Page 10 of Menage a Passions

Caitlyn was speechless. “Izzy,” she finally uttered. “Izzy!” She hadn’t heard from her old pageant coach inyears.Not since Caitlyn retired from the pageant circuit and eventually faded away from sponsorships as well. These days, the most she got involved was by cutting checks to help rural girls in the Midwest achieve their pageant dreams and occasionally judging local teen contests. But she barely had time for that anymore, either…

Any other year Caitlyn would immediately tell her old coach no. That day, though? The day her doctor called her fat?

Well, she was still mature enough to not make any hasty decisions. At least she had that.

Chapter 4

Rebecca

She received a hundred compliments on her new Kate Spade shift dress when she walked into the office that following Monday. Becca attempted to convince Caitlyn to wear her matching peplum dress, but that idea was shot down.Her loss.They were both super cute in their respective outfits.

“Kill me,”was the group text she received from Jane, who was trapped at Winchester Academy for that day’s matriculation ceremony. Although Cecelia was a sophomore, as a new student she was invited to participate in the ceremony usually reserved for freshmen, and that meant her guardian had to be there. Never mind how many pictures the relatives back in Hong Kong demanded…“If I have to watch one more woman who barely knows her kid’s name cry…”

“Get over it,”Caitlyn texted almost immediately.“And bring me some cake.”

Since Caitlyn was on it, Becca put down her phone and resumed updating spreadsheets that the usual assistant couldn’t handle that day. Business was booming in the investment sphere, and everyone wanted some of Adams & Wong’s money. It was partially the assistant’s job to compile info about new potential investments for a presentation at the end of the week. So far, Becca didn’t see anything that either of her partners would want to invest in, but it wasn’t her job to tell them how to spend their business money.Just the personal money. To a point.Becca couldn’t say much. Like Cecelia, she also received an allowance from the women in charge.And free room and board. And free food.

She was stuck in the office until five thirty when Caitlyn finally finished up an online meeting and motioned Becca to head home with her. A part of Becca hoped they’d pick up a pizza for dinner, but she had already promised to help Caitlyn cook spaghetti and meatballs as per Cecelia’s request for her first day at school.I already know I’m the one on meatball duty.One of the unsexist things to ever come out of Caitlyn’s mouth had been“You roll ground beef very well!”

Becca didn’t get a break until after the dishes were done and she finished helping Cecelia pick out the best pictures to send her mother. She experienced a pang of jealousy as Cecelia went into Becca’s old room to video call with Lilian. It was only a matter of minutes before Jane was roped into the call as well.

My chance to escape.

She grabbed her pajamas and ran to Caitlyn’s room, where she started the bath in the best place in the house.

Finally!

She had been dreaming about this all day, ever since she entered the office and longed to sink into the tub with nothing but her book to keep her company. Even if it meant putting her hair up and leaving her phone on the counter where she couldn’treach it. Caitlyn even had the best aromatherapy candle on the market as far as Rebecca was concerned.Blackberries and magnolia.Who knew that was a combination?

Becca had not snuck in here. She had proudly marched past Caitlyn, sitting on the living room couch, and made right for the bedroom on the other side of the flat. Jane had quipped that “someone was on a mission” and she couldn’t be closer to the truth. So when Becca heard someone opening and closing drawers in the other room, she wasn’t surprised. But shewasput out that the owner of this bathroom pushed the door open as if she had nothing better to do.

“Come to brush your teeth?” Becca asked with her nose in her book.

“Eventually.” Caitlyn grabbed her moisturizer but didn’t leave. “Actually, can I talk to you about something?”

Becca lowered the book as far as it could go without touching the water. “It’s your bathroom, so I suppose.”

Caitlyn plopped a towel on the toilet lid before sitting down. “First things first: you can’t tell Jane about any of this until I’ve had the chance.”

“I’m already skeptical about what’s going on.”

“I promise it’s nothing shady.”

“Again, not feeling great.”

Caitlyn inhaled a deep breath before changing course. Becca closed her book and left it on the side of the tub. “My former pageant coach contacted me a couple of days ago to ask if I wanted to participate in the Mrs. America Pageant this November.”

Becca needed to clean her eyes. “Mrs.America?”

“You know, the one where you have to be married? And this is the one where you must be over thirty-five as well, which I am. Apparently. Not sure when that happened…”

“Isn’t it a bit sudden?”

“Yes, well, she was asked if she knew anyone who could participate as Mrs. Iowa because apparently everyone in my home state’s contest is embroiled in a bribery scandal.Veryun-Iowan of them, I assure you. That would have never happened when I was on the circuit.”

“Bribery? In Iowa?”

“More likely than we thought.”

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