French Fry (The French Twist Series Book 3)

by Glynis Astie

  Kate finally stopped altering the menu two days ago and we have now safely arrived at Thanksgiving morning. Since I was no longer trusted in the kitchen during food preparation, my assignment was to watch my precious niece while Kate and Nick performed their culinary magic. How excited was I? Quality time with my niece had been sorely lacking lately, since figuring out my pregnancy had taken up every spare moment I had.

  I felt a twinge in my stomach as Louis helped me out of the car upon our arrival at the Wilson abode. (His chivalry had magnified exponentially since I became pregnant. It was AWESOME!) I slowly rubbed my stomach waiting for the feeling to go away, which thankfully only took a minute or two. Hmmm. What new surprise did my body have in store for me today?

  I shook off my concern and practically ran up the front path. Kate was standing in the open doorway with Sam giggling in her arms. I broke into a huge smile and scooped Sam up for a quick nuzzle. I sighed with happiness as I inhaled her delicious baby scent. Pretty soon I would be able to do this with my own child. The idea blew my mind.

  Kate ushered us inside without preamble. Her clothes were disheveled, she was coated in flour and her face showed signs of uncharacteristic stress. When I eyed her warily, she threw her arms up in the air. “Please keep her out of the kitchen. She wants to empty the entire contents of my cabinets onto the floor.”

  My lip twitched as my perfect sister showed her human side. Do not laugh, Sydney. Do not laugh. DO NOT LAUGH!

  Rather than ask how Sam had gotten past the child-proofed cabinet doors, Louis and I slapped on our brightest smiles and took Sam into the living room, briefly pausing to inhale the heavenly smell of our future. Once Sam was safely seated on her blanket full of toys, I closed my eyes for a moment to savor the aroma of roasting turkey and a scrumptious apple cinnamon medley. Pure bliss.

  Suddenly, I felt another twinge in my stomach, but this time the intensity had kicked up. My eyes snapped open, I clutched my stomach and tried not to panic. Was something wrong with the baby?

  My thoughts were quickly redirected by the sight of Sam crawling over to me with her favorite toy in her clutches. And this was no easy task considering the size of her cherished stuffed pig. I giggled knowing this was the replacement pig, known as Piggy the Second, who came to be due to an unfortunate washing machine incident. And NO, I wasn’t the responsible party. You may remember Louis’ brilliant idea of putting a stuffed toy in the washing machine. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Piggy was, after all, covered in poop. (The blame for that also rested firmly on my husband’s shoulders.)

  After two hours of blissful playtime with Sam, (punctuated with stomach discomfort I chose to ignore) guests began to arrive for dinner. My parents elected to stay in New York with Charlie and Zoe, so I would have to do without my dad’s usual boisterous Thanksgiving commentary. (His alcohol consumption is a bit high on this day, which results in every last colorful war story coming out. It was quite the site to be seen—and heard—since the army marching songs were belted at full volume.)

  First to arrive were Grace and Nigel, bearing a huge bouquet of calla lilies and a bottle of Kate’s favorite wine. While I’m always grateful for Nigel’s presence, I found myself particularly happy to see him today since he had the ability to put Kate in the best of moods. It was in her presence that his irreverent nickname inevitably surfaced. From the moment he crossed Kate’s threshold, he knew he would spend the rest of the evening being referred to as “Pip.”

  We were quite lucky not only for his incredibly good nature, but also for his great love of South Park. This translates to his tolerance of being compared to a soft-spoken British weenie with bad fashion sense. Although, it was quite possible his impeccable manners simply would not allow for him to raise any objections. Either way, the name has stuck.

  Shortly afterwards, Devon arrived with a potted orchid for Kate, Belgian chocolates for dessert and a box of French macarons for his estranged fiancé. Once Louis had relieved Devon of his offerings, I gave him a hug and a hopeful smile. I had tried everything I could think of to get Maya to see reason. For the sake of my sanity, I had decided this was it. Today would be my last attempt. If she couldn’t see everything she would be giving up, then it would be her mistake to live with. I was officially done.

  Big talk, right? You and I both know I’m a total wuss, but for the sake of the baby I HAD to find my backbone. There was no other option. When the doorbell rang, I took a deep breath, straightened my shoulders and strode to the entryway.

  I pasted an enormous grin on my face when I opened the door to find Maya looking breathtaking in a skintight black sheath dress. If she weren’t my friend, I would hate her guts. She is drop-dead gorgeous and has virtually no body fat. I winced, imagining how fat I was going to get in the next few months.

  Maya winked. “Cat got your tongue, Syd?”

  I smirked. “You knew he was coming, didn’t you?” I highly doubted she would have worn such a garment otherwise.

  Without saying a word, she strolled past me into the kitchen. I heard her exchanging pleasantries with Kate and Nick and allowed myself to hope she had finally seen reason. Please, please, please let her have come to her senses.

  I closed the door and ran into Louis on my way to the living room. He gave me a wicked grin. Apparently, he had taken note of Maya’s appearance as well. With no need for discussion, I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the dining room. Maya had been late, as usual, and Kate was eager to start the proceedings.

  Once drinks had been served and we were all seated at the table, Kate stood and tapped the side of her glass with her knife.

  “I would like to propose a Thanksgiving toast.”

  I heard Maya utter the word, “cheesy” under her breath. I became immediately incensed and kicked her under the table. She yelped and shot me a withering look, but remained silent. Maybe my pregnancy hormones were just what I needed to get Maya in line, even if only for the short-term.

  Kate cleared her throat. “Nick and I feel so honored to have you here with us on Thanksgiving.” She took his hand and smiled down at him before continuing. “Each of you has touched our lives in a very important way and we’re so grateful to know you. Thank you for being part of our extended family and joining us on our favorite holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!”

  Kate beamed and raised her glass. We all followed suit and clinked glasses for the next few minutes. I took a sip of my sparkling cider and sniffled.

  Of course, Kate’s heartfelt toast forced my hormones into overdrive. A couple of minutes of deep breathing and subtly squeezing Louis’ hand helped me compose myself.

  Back in the present, I delighted in the delectable array of food before me. I piled my plate high with my favorites—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and TONS of gravy. I know what you’re thinking. Being pregnant doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. Well, it does today. Tomorrow I will go back to a more healthy way of eating, but one day of indulgence wouldn’t do any damage.

  Maya surveyed my plate with a snort. “Jesus, Syd, are you feeding an army?”

  Devon grinned at me. “Syd has a healthy appetite. It’s endearing.”

  Maya rolled her eyes. “You won’t think it’s endearing when she puts on fifty pounds. Why do you always have to defend her anyway?”

  Louis’ grip on my hand tightened. I shook my head at him and whispered, “Leave it be.”

  Devon glared at Maya. Uh oh. Devon didn’t get angry. EVER. Had she finally pushed him too far? Was he finally going to decide he didn’t have to put up with her crap anymore?

  This terrifying thought grabbed hold of me and I suddenly felt the need to throw up. Oh God. Please not in front of all these people. I jumped up from the table and ran out of the dining room with my hand clamped over my mouth.

  As I scampered to the bathroom, I heard Kate’s words echoing through the hallway. “Because she’s fucking pregnant, you idiot! Ever heard of morning sickness?”

  I pau
sed momentarily, shocked that Kate would use profanity in front of Sam, but rumblings in my stomach propelled me the rest of the way. I quickly shut and locked the bathroom door, dropped to my knees and flipped up the toilet lid. I was sweating profusely, but no longer felt the need to vomit. I decided to stay by the toilet bowl for a while, in case my body changed its mind. (The control no longer seemed to rest with me.) It felt safer in here anyway.

  I curled up against the wall, feeling the cool tile against my cheek. I prayed the small sense of peace I felt would last. A knock on the door brought me back to the present. I stiffened at the sound of Maya’s voice asking to come in. Then I heard Louis arguing with her and knew I had to put a stop to it. I crawled to the door, unlocked it, crawled back to the toilet and shouted, “Come in!”

  With sweat dripping down my face and my hair now matted to my head, I was positive I looked frightening, but I didn’t care. The only thing I was focused on was keeping the food I had consumed earlier in the day in my stomach, where it belonged.

  Louis came over and sat next to me. “Mon coeur! Are you alright?” He stroked my hair back and observed me with concern. This moment made it clear how much Louis loved me. My appearance was right up there with something the cat dragged in. And I wasn’t quite sure what I smelled like…

  I carefully leaned my forehead against his. “I’m fine, Bluey. My stomach is giving me a little trouble.”

  He scowled in Maya’s direction. “No thanks to her.”

  Maya opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. I raised my eyebrows as far as they would reach. It wasn’t like her to back down.

  Maya met my gaze defiantly “What do you expect me to say, Syd?”

  I turned back to Louis. “Why don’t you give me a few minutes alone with Maya? I owe her an explanation.”

  He held my face in his hands. “You do not owe her anything. She is lucky you put up with her…tomfoolery.” He turned to glower at her before bringing his beautiful blue eyes back to me. “Are you sure you will be OK?”

  Biting my lip so as not to laugh at his use of the word “tomfoolery,” I nodded my head slowly.

  He examined me closely. “I will be back in five minutes.”

  Maya chose this exact moment to unleash her trademark snark. “Will you relax, Louis?”

  Damn it! Why did she have to open her big mouth? I rubbed my temples, wishing I could be anywhere else but here at this moment. I knew the two of them would get into it one day, since they both have, shall we say, strong personalities, but I didn’t envision the throw-down happening while I was hunched next to a toilet.

  Louis stood up to his full height, walked over to Maya and spoke very quietly. “You had better treat her with the utmost respect and care. She may make allowances for your bullshit, but I will not. Are we clear?”

  I held my breath whilst staring back and forth between them. My heartbeat slowed down a bit when I noticed something odd. Maya appeared to be intimidated! In an attempt to cover this embarrassing twist of fate, she threw out an abrupt laugh and added, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

  I shook my head in dismay. Her bravado was going to land her in a heap of trouble one day. I sincerely hoped she would be able to use said bravado to talk her way out of it.

  With one last warning glare, Louis left the room. Maya closed the door and sat at the edge of the tub. For a moment, she just watched me. I wasn’t sure if she were inexplicably at a loss for words or if she were angry with me for not telling her about my pregnancy.

  I peeked up at her. “So?”

  She squinted at me. “I’m …” She stood up and tapped her foot. “I’m trying to figure out why you wouldn’t tell me.”

  I bit my lip. “I feel terrible, Maya. It wasn’t planned. First, I was scared to tell you because I’ll be HUGE on your wedding day.” I started to wring my hands. “Then, everything happened with you and Devon and, um, you were so upset and I didn’t want to bring it up. It seemed…wrong,” I finished lamely.

  She exhaled. “Really, Syd?”

  I furrowed my brow. “Really, what?”

  Maya slowly lowered herself to the floor next to me, which was quite an orchestration thanks to her snug dress. She took my hand and stroked it gently. This was most unMayalike. What the hell was going on?

  She regarded me with sad eyes. “Did you honestly think you couldn’t tell me about this? You must have been, must still be, so scared.”

  I gaped at her.

  She giggled softly. “Close your mouth, Syd. Whether or not I show it, I love you. I would do anything for you.”

  That was it; my tear ducts kicked in with a vengeance. Obviously, Maya had a lot to learn about pregnancy hormones, because she hated the sight of tears. I grabbed the box of tissues and went to town.

  A few minutes later, a horrified Maya thrust a garbage can at me. “How do you make it stop, Syd?”

  I wiped my eyes for the umpteenth time and sighed. “I don’t know. I haven’t learned how to control my powers yet.”

  Maya stood up and stretched. “You poor thing! It may be a while before you can master your new level of insanity. You’re definitely not the smartest peanut in the turd.”

  Her emphatic statement caused us both to burst into uncontrollable laughter, which in turn, caused Louis to come running. While he attempted to understand the situation before him, Maya pulled me gently to my feet.

  She then turned to Louis and patted him on the back. “It’s all good, Louis.”

  Maya took my hands in hers. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, Syd, and I’m sorry for my part in it. Now I have to do something which won’t be easy for me.” She took a deep breath. “I have to tell Devon how wrong I’ve been and beg him to take me back.”

  I threw my arms around her and squeezed as tightly as I could. “THANK GOD. I thought you would never come to your senses.”

  Maya appeared contrite. “I wasn’t sure I would either.”

  I swallowed back some bile which threatened to ruin both this beautiful moment and Maya’s beautiful dress. After grimacing from the sour taste of my close call, I asked, “What was keeping you from working things out?”

  Maya searched the ceiling and groaned before answering. Eventually, she leveled her gaze at me. “I was scared.” She held her hand up before I could say anything. “This is all you need to know. I was scared and I was being a big baby.”

  I quickly closed my mouth, waiting for her to continue.

  She stroked a few strands of hair back from my face. “Devon agreeing to go through with the wedding is only the first hurdle, Syd.”

  I looked at her with wide eyes. “What else do we have to worry about?” She had already planned the wedding down to every last detail. What was left to do?

  Maya grinned. “Where are we going to find a matron of honor dress big enough for an elephant?”

  Louis fired a warning glance at Maya while she continued to smile. I placed a calming hand on his chest and decided to let her unbelievably rude comment go, given the unpleasant task ahead of her. To my knowledge, this would be the first time in history Maya had admitted to being wrong about ANYTHING.

  Louis and I gave Maya a quick pep talk and then went in search of our interrupted Thanksgiving meal. Carefully eating a bowl of plain stuffing, I thought about how good it felt to have the weight of my secret off my shoulders. If only Devon could see his way clear to forgiving my rather shortsighted friend, this would be a day to be truly thankful for. Keep your fingers crossed for her. Maya’s newfound sincerity may not be enough to repair the severe damage she had caused this time.

  Chapter Eight

  The good news is Maya had been successful in bearing her soul and earning Devon’s forgiveness. Since she doesn’t do things halfway, she splurged on a last minute trip for two to Kauai. (I believe she is also hoping to rekindle their long suppressed passion.) The expense was astronomical, but a very small price to pay in my opinion for not having to deal with the consequences of her supre
me idiocy. Just saying.

  The bad news is she has sent me a few preliminary ideas for matron of honor dresses which are going to give me nightmares. Granted, it wasn’t the smartest thing for me to get pregnant AND have a due date ten days after her wedding, but really? Halter tops, blindingly bright colors and sequins? REALLY?

  For the time being, I’m choosing to believe she feels the need to get back at me for waiting so long to tell her about my pregnancy. If it happens this isn’t the case, well, Very Pregnant Sydney will be making an appearance in my future and something tells me she just might be enough to scare Maya into submission.

  I felt my heartbeat accelerate and quickly remembered what Dr. Bauer told me at my twelve week appointment. Thankfully, my blood work was fine, however my normally low blood pressure had spiked to one hundred and forty over eighty. This caused Dr. Bauer to be concerned about the possibility of my developing a “serious health condition” during my pregnancy. Naturally, this scared the crap out of me.

  When I probed for further information, she glared at me pointedly and stated she had no intention of alarming me with the extent of the possibilities. After lecturing me about NOT researching this topic on the internet, she calmly explained if I were not careful, my elevated blood pressure could lead to seizures and/or organ malfunction for me and a number of complications for the baby. Holding back tears, I promised her I would do everything possible to keep my blood pressure from rising. Needless to say, I was now seeing my therapist on a weekly basis. (Nope. You are still not invited.)

  Since Louis had chosen to spend this bright and sunny Sunday morning in his martial arts haven with his friend and trainer, Bastiaan, I made plans to meet up with my favorite pair of expats, Grace and Nigel. After I finished putting on my new favorite lipstick (Clinique’s Crushed Grape), I heard the doorbell. I quickly adjusted my pink cashmere cardigan and rushed to greet my visitors.