Page 13 of Trapped
“But you don’t like being called Sweetums.”
Cate turned to me. “Nathan, would you please remove my office mate from the room before I have to kill him?”
“Sure thing.” Working with these two would be fun. It was obvious they enjoyed riling each other up and just as obvious they loved each other. “Let’s go.”
Jay grabbed his gear and laptop, then kissed Cate’s temple. “Bye, love.” She smiled before saying, “Be careful.”
As we walked through the office towards the back door, Meg called out, “Be safe.”
“Thanks, Meg.” Jay and I answered together.
Chapter 5
Ashley
After making sure my grandmother was asleep, I headed to Meg’s place for Craft and Booze night. It’d been the longest Monday in the history of Monday’s and I needed my friends. Crafts rarely got finished, but we always had a great time talking. Mary, Beth, Emily, and AJ’s fiancée, Blake, were already there.
“My mom can’t make it tonight,” Emily said as she grabbed one of my bags.
“That’s too bad. What about Cate?”
“She’ll be here in a few minutes.” Because of her schedule, tonight would be the first time Cate could join us.
I set up the two batches of my semi-famous red, white, and blue sangria on the island counter. They both had blueberries, strawberries, and apples, giving the sangria its name. One had lemon vodka and prosecco; the other, lemonade and soda.
The virgin one was now for Meg and Emily. And because I was maybe pregnant, me. For the maybe-baby’s health, I had to drink the virgin sangria.
Just because I’m late doesn’t mean I’m expecting. A statement I said to myself on repeat.
The internet said stress could disrupt a period, and God knows I’d had more than my fair share of stress lately. I convinced myself that was the reason for my late cycle.
We all filled our plates with sliced meats, hard and soft cheeses, and a carrot or two, and our glasses with our sangria of choice. We sat around Meg’s large, rectangle, dark wood kitchen table, which was devoid of the usual decorations to make room for the craft beads we’d be using later.
The table was too big for just her and Jack, even with a baby coming. But after feeling alone for most of her life, Meg embraced her place in the Sheppard family and wanted to host big family gatherings. The table could fit the entire Sheppard clan, which made it perfect for our craft nights.
“Now that we all know Emily is expecting, I say we toast the news,” Mary said.
We all clinked our glasses and congratulated Emily.
The club soda in my virgin sangria tickled my nose as I took a healthy swig.
Emily literally fucking glowed with joy. My best friend since, well, forever, was made for motherhood.
Not like me. I was made to party. Not that I didn’t want kids; I did. Just not now, and not with Red Flag Finn. He was a spoiled brat, a narcissist, and I didn’t doubt he’d do everything in his power to take my baby from me once he found out.
“So,”—Meg dragged out the ‘o’—“Tell us how you know Nathan.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
She already knew, but this is who we were. We supported each other fiercely, loved each other relentlessly, and we teased each other without mercy.
I sipped my virgin drink, wishing it contained liquid courage. “For starters, Casper called himself Scott when I met him in Vegas.” Meg and Emily were the only people who’d heard me bitch about getting stood up and ghosted by the gorgeous, hot accountant I’d met during a work trip.
“Casper?” Cate asked.
“Yeah, Casper the Disappearing Ghost.” I amended his nickname for the moms in the room. “He stood me up, left me waiting in a new,” I almost said fuck me dress and heels, but edited myself again for the moms, “stunning red dress.” The pause didn’t go unnoticed as my friends smiled and the moms tilted their heads.
Knowing I looked good in red, and had a decent body, I’d bought it that day hoping to knock Scott’s socks off. But he never saw it because our first actual date never happened. Because Scott, not Scott, I reminded myself. Our date never happened because Nathan had lied, and not just about his name.
“I’m sorry,” Beth said.
