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Alexandra shoots me a narrow look before turning back to her own row of clothes. "So...have you and Jacob talked about what happens after all of this? Like, when the playoffs are over? You just pretend that you're broken up and that Jacob is, what, an absentee stepfather?"
I feel a pang in my chest. "Not 'absentee'. Just not engaged. No one will look any further into our relationship when we announce it's over. Couples with kids break up all the time. And...well, we haven't exactly discussed it."
"You mean you, Little Miss-Plans-Every-Second-of-Every-Day-on-the-Calendar, didn't plan for a post-fake engagement plot?" Alexandra holds up another onesie, this time with a slogan that reads “Mommy's Little Tax Deduction”.
I roll my eyes. "Shut up." But she has a point.
I've been too preoccupied with the immediate task of convincing everyone that Jacob and I are in love, when in reality, I'm trying to keep my feelings in check and avoid any unnecessary complications.
But now that Alexandra mentions it...
I shake my head. "Let's just focus on getting through the next few weeks first."
"Right." Alexandra nods. "Because that's totally going to be easy with a fake fiancé and all."
My phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket just as Alexandra holds up another adorable onesie.
I fish it out and glance at the screen. The name Sophie Bennett flashes back at me.
"Who is it?" Alexandra asks, catching on to my sudden change in demeanor.
"It's...my intern. The one I inherited when I started this job."
Alexandra smirks. "The one you've been avoiding like the plague?"
I wince. "You noticed?"
My best friend nods, and I groan out loud, my back aching as I gaze at the ceiling.
At twenty-two years old, Sophie is young enough to call me "ma'am" but too old to not know how to use the office printer properly. Since I started this job, the eager college graduate has been trying to get me alone since the news of my fake engagement broke out. She wants to know all about it, and probably expects some juicy details about my supposed relationship with Jacob.
I've been dodging her questions and requests for lunch dates, hoping she'll eventually get the hint.
But now, with Alexandra's words still ringing in my ears, there's a niggling part of me that wonders if maybe I should tell my employee the truth.
Or maybe that's just my pregnancy brain coming up with crazy ideas.
Normally she texts, but when she calls, that means it's urgent. It seems like everything is these days.
"I have to take this," I mouth at Alexandra, before stepping away and answering the call.
"Hey, Sophie! What's up?" I say, trying to sound cheerful even though talking to Sophie usually means dealing with fires that need to be put out.
"Hi, Miss De Luca. Sorry to bother you on your off day off," she hesitates, "but I've got a few things to report. Thought we should get them out of the way now before the week starts."
"Okay. " I take a deep breath. "Shoot. I'm all ears."
"Well, first of all, the printer in the conference room is acting up again. I've tried everything, but it keeps jamming. It's going to need a technician to come look at it."
I sigh, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. This was not urgent at all.
"Okay, I'll schedule someone to come fix it tomorrow. What else?"
"Well," she pauses again, "we have a problem. With Evan Daniels and his interviews. Or lack thereof."
"Evan...Daniels." I try to place him. "You mean our starting goalie?"
"That's the one. I've tried everything to convince him, but he's not budging. He says..."
