Blair glanced at her petulant client. “I think most of us were.”
Allison scrunched up her nose. “I think we should keep going.”
“Some of us actually like to eat,” Marco said with a bitter tone. “I might even go out for a heaping plate of spaghetti.”
Allison put her hand on the table and narrowed her eyes at her husband. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“We never ate carbs when we were together. I’ve been eating them every day since the day I left.”
Allison stood and glared down at him. “I never told you that you couldn’t eat carbs, Marco! I was the one who couldn’t eat carbs!”
He stood and shouted, “I never said you couldn’t eat carbs! What made you think you couldn’t eat them?”
“Because they put five pounds on my hips! Last summer you told me those white shorts made me look hippy.” She shook her head, her face turning red. “You can go eat all the spaghetti in Italy for all I care.” Then she stomped toward the door.
“Two o’clock?” Blair asked Dane.
He gave a sharp nod, then looked up at his client for acknowledgment, but Marco’s gaze followed Allison down the hall.
“Did you really tell her that her shorts made her look hippy?” Blair asked before she could stop herself. Talk about unprofessional.
“Yeah…I guess.” He looked confused. “But she’d asked.”
Blair tried to stifle her groan. Men.
She hurried down the hall and found Allison by the exit. She glanced back at Blair with a tear-streaked face.
“We’ll start again at two,” Blair said, then lowered her voice. “Did he talk to you like that throughout your marriage?”
Allison looked confused. “Like what?”
“Did he make references to your weight?”
Allison’s chin quivered. “I don’t know, Blair. I don’t know. Leave me alone.”
She spun around and walked toward the staircase, bypassing the elevator.
Maybe there was more to this divorce than Blair realized.
She passed Dane and his client on their way out, then found Megan sitting on the edge of Melissa’s desk.
“Blair.” Megan stood and offered her a bright smile. “We haven’t seen each other since we were in New York for Libby’s photography exhibit, yet we only live like five miles apart. We need to see each other more often.”
“Easier said than done.”
“Well, I’m here now, and I’m starving. Where are we eating?”
Blair gestured toward Megan’s stomach. “You’re the one who’s pregnant. Are you craving anything?”
It was still hard for Blair to think of her practically lifelong friend as pregnant—either of her friends. They’d both announced their pregnancies at Libby’s exhibit weeks before.
Megan’s eyes lit up. “Bacon cheeseburgers.”
“Your baby’s into junk food? Already? I thought they saved that for the teen years.”
Megan laughed. “Don’t judge. Just feed me.”
“There’s a place around the corner that will take care of your craving.” Blair shot a glance to Melissa. “Would you like to come?”
“We’d love to have you,” Megan said.
Melissa smiled. “Thanks for the invite, but I have too much work to do. I’d love a rain check, though.”
Blair started to protest, but Melissa shook her head. “You two go. You need this.”
Megan gave Melissa a wave as she and Blair walked out of her office and toward the hallway.
“So other than your cravings for high-fat red meat, how else are you feeling?” Blair asked, grinning.
“Remarkably good. No morning sickness at all.”
“I hear the same can’t be said for Libby,” Blair said. “I called her a few nights ago, and Noah said she couldn’t even come to the phone.”
Megan grimaced. “She’s been really sick. Noah had to take her to the hospital for dehydration.”
Blair stopped in front of the elevator and hit the down button, worry washing over her. “Is she okay? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“If it makes you feel any better, she didn’t tell me either. Josh found out about it when he and Noah were talking about some business project in Seattle. It’s pretty bad when you find out your best friend had to go to the ER from your husband, who found out after he talked to his brother. These guys are notorious for withholding information, but I hardly expected it from Libby.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell you?” Blair asked. “You two are going through this pregnancy together, and besides, you’re sisters-in-law now.”
“Libby’s embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? Why?”
“She’s worried she’s already failing at motherhood.”
“Already?” Blair asked in disbelief. “She’s barely pregnant, and besides, she’s going to be an amazing mother.”
“You know Libby,” Megan said as the elevator doors opened, and the two women stepped inside. “She’s full of insecurities when it comes to her parents. She’s terrified she’ll fail because of her role models—or lack thereof, I should say.”
“That’s ridiculous. Libby is one of the most giving people I know, and giving’s like the core of motherhood, right? Which is why I’ll never be a mother. I can’t even give Garrett what he needs.”
Megan’s eyes widened. “Are you and Garrett having problems?”
“No.” Blair paused. “I don’t know.”
Megan was surprisingly quiet during the short walk to the restaurant. When the waitress came to take their drink order, Megan ordered her bacon cheeseburger and a water, then turned to Blair. “You ready to order?”
Blair laughed. “I haven’t even had a chance to look at the menu yet.”
“How hard can it be? You always order a salad.”
She did always order a salad. Was it because she was like Allison, worried that Garrett wouldn’t love her if she gained weight?
No, Garrett wasn’t like that. He loved her, and his love wasn’t dependent on her hip size.
“That’s an awful lot of thinking over a salad,” the waitress said.
To hell with it. “Give me a cheeseburger too.”
Megan laughed in surprise.
“And we’ll both take French fries,” Blair added. “And a side order of onion rings.”
The waitress walked away, and Megan covered Blair’s hand with her own. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do you have plans tonight for Valentine’s Day?”
Blair laughed, but it was hollow. “We don’t do Valentine’s Day, remember? It’s a commercial holiday.”
“Then why do you sound irritated that you don’t have plans?”
Blair rested her face in her hands. “I don’t know. That’s what has me screwed up. I hate Valentine’s Day, but I want Garrett to want to do something anyway. How stupid is that?”
“While I agree it’s a commercial holiday, it is a day to show the person you love how much you care about them. There’s nothing wrong with wanting Garrett to show you that he loves you.”
Blair shook her head. “Garrett isn’t the problem. I’m the problem.”
“What does that mean?”
“I can’t give him what he wants.”
“I don’t believe that. That man loves you. Look at everything he did to stop your wedding to Neil. You are what he wants.”
Blair leaned closer. “He told me his old boss offered him a lot more money to return to San Diego.”
Megan held her gaze for several seconds. “Does he want to go back to San Diego?”
“He says he doesn’t…”
“You don’t believe him?”
“Why did he bring it up?” Blair asked.
Megan shook her head. “Maybe because he was honored and flattered that his old boss wanted him back so much and he wanted to share it with his wife.”
Blair groaned. “I’m suc
h an idiot. I told him to take it and go without me. But I don’t blame him if he wants to. I’ve been impossible to live with since Christmas.”
“Oh, Blair.” Megan was silent when the waitress brought their drinks, then sighed when she walked away. “Did you ever stop to think you’re more like Libby than you’ll admit?”
Blair’s back stiffened. “Libby and I couldn’t be more different than night and day.”
“That’s a crock of bullshit if I ever heard it.”
“How can you seriously call us alike?”
Seriousness washed over Megan’s face. “You both think you’re unlovable.”
Blair rolled her eyes. “What psychobabble are you talking about?”
“Blair, come on. Why did you tell Garrett to go to San Diego?”
“I don’t know!” she said defensively and then shrugged. “I don’t want to be his anchor.”
“His anchor? Why would you be his anchor?”
“Look, Megan,” Blair said. “You and I both know I’m impossible to live with.”
“And yet Garrett’s in the thick of it with you. He knew exactly who you were when he tried to win you back and when he married you. He knew exactly who you were when he decided to leave San Diego and start a practice with just the two of you. Some would even argue that’s more of a commitment than marriage.”
“It’s not called the honeymoon period for nothing, Megan. The magic is over and reality has set in. Maybe the shine of living with me has rubbed off. Can you honestly tell me you and Josh are all sunshine and roses? At least Garrett and I had been together for a year. You knew Josh four days before you married him.”
Blair expected Megan to get upset—wanted her to be so she’d back off—but she gave Blair an expressionless stare. “Go on. What else?”
“What else what?”
Megan rested her forearms on the table and clasped her hands. “Keep lashing out, Blair. That’s what you do when someone starts getting close enough to make you feel vulnerable. But guess what? Josh has made me more confident about who I am. So take your best shot, because the tougher your barbs, the closer we get to the heart of the matter. I’m your best friend, Blair. I’ll go to hell and back for you, so bring it.”
Blair’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell happened to you?”
“I’ve done a lot of soul searching. I’ve figured out why I dated guys who cheated on me. Now you need to figure out why you keep pushing away the people who love you.”
“You’re full of shit, Megan.”
Megan winked. “That too. Pregnancy hormones are notorious for constipation.”
“TMI, Megs,” Blair said, shuddering.
“Nice try. I’m still going to make you face your demons.”
“Wrong holiday,” Blair said dryly.
“Just don’t push Garrett away. He loves you, Blair. Why can’t you just accept that he loves you?”
She shrugged at Megan, offering a weak smile, as if to say I don’t know. Although the question wasn’t really if she could accept that Garrett loved her. She knew he did. But would this be enough for them?
Chapter 4
“Now boarding flight 265 to Denver,” the overhead speaker blared.
Garrett looked at his watch for the umpteenth time, then leaned back his head and breathed a sigh of relief, his anxiety dropping a level. Finally. He was going home. Just a short stop in Denver and then he would get home and could make everything right with Blair. He’d hoped she would call him back, but it had been radio silence. He told himself it didn’t mean anything. They weren’t a clingy couple, but he couldn’t shake the feeling something big was on the horizon and it made him nervous as hell. He needed to convince her he wasn’t going anywhere as long as she wanted him, because after pouting for two hours, he’d realized she was pushing him away because she was scared.
She’d done it before and he’d let it destroy them.
He wouldn’t let it happen again.
He’d left her alone, but now he thought that had been a mistake. He tried to call her one last time, but the phone went to voice mail. “Blair, I’m finally boarding my flight to Denver. My connecting flight from Denver to K.C. has also been delayed, so I think I’ll be able to make it.” He handed his ticket to the gate attendant and started down the tunnel to the plane. “I can’t wait to see you, Blazer.”
The flight to Denver was smooth, but the plane got stuck on the tarmac and he missed his connecting flight. When he deplaned, an airline employee was waiting at the gate with new tickets, but his new flight was taking off in twenty minutes, which meant he had to sprint to his gate. He barely made it, plopping in his seat as they closed the cabin door.
He pulled out his phone to call Blair, but the flight attendant shot him a glare.
“Sir, turn your cell phone off.”
He gave her a grim smile and sent Blair a quick text before he stuffed his phone into his pocket.
I made my flight to KC. See you soon.
* * *
Blair had hoped the lunch break would help Allison put things in perspective, but she seemed even more confrontational.
After an hour of getting nowhere, Dane closed his laptop and gave Blair a pointed look. “It’s obvious we’re not going to come to an agreement. We’re just wasting our time. We’ll just let the court decide this.”
Blair shot Allison an exasperated look, then turned back to Dane. “If you could give me a moment with my client…”
“We’ve given you several. What’s the point of giving you one more? Besides, it’s four o’clock. Let’s just call it a day.”
As the afternoon had worn on, Megan’s lecture had sunk in, and Blair realized how right her friend had been. But as Blair watched Allison become more and more resistant, she wondered how much of Megan’s lecture actually applied to her client.
“Please,” Blair pleaded. “We might settle more than you think.”
Dane cocked his head to the side and released a groan. “I’ll give you five minutes, but if your client doesn’t start budging drastically when we reconvene, we’re done.”
Blair nodded. “Agreed.”
Dane and Marco stood and left the room, closing the door behind them.
Blair swiveled in her seat to face her client. “Allison, you told me you were certain Marco was having an affair. Why were you so certain?”
Allison stiffened. “I just was.”
“You were married two years. When did things start to go wrong?”
“Right away.”
Her response came so quickly and effortlessly, but there was something about Allison’s expression that made Blair doubt her. “Are you sure about that, Allison?”
Allison shrugged. “Okay, maybe a year ago.”
Blair realized she needed to adopt a different tactic. “What made you fall for Marco?”
Some of the tension eased from Allison’s shoulders. “His smile. He just looked at me like I was the only woman in the world. And he made me believe that I was a…”
“That you were what?”
She looked up at Blair with tear-filled eyes. “That I was a good person.” She laughed, but it was bitter. “That’s stupid, right? I did a lot of bad things in high school and college. Things I can’t take back.”
“Oh, Allison.” How did this happen? How could two people start out so happy and then end so unhappy? “We all do stupid things. But we learn from them. We grow up.” Blair gave Allison a smile. “Marco wasn’t from your group of friends, right? He didn’t know you when you were that person.”
Allison looked down at her lap and nodded. “Yeah.”
“He brought out a different side of you, and you liked who you were with him.”
She looked up, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Yeah.”
Blair’s throat tightened. If Allison could have her happily ever after and lose it, what guarantee was there that the same wouldn’t happen to her? But she had to know the rest of the story, no matter how scared she was to hear it.
“What happened? What made things fall apart?”
“I kept waiting for him to leave me.” She wiped her cheek. “I got tired of waiting.”
Blair closed her eyes and rubbed her left temple. This was so damn familiar it burned. “So you pushed him away.”
She nodded, her tears flowing. “I guess so. First I tried to change myself, eating like a bird, sexy lingerie…I even got new boobs.” She thrust out her chest. “But then, I stopped eating celery and carrots and I gained a few pounds and I felt ugly. I stopped wearing the lacy bras and panties and started acting cold and bitchy so he wouldn’t want to see me naked. I started picking fights, and pushing him away…” She released a tiny sob. “Until we ended up here.”
“Do you still love him?”
Allison broke into a sob. “I’ve been so awful to him. He’ll never take me back.”
The truth was, Blair couldn’t be sure. Maybe Allison had pushed Marco too far. Maybe it was possible to push a person so hard, so far away, that they never come back. But how could she tell Allison that?
“You’ll never know until you try.” She leaned forward and caught Allison’s eyes. “I’m going to send him in here, just the two of you, so you can talk things over.”
“My mother will kill me. She never wanted me to marry Marco.”
“Allison, you have to live your own life.”
“She’ll cut me off. If I stay with him, I’ll be poor.”
“Then I guess you have to decide whether you want love or money. But if you decide you want the money, then give him a break and stop fighting him.”
Allison nodded, her tears still falling.
“How about we call it a day and give you time to decide?”
She shook her head. “No. I know what I want to do. Can I talk to him?”
“I’ll see if he’s willing.”
Blair got up and left a still-crying Allison at the table. Dane and Marco were in the client lounge, grabbing their coats.
Dane grimaced. “Sorry, Blair. We’re calling it.”
Blair ignored him and turned to his client. “Marco?”
He turned to her in surprise. “Yeah?”
“Allison would like to speak with you privately.”
Dane scowled. “Is this some kind of manipulation tactic to get him to give her what she wants?” He glanced back at his client. “I should be in there with you.”
The Valentine: The Wedding Pact #4 Page 3