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“Mmmm hmmm, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I need to run to the restroom real quick,” Jazzy said, jumping up from the table.
Once she was gone, I reached across to touch Laurel’s hand. She brought her eyes to mine.
“You okay?” I asked. We’d gotten pretty close after working together over the last few weeks, and I was beginning to understand her moods and facial expressions.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to make this business work, but asking Dillon?” Her blonde hair framed her face as she shook her head. “I don’t know if I could stand it if he didn’t take me seriously and treated me like an annoying kid, just like he always does.”
“You like him,” I surmised.
Her blue eyes widened, and her lips turned down as she shook her head again.
“I’ve been in love with him since I was nine years old.”
My stomach fluttered, even as my heart soared at the romance of it all, and I gently squeezed her hand under mine and said, “Oh, Laurel.”
“I know, it’s okay,” she said, her face closing up. “He’ll never see me as anything other than his sister’s best friend who used to torment him when we were younger, and Jazzy would flip. It’s okay, I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“I don’t think…” I began, then paused when Jasmine returned.
“Hey, do one of you have a tampon?” she asked. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention and the dates got away from me.”
“Sure,” I said, grabbing my purse and going to the inside pocket to get one out. I had it in my hand, and was about to hand it to her, when something clicked.
When was the last time I needed a tampon?
Shit, I’m late…
“Uh, Chlo, can I have it?” Jasmine asked, her tone amused.
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” I said with a short, fake laugh as I lifted my hand toward her.
“Thanks, you’re the best,” she replied, but was already rushing away before I could respond.
I was frozen in place anyway.
“Chloe?” Laurel asked, her voice sounding far away.
I opened my mouth to tell her I was fine when my phone went off, saving me from having to lie.
I looked at the screen, then pressed the green button and asked, “What’s up, Zo?”
“It’s Gabe,” he answered, voice frantic. “It’s time. Zoey’s water broke and we’re heading to the hospital.”
“We’ll be right there,” I said, breaking out of my fog and springing from the chair.
“Okay,” he replied, then hung up.
I looked to Laurel and said, “Zoey’s in labor.”
She gave a little squeal and clapped her hands, then stood up and flagged down our waitress.
As Laurel was dealing with that, I thought of Christopher.
He was in school and had practice after.
Should I let him be and get him when Zoey had the baby, or take him with me to the hospital?
