she happily reported. “I forgot how great sex feels.”
Avery shook a fist in the air. “Go, Victor.”
“It helps that he’s adventurous and spontaneous . . . and able.”
Lori rested her chin on her hand. “This I wanna hear.”
And they did . . . in vivid color. For the first time since they’d started this club, Shannon had something to share. All the joy of sharing skidded to a halt when she told them she’d confessed about wanting a baby.
“What?” Avery yelled. “And he didn’t run away?”
“Crazy, right?” Shannon asked.
“Unreal,” Lori added.
“Not normal,” Trina said.
“I don’t get it either. We’ve used condoms . . . lots of them, I’m happy to report.”
“Condoms break.” Avery patted her barely there baby bump. “I’m here to tell you.”
“I know. Which is why I’ve scheduled an appointment with my doctor in two weeks. I’m going back on the pill.” She’d made the decision after the first night with Victor.
“Whoa . . . hold up a minute. Are you giving up the baby making plans?” Lori asked.
“I’m dating someone I really like. I don’t think baby making is right at this point. Practicing making babies is a better goal for now, don’t you think?”
All three of them sat in silence.
Avery was the first to talk. “Great idea.”
Shannon wasn’t shocked. “You never liked the idea.”
Avery agreed with a shake of her head. “Not for a minute.”
“Victor is making me think there might be other options,” Shannon told them.
Trina sighed. “And if he isn’t Mr. Right? How are you going to deal with that?”
The question had silently surfaced many times. “I will deal with it. Victor has made me realize how much I was missing in life.” Not that she wanted to think about life without him, but she had considered the possibility that he might not stick.
“He better not be screwing with you,” Avery declared.
“I honestly don’t think he knows what he’s doing with me any more than I know what I’m doing with him.”
“I’ll kick his ass if he is,” Avery declared.
A pregnant Avery kicking ass . . . this, Shannon wanted to see.
“I’ll let him know.”
She told them about the loft, which would be closing escrow in two weeks. The fastest real estate transaction ever in light of the fact it was empty and she was able to secure a loan quickly.
“Oh my God. I almost forgot to tell you guys!” Trina exclaimed.
“What?” Lori asked.
“My mother-in-law is moving out.”
That was big news. Vicki lived on the compound that was Wade and Trina’s ranch in Texas. She lived in a guesthouse but had been a continual pain in Trina’s butt since they met.
“That’s huge. Is it the baby? Did Wade tell her to leave?”
“It’s the boyfriend,” Trina told them. “She started dating a guy she met on Cowboys Only.”
“Is that like Tinder?” Avery asked.
“Yeah,” Trina laughed. “She didn’t admit that, of course, but when he insisted on meeting her son and daughter-in-law, Judah let that information slip.”
“His name is Judah?”
Trina nodded. “Very religious. I think he’s given Vicki a ‘come to Jesus’ moment. He’s a widower, has two grown kids and a granddaughter. Anyway, between him being in her life and Wade buying her a place that isn’t right under our noses, Vicki is moving out.” She shook her fists in the air in celebration.
“That’s the best news ever.”
“Tell me about it. It’s amazing what happens once someone is finally getting laid,” Trina said.
Shannon raised her hand. “I can attest to that.”
The four of them laughed and planned their next First Wives meeting, which was to take place in Texas. They had originally planned for something down in New Orleans, but with two of the four of them pregnant, they decided to keep it in the comfort of one of their homes. And it was Shannon’s, Lori’s, and Avery’s turn to travel.
“So, Shannon, how is Victor handling the media coverage?”
“I think he kinda likes it.” Pictures of the two of them at the charity event were snagged from the GTF website and splashed on the cover of one of the most popular gossip magazines. Then two others picked up the information and ran with it on consecutive days. “The only reason I think it’s become a thing is because Paul announced his run for Congress.”
“That was my thought,” Lori said. “It will all blow over soon. It always does.”
“That dress was spectacular,” Trina told her. “Daring for you.”
Shannon sat back and grinned. “Hey, I sunbathe in the nude these days. I’m evolving.”