Drew Evans, a confident playboy and successful businessman, suddenly isolates himself, claiming he has the flu. The real reason? Katherine Brooks, a smart and ambitious new hire at his father’s firm, turns his life upside down. Drew’s attraction to her challenges his arrogance, leading him to question everything. Can he win at love?
“Asslickingturdballmotherfuckerbitch. See?” Shamu turns away. “Whatever.” Huh. That was disappointing. The pregnancy must be wearing her out. And speaking of pregnancy-Kate waddles into the room. Her hair is long and shiny. It sways left to right as she moves. Her brow’s wrinkled tiredly, and one hand rests on her lower back to help support the…
“How do you know that?” I ask as I trail behind him. He shrugs. “When Alexandra was pregnant, I read a lot. I wanted to be prepared in case she went into labor at a family function, or if we got stuck in a cab together during rush-hour traffic.” He unzips the bag and adds,…
“It may take some time for my mother to understand everything. She probably won’t be very nice to you in the meantime.” Drew sits on the edge of the bed and shrugs. “I’m not concerned about your mother.” “No?” “She loves you. She’ll fall in line when she realizes I’m what you want. That I…
Drew snorts. “She was fucking genius.” I’m willing to accept the part I played in the situation, but I don’t have a martyr complex. So I ask, “If you thought I was cheating on you, why couldn’t you react like a normal guy? Punch a wall or get drunk. Why do you have to come…
Kind of poetic, don’t you think? Somberly, I tell him, “Drew, we need to talk.” He regards me cautiously. “No conversation in the history of the world that started with that phrase has ever ended well. Why don’t we sit down.” I sit on the couch. He takes the recliner and swivels to face me.…
And it’s not that I’m not deeply happy in a way I can’t fully describe. Despite what I said earlier, there is warm comfort in the knowledge that Drew’s words, the stripper, all stemmed from a terrible misunderstanding. It’s the prayer of every person who’s ever been told heartbreaking news. Your son was killed in…
“There was a guy’s name in your calendar . . . and you lied . . . and I saw you hugging that man. How could you think I wouldn’t want a baby? Our baby?” “You told me to have an abortion.” His hands tighten around mine. “I would never say that to you.” “You…
“And you’ve had some bleeding and cramping?” “That’s right.” “Can you describe the blood for me, please? The color? Were there any clots?” My voice is raspy. “It started out brownish-pink. Like the first day of my period. On the way to the hospital there was a gush . . . of bright-red blood .…
Forty-eight hours ago, I didn’t know what I was capable of, what kind of steel pumps in my veins. Now I do. And I guess that’s the moral of the story. You have to fall down, scrape your palms and knees, before you know you have the ability to pick yourself back up. So don’t…
“Go home, Drew. You’re wasting your time. I have no desire to play the field at this particular point in my life.” That takes him by surprise. “But . . . why not? I thought . . .” He trails off. And then his eyes harden. “Is this about him? Are you seriously fucking telling…