wail like a banshee. I swore under my breath and scooped her out of the stroller to give her a cuddle that she did not want. She screamed louder in my ear, so I turned her around and bounced her on my knee, hoping the people nearby sipping cinnamon-dusted cappuccinos and wiggling their fingers at her would cheer her up. No such luck. Smiling strangers didn’t seem to be what she wanted, either.
With a disgruntled sigh, I turned her back around and tried to distract her by making ridiculous faces and tickling her belly.
I got one giggle and one giggle only before she descended into a hysterical fit of scream-crying that made my ears hurt.
As soon as Miriam got out of the bathroom, I handed her child back to her and looked around to offer everyone in the cafe grimaces of apology. None of them seemed to be paying me any attention. They were carrying on with their conversations while Miriam draped a blanket over her shoulder, pulled Adeline under it, and gave her what she wanted, the almighty boob.
“Sorry,” my best friend said. “She’s been a bit of a stinker the last few days. I think she might be growing some teeth, so she’s uncomfortable.”
“That’s okay,” I said, trying to ignore the lingering unease in my belly at being put on the spot with a child. Sometimes, I felt like an imposter of a woman due to how uncomfortable a crying baby made me.
“Tell me what’s new,” Miriam said.
I hesitated when our food arrived and fresh cups of coffee were poured. Once the waiter took his leave, I leaned forward a little and told Miriam the thing that had been eating me up inside for over twenty-four hours.
Her eyes widened with shock. “He kissed you? Just like that? No warning?”
“No warning. Well, I mean, we were standing pretty close because he was seeing me into the back of my cab, but it was pretty sneaky. One minute, we’re having a go at each other, and the next, he’s telling me I have beautiful eyes. What the hell is that?”
“Language,” Miriam said in a sing-song voice as she nodded at the blanket covering Adeline. I mumbled an apology and she smiled. “It’s okay. Just a hard habit to break. I know. Robert still swears all the time and Bobby has started picking it up, so we’re trying to be mindful. But enough about that. I can’t believe he kissed you. Was it good at least?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The kiss. Was it good?”
“It was Ethan,” I said like that simple fact should tell her everything she needed to know.
Miriam got a knowing look in her eyes. “It was good, wasn’t it?”
I groaned and hung my head. “It wasn’t bad. I don’t know. I’m so confused. He blindsided me!”
“You’re being dramatic.”
“With good reason.”
Miriam shrugged a shoulder and took a peek under the blanket to check on the baby. Satisfied, she dropped the corner of the blanket and took a sip of coffee.
I narrowed my eyes at my best friend. I could read her like a book. “There’s something you want to say, isn’t there?”
She shook her head innocently. “Nope.”
“Liar. Just say it.”
“You won’t like it.”
“Say it.”
“Fine,” she said, sitting up a little straighter and meeting my gaze. “I kind of thought there was always a little chemistry between you two.”
I balked. “Chemistry? There is absolutely no chemistry between us. I’m insulted you’d say such a thing. Ethan is—he’s—he’s—ugh.” I threw my hands up. “He’s a jerk, okay? An absolute jerk.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so.” I jabbed at my scrambled eggs with my fork and crammed them into my mouth. “Chemistry. Pfft. It’s like you don’t even know me at all.”
Miriam unveiled Adeline when she finished eating and put her over her shoulder to pat her back and burp her. “Forget I said anything, okay?”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Again, so dramatic.” She laughed.
I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t want to talk or think about Ethan anymore. It was bad enough I had to go into the office and face him again. I doubted I’d be able to ignore him completely for two consecutive days, especially considering the fact that we were tag-teaming two accounts together.
“Tell me about your week,” I said.
Miriam bounced the baby and burped her between stealing bites of her own breakfast. She had become the multitasking queen since having children. “Well, it’s been a bit of a rough one. Robert had to take some overtime