Page 36

The dogs saunter behind us as we head to the kitchen.

“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but, fuck me again.” She briefly holds two fingers in front of her lips—the ones I tried to kiss last Saturday. “And pardon my French, of course.”

“It’s all right. The doggies can take it.” I flash her a smile. “And so can I.” I pour us both some of the lemon-and-mint water my fridge is always stocked with.

CHAPTER16

MIMI

We’re sitting on Nora’s patio, the magnificent view in front of us, a large pool to the right. Next to the pool house, I spot a gym with all sorts of equipment. That must be where Nora sculpts that almost impossible body for someone above fifty.

“Austin’s going to lose it if you ever invite him here.” Even water tastes better when you drink it in this environment. I’ve been to a few spectacular Hollywood mansions over the years, but there’s something extra dazzling about Nora’s house—maybe because this is her most-private territory. Or maybe just because she lives here, and she has invited me to spend time here with her—although, technically, I suppose I invited myself.

“I guess that’s the next step in his and Juan’s relationship.” Nora tucks a leg underneath her. “I really like Austin, and not just because my best friend is crazy about him. He’s such a nice guy.”

A compliment about one of my kids is always going to improve my mood. “Austin’s my baby. Odds were he was going to turn out a spoiled brat, but it never happened.” The twins were thirteen when their little brother was born, on the cusp of puberty, but still they couldn’t help but dote on him, despite all the hormones raging in their bodies. Lauren was eleven and, at least for a few years, couldn’t get enough of the real-life doll that was suddenly living in her house.

“Surely, that’s a credit to your talents as a mother.”

“I’ll take it.” Nora’s looking delicious and relaxed tonight. Her pug—Izzy, I believe—is snoring in her lap. Nora caresses her little head. “As much as I’ve always loved work, for the past thirty-nine years, I’ve always been a mother first. Everything changes, just like that and forever, when you have your first child. Or in my case, children.”

“Twins, yeah. That must have been something.”

“You don’t have any siblings, do you?”

Nora shakes her head. “Just parents I don’t really talk to.” She says it as though it’s something she has accepted a long time ago.

“May I ask why? Tell me if I’m being too nosy.”

“I did try to kiss you, so I can hardly play the discretion card any longer.”

“I’m glad you’re not being hard on yourself for that any longer.”

“Someone sent me a text saying I shouldn’t.” Nora grins at me. Her magnificent upper arms gleam in the light of the setting sun.

“Sounds like a wise person.”

Nora nods. “You could be right.”

“So? Your parents?” I urge, before we go off track again.

“My parents… They… Compared to Juan and Imani, I got very lucky with my parents. They tried their best and they love me, that much I know, but, um.” She takes a sip of water. For all the glorification of alcohol, I’ve always thought it a million times more fascinating to talk to a non-intoxicated person. Nora comes across as so much more sincere than when she was drunk at my house. “I guess the problem between me and my parents is that we’re too alike. None of us excel at communication. We don’t know how to really talk to each other so, over the years, we’ve kind of stopped.”

As a mother, that sounds horrifying. “You don’t check in once in a while?”

“Maybe the odd text now and then.”

My heart sinks as I empathize with Nora’s parents. It must show on my face, because Nora looks at me and asks, “What?”

“I’m not judging you, but I’m a mother and…”

“Being someone’s mother doesn’t entitle you to anything. Look at Juan and Imani’s mothers. What does it mean to Juan’s mother that she has this amazing man as her son? She doesn’t even know what a great person he is.”

“Okay. Sure.” I touched a nerve.

“Some women shouldn’t be mothers,” Nora says.

“Agreed.” We’re being a bit harsh, yet it’s true.