Chapter 30
Ilena
Sunday Evening
Three Days After the Outing
“This is going to blow up, you do know that?” James says from beside the built-in wine fridge.
Ilena steadies her shaking hands as she checks the egg timer in the shape of an avocado. “Let’s hope not. But we are just
in time. Two minutes left.”
James’s freckled cheeks pull as taut as his crossed arms. “Come off it, Ilena. This is insulting, to everyone.”
She can’t handle this now, not with her heart aching from the sadness on Mallory’s and Aubrey’s faces that’s making her think
of Jonah. “I’m sorry, James, I didn’t really think you wanted to host this. I figured Felix was forcing you, but if you did,
truly, I didn’t mean to infringe.”
“You are too much. Seriously, Ilena. Se-ri-ous-ly.”
“James, I honestly don’t know what this is about. But I’d like to. You’re Felix’s best friend. I want us to be friends.” They
are already, aren’t they? “Stay friends. You know what I mean.”
“Oh, this is what we’re doing, then? Us, you and me, a couple of Felix groupies who lunch? A scone and a grapefruit mimosa and we’ll snuggle your mini me and ignore the fact that you orchestrated this whole thing?”
The avocado cracks open, revealing a pit that begins to bounce, but Ilena doesn’t move.
James places his hand on the pit to stop it. “You didn’t think I knew? Oh, sweetie, am I the one to tell you? How special.”
She forces a swallow. “Tell me what?”
“Hmm, yeah, so, let’s just say after a couple of old-fashioneds bestie lips are as loose as, well, you.” He scoops up the
avocado, sidles next to her, and rests it in her hand. “One night shouldn’t change everything. But you let it. You encouraged
it. Full throttle, no hesitation. Whatever—whoever—else involved be damned. But for the record, no matter what that hideous
thing on your desk says, he wasn’t positive. He still isn’t.”
Ilena’s legs go wobbly.
“But he’s a better person than either of us because you’re here and I’m still sharing a studio with a Berklee student who
has a limited conception of hygiene.”
The acrid scent of something burning seeps out of the oven.
James strolls past her, and something he said registers. Ilena grabs his arm. “You said ‘mini me.’”
He smiles, but in that way of an animated doll about to slash your throat. “It’s a girl.”
“But Felix said the envelope was sealed.”
James winces. “Ooh, yeah, well, Felix lies. Maybe most of all, to himself.”