“Congratulations,” I squealed. “How far along are you? Was this a honeymoon baby?”
I did the math in my head. Jodi and Micah hadn’t even been back from their honeymoon a month yet. I’d never been pregnant, but I thought it might be a little too early to have found out by now.
Before Jodi answered, our waitress brought over a plate of fried plantains along with glasses of water.
“I ordered these already because I couldn’t wait.”
I laughed, still astounded that Jodi was pregnant.
“Please tell me you’re ready to order. I’m starving,” she said extra-dramatically.
“You order first.” I nodded at her. “I’ll be ready once you’re done.” I quickly scanned the menu and was relieved to see that they served one of my favorites. “I’ll have the escovitch fish, and that’s it,” I said when it was my turn.
“Oh, and could you add an order of fries to that,” Jodi requested. “For the table.”
I lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
Once the waitress walked away, I looked at Jodi expectantly. “Spill.”
She shrugged. “Nothing much to tell,” she said as she rubbed her belly almost absentmindedly. She wasn’t yet showing, but I knew that wasn’t necessarily an indicator of how pregnant someone was.
There were too many performers and entertainers I knew who kept their pregnancies a secret for long periods of time out of fear of losing job opportunities. Those women were able to find ways to keep their bellies from showing.
“I’m about eleven weeks now. Almost completely through the first trimester,” Jodi said before taking her second bite of plantain.
I ate as she talked about finding out and wanting to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone.
“I had Micah substitute sparkling cider for champagne during the wedding toast so that no one would suspect.”
“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?”
A wistful smile touched her lips, and she stared off. “I know I should say I just want a healthy baby, no matter what. And I do. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to imagining a little mini me walking around here.”
We laughed and talked some more about the baby. Then the inevitable question came. The one I couldn’t seem to escape no matter who I spoke to.
“How’s the writing going?”
My shoulders immediately deflated.
Our waitress chose that moment to bring out our food. While the fried fish covered with sliced onion and red and orange bell pepper looked delicious, Jodi’s question had taken some steam out of my hunger.
“That good, huh?” she asked before taking a bite of her jerk chicken.
“I haven’t written a damn thing in months,” I admitted while moving the food around my plate.
“I figured.”
“How’d you know?”
She gave me a deadpan expression. “I worked with you celebs for over a decade, remember? My bullshit meter is top tier.” She smiled. “It’ll make me one hell of a PI, too.”
“You’re really pursuing that? Even with a baby coming?” The night we all went out, Jodi mentioned that she was in the process of getting her PI license. Micah hadn’t looked too happy about it, though.
Finding out Jodi was pregnant answered why he’d looked hesitant.
“Micah insists I wait until after the baby is born.” She leaned into the table. “I bet he believes that once the baby’s here, I’ll give up the idea and either remain as the office manager of that place or become a stay-at-home mom. He has another thing coming.”
Truthfully, I doubted that Micah didn’t know his wife well enough to think she’d give up a career entirely. But given his protectiveness, I understood his rationale.
