That Baby (29 page)

“Come here, Angel,” Phillip says. “Let’s go outside.”
 

He takes the dog out and just as they’re coming back in, Lori comes stomping down the stairs.

“Hey,” Danny says to her, “I was just telling them about—”

Lori’s face is red with anger as she thrusts a piece of black fabric at Danny. “What the hell is this?” she yells.

“I don’t know. Stop waving it around so I can see it.”

“It’s a fucking thong, Danny!”

“Uh, okay?”

“It was in your jacket pocket. Did you really cheat on me when I’m just a week away from having your baby?” She’s hysterical. Crying. Screaming. “I can’t believe you slept with a stripper! I knew this would happen!”

“I didn’t cheat on you!” Danny says, defending himself. “Seriously, Lori, you need to calm down.”

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! I knew you were acting weird!” She throws the fabric at his head. Angel leaps up and snatches the thong out of the air and takes off running.

“Ohmigawd!” I yell. “Don’t let her chew on that! Phillip! Get her!”

While Phillip and I are chasing Angel, Danny yells at Lori. “You need to calm the fuck down.”

Angel is fast. Just when I think I have her cornered behind the bar, she darts through my hands.

“Phillip! Get her, please. That’s so nasty. I don’t want that in her mouth!”

Phillip dives across the floor and misses her.
 

Lori screeches, “I want a divorce! I’ll raise this baby on my own and you will never get to see it. Do you hear me? Never. Ever. You’re not fit to be a husband or a father!”

“Got her,” Phillip yells, cornering Angel by the television. He grabs the dog and then attempts to get her to give up the thong. But Angel isn’t having it. She’s got her jaw clenched and is playing tug of war with him. “Angel. Give!” he says in a deep, stern voice. The puppy looks up at him, spits the thong onto the floor, and starts doing victory laps around the couch.
 

“I didn’t do anything! Some chick at the club put them in my pocket. I was drunk and forgot to take them out. Phillip, you remember that chick with the red hair and the silver glitter stars over her boobs?”

“Uh, I think so,” Phillip says.
 

Lori waves her finger at Phillip. “I don’t believe anything you say. Of course, you’re going to lie for him.”

“I wouldn’t lie about something like that, Lori,” Phillip says. “The girl was suggestive but nothing happened. We were sitting next to each other all night.
All night
.”

“Maybe you cheated too,” she accuses. “And you’re both covering for each other. Really, I don’t care anymore. Don’t come home, Danny.”

“I’ll come home if I want to. Lucky for you, I
don’t
want to. You’re being ridiculous. I’d never cheat on you.”

I pick Angel up and hug her. “Lori, you need to calm down.”

“Shut up, Jadyn. Just shut up!”
 

Angel starts barking at Lori. I don’t blame her. I want to bare my teeth and growl too.
 

But I don’t get the chance.
 

She lumbers up the stairs and slams the door on her way out.
 

Danny plops his head back on the couch. “Fuck. Do you really think she’d take my child from me?”

Phillip sits down next to him. “You have rights if it comes to that. Hopefully, she will calm down and you can apologize.”

Angel jumps out of my arms, flies up onto the couch, and covers Danny’s face with kisses, somehow knowing he needs them.
 

Danny grins and half-heartedly attempts to stop her. “I can’t believe you grabbed the underwear,” he says to her, then starts laughing. “You should have seen the look on your face, Jay.”

“I was horrified! I can see why Lori freaked out, Danny. You need to go apologize.”

He rubs his face. “Yeah, you’re right. Shit. I would have been pissed too.” He pats Angel on the head and says to us, “I’ll see you later.”

April 20th

A Hail Mary.

Phillip, Angel, and I went for a run this morning then Phillip took Angel with him to work, so I can actually get something done today. I’m working through emails when I get a call from Danny.

“I need your help,” he says. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Did she finally calm down?”

“Calmed down, yes. Forgave me, no. I slept on the couch.”

“Oh, Danny, I’m sorry. But, look, you’re in the home stretch. This is like the end of a game. You’re down with a few seconds remaining and only a touchdown can win it for you.”

“Are you saying I need to throw a Hail Mary pass?”

“Yeah. A big gesture to make her feel better. So she knows you love her.”

“I was stupid. I shouldn’t have gone out.”

“Danny, it’s okay to go out with your friends. The underwear was the bad move.”

“So what are you thinking?”

“You never did go on that babymoon. What if you got a hotel room for tonight? Scheduled a couple’s massage or something.”

“Pamper her, order room service. That kind of thing?” he asks.

“Yeah, reconnect.”

“You mean suck up.”

“Basically, yes.”

“I had a necklace made for her.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty spectacular. I was going to give it to her after the baby was born, but maybe I should do it tonight instead.”

“I think that’s a good idea, Danny. Having a necklace made was sweet of you.”

“Okay, so if we’re going to surprise her, we need to work fast. She’s getting her nails done right now. Can you go over to the house, pack up a bag with whatever she would need, and meet me at the Plaza for lunch? I’ll book a room and schedule massages. Should I get some candles or something too?”

“That would be nice. Why don’t you get some votives, but don’t get any that are too strong. You know how she is with certain scents.”

“Got it. See you in a little bit.”

I let myself into their house, expecting to find a whole construction crew working. But no one is. They are a week away from her due date and it’s still far from done. No wonder she’s so freaking stressed. I wouldn’t want to bring a baby home to this mess either.

I breeze through the kitchen, pack up the duffle I brought with a pretty maternity nightgown, a soft robe, her nightly bedtime products and a tooth brush. Then I find a cute maternity dress with the tags still on it and carefully fold it into the bag.

Danny greets me with a hug at the restaurant and we talk and joke through lunch followed by a cheesecake dessert. Well, I order cheesecake because he’s on some sort of no sugar diet to help him build more muscle. I shove a piece in his mouth anyway.

When we’ve demolished the cheesecake, he says, “Let’s walk over to the jewelry store and pick up the necklace.”

A heavy-set woman goes to the back and brings up a black velvet box. When she opens it, I suck in my breath then go, “Wow! Danny, that’s so beautiful!”

“One hundred marquis and round brilliant diamonds totaling a little over nine carats.”

“It’s really exquisite.” My eyes are huge and there’s a big smile on my face. Lori is going to D.I.E when she sees this.
 

“Just the reaction I told you your wife would have,” the saleswoman says to Danny.

“Oh, I’m not his wife. Just a friend,” I tell her.

She pats my hand. “That’s okay, darling. It can be our little secret. Would you like to try it on?”

“Uh, no, that’s okay.”

“Put it on, Jay. I’d like to see it.”
 

The woman puts the necklace on me and points to a mirror.
 

“What do you think, really?” Danny quietly asks. “Is it too much?”

“Give me a few minutes to get over the shock of seeing all the sparkle first.” I look in the mirror, running my hand gently across the lariat necklace. “I love how it fits, how it molds to your skin. Lori will love its classic style. When it was in the box, I thought she could only wear it with a ball gown but, now that it’s on, I think she could wear it every day and it wouldn’t look out of place.”

He lets out a big sigh. “I’m so glad you think so. I was worried it was too much. It also fits you way better than it did her,” he nods toward the woman. “Her neck is so thick.”

“It will lay perfectly on Lori. And this little piece, here, will fall down into her cleavage. I think it will make her feel sexy.”

Danny smirks. “I like her cleavage.”

“I know you do, goofball.”

He takes the necklace off me and hands it to the saleslady. As she’s packaging it up, Danny looks at his watch and says to me with a grin, “We better get to the hotel.”

I stand in the lobby with our bags while Danny gets checked in. He’s walking toward me holding up his key when I clutch my stomach in surprise.
 

“Ohmigawd, Danny! I think I just felt the baby kick!”

“Is it the first time?”

“Yes! Ohmigawd, I’m so happy!”
 

Danny wraps me in a hug. “Congrats, Jay. That’s so exciting. Wait until it kicks so hard that Phillip can feel it too. He’ll freak out.”

“He hasn’t freaked out about anything so far.”

“Did you know he’s looking into college funds?”

“Ha! No. Is he really?’

Danny laughs and nods. “He really is. One thing about Phillip, he’s always prepared. Come on, let’s hurry and get everything set up, so you can go home and tell him.”

I’m driving home when Phillip calls me. “Where are you?” he asks.

“Just headed home.”

“Where have you been?”

“At the Plaza. I met Danny for lunch—”

“But this morning you told me that you were working from home all day. Needed a day without having to deal with the dog.”

“Yeah, change of plans.”

“Lori called me. She’s very, very upset. Says there are photos of you and Danny spending the afternoon together, having an intimate lunch, shopping at a jewelry store, and in hugging in a hotel lobby. An anonymous source reported that Danny bought diamonds for someone who isn’t his wife and was taking her to a hotel for an afternoon tryst. What was really going on?”

“I was helping him plan a special night for Lori.”

“Well, she thinks the two of you are having an affair. She’s packed and says she’s going to her parents’ house.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m home now. She called me at work and was hysterical.”

“Don’t let her go anywhere. Um, Phillip, you don’t believe it, do you?”

“No, I don’t. But the pictures along with the accompanying story make it seem believable.”

“Were we kissing in any of the pictures?”

“Nope.”

“If he really bought me that necklace, I totally would have kissed him.”

“Is it pretty?”

“Yes, it’s amazing. Like ten carats. Lori will die when she sees it.”

“I hate that the press jumped to that conclusion,” Phillip says.

“It’s a steamy story. Readers like that, but Lori should know better. Let me talk to her.”

“She says no—wait, she says yes.”

“Why couldn't you just be happy with Phillip?” she yells. “How long has this been going on? Since we were dating? Since we’ve been married? Whose baby are you carrying, Phillip’s or Danny’s? Or do you even know?”

“Lori, I am
not
having an affair with Danny. And to suggest that Phillip’s not the father of my baby is just ridiculous.”
 

“Are you with Danny now?” she asks.

“No, he’s in his car. I’m following him home.”

We’re lined up, stopped at a stoplight, Danny in front of me. I can see him on the phone talking to someone. A few seconds later, I get a text from him.

Danny:
 
Just got a call from my publicist. There are pictures on the internet of you feeding me cheesecake. Of us at the jewelry store. Hugging at the hotel. They’re suggesting we’re having an affair. If Lori sees that, she will freak.