“Hey, don’t think because I’m in a maternity ward, I’m getting all clucky,” I scold her, playfully. “There’s plenty of nieces to keep me occupied. You stick to your role of procreating, and I’ll still do mine of spoiling them with gifts.”
There’s a commotion as Eric enters the room, tangled in a mass of balloons. They’re a neutral color— a palette of greens and white—and more noticeably, one large balloon which says ‘Yay, Baby! Boo, Sore Vagina.’
Letting out a loose chuckle, I shake my head at his in-your-face congratulatory words.
“Well,” he sneers, eyeing me from head to toe. “Look what the cat dragged back to LA.”
“Did you reshape your brows?” I question, ignoring his dramatic entrance.
Eric clasps his hand against his chest. “OMG, can you tell? I told Jorge not to make me look like an aging Asian grandma.”
Charlie and I burst out laughing simultaneously. Eric is vane at the best of times, and no doubt, my questioning will give him
a complex which I’ll never hear the end of.
Handing the balloons to Lex and kissing Charlie on both cheeks, he peeks into my arms to admire baby Addison.
“Oh Charlie,” he cries with his hand pressed against his mouth. “Mazel tov.”
“We’re not Jewish, Eric.”
“Yes, but my new neighbor is, and he’s trying to make something of himself in the business we call show. I thought I’d expand my religious beliefs, you know, just in case.”
“Um… hello?” My judgmental eyes wander back to Eric. “Are you forgetting about someone called Tristan?”
“He’s doing great.” Eric is unable to meet my gaze, fidgeting with his stiff collar.
“And?”
“He’s coming back in a month, so we’ll see what happens.”
Charlie glances at me, rolling her eyes at the same time I cross my arms, exasperated.
“You can’t fight love, Eric.” I sigh heavily, trying to convince him. “It’s like a force to be reckoned with. It’s all about timing. Tristan’s coming back, and now is your time.”
“Do you really have to go?” Eric pleads, resting his head on my shoulder. “Who else will talk me off the ledge when it comes to making bad decisions?”
“Um… are you forgetting about me?” Charlie huffs, giving off an annoyed stare. “Honestly, Eric. You’re not thinking about the bigger picture here. Kate, in Paris, means connections to French men.”
Eric’s eyes widen with curiosity as Lex lectures Charlie on encouraging Eric’s behavior.
And in a moment when I can have easily talked myself out of going, staying in a place where everything is familiar and comfortable, another reason for my impending departure stands at the door.
Noah.
It’s been almost four months since he stepped foot in my office and basically ended our friendship then and there. I saw it coming, and I sensed Morgan questioning our friendship, hence his distance. So, I did the only thing I could do—I made it easy for him and falsified my happiness.
There kind of was no other choice.
My feelings blurred the friendship line between us, and what hope did I have falling for someone who was in love with someone else? Just like a good business decision, I cut ties and wished him on his merry way with no hard feelings.
But now, he’s standing in the same room. Still tall, muscular, and with a lingering stare consuming me in a way I had purposely forgotten. Assuming he came straight from work, he’s still dressed in a navy business shirt and gray tailored pants. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and in his hand, he’s carrying a bouquet of pink lilies.
Why does he have to look so…
Don’t say it.
Don’t think it.