Page 65

Story: Cruel Betrayals

“Not yet. I’ll probably just run home and make a sandwich. Why?”
“How about you take off the rest of the day and come eat lunch with me?”
“Lunch is usually only thirty minutes to an hour.” I pull up my calendar to see if there is any other pressing matter I need to deal with right now.
“Call it a long lunch.” Her phone chimes with a message, but she ignores it.
“I really should finish up the Valentino contract before I leave for the day.”
Francesca leans forward, draping her arms across my desk. “That’s not due for another week. It doesn’t have to be done right now, does it?”
“Well, no, but I don’t like falling behind.”
“You can do it tomorrow morning. Please? I really need girl time. It’s always the guys around, and I’m tired of their testosterone. Pretty please?”
“Alright, I’ll take the day off, but I need to run an errand.”
She raises her eyebrow. “Please tell me it’s something fun and not like mailing something for my father.”
“I want to get something for Joseph to tell him about the baby.”
She squeals. “Yes! Shopping. Let’s go.”
She practically pulls me out of my chair and drags me to the elevator.
“We are going to have so much fun! But first, we need food. Is there anything you are craving?”
“Um, sushi sounds incredible right now.”
She frowns as we step inside the elevator. “You can’t have sushi.”
I push the button for the bottom floor and say, “That’s not true. As long as it’s from a reputable place, and as long as I don’t eat the fish eggs, or overdo it on the mercury, I’m all cleared. I asked my obstetrician, and she said it was alright.”
She stares at me for a few moments. “If you say so, but I’m pretty sure you can’t.”
“That’s just an old wives’ tale. People say you can’t eat raw fish, but that’s not true. They also say you shouldn’t have caffeine or wine, but my obstetrician said I can still drink my coffee in the morning and have a glass of red wine later in my pregnancy if I want to.”
We pause our conversation as we walk through the lobby.
“I’ll drive.” Francesca says as we step outside.
I slide into her passenger seat. “The last time I was in your car was the night I found out I was pregnant.”
“Well, it’s not like you can find out you’re pregnant again. Unless it’s twins.”
I feel the blood drain from my face.
Twins? I’ve barely wrapped my head around one baby. How will I survive if there are two?
She laughs and drives away from the arena. “Relax. I was just kidding.”
“That’s too scary to think about.”
“I’m pretty sure they would have caught baby number two if you were having twins. Besides, you have loads of support.”
I need to get the subject off me and the baby. I’m already nervous about telling Joseph. I don’t need more stress on top of it.
“What about you? Are you and Rhett planning on waiting until after the wedding to start a family?”