“This isn’t some porno; nobody sleeps with the flight attendant. I think it’s frowned upon and not one of the perks of your first-class upgrade.”
“Urgh, fine, you win.”
“Yes.” She punched the air and then reached over and squeezed my hand. “On a serious note, I don’t think Brooke quite happily did anything. I think it was hard on her too, but I’m sure she had her reasons. I think she was stupid to let you go, but we all have different levels of courage and different surrounding circumstances.”
“It sounds like you’re defending her. What’s happened to my best friend?”
There was a time when I’d had to ask Beth to stop sending anecdotes about Brooke. I was upset after she left. Beth was angry. Our views on the situation were quitecontrasting.
“Absolutely not. I still think her decision was poor, but I feel sorry for her. She’ll regret it one day if she doesn’t already.”
“Maybe, or maybe she’s living her happily ever after with some guy named Hiroshi who drives a bright blue Lexus and wears a watch equivalent to my yearly salary.”
“You’ve really thought that through. I like the name Hiroshi. I might suggest it to Ren.” She typed a note in her phone as fast as her fingerswould allow.
“Glad I could be of service.” I looked at my lap. There were crumbs everywhere. “I’m sorry. I’m making such a mess.” I scraped at the crumbs until they landed in my hand, and I tossed them back in the empty packet.
My eyes felt heavy. “I think it’s time for bed.”
“How about you lie down here.” Beth patted at the pillow on her lap. “I’ll soothingly massage your head until you fall asleep, likeold times.”
The yawns started. “You’re the best.”
“I know.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Half-conscious I heard my phone vibrating.
I slapped at the bedside table, searching for the source of noise so I could stop the incessant buzzing. When my hands didn’t find my phone, I launched upwards only to realise I wasn’t at home. My phone was across the roomon the desk.
Whattime is it?
It was dark, and I had no idea how I even ended up in bed. I threw back the covers and stomped over to my phone; it was Paula.
“Yes.” I raced back to bed and buried my half naked body within the sheets. Beth had undressed me too? It was just like old times.
“Good evening, sunshine,” Paula saidall chirpy.
I pulled my phone from my ear to witness the time. “Paula,it’s 4 a.m.”
“Oh, right. Totally forgot about the time difference. Whoops. Well, whilst I’ve got you.” I sighed, furiously pulling the covers above my head. My eyes hadn’t adjusted to even the small light coming from the monitor inthe corner.
“If this is about work, I will kill you,” I said. She could’ve at least given me twenty-four hours before breaking the no work talk on vacation code.
“Oh no, not yet, but I do have some gossip for you.” I could practically hear the desperation in her voice. She was terrible at keeping secrets.
“The gossip can’t wait until a reasonable hour?” I mumbled.
“Nope.”
“Okay.” I sighed. “Hitme with it.”
“Guess who’s pregnant?”
I didn’t like guessing games. Paula loved to make me guess. She wouldn’t know about Beth. She barely even knew Beth. They’d met three times, briefly, so that was out of the question.
“I have no idea.” I was too tired to care.
