Scandalous Secrets (Baby Confessions #2)

Chapter 1

Monica

I had to get out of here.

I looked around the restaurant at other women acting coy with their first dates or sitting on the same side of the booth during probably their thirtieth date. I sucked in a defeated breath and reached for my wine glass, taking a long sip of chilled sauvignon blanc. The citrus flavor danced on my tongue, and I looked anywhere but at the man who was droning on in front of me.

He was cute. Not my type, but cute enough. His hair was a mousy brown and kind of lay like a floppy hat on his head. It seemed like the kind of cut he got in college, but just never grew out of. And at forty, that was something you should probably grow out of. His brown eyes were puppy dog-like. That’s what he was. A puppy dog. A forty-year-old puppy dog named Dean.

“So, that’s why I lost my last job…” he said with a sigh.

I had no idea why he lost his job because I hadn’t been listening since he told me about how he lied on his résumé about charity work in Uganda. He might look like a puppy, but he was not innocent.

I wondered why my editor had set me up with this idiot, or why I had agreed. I said I had given up on dating, yet here I was, at a corner restaurant in Midtown Manhattan wearing too much makeup and plotting how to get out of here. We hadn’t even ordered food yet.

“So, what do you do?” asked Dean, leaning in as he shook his hair out of his face.

Wow. He was asking something about me. It only took twenty minutes.

“I’m a writer,” I said, my fingers sliding up the stem of my wine glass.

“Oh? Like a blogger?”

“No, like a writer. Novels.”

“Wow. Anything I would know?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and studying me as if he didn’t quite believe me.

“Do you read romance novels?”

He snorted and shook his head, his mousy, long hair shaking with him.

“Then probably not.”

I tried to ignore his insult, especially since my last book had been a total flop. I had no leg to stand on. I normally didn’t read reviews. My agent did. Typically, she shared the ones that really mattered. The good and a sprinkle of bad to save my pride. But this time there was hardly more than a dash of praise and it came from my die-hard fans who would defend me until the end. But even some of them had turned on me.

I couldn’t blame them. I had been in a complete rut since the book prior, which had made it to the Amazon Best Seller list in the romance category. That one I had been inspired for. My best friend had found herself in a sticky spot in life, but in the end, it landed her a beautiful baby girl and a loving husband. A wealthy, loving husband. Like billionaire status.

It was such an unexpected story. That’s what people craved. The fantasy in life. The excitement of meeting someone new and the messiness that came with falling in love. It was the typical romance trope of opposites attracting. People ate that up.

I knew they expected me to follow it up with a book just as good, but I had nothing to draw inspiration from.

I had been seeing someone for a while. His name was Josh. He was a writer like me, but in the sci-fi genre. It was nice to have someone to talk to who understood this life of writing in coffee shops, word counts, and deadlines. My editor had set me up with him (I should really stop trusting her with my love life.) She thought it would be a good match because we had so much in common.

And it was a good match, until it wasn’t.

Our first date was one for the books. Literally. I didn’t think we stopped talking or kissing or coming up for air the entire time. I was completely consumed by him. His intellect. Voice. Passion for writing. His hand on my knee. It was nothing like this date, where the only thing I wanted to do was find an exit.

Maybe I had been lonely for so long that I got lost in Josh. We became practically inseparable after that. He came to work out of my favorite coffee shop, and I went with him to his. We enjoyed too many lattes as we typed away on our laptops, sharing kisses and a few edits we went.

It went on for six months until he found someone else. Someone ten years younger who he had met at a book signing in upstate New York. She was a pretty little thing. Blonde, big boobs, blue eyes. Of course, I had Googled her. I needed to see. Needed to torture myself. Inspire myself.

Which was probably why my last book had been a flop. It had been angsty and there had been no happy ending. You can’t not have a happy ending. At least not in romance.

Plus, there was the stalker. I had a book-obsessed fan who lurked outside my apartment and followed me almost everywhere. The police did nothing until it really got bad and he broke into my apartment. Thankfully, I wasn’t home, but it was enough to finally make an arrest.

So yeah. It had been a year. Writing wasn’t exactly at the top of my list of priorities.

“I’m more of a graphic novel guy,” said Dean with a shrug. “Less words.”

“Mmm,” I said with a single nod. “Will you excuse me?”

I didn’t wait for his response as I stood and made a beeline for the bathroom. I stood by the sink and pulled my phone from my purse. I scrolled down to my best friend Heart’s name and hit send. She picked up after two rings.

“Uh-oh,” she said on the other line. “You’re only twenty-five minutes in.”

“Yeah, and I’m ready to get out,” I muttered.

“Ah, Monica. I’m sorry. Ditch the guy and come meet us for dinner. Daniel and I are at that new Thai food place in the West Village.”

“I’m there. But how do I get out of this?”

“Just say you’re not feeling well.”

I sighed. “Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

“Good luck,” she said.

I hung up and slid my phone back in my purse before assessing myself in the mirror. I had put on a green sweater dress, gold hoops, and pulled my hair back into a slick ponytail. All of this for nothing. At least I would get dinner after all, even if it meant I was the third wheel on a date with Heart and Daniel. I loved them, but they were just another reminder of my lonely life. Still, they were better than the shaggy dog out there.

I took a deep breath and pushed through the bathroom door, making my way back to the table where Dean had a freshly topped off whiskey in his hand.

“Ah, there you are. I wasn’t sure if you wanted another drink. We should probably actually order…”

“I’m so sorry,” I said, touching my hand to my stomach and wincing. “I’m actually not feeling very well.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I think it might be a stomach bug or something. I think I should go home.”

“Well, I can take you…” he offered without an ounce of sincerity in his voice.

I waved him off. “No, it’s okay. You just got a drink. Don’t let me ruin your night.”

“I’ll call you.”

It sounded more like a question and he didn’t get up as I made my way to the door. I hailed a cab and slid inside, letting out a sigh of relief. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived outside of the Thai restaurant. I greeted the hostess before spotting Heart and Daniel in a corner booth looking cozy. As I walked over, their faces lit up, making me feel less like an intruder.

“Scooch in,” said Daniel after standing to give me a hug.

I slid into the booth next to Heart, giving her a kiss on the cheek, as Daniel took the chair opposite us. He waved over the waitress and ordered me a glass of white wine. I gave him a warm smile as I thought about how far we had come. The guy I once had loathed for my friend now knew my drink order.

“So, it was that bad?” asked Heart.

“He was like a frat boy trapped in a forty-year-old man’s body.” I groaned.

“Yikes. I’m sorry.”

Daniel chuckled as he took a sip of bourbon. He was used to girl talk. I thought he secretly enjoyed it.

“Where’s Bridgette tonight?” I asked.

“She’s with my mom,” said Heart.

“Oh?”

“They came into town last night.”

“Again,” added Daniel with a smirk.

“I think they like being grandparents,” said Heart with a laugh.

I smiled thinking about how their daughter Bridgette had been the driving force behind Heart mending the estranged relationship with her parents. She was a beautiful little miracle. And she was my goddaughter.

The waitress came back with my glass of wine and took our food order. We ordered family style. Green coconut curry, pad Thai, hot and sour shrimp soup, chicken satay. The food came quickly and we barely got any more words in because our mouths were so full. Everything was so good.

“Well, we have some good news…” said Heart, looking at Daniel and back at me with a smile.

“Oh?” I asked, perking up. “Are you having another baby?”

They started laughing and shaking their heads.

“Not yet,” said Heart.

“We’re still catching up on sleep from the last one.” Daniel winked. “No, I actually know someone who’s looking for a personal assistant. Heart told me you did some PA work before becoming a writer. Maybe it could be good for you.”

“Really?” I asked thoughtfully.

Heart nodded enthusiastically. “I know writing hasn’t been easy lately. Maybe it would be good to have another job in your back pocket. You can write on your days off.”

I thought about it for a moment. I hadn’t really entertained the idea of another job besides writing. Writing had been my life for many years, but lately I wasn’t so sure.

“You know. That might actually be great.”

“Perfect,” said Daniel, pulling his phone from his pocket. He typed something out.

“This could be really good for you,” said Heart, squeezing my hand.

A few moments later, Daniel’s phone pinged on the table. He read the text quickly. “All right. It’s settled. You start tomorrow,” he said, putting his phone down with certainty.

My eyes widened. “T-tomorrow? I haven’t even interviewed.”

“The guy owes me a favor. Plus, he trusts me.”

Wow, I thought. That seemed way too easy. I tried not to think that it was too good to be true. Maybe the universe was being kind to me after everything.

Once the bill was paid, which Daniel insisted on covering, we said our goodbyes in the crisp evening air. Despite how the night had started, it had ended on a high note. I thanked them for everything and got into the cab Daniel had hailed for me.

“Where to, miss?” asked the driver, looking at me through the rearview mirror.

I thought for a moment. I should probably go to bed, but I was too nervous about this new job that had suddenly fallen in my lap.

“Are there any new bars around here?”

“Yeah, a place just opened up a few blocks over.”

“Okay, take me there, please.”

He nodded and pulled the car away from the curb.

Maybe a little nightcap would put my nerves at ease.