Page 174 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

Fosqui comes up, wiggling her hips on her impressive heels. The TV diva is dressed in leopard pants and a semitransparent blouse of the most suggestive sort. I smile without realizing it. I’m wearing a down vest and snow boots. Glamorous to the nth degree.

“Hi, Judith,” she says.

Surprised she remembers my name, I try to remember hers. What was it? I rack my brain but all that comes to me is “Fosqui” or “constipated poodle.”

“Hello, how are you?” I say.

She looks at me curiously.

“Are you OK?”

Oh, what?

“I’m perfectly fine,” I respond.

She nods, sits down next to me, and doesn’t say a word to me again. Ten minutes later, when the boys come out on the court, I scream and wave at Eric and Björn. They wave back, and the game begins.

I’m committed to my team, so I shriek and groan when necessary, while the poodle sits quietly. She simply watches them play. In the end, Eric’s team loses.

“Today’s not been a good day,” I say.

The poodle looks at me and blinks.

“But from this moment on, it will be, at least for me. Björn and I are staying with friends.” She lowers her voice. “So we can play.”

Why is she telling me this?

She seems to be gloating, but I’m not willing to let her.

“You do that. Play as much as you can.”

Without looking at her, I walk to the locker room and feel one of my contractions. I touch my belly and calm down. Björn comes out of the locker room, kisses the poodle on the lips, and then greets me.

“Hi, chubs, how are you?”

“I roll more than I walk, but I’m good,” I answer.

He hugs me and smiles, and then Eric emerges from the locker room. Björn and I are still wrapped around each other.

“Should I be worried about anything?” Eric asks, teasing.

“Yes!” we answer in unison.

We all laugh. Björn lets go of me, and Eric hugs me.

“Lunch the other day was fantastic, wasn’t it?” asks the poodle.

Björn nods, and Eric does too. Lunch? What lunch?

“We have to do it again sometime. I’d be happy to go back to your house, Björn.”

My face freezes.

What is this about Eric having lunch with Fosqui and Björn at his house?

A girl approaches the poodle to ask for an autograph, and they step away from us. Björn and Eric look at me, understanding what I’ve picked up.

“Jude, it was a work lunch,” says Björn.

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