Page 76 of Token

“Not my husband,” April said, blessing them with a smile of the sexually satisfied.

Or Nate.But Kennedy judiciously kept that to herself, his sister being right there and all.

Aurora cast her gaze heavenward. “That’ll be a hard pass from me. I’m never getting romantically involved with anyone remotely connected to Hollywood.”

“Who said anything about romance?” April snorted. “Sex for sex’s sake alone isn’t a bad thing.”

“Says the only happily married mother at the table,” Sahara teased.

April laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Says the woman who sexed it up with her husbandbeforewe started dating. I know of what I speak.”

And Kennedy could certainly understand why. She’d Googled him after the launch party, and the wide receiver was hot with a capitalH.

“What’s the point of boxing yourself in?” Sahara asked, dipping a golden-fried coconut shrimp in the cocktail sauce. “What if your soul mate turns out to be someone famous? What if it’s Grant? Would you kick him to the curb just because of what he does for a living?”

Aurora gave an exaggerated eye roll. “First, let’s get something straight. Grant Musgrove isnotmy soul mate. Second,nothaving sex with a man I don’t know and who has women constantly throwing themselves at him isn’t exactly a hardship. And for me, it’s not about looks and money. Being attractive is great and everything, but I need a man I can relate to. We have to have stuff in common. And let’s face it—in Hollywood, good-looking people are a dime a dozen, present company excluded. You, my dear, are one in a million,” Aurora said, blowing the singer a kiss.

Sahara gave Aurora the side-eye. “Is that an Aaliyah reference?”

“Sweetie, you got to let it go. If Aaliyah looked like a troll, I’d understand how that would be offensive. But she was gorgeous. Take it as a compliment,” April soothed.

“How can I take it as a compliment when people think that’s the only reason I made it in the business? Do you know that ass Cyrus called me Baby Girl in an interview last week, and I’ve never wanted to smack someone so hard in my life.”

Kennedy laughed, imagining the one-hundred-and-twenty-five-pound actress up against the music producer, who was almost double her size. She would pay for front-row tickets to see that. Sahara would destroy him.

“Right, but that’s just human nature,” Aurora said. “People love drawing comparisons. How many times have we heard that some new artist is the next whoever? At one time, wasn’t Mariah Carey supposed to be the next Whitney Houston?”

“Hell-o,”Sahara sang out, raising her hand. “Guess whose mother loved Whitney Houston so much she named her only daughter after her?”

“And what a disappointment you turned out to be, becoming a famous singer, an Oscar-nominated actress, and creating your own clothing line instead of following after your namesake,” Kennedy lamented, tongue in cheek.

Sahara smiled and fondly groused, “You are so extra.”

“I don’t know how you manage it all,” April said. “Just keeping up with my son every day is a full-time job. I’m getting ready to switch him from half-day care to full days. No more of this take-your-son-to-work stuff when his dad is on the road.”

Mention of her three-year-old son had Aurora demanding pictures. Ever the proud, doting mother, April immediately obliged. While her phone was being passed around tooohsandaahsover her adorable kid, Kennedy’s own phone dinged. She discreetly checked it, expecting to see a message from Nate, but to her surprise, it was from Julie.

Julie: No baby. Got my period today. Taking tomorrow off. Going to bed now. ’Night.

Kennedy immediately shot back a reply.

Kennedy: Oh honey, I’m so sorry. It’ll happen when you least expect it. Never lose hope.

“Is something wrong?” Aurora asked, watching her as April tucked her phone back in her handbag.

Now Kennedy had everyone’s attention, Sahara and April also wearing similar expressions of concern.

“One of our employees has been trying to get pregnant for over two years. Today, she told me she was going to buy a test on her way home because she was two weeks late.” Kennedy sighed. “She texted to let me know she just got her period, so of course, she’s absolutely crushed.”

“Oh, poor thing,” Aurora whispered, her voice full of emotion. “I know how much she and Kwan want kids.”

“Wow.” April’s eyes filled with compassion. “I got pregnant with our son almost as soon as we started trying. Sometimes I forget it’s not the same for everyone and that I’m one of the lucky ones.”

“You have no ideahowlucky.” There was unexpected vehemence to Sahara’s words. She then added more solemnly, “That could be me, what’s happening to her.”

Alarmed, Kennedy froze midsip, slowly lowering her glass of brown cow to the table. “What do you mean?” she asked, her voice hushed. “You don’t know if you’ll be able to have kids?”

“Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Aurora asked, stricken.

---