Eliza Starts a Rumor(32)
“It sounds like he has commitment issues.”
“For sure. In all fairness, he told me that from the beginning. He had no interest in any sort of coupling whatsoever. From the little I put together it seemed like he was the child of a bad divorce and an abusive father.”
“And he hasn’t been in touch since the baby was born?”
“Nope. Andie tried to convince me to send him a note afterward, but I didn’t see the point. What was he going to do, send a copy of Goodnight Moon? He was very clear that he wanted nothing to do with us.”
“I can’t believe it. I mean, imagine not even caring if it’s a boy or a girl.”
“I’m sure he knows it’s a boy. There was a pool at the criminal courthouse. Hopefully they were just taking bets on the sex, weight, and birth date and not on who’s the daddy.”
“I guess in a way you’re lucky. You’ll get to raise Zach on your own, and you won’t have to deal with anyone else’s opinions.”
“The funny thing is, Marc has all the traits I would have looked for in a sperm donor. He’s exceedingly handsome and electrically smart. Hopefully his douchebag tendencies are nurture, not nature, and I will groom Zach to be a thoughtful, benevolent human.”
Alison looked at the time. She needed a few things at the Apple Store, and they had wanted to catch the 5:49.
“We’ve gotta run.”
Olivia raised her hand for the check in response as Alison pulled out her wallet.
“Put that away. This is on me,” Olivia insisted.
“Don’t be silly,” Alison countered in typical “who picks up the check” banter.
“I can’t even begin to thank you. I mean, even if, in the end, this is all paranoia on my part, the way you stepped up and helped me to take action and not be a victim of either Spencer or of my own fears is beyond. I think I would be curled up under my covers if not for you.”
“I doubt that very much. You’re not giving yourself enough credit. Most women make excuses for an eternity before taking any action to get to the truth. I’ve never been married and have no idea what it’s like, but I know that you are being extremely brave. Whatever happens, I know you will be OK.”
“Do you ever want to get married?”
“If I ever find a man who’s better than no man at all, I’ll consider it.”
Olivia laughed, both because it was funny and because it gave her hope that in the end, regardless of what happens, everything would turn out fine.
CHAPTER 18
Marc Sugarman
Marc Sugarman pulled out his phone and checked himself in selfie mode before his eleven o’clock. He typically wasn’t that vain, but this wasn’t a typical meeting. An exploratory committee had been formed to seek the Democratic nomination, and word was, Marc’s name was at the top of their list.
It wasn’t a surprise to him. He knew he was a natural choice to run for office. Although he hadn’t thought a mayoral run would be his first try, he was more than willing to listen to what they had to say. He hoped that they wouldn’t mention one of the more ridiculous reasons why people thought he was a viable candidate: his looks.
As he analyzed his reflection in his phone, he acknowledged that he was, in fact, exceedingly handsome. And as if that wasn’t enough to tempt the more superficial constituents into thinking he was a contender, he strongly resembled the legendary mayor from the 1960s, John Lindsay. The first time he had heard it was at Yale Law, where it was pointed out by a very senior professor who had taught them both. His girlfriend at the time looked Lindsay up and it was true; they looked eerily similar. But the resemblance ended with their looks and their shared alma mater. Lindsay was a navy man and a guest host on Good Morning America. He was one of those appealing guys with a Kennedyesque charm who rolled up his shirtsleeves and used his personality to overshadow many a flaw. Marc knew that the same could not be said of him. He was more likely to be described as a bit of a prick with an annoying proclivity for sarcasm and arrogance. The perfect amount of arrogance, by the way, to stand his ground on the important issues. The people of New York City would be very lucky to have him on their side. He hoped that everything he had to offer—including his stellar record in court—was enough for a successful run.
In truth, he thought, a better comparison for him would have been Rudy Giuliani. As US attorneys for the Southern District of New York, they had both amassed a record number of convictions. They had even gotten their law degrees from the same university, but at this point even Rudy Giuliani was no Rudy Giuliani. His reputation had nosedived since its peak after 9/11, so drawing parallels with him now wouldn’t do Marc any good.
Marc’s assistant buzzed to say that the group had arrived. He took one more look at himself before standing to greet them.
“Be charming,” he ordered his reflection. He knew he had to convince them he was right for a run. His ego was big enough to believe he could do the job, but history had taught him that he wasn’t all that likable. He would have to pull out all the stops to have any chance of leading the city so nice they named it twice.
Two women and a man entered, prepared to be won over. Marc greeted them with a strong handshake and a big smile. They sat on the couch, and he returned to his seat at his desk, where he fidgeted with a plastic straw with the hand they couldn’t see, while gesturing demonstratively with the other. It was a trick he used in court to keep his brain from racing ahead of the questions at hand.