Page 13 of The Angel and the Agent

Suddenly Jordan sat up. “Uh-oh.”

“Uh-oh what?” Amelia asked, her voice quaking.

“Pretty sure my water just broke,” Jordan said. Amelia didn’t want to look, but she couldn’t help but see the liquid seeping all over the floor. She glanced at Petra for direction, but Petra made a slicing motion across her throat.

“Um, Jordan, I really think maybe you should go to the hospital now.” Amelia reached for her water bottle and sipped it, fighting her gag reflex. She really, really, really didn’t do well with bodily fluids. Spots appeared before her eyes, and she fought the urge to black out. She sat, fanning herself. “Please,” she added weakly.

Jordan began doing the Lamaze pant. She reached out and gripped Amelia’s hand, hard. “I’m going to go, but I want you to know the baby’s name, in case things go bad at the hospital. Someone needs to tell the doctor.”

“But I won’t be there,” Amelia said.

Jordan’s eyes popped open. “You’re not coming with me? But my husband is out of town. I have no one else. I don’t want to go alone, please.”

“Okay, sure,” Amelia said. She had no idea how she’d get out of work, but maybe she was fired after this anyway. The room started to spin. She closed her eyes and put her head between her legs.

“The baby’s name,” Jordan paused and squeezed her hand, breathing hard, “Is Ethan, Jr.”

Amelia froze, opened her eyes, and sat up. “What did you say?”

Jordan was now sitting normally and smiling. She pointed to the window of the salon. Amelia turned to look and saw Ethan standing against his motorcycle. He kissed his fingers and waved at her. “It was all fake?” she asked, turning to stare at Jordan in shock.

“I really am pregnant, but I’m not due for another couple of months. And I really did want the appointment with you.”

“But you called two months ago,” Amelia said. That was way before she pulled her prank on Ethan by stealing all his clothes.

“Ethan’s an elaborate game player. The jokes he and my husband used to play on each other are legendary,” Jordan said.

“Who is your husband?” Amelia asked.

“Shimmer,” Jordan said.

Amelia had heard the name; he was one of Ridge’s friends, another former SEAL team member. “I think I might be sick,” Amelia said, but she was half laughing. He had gotten her; he had gotten her good.

Petra came over and hugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Amelia, but he made it sound so fun when he called to run it by me. Don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Amelia said, returning her hug. She was immensely relieved that Ethan had run it by her boss first. As long as she wasn’t in trouble at work, she could take whatever he threw at her.

She turned toward the front window again to confront Ethan, but he was already gone.

“I’ve never known Ethan to prank a girl before. You must be something special,” Jordan said. Amelia snapped to attention and resumed working on her hair.

“We’re friends,” Amelia insisted.

“Are you married?” Jordan asked. Amelia shook her head. “I’ve never known Ethan to be friends with a woman who wasn’t married to one of his friends.”

“You know his name’s not actually Ethan,” Amelia said for lack of a better response as Jordan continued to stare speculatively at her in the mirror.

“I know, but no one knows what it actually is. It’s kind of become a joke. Not even my husband knows. Maybe Ridge does, but he’s never told anyone.”

“No one knows?”

Jordan shook her head. “He doesn’t like it, thinks it’s girly, so he’s always gone by Ethan for as long as any of them have known him.”

“Wow,” Amelia said. She had no idea his real name was a secret; she was glad she hadn’t blurted it. The rest of the session was pleasant, now that Amelia knew she wasn’t going to have to deliver a baby and the substance in her chair was harmless water. She liked Jordan, and the two agreed to meet for coffee sometime.

“We might as well become friends if our guys are,” Jordan noted.

“Ethan and I aren’t together,” Amelia reminded her.

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