L.A. Woman (25 page)

T
he invitations said “A Little Sumptin’-Sumptin’” and looked more like a club promotion than a shower invitation. The only difference was the text, “bring baby type gifts.” Martika had announced her new arrival in grand style. Their new town house was packed. Judith’s friend had really hooked them up with a find: two bedrooms and a guest house, which was where Martika stayed. They would figure out the kid situation—Judith, strangely, was sort of looking forward to it. Now that she’d broken with David (who apparently was serving her with divorce papers any day now), she was reevaluating with the grace and aplomb of Ingrid Bergman. She’d even taken time off of work. Sarah thought Judith’s mother would have a heart attack. Unlike David, Judith’s parents called all the time.

Martika’s mother had entered the picture, as well, and had promised to help with baby-sitting or “whatever you girls need,” which was another weird situation. Martika seemed either disgruntled by the offer of assistance, or uncomfortably sentimental—something she kept blaming on her hormones. She’d been back to her childhood house for dinner twice, but had no intention of moving there. In the meantime, Martika was approaching motherhood with the same confident aplomb that she approached everything—full bore.

“Okay, who found baby vinyl clothes?” Martika said, holding up a miniature vinyl dress and laughing.

“We did!” Taylor and Arthur raised their hands.

Judith, who was sitting on Martika’s left side and jotting down who had given what in a baby-shower type notebook, stared at the outfit bewildered. “What do I say that is?”

“Baby Goth outfit,” Martika said, putting it aside with a leonine laugh.

Sarah smiled, then decided to go to the kitchen and get a refill on her soda.

Kit was leaning against the counter.

They hadn’t really talked since Las Vegas, even though he’d helped with the move to the town house. She wasn’t sure what to say to him, actually.

“So…looks like you’re settled in.”

“Yeah. The drive’s not so bad, either.”

He tucked his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans. “Understand you took that job as a permanent.”

She shrugged. “For now. They seem like a pretty good company. I think I might go back to school, though.”

“For what?”

She smiled. “Haven’t decided.”

He smiled back, and took a step closer to her. She stared at him, studying his shy smile.

“I’m glad you stayed, Sarah.”

She felt her heart race a little, and tried to slow it down. “I’m glad I stayed, too.”

“I was wondering…”

She held up a hand. “Let’s get one thing straight. I just got over a guy. I don’t need to walk into another mess just like it. I’ve finally got a job, a roommate situation that doesn’t look like it’s going to completely explode on me…”

“At least not until the baby comes,” he added.

“Well, yes, and I’m finally getting my head together. And I have some really, really great friends.”

“I’m all for friends.”

“So….” She looked at him expectantly.

“So, what?”

She blinked. “Weren’t you going to ask me out?”

“Hell, no.”

She felt the tinges of embarrassment heat up her cheeks. “Oh. Sorry. So what were you wondering?”

He smirked, then leaned down and kissed her. Thoroughly.

“I was wondering whether you’d figured all of that out,” he said, and laughed at her bemused expression.

“Well.” She smirked back, then leaned in and planted one of her own kisses on him. “Glad we got that straight,” she said wryly.

He put an arm around her shoulder, and they walked back into the crowded living room.