Page 87 of The Wedding

“I had planned on going after this.” She had menus to show Etta. “Why?”

Eve looked around the locker room, as if there were anyone else there. She then pulled a piece of folded paper from one of her pockets and put it in Jamie’s hand. “You’ve got to give this to Natasha. I’ll owe you.”

“What!”

“Shh!” Eve closed Jamie’s hand over the note. “Come on. Spot me this favor. Like I said, I’ll owe you one. Want me to talk you up to some of the other women I know? I can do that. Maybe get you some invitations… but come on. I’m going crazy! She won’t talk to me!”

Jamie stared at the now crumpled note in her palm. “Dare I ask what this is?”

“What the fuck do you think it is? Pages from the Marquis de Sade’s diary? Pfft. Hey, though, don’t read it. Seriously.”

“All right.” Jamie put it in her pocket. “I don’t make any promises about her. She’s made it pretty clear she doesn’t want to date you.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going through you, her friend, and her boss’sfiancée. She’s gotta at least take the note from you, because she sure as hell won’t take it from me. I’ve been there twice in two months, and she always conveniently goes to the break room when I’m around.” Eve grunted in frustration. “You know, she didn’t have anything bad to say about that night you caught us stealing the sheets. She even gave me her number, although she ended up blocking mine. What the fuck gives? I never got an explanation.”

Jamie almost laughed. “You got it bad for her, huh?”

“Have you seen her?”

“A few times, yeah.” Eve would be into the ultra-femme types. The lipstick lesbians, Jamie believed they were called. “Well, if you want to know what she’s told me…”

“Duh?”

“She’s said that you’re too domineering for her. You intimidate her, and she thinks you’re into lifestyle stuff like your sister. She’s not.”

“Well, shit.” Eve sat back, crossing her arms. “I’m not either! That stuff’s fun for the bedroom, but I’m not into stuff outside of it, like my stupid sister. Give me that note back. I’ll make an addendum.”

“Oh, no.” Jamie scooted off the bench, already forgetting the pain on her face. “I’ll take it from here, thanks. But if she keeps telling you no, you need to let her go.”

Eve shot her a look that almost pierced Jamie’s bruised nose.

She briefly hit the showers, taking ginger care of her injury. Jamie dressed in her skirt and blouse, brushed her hair, and emerged in the maw of the gym, where she bade her farewells to the women who had waited there. Gwenyth and Eve were only half interested in her departure, but Kathleen went out of her way to flash the tiniest smile. Perhaps Eve had said something.

It was a quick jaunt to the Thompson-Coleman building – recently renamed as such – from the sports center. Quick enough that Jamieeschewed the car and walked, hoping that her nose would feel better by the time she graced her fiancée’s office with her presence. She was in luck. Not only was her nose getting over itself, but any traces of blood could not be seen. Jamie double-checked this in the elevator mirrors while the operator watched her.

This place is still kind of a mess. Jamie was starting to think that every time she came into the executive offices. Before, any hint of “Jacqueline” had been hastily removed from signage, leaving behind shadowy reminders on the walls and letterheads. Now, they were all replaced with Adele’s last name, although some signs were taken down to be tweaked, and letterheads were still phasing between Etta’s name and the dual leadership. It didn’t help that whoever was in charge of making the new sign hanging in front of the elevator had accidentally made the Thompson one size too big, so it looked like it was eating the Coleman for breakfast.This probably says a lot.

Natasha was also in transition.

“Good afternoon, Coleman Ent… I mean, Thompson-Coleman executive offices. This is the office of Etta Coleman. How may I help you?”

Jamie waited until the receptionist was off the phone before approaching her desk. Amanda was also at her desk a few yards away, organizing folders from that morning’s executive meeting. Jamie did not miss that monotonous work.

“Hey,” Natasha said, slamming a pencil upside down on her desk. “She doesn’t have anyone in there. You can probably go in. If not, tell her you barged in without my say so.”

Jamie perched on the edge of Natasha’s desk and made sure nobody else was paying attention as she slipped Eve’s note into her friend’s hand.

“What’s this?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger. I owed someone,” Jamie lied.

Natasha unfolded the note and perused the first few words written in Eve’s flamboyant handwriting. Jamie caught them as well.“It’s been nearly four months since we…”The note immediately folded again, Natasha’s face turning red.

“Remember what I said! Don’t shoot the messenger.” Jamie pretended that Natasha wasn’t glaring at her. She slipped off the desk and shuffled toward Etta’s office door. “By the way,” she hissed in Natasha’s direction, “you should really go on another date with her. She’s got it baaaaddd for the lipstick style.”

“What are you trying to say?” Natasha hissed back.

Jamie put her hand on the door handle behind her. “That she’s still clit-drunk on you. Or whatever the phrase is.” The door gave way, and she disappeared into Etta’s office before Natasha could come after her.