anything?”
“We need to talk when you get back,” Danielle said.
“About what?”
“You know what. About Kane Wright. You can’t go through with this escapade.”
“I need to run to the pharm—to the store. And then I need to get ready for work,”
she said. “We’ll talk when I get home later.”
“Nicole, I’m serious!”
“Sorry, got to run!” Nicole called, heading out the door.
The nearest Duane Read was only three blocks away, so she was there in under five minutes, careening through the isles like a madwoman, grabbing three different pregnancy tests and running to the counter.
The man behind the register rang up her purchases with a look of satisfaction on his face, as if he was thinking, “good, another New York Sex in the City slut gets her comeuppance.”
Maybe she was just being paranoid and he was merely remembering a funny joke someone had told him, but it didn’t feel that way. She felt judged.
But Nicole didn’t have time to be upset about what the guy at Duane Read thought of her. She took her little bag of pregnancy tests and ran the whole way back to her apartment building, then took the stairs two at a time until she reached her door.
Inside, Danielle waited, ready to pounce like a concerned puma. “Nicole, you need to tell me what’s going on,” she said. “You can’t do this again.”
“Do what again?” Nicole asked, brushing past her and moving toward the bathroom.
“You can’t just shut me out when you don’t need me, and then dump all of your problems on me when it’s convenient for you. It’s not fair.”
That slowed Nicole down. She was gripping the plastic bag that held the answers to a burning question, gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a bad friend. I don’t want to be, and I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me—I’m grateful, Danielle. But right now—“
“Right we are going to sit down and talk about Kane Wright. You can’t go through with this trip to the Caymans. What if he rapes you?”
Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the least of my concerns, honestly.”
“It shouldn’t be,” Danielle said, pointing at her. “He wants you, he’s doing anything he can to get you alone with him somewhere far away from any witnesses.”
“I think he’s just a very rich man used to getting what he wants.”
“Exactly. What if he decides he wants to have sex with you one night?”
It was a valid point. “I don’t know. My instincts tell me he’s not that kind of guy. Yes, he’s sneaky and entitled and I don’t like him much as a person. But rapist? I just don’t see it.”
“Well maybe you don’t, but I’m putting my foot down this time, Nic. You’ve gotten me involved now. I need you to call Kane and tell him you’re backing out on the deal.”
“I think he’s already made arrangements to pay off all your debt,” Nicole said.
“So even if I back out, he’ll have paid close to a hundred thousand dollars on your behalf.
We’re going to owe him either way.”
“Maybe I’ll call him and deal with it myself.”
“Look, Danielle, I don’t have time to argue. I’m sorry for dragging you into this—seriously, I am. But I need to get ready for work.”
Danielle glanced down at the bag.
For a moment, Nicole was sure she’d seen through the plastic and realized that Nicole had come back to the apartment with a bunch of pregnancy tests. But then she realized she was just being paranoid.
“Okay, do whatever you want Nicole. I’m just getting really tired of you treating me like an afterthought.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ve heard that one before.”
Nicole didn’t know what else to say. Danielle was right, of course, but Nicole had bigger problems. Like finding out for sure if her fears were unfounded or if she was going to be having a major life crisis.
She got to the bathroom and closed
“We need to talk when you get back,” Danielle said.
“About what?”
“You know what. About Kane Wright. You can’t go through with this escapade.”
“I need to run to the pharm—to the store. And then I need to get ready for work,”
she said. “We’ll talk when I get home later.”
“Nicole, I’m serious!”
“Sorry, got to run!” Nicole called, heading out the door.
The nearest Duane Read was only three blocks away, so she was there in under five minutes, careening through the isles like a madwoman, grabbing three different pregnancy tests and running to the counter.
The man behind the register rang up her purchases with a look of satisfaction on his face, as if he was thinking, “good, another New York Sex in the City slut gets her comeuppance.”
Maybe she was just being paranoid and he was merely remembering a funny joke someone had told him, but it didn’t feel that way. She felt judged.
But Nicole didn’t have time to be upset about what the guy at Duane Read thought of her. She took her little bag of pregnancy tests and ran the whole way back to her apartment building, then took the stairs two at a time until she reached her door.
Inside, Danielle waited, ready to pounce like a concerned puma. “Nicole, you need to tell me what’s going on,” she said. “You can’t do this again.”
“Do what again?” Nicole asked, brushing past her and moving toward the bathroom.
“You can’t just shut me out when you don’t need me, and then dump all of your problems on me when it’s convenient for you. It’s not fair.”
That slowed Nicole down. She was gripping the plastic bag that held the answers to a burning question, gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a bad friend. I don’t want to be, and I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me—I’m grateful, Danielle. But right now—“
“Right we are going to sit down and talk about Kane Wright. You can’t go through with this trip to the Caymans. What if he rapes you?”
Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the least of my concerns, honestly.”
“It shouldn’t be,” Danielle said, pointing at her. “He wants you, he’s doing anything he can to get you alone with him somewhere far away from any witnesses.”
“I think he’s just a very rich man used to getting what he wants.”
“Exactly. What if he decides he wants to have sex with you one night?”
It was a valid point. “I don’t know. My instincts tell me he’s not that kind of guy. Yes, he’s sneaky and entitled and I don’t like him much as a person. But rapist? I just don’t see it.”
“Well maybe you don’t, but I’m putting my foot down this time, Nic. You’ve gotten me involved now. I need you to call Kane and tell him you’re backing out on the deal.”
“I think he’s already made arrangements to pay off all your debt,” Nicole said.
“So even if I back out, he’ll have paid close to a hundred thousand dollars on your behalf.
We’re going to owe him either way.”
“Maybe I’ll call him and deal with it myself.”
“Look, Danielle, I don’t have time to argue. I’m sorry for dragging you into this—seriously, I am. But I need to get ready for work.”
Danielle glanced down at the bag.
For a moment, Nicole was sure she’d seen through the plastic and realized that Nicole had come back to the apartment with a bunch of pregnancy tests. But then she realized she was just being paranoid.
“Okay, do whatever you want Nicole. I’m just getting really tired of you treating me like an afterthought.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ve heard that one before.”
Nicole didn’t know what else to say. Danielle was right, of course, but Nicole had bigger problems. Like finding out for sure if her fears were unfounded or if she was going to be having a major life crisis.
She got to the bathroom and closed
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