Page 29 of Insta-Hubby
“Yeah,” she says again, “Idoknow you. You work in that bridal boutique on 67th street on the west side. I remember you. You’re a model of sorts.”
“Oh, right,” I say. I feel like I could absolutely sweat right through my robe right now. “Yeah, I actually do some of that stuff on the side.”
“On the side? I thought Liam’s dad said you were in law or something?”
“Finance,” I say, swallowing thickly. Oh, why can’t she just let thisgo?
“If you’re in finance, why do you work in astore?”
“It’s just a thing I do, it’s like a hobby.”
“Really?” she says. “That’s...cool. And you’ve been going out with Liam for how long now?”
“Three months,” I say. My body feels so hot and I feel so cornered that I just want to literally dump this bucket of ice over my head.
“I never really knew Liam to be the girlfriend type,” she says. “His dad had never approved of the girls he’s brought around. Not from the right family, not rich enough. It’s kind of silly in my opinion, but he seemed to really like you. You know, Liam pretends to be all cool and laid back, but he really does care about his dad’s opinion of him. You’d never know it, though.”
“How do you know it, then?” I ask, and I can almost feel the daggers coming out of my eyes.
I don’t know why I feel so defensive.
Maybe it’s because I’m realizing now how out of my element I really am.
“Oh, Liam’s brother tells me everything. Liam is an open book. Honestly, he should probably be a bit more guarded. You can’t always wear your heart on your sleeve, you know.”
I do know. At least, I did. Liam made me take my guard down.
And now I don’t know what to do.
“Right,” I say, trying to smile. “Anyway, it was very nice to meet you.”
“Oh, you too,” she says as I squeeze past her down the hall.
This is a small, small world that Liam lives in. And I don’t know if I can really be a part of it.
Just a few simple questions and I almost broke down completely.
Left alone with his dad, I wouldn’t be able to keep up those little white lies I told at the cocktail hour.
Little white lies. That’s what all of this has been, hasn’t it?
Liam
Whereisshe? How long does it take to get ice?
I want to fix her a drink. I want to get her into the shower.
I want to ask her another really serious question.
Finally, she comes back and closes the door behind her softly.
“There’s my girl,” I say as she slips out of my slippers. She smiles softly and comes over to the bed, snuggling up against me.
But her smile is not as bright as it was just a few minutes ago. It’s dimmed.
“Baby, something happen?” I ask as she puts her head on my chest. I can feel my heart beating, and I hope she can feel it too. She should be able to feel it. I want her to feel all of me.
“No,” she says, “nothing.”
