Read Online Square in the Face (Claire Montrose Series) by April Henry - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: April Henry
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girl gets a free education and the knowledge that her child is getting a better life than she could ever give it. And Dr. Bradford gets some money. So everyone’s happy.”
“How come you know so much?”
Dr. Gregory looked away from Claire. He pinched the end of his nose. “I may have referred a girl or two to him. Say a good Catholic girl comes in, wondering how come she hasn’t had her period in three months. A little girl from Burns, Oregon, never been in the big city before, now she’s a wide-eyed freshman at Portland State who forgot to say her Hail Marys and keep her legs crossed.”
“And a girl like that probably wouldn’t believe in abortion,” Claire continued for him, although it went against her personal beliefs to call anyone over the age of sixteen a girl.
“Exactly. Dr. Bradford offers her a way out besides choosing between an abortion or quitting school to raise her kid.” Dr. Gregory leaned over to pick up his bag, then stood up. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”
“There is one more thing, Doctor.”
He shook his head in mock irritation. “Michael, Michael, I’ve told you to call me Michael.”
“This is something I wanted to ask you in your official capacity as a doctor.”
“You name it.”
“Can you tell me how to fake a pregnancy?”
There was a long pause while he considered her question. He finally cocked his head to one side. “Although I probably shouldn’t be, I am willing to discuss this mater with you.” Claire opened her mouth to thank him, but he raised a cautioning hand. “On one condition. You must allow me take you out to dinner.”
D8NNE1
Chapter Five
“I feel like a magazine ad for tampons,” Claire complained, and was gratified when Lori’s smile met hers in the tall mirror that hung on the door of Lori’s walk-in closet. Claire had called Lori the day before, while she reluctantly rested in bed. When she heard that Claire hoped to persuade Dr. Gregory to help her pose as a pregnant woman, Lori had insisted that Claire come over to plan what to wear. She was convinced that Claire lacked the appropriate outfit that would both guarantee Dr. Gregory’s help and that wouldn’t look out of place in Sinq, Northwest Portland’s hottest restaurant. Claire, who mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, had to admit she was right.
“You don’t like all-white?” Looking in the mirror next to Claire’s shoulder, Lori twitched the lapel of an antique white silk jacquard vest into place. The vest was layered over a lightweight ivory wool turtleneck and paired with matching wool pants.
Discarded clothes were heaped on the bed and scattered on the floor. Even though she was three inches shorter and currently fifteen pounds heavier, many of Lori’s clothes from thinner phases in her life fit Claire.
“You know what will happen if I wear this within a ten-foot radius of any food or beverage? “ Claire stepped back from the mirror, unbuttoned the pants and let them drop to her knees. She sat down on a dark-green velvet overstuffed chair to finish taking them off. After a day draped with an icepack, her ankle had begun to heal, but it was still unable to solely support her weight. In the shower this morning, her foot had looked bloated and shapeless, green near the ankle and purple along the bottom edge where the skin gathered to smooth out into the sole. “If I wear this, I’ll guarantee you that I’m doomed to spill something on it that even my drycleaner can’t get out. She scolds me enough already. You know what she told me last time I brought something in?” Wagging her finger, Claire did her best approximation of the drycleaner’s Korean accent. “‘You messy eater! Many spot!’” She slipped off the vest, pulled the sweater over her head and handed everything back to Lori.
“I wore that outfit to a New Year’s Eve party with Havi,” Lori said, her eyes unfocused. “We had a wonderful time. We didn’t get home
“How come you know so much?”
Dr. Gregory looked away from Claire. He pinched the end of his nose. “I may have referred a girl or two to him. Say a good Catholic girl comes in, wondering how come she hasn’t had her period in three months. A little girl from Burns, Oregon, never been in the big city before, now she’s a wide-eyed freshman at Portland State who forgot to say her Hail Marys and keep her legs crossed.”
“And a girl like that probably wouldn’t believe in abortion,” Claire continued for him, although it went against her personal beliefs to call anyone over the age of sixteen a girl.
“Exactly. Dr. Bradford offers her a way out besides choosing between an abortion or quitting school to raise her kid.” Dr. Gregory leaned over to pick up his bag, then stood up. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.”
“There is one more thing, Doctor.”
He shook his head in mock irritation. “Michael, Michael, I’ve told you to call me Michael.”
“This is something I wanted to ask you in your official capacity as a doctor.”
“You name it.”
“Can you tell me how to fake a pregnancy?”
There was a long pause while he considered her question. He finally cocked his head to one side. “Although I probably shouldn’t be, I am willing to discuss this mater with you.” Claire opened her mouth to thank him, but he raised a cautioning hand. “On one condition. You must allow me take you out to dinner.”
D8NNE1
Chapter Five
“I feel like a magazine ad for tampons,” Claire complained, and was gratified when Lori’s smile met hers in the tall mirror that hung on the door of Lori’s walk-in closet. Claire had called Lori the day before, while she reluctantly rested in bed. When she heard that Claire hoped to persuade Dr. Gregory to help her pose as a pregnant woman, Lori had insisted that Claire come over to plan what to wear. She was convinced that Claire lacked the appropriate outfit that would both guarantee Dr. Gregory’s help and that wouldn’t look out of place in Sinq, Northwest Portland’s hottest restaurant. Claire, who mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, had to admit she was right.
“You don’t like all-white?” Looking in the mirror next to Claire’s shoulder, Lori twitched the lapel of an antique white silk jacquard vest into place. The vest was layered over a lightweight ivory wool turtleneck and paired with matching wool pants.
Discarded clothes were heaped on the bed and scattered on the floor. Even though she was three inches shorter and currently fifteen pounds heavier, many of Lori’s clothes from thinner phases in her life fit Claire.
“You know what will happen if I wear this within a ten-foot radius of any food or beverage? “ Claire stepped back from the mirror, unbuttoned the pants and let them drop to her knees. She sat down on a dark-green velvet overstuffed chair to finish taking them off. After a day draped with an icepack, her ankle had begun to heal, but it was still unable to solely support her weight. In the shower this morning, her foot had looked bloated and shapeless, green near the ankle and purple along the bottom edge where the skin gathered to smooth out into the sole. “If I wear this, I’ll guarantee you that I’m doomed to spill something on it that even my drycleaner can’t get out. She scolds me enough already. You know what she told me last time I brought something in?” Wagging her finger, Claire did her best approximation of the drycleaner’s Korean accent. “‘You messy eater! Many spot!’” She slipped off the vest, pulled the sweater over her head and handed everything back to Lori.
“I wore that outfit to a New Year’s Eve party with Havi,” Lori said, her eyes unfocused. “We had a wonderful time. We didn’t get home
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