Yup, Henry still had a firm hold on her.
We both quieted and returned to eating our food.
My thoughts returned to Will. It perplexed me that he still sent me flowers and love letters and we still had late-night talks under the sheets and morning sex. Will continued to support my career and listened to me gush about my design ideas—when he was home. And he had never stopped being my biggest cheerleader.
The waiter took our empty plates, and I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room. I needed to get away from the booth as the awkward silence between us enveloped me. Plus, my bladder was going to explode.
It surprised me no one had questioned my frequent trips to the bathroom or my sensitive stomach, especially Lily. She was usually on top of everything I did or didn’t do.
Had she asked, I would have admitted I was pregnant.
The last few weeks had been a blur. Between Will’s rekindled affair and my crazy work schedule, I’d hardly thought about the baby. I’d never planned to keep it a secret, but Will hadn’t come home the evening I was going to tell him. His mistress was back in his life, and so the baby became my little secret.
Will’s apology the next evening had gutted me. His pleas and promises, and the way he’d made love to me were so convincing. It was why I’d stayed with him instead of leaving. I wanted to give him another chance.
But I wouldn’t tell him about the baby.
Not even a week later, I’d learnedCoriwas the important deal he was working on. Will had slipped and revealed her name one night while we argued. It was then when my life spun out of control.
Protecting myself and the baby became my priority. I needed time to process and figure out what I was going to do. That had been ten days ago, and I still didn’t know.
I pushed open the door to the ladies’ room. I hadn’t expected such a glitzy interior. Gold accents and white fur-covered chairs in a bathroom lounge?Genius.
I passed through quickly to get to the stalls and relieve my bladder.
The quiet bathroom helped to relax my tense nerves. I loved Lily, but sometimes she annoyed the shit out of me.
As I sat, minding my own business while doing my business, two women entered while gabbing about their men. Maybe they thought they were alone, or perhaps they didn’t care who might be listening. I assumed they didn’t care for as loud as they were talking.
Honestly, I could have cared less about them as I sat on the toilet, so I tried to ignore their squeals. Not easy to do when sandwiched in a stall between two verbose women.
“Oh my God, Billy is by far the best fuck I’ve ever had,” one woman said. “And let me add, he loves me on my knees... if you get what I mean.” Her ridiculous laugh filled the bathroom. Snorts and giggles ricocheted off the black-and-white marble-tiled walls.
Her comment got my attention, and I dialed into the conversation as most women would.
“Why don’t you call him Will?” the other woman asked. Her raspy voice made me think of a smoker, or maybe someone with asthma.
“I like calling him Billy. William St. James ‘the third’ is so stupid formal,” said… the other woman.
At this point, I was fully dialed in when the two-ton weight crushed my chest. It didn’t matter. I found the strength to quickly finish peeing and exit the stall. I had to see these women. I had to see her.Cori.
I rounded the corner and there she was standing by the sink, the blonde kissing Will in the photo that had monopolized Twitter for days on end. She didn’t pay any attention to me as I washed my hands.
A good thing, since my freaking hands trembled obnoxiously. I feared I would hyperventilate right there surrounded by gold mirrors, crystal chandeliers… and the other woman inmyWill’s life.
“Are you okay?” Cori asked. Lost for words, I froze. “My friend Cori can get help if you need it?”
Cori?
I inhaled and exhaled, feeling my heart beat faster than I’d ever felt before. “No, that’s not necessary, thank you. I shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.” It was a stupid lie, but it was all I could think of in my current state.
The blonde wasn’t Cori. My mind whirled. Nothing made sense.
“Oh, for sure! Just eat something, and you’ll be fine.” The blonde smiled.
Did Will have two women on the side?
TherealCori never said a word, nor did she look in my direction. The redhead focused her attention on applying a crimson lipstick, the same shade as her hair. There was a gothic look about her: pasty white skin, heavy black eyeliner, and fake eyebrows were meticulously drawn on in black pencil.