Oh shit. Rick glances at me in the rearview mirror. By the end of the day, everyone in the city’s going to know.
“You’re pregnant?” he asks.
“Why did you say that in front of him?” I hiss.
“There’s no way to hide the bump. Everyone’s going to know.” Edgar isn’t being petty or passive-aggressive. He actually seems confused by my question. “Besides, shouldn’t he know so he can recommend something suitable?”
But he said four months, not forever. How long is he planning to stay in L.A.? And what if his attempt at dealing with my second objection fails? He’s going to be stuck with an expensive piece of real estate in a city he doesn’t even live in!
“We need a place that’s safe for a young child,” Edgar says. “I won’t accept anything less.”
Rick licks his lips in a nervous gesture. “Of course.”
“And I expect you to be discreet,” Edgar adds.
“Most certainly. Discretion’s my middle name.” Rick shoots us his best “You can count on me” smile.
I roll my eyes.
The first home he takes us to is a nine-bedroom house. It’s called a house only because the lot isn’t quite big enough to be categorized as a mansion, at least not in L.A.
Edgar walks with me. Rick hovers, gesturing and explaining.
“The pool is intimate and comes with a cottage that you can use for guests if you’d rather not have them in your home,” he says. “There’s a tennis court as well if you enjoy the sport.” His gaze flicks to my belly. “Although you should consult a doctor first before you exercise. Never can be careful enough…”
“Thank you.” He couldn’t care less about what happens to the baby. I’m certain he’s afraid of a lawsuit if it looks like he recommended I play the sport.
We walk inside. The place is large and airy, with lots of sleek modern touches. Chrome and glass and huge tiles and marble. The colors are neutral and inoffensive. It won’t be too terrible if Edgar gets stuck with it because he should be able to dispose of it fairly quickly.
Then we reach the master bedroom with a recessed tray ceiling. I check out the overall feel of the room, while Edgar goes to look at the bathroom and the walk-in closet. Very nice. Soothing greens and blues. The light fixtures are contemporary, with minimalist aesthetics. Given Edgar’s preference for understated and serious, this is perfect.
“What are you looking for?” Rick whispers to me, instead of tagging Edgar to impress him with all the amazing things about this particular house.
I point at myself. “Me? What makes you think this is about me?”
“Come on. When a man is looking for a place with the woman he plans to live with, it’s always about her. Unless he’s an asshole, but you’re too smart to move in with an asshole. So, what’s your dream home?”
Wow. Rick is smarter and more insightful than I thought. No wonder he’s so good at his job. And he deserves my help for not acting like my presence is an afterthought. But dream home? I don’t know what that would be, not on a scale that’s going to fit Edgar’s social standing.
What I’ve always envisioned is that I’m going to have the kind of life my parents do. And they live in a normal middle-class home with five bedrooms, a den and a small yard with a one-car garage. So I thought I’d have something like that, not this nine-bedroom structure with a pool, a cottage and a tennis court. I’m sure there’s also a multi-car garage.
Picturing myself here is… Well, it’s beyond me at this point. Especially when the man who wants me to move in with him has told everyone in my family he doesn’t love me.
“Whatever Edgar likes is fine,” I say finally.
Rick groans like I’ve stabbed him in the belly. “Oh, come on.”
“I’m really not that picky.”
He snorts. “I’ve seen the way you dress. You’re not low-maintenance enough to accept whatever he picks out. You’re going to object at the very last minute, denying me—”
Before he can finish, Edgar walks out of the closet. Rick immediately shuts his mouth and shoots both of us a radiant smile that seems one hundred percent genuine.
He’s really good.
“So.” He clasps his hands together. “What do you think?”
“Unacceptable,” Edgar says instantly. “We’ll go to the next one.”