Read Online Turning It on (Red Hot Russians) by Elizabeth Harmon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elizabeth Harmon
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tempted to stuff a napkin into Edie’s mouth. “Mom! Will you listen to Jack?”
Everyone quieted. Jack smiled. “Well these days, Eric is an up-and-coming producer in Hollywood and, thanks to me, he’s a key client of Windsor and St. Clair. He’s working on a project for a top cable network and has asked Hannah and me to be part of it. We leave next Monday for Puerto Rico, and will be gone for ten weeks.”
Ralph Gordon harrumphed. “Ten weeks? What about your work, son?”
“Eric’s a client, and I’ve already laid out for the partners the many benefits of having a representative of the firm on-site.”
Mom counted on her fingers. “Ten weeks has you gone until the middle of April. That will put you way behind on the wedding.”
Marcy waved away her concern. “Not to worry, Edie. Hannah can take the train out after work this week, and between the three of us, we’ll get it all done. Tell us about the project, dear.”
Hannah smiled sweetly. “I’ll let Jack do that.”
* * *
After dinner, Edie and Marcy cornered Hannah in the kitchen.
“A reality show?” Edie sputtered, indignant. “Have you two gone crazy?”
Marcy shook her head. “Honey, if you wanted a vacation that badly you should have said something. My brother has a place in Key West you’re welcome to use anytime.”
“It wasn’t just that. Our friend needed help. Jack didn’t feel right about turning his back.”
“This is a terrible idea, and I think you know that, Hannah.” Marcy looked into her eyes. “Sometimes, as a wife, you have to put your foot down.”
“She’s right,” Mom echoed. “Rachel’s Darren wanted to go off on some ridiculous boys’ weekend trip to Las Vegas last year. All she had to do was say, ‘absolutely not.’ And that was that.”
“How nice for Rachel,” Hannah murmured, suspecting that if she tried such a thing with Jack, the results would be far different.
Marcy frowned. “You need to talk with him. And if you don’t, Ralph and I will. Promise you’ll try.”
“I already have. But Jack has his heart set on this, and I don’t see anyone talking him out of it. This is a chance for him to do something he’s always wanted to, and get the acting bug out of his system. After ten weeks, life goes back to normal.”
Neither mother looked convinced.
“Jack and I are adults, and there’s nothing to worry about. Now, can we please talk about something else?” She smiled and turned to her mother. “How is Rachel feeling? You haven’t mentioned her pregnancy once today.”
Edie’s face brightened at the mention of her favorite topic. “She’s the very picture of health. You know your sister. Everything she does, she does beautifully. And of course, she doesn’t have to worry about any of the problems I went through.”
Marcy nodded solemnly. She and Mom had been best friends since they’d met in a newcomer’s bridge club, and she’d been there through the years of infertility and miscarriages that preceded Rachel’s adoption. Ironically, Hannah was conceived less than a year later.
“But you on the other hand...” Mom sighed and shook her head as she dried a wineglass. “You should consider it a warning. These things run in families, and you’ve already waited so long.”
“I just turned twenty-five!”
She placed the glass in the open cupboard. “And by the time you marry, you’ll be almost twenty-six! Then you fritter away another year or two on your job and before you know it, you’re pushing thirty and everyone knows how hard it is to conceive once you’ve hit the big three-oh.”
“Mom, please don’t say that.” She could only imagine the reaction if she was to break the news that neither she nor Jack were sure if they even wanted to have children.
Marcy put her arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. With all the treatments out there these days, I’m sure you two won’t have a bit of trouble. We’re all just living for the day
Everyone quieted. Jack smiled. “Well these days, Eric is an up-and-coming producer in Hollywood and, thanks to me, he’s a key client of Windsor and St. Clair. He’s working on a project for a top cable network and has asked Hannah and me to be part of it. We leave next Monday for Puerto Rico, and will be gone for ten weeks.”
Ralph Gordon harrumphed. “Ten weeks? What about your work, son?”
“Eric’s a client, and I’ve already laid out for the partners the many benefits of having a representative of the firm on-site.”
Mom counted on her fingers. “Ten weeks has you gone until the middle of April. That will put you way behind on the wedding.”
Marcy waved away her concern. “Not to worry, Edie. Hannah can take the train out after work this week, and between the three of us, we’ll get it all done. Tell us about the project, dear.”
Hannah smiled sweetly. “I’ll let Jack do that.”
* * *
After dinner, Edie and Marcy cornered Hannah in the kitchen.
“A reality show?” Edie sputtered, indignant. “Have you two gone crazy?”
Marcy shook her head. “Honey, if you wanted a vacation that badly you should have said something. My brother has a place in Key West you’re welcome to use anytime.”
“It wasn’t just that. Our friend needed help. Jack didn’t feel right about turning his back.”
“This is a terrible idea, and I think you know that, Hannah.” Marcy looked into her eyes. “Sometimes, as a wife, you have to put your foot down.”
“She’s right,” Mom echoed. “Rachel’s Darren wanted to go off on some ridiculous boys’ weekend trip to Las Vegas last year. All she had to do was say, ‘absolutely not.’ And that was that.”
“How nice for Rachel,” Hannah murmured, suspecting that if she tried such a thing with Jack, the results would be far different.
Marcy frowned. “You need to talk with him. And if you don’t, Ralph and I will. Promise you’ll try.”
“I already have. But Jack has his heart set on this, and I don’t see anyone talking him out of it. This is a chance for him to do something he’s always wanted to, and get the acting bug out of his system. After ten weeks, life goes back to normal.”
Neither mother looked convinced.
“Jack and I are adults, and there’s nothing to worry about. Now, can we please talk about something else?” She smiled and turned to her mother. “How is Rachel feeling? You haven’t mentioned her pregnancy once today.”
Edie’s face brightened at the mention of her favorite topic. “She’s the very picture of health. You know your sister. Everything she does, she does beautifully. And of course, she doesn’t have to worry about any of the problems I went through.”
Marcy nodded solemnly. She and Mom had been best friends since they’d met in a newcomer’s bridge club, and she’d been there through the years of infertility and miscarriages that preceded Rachel’s adoption. Ironically, Hannah was conceived less than a year later.
“But you on the other hand...” Mom sighed and shook her head as she dried a wineglass. “You should consider it a warning. These things run in families, and you’ve already waited so long.”
“I just turned twenty-five!”
She placed the glass in the open cupboard. “And by the time you marry, you’ll be almost twenty-six! Then you fritter away another year or two on your job and before you know it, you’re pushing thirty and everyone knows how hard it is to conceive once you’ve hit the big three-oh.”
“Mom, please don’t say that.” She could only imagine the reaction if she was to break the news that neither she nor Jack were sure if they even wanted to have children.
Marcy put her arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. With all the treatments out there these days, I’m sure you two won’t have a bit of trouble. We’re all just living for the day
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