One Moment Please (Wait With Me #3)(73)
My face falls and my ears drum with my increased heartbeat. My voice is tight when I flatly tell her, “Just leave it.”
She turns it over in her hand, and says, “Who’s Mark Jacobson? It has a Baltimore address.”
“I said leave it.” I drop the tools and walk to where she stands. I grab the envelope and stuff it back into the drawer before slamming it shut.
She blinks to me in confusion. “Who was that letter from?”
“It’s seriously nothing, Lynsey,” I grumble, my jaw clenched as memories from the past creep up in my mind. “Old garbage I need to throw out. I told you I’d take care of this desk, and I will.”
She stares at me, her brown eyes blinking rapidly. “Why are you acting so cagey?”
I exhale heavily. “Because some shit just doesn’t need to involve you, okay?”
“Seriously?” she replies, shaking her head in disbelief.
“What?” I say harsher and louder than I meant to. Why does she have to make a fuss over a fucking unopened letter?
I cringe when she touches her belly protectively in response to my sharp tone. My gaze drifts to eyes that reveal more questions. But instead of fighting with me, she simply juts her chin and moves past me to exit the room, leaving behind nothing but silence.
The sun is still up as I step onto the party bus. This obnoxious monstrosity even has a stripper pole and a mirrored ceiling with glittery lights dancing all over the interior. It’s full of several friends of mine and Kate’s from college who Dean has bonded with over the past couple of years, a few of Dean’s stock market buddies, plus the Tire Depot crew, Miles, Sam, and Maggie.
Kate’s bright blue eyes find mine as she stands to point at me. “Look, everybody, the stripper’s here!”
Everyone erupts into laughter, and as if on cue, the song from Magic Mike booms through the speakers.
I shake my head and laugh, grabbing the shiny pole and doing a careful twirl while holding my belly. My black high-low maternity dress swirls around my legs, and I pray to the pie gods that the off-the-shoulder straps don’t slip because I’m not exactly wearing a bra right now.
You’d think getting dressed up with a basketball on your front half would be the hard part, but oddly enough, it’s my swollen tits that are giving me drama. None of my bras fit anymore, and I hate the idea of spending money on new ones, so I’ve been going without whenever I can.
I finish my twirl and point at my belly. “Two strippers for the price of one!” The bus erupts into laughter.
Josh glowers at me.
I bite my lip and shrug. “Too soon for stripper jokes about our kid?”
He nods and squeezes my sides. “I think it will always be too soon.”
He shoots me a wink that shows me he’s not really mad, and I’m grateful for it. Things have been a little tense since I found that letter in his desk, but tonight before we left, he touched my belly and told me I looked really pretty. It was so simple and sweet that I resigned myself to be grateful for what I have with him, even if it’s not all of him.
Josh holds my waist protectively as we move to the back of the bus to join Kate, Miles, Sam, and Maggie. I wrinkle my nose at the seat before sitting down in the open area next to Kate. “Man, I bet a blue light would reveal some serious jizz stains on this shaggin’ wagon.”
“Same goes for your uterus,” Kate replies, throwing her hands up in the air for a high five from Josh who begrudgingly gives her one.
I turn to Miles sitting on the other side of her. “How much has she had to drink?”
He shakes his head with a smile. “That’s her first drink.”
I roll my eyes and then glance around the bus for Dean. “Where’s the birthday boy?”
Kate points at the front of the bus just as Dean steps on, wearing one of his signature anchor button-downs with the sleeves cuffed around his biceps. His mountain man beard is trimmed short, and his dark eyeglasses are firmly in place as he walks in, saying hello to everyone.
Josh hands me a bottle of water while cracking a beer for himself. I eye it enviously. “Tell me what it tastes like. Describe it in vivid detail.”
“It’s IPA,” he grumbles, wincing slightly at his first sip, “which means it tastes like piss.”
I sigh dopily. “Sounds magical.”
Josh smirks and drapes his arm around my shoulders. I like him smirking. It’s maybe not a full smile, but it’s getting there, slowly but surely, and that’s a good sign for us.
Kate elbows my arm. “You two look shockingly happy.”
“Shockingly?” I ask, furrowing my brows at her.
She shrugs. “I’m just saying…for a sex-only arrangement, you two sure appear to actually like each other.”
“We do like each other,” I reply with an eye roll. “Which is very convenient on the account of me bearing his one and only heir.”
“Oh!” Kate squeals with delight. “I didn’t know you were having a royal baby. Have we dreamed up a name for this little golden-diapered peanut yet?”
“No,” Josh interjects, leaning over to eye Kate. “And please convince her to give up on the name Spector. I don’t care how many times she’s watched Suits, I’m not naming my kid something that sounds like Inspector.”