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Well, she did not doubt that the rest could come later. Caitlyn wouldn’t be the only naked one by the end of the hour.
Chapter 22
Rebecca
“No… no…” Tucked away in her corner of the waiting room, Rebecca scrolled through Jane’s work emails in an attempt to find the information her partner asked for. Right now, Jane and Caitlyn were in a meeting, and Janesworethere was a missing spreadsheet she was emailed and it would be embarrassing if she showed up without it. “Nope. Don’t think it’s here…”
Rebecca was trapped between three moving parts, and she didn’t know how to get away from any of them without making a mess. When she wasn’t searching emails, she was cross-checking the schedule for the rest of the day. And could she do this from the comfort of the office or even home? No, because she had pulled Cecelia out of school early that day to run her to Jane’s “lady parts” doctor, as she sonicelycalled Dr. Cho in the downtown medical office.
The same one I go to. Sheesh.And now Cecelia also saw Dr. Cho, although Rebecca had no idea why. She was too young for a routine exam, but it had also been twenty years since Rebecca was Cecelia’s age. The reasons a modern fifteen-year-old went to the Mandarin-speaking OBGYN were probably a lot different from why Rebecca attempted her own doctor appointments back in the mid-2000s.Because my dad wasn’t gonna do it for me.
Cecelia had been in there a long time. She would return any moment, Rebecca was sure. She should be ready to drive either straight to the office or home with Cecelia, who was comfortable enough hanging out in the office until it was time to go home. There was an empty assistant’s desk in a corner that was the perfect place for doing homework.
“I’m sorry, I don’t see the files you’re looking for!”she texted Jane.“Maybe he didn’t actually send them!”
She didn’t know why she was using exclamation points, but it felt right.
Cecelia came out five minutes later, around the time Becca pulled herself together and had a five minute break to flip through a magazine and drink some of the cold water from the waiting room dispenser. Since Cecelia was a minor, Becca had to go up to the window and help her check out. There were no follow-up appointments, but there was a prescription to fill.
Birth control?When Cecelia realized her prescription was right where Becca could see it, she snatched it away, face scrunched and cheeks blazing like fire.Jane, you have some explanation to give.She knew about this, right?
Of course she did. Becca was probably the last to know.
Her phone rang as they were leaving the doctor’s office, giving Cecelia permission to keep all her secrets to herself without it being too awkward. “Yes?” Rebecca answered before they got into the elevator where she was sure to lose the signal. Ceceliatook the opportunity to hit the restroom. “This is Rebecca Pruitt.”
“Oh, good, somebody is answering!” It was Chara, the real estate agent. “Listen, I’m guessing that Caitlyn and her wife are doing something very important, but I havegotto let you guys know about this absolute steal dropping in price! It doesn’t checkallof your boxes, but most of them, including four beds, five baths, and views like you wouldn’t believe. It’s a penthouse!”
“Really? I’m sure we can come see it after five if you’re available.”
“I’ve got to show you thisnow.Look, a friend of mine in the biz is doing me a favor because he knows how much I’m struggling to find you guys something, and he’s been stressed to sell this place. A buyer has already pulled out after the initial negotiations and the owner is motivated to sell. The price drop goes publictonight. We want you guys to have first dibs.”
This was out of Becca’s wheelhouse. Meanwhile, her partners were in a meeting, and they were adamant that they needed to focus on work that afternoon. Becca told Chara she’d call her back in ten minutes.
Well… here went nothing.
“Yes?” Jane sounded winded enough that she probably quickly excused herself from the meeting to take Becca’s call. “If this is about the spreadsheet…”
Becca apologized for interrupting the meeting but was quick to get to the point. Jane was incredulous thatthiswas happening right now, but when she took over the meeting so Caitlyn could get on the phone, the importance of this became more apparent.
“I’ll call Chara. Get the address from her and meet us there. We’re about to wrap up this meeting, regardless of what Jane thinks.” Caitlyn sighed. “They are completely unprepared for us in there and I’m tired of their shit.”
By the time Cecelia returned from the restroom, Becca was ready to get in the car and drive one mile down the road. It was not in the direction of home or the office.
“Have you been in a penthouse yet?” Becca asked the girl squirming in her seat because her medical business was now loose. “Because that’s where we’re going.”
Cecelia looked at her as if it were a trap.
“Wow.” Caitlyn said what everyone was thinking once they were let inside the penthouse atop one of the oldest skyscrapers in the state. “It needs some work, but… wow.”
Cecelia was impressed enough to run up to one of the windows and peer down at the people who looked like tiny ants. “This is higher up than my friend Claudia’s room. She’s the one whose family owns Azure High Tower near White Fir,” she explained to her aunt nearby.
“As you can see,” Chara said as she gave the grand tour of the living area, “this place absolutelyoozescharm. Some of the biggest names in local history have lived here. In fact, you might be stunned to know that the last resident wasthePriscilla Winchester-Payne. Yes, one of those Winchesters.” She said that to Cecelia, who was probably confused as to why she should care. “Don’t you go to Winchester Academy?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
Jane was the only one who was silent about her initial impressions of the penthouse. Becca already knew that this wasn’t Jane’s style, based on everything she had heard whenever Jane had to look at real estate listings. But it was still unlike her to havenoopinion on a place.
“Ooh, I like this.” Caitlyn stepped out from a back bedroom and motioned for Becca to come over. “Check this out.” She pointed inside the room. “See that door there. It connects to the room next door. Perfect for those midnight rendezvous when you don’t want to alert anyone else in the house by making noise in the hallway.”
