Page 71 of Wild for You
I feign ignorance. “Elliot, what are you talking—”
“You haven’t drunk any of your wine, Gwenneth.” She eyes me suspiciously before walking over and plopping next to me on the couch. “What’s going on? Why are you being so weird? And why aren’t you drinking?”
We both jerk our heads, and she looks to Maggie as if she holds the answer. But Maggie’s jaw is clamped shut, and her neck is splotchy red.
Elliot sucks in a gasp. “Maggie’s lying about something!” She points between us. “You two have a secret you’re not telling me. Maggie’s neck is giving it away!” She looks back at me, scans her eyes up and down my body, then lets out another exaggerated sigh. This time, her hands cover her mouth, and tears well behind her eyes.
“You’re not?” She shakes her head. “You can’t be?” She looks to Maggie for confirmation, and the traitorous bitch looks down at her hands, a dead giveaway that we’re lying.
“Oh my God!” Elliot shrieks before pulling me into a hug.
“I’m going to be an aunt!”
* * *
“So let me get this straight …”Elliot recaps for the third time. “You and Jack had sex on the island … several times. Your IUD somehow dislodged in your uterus. And now you’re pregnant?”
I nod. “Yeah, that’s the cliff notes version, at least.”
She bites her lip and smiles. “You dirty, dirty girl. I can’t believe you thought you’d be able to keep this a secret from me!” She throws the throw pillow in her lap, sending it flying at my head, and I duck as it barely misses me.
“I needed some time to think before I made any rash decisions,” I huff. “It’s not like this is anything I’ve ever expected, and I just freaked out.”
“What the hell, Gwen? Why are you here in Chicago and not with Jack right now … especially with everything with his—”
“Oops!” Maggie squeals as her entire glass of wine topples over onto my lap. “I’m so sorry! I’m such a spaz. Here let me help you.” She pulls me to my feet and ushers me to her bedroom, giving me a clean t-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“At least it was white wine,” she says as she scoops up my wet clothes and passes me my phone from the pocket before shoving my clothes in the washing machine.
The phone feels heavy in my hand, like a foreign object. I turn it on, hoping there’s a new message from Jack that erases the last one from my memory, but I have no such luck.
I excuse myself to the bathroom for a moment alone. I’ve always been an extrovert, but being thrown back into the real world after living alone with one other person for three months is getting to be a lot. I lean over the sink and splash cold water on my face, staring at the phone beside me, daring it to do something other than taunt me.
I’m contemplating throwing the damn thing out the window when a familiar number lights up the screen.
I don’t think I could forget that number if I tried.
I glance around the bathroom as if someone’s going to pop out and offer me some guidance, but I can’t be so lucky. Biting my lip, I exhale a sigh and click answer.
“Sandra, is everything alright?”
“Oh, good, you are alive. You know I’ve heard the rumors that you were back in town, but I didn’t believe them. I thought you’d surely have called me by now if you were …”
I swallow a gulp, unsure of where this exchange is leading.
“Well, it’s only been a few hours … I’ve been pretty busy reacclimating to life, and—”
“Oh, pish posh. Listen, Gwen, I need you back at the office like … yesterday,” she sighs. “This whole Pheobe Thornstein scandal has gotten completely out of control. Pantone is in over her head, and I simply don’t have time to step in and fix this for her.” She pauses a beat, letting her words sink in. “I was hoping you’d be able to help. I know it’s been a while, and you’re getting reacclimated after yourvacation, but I’m hoping you remember at leastsomeof your responsibilities …”
Only Sandra can call asking for a favor while baiting me with a backhanded compliment. I’m tempted to hang up on the spot and leave that piece of my life severed … but this job is all I’ve ever known, and it does feel good to be wanted.
I quirk my lips to the side and roll my eyes, letting out a long sigh before answering. “What exactly did you have in mind?”
“I knew you were a smart girl,” she coos. “I’ll need you in my office first thing Monday morning. We’ve got a mountain of HR paperwork to sort through, so if we want to make any headway on this, you’ll need to be ready to get your hands dirty. Can I trust you with this, Gwen?”
I nod as if I’m convincing myself, then say, “Of course, you can, Sandra. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Excellent. I knew I could count on you. Goodbye, dear.” She ends the call before I can respond, and I look down at the phone in my palm.
