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She filled me in on all the juicy details, and I had to admit I was envious. And though I had known
Mark was her type, I had no idea they were both so ripe for something deeper, and so soon.
“It happened to Pauline two years ago with a recruit,” Matilda said. “Same sort of thing. But
Pauline stayed. Dauphine’s out, I’m sad to say. Mark too. They both seem very happy … And now I
have a feeling we’re going to lose you too. Am I right?”
“You mean to Jesse? We’re not there. Not yet. Or do you mean with Will? With Will, that would be
a non-starter.”
“Are you sure?”
I filled her in on the paternity drama and the strange conundrum I faced. Will or Jesse? I couldn’t
have both.
“Has Will asked you to be with him?”
“No.”
“Has Jesse?”
“Kind of. I mean, he’s, we’re … it’s good, you know? I really like Jesse and the sex is amazing.
But I think … I think I love Will.”
“Have you told Will this?”
“No.”
She steepled her fingers in thought.
“Well, what are you waiting for? You can’t keep catching him between women, Cassie.”
“But what about Jesse?”
“Something tells me Jesse will survive. And he always has a home here.”
My stomach dropped at the thought of him with anyone else. Matilda had a soft spot for him, that I
knew. What have I done? What do I do?
“When you have it sorted, let us know. I was hoping you’d join the Committee next. At least with
your vote we might finally get a redheaded man past the initial selection round. Meanwhile, these
were just mailed to the press and other important guests,” she said, sliding open a drawer. She handed
me an invitation. “I hope you can make it. And be sure to bring a date. Either one of them.”
S.E.C.R.E.T. cordially invites you to a public unveiling of our Major New Charity Initiative,
Benefiting Underprivileged Women and Children in NOLA
at
Latrobe’s on Royal
Black Tie
I was shocked to see S.E.C.R.E.T. written in that familiar curly font on a public invitation.
“Matilda! That’s the group’s name. I mean, you put S.E.C.R.E.T. out there so boldly! I couldn’t
bring Will to this. He’d start asking questions. He’d be all What’s this stand for, Cassie?”
“Oh, that. Don’t worry. We’re giving away the money we raise under S.E.C.R.E.T.’s official name,
the one that’s on the books: The Society for the Encouragement of Civic Responsibility and Equal
Treatment. See? You can surely belong to that group, can’t you?”
She turned around one of the ledgers to show me where official invoices and receipts indicated its
full name, not the one I was used to.
“We pay our taxes. We have a mortgage. We’re good citizens. And when people ask us what we do,
we say we improve the lives of women in need. You’re safe to bring someone like Will to a public