Page 5 of A Game-Changing Christmas

Chapter Two

“You haven’t told their brother what exactly?” Samiyah asked.

“Please tell us you didn’t cheat on Jaden,” Selena added.

Aghast, Claudia clutched her imaginary pearls. “No!”

All four of them, including London, breathed a sigh of relief.

Claudia’s eyes snapped to each of them. “Really? That’s what you think of me?”

“Okay, calm down,” Samiyah inserted, holding her hands up in a show of stopping the conversation. “What haven’t you told hi—”

“Hey, London!”

Claudia, Samiyah, Selena, Octavia, and London turned their attention to the voice that called out.

“I thought that was you, but I couldn’t tell at first.”

A smile trudged across London’s mouth. “Camilla, Allison, Bri, hi, how are you, come over!” London waved them over, and while Allison and Bri sashayed, Camilla’s sway was mixed with a waddle. Claudia couldn’t help but notice how huge Camilla’s belly appeared, and as she came to a stop in front of the table, Claudia could feel the bile resurfacing.

London stood to her feet and pulled Camilla into an embrace.

“You’re so warm,” London said, “and you look beautiful as usual.”

“Glowing, too,” Samiyah added from across the table.

“Guys, this is Camilla Valentine, Allison soon to be Valentine, and Bri St. James.” London turned to the trio, “Ladies, this is Samiyah Rose, Claudia Rose, Octavia Rose, and Selena soon to be Rose.”

The ladies snickered.

“How could we not know Camilla, she’s only the face of WTZB news. And Allison’s over there, too. It’s nice to meet you three, and congratulations on your pregnancy and upcoming nuptials,” Samiyah added.

“Thank you,” the women chorused.

The table fell silent for a second as they all eyed one another’s individual fashion while thinking about their husbands. They were well aware that there was a rivalry between the two families, but none of the women cared for the feud; to them, it had gone on long enough. However, the Valentines and Roses seemed adamant about the six-year warfare, so until the women could find a way to break through their frost, they would let it be.

That didn’t mean that they couldn’t be cordial, so they were.

“So, London, are you coming to the wedding?” Allison asked, blinking her russet gaze out of the haze she’d fallen into.

“Am I invited?” London responded.

Camilla, Allison, and Bri’s face drew back into a frown.

“Of course you are,” Allison said. She waved her off. “You’re practically family now that Kyle has his eye on you.”

London’s face warmed, and a buzz rummaged through her belly.

“As in Kyle Valentine?” Samiyah chimed in.

“Yeah.” Allison nodded and winked over at London, causing Samiyah, Selena, Octavia, and Claudia to turn their surprised expressions toward her.

London laughed nervously. She had purposefully kept quiet about the growing fondness she had with Kyle because of the feud between the two families. Now that the cat was out of the bag, she wondered if it would be only a matter of time before she was fired.

“Excuse me for a minute.”

Claudia stood to her feet, and they all turned to her.

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