?One of the moms got kicked out of Roo amp; You because her kid bit a baby.?
?Really? Isn?t that kinda harsh? Don?t all kids do things at one point or another that you can?t control? We try our best, but sometimes, girl, the kids are not your own.?
?Hmmm. Maybe there was more to it. She?s pretty pushy. Anyway, I?ll see you tomorrow and thank you!?
?Okay, no prob,? Paula said.
?Hey, Paula, one more thing . . .?
?What??
?Galigani told me not to mention his name when I was with ?The Grizzly,? so what do I do if he asks about my license??
?Hmm. Tell him you applied for a license and are waiting on the paperwork to be processed.?
?Lie??
?That?s not a lie. It?s a
?I haven?t applied for a license. It?s a bald-faced lie.?
?The guy is criminal defense?you think he cares about one tiny misstatement??
I sighed. ?You?re impossible.?
Paula laughed. ?See you tomorrow. Make sure to look sharp. That?ll distract him and secure your rightful destiny as a media darling.?
CHAPTER TWENTY
To Do:
1. Meet with Gary Barramendi.
2. Shop for shoes.
3. Practice some recipes for Thanksgiving.
4. Groceries.
5. Laurie?need the memento book?already missed milestone!
I?d had a fitful night. Tossing and turning while Laurie was sound asleep and then finally drifting off just as she would wake for a feeding. While I nursed her, I contemplated my restlessness.
I was definitely nervous about meeting with Mr. Barramendi, but was that all? No, the weight of the case was getting to me. And now to make matters worse, I?d have to lie to Barramendi about Galigani or avoid the topic altogether.
I had never been good at lying. Something people find hard to believe as soon as they discover I have an acting degree. But acting is different. You take on the role of a character. You?re not actually lying about yourself.
And then again. Wait.
Yes. Tomorrow I would play the part of a character. I would meet with Barramendi as my ?future self.? A self- assured, successful PI. A licensed PI.
In the morning I woke with a start to the alarm. Laurie was still asleep and Jim was getting dressed for his meeting. He stood in front of our closet examining dress shirts.
?Good morning,? I said, propping myself up in bed.
?Hi, honey. I made coffee,? Jim said.
?Thank you.?
Jim selected a blue striped dress shirt and put it on.
He looked great. My mind immediately snapped to what I was going to wear. Did anything fit?
As soon as Jim said good-bye, I jumped to the task of getting ready.
First I nursed and burped Laurie then laid her back in the bassinet. She was still awake but seemed content to study a white bunny rattle that I handed her.
I picked her up out of the bassinet. ?Oh! My darling!? I squeezed her to me. ?Two months already. So short a time and yet it feels like you?ve been part of my life forever.?
Laurie cooed and attempted to put the bunny rattle into her mouth.
?You like the bunny? Mommy?s going to get you something for your . . . what? Second month birthday? Okay, that works.? I kissed Laurie?s head and put her down.
Next I showered, then pulled out my new girdle and wrapped it around myself. It was simple enough to use. It wrapped around my tummy and hips and fastened on the side with a long Velcro fitting.
I positioned it in place and frantically started going through items in my closet. I found a favorite burgundy silk blouse and tried it on. To my astonishment, it fit nicely. I then selected some trousers. The first three pairs I tried on were way too tight, but the fourth pair worked.
