Page 75 of The Betrayal
“Will you find out the gender?”
“We’re not sure, one minute we want to but I think Dex wants to keep it a surprise. He is old school,” she laughs softly, her eyes dragging back over to where we walked from.
“I like the idea of a surprise, nine months of growing a baby, going through labour and then being told whether they’re a boy or girl… I think,” I smile and look down at my own flat stomach. “As if I am having a baby,” I look up at Sage and blink.
“We can be bump buddies, our baby’s will only have a couple of months between them.”
“As much as that sounds amazing,” I say a little sadly, “I’m not sure long distance bump buddies will work.”
She looks at me with utter confusion on her face, brows furrowed as she lifts her iced tea to her lips.
“Long distance?”
“Yeah, you’re from London. This is just a business trip is it not?”
“No darling,” she laughs, “we’ve decided to stay. Prestige is doing really well and if we go ahead with this buy, then I would like to know that we’re close enough if something goes wrong.”
And I have no idea why, but I get teary.
“Oh Arizona,” She stands and wraps her arms around my shoulders.
“I am just so grateful that I got to meet you, and I know this is going to sound really weird…” I pause just as she takes her seat, “but I never had a mom growing up, it was just me and my dad and he was amazing, and his friends all helped out when needed but I missed having a female for certain things if you catch my drift…”
She nods.
“And I know you’re only a few years older than me, but you’re an amazing mom figure and you have taken me under your wing and with everything that has happened and is going to be happening, I am so, so grateful.”
“Arizona,” she tears up as she reaches for a napkin and wipes a tear that rolls down her cheeks. “You’re stuck with me now, I have never had a strong connection when it comes to girlfriends, but you, I don’t know… there was something about you that just felt so natural. I never really had a best girl friend growing up, it was just me and Wes, my boy best friend but I feel like the universe gave us each other for that reason.”
And now it was my time to blubber, just as the waitress walked over with our nachos.
“Are you both okay?”
“Yes, yes, we’re fine. Just pregnant and soppy,” Sage laughs through her tears and the waitress just looks at us, giving us a nod and walking away as quickly as she came.
“Think we scared her off?”
“Probably?” I laugh, wiping my eyes.
“Love you Arizona.”
“Love you too Sage,” my bottom lip trembles as I push a smile onto my face.
“Why are you both crying?” Dex finds us, his brows furrowed as he looks between the both of us.
“Hormones?” I say, even though I probably can’t use that excuse yet.
“Oh girls,” he sighs, pulling us both up and enveloping both of us in an embrace. “How am I going to cope over the next few months with you two running the clubs and tearing up all the time, hm?” he asks, placing a kiss on the top of each of our heads.
“Wait, you said clubs?” Sage pulls out of Dex’s embrace and looks up at him.
“I did baby, just signed on the dotted line.”
Her eyes widen and she squeals, wrapping her arms around Dex as I slip back and take my seat and pride blooms in my chest.
“Laced Promises is yours.”
“And you’re happy for me to make it more… not, strip club like?”