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Shrugging, I grin. “I was in panic mode. I couldn’t let Margaret see the pregnancy tests. She would go to Daddy right away.”
Lowering her hands from her mouth, Blaire grabs my arm, a remorseful pout on her angelic face. “I am so sorry. I don’t even know what I was thinking, being so careless. I didn’t even like that guy.” She lets out a gusty sigh before her red lips inch up in a naughty grin. “He was super hot, though. He would make gorgeous babies.”
“Ladies.”
Blaire and I both freeze at Leland’s greeting, our eyes going wide. The beige carpeting muffled the thump/clop of the director’s crutches, and we didn’t hear his approach. He walks by with a stern frown on his lean face and Blaire’s eyes follow his slow progress as he goes into his office.
Those two have been tiptoeing around each other for months now. I don’t understand what the holdup is when it’s obvious there’s some vibe between them. “You could ask him out,” I say softly.
My bestie rounds on me, a flush on her face and her green eyes wide. “That’s just rude!”
“Why?”
“Because he’s…” Blaire trails off and gestures towards her legs. “You know…”
Cocking my head, I cross my arms and prop my butt against the edge of her desk. “And that bothers you?”
The pink of her cheeks clashes horribly with Blaire’s red hair. “It doesn’t…” She nibbles at her lower lip. “But what if he can’t...” she makes an O with her thumb and index finger and thrusts her other index finger through it.
I lose it and start giggling. “You peed on a stick in front of me, but you can’t say fuck? Come on, girl.”
“I’m just a sexual person and if he can’t, it just wouldn’t work. I don’t want to start something that would disappoint us both. Plus, I love working here with you and if I had to leave because I couldn’t face Leland again, I’d be crushed.”
She makes a good point, but I can’t help feeling sad for my friend and our director.
Most especially Leland.
Is this why he’s single? Women are afraid to give him a chance. My heart hurts for him. If I ever have a man look at me the way he does Blaire, I would be all in for giving him a shot.
***
Driving around the back of the imposing three-story brick house to the six-car garage, the door to the far-right bay smoothly lifts. I coast the sleek black BMW convertible into my spot next to my father’s drab green Range Rover. Once I’m in my apartment above the garage, I kick off my heels and pad barefoot into the huge living area. The moment my feet hit the thick cream-colored faux fur rug, I sink my toes in and let out a moan. No clue why, but it feels so freaking good. I could stand here all night.
Ugh, but I can’t. I promised Daddy I would meet him for tennis at the club.
I walk over to the leather sofa and flop down with a sigh, grabbing a bright blue accent pillow and hugging it to my chest. I have a few minutes to grab a snack and change before I head over. Which is good because I need time to decompress and mentally sort through a few things. My earlier conversation with Blaire has been nagging at me all day.
Seeing her and our director sneaking peeks at each other during our afternoon meeting didn’t help. Dave, the grant coordinator, rolled his eyes at me and made kissy faces while jerking his thumb their way. It was all I could do to hold in my laughter. When the meeting ended, and we were walking out of the conference room, I jabbed my elbow into Dave’s stocky side and hissed at him to behave. Dave elbowed me right back, mock-whispered no, and then took off toward his office, laughing his head off.
Tossing the pillow to the side, I shove my fingers into my long blonde hair and scratch at my scalp in frustration and groan. Even if Blaire’s missing what’s right in front of her face with Leland, who's crazy about her, at least she’s out there meeting guys. It’s more than I’m doing. I’ve been single so long I can’t remember the last time I’ve had sex.
Well, with a guy, not with my pink g-spot vibrator.
Oh, no, wait, I do remember. And it was completely unsatisfying, hence why I blocked it from my memory. It was a setup by my father with some hedge fund manager he knew from who knows where. I shove Greg and his three pumps and done back to the dark recesses of my mind once again. Maybe I’m better off with my little battery powered friend.
Curling my feet under me, my head drops to rest on the back of the buttery soft sofa, and I stare at the high arched ceiling with its thick, dark wooden support beams. Not a cobweb in sight and even the beams gleam like they’ve been polished.
A grin curves my lips. Knowing our cleaning lady, Margaret, she probably did polish them. The woman could give Mr. Clean a run for it. Today was her day to clean my apartment, which is why it was imperative that I got rid of the evidence of Blaire’s little scare. That could have been a real nightmare for me.
And it would have been my own fault for not moving completely out on my own where I wouldn’t have to worry about the contents of my trash can being scrutinized.
When I declared to Daddy that I wanted to move out and have my own space, he had this apartment built above the garage for me that’s separate from the main house. And I just didn’t have the heart to tell him no when he excitedly showed me the plans.
A taste of independence, yet still under his roof- sorta.
I pay rent, though I know the money goes into my dad’s account for me, am responsible for my groceries, phone, and other expenses, and get my privacy.
Well, except for Margaret’s cleaning visits. She’s my dad’s little spy. We all know that, so it’s no big secret. That’s why I have to be careful about what I leave laying out and what goes into my trash.
