Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin [91]
"Hi, Claire!" Dex says robustly.
"What are you two doing here?" She switches her mustard-colored Prada bag from one shoulder to the other and smiles a bewildered smile.
I laugh nervously. "What are you doing here?" I ask. It is a feeble attempt to buy a few seconds. I am terrible under pressure, an absolute disaster. I should not be a litigator, at least not the kind who might ever see the light of a courtroom. I am better suited to my big boxes of documents in over-air-conditioned conference rooms.
"I left work early today to get ready for the party tomorrow. I was just at Kate's Paperie buying wrapping paper and a card for Darcy." She glances at our brown paper bags. I am carrying our Snapples; Dex has the sandwiches. "Are you having lunch?"
"No," Dex says. He is perfectly composed. "Well yes, we just bought lunch. But I'm headed to my car—about to leave for the Hamptons."
"Oh," she says, but is still not satisfied. Luckily she keeps her eyes on Dex. I have more faith in him than in myself.
"I had to give Rachel something to give to Darcy," Dex says.
She cocks her head to the side. "What's that?"
I don't think she's suspicious; she simply does not consider that what we are doing may not be her business. In her eyes, she is in the inner Darcy circle, privy to any information that concerns her friend. And Dex and I most certainly concern Darcy.
"A note," Dex says. "A little something I want Darcy to have before her wild and crazy night on the town."
"Oh." Claire smiles, clearly not wondering why Dex couldn't just leave the note in their apartment, why he would need to designate me as his messenger. "Well, it is going to be wild and crazy. Count on that."
"I can only imagine…" Dex says.
"So, Rachel, are you taking the afternoon off then?"
I stammer and stutter and say no, yes, I'm not sure, maybe.
"Oh, screw work. Just come with me and run my last-minute errands for the party. I'm on my way to Lingerie on Lex to get a few extra things," she says. We have designated tomorrow evening a hybrid lingerie shower-bachelorette party. "Please come?"
"All right. Sure. I just need to run up and change my clothes and make one phone call. I'll meet you in fifteen?"
"Great!" Claire says.
I wait for her to leave first, hoping that I can have a moment alone with Dex, but she is firmly rooted to the sidewalk. After a few seconds, Dex gives up and tells us good-bye. I am careful not to look at him as he leaves.
"All right then," I say to Claire. "See you in a few."
I walk home in a panic, telling myself we are fine, that surely Claire doesn't suspect such a monumental betrayal. Dex calls just as I close my apartment door. I answer the phone, my hands shaking.
"Hey," Dex says. "Can you believe that?"
"Omigod," I say. "I feel like I'm going to faint. Where are you?"
"Around the corner. In the car… Think we're okay?"
"I hope so," I say, feeling my pulse slowly return to normal. "You were good… How'd you come up with that excuse so quickly?"
"I don't know. She bought it, didn't she?"
"Seemed to… but what are we going to do about the note?"
"I'm writing one now… Shit, I have no idea what to write. This is ridiculous… I'm going to come up, okay?"
I tell him that it's not a good idea, that I have to go meet Claire.
He sighs. "I wanted to spend some time with you. Can't you get out of it?"
I feel myself weakening. "Don't you think it might look suspicious if I blow her off?"
"C'mon. Just for a few minutes?"
"Okay," I say. "Come up. But only to give me the note. Then I really have to go meet her."
He arrives at my door minutes later, handing me my sandwich and the folded note. I put them both on my coffee table next to our Snapples. We sit on my couch.
"How does stuff like that always happen in this city?" I ask.
"I know," he says, taking my hands. He tries to kiss me, but I am still too shaken to really reciprocate.