by Amy Star
“She seems friendly,” Zoey said, rolling her eyes.
“She’s been here two days now and hasn’t so much as waved,” Ava muttered, leaning back in the chair and sighing. “If I felt better, I would go over and introduce myself, but I have a feeling she’s not the neighborly type.”
Zoey snorted. “What in the world gave you that idea?” She laughed at her own joke, taking a sip of her iced tea and shaking her head. “At least you know she won’t be over here bothering you when you’re trying to work.”
Ava shook her head, then grimaced. “No, that’s your job.”
“Get real. It’s almost dinnertime, and you were taking a nap. The only thing I interrupted was you dreaming about that guy Eli.”
“I was not,” Ava said. “Not this time.” She sighed heavily.
“You’re going to have to get over him,” Zoey said. “It’s been three months. He’s probably already settled into his new place in Florida or wherever he went.”
“He didn’t say where he was going,” Ava admitted.
“What did he do again?”
“Training on new software.”
“Sounds exciting,” Zoey said with a yawn. “Glamorous lifestyle or not, I think it’s time to let that go. You’ve been pining over him long enough. If he wanted to keep in touch, he would have.”
“I know, I know. He was just a great neighbor, and I miss that.”
“I bet,” Zoey said with a wry smile.
“Stop. It wasn’t like that.”
“Except that one weekend.”
“I knew he was leaving,” Ava said sheepishly. “You would’ve done the same, trust me.”
“Probably.” Zoey stood. “Anyway, I’m done watching you mope around. Let’s go out.”
“I don’t know. I’m just really tired. I think I’m coming down with something.”
“I think it’s called lame-itis,” Zoey teased. “Come on, live a little. I heard the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”
Ava laughed and shook her head. “You’re a mess. Fine. I’ll go out, but I’m not looking, alright? Just you and me and a night out on the town.”
“Fair enough. Whatever it takes to get you out of your funk.” Zoey stood and grabbed her hand, all but yanking her out of the chair. “Let’s go. If we hurry, we can get there early enough to beat the cover charge.”
Ava shook her head and laughed as she followed Zoey into the house. “Now who’s lame?”
The two friends raided Ava’s closet, each choosing an outfit to wear and dressing quickly. Zoey did Ava’s hair, using a curling iron to tighten her waves, then setting it with hairspray.
Ava coughed. “Not so much,” she said. She sniffed, then waved her hand in front of her face. “Yuck. I think they changed the formula because it smells awful now.”
Zoey took a whiff and frowned, then grabbed Ava’s makeup kit and dabbed a soft brush on the palette. “It smells the same to me. Maybe you’re one of those super sniffers.”
Ava looked at Zoey and rolled her eyes. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“You know, like the super tasters they use for ice cream but with scents.”
“You made that up,” Ava accused, laughing.
Zoey arched an eyebrow and scowled. “You callin’ me a liar?”
“No, but I think you’re nuts,” Ava laughed. “Forget it, the feeling’s gone. I feel better.”
“You’d better. You’re not getting out of this.” She spun Ava around so she could look at her makeup in the mirror. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” Ava said. “I feel a little better already. Maybe I just needed something to look forward to.”
She picked up her purse, and they headed out the door to Ava’s red Honda Civic in the driveway.
“I’m tellin’ you. You just needed something to get your mind off Eli.”
“I know.” She took Zoey’s hand and squeezed it affectionately. “Thank you for this.”
Zoey shrugged. “What are best friends for?”
The club was already busy by the time their Uber found a place to let them out near the front door. Zoey waved at a large man standing stoically in front of the door. The bouncer cracked an almost imperceptible smile and waved them in so they could bypass the long line of people. Ava watched Zoey plant a quick kiss on his cheek, and she breezed by with her arm behind her, holding Ava’s hand so she didn’t get lost in the crowd.
“Do you know everyone?” Ava shouted to be heard over the music that assailed them when the door opened.
“No,” Zoey laughed. “Just everyone that matters. Come on, let’s get a drink.”
They made their way to the bar, and Zoey pulled Ava with her, slipping between two burly men, giving them both a flirtatious look.
“What are you having, sweet cheeks?” the man to her left asked while the man to Zoey’s right ogled Zoey’s lowcut, skintight dress.
“Just water,” Ava said.
“You driving?”
“Yes,” Ava lied, the vein over her eye pulsing with the beat of the music.
The man shrugged. “Don’t have to get drunk to have a good time,” he said, ordering a water for her and another beer for himself. “I’m Todd.”
He held out his hand, and Ava shook it, squinting against the headache that was building. The bartender slid her glass across the smooth wood, the beer right behind it. The beer bottle bumped into the glass and spilled, covering Ava’s arm and dripping onto her lap before she could jump out of the way.
“Are you alright?” Todd asked.
The scent of the dark lager reached her nostrils, and she gagged, waving the man off and running toward the bathroom. “Sorry,” she said through clenched teeth, but she wasn’t sure he could hear her over the loud music.
She made it to the bathroom and turned on the cold water, splashing her face and willing her stomach to calm itself. Zoey was a few steps behind her.
“Oh my gosh, Ava, are you alright?”
Ava nodded, then gripped the sink and went back to splashing her face with water. She felt Zoey moving her hair from her neck, then the relief brought by the cold, wet paper towel held to the back of her neck. She breathed in, closing her eyes while she washed the beer off her arm. “I had the stomach flu a couple weeks ago, but I just can’t shake the nausea. It comes at the weirdest times.”
“Maybe you should rest,” Zoey said, whipping out her phone and hailing an Uber with one hand, her other hand still holding the wet towel on Ava’s neck.
“I’m fine,” Ava said. “Really, I’ll be okay.”
Zoey shook her head, glaring at Ava in the dingy mirror. “You’re not fine.” Her phone beeped, and she looked down at the screen. “Our driver is here; let’s get out of this dump.”
Ava smiled weakly. “Thanks for not making me feel super lame.”
“You’re welcome,” Zoey said, then laughed. “It’s alright. You don’t need my help.”
Zoey winked, and Ava laughed. “Thanks,” she said sarcastically. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I was sick off and on for weeks, then I felt better.”
They hopped into the back of the Uber, and Zoey gave directions to Ava’s house, then she turned in the seat so she could face Ava. “Have you gone to the doctor?”
Ava shook her head. “I didn’t feel that bad, and it only lasted a couple hours. I think it’s just stress, but I don’t know why the aversion to certain smells is lingering.”
Zoey bit her lip, then looked down at her hands.
“What?” Ava asked.
“Nothing. I’m just worried about you. Do you want to stop and get something for the headache?”
“How did you know I-”
“Because you’re squinting every time we pass a street light.”
Ava sighed. “Yes, that would be nice.”
“Walgreens okay?” the driver asked.
“That’s fine,” Zoey said, then she turned to Ava. “I’ll run in and get you a few things.”
/> “Thanks.”
“Don’t worry. I got this. Someone has to take care of you.”
The car stopped, and Zoey hurried through the doors. Ava leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. “Can you turn your radio down please?”
“It’s off,” the driver said. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“I’m fine,” Ava insisted.
The driver didn’t press the matter, but she was starting to worry. Did she really look that awful?
By the time Zoey plopped down in the back seat with Ava, Ava was starting to doze off. She looked at the bag, then at Zoey. “Did you buy the entire store?”
“Close enough. Now, let’s get you home.”
Ava nodded, closing her eyes again, willing her stomach to stay settled until they got home. When the car stopped and the door opened, relief flooded through her. She followed Zoey up the porch steps and into the house, sitting down on the couch and ignoring the stack of recent submissions collecting on every flat surface in the house.
Zoey went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of water and a small box. Handing the water to Ava, she held the box up expectedly. It took Ava a moment to register what the box was, and when she did, she almost laughed.
“There’s no way,” she insisted.
“Take it, for my peace of mind.”
“I’m on the pill.”
“You might have missed some,” Zoey countered, following Ava when she stood abruptly and hurried into the bathroom.
When she opened the medicine cabinet, her heart sank. “Oh no,” she said.
“What?”
“I didn’t-” she stammered. “I mean, I got so busy, and I guess I didn’t refill my prescription.”
“Still?” Zoey asked, incredulous.
Ava scoffed. “Some of us are a little too busy to have a steady stream of lovers.”
“I prefer to call it eclectic,” Zoey joked. “But okay, I get it. So, when was your doctor’s appointment?”
Ava shook her head, rushing through the house to the calendar on the side of the fridge where she kept her appointment cards. She groaned.
“Four months ago,” she said.
“So, a month before he left.”
“Yep,” Ava said. “I don’t take the placebos. I just toss the pack then. I know it’s a bad habit, but.”
Zoey held up her hand. “You don’t have to justify it to me. I get it.” She held the box out again. “Take it. Please.”
Ava swiped the box from Zoey with shaking hands, all but running to the bathroom, her headache forgotten. She closed the door and watched the clock, wringing her hands and tapping her foot.
“Anything?” Zoey asked through the door.
“It hasn’t been three minutes,” Ava said.
Zoey opened the door, looking at Ava and at the little stick on a paper towel on the side of the bathtub. “You don’t have to wait the full three minutes,” she said. “That’s only if you’re a newly pregnant.”
Ava froze, looking at her friend, holding her breath as the implication of Zoey’s words set in. “Oh boy,” she said, covering her face with her hands.
“Aren’t you going to look at it?”
“Is it still real if I don’t know?”
Zoey laughed. “Obviously, or else you wouldn’t be exhausted and nauseous.”
Ava peeked through her fingers and sucked in a quick breath. “This can’t be happening.” Her hand was shaking as she reached out and picked up the pregnancy test, staring at the dark-pink plus sign. “Wow.”
“Are you okay?”
Ava nodded. “I think so,” she said, a slow smile spreading across her face. “I mean. Wow!”
“You’re taking this a lot better than I thought you would,” Zoey said.
Ava looked at her, smiling tentatively. “It’s not how I planned it, but I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I was just waiting for the right moment.”
“You can’t plan for everything.”
“I guess not.”
“What are you going to do about Eli?”
Ava sighed heavily and set the stick down. “He offered to go buy condoms, and I told him I was on the pill. I thought I was; I wasn’t trying to lie. But anyway, he asked about birth control, and I told him I had it under control.”
“So, you’re not going to tell him?”
Ava shook her head. “That wouldn’t be right. I’m going to tell him, but first, I’m going to talk to a lawyer.”
Zoey arched an eyebrow. “A lawyer?”
“Yeah. I think he’ll take the news better if he knows that I’m okay with him signing away his rights.”
“Are you okay with it?”
Ava shrugged. “He asked me, and I said I was on the pill. I’m not going to force him to be around, you know?”
“Good luck,” Zoey said. “I’m sure it’s going to be an awkward conversation no matter what.”
Ava looked down at her hands, which were finally still even though she was still excited and completely overwhelmed. She took in a deep breath and let it out, her shoulders falling dramatically. “I still can’t believe it,” she said in awe. “I’m going to be a mom.”
Zoey smiled. “You’re going to be the most amazing mom.”
“Thanks.”
Zoey stood up, pacing excitedly in the small bathroom, counting off on her fingers as she listed everything. “We’ll need to decorate a nursery and buy furniture. Oh, and of course a car seat and you’ll need a birth plan and of course I’ll be your coach and there are classes and-”
Ava was laughing when she held up her hand. “Who’s having this baby, me or you?”
“Why you gotta be like that?” Zoey laughed.
“I’m glad you’re excited, but can we hold off for a couple days? This is a lot to take in, and I need to prepare myself for Eli to completely flip out when I tell him.”
The smile slipped off Zoey’s face. “Do you think he’d be that harsh?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t seem like the type. But no matter what, it’s going to be a hard conversation, and I need to focus on that.”
“When are you going to tell him?”
“Tomorrow, after I’ve had a chance to talk to a lawyer.”
“That’s so soon. Do you need me here, you know, for moral support?”
Ava shook her head. “Thank you, but no. This is a conversation I need to have with him alone. I owe him that much.”
CHAPTER TWO
“I have to say, Mr. Jones, your record is impeccable. I’m looking forward to working with you and seeing what your software can do to push McBride Enterprises ahead of the competition.”
Eli smiled at the man, shaking the hand that was offered and sitting when the older man did.
“Entity has been proven time and time again to streamline data acquisition, increase worker productivity, and help improve connections for faster, more efficient interdepartmental communication.”
Ted McBride smiled. “I’m a sales guy, so I’m not sure what all that means, but time is money, and it sounds like you’ll be saving me tons of time.”
“Productivity has been shown to increase exponentially, enabling businesses to shorten to a six-hour workday with more output than eight hours worked previously.”
“That ought to improve morale,” the man chuckled. “I’m old school; I’m not sure I’m ready to call thirty-hour weeks fulltime.”
“If I had a dime for every time I heard that,” he laughed. “But research proves that most of the wasted time is spent sorting through emails, then prioritizing them before finally getting to work. One of the things I hear most from employees is how having Entity sort and prioritize emails saves them between two and four hours of work.”
“But what about the clients? I don’t want them sitting on a problem for hours, thinking that we aren’t responding. Some of my clients are needier than others.”
“Entity solves that issue as well, sending a response based on the urgency of
the situation, then updating the employees’ calendar with a reminder to view the email by a certain time. If a low-level priority receives a second email, Entity responds accordingly and lets the employee know that there’s been another email.”
“Excellent.”
“Entity does so much more than that, but this one feature does in about ten minutes what takes the average worker about two hours to complete. Multiply that by your entire office, and your overhead savings per year are exponential.”
“And the employees don’t mind sleeping in a few hours.”
“Or adjusting their day to avoid rush hour, or handle family obligations. Workers with a healthy work-life balance are more productive, happier, and more loyal.”
“I like loyalty,” Ted said.
“That’s just one feature. I promise you’ll see a marked difference in six months or I’ll give you a full refund.”
McBride sat back in his highbacked desk chair, fingers bridged, deep in thought. He waited, leaning back ever so slightly so show that he wasn’t the least bit nervous. When McBride leaned forward and hit the intercom button on his phone, he kept his breathing calm and even.
“Ms. Finley?”
“Yes, Mr. McBride?”
“Would you send Matt in here, please?”
“Of course, Sir,” she said, her voice chipper.
Ted McBride leaned back and smiled. Eli returned that smile. A few moments later, there was a quiet knock on the door, and a large man walked in. Eli sized him up quickly; his physique and his hard stare screamed ex-military. Eli’s money was on Special Ops or Navy Seal. He was slightly shorter than Eli, but he was stout and obviously very strong. Eli prepared himself for a fight, but then McBride spoke. “Matt, this is Mr. Jones. He’s going to be setting up a new software program for us. I need you to make sure he has access to anything he needs.”
Matt looked at him, then nodded slowly. “Understood.”
“Everything,” Ted McBride said, his meaning clear.
Matt looked at him, then nodded again. “Give me a schedule of when you need me, and I’ll be available.”
Eli was about to launch a counter argument when McBride held up his hand. “That won’t be necessary. Mr. Jones has already passed rigorous background checks, and I’m sure you understand that software like this requires a certain level of secrecy to keep our competition from getting ahold of it.”
