7. Iris
Chapter seven
Iris
M y phone beeps.
Maddie: I still think there could be something between you two.
So much for Maddie believing me last night when I said I’d sworn off types like Sebastian.
Three dresses from my sisters lay strewn on my bed, and two more hang over the closet door—one with ruffles . What was Rose thinking? My latest outfit—a black top and jeans, which would have been my go-to outfit—didn’t make the fake pregnancy belly look real. The black top is too thin. I need a dress with a thicker fabric. I should have never agreed to dress up as a pregnant woman so Dahlia wasn’t the only pregnant woman at her party. Rose dropped off a selection of her maternity clothes yesterday—mostly the ones Dahlia didn’t borrow for her own pregnancy—but these outfits make me look like a bear in hibernation, which is probably why Dahlia didn’t take them. I finally settle on a blue dress that actually looks good when I try it on. It doesn’t look quite as great with my black sneakers, but I’m planning to win some of the party games tonight, so sneakers it is.
Fatma is sniffing the clothes and looks like she is about to curl up for a nap on top of one dress. I move them to the side so she has her own space on my bed. My room is in the top of our house, in the back overlooking the garden.
I pick up my phone to text Maddie—that maybe there’s something between her and Nick—when my phone rings.
“I desperately need breast milk storage bags. Can you do me a huge favor and stop by Baby Love on the way to Dahlia’s party and pick some up for me?” It’s my sister Rose.
“Okay,” I say.
“You’re a lifesaver. I’ll text you a picture of what I want.”
Fatma has now curled up right in the middle of all the clothes on my bed, completely disregarding the space cleared for her. Of course. I’m going to have to remove all the cat hair before I return these to Rose.
A s I enter Baby Love, I blink. Is that Sebastian standing near a whole bunch of pregnant women?
It definitely is. Some saleswoman seems be giving a product presentation, and he’s listening intently—with an I’m-so-out-of-my-comfort-zone expression on his face. I stifle a laugh.
Oh no. I look like I’m six months pregnant . I really should have thought this through. Our bar and block are safe, but wandering around the city looking like a pregnant woman is a different story.
I need to slip by without his noticing me—but the product presentation has been set up smack in the center so I have to go through it to get to the rest of the store. If only I had a massive scarf or some way to hide my face. I could pull my coat up to hide my face, but that would probably only attract attention. This pregnancy coat makes me look like a huge bear. I might have to brazen it out and pretend I’m carrying a backpack under my coat.
“Iris!”
Too late. I’ve been caught. Sebastian is jogging over.
“Iris. Wow. I’m glad to see you here.” He looks down at me and his eyes widen, his brow furrowing, but he snaps his glance back to my face, manfully covering up his obvious confusion.
He continues, “I have no idea what to get Anita, and there’s a scavenger hunt competition at two. But I need a partner who actually knows something about babies. Maybe we can win something for Anita.”
No. Hanging out with Sebastian is not a good idea. Especially when I’m attracted to him.
He’s not my type anymore. I’m looking for a nice guy who doesn’t give off rakish vibes. Who doesn’t make me think he’s a lot of fun when he’s mischievous.
“Did I shock you into silence?” Sebastian asks, a teasing note in his voice. “I’ve certainly never stepped foot in here before.” He makes a tss sound like he’s just been burned by a hot flame.
He is Mr. Single.
He takes another quick glance at my middle area and wrinkles his brow. How can I explain this? I should say no to hanging out and not explain. Just leave him wondering why I’m dressed like I’m about to go on an Artic expedition.
“I can’t do it alone,” he says. “I don’t know anything about babies. Two hours of your time. Tops. This is a huge opportunity to win something big for Anita without spending more than the thirty-dollar limit. That is ridiculously low. You promised you’d help me shop for her.”
“I did promise. And I gave you my sister’s baby shower list as gift suggestions.”
“That’s not the same as actually helping pick out stuff. And I repeat, two words: scavenger hunt. And you’re here.”
He obviously listened to what Maddie said last night. Still, I’m impressed he picked up so quickly that I’d totally be into a scavenger hunt. And I do want to figure him out. This is a perfect opportunity.
“Fine. But…” How am I going to explain my belly? “I’m dressed as a pregnant woman. My younger sister didn’t want to be the only pregnant woman at her party because none of her friends are even considering having kids yet. Because they’re all in their twenties.” Dahlia has always known she wanted a big family. She babysat starting at twelve and now works as a daycare teacher. Her dream is to start her own daycare. “To be honest, it started out as a joke, but then Dahlia seemed really touched by the idea. And it seemed easy enough. We had the belly from when my brother played Santa Claus at our bar.”
Dead silence greets my statement. And then finally, he says, “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“I have a huge costume belly strapped to my abdomen. I look like I swallowed a pillow or a basketball or a baby elephant.”
“A baby elephant is oddly specific,” Sebastian says.
“It is. Maybe I just feel like I swallowed a baby elephant. And it’s hard to get it to look right without the straps showing.”
“That’s perfect. We’ll look that much more legitimate participating in the scavenger hunt.”
“What do you mean? Do you have to be pregnant to participate in the scavenger hunt?”
“No. I checked the rules, and you don’t. But…this will just look better,” he says.
“You don’t mind that you’ll be walking around with a pregnant woman?” I ask.
“Why would I have a problem walking around with a pregnant woman?”
“Someone may think you’re the father.”
“I’d take that as a compliment,” he says. “But seriously, this will be perfect for the scavenger hunt.”
“What if we run into friends of yours?”
“If I see any of my male friends shopping in Baby Love, they’d be the ones running to hide, not me. They would have some serious explaining to do.”
Sebastian in casual weekend clothes is even more attractive than Sebastian in work clothes. He still looks so put-together. It makes me want to rumple him up.
Off-limits.
This is a work mission.
Definitely not a good choice.
I’m not ready for a new relationship.
Pregnant me will probably serve as quite a repellent. It’s good that I’m dressed this way. I take off my coat.
“Wow. You really do look pregnant,” Sebastian says.
“Yes, but I would have preferred the ‘swallowed the basketball’ pregnancy look. This looks more like I swallowed a beanbag,” I say.
“No, it’s a cute bump.”
Oh, no… Now he thinks I was fishing for compliments. About my fake pregnancy bump. Because that’s definitely what I want him to compliment. Way to go, Iris.
“Do you think you can move with that?” he asks. “We may need to hustle for the scavenger hunt.”
“It’s just a pillow. I can definitely keep up.”
“I brought a backpack so we can stow our coats in there.”
See? He’s taking this very seriously.
Today is all about the scavenger hunt. And I like that. I’m competitive too. Patrick was a bit of a slacker at times, and that drove me nuts.
I shake my head.
Focus on the mission.
Sebastian shrugs off his coat and his sweater, revealing a T-shirt that shows off his muscular physique underneath. I can’t believe he’s just wearing some worn T-shirt. I force myself to stop staring at the actual muscle definition in his biceps. We’re work colleagues. And friends. I sneak one last peek. Lily did mention that he was a champion squash player in college.
I take off my coat, and Sebastian stuffs it into his backpack with his sweater. It takes up so much room that he can’t fit his own coat in as well.
“I can wear my coat,” I say.
“No. Don’t worry. Mine’s pretty light.” He ties it around his waist. “Your stomach looks so real. Wow. What is it made out of?”
“It’s a really firm pillow. You can touch it. Crazy how real it looks, right?”
A tender expression passes over Sebastian’s face as he touches, very gingerly, the pillow. Seeing his narrow fingers splayed on my “belly” definitely does something to my insides.
“Don’t worry. I can’t feel your touch,” I say.
He blushes. Actually blushes.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No. I just realized it would be something to bring a baby into this world.”
He looks a little shell-shocked.
Poor Sebastian.
“Maybe you’ll have to rethink your forever-single status?”
He raises his glance to mine. “Maybe.” He looks down at his watch. “That sales lady said the competition kick-off is at the back of this first floor, by the toilets.”
We walk to the back of the store. It’s easy to spot the competition, such as it is. This definitely isn’t some marathon with a bunch of lean running machines. It looks more like a penguin huddle. One woman looks like she could give birth any minute now. Would that be good or bad publicity for Baby Love if someone gave birth during its scavenger hunt? And does employee job training include delivering babies?
The saleswoman is giving instructions. “So figure out the clues, take a picture of yourself with your answer, and report back here in forty-five minutes. We’ve mixed up all the clues so that you shouldn’t necessarily run into other contestants. And then we’ll have the one-handed stroller opening contest.”
“Are you sure we’re allowed to compete when we’re not pregnant?” I whisper to Sebastian.
“I checked the rules. There’s no requirement to be pregnant. And we are competing on behalf of a pregnant woman who could use all this stuff. This is her first baby. And I don’t think she and her husband make that much.”
And what if Dream Company does close? Then she won’t even have a paid maternity leave.
“On your mark. Get set. Go,” the contest coordinator yells.
A determined look grips Sebastian’s face. He rips open the envelope and reads the clue:
“ You’re my very best friend, it’s true! Doo doo doo doo, doo doo. Every day when I make my way to the___. ”
“What on earth,” he says.
The look of shock on his face is priceless. I giggle.
“It’s the rubber duckie song, from Sesame Street . It’s a tub. C’mon, let’s find the baby bathtubs and take a picture with them,” I say.
“Of course. The rubber duckie song. If only I still had that on my playlist…”
“C’mon. No time for sarcasm.”
“See, I knew you needed to come,” Sebastian says. “I would have been thrown by this first clue.”
We study the store map listing the department locations. I take a photo of it. Other couples head off.
“It’s definitely an advantage if you’ve shopped here before and know the store layout,” Sebastian says. The bathing section is on the second floor. We hurry up the stairs, passing another couple on the escalator.
“So did you ask Ernest my questions?” I ask as we get to the top.
“Yes,” Sebastian says. “He likes chocolate in his cookies.”
“Over there!” I point to the back of the store. A big rubber duck sign indicates the bathing section. We jog over there. “That’s what you got?”
“He doesn’t read or have any hobbies. Golf socks are the way to go,” Sebastian says.
We skid to a stop in front of the tubs.
Sebastian holds up a plastic tub while I take his picture.
“You’re grimacing,” I say. “Smile.”
“This is not a photo op,” he says.
“You don’t want to scare the sales associate,” I say.
He makes a funny expression, and I snap the picture. He quickly puts back the tub and opens up the next clue.
“ What a bright time, it’s the right time, to rock the night away. Jingle bell time, it’s a swell time, to go gliding… ”
Sebastian asks, “Is there a holiday department?”
“One of those gliding rocking chairs. My sister swears by it.” I check the map. “This way.”
“You really are an expert,” he says.
It’s lucky that this is not a date, because my knowledge about babies and child-rearing would probably scare away even the most ardent admirer. He’d worry I want kids immediately.
Sebastian follows me as I weave through the various departments to bring us to the glider chair section. About twenty chairs are lined up in rows.
“Dinner at my parents’ house is all about breastfeeding, potty training, and sleep training.” Stop talking about kids. What am I doing? It’s like this fake pregnancy belly has activated all my maternal desires.
“Does it make you feel left out?” he asks.
I glance at him, surprised at such a perceptive question.
“Sometimes. Mostly because I can’t contribute to the conversation. And I’m envious that my sisters are sharing these experiences together. But I’m definitely not ready for children yet,” I say. Phew. That should dispel all impressions to the contrary. “Especially if there’s as little sleep involved as my sisters say. I need to be more established in my career. It’s hard enough to be a woman in cybersecurity. I need to be in a more senior position with more control over my schedule before I have children. I’d like to actually see them.”
Another couple is trying out the gliding chairs. The husband takes a picture of his wife reclining in the chair. We say hello.
“Your turn to be in the photo,” Sebastian says.
I sink into the chair, which engulfs me like a Venus flytrap plant. My pregnancy belly rises, nearly smothering me. I try to push it down. Sebastian catches himself laughing and hands me his backpack to cover it. I stand quickly. He takes a selfie with the chair.
“Is it okay?” I ask, adjusting the belly.
“I’m not sure. It might be a little off,” Sebastian says. “Let’s move out of here discreetly and go behind that post over there so we can fix it.”
I keep the backpack in front of me.
Sebastian puts his arm around me, walking close to block the sideview. His warmth and closeness give me a gooey feeling inside. A protected feeling. Sebastian does it so easily. It’s so different from what it was like with Patrick. Sometimes Patrick forgot about me in the rush of greeting his fans. And Patrick was not that affectionate in public—he didn’t, understandably, like having his love life dissected by fans and the media. Neither did I. Especially when someone posted a particularly unflattering photo of me. But he also acknowledged that he wanted to be respectful of his fans’ feelings because some had crushes on him.
We pass by the other couple. The wife looks like she is about to take a nap in the rocking chair.
We move in tandem over to the mirrored pole. I put down the backpack.
“It’s just a smidge off, don’t you think?” I ask. I’m in front, Sebastian behind me in the reflection in the mirror, my dark hair contrasting with his blond. We look good together—almost like we are a couple. I rub my wrist, which has been giving twinges of pain lately, and adjust the pillow slightly.
“All good,” Sebastian says.
We turn around to find another one of the competing couples.
“Oh, you guys are so tall and striking,” the wife says. She stands next to a bouncy chair while her husband snaps a picture. “If you don’t have this, I highly recommend it. We used it so often for our first. Is this your first?”
“Yes,” we say in unison.
“How’d you guys meet?” She rubs her belly. “I just love hearing how people met.”
I glance at Sebastian in consternation. We didn’t concoct a story.
“We met at work,” Sebastian says.
“Were there sparks immediately?” the woman asks.
I definitely thought he was attractive the first time I saw him.
As I’m about to say no, Sebastian says, “Definitely a spark, but we were work colleagues, so it took a bit of maneuvering. Good luck with the competition. Lovely to meet you.”
“Well handled,” I say. We walk away as Sebastian pulls out the next envelope.
“It’s always best to stick as close to the truth as possible.” He reads the next clue out loud.
Were there sparks for Sebastian when he first met me ? The kernel of truth is probably just that we’re work colleagues . I glance at his face, but he’s opening the next envelope. He reads aloud the clue:
“ Nobody who did this Charleston dance in the 1940s ever ended up in the ER. ”
“What could that be? Should we google names of Charleston dances in the 1940s?” I ask.
“There’s the Charleston stroll,” said Sebastian. “Ending with ER, that would be a stroller.”
“Good sleuthing. How do you know about the Charleston stroll?”
“Dance classes in high school. My mom said no son of hers was not going to know how to dance. I can’t say I’ve found it incredibly useful yet, but at least I’m finally able to answer a clue on this scavenger hunt.” He grins. He looks so boyish and happy.
“I’m sure your dancing skills have scored you points with women,” I say.
Sebastian’s lips curve up. “Maybe.” He leans forward and whispers into my ear, “But I know not to kiss and tell.”
I shiver as his breath tickles my neck. I refuse to let him see that he’s affected me.
“I’m relieved to hear that.” I change the subject. “My dad loves the waltz. We sometimes have waltz nights at the bar. Very crowded waltz nights. I hope they ask you to do the Charleston stroll at the end. As proof we didn’t just google the answer.”
“Maybe for bonus points?” Sebastian looked at her. “It’s a lively dance, but it doesn’t require a partner. I prefer dances with a partner.”
He’s definitely flirting. Which isn’t fair.
He grabs my hand, and we race over to the stroller section. I take a picture of Sebastian behind a stroller. Wow. It’s not that I want kids immediately, but he does look sexy wheeling around a baby buggy.
I rip open clue number 4.
“ You used to cuddle with your husband, but now you cuddle with this. ”
“That’s rather depressing,” Sebastian says. “What could that be? Is that the baby?”
“No, it’s a pregnancy support pillow. What section of the store do you think that will be in?”
“Bedding and décor?”
“It’s harder figuring out the location than figuring out the clues,” I say.
“Speak for yourself. I would have had to google almost everything, and I would’ve never figured out this one,” Sebastian says.
“Let’s ask an associate.”
The sales associate directs us to the maternal accessories section. We jog over there. I hold up the body pillow. The snakelike pillow shaped like an upside-down U is two-thirds of my height.
Sebastian looks stunned. “Is there even any room for the guy in the bed once that’s in there?”
Sebastian in my bed, those blue eyes staring into mine…
I swallow. “Not much. It’s good training for getting used to sleeping on the couch, in the crib, or in the car. It’s musical mattresses. My older sister showed me how she can actually curl herself into the crib sometimes. But now they’ve bought a bed. They went to the mattress store with their six-year-old, four-year old, and the baby, and they asked for an extra-long twin mattress. The sales associate asked who it was for, and they pointed to the four-year old. And then they explained that it needed to be extra-long so her husband can fit in the bed as well. I don’t know how they do it. I really need my sleep.” I’m blabbering. Idiot.
“Me too,” Sebastian says. He takes a photo of me with it, and as he adjusts his backpack on his shoulder, his shirt rides up, showing very trim abs.
“Got it,” he says.
I hope he didn’t catch me leering at his stomach.
“I had no idea. This scavenger hunt is like a crash course in parenting,” Sebastian says. “Maybe they should’ve limited it to actual pregnant people before they scared the non-pregnant off. Anyway, next clue.” He opens the envelope and reads the clue.
“ Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow. Or safety first? ”
“These are such odd clues. But the word ‘fence’ is bolded, so that’s the key word. Playpen? Safety gates?” Sebastian asks.
“That clue is kind of poetic. Let’s go with safety gates, because that incorporates safety and a fence.”
We answer the rest of the clues and report back to the saleswoman at the entrance to the store. Another couple is there already, but we still might have a shot at placing for one of the top three prizes if our answers are correct. We hand in our sheet and show our photos. The store manager checks off our answers. She hands us a gift bag just for participating. It’s filled with helpful products, so Sebastian is basically set for gifts.
We sit down and wait for the rest of the participants to return.
“That was fun,” I say.
“Thank you for doing it with me,” he says. “I thought you’d like it since you like organizing scavenger hunts. What is the scavenger hunt you organized for your sister’s party?”
“I picked some of my favorite things about our block, like the colorful paper balls outside Sticky Rice and the metal sign of a stag rearing up outside Café Katya. When I was little, my dad used to tell me it was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s dad. And I’m sure you saw the bright neon graffitied sidewalk shed. So I made up some clues, with those landmarks as the answers.”
“You should organize a scavenger hunt for Rupert and Lily with book themes. That would be perfect for their engagement party,” Sebastian says.
Rupert must be planning to propose soon.
“That’s such a good idea. I’ll have to think about how to do it,” I say.
We place second and win a $25 Baby Love gift card.
“I’ll give this to Anita. Meanwhile, I’ll buy her some other gifts under the thirty-dollar limit,” Sebastian says. “Do you have any suggestions for something not on her registry? I’d like to be more original than that.”
“I was sure you were going to buy some socks,” I say, teasing.
His mouth tips up at the corner. “Socks are always a good gift.”
“Books are also always a good gift,” I say.
Sebastian decides to buy a few books plus some socks, especially because he can buy a bunch and stay within the thirty-dollar limit. I pick up the breast milk storage bags for my sister.
“What’s your favorite children’s book?” he asks.
“ Corduroy ,” I say.
“Corduroy, huh? You liked the little bear finding a home?”
“Even though he was missing a button.” I glance at him, my brow furrowed. “I’m not sure you should read too much into it.”
“Well, we’re all looking for someone to accept us, faults and all.”
“But I always buy The Book with No Pictures as a gift. It’s hilarious to read aloud because it requires the adult to make all sorts of funny noises.”
“I’ll buy both, then,” Sebastian says.
We join the line to check out.
“I signed up for Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Sebastian says. “I’ll meet my little sibling this week. Thanks for suggesting it.”
“That’s great,” I say. “It’s one of my favorite activities. I signed up when I saw how much fun Jazmine was having. And now she’s roped me into helping decorate their gym for the winter dance.”
“I’d be happy to do that too,” Sebastian says.
“Are you sure?” I say, teasing. “Can I text her right now?”
“No.”
“You’re already out?”
“No, I’m in. But don’t text her right now, or she’ll wonder what we’re doing together.”
What are we doing together?
“I have a feeling she won’t think we’re just two friends hanging out,” Sebastian says.
There’s my answer. Just two friends hanging out .
Sebastian pays for his Secret Snowflake gifts. As the cashier hands us our receipt, a voice calls Sebastian’s name.
“Looks like there is someone you know at Baby Love,” I say.
Sebastian turns around and then turns back to me quickly. “Oh, no. The building gossip. Unbelievable.”
“Sebastian, is that you?” A distinguished-looking elderly woman walks up to us, her head swinging back and forth to take in both of us—and my belly. “Sebastian, your parents never mentioned you were married.”
“It was very sudden.” Sebastian puts his arm around me and pulls me close. “But Mrs. Pinok, let me introduce you to my wife, Iris.”
My mouth drops open, but I quickly close it.
“Your wife,” she repeats.
“My wife.”
Sebastian’s wife.
Tingly… No, stop it . Nope. We’re friends.
His hand rubs my arm, and his body is so warm next to mine. I don’t dare look at him, afraid I might reveal that his words definitely affected me.
“You’re about to become a father?” she adds with a pointed look at my belly.
“Hello.” I hold out my hand. Mrs. Pinok shakes it. “Nice to meet you.”
“My parents can’t wait to be grandparents,” Sebastian says. I look at him in surprise.
“Oh, yes, well, there’s nothing more exciting than grandchildren,” Mrs. Pinok says. “Well, congratulations.”
“Anyway, we’re late for a party.” Sebastian removes his arm from around me— no! why? —and pulls my coat and his sweater out of his backpack.
As Mrs. Pinok says good-bye, we both put on our coats. He places his hand in the small of my back. We wave good-bye and exit the store. Sebastian chuckles.
As soon as we’re down the block, I ask, “Why did you tell her I was your wife?”
“Did you want me to explain to the building gossip that you’re wearing a fake pregnancy belly and we’re competing in a scavenger hunt to win gifts for our pregnant colleague?”
“No. But if she gossips…”
Sebastian shrugs. “How interested can anyone in the building be? It would be most exciting for my family. My parents would be thrilled if I were married and having a baby. Unfortunately, neither my sister nor I are dating.”
I say, “I can’t believe you just let your neighbor think I was pregnant.”
Sebastian grins. “You have to admit that her shocked expression was pretty priceless.”
“But what are you going to tell your mom?”
“My mom will get a kick out of it. I don’t think she likes Mrs. P. much anyway. How old are your sister’s kids? What we need to do next is borrow one of them and ride the elevator in my building.”
I laugh. “My sister would be grateful for the babysitting, but we’d probably have to borrow all three.”
“Great, we can just tell Mrs. P. that you have children from a previous marriage but that my mom is delighted by all the grandchildren.”
I laugh.
“And what happens when you meet your real wife?” I stumble over the words real wife . “And then she runs into Mrs. Pinok, who tells her about your prior pregnant wife.”
Sebastian stares at me. “That’s quite a scenario you came up with there on the fly. I don’t think we need to worry about that. I’m not planning on getting married anytime soon. And I’ll figure out something to tell Mrs. P. before that happens. Do you feel better now?”
“Yes,” I say.
Sebastian bites his lip. “I’ll tell her we were doing market research as a fake dating couple for a Hallmark-style romantic comedy Dream is producing.”
“Okay,” I say slowly. “There’s a lot to unpack in how quickly you came up with that. And how do you know about Hallmark romantic comedies?”
Sebastian shakes his head. “Why does everyone always ask me that? My mom watches them. I bet Mrs. P. does too, even if she would never admit to it.”
Sebastian reaches out and tucks down my collar. “So, you’re heading off to your sister’s now? I can’t persuade you to grab a cup of hot chocolate as a thank-you?”
As I reach up to smooth my collar, our hands touch, and that shiver of awareness jolts me again.
And then I hear myself saying, “Do you want to stop by my sister’s party? It’s at my parents’ bar. It’s only a few stops away.”
No. No. This is not a good idea. But we’re friends.
“Sure, I’d love to drop by. It’s generous of you to dress as a pregnant woman for your sister. You have two sisters?"
“And a brother. My older sister said she wants to drink and she doesn’t want to be pregnant again, ever, even fake.”
We stand at the corner, waiting for the light to change.
“What about you? Any siblings?”
“My younger sister Annabelle,” he says. “Let me just call my mom and warn her I told Mrs. Pinok my wife is pregnant.”
As Sebastian calls his mom, we cross the street so we’re now in Union Square Park. It’s already dusk at 4:30, and the metal benches sit empty by the forlorn patches of grass. Across the street is an imposing building with columns that probably used to house a bank. But what’s most distinctive about 44 Union Square is the glass dome on top, which is supposed to represent a turtle. It looks just like my pregnant belly.
Sebastian smiles at me as he chats to his mom. “Hi, Mom. I’m at Baby Love to pick up a gift for my Secret Snowflake. Anyway, Iris, one of Lily’s friends, agreed to do the store scavenger hunt with me, and she’s dressed as a pregnant woman. And Mrs. Pinok saw us. So I said Iris was my wife, and now she thinks you have a grandchild on the way.”
His eyes light up. I wish I could hear his mother’s reaction.
We walk towards the subway entrance, the glowing green ball on top of the pole indicating it’s open. Sebastian pulls his coat tighter.
“Yes, I may have let her think that.” He explains his market research cover idea. “Iris is fun. She works at Dream with me. She’s in cybersecurity.” He stops at the top of the staircase leading down into the entrance. “Okay, Mom, I have to go. I just wanted to give you a heads-up. We’re entering the subway.”
His mother says something more on the phone.
“No, Mom. I’m sure she has plans.” Sebastian turns to me. “She wants to invite you to our family holiday celebration. It’s December 14.”