Page 134 of The One I Hate
I return the smug smile. “I think Charlotte sounds lovely.”
“Oh so that’s how it’s going to be.” Simon takes my foot and pulls me closer to him, giving him free access to lean down to kiss me. “For the record I think Charlotte Simone sounds like a lovely name.”
“It does. But people will think we’re the most conceited people in Tennessee if we name our kid after ourselves.”
“Well, they already think that about me.”
“I always knew you’d give me a bad rap.”
Simon steals one more kiss before I lie back down on the couch. Only now I’m snuggling into Simon, our food long forgotten. “I always liked the name Emily.”
Simon furiously shakes his head. “Hard pass. Veto. Absolutely not.”
I tilt my head as I study his reaction. “Let me guess, ex girlfriend?”
“I wouldn’t call it a girlfriend. Let’s just say the name Emily around this town doesn’t have the best reputation.”
“Fair enough.”
“How about Annie?”
“Like the orphan?”
“Exactly. And for Halloween she can go as the iconic character, and I can dress up as Daddy War-Banks. Get it. Instead of War?—”
I put up my hand. “I get it. We’ll put it in the maybe column.”
“Thank you.”
Names seem to elude us as we go back to eating our now-cold dinner. Doesn’t matter to me though, this burger is still amazing. And maybe with some protein in me I’ll be able to think of any name, because right now, my mind is drawing a blank.
“Lainey…”
I look over to Simon, a little confused.
“Lainey?”
“Yeah.” His voice is quiet as we both set our food down. “I think it should be something that means something to both of us.”
“I love that idea.”
“So I was thinking right now, what is something that’s meaningful for who we are? And every time I think of that, I remember the first time we met at Perks.”
I let that sit for a second when it hits me. “Perks on Lane Avenue.”
“Lane Avenue.”
“Lainey.” The happy tears are working their way up. “It’s perfect.”
“Really?”
I take his hands in mine. “Really. Lainey Banks.”
Now it’s his turn to cry. “Lainey Banks.”
I move across the couch as much as my pregnant self can to sit on his lap. It’s the best way for me to kiss him how I desperately want to right now.
“I love you, you know that, right?”
