Page 103 of The Rebound
“You know what this means, don’t you? No more coffee. Or soft cheese.”
“I don’t like soft cheese.”
“Well, then you’re grand.”
She laughs a little hiccup and leans her head back. “Ow,” she mutters, adjusting herself around the faucet.
I smile at her, at my big stupid sister. “I’m going to be an aunt. The cool aunt. The cool rich aunt who spoils her whenever I see her and feeds her too much sugar before handing her back to you without any of the consequences.”
“Her?”
“I have a feeling it’s a girl. What do you think?”
“I have no idea.” She puts the stick carefully on the side of the bath before placing her hands on her stomach.
“It’s down a bit.”
“I know.” She scowls, but slides her hands down to where her baby rests.
“Are you scared? It’s okay if you are.”
“Iknow,” she says, sounding more normal now I’m annoying her. She shifts against the side of the tub. “My leg is cramping.”
“Because you’ve been sitting in the bath all night. Are you sure you don’t want to call Tomasz?”
She shakes her head. “Let him work. I want to tell him in person, and if I ask him to come home, he’ll just worry and...” She trails off with a sharp gasp.
“What? What is it?”
“How did your interview go?”
I gape at her, my heart racing. “That is not important right now.”
“It is,” she insists. “I can’t believe I forgot to ask. I got you some chocolate and everything.”
I sit back, my turn to be annoyed as I realize every time she so much as stubs her toe I’m probably going to freak out. “It was fine.”
“That’s it? Tell me how it went.”
“You’re so weird.”
“Please,” she says. “I’m too nervous. I don’t want to talk about it. Talk about you.”
She’s starting to panic, her hand rubbing tiny circles into her stomach as if her baby is already several months and not several days old.
“It went fine,” I repeat, trying to sound as soothing as possible. “I said what I needed to say. I don’t know who I’m up against, but if the odds are in my favor, then I’ve worked hard enough to meet a little luck.” I pause. “We bumped into a friend of Luke’s,” I add. “She works with them.”
“Oh yeah? What kind of friend?”
“An old roommate. I thought she might have been an ex but Luke said she wasn’t.”
“You asked him that?” She seems surprised. “You actually like him, don’t you?”
There’s no point in denying it so I just nod.
“Because he got hot?”
“No,” I say. “Though, yes, that’s what started the initial attraction. You think I’m that shallow?”
