Ever After by Design

10: A Lot Has Changed

*** Reese's POV ***

"So, when do you find out the sex?" Gini asks, plucking at her fiery red curls in the mirror as I scrub my hands.

"They can tell us at my next appointment, but I'm not sure if we want to know." I say with a shrug.

"Why would you do that to yourself?" Gini groans.

"Because I care less about my baby's genitals than I do about them being healthy." I inform her.

"Fair answer." She nods. "So, Ramone has finally agreed to go out with me."

Ramone is the colleague who we hired to replace that psycho Carlos. Poor guy must have felt like he was applying for the Pentagon with all the hoops we put him through. It took a couple months before we warmed up to him, but he's a great colleague. And he keeps Jordan in line.

Jordan apparently considered leaving, feeling somehow responsible, but Nathan talked him down. He was naive, we all were, but definitely not to blame. That rests with Antonio DeMarco and his thugs. I still can't believe the threat that he made to our lives.

"You okay there, Reese?" Gini asks. I look up and see her reflection staring at me.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. Just zoned. So, what are y'all going to do on your date?" I inquire.

"I wanted to bring him to No Regrets. He hasn't been since the re-opening." She shares.

"Well that's a work outing, not a date spot." I comment.

"Did someone say work outing? It's been so long. Can we? Can we please?" Jordan pokes his head up and begs as we walk back to our desks.

"Jordan, you can verify. Is No Regrets a place to take a date?" Gini prompts him.

Jordan eyes me like he's worried about how I'll react. "Um...I mean I wouldn't take my date there. It's a nice place, I just prefer more privacy."

I nod enthusiastically and Gini starts rethinking her plan. "Well, now that you mention it..."

"But it would be a lovely location for a work outing." Jordan circles back. "So, Thursday?"

"I'm game." Gini agrees.

"Ooo, if she's game, I'm playing!" Ramone joins us with his characteristic worn travel mug in hand.

"We're gonna do a work outing at No Regrets." Gini informs him.

"What happened to date night?" He asks, his round face falling a bit at the news.

Gini leans her shoulder into him playfully. "I was thinking we could do something more private."

Ramone blushes above his thick curly beard and leans down to whisper to Gini. "I like that plan."

We get to work. We have a program starting wherein we are partnering stray animals with wayward teens to help teach and promote responsibility. And we are in the final stages of launching an accessible, cooking school for the disabled and developmentally- delayed.

I had to beg off the animal shelter project because I kept threatening Ash with more animals. He teased and said Lupa and the baby were all the wild animals I could handle. He's right, of course, but I also couldn't handle seeing so many poor animals.

The team had no problems rearranging for me, but Nathan suggested that I not take on anything too large for the foreseeable future. I questioned him, curious if he was benching me, but it turns out he was just being a sensitive boss and friend and assumed I might want some time off when the baby comes.