Chapter Seven #3
Dr. Kothary's jaw dropped again at the mention of the cheerleaders. Wisely, she decided not to ask any follow-up questions about that.
“You really don't need to go—” Marcie began.
“I've intruded enough already,” Yukiko chuckled. “I'm glad I did, though. It's good that we got everything out in the open.”
The funny thing was, we hadn't.
But we were about to.
Because as I opened my mouth to ask Kiki if she needed me to walk her to the car, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Both of my wives stared at me. “Everything okay?” Yukiko asked, the tightness in her voice so slight a casual listener might have overlooked it.
I pulled out the phone and checked it, thinking of what it could be: Samantha in a spiral, Daniel's facility calling with bad news, Jessamyn on the run. Instead, it was... Lakshmi?
“I'm sorry,” I said, already lifting the phone to my ear. “May I take this?”
Under different circumstances, Dr. Kothary would have been irritated. Here, she looked almost relieved for the break. “Go ahead. I'll speak with Marcie about her medical history.”
While she did that, I stepped just outside the office door, leaving it half-open. I could tell Kiki and Marcie were listening in.
“It's me,” I said. “Everything okay?”
“Hello, Jack,” Lakshmi said, calm but professional. “I know you're busy. I just wanted to let you know: Mona got Samantha the appointment.”
“That's good news,” I said, something inside of me unclenching. “I know we need to get her in as soon as possible. The sooner the better.”
Kiki and Marcie both picked up on it. They smiled.
Then Lakshmi spoke again. “It's this afternoon.”
I froze. “I'm in the fertility meeting...”
“We know. There was a cancellation. Or Mona made a cancellation; I'm not sure which. Samantha didn't want to wait. She told me to tell you to stay with Marcie, and that she's fine.”
“She's there now?” I hated the thought of her being there alone.
It was like Lakshmi read my mind. “She's on her way. And no, she's not by herself.” A pause. “Caroline took her.”
“Caroline.” I glanced back through the door, where Yukiko was cheerfully explaining the finer details of our household to a bewildered fertility specialist. “Those two are getting close.”
“And fast,” Lakshmi agreed. “Normally I would distrust that.”
“You don't?”
“She is... she is kind,” Lakshmi said. “After what happened with Jessamyn and Delta Rho, I've had to deal with many people who appear genuine on the outside but are secretly rotten within.
I've gotten passingly decent at identifying them.” A pause.
“Caroline does not read that way to me. Her concern for Samantha feels genuine. As does her joy at being part of the group.”
“Joy?”
Lakshmi chuckled. “She is thrilled to be here,” the Indian girl said. “We've had her for less than a week and she already fits like she's been here for years. Honestly, it's a little crazy.”
“I'm sensing a but,” I said.
Lakshmi was ready. “It's strange though, is it not?” I could almost see her rubbing her chin on the other side of the line. “How much of a natural she is at dealing with our family. It makes me think of a person claiming to improvise a piece of music who has secretly rehearsed it in advance.”
Something about that line resonated with me. “You think she has an agenda?”
Lakshmi paused. “There's something odd about her,” she allowed. “But whatever's going on with that woman, Jack, I don't think she means us any ill. I truly don't.”
“I don't either,” I said, but the thought still left me disquieted. “But there's something strange about her. I might get Mona to look into it.”
Lakshmi laughed. “Bold of you to suggest Mona hasn't done a background check already.”
“Fair,” I said. “But still.”
“I know what you mean,” Lakshmi said. “Go back to your appointment. Tell Marcie the whole house is rooting for her.”
“I will,” I said. “Thanks. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up and stepped back into the office.
Only to find Dr. Kothary staring at me like I'd just grown a second head.
“That was the third wife?” she asked, sounding at the end of her rope.
“Ah...”
Both Marcie and Yukiko looked like they were holding back a fit of the giggles.
I considered lying, then discarded the thought. “No. That was Lakshmi. She, ah, works for my company.”
Dr. Kothary stared at me for a long moment. She slid off her glasses completely, rubbed her sinuses, and let out a sigh like she'd just realized how long of a consultation this was really going to be. “Just how many women are involved in this... whatever it is you've got going on?”
“How long do you have?” Yukiko asked.
Dr. Kothary punched a button on her desk. “Cancel my next meeting,” she said, not unkindly. “This consult is about to go long.” Once she'd received an affirmative, she closed the circuit. “Alright. Let's start from the beginning. Give me a full history, please.”
“Oh boy,” Marcie murmured. “Kiki, I bet you’ve got an annotated timeline.”
“Left it at home,” my princess admitted. Then she tapped her temple. “But it’s all up here.”
Dr. Kothary stifled a groan.
Together, the three of us began to educate the good doctor.