“Thanks, Asspuck.” My lips curled up slightly. “You here to make me feel better or worse?”
“Oh thank fuck, was that almost a smile? Because seriously, Lil, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with you when I first walked in. You looked like you needed some sort of IV. Xanax, or vodka, something.”
“Nice, real nice. And you call yourself a best friend. You think I’m screwed up ... well, just so you know, you’re not that far behind.” We both truly half smiled. Then we proceeded to rehash every word of my conversation with Chase until exhaustion lulled us under.
When the sun beamed through my very open drapes, I reached for my glasses and peeked at my clock. 8:46 AM. I smelled the coffee. Thank god for Sierra.
“That decaf?”
“Good morning to you, too. And ... hell no! I wouldn’t do that to you.” She handed me a piping hot cup.
“Mmmm.” The piping liquid burned going down, reminding me I wasn’t dreaming. Yesterday wasn’t just a really long, really bad dream.
“What’s on today’s agenda? We have a shower to plan, you know.” Distraction was Sierra’s go-to plan. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t.
Her plan had merit, so I decided to suck it up and rally. It was the least I could do for the world’s best BFF, who dragged her very pregnant butt out of bed to comfort me. “We do, don’t we?” I grabbed my laptop and sat on the couch. “Let’s work on the menu, figure out what you want to serve.”
“Yay, sounds good to me.” She found her iPad deep in her purse and sat next to me. Sierra’s bag made my monstrosity look like a change purse. “But you pick the food. The thought of anything food related this early in the day makes me want to hurl.”
Her grossed out expression cracked me up. “I thought your morning sickness was over.”
“It is … as long as I don’t think about food.” Okay. “Besides, drinks are more fun. The shower’s early enough for mimosas, right?” She didn’t appreciate my eye roll. “What? I’ll be eight months by then. I can totally have a sip. A little champagne’s not going to hurt. It’s probably healthy. Just ask your doctor-” She stopped herself midsentence and scrunched her face, looking like a deer in headlights.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to tiptoe around me. I’m not going to lose it at the mention of his name.” I hope. “Anyway, today’s about you, not me. Okay? And to answer your question, I think mimosas sound perfect … for everyone but you.” She pouted and I laughed. “Come to think of it, see if they have a Krug Ambonnay or something that sounds like that. It’s really yummy.” I was surprised I remembered the champagne label from Asiate.
“Fine, but I’m totally having a sip. Hmm, I can’t wait.” Sierra rubbed her round stomach.
“Fine, one sip,” I deadpanned.
“Hear that, sweet girl? Aunt Lili said we get to have a glass of champagne at your party.”
What happened to a sip? She was too damn much, but watching her talk to her unborn daughter was too freaking adorable. I wanted that one day.
We got to work diligently researching our menus.
“Holy shit! Lili, do you have any idea how expensive that champagne is? When the hell did you drink that?”
“Um ... when Chase took me to New York, he ordered two bottles for us.” You know, the most amazing night of my life.
“Two bottles! Holy shit, you said he had some money, but come on, who spends fifteen thousand dollars on champagne? I’m all for a little splurge, but that’s insanity!”
Holy shit, she was right. Fifteen thousand dollars on a drink. And for no real reason. That was insane.
“Let’s be honest, Lil, doctors don’t make that kind of money anymore. Brain surgeon or not. Think about it ... freaking personal driver, two sick apartments, a bazillion dollar shopping spree that you said yourself he treated like a stroll through Target. What did he do, win the lotto or something?”
I never really thought about it.
“I ... I don’t know. His family has money, I think. Or maybe it’s from whatever device he invented or his company in Boston.”
“He owns a company? He invented shit? Why is this the first time I’m hearing about any of this?”
“Because I’m not really sure.” Suddenly I was … embarrassed. And not over yesterday’s courtroom debacle, or how the secret of my rural disaster betrayed Chase’s trust. I was ashamed that I couldn’t answer a simple question about this man, a man I’d grown to trust. I was an open book now, yet he was still a mystery.