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I sighed my annoyance. “As usual, you’re right.”
“I’m always right, darling. Now I have to go, I have a—”
“You have a four o’clock. Go. Be the big boss man, while there’s still time,” I teased him.
Neil had moved his retirement date up, so that he would be free and clear of Elwood & Stern a few weeks after his fiftieth birthday. He’d originally planned to retire when we got married, but I was starting to feel like I’d be planning his surprise hundredth birthday party before we ever set a date for the wedding.
If that ended up being the case, I hoped the surprise killed him.
At least I had a busy month ahead of me to keep my mind off his reluctance to set the date and the loss of my best friend, both of which seemed more permanent every day. My book launch party was coming up. I’d be expected to read a passage in front of everyone. I so wasn’t looking forward to that. There was also Neil’s party, which Emma was doing the brunt of the work on.
The house phone rang and, seeing the number and extension on the caller ID came from Elwood & Stern, I answered with a breathy, “Sophie Scaife’s house of sexual deviance, how may I direct your cock?”
“Excuse me?”
Valerie. Fuck.
“Hi,” I managed weakly, drawing the word out way too much. “I thought you would be Neil.”
“I should hope so.” Did she sound amused? I thought she sounded amused, but it was probably wishful thinking on my part.
I didn’t want her to assume I answered the phone like that all the time, so I tried to explain further. “I just got off with him. Off the phone. I just got off the phone with him, not…”
Explaining never made anything better.
I took a deep breath. “Valerie. What can I do for you?”
“I was looking for Emma. I’ve been ringing her mobile and I can’t raise her. I thought she might be there.”
“She’s out with Michael today. Travel agent, honeymoon planning.” I wondered if that was embargoed information. Emma had been growing increasingly frustrated with her mother’s involvement in planning the wedding, and I didn’t want to be the reason Valerie showed up at the travel agency with a beach ball and swim flippers.
“Oh, that’s a shame. I could have given them the number of mine in London. She gets me amazing rates.”
“Right, but I bet she goes, ‘computer says no’ and coughs in your face a lot, right?” I snorted to myself. I’d just finished Little Britain in my Netflix binge of sadness.
“As usual, Sophie, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said with a dismissive sigh. “If you could, tell Emma I called. Oh, and I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but it is Neil’s fiftieth birthday this month—”
I mentally slapped her. Repeatedly. Instead of saying, “Bitch, I know when my fiancé’s birthday is!” I went with, “I’m on top of it. The invites just went out yesterday.”
“Then I should find one in my mailbox today, I’d wager.” Like it was just a given that she would be invited.
The thing that I hated was, it was a given that she would be invited. She was Neil’s friend, and the mother of his only child. If I didn’t invite her, it would be out of petty jealousy, and it would hurt Neil. It wasn’t Valerie’s fault that she’d met Neil first and became a part of his life; I hadn’t even been born yet.
“Yup, you’re definitely on the list,” I assured her. “But please, don’t mention it to Neil. It’s a surprise party. Emma and I worked on it.”
“I won’t say a word,” she promised. “Must go, tell Emma I called.”
“Wait, Valerie?” What the hell are you doing? my brain screamed at me, but it was no use. I was already saying, “There’s this thing, next Thursday night. It’s a launch party for my book. You’re totally invited.”
Why do you do this to yourself?
“Oh, right, the book.” She sounded as taken aback by my invitation as I was. “Well…that’s very kind of you, Sophie. I would love to come.”
“That’s…great. Well, um…”
“See you there?” Valerie finished for me. “Looking forward to it. Email me the details. Must dash, Sophie, goodbye.”
She didn’t wait for my goodbye, so I assumed she was sitting by herself, staring at her phone in horror the same way I was staring at mine.
