8
Gigi
“What’s with the streamers? And balloons?” I asked Jillian as I laid back into the warm, bubbly water. It was an unseasonably warm day for this time of year, so I’d taken a dip in the heated pool first.
“Who knows? It’s probably someone’s birthday,” she answered back, completely unbothered by the decorations that were quickly going up.
I tried to ask some of the decorators, but they ignored me.
The workers from the show weren’t allowed to speak to any of us. It was worth a try, though.
A few minutes later, I got an uneasy feeling. So, I told Jillian I was going to grab my stuff from the chair and go back to my place.
We hadn’t been notified of any celebrations. Also, I wasn’t exactly dressed for festivities.
“What’s going on?” I whispered to one of the workers who was busy setting up a huge table.
He looked at me, then gazed around at the cameras. With his head down as he spread out a blue tablecloth, he whispered, “Baby shower.”
All the tension in my shoulders relaxed.
Edwards’ wife was expecting. From the look of it, she must be having a boy. I didn’t think she was that far along yet, but I could be mistaken. “Thanks,” I whispered back to the worker.
I sat on my reclining lounge and decided to dry off before I went upstairs. I’d have to write an email to the producers and ask them to please give us more notice when they planned an event.
For one thing, so I’d be dressed and ready. For another, so that I had time to find a decent present.
I always kept emergency cards and gifts handy.
Nothing could be more awkward than having someone give you a surprise Christmas gift and not have anything to give them back in return. I had a spreadsheet of everyone’s birthdays, but I was only human. It was possible for me to forget.
That was why I always had a contingency plan.
Still, I would have rather picked out something cute and hockey themed for a player’s baby shower.
There was one, specially wrapped package up high in my closet. But I wasn’t sure when or if I’d have the courage to deliver it.
“It’s a baby shower,” I said into my towel as I pretended to dry my face.
Jillian sat in the lounge next to me and said, “Hmm.”
The other women made their way out onto the courtyard and the men were soon to follow.
Everything was blue.
Blue cookies. Blue cakes. It looked like blue had exploded everywhere.
It was pretty cute.
Most of the workers had left, but two more had rushed in with what looked like a sign of some sort.
As they rolled it open, I read, “Congratulations, Moreau!” on it.
Oh crap.
They were having a much belated baby shower for Beau. I let out a low huffing sound and tried to push up and out of my lounge.
Tried.