Warning Track (24 page)

Molly walked up and didn’t say a word, just stepped into Jane’s warm embrace and cried on her best friend’s shoulder.
 

**Lucy**

“When do the two new girls get here?” Lucy asked, as she finished placing her things back on her desk that they’d moved into Patty’s office. They were sharing an office, for the time being, until Jane could find a new space in the big city of Atlanta. They wanted a small, welcoming area like Decatur, but there weren’t many options in the artsy neighborhood. The two new girls Jane hired temporarily were going to have two desks, back to back, in the entryway where they would greet customers, take care of day-to-day tasks and be the “office managers.” Basically, they were the offices bitches…whatever Patty, Jane and Lucy needed, they would get.
 

Even though Patty had an office to herself before, she was more than happy to share with Lucy. In the back of Lucy’s mind, she knew if the shoe was on the other foot and she was the one who had to share her office, she wouldn’t be as accommodating.
 

Although, nothing fazed Patty these days; she was head-over-heels in love with Marc and there wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t walk into the office with an I-just-had-hair-raising-amazing-sex-with-my-hot-boyfriend look on her face and a certain kind of strut to her walk. Lucy was jealous because Patty’s life seemed so easy, so seamless. Lucy wished her life was that easy, instead she had to deal with, not only Connor and Austin, but the bitch-slut, Molly, as well.
 

Thankfully, she didn’t show up to Thanksgiving, so Lucy didn’t have to act fake all day, even though she was prepared to put on a good face for Connor. She patted herself on the back for putting forth an effort, even though it wasn’t needed.

“They should arrive any minute…” Jane said, as the door to the office chimed and two girls in their early twenties walked in, holding giant designer bags and looking like absolute perfection in their heels and pencil skirts. Lucy pushed her glasses up as she looked down at her bloated self in a maternity dress and flats, knowing full-well that she looked like the Friar of Frumpville, The Princess of the Vagabonds, and Heiress to the Lazy and Crazy. She looked like a real peach.
 

Lucy hadn’t taken part in the interviews…that was more Patty, Jane, and Albert, who was doing consulting work for them. Just from the look of the two girls, Lucy knew they weren’t going to get along; they were straight from bitch-row, plucked from the TV show
Gossip Girl
, ready to raise some hell.
 

“Sloan, Kasey, I’m so glad you’re here,” Jane cooed, as she ushered them into the office and toward the conference table where Jane had beautifully set out some coffee and pastries for their morning meeting.
 

The girls all sat down and grabbed a coffee, Jane and Lucy settled for tea. Jane lifted the tray of pastries to the girls and they turned their noses up at the flaky delicacies.
 

“We’re watching what we eat,” one of them answered, as the other popped a tic-tac in her mouth. Lucy rolled her eyes and Jane set the tray back down, away from Lucy’s reach.
 

“Well, I’m not watching what I eat, hand those bad boys over so Mama can stuff one down her face,” Lucy said, as Jane looked at her oddly. Lucy grabbed a cheese Danish and stuffed half the thing in her mouth, while smiling and nodding about how good it was. Both of the girls looked at her as if she forgot to take her medication this morning.
 

“Pregnancy hormones,” Jane said apologetically. Lucy just slouched in her seat and licked her fingers as Jane made introductions. Lucy was tempted to pat her belly and belch, but held back, she didn’t want to look like complete trash.

Sloan and Kasey were both recent graduates, with minimal event planning experience, but looking to learn. They were sorority sisters–go figure–and had graduated with honors, which was surprising, given the French manicures on their nails and their perfectly-combed hair. Maybe they majored in appearance, because they nailed that, Lucy thought, as she looked them over while finishing off her Danish in two bites, a pregnancy record for her.
 

“We’re so glad you’re both here,” Jane continued. “As you can see, both Lucy and I are pregnant and will be due within a month of each other, so we’re going to need a lot of extra hands around here. Patty and Albert, who you met in your interview, will be in charge while Lucy and I are out. Albert will be in charge of bringing in business, meetings, etc. and Patty will be in charge of all logistics. Right now, Lucy and Patty handle the events together, while I oversee them; they’ll be showing you two the ropes, while I work closely with Albert.”

Lucky bitch, Lucy thought to herself. She would love to just work with Albert; life would be so much easier, not that she didn’t like working with Patty, she loved Patty, she just didn’t think she would like hanging around Sloan and Kasey very much.
 

Sloan had perma-bitch face, the poor girl. She was average height and had brown hair and brown eyes that freakishly matched her hair perfectly. It was almost odd. Kasey had strawberry blonde hair, pale skin and light blue eyes, almost like Patty, but with more of an Emma Stone kind of look. Sloan was more bitchy-looking than Kasey, but Kasey had a good nose snub, Lucy could tell.
 

Lucy zoned out as Jane talked about the company and everything that they did, what their duties entailed and how they were going to start incorporating the girls into their daily operations. The whole time, Lucy silently talked to the cherry Danish in front of her, asking it if it wanted a permanent home in her belly, because she was more than happy to oblige.
 

“Oh my God! The Braves’ Christmas Party!” one of the girls shrieked, pulling Lucy away from the eye-fucking she was giving the Danish.
 

“Yes, but as professionals, we don’t let such celebrity events affect us, right?” Jane semi-scolded.
 

Both the girls nodded their heads, but were not very convincing. Lucy stepped in, since she was irritated, hungry and ornery.
 

“Listen, you knew when you girls took this job that you would be working with celebrities; we pride ourselves in, not only being able to keep their events out of the public knowledge, but also providing them with a professional, non-fan-girl experience. Do you understand?”

Jane eyed Lucy, but then turned to Sloan and Kasey for their confirmation in understanding.
 

“Yes,” they both said at the same time, while nodding their heads.
 

Lucy inwardly smiled as she thought about just putting the two girls in their place; her job here was done.
 

Bitch-face, aka Sloan, raised her hand and said, “Can I just say one thing before we go back into professional mode?”

Jane laughed and said, “Please, by all means, gush.”

Sloan transformed into a gushing fan-girl as she said, “Brady and you are so amazing together,” Sloan complimented Jane. “And Marc, oh my God, he is so hot,” she said to Patty, who smiled at the compliment. “But I have to say, my heart is set on the one and only Austin Lee. I’ll be marrying him one day, I just know it in my bones.”

Every muscle in Lucy’s body tensed as she listened to Sloan go on and on about how attractive Austin was, how he was the epitome of every male and how his face was plastered all over her dorm room. There was no reason for her to be getting…jealous? Was that the annoying feeling she was experiencing? Jealousy? As Sloan gushed over Austin, Lucy sat back and ground her teeth together.
 

“Off limits,” Lucy mumbled, as she picked at the cherry Danish she was eye-fucking earlier.
 

“What was that?” Sloan asked, all perky with her flat stomach and cute smile…stupid bitch-face.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Patty asked as she practically lifted Lucy out of her chair and guided her to their office. Patty shut the door quietly and turned toward Lucy. “What is your deal?” Patty asked with her arms crossed.
 

“What?” Lucy asked innocently.

“You know what. Why are you being nasty out there?”
 

Lucy pointed toward the conference table and said, “Did you see the bitch-face out there, the brown-haired one? She’s staring at me like I just ate her mom. And don’t get me started on the way fire crotch is judging me for eating a Danish.”

“You ate it in two bites; I judged you!” Patty defended.
 

“I was hungry! You don’t understand what a child does to you. You wear pregnancy Spanx…” Lucy said, while snapping her belly-slimming undergarment, “…you eat like a man who’s never tasted a vagina before and you say shit out loud that normally you would bitch about later.”

“Well, you need to rein it in, because these girls will be with us for quite some time. They’re quite qualified and work their asses off. Yes, they look like the return of the Valley Girls, but I promise you, they’ll be great assets to the company. You have to trust us.”

“I trust you,” Lucy admonished. I just don’t like bitch-face…”

“Sloan,” Patty corrected.
 

Lucy swallowed hard and said, “Sloan, I don’t like how she is talking about Austin.”

“What does it matter? You’re with Connor and you guys are in love. It shouldn’t matter who talks about Austin, unless…”

“What?” Lucy asked, while looking down at her feet that she was still able to see past her belly.
 

“Lucy….please don’t tell me you still have feelings for Austin.”

Lucy’s head shot up and she was instantly offended. “Of course I don’t! How could you say such a thing? My heart is with Connor…”

“Then, what’s the problem?” Patty asked, confused.
 

“I just don’t want bitch-face being the wife to my baby daddy,” Lucy confessed.
 

Patty shook her head and said, “They haven’t even met and you have her marrying Austin? Even if they did ‘get married’,” Patty said, using air quotes, “you can’t control that, so stay out of it or else you are going to fuck things up with Connor. Deal with thing things you can only control yourself. And if it so happens that your child calls Sloan, step-mommy bitch-face, then so be it,” Patty smiled.

Lucy playfully pushed Patty as she said, “So, you agree with me, she has a bitch-face?”

Patty looked Lucy in the eyes and said, “Look up bitch-face in the dictionary; you won’t be surprised to see Sloan’s picture in there.”

Both of them laughed as they headed back out to the conference table where they finished talking about the Braves’ Christmas Party and what needed to be finalized before the big event. The two new girls annoyed Lucy, but after her little talk with Patty, she was feeling much better. Especially since Patty had the same feelings about Sloan’s face.
 

**Parker**

Parker paced the length of Margo’s apartment, which wasn’t very long, as he waited for her to get home. He’d spent the last couple of weeks living in a suitcase, going from Margo’s place, to Jake and Lexi’s and even visiting his parents. When he wasn’t with Margo, he felt empty, like he was missing something and when they were together, Parker had never felt more at home. He decided to stay in multiple homes because he didn’t want to crowd Margo; he wanted her to have some space between them because what they had between them was good and he didn’t want to fuck it up by forcing himself upon her. Although, when he was at Jake and Lexi’s beach house, Margo came over frequently and they had game nights which led to drinking, which led to them going back to Margo’s, which then led to some pretty hot sex. So in the end, they ended up at Margo’s apartment in the long run, but the fact that he was trying to give her some space made him feel like he was doing the right thing.

He was coming back to her place from a couple night’s stay at his parents’ house, so he hadn’t seen her in a couple of days, but they did talk on the phone every night. It was ridiculous how attached at the hip they were, but Parker wouldn’t have it any other way. Leaving her for spring training was going to be a bitch, but he wasn’t thinking about that at the moment. He was just enjoying each day he had with her.

The Braves’ Christmas Party was in a couple of days and there was nothing Parker wanted more than to take Margo with him. He’d already cleared the days she’d be gone with her boss, he just needed to get her to commit to going with him. She was very committed to her job, so he just hoped she didn’t get mad that he’d gone behind her back to get clearance. He was doing a nice thing in his head, even if he did go behind her back and pull some “celebrity” strings.

Footsteps ran up the stairs to Margo’s apartment door and Parker smiled to himself. It was like that every day she knew he was sitting in her home, waiting for her. He spent most of his days at the batting cages at Cal U, his alma mater. Luckily, his former coach was more than happy to lend him the batting cages and workout facilities, since he was one of their famous alumni. But when four o’clock rolled around, Parker was hitting the showers and rushing back to Margo’s, so he was home when she got off of work.
 

The front door flew open and Margo stood in the entryway, wearing a hip-hugging yellow pencil skirt, a navy and white polka dot shirt that was tucked in and pasted to her body, and a pair of nude-colored high heels. She looked sexy as hell.