Juliette walks in then, dressed in a sleek long-sleeved pajama set and a large pair of sunglasses. Ollie immediately rushes over to her, and she’s quick to lift him up into her arms, giving him a little kiss before turning back to me. “I’m assuming Roshni told you the news?”
“She was about to,” I go on to say, “but first, can you give me the rationale behind what you’re wearing? Are we hiding from the paparazzi this morning, or are we just quietly recovering from cataract surgery?”
“Hilarious,” she answers mirthlessly. “Your wit is truly astounding. But to answer your question, I’m suffering from a horrendous headache at the moment.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’ll survive. Just leave Ollie with me for the morning, and I’m sure I’ll be fine in time for my dinner out tonight.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind keeping him if you don’t feel well?” I ask.
“Of course I don’t mind. Ollie is my person.”
“Fair enough,” I answer without argument.
“And speaking of tonight...” Roshni then prompts, despite her lack of a clear segue.
“Yes, tonight.” Juliette plops down onto the couch, and Ollie happily settles down into the space beside her. “I made a few calls, and I was able to get you and Roshni tickets to the opening of that new West End show you both were talking about yesterday.”
My jaw drops as my feet take an involuntary step forward. “No way!” I shriek.
Getting into that play is close to impossible. It’s only been in previews, but the buzz is already astronomical beyond compare.
“I cashed in a few favors. I’m sure you girls will have a great time.”
“Thank you so much, Juliette! I don’t even know what else to say. I’m honestly lost for words.”
“Well, that’s a first,” she jokes. “Anyways, you two head off to rehearsals, and we’ll touch base later.”
I automatically nod my head, still in merry shock as I give Ollie a kiss and disappear with Roshni out of the door.
“Didn’t I tell you?” she asks, skipping to the elevator and pressing the call button. “Supreme awesomeness, is it not?”
“Complete and utter awesomeness. I agree with you profoundly.”
The elevator arrives, and we step inside. “From what Juliette told me, it starts at eight, and I think it has a three-hour run time. Depending on how long the intermission is, we should be back sometime around midnight.”
The doors close, and my face falls the slightest bit. “That’s a little late. I’ve never left Ollie alone at night before.”
“He’ll be fine,” Roshni answers confidently. “We smother him as it is. In fact, I’d put money down that he’s cocooned in a blanket with Juliette at this very moment. I bet he’d appreciate some alone time.”
“What if he’s afraid of the dark?” I counter. “What if he gets extremely vivid night terrors?”
“Okay, helicopter mom, will you chill out for a second? Ollie isn’t going to have a breakdown just because he’s alone for three hours at night. We’ll leave a light on and have music playing, and he’ll be totally fine.” I still feel uneasy, and I’m sure Roshni can tell by looking at me. “Are you genuinely concerned about Ollie, or do you just not want to go to the show?”
“No, obviously I want to go to the show. It’s not that. It’s just...”
We arrive at the main floor then, the elevator doors opening and revealing Phillip standing just opposite us, holding a bag of groceries.
“Hey,” he says in his friendly tone. “Winnie, right? I haven’t forgotten.”
I answer his smile back with one of my own. “Phillip, so good to see you again.”
“You as well. What, no little man today?” he asks.
Him mentioning Ollie gives me a thought. I don’t think it would be too forward—he did offer, after all. And Juliette said he was a nice guy. “He’s actually in the penthouse at the moment, but if you’re free tonight, how would you feel about dog sitting?”
Roshni smiles and claps her hands together as Phillip looks from me to her in curious amusement. “I feel good about it,” he answers.
