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I want to stick my head out the window and shout,Me! I predicted it!Instead, I press my lips together and keep my eyes on the road. Glancing over at TJ, I grab his hand and squeeze it, feeling sad for my man’s tender heart. I’m so pissed at Penny for hurting him and making him look foolish. “No one could have predicted she would get pregnant with her own baby.”
“Didn’t she say she was single?” His voice cracks, going an octave higher than normal. “She said, and I quote,‘My life is stale here. I’m looking for adventure’.”
I nod. “Something like that.”
“God, I’m so embarrassed, Con. I’ve been running around town telling everyone I know we’re having a baby by surrogate. Jace and Greg from the gym were so jelly and wanted to know what agency we were using. I told them she was the most amazing surrogate from the University of Life Beginnings—”
“Wait, is that a real agency?”
“No, Penny and I made it up. Ugh, now I have to tell them it fell through and see their smug little smiles on their arrogant, stupid faces.”
“Ye don’t have to tell them shit.”
“I’m chicken fucking little, Connor. I even told the lady bagging my groceries at Whole Foods. How am I going to hold my head high around town?”
“Who cares what everyone thinks? We’ll tell them it didn’ work out. They don’t need to know the details, right? It’s our business, no one else’s.”
TJ looks over and squeezes my hand back. “You’re right, babe. No one needs to know.”
His phone rings over Bluetooth. “Ooh, maybe it’s Penny and this was all a huge mistake and she’s on the next flight. Hello? Penny?”
The Bluetooth takes a few seconds to connect. “Hello, TJ?” a man says.
His face falls. “This is TJ.”
“Hey, it’s Jordan Marks withNashville Next. We spoke a couple weeks ago.”
“Yes, Jordan, hi.” TJ turns to me and whispers, “He’s their producer.”
“Listen, TJ, I have some bad news.”
I hold my breath and listen while Jordan rubs salt into the raw wound Penny sliced open.
Chapter 21
TJ
I flop myselfinto the chair by the Nespresso machine.
Andie looks up from her desk. “TJ, are you okay?”
“No.” I sigh dramatically.
“Did they run out of sprinkles at the coffee shop?”
I shake my head.
“Did they have a horrible sale at Neiman’s?” She lowers her voice and whispers dramatically, “Did Tyrese snub you again?”
I wave my hand. “I know you called for a meeting this morning, but I have some bad news. Can you call the girls out here? I’m too weak to get up.”
Andie gasps, holding her hand over her throat. “Tell me Nana Rose is okay?”
“She’s fine, Shorts. Please hurry, I can’t hold on much longer.”
“TJ, I swear to God, if this is like the time they canceled your Netflix subscription by accident and we all thought someone died, I will personally kill you in your sleep.”
“Who’s killing who?” Kiki asks, coming out of her office.
