“That meant ‘leave,’” Grayson said.
“Your call, as always,” came the first voice, definitely in person, louder, with a bit less gravel, and familiar? “AIM’s valuation lives and dies by the mighty Grayson Fields. And here’s where one must proceed with caution because you can’t pluck feathers from a bald chicken—AIM’s valuation also happens to hang on my ability to keep a secret.”
A chill snaked down Mallory’s spine. She heard the clank of the service elevator, the same one she and Grayson had come up the first night he’d brought her here all those months ago, where they’d shared their first kiss, a word too innocent and sweet to accurately describe the lust with which they’d attacked each other.
She hurried back inside the bedroom, trying to understand how Grayson could know something Mallory had only confirmed that afternoon. She stifled her gasp. Her every organ shut down, she grew cold and numb, felt as though she were floating outside of her body. He must have known before she did. And never said a word.
As he reentered the bedroom, she kept a smile on her face despite the roar rising inside of her. “Our board might be a bit concerned if they knew you were doing both sides of a conversation with your dog.”
Grayson buried his nose in Harley’s fur, laughing. “If only. Instead I was too busy cursing out another of those blasted Instagram ads. Nine hundred dollars for a beach chair with a deep seat? Criminal, no matter what they say about their user base. As I live and die, I will not pay a smidge more than five hundred for a beach chair.”
Was he testing her? Did he know she’d overheard? Was hetruly arrogant enough to think she’d buy this? Instead of the truth she was piecing together: that he purposely created what she’d thought was a glitch for his own financial gain, knowing an increase in users would send AIM’s stock soaring. And now he was what? Being blackmailed by someone who’d found out? And hiding it from her?
Mallory had long ago perfected the art of playing along. With someone like Grayson, nothing could be gained without concrete proof. As so, she stayed silent, her cheeks remained full, her lips extended into that smile, but her gut twisted and she fought a surge of acid up her throat.
She saw herself hanging cardigans in his walk-in closet, the two of them nestling against the headboard, him forcing her to read theTimesin paper form, her complaining about the ink staining the sheets, her pushing him to switch out his utilitarian coffee machine for one that made espressos and cappuccinos and her gently nudging him into Harley spending weekends at a dog sitter’s. Turkeys carved and menorahs lit and a beach house in Wellfleet where they’d seed their own oysters and laugh about how they became people who wear Hunter boots and in less time than it took Harley to lick Grayson’s hand, Mallory had created an entire life. A life where she was happier than her mother. But maybe nature was more powerful than nurture because both Mallory and her mother fell for assholes who lie.
13
Aubrey
Friday Afternoon
One DayAfterthe Outing
Meet us out front.
That’s all Ilena’s text says, so Aubrey does. Not just because of her vow not to text but because that’s what Aubrey does. She follows. Maybe the Aubrey of here doesn’t or doesn’t as easily, but the Aubrey of hereisn’there.
Aubrey’s chest seizes. Is the Aubrey of here in her world? Is this someFreaky Friday,Invasion of the Body Snatchersthing? The thought sends a chill down her spine. That would mean the Aubrey of here is in her world not mourning Ethan. She wouldn’t know not to wash the mug with the “My Favorite Unique Visitor” that Aubrey had custom-made for him, the coffee ring around the bottom and drips down the side left from the last time he’d used it on the morning he died. She’d have no idea that the sand in the vase beside the bed was from Martha’s Vineyard and not HomeGoods. She wouldn’t understand why it was beside the bed. She wouldn’t feel the way Aubrey hasbeen feeling for the past few weeks. She’d be both lucky and unlucky at the same time.
Aubrey tries not to think about that mug being stacked in the dishwasher next to bowls crusted over with vanilla yogurt and pasta sauce. She rocks back and forth on her heels, willing Ilena and Mallory to appear. But what she seems to will instead is her one-night stand. It was just the one night, wasn’t it? They haven’t done that before, have they?
Kai crosses the plaza, iced drink in one hand and a paper bag with the name of a deli Aubrey doesn’t recognize in the other. He’s with Noreen, hair red instead of blond, back held a bit straighter, smile as energetic as ever, widening as she approaches Aubrey.
Kai laughs as they walk, his stride as long as his legs, his lips fixed in a gentle upturn, and shame and guilt claw at Aubrey’s insides for seeing not all of that but him naked in her bed. When he sees her, his smile thins out. Apparently that’s the reaction she elicits regardless of what universe she is in. It had happened with Ethan too. Months of her Aubreyisms taking their toll.
She wipes her clammy hands on the sides of the cargo pants she yanked off the hanger in the dark, not realizing they were bright pink. “Hey,” she says.
“Ms. Miller,” Noreen responds, with more formality than their Noreen. She’s also taller thanks to the skinny heels that are the opposite of the white sneakers their Noreen preferred. “Fresh air’s good for the pores. Or so AIM’s total health feature tells me.” She laughs, and Aubrey’s not sure if she’s being ironic, and she just really, really hates that she can’t tell. And she also kind of hates that Kai smiles at Noreen, but not at Aubrey. “Y’all decide on the color palette?”
Aubrey forces a swallow. “I... What were the choices again?”
Noreen shifts her cup into her opposite hand. “All the things you have to keep in your head, I swear... no disrespect,but support staff needs to earn its name. Ella’s so worried about making the wrong choice that she makes no choice at all. Passes the buck, which, incidentally, is a choice too, isn’t it?”
Aubrey can only stare at her feet, at these wedge sandals she found by the front door.
A ding from Noreen’s phone. “Ms. Latham. Gotta scoot. She needs me! Bye, y’all!” She gives Aubrey’s arm a squeeze, something she’d never done in their world, before twiddling her fingers at Kai and rushing toward the building, leaving an awkward silence.
Aubrey finally points to the drink. “Any good?”
Kai’s head tilts to one side. “You promised it’d change my life.”
And this is why Mallory said to let others lead and direct the conversation. Aubrey doesn’t drink coffee. She never outgrew the inability to handle caffeine. “Yes, well, it is only coffee, so perhaps I oversold.”
He takes a sip. “Not by much. It’s good. But it’s that rooibos tea. You don’t drink anything with caffeine.”
“Sure, just a little test. You were listening.” Aubrey jabs a finger at him, channeling the playfulness he seemed to have in her world. But when he just stares at her quizzically, she lowers her hand.Keep up appearances, don’t get too close to anyone, but try to maintain what’s going on in this world.How is she supposed to do that when she doesn’t know what’s going on in this world? Or when what’s gone on in this world is... this?
