Mr. Big Deal (Mr. Big 4)

The drive into Manhattan went fast and before I knew it, we were at the venue — a high-end restaurant in the financial district which had a view of the Hudson River and a small park at the edge of the water.

“This is nice,” I said as we stepped out of the limo and stood looking out at the river. “Do I look expensive enough for this place?”

“You look perfect,” Luke said and took my hand, pulling me closer for a kiss.

I exhaled and glanced down at my body, at the small swell around my middle from pregnancy that stubbornly wouldn’t leave even though I was nursing. From what my midwife told me, nursing helped the body return to normal because of the drain on your bodily resources. Apparently, I was eating more than enough to maintain my weight.

We walked into the restaurant’s cool interior, and I glanced around, feeling suddenly very conspicuous. Our table was in a separate part of the restaurant and had access to a patio. The weather was a bit cool at night, so the guests were inside but the patio doors were thrown open to admit the breeze and it was lovely.

Luke and Hanson shook hands and then we said hello to everyone before sitting down. John was there with Felicia, Frank Campbell had his wife, Adam Pierce even had his wife, Carol, present for the celebration. And of course, Elena. She was seated close to Jack, who was gazing at her adoringly.

“Hello, Luke, Alexa,” Elena said, her voice high and loud. “Alexa, how lovely you look — and so soon after having a baby. Don’t worry, my sister said that she got back to her pre-pregnancy weight at about a year postpartum.” Elena smiled brightly, tilting her head to the side.

“I think Alexa looks positively glowing,” Adam Pierce said and pulled out a chair for me.

“Thank you,” I said and sat beside him. Luke said on the other side of me. Across from me, Elena drank her glass of champagne, eyeing me from over the top of her champagne glass.

What a bitch…

I would never ever mention a woman’s post-baby weight. It was a direct dig at my figure, and I felt a tiny smidgen of pain creep in, underneath the disgust at her for being such a bitch.

“Don’t worry, Elena,” Luke said and put his arm over my shoulder. “One day, you might meet your own knight in shining armor and get married, have a family. I’m sure glad Alexa and I met. It’s quite the story.” Luke gazed down into my eyes, and we shared a secret smile.

“Do tell us,” Jack said, leaning forward. “I love a good romantic meeting story. How did you two meet?”

I raised my eyebrows. Was Luke really going to tell the truth?

While I listened, he did recount most of the details of our meeting and how I pretended to be the escort he hired to shame his cheating brother-in-law.

“I don’t take kindly to men who cheat, especially on their pregnant wives,” Luke said and raised his glass of champagne. “Or the women who cheat with them.”

“That’s quite the story,” Elena said. “Pretending to be an escort? Did he pay you, at least?”

“I did it out of the kindness of my heart,” I said, shaking my head. “Dinner and drinks at the venue was fun and we all went out dancing together afterwards.”

I turned to John and Felicia, who held up their glasses. “It was a night to remember,” John said. “Luke was smitten that night and it was a no-brainer that they’d get together in the end.”

“How sweet,” Elena said and gave me a fake smile. The fakest smile I think I’d ever seen on a woman in response to a sweet romantic meeting. “It must have been hard for you to give up your studies for new motherhood. You never did finish your dissertation, right? So many young women give up careers for motherhood. I couldn’t imagine it, frankly. I would never want to be dependent on a man for my subsistence.”

I could practically see the hatred in her green eyes.

“Our story was really sweet,” I replied. “We pretended to be a couple but couldn’t keep up the charade, so we became one. The rest is, as they say, history. As to my dissertation, it’s almost done, and I intend to finish it. Luke and I decided to each take a year leave of absence to be full-time parents. There will still be a Columbia when the year is up and of course, the consortium will just be getting going.”

“What a great story you two have,” Ken Hanson said, raising his glass. “Elena, why on earth aren’t you married yet? A woman of your achievements? You were one of the only female entrepreneurs in the aerospace industry back in the day when you started. I expect most of the nerds were tripping over their tongues to impress you, if I remember my Silicon Valley tech bros correctly…”

“I haven’t met that special someone yet, I suppose,” Elena said with a light laugh, holding her glass up. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and finally meet Mr. Right in the consortium.”

“Here’s to that,” Ken said and toasted Elena. “There’s still hope for you. You must be in your mid-thirties, right? That’s not too late to become a mother, with today’s technology. Even if you don’t find Mr. Right.”

Elena fake smiled so hard, I actually felt bad for her. For a brief brief moment. Then, I didn’t.

She was the one who brought up the whole business of motherhood. I had a sneaking suspicion that while she craved limelight, and enjoyed when all the eyes were on her, she didn’t like her age and status as a single woman to be the focus of everyone’s attention.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, and Elena seemed a bit subdued, perhaps feeling the sting of being the only woman at the table without a date or a husband. I was surprised that she didn’t bring along a boy toy to wear on her arm for show at least, but I guess it would be hard for a hired man to compete with the tech and aerospace giants sitting at the table.

I guessed Elena didn’t feel any feminine solidarity with the other women at the table. She must have seen herself as separate from the rest of us who weren’t directly involved in the venture but were there with our partners. Still, to be so openly catty…

I had thought a tech gal would be better than that, but I figured I was wrong. She was as catty as any non-tech woman I had ever met. She should feel better than me because she was one of the boys, but she clearly didn’t.

I truly almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

We spent an hour after dinner in the restaurant’s bar, and there was an hour we actually spent playing pool on one of the three pool tables in the back. I excused myself and went to the washroom towards the end of the evening and was in a stall when I heard Elena and Carol, come into the washroom. I sat quietly as I heard them speaking.

Elena had to know I was in the washroom.

“Did you see the maternity dress she was wearing? How did he ever get trapped by a woman like her?”

Carol responded, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “I think she’s in here…”

There was a shocked gasp and then water ran, and I think I heard a giggle, which I assumed was Elena’s, although given how she was making adoring eyes at Elena all night, it could also have been Carol.

I left the stall and came out, standing directly beside Elena.

“Oh, you’re here,” Elena said. “I was just saying how lovely your dress was.” She smiled, like she didn’t care that I knew she was lying.

I decided to say nothing because I knew my voice would have wavered with emotion. I simply washed my hands and left the washroom.

I felt humiliated, but at the same time, I knew that Elena disliked me for some reason and was being catty.

Why?