My mouth starts to water. “I’m getting that one. My baby wants it.”
“Baby?” Ailee’s eyes widen. “Ababy?”
“Yeah. I’m pregnant.”
She gasps. “Holyshit, girl! Congrats!”
I smile. “Thanks.” I realize with a tinge of sadness that she’s the first person, other than my doctor, to express joy and congratulate me.
“Well, then you most certainlyshouldhave the Deutsche.” She signals a waiter. “One Deutsche and one Imperial Strawberry Nama Cream. And two apple teas, please.”
He confirms the order and vanishes.
She turns to me. “I haven’t had the strawberry one yet, but Akiko told me I had to try it. You can have a bite, since I won’t be able to finish it. It’s like a meal.”
“It totally looks that way.” I eye another tray of parfaits going past, then shift my focus to Ailee. “So how is pregnancy treatingyou?”
“Not too bad. I personally love being pregnant because I’m creating my own family with Josh. Just knowing that everybody supports us makes me feel secure. It wasn’t exactly the plan, but…these babies have been a dream come true for me. How are you doing?” Her eyes drop to my belly.
“It’s so early that I can’t tell anything different, except I want to snack more than usual, and maybe nap. But there’s no morning sickness or anything.”
“Good.”
The waiter comes back with our order. He places the parfaits on the table first, followed by two elegant cups with thin apple slices arranged into a ball in each white bone-china cup. He pours hot tea with a flourish, and the apple slices unfurl like blooming rosebuds.
It’s kind of awe-inspiring. “Wow. That’s stunning.”
Ailee smiles. “I had the same reaction. It’s a little bitter without adding sugar, but goes well with the parfaits.”
I nod, then take a big spoonful of my chocolate parfait. The cream melts on my tongue, while the thin, dark shavings crunchin my mouth. The combination of textures is delicious and pleasing. It’s a sensual experience. Rhys might like this place, too, if we can somehow avoid waiting for hours to get in.
Ailee’s parfait looks incredible, with various layers of fresh strawberries, sauces, meringue, whipped cream and more. She savors the first bite, then leans forward. “I heard about the auction. A billion dollars? How did that happen? Was it Rhys’s money?”
I shake my head, then tell her the entire story behind the trust fund. “I’m going to get rid of the money, but in a good way, you know?”
She nods. “I understand. I wouldn’t want to keep that kind of money either. It’s so crappy your dad basically threatened it’d go to the home wrecker and her kid to force you. Just disgusting. But par for the course for him, right?”
“Totally. But the money’s off to help our veterans. Can’t think of many causes worthier than that. Now I just need to find another good charity or two. Maybe an organization that helps single moms with shitty exes who don’t pay child support or alimony,” I say vindictively.
Ailee laughs. “There you go.” She grows serious. “But are you sure about giving everything away? What if you need some emergency cash? Or does it not matter because you’re going to be with Rhys?”
There’s a sudden pang in my heart, but I ignore the ache. I’m still not sure what to make of our last conversation. I honestly thought he cared for me, but it’s possible I overestimated my importance to him. “I kept, like, five million just in case, which I don’t plan to touch unless I absolutely have to.”
“Smart. Your dad owes youat leastthat much.”
“At least! That bastard.” I stab the spoon into the parfait. Just thinking about him raises my blood pressure. “But more than that, I want to save it for the baby.”
“Sweet. Already a trust fund baby,” Ailee teases, her warm eyes sparkling. “Did you tell Rhys?”
“Yeah.” I take a moment to gather my thoughts because I’m still unsure what I think about our talk.
“And…? How did it go?”
“Honestly? I just…don’t know.”
She blinks. “You don’t know? You werethere.”
“Yeah, but…it didn’t go anywhere.”
