“Do you know what he’s saying?” Eva asked.
“Yeah, he might be saying, ‘Oh, my back, my back.’” Celeste laughed at her own joke.
“Ha ha. Very funny.” Cassidy shook her head with a smile. “No, I don’t know what he’s saying, but I’ve started taking a Spanish course. When we went to see his abuela—that’s grandmother in Spanish—in Puerto Rico for her ninetieth birthday last month, I couldn’t communicate with her and some of the other family members. I thought it would be nice for me to learn some words and phrases to ease communication.”
“Good idea. I’m sure Antonio will appreciate it.” Celeste signaled for the waiter. “We better get moving if we want to get to the next store in time for our appointment. I can’t wait to see all the cute little baby outfits.”
“Let me run to the bathroom,” Eva said, rising from the chair. She placed the credit card on the table to cover the meals. “I swear my bladder’s down to the size of a pea. Go ahead and get the chocolate dessert for your husband.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Cassidy said.
After Eva used the bathroom, she pulled out her lipstick to touch up her lips. As she stood there, a woman came in, but instead of going into one of the stalls, she walked over and stood next to her.
“Hi,” the woman said. Her dark brown eyes gave Eva a once-over, as if she were checking her out.
“Hi,” Eva said cautiously. A knot of unease settled in her gut.
The other woman was much taller, and her hair was cut very low in a short Afro. The haircut complemented the strong bone structure of her face. Her polished, stylish appearance made Eva think she came from a wealthy background.
“You’re Eva, right? Derrick Hoffman’s new wife.”
The knot grew larger. “Yes, that’s right. Were you at the wedding?”
“No. I’m an old friend of Derrick’s.”
The way she said the words, Eva knew immediately there had been nothing friendly about their acquaintance. She practically licked her lips when she said his name.
“My name’s Johnnie. When you passed by my table, I wasn’t sure at first if you were Derrick’s wife. I’m in Atlanta almost as much as I’m in New York because I have a place there. I saw the announcement in the society pages.”
Eva nodded, not sure what to say. “Oh, okay. Well, it was nice to meet you.”
As she turned to go, Johnnie said, “Well played, by the way.”
Against her better judgment, Eva stopped and turned around. “Excuse me? What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what I said. Getting pregnant was genius. The ratio of women to eligible men in Atlanta is something outrageous, isn’t it, like ten to one or something? At least that’s what I keep hearing, but who knows if those statistics are true? I’ve always been able to find a man.” She laughed softly with the confidence of someone who understood her appeal and capitalized on it. “Whether those numbers are true or not, you hit the jackpot by scooping up one of the most eligible bachelors in the city off the market, and right after his daddy left him all . . . that . . . money.” Johnnie proceeded to pat her short hair, though it didn’t need it.
Eva suddenly felt hot all over. How many people knew about the pregnancy? How many other people thought the same thing? She felt the need to defend herself.
“Not that my marriage is any of your business, but I didn’t plan to get pregnant to nab Derrick.”
Johnnie’s eyes looked back at her from the mirror. “Please don’t take what I said the wrong way. I’m not mad at you; I’m jealous. Wish I’d thought of it first. He was always so careful, though. He always wore a condom, and he only used condoms he bought, as if he didn’t trust me.”
Eva swallowed down the nausea creeping up her throat. She didn’t want to hear about any of Derrick’s past sexual exploits, and she certainly didn’t want to talk to one of his previous lovers about his habits in bed.