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6
GRIFF
“Hello, Mr. Potter,”Connor’s assistant says as I step off the elevator. “Mr. Volkov is back in his office.”
“Thank you, Helen.” I smile politely as I pass her. The door to Con’s office is cracked, so I just give a quick warning knock and slight pause, just in case Lilith is in there. After living with those two for four years, I can’t count the number of times I walked in on them. When I push open the door, I’m taken aback by his appearance.
He’s usually dressed almost as sharply as I am, with a three-piece suit and perfectly tied tie. Today, though, his tie is laying haphazardly on the bookcase to the left of his desk, the top buttons of his shirt are undone, and his hair is a mess. He’s hunched over a book and keeps looking back and forth between it and his computer screen.
“Did you know baby girls sometimes have period-like bleeding as newborns?” His eyes are crazed when he looks up at me. “How. The fuck. Am I supposed to take care of newborns on their periods?”
“Maybe they make tiny tampons?” I joke and chuckle at the glare he shoots me.
“You know what else?” He raises his eyebrows and holds his hands up. “They come out with their own breast milk!”
“That’s….”
“Fucking terrifying.” He slaps the book closed, and I see what it is, some baby and pregnancy book. “It’s fucking terrifying. Don’t get anyone pregnant. Anal sex only,” he says as he points at me, and my stomach churns with guilt. He definitely wouldn’t be suggesting that if he knew I was sleeping with his baby sister.
I clear my throat and sit down, pulling my messenger bag over my shoulder. Luckily, I have some legal forms to have him sign, so I get an extra few seconds to compose myself. I knew the guilt would eat me, but I didn’t expect my skin to feel like it’s on fire.
I pray to the ginger gods that I’m not red when I look up and make eye contact with my most perceptive friend. My pleas are answered when I look up at him and see he’s busy reading whatever is on his computer screen. His eyes are racing back and forth as he takes in the information in front of him.
“It just keeps getting worse the more I learn about it,” he murmurs.
“Yeah,” I reach around and turn his monitor off, “let’s take a break from the crash course on babies.”
“Okay.” He runs his hand through his hair and leans back in his chair. “Did you bring all the paperwork for me to sign?”
“Yes,” I slide it across his desk to him. “Sign by all the red tabs, and we’ll be ready to launch the company.”
We spend the next hour and a half going over details and finalizing the contracts before veering into catching up on our respective lives. It’s been an adjustment not seeing him and Lilith every day. We still text all the time, but it just isn’t the same. I didn’t realize how much I would miss them. The guilt at being with Claire compounds that into some serious self-loathing on my part.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. It’s a text from Claire.
Claire: I hate this, but can you come to me? I need you.
Me: On my way. Where are you?
Claire: My apartment.
Me: I’m in Con’s office. Be down soon.
Me: Are you okay?
Claire: I don’t know.
“Who’s that?” Con asks with no note of suspicion in his voice.
“Just a friend I’m doing a favor for.” It’s not a complete lie, just omitting the name of the friend. “I actually should get going.”
“Sounds good,” he says opening the baby book back up. “Lilith wants everyone to come for a family dinner before the babies are born. We’ll work out dates in the group chat.”
“That works for me. I can be available whenever.” I point down at the book and then back at him, “Don’t stress too much about that. You guys are going to be amazing parents. Probably only going to have to send the kids to therapy for five years instead of ten.”
“Fuck off,” he throws a pen at me. “Get out of here.”
I leave with a chuckle and a wave over my shoulder. Instead of getting on the elevator to go back down, I grab the one for the private residences and key in the code for the floor that Claire’s penthouse is on. Anyone watching probably assumes I’m going to say hello to Lilith, who’s on modified bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy.
