James was busy hailing us a cab to take us to Annie's Place where Audrey was meeting us. I had already called ahead and made sure we had reservations.
James wasn't taking any risks. He was paying cash for everything and not using any of his regular contacts. Even though he had a beautiful Camaro here in town, we were taking a taxi. The longer we could go without someone snapping our picture, the better.
Luckily, since James' flight had been so last minute, he had paid cash for his two tickets, so no one at his workplace knew where he was. I was incredibly glad I had decided to come home to Springfield instead of heading back to New York or staying in Boston. The flight had been a blessing in disguise, giving us a few more hours before having to deal with the press.
The ride over to the restaurant was smooth and uneventful. It had snowed the day before and everything outside was still pristine and white. It was a beautiful blanket hiding the ugly dead grass underneath.
The parking lot for Annie's Place was relatively quiet, which was a good thing for us. James paid the cabbie and we hurried inside.
“Welcome to Annie's Place,” a bored older woman recited as we walked in the doors. “Two for breakfast?”
“We're looking for Audrey,” James told her. He flashed his smile at her, but she didn't even blink.
“She's over there,” the woman said, motioning toward the far right side of the room. She picked up her phone and started playing a game.
“I think I'm losing my touch,” James remarked as we headed away from the woman. “I usually get better responses than that from women.”
“I wouldn't worry about it,” I told him. “She wasn't exactly your type.”
James managed a small chuckle, glancing back at the woman who was at least three times his age. “Fair enough. Hey, there's Audrey.”
The first thing I noticed was that Audrey was no longer pregnant. She was standing up next to the table, rocking a car seat sitting on the tabletop. I couldn't see the baby from this position, but I could see the happy glow all around Audrey. She looked exhausted, but incredibly happy.
A thrill bubbled up in my stomach and spread through my limbs. Just a few months and I'd look like that, too.
“Hi, Audrey,” James said. She startled slightly, looking up from her baby and then slowly smiling.
“Hi, James. Hi, Allie,” she said. “I'd like you both to meet Eva.”
I came around to see the most adorable little girl sleeping in her car-seat. She was dressed in a frilly pink dress with a matching pink hat. Little cherub cheeks and a perfect cupid's bow mouth pouted in her sleep. She was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
I couldn't wait to have one just like her.
“She's beautiful,” I whispered. “Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Pride filled Audrey's voice. “I know she's still too little to know for sure, but I'm pretty sure she's brilliant. She's already smiling and trying to laugh.”
“Can I hold her when she wakes up?” I asked, my hands itching to touch the small bundle of pink.
“Of course,” Audrey assured me. “She'll probably wake up in the next half hour or so to eat and you can hold her after I feed her.”
“Let me get your chair for you,” James offered, pulling out a seat for Audrey. She smiled and sat down, her hand still protectively on the car-seat. She never stopped the gentle rocking motion.
“I saw the headlines today. It's all over the Internet,” Audrey said, looking at the two of us as we took our seats. “I had no idea you two were an item.”
I glanced at James, but he just nodded. “We are,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I'm happy for you, James,” Audrey said, then looked at me and smiled. She turned back to her baby almost immediately. “Oh, she just woke up.”
Reaching into the car-seat, Audrey pulled her daughter out and cuddled her for a moment. She was so tiny, I could barely believe it. Tiny and absolutely perfect.
“Do you mind if I feed her here?” Audrey asked, already throwing a blanket over her shoulder.
“Not at all,” James responded. I smiled inwardly, glad that he was so cool with it. It would make feeding our child that much more comfortable.
“Thanks.” Audrey tucked her daughter under the blanket. Her face twisted for a moment and then relaxed as her daughter started to nurse. “Anyway, I was terrible to you in high school, Allie. Really, really terrible. But, I think that the two of you make a great match. You complement one another well.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly. A small blush filled my cheeks, and I fiddled with my menu.