“He’s a fish. He gurgles and flaps his construction paper fins. I promise you won’t miss much.”
“I’m still mad.”
“If you want, you can take him trick-or-treating on Halloween.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Tom is out of town for work and trying to push a baby in a stroller down Garden Place while dealing with a six-year-old is going to be impossible. Plus, somebody needs to hand out candy at my house.”
Brooklyn rubbed her hands together. Halloween was epic in Brooklyn Heights. Her mom and sister both lived there, and the girls had grown up there as well. Getting to take Dallas on her own sent a verifiable thrill through her body. “I’m going to have to figure out my costume.”
“You know you don’t have to dress up, right?”
“I’m Fun Aunt Brooklyn. I’m dressing up. For sure.”
“Whatever you say.” Virginia rose out of her chair, leaned over, and kissed Brooklyn on the top of her head. “Don’t say yes to any guys while I’m gone. I want first right of refusal.”
“Don’t worry. There’s zero risk of me saying yes to anybody right now.”
Virginia breezed out of Brooklyn’s office, quickly replaced by Brooklyn’s assistant, Laurel. “Lela Bennett is downstairs for you. Do you want me to fetch her?”
Brooklyn got up from her desk. “No. It’s okay. I’ll do it. I need to get up and move around anyway. Too much sitting.”
“It’s the new smoking,” Laurel said.
“So I’ve heard.” Brooklyn strode through the controlled chaos of the executive floor and pressed the button for the elevator.
From out of nowhere, a giant with big brown eyes and flowing wavy hair blocked Brooklyn’s view of, well, everything. “Ms. Monroe, I’ve really been wanting to meet you. I want to thank you for the opportunity to intern here.”
Brooklyn shook his hand, craning her neck in order to make eye contact with the human skyscraper with a model’s cheekbones. “It’s no problem. It’s nice to meet you. What’s your name?”
“Giorgio. I found out about Posh Post because of the letter you sent in the Posh Male box. My older brother got one.”
Oh, Lord.Brooklyn managed a nervous titter. “Well, I don’t want you to think that’s all we’re about.”
He shook his head. “I don’t, but I do think it was very forward-thinking. My brother and I were both raised by a single mom. I admire what you want to do. We did just fine without a dad in the picture.”
Brooklyn and Virginia had, too, but that still didn’t mean the girls had never felt as though they’d lost out on something. “Good to know.” The elevator arrived. “I have to pop downstairs, but I’ll see you later. Thanks for joining the team.”
“You’re very welcome. I hope you find a guy. Somewhere.”
Brooklyn pasted a smile on her face. “Thanks.” Mercifully, the doors slid shut, and all she could do was shake her head for the millionth time. Even when people thought her quest for motherhood on her own terms was noble, it still felt odd that anyone thought it was okay to chime in on her life choices.
Downstairs in the lobby, Lela stood waiting. She looked incredibly chic with her extraordinary silver hair up in a ponytail. She wore a short and flirty skirt of black tulle, with opaque black hose and heels, paired with a white cardigan. It was the perfect way to deal with the erratic October weather. One day it was in the upper seventies, or like today, the high was barely going to reach sixty.
“I’m so excited you’re here.” Brooklyn eagerly took the hug Lela offered. This felt like the start of a friendship.
“Me, too. I can’t wait to see everything.”
“I’m sorry we couldn’t go to an actual restaurant today,” Brooklyn said to Lela once they were in the elevator. “Things have gotten a little out of control. Going out in public right now is a disaster. I stopped at my corner deli for a bagel this morning and a guy with horrendous body odor insisted on paying for me and another gave me a used paper coffee cup with his name and number on it. People were taking photos with their phones. It was super awkward.”
“Wow,” Lela said.
“And don’t even get me started on the state of my inbox. It has exploded.”
“All of this because of Alec’s interview?”
“I thought it would make things die down, but it only made everything blow up.”
