Page 73 of Waiting for Acceptance
I blink and raise my brows. “Yeah?”
“You might want to put your dick away, Idohave a meeting with Marcus in five.” I glare at her and growl, following her instruction to put myself back together.
I leave her office, completely speechless, catching a curious glare from Marcus on my way out. I head to my office, already knowing I’m not getting shit done today. I listen to the vibration of their voices through mine and Lauren’s shared wall, until Marcus leaves her office, keeping the door open when he goes.
I forgot about her closed door rule—that worked out in our favor today.
A few minutes later I receive an email from Lauren.
Happy birthday to me.
CHAPTER 39
LAUREN
I lay in bed staring at my ceiling, unable to shake the feeling that something is off about today. Meanwhile, Ginny is curled up on my chest, sound asleep. My alarm starts ringing and I roll my head, staring at it sitting on my nightstand just out of reach. I strain every muscle in my body trying to get it without waking Ginny, but when I turn the alarm off and my screen lights up with a reminder, I shoot up in bed like I’ve just been electrocuted.
Reminder: Today, June 25. Fitz’s Birthday.
“Shit!” I click on my calendar and stare at it with my mouth hanging open. Once I’m past the fact that I forgot his birthday was this week, my eyes fall to the second event on today’s calendar, synched from my email.
Mr. Fitzgerald’s birthday bash. 6 pm.
“Shit.” Ginny is officially awake now, due to my movementandme talking to myself. No wonder he seemed so upset whenhe got the text about the party being moved. They moved the party tohisbirthday. I can’t believe I didn’t make the connection before now. I’ve been so busy training Heather this week, and with Fitz getting called away to finalize a small acquisition they had happening in Connecticut before going back to New York today, it wasn’t even on my radar.
I start chewing on my thumbnail trying to decide what to do. I know he said he doesn’t celebrate his birthday, but that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t still feel special on the day they came into the world. Unable to figure it out on my own, I grab my phone and click on Ruby’s contact.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
“Come on, you have two kids I know you’re awake,” I mumble to myself, waiting for her to answer.
“Hey, Aunt Lauren!” Hendrix says, picking up the phone.
“Hey, my guy. How’s it going?” I smile listening to Poe scream happily in the background.
“Mom burned the pancakes.” Is all he says and I laugh when I hear Ruby call him out on his bullshit.
“I burnedonepancake, you little stink. Give me the phone. Go tell Dad to come finish these. It’s his damn recipe anyways.” Her voice is getting closer to the phone as Hendrix gets farther away.
“Damn is a bad word.” If there’s one thing Hendrix is gonna do, it’s tell you when you’ve said a bad word.
“Get out.” She mumbles something else inaudible before finally addressing me. “Hi!” she says in an overly chipper voice.
“Good morning, beautiful, badass, mother of chaos. How are you this morning?” I’m met with silence until…
“Did you do something slutty? Why do you sound so happy?”
“Not today,” I tease.
“Ohh, tell me everything. Tank can burn the rest of the pancakes.”
“Another time, I need your advice.” She actuallyboo’sme, and I roll my eyes, letting her get it out.
“Fine. What’s up?”
“So, today is Fitz’s birthday.Buthe’s out of town. I was supposed to go back to New York with him for a party, you remember?”
“Yes.”
