The First Taste (Slip of the Tongue #2) - Jessica Hawkins Page 0,109
my middle finger out the window and keep it there. He can have this spot over my dead body. After a few seconds of our standoff, a pedestrian yells at him for blaring the horn. His tires squeal as he hits the gas, and he flips the bird right back at me. I pull into the parking spot.
“You’re the one who didn’t want to take the train,” Bell points out.
I get out of the car and walk around to her side. She’s been talking about Aunt Sadie’s surprise baby shower for days, but she still knows to wait until I open her door. I let her out of the car seat and take her hand to lead her into Gramercy Park Hotel, then up to the terrace on the eighteenth floor that Nathan reserved for the afternoon.
I spot Nate right away. It isn’t hard in the explosion of floral arrangements and miniature pastries. A table at the entrance has the start of a gift pile, and I tell Bell to add ours.
Nathan’s brows are gathered as a woman in a suit taps her clipboard, showing him something. He scratches his forehead and glances up at us.
“Andrew,” he says, desperately motioning me over. “You’ve got to help me, man. They ran out of raspberry macaroons. Sadie craves raspberry everything right now.”
“Dude, she’s not going to give a rat’s ass.” I check the sheet of paper filled with pictures of desserts and their names. I point to a frosted cupcake that’s topped with chocolate shavings. “You got these?” I ask the woman.
“Yes, sir.”
Nathan looks too, nodding. “Everyone likes chocolate. Those’ll be fine.” He mops his brow as she walks away. “This is way harder than it looks.”
“When does Sadie get here?”
He checks his watch. “Ten minutes? Jill told her they were going for lunch at the restaurant downstairs.”
“Then what?” I ask.
“That was the hotel’s event planner, and she has some games and stuff set up. Jill takes over when they get here. Then we’ve got to go. This is like, chicks only.”
“No shit,” I say. “Husbands don’t typically plan baby showers.”
“I know.” He half-smiles, somehow proud of this, and looks at me sidelong. “Looking forward to seeing Amelia?”
I look out at the buildings surrounding the patio. “She coming?”
“Yeah. She didn’t tell you?”
It’s been a week since Amelia left me in the middle of the flea market. Since Shana dropped into my life like a bomb, and Amelia wasn’t around to help pick up the pieces. “Nope.”
“Ah. How about we go next door and grab a beer when they get here?” Nathan asks. “You can tell me all about it.”
Sometimes, Nathan’s all-knowingness is helpful, and other times not. I sigh and take a good look around the room at tiny teacups, satin bows, and diaper tower centerpieces. “Uh, yeah. I think I’ll actually head over now.” The prospect of spilling my complicated feelings about Amelia to Nathan appeals to me slightly more than running into her. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Are you sure? Don’t you want to say hi to Sadie?”
“I’ll catch her later.” I check on Bell. She’s already chatting up the only other child in the room, who looks a couple years older than her, but who politely listens to Bell ramble on about God knows what. “Poor girl,” I mutter.
“Don’t say that,” Nate says. “I’m sure she’s put up with worse than you.”
I arch an eyebrow and turn back to him, but he isn’t looking at Bell. I follow his line of sight. Amelia breezes onto the terrace, reading her watch. She scans the outdoor space and asks the woman nearest her, “Has she arrived?”
“Not yet,” the woman answers.
“Good.” She visibly relaxes, but only until her eyes land on me. Tightening her hand around her purse strap, she draws a long breath, her chest expanding. Like the schmuck I am, I look right at her tits. Her neckline plunges enough for me to get an eyeful, and her white dress ties off to one side. She touches a simple silver pendant around her neck, pulling my attention to her collarbone. Every strand of her hair is predictably smoothed into place. I don’t understand how this woman could be the exact opposite of what I want and yet the center of all my fantasies.
She takes a few steps toward me, and because I don’t need Nathan hanging on our every word, I meet her halfway.