Page 47 of Misconception (Unrequited 2)

I’d hemmed and hawed over what to wear today, but I was glad I’d ended up in a loose, black V-neck top and regular jeans held together by one of my hairbands. It wasn’t the most comfortable outfit, but I looked cute, and most importantly, my bump wasn’t super obvious. I wasn’t sure howoutMo was about his impending fatherhood, nor was I sure how out I wanted him to be, especially now that I’d seen the photogs who hung out across the street.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you.” He kept my hand in his, leading me across shiny, dark wood floors toward the open living room. Distracted by the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Manhattan next to the dining area, I was surprised to be swept into a bouncy, enthusiastic hug.

“You’re here! I’m so happy you’re here.”

Mo intervened, freeing me from his sister’s grasp. “Enough, Yael.”

She made a zipping motion over her lips, then broke into a smile. “Hi, sorry. I’m a little tipsy and happy to see you.”

“I’m not tipsy, but I’m happy to see you too. It’s been a while. You look good, girl.”

She did look good. Like a pretty woman version of Mo, with long brown hair and a young, tight body I really envied at this moment. If this baby was a girl, I wondered if she’d look like Yael with a deep tan. The thought made me smile to myself.

“I’m not allowed to say anything about theyou know what, but you look incredible too. I will refrain from feeling you up, but know I want to.”

I laughed. “Another time, when we’re alone, I’ll let you feel me up all you want.”

A guy I recognized came ambling over. “Hey, Mama.”

Yael slugged his arm. “Shut it, Alex.”

Alex Murray gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. We’re keeping this a secret?”

I turned to Mo. “Are we?”

“You tell me.”

“I wouldn’t mind people knowing, but I do worry about the press. Not that I’m interesting, but you are, so by extension, theyou know what in my you know whatis too.”

Murray bent in half, howling with laughter, which made me laugh too. Mo and Yael looked at us both like we were confusing, alien specimens, but I couldn’t help it. When someone laughed hard, I always ended up joining in.

He threw his arm over my shoulders when some of his laughter died down. “I think we’re gonna be friends. Why weren’t we friends before?”

“I kind of get single-minded at work. Sorry,” I said.

Yael snapped her fingers. “Oh my god, I remember watching you make that dude cry once. You became my hero that day.”

I winced. “Did I really make someone cry?”

She nodded. “Yeah, it was a beautiful thing. He was being disrespectful to the woman who was doing the catering. You gave him the dressing down of his life, and you did it in private too. I’m nosy as hell, so I eavesdropped. You invoked his mother, grandmother, ancestors, and by the time he walked away, he had tears in his eyes.”

That sounded familiar. I didn’t like to yell at people in general, but I really didn’t like to do it in front of their coworkers. Humiliation never worked, and it made everyone feel awkward.

Mo tugged me away from Murray. “I’m taking my girl back. You can talk to her later.”

He dragged me into the living room where music played and a few people sat around with guitars, while others had some kind of card game happening. Mo paused at the threshold.

“Everyone, this is Michaela,” he announced. “Michaela, this is everyone.”

I waved as I glanced around the room, seeing plenty of people I recognized, both from work and growing up in the business. I said hi to a few of them as I was tugged to the far side of the expansive room, toward the ugliest chair I’d ever seen. It was pumpkin orange and possibly made of leather. Whatever the material, it was fluffy and lumpy. I had no idea where a person would acquire such a monstrosity.

“What is that?”

“A chair.”

He took a seat and beckoned me to sit down with him. I shook my head, and he scowled.

“Sit with me, Mic.”

---