Page 83 of Having Henley
“You saw Jessica with Ephraim Viaga?”
I let my smile fall flat because I get the sudden impression that what I saw isn’t as funny as I thought it was. “Yeah. This afternoon. In the elevator of my apartment building. My guess is a lot of major leaguers live there during the season since it’s right across the street from the ballpark.”
“Did you tell anyone else?” Her hand shoots across the table to clip itself around my wrist. “Connor? Did you tell Connor?”
The way she says it makes my stomach hurt. Like knowing that Jessica Renfro was sleeping with a baseball player was something that would upset him. I think about the way she used to show up at his house with her long blonde hair and perfect smile. She wanted Connor, but I had him, even if she didn’t know it. What if the tables were turned now? What if—
“Jessica is engaged to Declan.” Tess throws it out there, the declaration landing on the table between us with a dull thud. I know I’m staring at her with my mouth open because she sighs. “Yeah. I know.” She rolls her eyes in disgust, but I catch it. Hurt. Saying it hurts her. “They’re getting married next spring.”
“Declan?” I shake my head, completely unable to put the two of them together. It was always Conner she wanted. Conner, she pursued. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does if you know the story.” She pushes her plate away before easing herself out of our booth. “It’s a long one. One I’m willing to tell but not here.” She didn’t look willing at all. If anything, she looked resigned.
“Okay.” I stand up. Reaching into my purse, I pull out a few bills and toss them on the table without looking at the check. “Where are we going?”
Tess makes a sound in the back of her throat, reaching down to fan the bills I tossed across the table. “There’s a couple hundred dollars here,” she says, shaking her head at me. “The bill was less than thirty.”
“The service was excellent,” I say, fighting the flush that’s creeping up my neck. I let my mother dress me like a doll. I allowed Spencer to choose my college. Buy my cars. Send me on trips. This is the only way I actively spend the money I suddenly find myself drowning in. I give it away, every chance I get. “Now are you going to tell me about Jessica and Declan, or not?”
“Sure, okay.” Tess shrugs, like after thinking about it, my excessive tipping isn’t worth busting my chops over. “Come on—I’ll tell you all about it while you drive me home.”
