Page 139 of Falling for Mr. October

Bianca gives me an arch look. “I’ve let you take the lead with Mr. Mayor. It’s my turn.”

I lift my palms up in defeat, nodding, because my woman has a point. Besides, there’s a decent chance Janine won’t answer the phone, and we can let this sit until cooler minds prevail.

“I’ve already got my phone recording,” someone calls out.

“Me too,” another Shirtie chimes in.

“What are you going to say to her?” I ask Bianca, resting a palm on her thigh as she unblocks Janine’s phone number in my contacts list.

She holds my gaze. “I’m going to tell her to stop messing with my man.”

Fuck. I think I might be getting a hard-on in a room full of elderly people.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

BIANCA

Janine’s phone is ringing.

My rage is hot enough that the Shirties should probably gather all of the fire extinguishers in the building.

How dare she. How fucking dare she.

Giovanni has been through enough because of this woman.

I’m convinced that part of the reason he wasn’t able to film for a month was because she’d gotten into his head. She’d tricked him into thinking he’d only succeeded because he’d cos-played as someone else.

Nonsense.

Giovanni rubs my leg as the phone continues to ring. I can tell he’s thinking she won’t answer. He’s probably grateful for it.

But I’m confident she’s going to pick up. She’ll be expecting his call, after all. Her whole baby daddy lie is an elaborate trap to back Giovanni into a corner.

“Giovanni,” Janine says, finally picking up. Her voice is deceptively sweet, like a poisoned apple.

“No, Janine,” I say. “This is his girlfriend. We’ve seen the article.”

She exhales dramatically on her end of the line. Meanwhile, Luanne rolls over to the whiteboard and grabs a red Sharpie.

Strong opening! she scrawls supportively. Now ask if she’s really pregnant, or if she’s planning on stuffing a beach ball under her shirt.

Helen steps up and grabs a purple marker off the whiteboard and underlines ask if she’s really pregnant.

“So you know about our news,” Janine says, the word our making my skin prickle just like she knew it would.

“I know that it’s impossible for you to be carrying his child, unless it’s an immaculate conception, which would be impressive for sure, but I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to believe me,” she says airily. “You’re irrelevant.”

Giovanni bristles beside me, but I layer my hand over his and squeeze it. I want to deal with her. I know I can. I’ve been handling difficult patients and management for my entire professional life.

“We’re in love,” I say. “So you’re the one who’s irrelevant.”

Helen draws a heart on the whiteboard.

“He’s confused,” Janine blusters. “He didn’t think I’d go through with marrying another man.”

“But you did, Janine. And if you’re not happy with your marriage, by all means, leave your husband. But you threw away your chance with Giovanni, and you’re not getting him back. We’re together, we’re in love, and he’s not going back to you.”