Page 120 of Brooklynaire
It’s still twelve percent on me, though. “I’m good,” I say. “Tell me what todo.”
From her handbag Alex extracts a blue box with big letters on it. You might mistake it for a new toothpaste package, except for its bright label:Paternitytest.
“I need you to take this, even though the chances areslim.”
My brain comes back online while she’s opening one end of the box. “You need to ask me, because you can’t askhim?”
Her fingers pause on the cellophane wrapper. “I don’t want to discuss it with him unless I’m positive I have to. He’s not a goodman.”
“Oh shit,Alex.”
Her eyes redden. “I know, okay? I know. I’ve made more mistakes this year than I can count. This is absolutely the last conversation I ever wanted to have with you. But even though I’m pretty sure you’re off the hook here, part of me wishes you weren’t. I can’t have a child with a man who hitme.”
I actually choke on nothing. “How bad wasit?”
She shakes her head. “Believe me, the one time he did it was the last time we were in the same room together. He was just with me to try to get to myfather.”
“Oh shit,” I say again. Alex’s father is a famous venture capitalist. Lots of assholes would want an easy inthere.
“I called him on it and he backhanded me. That was the end of it. Untilnow.”
“So…” I can see how this will play out. “If the baby is his, you’ll end up funding his startup anyway, in exchange for some legal document that says he’s giving up parentalrights.”
She nods, and her expression carries a weariness that I wished I never had to see on the face of my poorfriend.
“I’m sorry,” I say again. The silence between us is heavy with sadness. “Let me get one thing straight, since I’m not great at picking up social cues. Are you not here to discuss the routertransaction?”
Her eyes widen, and then she smiles.Finally. “Youdick.”
Snickering, I get up from my chair and walk around the desk. I lean over and wrap my arms around her. “We’ll get through this, buddy. It’s all going to beokay.”
Alex pushes her face into my shoulder and takes a deep, shakybreath.
30
Rebecca
Walkingthrough the C-suite for the first time in two years is trippy. Everything is exactly the same, from the heavy, imported carpets to the espresso machine in thekitchenette.
“Hey!” Lauren smiles at me from her desk outside Nate’s private office. “You’re lookingsnazzy.”
A compliment from Lauren. That’s even trippier than the unchanged decor. “Thank you,” I say a beat too late. Lauren looks about a hundred times smilier than she used to. Either she’s had a lobotomy, or getting back together with Mike Beacon agrees withher.
“Nate’s chatting with Alex Engels for a minute. Do you want me to buzz him…?” Even as she makes this offer, Nate’s office door flies open and Alex appears. She does an honest-to-God double take when she sees me standing here. Her mouth opens and then shuts again. Then she tucks her chin to her chest and walksout.
About three seconds later she’s disappeared completely from view, hidden by the elevatorbanks.
“Um…?” I say stupidly. “Was thatweird?”
“Right?” Lauren shrugs. “Where’s the fire?” Then she points at Nate’s open door. “Go right in. He doesn’t have another meeting forthirty.”
“Thanks.” I step into Nate’s office, but he doesn’t see me. His back is turned. He stands in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his hands braced behind his head. It’s a pose of male reflection. I can’t imagine what he’s looking at, either, since there’s a pea-soup fog out there, and even the river isn’tvisible.
I close the door behind me with a quiet click. “Nate?”
He whirls around. And his face is...pained. There’s no other word that leaps to mind. He’s scowling, and a deep furrow in his forehead tells me he’sworried.
“Hi,” I say softly, approaching thedesk.
