“Is my wife available?”
“No, ma’am, she has a teleconference until noon.”
“Damn.” Alicia much preferred going over tactics with Danica. She was the one with the plan to begin with. “All right. Let’s get some coffee and start.”
Abby brought over a large cup of coffee and placed it on the coaster next to Alicia’s emerald paperweight. “Way ahead of you, ma’am.”
The day was a windy blur. Alicia could barely recall her meetings later. There were people in suits. Haggling over share prices. Lots of insinuations that she was a trophy wife who had no business being there. Luckily, Alicia was pretty hardened to those comments. She had no problem telling Mr. Green that he could fuck himself with his fountain pen – politely, of course.
Part of the reason Alicia could not recall the events of the day was because of what happened around four, her first chance all day to sit her ass down and sort her thoughts.
“Mrs. Moreau,” came the receptionist’s voice over the intercom. “There’s a Candice Holt here to see you. She says she knows you.”
Oh my God. Candice?“Send her in, and hold my calls for half an hour.”
“Very well, ma’am.”
Alicia hurried to slip her heels back on so she could meet Candice at the office door. Too slow. The door was open.
“Hey!”Ow, my calves. Alicia needed to invest in better footwear. “So good to see you!”
Candice was dressed as if she had left work. Which was to say she was the most poorly dressed woman in Moreau Industries’ executive office. Hard to believe that Candice could be underdressed anywhere. Yet all Alicia could see was polyester and cheap denim.
She didn’t say anything. Not that she would anyway, but Candice was already looking sheepish and aware that she was sorely out of place.
“Yeah, good to see you.” Candice couldn’t stop glancing around her ex-roommate’s spacious office. “Wow.” She turned back toward Alicia, still sitting behind her desk. “I’d ask who you had to sleep with to get a gig like this, but I have a good idea.”
I have slept with the only person to outrank me in this office, haven’t I?Quite a few times. “Like I said, it’s good to see you.” Alicia gestured to a chair close to her desk.
Candice slowly sat down, her leopard print purse sagging in her lap. “So. Stuff has happened.” The wedding ring on Alicia’s hand caught her eye. “Stuff I wasn’t invited to.”
Was she hurt? Of course she was. Alicia didn’t have to go digging to get that answer. Just the way Candice averted her downcast gaze and fidgeted with the clasps of her purse said so. “I’m sorry, Candi. We had to keep it secret.” The press didn’t catch wind until Alicia made her announcement to the company. They were that good at hiding it!
“Okay, but I only found out because a crew of movers showed up at our hotel room to take your stuff away. Forgive me if I was in shock.”
“I know.” Alicia had more than a few messages from Candice clogging up her phone, each one more exasperated than the last. When Alicia finally called back to confirm that she had not only moved in with Danica, but had married her, too, Candice shrieked. There hadn’t been much time to chat since then. “Things moved quickly.”
“I’ll say. I had to squeeze in an appointment to see you!”
“I’ve been so busy getting settled in here. My schedule is wall-to-wall appointments and… um, personal stuff.” If they were back in their cozy apartment with Pete eavesdropping, Alicia would’ve been more candid.“Banging my wife takes up most of my evenings. It’s a miracle I can walk, Candi. I’ve seriously made up all that lost time when I didn’t have sex when I was younger.”Alicia couldn’t say that now, though. Not only did it feel wrong in her upscale office, but Candice didn’t look like she was prepared for serious bantering beyond a sex joke.
She did crack a smile, however. “Good personal stuff? Come on, you can tell me. You landed the girl! Just didn’t think you would actually take my advice…”
What do I tell her?Alicia didn’t know how to answer those inquiries anymore. She had to keep a façade of being pregnant for Russell’s sake, but for all she knew, she actuallywaspregnant.When the fuck would I even know?Alicia rubbed her eye. “Jury’s still out on that.”
“I was joking. Oh, my God.”
“Let’s not talk about that.” Alicia perked up, as if that would change the atmosphere in her sterile office. “How’s the apartment hunt going?”
Candice, on the other hand, slumped in her seat. “We… I… got the insurance approved, so I have funds for a down payment on a new place. The problem is finding a place I can afford on my own, let alone one that will take Pete, too. I might have to find a new roommate.” She narrowed her eyes. “Because someone disappeared on me.”
“I’m sorry.” How often could Alicia say it? “Really, I am! This has been a crazy two weeks for me.” She caught another glare from her friend’s eyes. “Danica and I are planning a real wedding in a couple of months. You bet your ass you’re invited to that one.”
“Good. I'd better be your maid of honor.”
“You will be.”
Alicia thought that they had come to a mutual understanding of the situation. Then, Candice continued. “So! Want to grab some drinks after you get off work? ‘Cause I…”
