Chapter 7 #2
“What? Fuck. Fucking fuck fuck.” Monique glanced at her bulge. “She’s heard it a million times. As long as she knows not to say it in front of company, I won’t clap my hands over her little virgin ears.”
“She? You found out already?”
Monique hung her head in self-admonishment. “I was gonna keep that a secret…”
“You’re getting bad at secrets in your married life.
” Nevertheless, Jamie grinned to imagine Monique with a little girl.
That would suit her best, for sure. Little Girl Warner would grow up to be one of the most refined and courteous women in America with Helen and Monique as her parents. “Does Helen know?”
“Helen can’t talk about the baby for two minutes before getting so excited I completely lose her. The bigger I get, the worse she gets.”
“Oh, the horror.”
“I know! Sometimes a woman wants to get the whole trust fund and nursery thing out of the way. Kinda hard to do with a grown-ass woman losing her mind at the thought of finally being a parent. If I knew that was one of her biggest ambitions…”
Jamie couldn’t help what came out of her mouth next. “Has anyone told you that pregnancy hormones make you rather irritable?”
“Every fucking day. I’ve turned into a well-dressed monster with manners.” Monique snatched a sugar packet and caved, dumping untold amounts of white crystals into her tea. “There. I’d like that doctor to be pregnant for two months without sugar in his tea.”
“I bet your employees are very pleased with the new you.”
“They’re distracted with the new girl I finally hired.
A real spitfire. They’re dividing into teams and turning everything into a competition.
Whatever. More money for me, the more they fight over those clients.
” Monique took a large gulp of her tea and quickly changed subjects.
“So, tell me more about how things are going with you and Etta. Did that bouquet I subtly tossed get anything moving?”
“What do you mean?”
Monique’s cheeky grin dropped to a frown. “I mean has that dolt proposed to you yet.” There was no inflection at the end of her statement.
Jamie was forced to look away before she choked to death.
That was forward, even for her. No more Miss Subtle Monique.
Marriage and pregnancy had made her blunter than Jamie’s old kitchen knives.
“I can’t say she has, no.” Jamie cleared her throat.
“I mean, I’m not expecting her to… anytime soon.
Right now, she’s so involved with work and keeping the business running that we barely have time to… you know…”
“No. Don’t imply such a drastic thing.”
“Well, we did…” She said a few things about what transpired after Monique’s wedding.
“Excellent. I told Helen I hoped couples were getting it on.” Monique eyed another sugar packet. Jamie pulled the basket away.
“Yes, and that was the last time anything fun like that happened.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish.”
Monique’s expression suggested that Jamie was heretical.
“We took turns being sick, and she’s so busy…”
“What about you? It’s not all about her and what she needs. Of course, she’s tired. She’s an involved CEO. That’s no excuse to not tend to your needs. Do I need to talk to her?”
“No!” The last thing Jamie wanted was her girlfriend’s pregnant and married ex waltzing into the office and chastising her for not sticking anything in or going down on her girlfriend often enough.
The way the hormonal Mrs. Warner now was, she was probably liable to start smacking Etta with sugar packets and adorable baby booties.
Maybe a crowbar. That would put Etta out of her misery.
“I mean… that’s kind of you since you know her so well, but… ”
“Yes, yes, very nosy of me.” Monique’s phone beeped. She checked it before tucking it in her bag and leaning back in her seat. “Speak of the devil and she appears. Etta wants to meet me for lunch sometime next week. I doubt it’s for pleasure.”
“You think it has to do with business?”
“Certainly. She asks for my advice all the time.”
The way she said it implied that there was nothing odd about that.
“Look, Jamie,” Monique continued, cupping her hand over the top of her glass, “I know Etta, and I know that she is madly in love with you, and has been since before she even realized it. She’s changed – for the better – since getting involved with you.
It may be hard to believe sometimes, but she thinks the sun rises and shines on your cute ass.
The fact she hasn’t asked you to marry her says nothing about you and everything about her.
Mostly that she’s still denser than I took her for. ”
“In all fairness, I haven’t really thought about marriage.
” It was the truth. Jamie was still adjusting to living the high life with Etta.
She was content to be a “girlfriend.” Maybe she would start thinking of wedding bells one day…
but for now, she was still in her twenties and Etta was still, well, Etta.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s concerning that she hasn’t asked you.”
“Er…”
Monique pulled her phone back out.
“You’re not…!”
“Oh, calm down. I’m simply replying to her. About business.”
“Hmm.”
“Well,” Monique said, putting her phone down. “At least you don’t have to worry about this,” she pointed to her stomach, “changing things in your life anytime soon.”
“As I’m well aware. We don’t have any plans to have kids anytime soon, if ever. We haven’t talked about it much, actually.” Was that something they should get on? Jamie had always assumed that Etta didn’t want kids. But what about me? Do I want them?
“It’s all right. I was shocked, for sure, but I wanted this eventually.
It’s just happening a few months earlier than I anticipated.
Guess I should be grateful I don’t have to jump through all the hoops possible.
Just having it happen on the first try takes those nerves away. Nope. Now I have new mother jitters.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great.”
“I better. I’ve got the best midwife on the coast, let alone the region. If something goes wrong, then it truly wasn’t meant to be.”
Even now, when everything seemingly went right for this woman, Monique was paranoid that everything would fall apart. This went deeper than her shitty ex. Other things had happened in her life to give her that cynical outlook. “It’ll be fine,” Jamie reiterated. “I firmly believe that.”
“I believe it for you. All of this will pass eventually. The business issues… the lull in your love life…”
“I hope so. I’m riding it out right now.”
Monique held up her glass. “To an easy future for the both of us.”
Jamie hurried to hold up her glass as well. “May we both be fat and happy and in love.”
“I’m getting much fatter much faster than you.”
Their glasses clinked. Jamie couldn’t argue with that.