The Educator novel Chapter 17

I stand by the breakfast nook and pace my phone against Elliot’ laptop. My friends and I are on call and they have been asking about Elliot and I. “Did you gain weight, Eli?” one of my friends asks. Elliot peeks from his laptop and glances at me.

I narrow my eyes at him and he goes back to working. “Did I?”

”Are you pregnant?” Samantha asks me.

“Sure. I spend five days at a hotel in Thailand only to be pregnant” I joke.

“When are you coming back?” Venice asks as she stares at me, laying on her bed.

“Uhhh I think I have, like, eight more days to go” I say

“What have you and Elliot been doing?” Samantha asks

Nothing, if I am being honest. We’re either eating in the hotel room, at the restaurant or he’s having a business meeting. We’re friends. We’re not husband and wife, we don’t need to do anything for real. I smile at them, “We’re been going around, island hopping, eating out and eating it” I tell them.

“Are you going to stay at your husband’s house or what? Where are you guys going live?”

Elliot stands and rests his elbows on the breakfast nook, next to me, “We’re going to stay at a condominium. We’ll be hosting a blessing for the condo and I would like to meet you all soon” he says.

I just stare at him and he looks down at me. My friends were all quiet for what felt like hours. Elliot greets them his goodbye and walks towards the kitchen. I didn’t realize that there was this activity in the air. I honestly did not even want people to find out that I was living elsewhere.

“I’ll call you girl tomorrow. I have something to discuss with my husband” I tell them and end the call. Elliot starts making coffee, his back to me and his attention focused on grounding the beans.

I walk up next to him, “So, when were you going to tell me that we’re going to host a small party at the new house?”

He clears his throat, “Isn’t that already given? I mean moving a new house, the owners have to host some sort of get together. Plus, I could personally meet all of your friends”