“Oh, God, arewe—”
The phone rang again.O’Neal.
I put it to my ear, opened my mouth, ready to tell her the good news and stopped. Was shecrying?
“Can’t make it, V. I’m sorry.” She hiccupped and carried on, her voice weirdly nasal. “Tell your man I’m sorry. I know his turkey’s supposed to be the bees’ knees’, butI’m—“
“What’swrong?”
She stopped, inhaledhard.
“I…I can’t talk about it.” She blew her nose, breathed for a few seconds and then went on. “I…Jesus, this is crazy,right?”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but this was so unlike her that it was like navigating in foreign lands. “Goon.”
“I… Christ. I…metsomeone.”
I stiffened. “What happened? You need Zachto—”
“No! No, no, it’s not like that. He’s just. Oh God, I spent two days with him and I think I lovehim.”
“And…”
“And, he’s not in a place for me rightnow.”
I bristled at that. Not in a place for the strongest, most steadfast women I’d ever known? That sounded like crap to me.Excuses.
“Listen, come anyway andwe’ll—”
“No. No, I can’t.” She cleared her throat and came back on sounding more like herself. “Sorry, but I need some alonetime.”
“You’resure.”
“Yeah. Yeah, Iam.”
“Okay, sweetie. I’ll drive you something to eat later and…” She tried to interrupt, but I talked through her. “Don’t even mess with the pregnant woman, lady. You know how crazy I am rightnow.”
She let out a soggy half-laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” After a pause. “Thanks, V. You’re the best friend in theworld.”
“No, you are.” She laughed again. “We’re both pretty awesome, I guess.” I smiled. “But tomorrow, you’d better prepare for me to show up with wine and ice cream. Because that’s how best friends roll when these things happen, gotit?”
“You’reon.”
“All right. Call if you need anything. And I’ll see youlater.”
“Thanks,V.”
I hung up and looked at Zach, whose brow was drawn into that sweet little n-shape I couldn’t stoplicking.
“She met aguy.”
“Uh oh.” His expression was almost comicallyworried.
“Yeah.”
“No more love him and leave hims,then?”
“I guess not. I don’t know the details, but it sounds like this one’sdifferent.”
