Page 60 of The Forsaken
“And?”
“And Monica is separated. She caught Mark in a lie about going out of town on a business trip and things unraveled from there. He’d been seeing someone else.”
“She’s always had a thing for Luke, and now that they are both single…”
“Then things should work out splendidly for all involved. Monica and Luke will pair off and, in their newly discovered bliss, forget their resentment toward us and live happily ever after.”
“You’re laughing at me,” Quinn said with a frown.
“I wouldn’t dare.” Gabe chuckled, finally getting Quinn to smile.
She knew she was being ridiculous, but she was pregnant, hormonal, and allowed to throw a temper tantrum once in a while. Wasn’t she?
She decided to check with Jill, who wasn’t pregnant or hormonal, but she was temperamental and loved to put on a good show of bad temper. She said it was therapeutic.
When Gabe left for work after their argument, Quinn rang Jill. “Morning, coz. How are things in the world of high fashion?”
“Meh!”
The response was so unexpected that Quinn burst into a fit of giggles. “What does that mean?”
“It means that I’ve gone off this whole idea of owning my own shop. It seemed glamorous and exciting when I first conceived of the idea, but the reality is bleak and depressing. I’ve had a grand total of three walk-ins in the past two days. Only one of them actually bought something. I made a whopping two quid.”
“Are you reconsidering your prospects?”
Jill sighed. “I am. The lease on the shop expires in January. I think I might just have a ‘going out of business’ sale and close my doors right after Christmas. There doesn’t seem to be much point in hanging around. And how are things with you?”
“Well, I called to have a little moan, but I see that you’re not in any position to cheer me up.”
“Are you kidding? I love other people’s misery. It’s the best antidote to one’s own,” Jill joked. “Bring it on. Too bad you can’t come over and have lots of wine. I could use a drink. Or six.”
“I can match you glass for glass with mineral water, but then I’ll be cursing you all night when I have to pee every five minutes.”
“Ah, the joys of pregnancy. How’s the little bean?”
“Fine. It likes to play rugby between midnight and three a.m., with my bladder as the ball.”
“I’m so jealous,” Jill moaned. “I want a baby, Quinny.”
“Can Brian be persuaded?”
Quinn could almost hear Jill smile across the space between them. “He’s mentioned us moving in together.”
“Is that what you want?” Quinn asked carefully. In some respects, Jill was more traditional in her views than Quinn.
“I always imagined doing things the old-fashioned way. I thought I’d meet a nice bloke, get married, buy a rambling mansion, and hire a staff of nannies for when the heir apparent arrived, but I don’t think that’s likely, Quinny.” Jill giggled merrily. “Living together is not a bad idea. Brian is the type of bloke who puts down his roots. Once I have him in my clutches, he’s not going anywhere. Then I’ll just plan a wedding and tell him when to show up. A baby will be the natural next step.”
“What about the rambling mansion and a host of nannies?”
“On a civil servant’s salary?” They both laughed, knowing how likely that was. “Speaking of which, are you going to stay at Gabe’s bachelor pad for the duration?”
“Only until the baby is born. Gabe is having second thoughts about moving up north. If Phoebe agreed to sell the manor, Gabe and I would be able to get a bigger place in London. That would be a dream come true. Gabe loves his job, and Emma and I would be only too happy to remain here. And speaking of Gabe’s job, guess who’s coming back? Luke.”
“No! Really?”
“Yes. Gabe rehired him. He’ll be teaching several classes next semester.”
“You never have to see him. It’s not like you’ll be working at the institute.”
