“Excuse me while I vomit.”
“Claire, please stop,” Molly begged.
"Hamish couldn't keep his eyes off you.He knew every move you made inside that ballroom.I think I saw it coming but didn't want to admit it."
"Are you really mad?Because if you are, I'll end it.I love you, Claire.I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I'm not mad or hurt," Claire admitted."I guess more than anything, if I’m being totally honest, I’m a little jealous."
"Mark it down, ladies and gentlemen.Claire Jordan is jealous ofmoifor a change."
"All I want is for you to be happy—really happy.And if being with Hamish does that, then you have my blessing."Claire paused.“But I willnotcall you Auntie.Not now, not ever.”
"Thank you,” Molly said.“And now that we have that out of the way, you can tell me what happened last night with Prince Charming."
"We had a lovely evening," Claire said.
"A lovely evening, my ass.Tell me everything.Don’t leave anything out.Start from the minute he showed up."
"There’s nothing to tell.We had dinner.We talked.We laughed.I came home.”
“You brought him back to your flat?”
“No, no, I mean I went back to the hotel.I checked out first thing this morning.I’ve been here working for most of the day.”
“Any plans to see him again?”
“Not at the moment, no.”
"That’s all I get?"Molly asked after a pause.
"I don't feel like talking about it."
Claire's tone signaled one thing.The subject of Jay Avery was off limits.At least temporarily.While they shared secrets and a common love for many things, Claire kept her dalliances more private.A character trait Molly respected, though it didn't stop her constant needling for intimate details.
"Did he blind you with science?"Molly teased.
"He blinded me with something.I honestly can’t focus on anything else.”
"I’m worried about you,” Molly said with concern.
Claire didn’t respond.The web of guilt and regret that seemed to steer her life for months had suddenly taken a backseat to a host of new feelings.Feelings she'd never experienced, driving down on her with great speed.
"He lost his wife in a car accident—at the end of last year,” she finally said.
"Wow,” Molly said.“Talk about coincidence.Did you tell him about Cally?”
"No."Claire paused."He doesn’t know anything about him.”
“Do you plan to tell him?”
“I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other, Molly.Not after the scene on his sofa.”
"Wait—you hooked up on his sofa?"
"It's not what you think.I mean, we may have been heading in that direction and that's when he…”
"When he what?"Molly pressed.
