Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“I’m still here,” Karrie says. “Right here.”
“So the gala,” I tell her. “Scott was there.” I say his name, and I’m not angry, I’m not bitter, I’m nothing. Her eyes fly up and look at mine and then at Mark. “He knows. I told him.”
“You told him?” She slaps the table. “It took you ten years to tell me.”
“Don’t be jealous, Karrie. I love you both equally,” I tell her and then look at Mark. “Sorry. Anyway, I saw Scott and his wife, and well, then Mark caught me telling him to fuck off.”
“High-five,” Karrie says, lifting her glass at him.
“So minus all the crying and me feeling like scum for sleeping with a married man—”
“That’s enough,” Mark snaps, and Karrie looks up at him. “I’m not going to let put yourself down.” I look at him and smile and then look at Karrie.
“He’s so going to get laid for that.” I wink at her, and she drinks again.
“Like you wouldn’t bang him regardless,” she says, and I shrug.
“I professed my love to Mark,” I tell her, feeling so free. “And then we made up for lost time.”
“There will be no details of that,” Mark says, chewing. “We are not discussing that.”
“I second that,” Karrie says.
“Please, do you know the number of times I heard you and Matthew going at it?” I say, laughing.
“You did not,” Karrie says, shocked.
“You aren’t as quiet as you think you are,” I tell her. “And besides, once you left the baby monitor on, and well”—I put my hand up—“high-five for banging in the middle of the day.” But she just glares at me.
“Mark and I are together,” I say with a smile on my face. “I have a boyfriend.”
“I saw,” Karrie says.
“We haven’t figured out how or if we are going to tell people just yet, and I would like Vivienne to meet my family before we announce it,” Mark says, and I look at him. “I told you I don’t share my personal life with anyone really.”
“Buddy, you have chosen the wrong person,” Karrie says and drinks the rest of the champagne.
“Hey, no one even knew we dated before,” I tell her. “I think that it would be good to keep it to us.”
“So are you going to go to the games and whatnot to cheer for him?” Karrie asks.
“I cheered for him this whole time, and no one knew.” I fold my hands over my chest. “On the down low.”
The rest of the lunch goes smooth, and Karrie calls herself a car service to take her back to Long Island. I hug her at the door, and she waves to Mark who just nods at her.
“Go get dressed so we can go to my place,” he tells me, and I nod at him.
“We have to bring Elsa,” I tell him from the bedroom while I pack a bag, slipping into my yoga pants. “When is your next game?”
“We leave tomorrow and come back Thursday,” he tells me, coming into the room. “You can come back here or stay at my place, but,” he says, sitting on the bed, “I don’t want to sleep without you.” He looks at me. “If I’m home, I want to be with you. Whether we sleep here, or we sleep at my place.”
“Okay,” I say and watch him exhale heavily. “What is with the big exhale?”
“I thought you would give me a hard time,” he tells me, and I laugh. “Can we go now?”
“Go pack Elsa and I’ll grab my stuff.” I wink at him.
“You know, she can stay here alone for two days, right?” he says, and I walk out of the closet.
“Don’t even joke like that,” I say, and he laughs.
“How the tables have turned from you dropping her off at the fire station,” he says, grabbing my hand while he holds Elsa in the other. We get into the car, and I hold Elsa on my lap as he makes his way to his house. When I walk into his house, I get this feeling like I’m home, which is just a touch weird, considering I have my own home. I put my bag down in the closet while he puts Elsa in the kitchen. “Did you buy light up rocks?” he asks, coming into his room.
“You kept my robe?” I ask him, looking at the robe hanging next to his.
“Yeah,” he says, pulling off his shirt and pants and kissing my neck. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Want me to join you?” I ask him, and he looks at me with a twinkle in his eye.
“Is that even a question?” he asks, and I follow him into the shower.
“Is it okay that I left my stuff by the sink?” I ask him, walking out and seeing him already in bed. “I have my face creams and all that. I can pack it back in the bag if you want.”