Page 74 of Parker
As I scan the room, my gaze lands on a familiar blonde bob sitting at the table. A cold weight settles in my gut. Sophie is sitting next to the new chief of police. She’s laughing at every word out of his mouth, her hand a fraction too high on his thigh.
“Nice of you to join us, Parker,” Neilson Graham announces. He currently runs the planning office at Glasgow City Council. “Thought we were going to have to spend your money without you.”
“Looks like you’ve already made a decent dent,” I reply.
Sophie’s eyes survey me, then move to Ebony and back to me. She scowls. Cheeky bitch; it’s her mate who dismissed me. “Ladies and gentlemen, please let me introduce you to my friend for this evening, Ebony.”
There’s a murmur of welcome around the table. Moving over to the two remaining free seats, I pull out Ebony’s and then slide into mine, which is directly opposite Sophie’s.
“Nice to see you again, Joel,” she says. Her date’s eyes pop from their sockets.
“You know each other?” he asks.
Before I can reply, Sophie says, “Yes, he used to be married to my best friend.”
The table falls silent. Sophie gives me a sly smile, then her gaze moves to Ebony, who looks unsettled for once.
“So, in the end, you two got together?” Sophie muses. I narrow my eyes at her. “Your persistence paid off, Ebony.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Ebony shoots back. Two sets of heavily made-up eyes scowl, locked on each other. Sophie chuckles, clearly enjoying the drama.
“You got what you wanted,” she says, nodding toward me. Her tone is anything but innocent. “Him.”
Ebony goes to respond, her mouth bobbing open, then immediately closing. Lost for words for once. Part of me is impressed with Sophie's achievement, the other wants to run away.
“Ouch! Don’t pinch me,” Sophie hisses at her date, regaining the attention of the room. “I’m only winding them up. Joel and I go way back. He knows I’m only kidding.”
My mood plummets as I realize everything that happens tonight will be reported straight back to my ex-wife. Sophie’s always known how to twist the knife, and tonight she’s aiming for the heart.
Nicky will know it all by morning. Every look. Every word.
Chapter thirty-four
Kelvingate Women's Clinic, Glasgow
Nicky
“Congratulations, Ms. Smith. You’re pregnant. Sixteen weeks, by the looks of things.” The nurse beams at me.
“Sixteen weeks?” I repeat back to her. “I’ve never carried for so long. My miscarriages have all occurred around twelve weeks.”
She leans forward and squeezes my hand. “Well, this pregnancy is different. Everything is looking perfectly normal.”
As I walk out into the April sunshine, the spring breeze caresses my skin. I’d been feeling unwell for a few weeks with sickness and headaches. When painkillers didn’t solve the issue, I made an appointment with the doctor. Pregnancy was the last thing I expected to be diagnosed with.
The familiar feeling of elation and terror appears instantly. This time, I have no one to go through the fear with. I’m on my own and pregnant with the baby of my ex-husband.
Sophie told me about Ebony after meeting her at a fancy business dinner. I have no idea where she keeps picking up high-profile men who take her on these dates. My heart splits in two at the news. He’s found someone else. The one woman I wished he never would. I always knew it was a possibility.
Since then, all I’ve seen are headlines and news articles about Scotland’s new power couple. Photos of them at various engagements around the city, arm in arm. The one that stung most was an image from outside the hotel where Sophie met them. It was from the following morning, them dressed casually, lips locked as they posed for the press. It was a gut punch from hell.
My emotions are stuck somewhere between knowing he’s dangerous for me and not wanting her to have him. Now, a part of him has taken up residence in my womb. Again.
When I push open the shop door, Sophie’s bright smile greets me as it does every day. “Morning. What did the doctor say?” She harassed me to get a check-up when I told her I was unwell. The outcome is one I’m not ready to admit to yet.
“It’s just a bug,” I lie. “A few days and I’ll be a right as rain.” She scowls, not believing a word. “Look.” I hold up the pharmacy bag containing the pregnancy vitamins I was told to take. “Meds for a few days and I’ll be fine.”
Placated for now, she returns to pinning the sleeve on the mannequin she’s dressing. It turns out Sophie has a good eye for fashion, like me. I’ve been training her in the basics of clothing design, and she’s attending an evening college course on sewing. Together, we’re developing a small, independent fashion line to sell via the shop and our website. Working with my best friend is the most awesome feeling in the world. I bounce into work every day.
