is the only reason Kit’s waiting. Telling his father, who’s technically his boss, that hisformerassistant is pregnant sounds slightly better than announcing he knocked up hiscurrentone.
“Bash knows. I told him when he was home for Thanksgiving.”
“How did he react?” I can’t tell based on Kit’s cavalier tone.
“He’s stoked.”
“Really?”
The few times I’ve been around Bash, he’s acted polite and reserved. I can’t picture him andstokedin the same room together.
“Really.” He glances at me and grins. “He thinks it’ll mean aget out of jail freecard on any future indiscretions.”
“Like asorry I crashed the Benz, but remember Kit knocked up his assistantkind of thing?”
Kit chuckles. “Yeah, exactly. I don’t know what he’s worried about though. Bash has always been an angel compared to me.”
I smile. “Does that mean you’re a devil?”
“Baby, I’ll be whatever you want me to be,” he drawls.
A full acrobatic routine is taking place in my chest right now. I clear my throat in an attempt to regain some composure. “Calling mebabyisn’t very professional.”
He glances at my chest before refocusing on the road ahead. “Neither’s that top.”
It’s raining when we reach New Haven. The town looks dreary and gray and damp. Same with the street I grew up on, the branches of the few trees that line it bare and brown.