Chapter 7 One Star. Do Not Recommend.
ONE STAR. DO NOT RECOMMEND.
Exercise regimen?
Bridget: I have a gym membership. I go occasionally to swim and do a halfhearted weight training circuit.
Cole: I have two gym memberships: a regular gym and a climbing gym. I also run five miles a day during the week and ten on weekends and holidays.
brIDGET
Iopened my door to a mass of women standing in the hallway, led by my Amazonian friend, Tessa. “You missed Halloween, and I don’t have any candy left,” I said. “I stress-ate it.”
Tessa sailed through the door. “We’re not here for your candy. We’re here to see you before you go on your trip.”
“Did I invite you over and forget?” I asked.
“You’ve been too busy for us lately, so we invited ourselves,” Justine said as she followed Tessa inside.
She wasn’t wrong. With all the planning for the San José visit and the retreat, plus keeping Cole in line and doing my damn job, I’d neglected my friends. I’d only called my sisters and parents to check in and hadn’t gone out with my girl gang since the week after my—our—promotion.
“We brought snacks.” Savannah carried an insulated bag.
“And a travel wardrobe.” My stylist friend, Carly, walked in next with a black paper shopping bag stuffed to the top with clothes.
“Sorry,” Lucie said. “All I brought is Mia.” She turned so I could see the baby strapped to her back.
“Aw,” I cooed. “You win. Can I hold her?”
“Sure, just unclip—”
“I got it. My sister Megan has a similar one.” I released Mia from the carrier and lifted her into my arms. “Who’s a beautiful, smart girl?” Mia put her sticky hands on my cheeks and laughed as I made a silly face.
“We all are,” Lucie said, stretching her back. “I’m going to sit for a minute.”
“God, how do you do it?” I asked.
Groaning, she moved a stack of pajamas to the end table and plopped onto the couch next to my suitcase. “Can’t say I recommend having a baby at forty. Danny’s an angel, but my sleep sucks, and I feel more like ninety-one than forty-one some days.”
I shut the door with my hip. “Grab one of those throw pillows for your back and put your feet up.”
Lucie sighed as she leaned back. “Though I guess she’s worth it.” The adoring look Lucie gave her daughter proved her baby was more than worth the toll pregnancy and motherhood had taken on her body.
“Of course you are.” I kissed Mia’s soft cheek.
“Bzzt,” Mia said.
I gasped. “She said my name!”
“Did she?” Tessa’s eyebrows shot up as she unpacked bottles of wine.
“Of course! I’m fluent in one-year-old. Bridge-et.” I pronounced the syllables slowly as I stared into Mia’s round eyes.
“Bzz-it.”
“You’re a genius.” I squeezed her tight. “Want a… Can she have a C-R-A-C-K-E-R?” With the trip coming up, my pantry was pretty bare, and I’d eaten my last banana this morning.
“I brought snacks for her,” Savannah said. She was setting up a buffet on my kitchen island.
“There’s a sippy cup in my bag.” Lucie waved at the giant tote she’d dropped at the front door.
A few minutes later, I sat at my kitchen table with Mia on my lap, a bowl of Cheerios in front of her, and a glass of chardonnay out of her reach.
“Tell us about this trip,” Tessa said, sipping a glass of cabernet.
“There’s two parts to it. We’re spending a couple of days meeting the team at our site in San José. Then we’re going up to a corporate retreat center in the rainforest.”
“So you’ll need business clothes and casual clothes.” Carly moved my suitcase to the coffee table and squinted as she held up my new pair of high-tech hiking pants. “These are hideous, but I guess you’ll need them.”
“I’ve scheduled some activities,” I said. “A hike, kayaking, and golf.”
“Swimming?” she asked, scanning the stacks of clothes I’d brought from my bedroom.
“Maybe? The hotel has hot springs, but I feel weird being that exposed in front of my executive team.”
“It’s a retreat. They’ll expect you to swim, so you’ll need a suit and a cover-up.” She strode into my bedroom.
“How are things with your co-CEO?” Justine asked.
“Not great,” I admitted. “He’s still mad because I made him rescind a deal he was making. And because of this trip. Which is weird, right? I’m the one with the company history, who everyone knows. He should want to get out there to make connections and build alliances.”
“You sound like you’re on an episode of Survivor,” Savannah drawled, setting down a tray of crudités.
“You’re not wrong,” I admitted. “This ninety-day thing is nuts, isn’t it?”
“Want me to talk to my colleague who does employment law?” Justine asked, reaching for a carrot.
“Oh my god, no. The company has been good to me—”
“Have they?” Tessa asked.
“Of course they have.” I stroked Mia’s curls. “I’ve been COO for five years, and now I’m CEO.”
“Co-CEO,” Tessa reminded me.
My scalp prickled, the way it did every time I remembered I hadn’t been good enough to earn it solo. Not yet, at least. “He had the balls to ask if he could bring a guest.”
“Is he married?” Justine asked. “Sometimes the partners at my firm bring their wives on business trips.”
“He doesn’t wear a ring. Besides, who’d marry him? He’s a total”—I covered Mia’s ears—“asshole, and he works shitty hours like me.”
Justine snorted. “All the other partners at my firm are married, and they’re assholes who work shitty hours.”
“If your spouse is an asshole,” Savannah said, “it’s a blessing if they’re at work all the time.”
“True,” I said. “But what kind of marriage would that be?”
“A shitty one,” Justine said. “But there are women who’ll exchange a loving partnership for financial security.”
Savannah cleared her throat and jumped up from her chair. “We need refills.”
Mia squirmed, and I pulled my hands away from her ears, then kissed the top of her head. I exchanged a glance with Tessa. Savannah was living with her now that she and her husband had split. Tessa shook her head, so I didn’t press.
“The hearing’s next month,” Justine murmured too low for Savannah to hear as she bustled around the island. “She’ll be better when things are settled.”
I squeezed Justine’s hand, glad she was representing our friend in her divorce.
“This is your only swimsuit?” Carly asked, holding up a length of blue spandex.
I couldn’t keep the defensiveness out of my tone. “I swim laps at my gym when I have time.”
She shook the serviceable Speedo. “This is not swimwear for vacation.” She dug in her shopping bag and pulled out two scraps of sky-blue fabric. “This is for vacation.”
Lucie opened one eye. “I couldn’t get half of my ass into that.”
I set my hands over Mia’s ears again. “Language, Lucie.”
“She’s heard worse,” Lucie said. “Mia’s going to swear like a sailor, just like her mama. It’s a foregone conclusion.”
“This is Bridget’s size. And it’s going to look fabulous.” Carly held up the top against her more substantial breasts. It was a strapless bandeau with a ruffle.
“Fabulous?” I scoffed. “More like ridiculous. That suit says bimbo, not CEO.”
“It says confident woman, and it goes.” She tossed it into my suitcase.
“Put my regular one in too,” I said.
“You can’t be serious.” Carly held up the navy Speedo. “This thing is one squat away from splitting. Look at the way the fabric has pilled on the backside.”
“It’ll be fine,” I said. “All I’ll do is sit in the water, I promise.”
“But you’ll look fine in the bikini, I guarantee it,” she said.
“Who am I looking fine for?” I asked. “The only people who’ll see me are my executive team, and I’d rather show them as little skin as possible.”
“Maybe you’ll meet a Costa Rican hottie,” Savannah said. “He’ll whisk you away to his hacienda on the beach.”
“I think someone’s back on the romance novels.” Tessa raised her eyebrows.
“They’re comforting in times of stress,” Savannah said, glugging wine into her glass.
“You deserve that comfort, honey,” Carly said. “Want me to do your makeup? I brought my kit.”
“No, thanks.” Savannah swigged her wine. “I’m not seeing anyone but y’all, and y’all don’t care about my makeup.”
“But—” Carly stopped herself. “That’s right. You’re beautiful.”
Savannah took another long drink.
“Don’t forget your passport,” Lucie said. “When Danny and I went to Mexico last month, I showed up at the airport without mine. Danny’s brother had to drive like a demon to get it to me in time. I had visions of crying in the airport while Danny went to the beach without me.”
“Danny would never have left you,” I said. “He’d have found you a beach where you didn’t need a passport. But good call. Here, Tessa, want to hold Mia?”
Tessa held up her hands. “No, thanks. I love you, Mia, but you and I are going to have a better relationship when you know how to use the toilet and have more than twenty words.”
“I’ll take her.” Savannah stretched out her arms. “Come here, baby.” When I set the toddler on her lap, she took a long inhale of Mia’s hair. “Who needs grandchildren?”
“Stop that. You’re too young for grandchildren,” Lucie said.
“There’s plenty of people my age who have grandchildren,” Savannah said between kisses on the tip of Mia’s nose that made her laugh. “But I hope my kids wait a good, long time before getting married and having babies. Like you did.”
“Ugh,” Lucie said. “One star. Do not recommend.”
We all knew it was a lie, but no one contradicted her.
Carly’s movement caught my attention as I walked toward my bedroom to grab my passport. She was stuffing clothes from her shopping bag into my suitcase. “Wait,” I said. “I’m going for five days, not five weeks. I was hoping to limit myself to a carry-on.”
“Carry-ons are only for day-trippers and spring-breakers who plan to be naked most of the time. You never know what you might need on a business trip,” she said. “In fact, I could swing by tomorrow with an evening gown.”
“No! I promise, I’ll have zero opportunities for formal dress.”
“Fine,” she huffed. “But promise me you’ll take what I packed. I’d hate for you to be unprepared.”
“Okay. But if they lose my luggage—”
“I’ll ship you a new wardrobe,” she said. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“I thought all your styling clients took private jets,” Lucie said.
“Many do. But that doesn’t mean their luggage always makes it onto the private jet. Some of their assistants can’t be trusted.” She pursed her lips.
“Who—” I began.
“Passport,” Lucie reminded me.
“Right.” I walked to my bedroom and pulled it from my top drawer.
Passport, check.
Fabulous wardrobe, check.
Business smarts, check.
There was no question I’d win this retreat.