“Well Lordy me,” Gloria says, shaking her head. “I would never have imagined she could be so devious.”
“They’re signed,” I say sheepishly.
“What’s in yours?” Emily asks, grabbing the other bag. “It better not be matching hats.”
She pulls out a copy ofGoodnight Moon.
“Awww, that’s more like it,” Gloria says.
“It was my favorite growing up,” I say. “I can’t wait to read it to my kids someday.”
Gloria kisses my cheek.
“You’re cute, ya know that?”
“It’s my only good quality.”
“I’m glad you’re here, Seth. It’s always a delight.”
“I’m glad I could come too. It’s great to see your place in person. It looked fabulous on Insta but wow. That pool. If I lived here, I would do nothing but lounge on a swan float drinking piña coladas.”
“Did you bring your swimsuit?” she asks.
“I wasn’t aware this was a baby shower slash pool party.”
“This is LA,” she retorts. “Every party is a slash pool party. And don’t worry, you can skinny-dip. LaCroix?”
I accept a coconut-flavored sparkling water that tastes deliciously of sunscreen.
Gloria’s sister, Eliana, emerges from inside the house, with Molly in tow.
Wow.
Molly looks so beautiful with the sun glinting off her curtain of dark hair that I have to look away. My days of admiring Molly’s beauty should be decidedly behind me. This is just a reflex.
“Elle!” I cry, getting up to give her a hug. “I had no idea you lived here.”
“Oh God, I don’t,” she says with an exaggerated shiver. “Neverever.I’m in New York with the sane people. I just flew in to host this shindig.”
“And what a host you are. So positive and full of joy,” Gloria says. “And only forty minutes late.”
“Sorry, I overslept. But just wait ’til you see what I have in store for you. You’llwishI were less fun.”
Molly slings an arm around Elle’s shoulders. “Miss Gutierrez here is always fun. You should have seen her last night at the bar. Threw back like ten tequilas and took home a twenty-four-year-old Australian surfer.”
“Um, you matched me on tequilas and spent all night flirting with a fireman,” Elle retorts. “Did you get his number?”
“Been texting with him all morning,” Molly chirps. “We’re going out for drinks tomorrow at that new cocktail bar on Fig.”
I try not to wince at the idea of Molly in the buff embrace of a heroic firefighter. Or in the buff embrace of anyone. The buff embraces in which Molly chooses to spend her time are most certainlynotmy business.
“Don’t brag,” Eliana says. “Anyway, now that I’m here to be master of ceremonies, shall we begin?”
“Do we have to play games?” Gloria asks. “Can’t we just sit here in the shade and eat cupcakes and have civilized conversation?”
“My dear sister, I did not spend upward of twenty minutes on TheBump.co researching baby shower games for us to be civilized.”
“I agree,” Emily says. “Let’s see what horrors Elle has concocted.”
