Page 115 of Own the Eights Maybe Baby
“As I live and breathe, you are as big as a house,” Hector crooned with a set of air kisses.
Dressed like a fashionable hipster cowboy, his signature style screamed, look at me.
She shook her head and chuckled. “I’m not sure what a girl says in response to that, but it’s nice to see you, too.”
“How are you feeling?” the soft-spoken Bobby asked with a tip of his cowboy hat as Hector moved on to say hello to Jordan.
“A lot like what Hector said, honestly,” she replied and patted her belly.
“And your mother?” Bobby asked quietly. “We noticed she and Howard weren’t on the guest list, and your mom never misses a costume gala.”
Of course, she didn’t.
Georgie lowered her voice. “We haven’t gotten ahold of them yet.”
“Georgie! You haven’t told them!” Bobby whisper-shouted.
“It’s not for lack of trying. They’re in seclusion, searching for theirSankalpa.”
The man weighed her response as he dropped his shocked expression and nodded. “That makes sense. It took me years to figure out mine.”
“Years?” she parroted back.
“I didn’t run off to a retreat in India, but I’d thought about it for many years.”
She leaned in. “And…what is it?”
Bobby went all Zen cowboy. “I am present in every moment.”
She frowned. “After years of contemplation, that’s it? I mean, by virtue of existing, isn’t every person on the planet present in every moment?”
“It’s more about relinquishing control and accepting the world for what it is and ourselves for who we are. It’s about witnessing the gift of life as our true self.”
“Wow,” she said, hating that, at this very moment when she should feel profoundly inspired, all she wanted to do was crack open the mini can of pineapple juice hidden away in her purse.
“Georgie,” Jordan called. “Do we need to give Hector and Bobby any instructions for caring for Faby?”
“Let’s chat more about theSankalpabusiness later,” she said to Bobby before they joined Hector and Jordan near the entrance.
“Here you go,” Jordan said, passing their fake baby to Bobby. “You two are on Battle of the Births Faby-sitting duty.”
“Here are the basics, boys. Don’t lose the fake baby, and don’t allow dogs or spiders anywhere near it,” she added.
Hector cringed. “How’s the challenge going?”
“Your face says you know exactly how it’s going,” she teased.
“We’ve gotten a few updates, here and there, from Barry, but we’ve been so busy creating another CityBeat offshoot,” Bobby replied.
“For what?” she asked.
“Foodies. We’re calling it CityBeat Eat. We’ve been working with several of our most popular food bloggers,” the man added.
“Catchy name,” Jordan replied as they entered the hotel.
“Our early beta testing is promising—especially with the breakfast food bloggers,” Bobby continued as they headed toward the ballroom.
“Lucky for you, you’re hosting the event and not on the auction block like you were at the last literacy fundraiser we attended,” Hector added with a wink.
