A man dressed in black stops and squats down in front of Monica. "Monica, it’s okay. There’s an ambulance on the way. Just hold on, okay?” he says as he cuts her wrist free from the rope. She doesn't know who this man is. She doesn't know how he knows her name, but right now she doesn't care. "Julien, I … I …I need Julien,” she pleads with whoever this stranger is. “He’s going to meet you at the hospital, it’s okay. You’re safe now." She hears the sirens getting closer and she lets go. Closing her eyes she gives in to the darkness and let it take over her. Beep, Beep, Beep. Oh god, someone shut off the damn alarm. The noise continues, her eyes flutters open slowly and she takes in her surroundings. The smell of antiseptic, the beeps of machines, the chill in the air. She knows that she is in the hospital. Confusion wrapsaround her brain. Is she at work? Why is her head pounding? She attempts to lift her arm but a burning pain pauses her movement. “Argh,” she groans out loud. “Sunsh
The doctor continues, “my guess is it's early, the scan willtell us more.” Pregnant. Pregnant. She is pregnant. How did this happen? Of course she knows how this happened. She smiles at that thought. Then something lingers in the back of her mind. “Why don’t I remember what happened?” Monica asks the doctor. “You were injected with propofol, you were asleep for most of your ordeal I believe." She nods her head. Well, that explains why she can’t remember anything. “Will that hurt the baby?” she asks the doctor, as she does Julien looks up to the doctor while squeezing her hand. The doctor shakes his head. “No, the baby should be fine. Let’s get the scan done and find out how far along you are,” hesays with a reassuring smile. Monica was about to thank him but before she can, Julien breaks his silence. “Should be? Should be fine is not good enough.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, dialling someone, looking back down at her briefly before the call connects. “Dean, find the bes
"Excuse me!” Monica bumps and swerve through the crowd of people also crossing the street with the light, faking left but then, seeing a hole to the right, she dodges that way instead. “Excuse me . . . pardon me . . . coming through, please.” Despite the overly practised manners that would make her small-town mother proud, she gets stuck behind a man in a suit with a phone pressed to hisear. “No, unacceptable. Call him back and tell him to be in my office within the next hour or there’ll be hell to pay,” he says snootily, sounding like the worst thing he’s capable of doing is making someone persona non grata at the country club in Martha’s Vineyard. She was sure the phone call is significant to him, but nothing is as important as her getting to work on time, this morning of all mornings. She doesn't make it a habit of running late, another politeness Mom ingrained in her at an early age—on time is late, early is on time—but today is critical. Her boss, Nora Jacobs, has a video conf
"Hey!" Monica says as Julien grunts and says. "Sorry, was in the gym just thought of calling you and saying you that I'm not getting home today. You can have your tune at the shift. And how's Jamie?" His voice made her squeeze her eyes shut. "Ah, he is okay. He is big enough that he doesn't needs his mommy and daddy around. Well, gotta go see you." Saying Monica ends the call. Luckily, the line isn’t too bad this morning and she stands in the back, tapping her foot and wiggling her hips to a tune only she can hear. It basically sounds like ‘hurry,hurry, hurry . . . I need to hurry’ and probably makes me look like I need to pee, but no one pays me any mind. If it’s one thing people in New York City know, it’s to mind your own business. If someone wants to break out into afull-blown tap dance Broadway number, complete with striptease in the middle of the morning coffee rush hour, you keep your head down, not seeing a thing, and your hand on your bag. “Hey, Carrot Top! I’ve got your o
Monica was back into the door, pushing it open with her butt, and joining the morning rush of people on the street once more. She makes it to the corner and go through the glass double doors simply marked Jacobs in a beautiful gold script font. Nora’s storefront has a smallselection of off-the-rack options, but the bulk of her work is through custom designs and the few boutiques she works with directly. Inside, she was hit with a bustle of activity as assistants run back and forth to set up racks in the conference room. “What’s that for?” she asks an intern. “Backdrop scenery for the call. Nora’s early morning, brilliant idea,” he replies, never pausing. In the conference room, Nora’s presence is commanding as she gestures and gives orders to the people scurrying about to do her bidding. At five feet eight in her bare feet—not that many see her that undone—she’s sharplydressed in a white pantsuit with a custom hand-embroidered rose on the lapel of her jacket. It’s her own design, o
Jacqueline’s still talking. “I’d like to invite Monica to Paris, to House Corbin, for a month-long contest of sorts with the other finalists. It will be all-expenses paid, of course, including flights, lodging, and materials. Some of the other young ladies are not currently associated with designers, but seeing as Ms. Tedd is on your roster, I felt it only proper to notify you first.” Monica is shaking. She has managed to sit up, at least, but she is still on the linoleum floor and there are interns looking through the glass on the side of the room in concern. She flashes them a shaky smile so they don’t barge in to rescue her from herself. Nora smiles, well aware of her shock. “Of course. I’ll be sad to lose Monica for a month . . . or more” —she tacks on with a wink— “but I know she’ll be head over heels at this opportunity.” Is she seriously making fun of her at a time like this? She was going to kill her. After she kisses her for making her apply in the first place. “In fact, J
She has already downloaded an app to start learning and another to do translations. “I’m gonna be fine. This is an amazing opportunity for me,” she tells her, wishing she could understand what this means to Monica. She’s supportive, or she wants to be, but sometimes her fears come through in ways that sting and hurt. Her dreams are so much more than hers ever were, and she has adifficult time relating. She want to be more than just another Masshole. She wants more than a nice, boring husband, two-point-five nice, boring kids, a nice, boring,hypoallergenic dog, and a job at the local theater doing costume design, which was Mom’s grand suggestion to fulfill her designing dreams after she shot down being a specialty bridal tailor. That’s her dream for her—acombination of her hopes and her fashion interest. But that would never be enough for her. Monica didn't feel like telling Julien anything. Ava face timed her with Jamie as Jamie ignored asking that his father is never going to com
Actually . . .that’s not all snores. Monica thinks he just farted. She glares at him as though he’ll feel it in his sleep. Seriously? If he just launched a deadly dose of methane inside a metal tube with recirculated air, she was going to suffocate because she can’t escape to the onboard bathroom with her feet still asleep. She rolls her ankles with more intention, because now that she has thought about it, she really could use a trip to the restroom. A glance at Turkey Neck has her doing some mental gymnastics about how she might get around him and out into the aisle, but she comes up short of any reasonable possibility. She is ready for this flight to be over. As bad as it’s going, she mostly want it to be over so that she will be there . . . in Paris! That’s the thought that’s been playing in her mind, over and over, with every mile. She was going to design in Paris with House Corbin. It’s utter madness, and excitement shoots through her, fresh once more. Hours, and a few more fa