I didn’t know much but had put somethings together from the bits of information I was able to get. I tapped the notification and I could have cried. The headline read:
Mike and Jessa – Together Again.
There was a video under it. Everything in me was screaming at me not to watch it but I just had to know. I tapped play and held my breath. The audio wasn’t great but the images were clear enough. Mike and Jessa hugging and kissing, Jessa saying how great it is to be back together again. The phone clattered to the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Gia asked, picking up my phone and giving it back to me.
“Call me butterfingers,” I said.
“Hey guys!”
We looked to see Reece approaching. He looked really good. His lengthening hair masterfully tamed, his suit clearly tailored just for him. I had never seen a guy look so sexy in glasses.
“Nothing,” I said, breaking away.
Amber started moving in in her snuglie and reaching out to Reece as soon as she saw him.
“Hey little one,” he said, taking Amber from the snuglie holding her close and kissing Gia on the lips.
“Where are you two off to?” I asked, looking for a diversion.
“Daddy, baby music class,” Reece said, Gia taking of the snuglie and handing it to him.
“See you at home,” Gia said.
“We’ll be waiting with greatest anticipation,” Reece said, kissing her again.
“He really is the world’s greatest dad,” Gia said to, watching Reece walk toward the big sliding doors with Amber.
“Seems like it,” I said, with the slightest pang of envy.
They really did seem really happy together and I was happy for them. I just really hoped she was right when she said I would find a relationship like theirs. I still wasn’t sure it was with Mike though. I was really getting to love him but couldn’t be sure that he felt the same about me.
I didn’t want to ruin the time I had with Gia. I didn’t see her much since Amber was born and was determined to make the most of it. Besides which, it didn’t make sense to be pining for Mike when he was still hung up on Jessa. I was starting to really love him but I also knew from experience how to recognize when I was I was beaten. It sucked that Jessa won, particularly since she was such a bitch, but clearly Mike was no prize and they deserved each other.
“It will be okay,” Gia said out of nowhere, “it can be scary when you think you’ve found the one but it will be okay.”
I wasn’t sure how much she knew. Gia had shown herself to be pretty intuitive when need be. Not usually with guys but with other women, particularly those she knew well, which was basically me for a good number of years. As a result she could basically read me like a bit.
Despite the fact she likely already knew there was something going on, I decided not to tell her anything about what happened with Mike. I just wanted to enjoy shopping with my oldest friend. It was the best way I could have think of to distract myself from the crushing pain inside.
Chapter Twelve
Sally
The apartment looked great. The party hadn’t been planned by Gia who was still on maternity leave but the other company had done a good enough job. Gia was there of course, Gia and Maya technically being related, though I wasn’t sure if cousin-in-law was actually a thing.
Gia was dressed in a great sexy witch costume that she still pulled off really well despite having just had a baby. Reece was there too, in a costume he said was Patrick Bateman, which seemed somewhat fitting given his economic status and kind personality.
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wear a costume or not since I was technically there for work. In the end I decided to dress up as a chef which seemed like a good compromise. Maya had given me a key to make it easier to get the cake, which was sizable, into the building. The cake was a life-sized human head from the top of the shoulders up.
It wasn’t quite as challenging as the graveyard cake but was definitely a close second. I had taken several pictures of it to show Gia later. Putting the cake on the counter in the kitchen I went to tell Maya it was there.
“Hey Maya,” I said, finding her by the punch bowl.
“Oh, hey Sally,” she said hugging me.
“The cake is in the kitchen,” I said.
“Cool! Thanks,” she said, heading off to go and look at it.
When she was gone, I poured a cup of the punch which had definitely been spiked, I suspected with vodka, determined to at least try and enjoy myself, which I actually did. Helped by the fact that Mike wasn’t there with Jessa as his date. I had realized that it probably wasn’t meant to be, even though I was fairly sure I was falling in love with him.