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“Me too, but life happened, to the both of us. And they happened for the best.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Iknow, but Ifeel that since the twins were born, and the art program I’ve been developing across more schools in Boston, we’ve been seeing each other less and less.”
“Duh, that’swhatfor the bestmeans.” Irolled my eyes, signaling her that the light had turned green. “The best fucking thing, to be ahands-on mom to these two. Seriously, Iadmire you for staying on top of that and working and finding time to meet with me. Tell me your secret.”
“You already know about my Superman of ahusband.” Her flushed cheeks burned like her crimson dress. Seeing her so excited about him after three years of arelationship warmed my heart. “Last night when the kids cried, even though it doesn’thappen as often as before, he got up just so I’dhave agood night’ssleep. Didn’twant me tired behind the wheel.”
Maybe if Ihad apartner like Thomas, I’dreconsider the whole family concept. Then again, what were the odds someone as objectively perfect would find his way to me? None.
“After the third wakeup call from these two, he stayed up and painted and Ifound him in the morning looking like you do.”
Ipulled down the visor mirror to see what it was Ilooked like. Despite my best attempts to cover up the four hours of sleep, it showed.Sigh.
“What are you sighing about there? Thomas and you wear thatoverworked but euphoriclook so well. Got any news you want to share, emphasis on the wordeuphoric?”
Fuck, fuck, fuckZachand his magic eggplant for making me glow.
His eggplant and the other beating organ right in the middle of his chest. Neither of the two were meant for Erin’sears. “Sorry to disappoint; being with you is all I’mhappy and euphoric about.”
Our neighborhood’sviews gave way to the tall buildings that decorated the Financial District. People walked the streets in suits, tourist groups stood and listened to the tour guide reciting the city’shistory, and shoppers strolled with their latest purchases. And then there was me and the loud thudding of my heart the longer we were in the car.
Erin talked about the twins and stopped me from losing my shit repeatedly throughout the rest of the drive. Ithanked her internally for every detailed story.
“You’re being strange,” she commented when Ididn’tlaugh like Iusually do from hearing about the babies’ pee landing on random parts of their dad. “What’sup? And Iknow it’snot me, because Iknow what you look like when you’re happy, and this is not it.”
Ifingered the fabric of my dress and blew out asigh. We were parking near Zach’soffice building when the nerves started getting to me again. “You’re imagining things. Let’sgo. Idon’twant you to be late.”
“We have afew minutes left.” She unbuckled her seat belt, crossing one leg on top of the other. Erin was short; she had plenty of space.
“Excellent!” Ismiled widely as Ireached for the handle without waiting for her. “Means we can get afancy espresso until Joel is able to see you.”
“Fine, don’tsay anything.” She caught up with me when Ipower walked to the elevators. “I’ll keep you entertained with some poop stories. You’re going to love the one about Violet.”
She sure loved these nasty stories, and Idid too since they distracted her from grilling me further. When we reached the vast lobby floor, we got our guest tags and rode up the huge marble tiled elevators. The higher we went up, the harder it became for me to breathe.
On the seventeenth floor, where Zach’soffice was, we were both silent. Ifollowed Erin, who navigated us toward the glass doors where it read in black, formal lettersSheppard Rowe.
The offices looked out over the city, abreathtaking view. The administrator sat at the entrance, taking on the role of the receptionist as well from what Erin told me, while we waited to be buzzed in. From his desk you could either go left or right where there were meeting rooms and offices with more glass doors, though Ididn’tdare to look farther.
Ihad convinced myself that if Ididn’tactively search for Zach, he wouldn’tnotice me. That if Iwished hard enough, he’dbe in ameeting outside the office or at an early dinner. Anything to avoid an embarrassing out-of-the-blue encounter with aman whose dick Isucked last night.
“Erin, great to see you here again.” The administrator smiled at my friend.
“You too, Kevin, it’sbeen awhile.”
While they said their hellos, Iperused Kevin since looking anywhere else would make Zach appear from thin air, obviously. He seemed to be in his late twenties, early thirties, donning adesigner bright blue suit that he filled out with his broad shoulders. He had dark gray eyes and light brown curly hair that he had tamed with just the right amount of spray, his jaw clean of any facial hair.
“I’mhere to see Joel.”
Kevin tapped on the keyboard, searching for Erin’sappointment, then grinned at us, white teeth and all. “Right, you can sit here and I’ll make you acoffee until he’sready and…”
His voice sounded more and more like white noise and the room blurred around me as Imade the fatal mistake of looking toward the movement Ipicked up from the corner of my eye.
Ishouldn’thave been surprised to see Zach walking aclient toward the office doors. It was actually kind of dumb of me to think apartner wouldn’tbe present in his own firm, especially since Iwas no mentalist.
Once my eyes were fixed on him though, Icouldn’tturn away. While Ilooked, according to Erin,overworked but euphoric, Zach looked fresh and exactly the same as he did this morning when we left his house. Not awrinkle in his suit, not ahair out of place.
Absorbed in the conversation with his client, he hadn’tnoticed us up until the point where they passed by the three of us. Without turning his gaze, his nose wrinkled, sniffing lightly like he couldn’thelp himself.
His eyes darted to me, wide and surprised, his head tilted in wonder.
“Laura.”
Shit.
