You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert Page A

the Ralph Lauren outlet sale, a button-down mahogany silk shirt she’d had for way too long but still felt so luxurious against her skin, and old black heels specifically suited for crappy weather. She swiped blush across her cheeks and dotted her lips with a pinkish gloss. There was no time to dry her massive heap of hair, so she just squirted a generous amount of gel in her hands and raked them through her tangle of messy, wet curls.
    â€œMorning.” Laney moseyed into the kitchen.
    â€œYou look nice.” Rick kissed his wife on the lips and handed her a mug of coffee.
    â€œYou’re my hero.” She sat down at the kitchen table and poached a piece of bacon off his plate. Laney marveled at the fact that Rick’s internal clock woke him naturally at six a.m. every morning and that he took great pleasure in jumping out of bed, sometimes going for a run, and often making the two of them very elaborate breakfasts, especially for the middle of the week.
    â€œSo today’s the big day?” He sat down across from her, placing a tomato and Swiss cheese omelet with three slices of crispy bacon in front of her. “Bon appétit.”
    â€œThanks, but I’m not that hungry.” Laney picked at the bacon.
    â€œI don’t believe it.” He shook his head incredulously. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say those words.”
    â€œVery funny.” She coiled a section of hair around her middle finger. “Nervous excitement, I think.”
    â€œListen, don’t come back with less than a million. Okay?” He tried to lift a slice of bacon from Laney’s plate, and she swatted at his hand. “What? I thought you weren’t hungry. Not to mention that one of mine mysteriously disappeared.”
    â€œI don’t even know if she left me money. For all I know, it could be a dress or a couch or something.” Laney cut into the omelet. “Has Gem made an appearance yet?”
    â€œNo, but I heard T.I. blasting in her room earlier, so she’s up.” Rick wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin, and Laney smiled. He’d never lost his boyish good looks. It was so unfair how men seemed to only get better with age. Rick’s once full head of thick, dark brown hair was now punctuated with specks of white, and there were some perfunctory lines around his arrestingly clear blue eyes, but they only served to make him more handsome.
    â€œWhat’s T.I.?” That was another thing about Rick. He was shamelessly in touch with teenage pop culture and lingo. Sometimes it felt like he and Gemma were speaking a foreign language. And forget their e-mail exchanges with the LOLs and the LMAOs and the TTYLs. Now there was a T.I.?
    â€œT.I. is a who. A he, actually.”
    â€œSilly me.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Can I go by HM?”
    â€œWhat’s that?” Rick laughed.
    â€œHot Mama.”
    â€œIf you’d like, but I prefer MILF.”
    Laney looked at him perplexed. “Go ahead, tell me.”
    â€œMother I’d Like to Fuck.”
    â€œShut up!” She slapped his arm. “Is that for real?”
    â€œThe realest.” Rick wrapped his arms across his chest and puckered his lips in a gangster pose.
    â€œIt’s official. You’re too cool for me.” Laney finished her omelet and stood to bring both of their plates to the sink.
    â€œI guess you got it down.” He motioned to her empty plate.
    â€œI didn’t want to insult the chef. I hear he’s a badass.”
    â€œOh, do you, now?” Rick crept up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, turning her toward him. “I’ve got to run, but I love you.” He kissed her gently on the lips. “More than anything.” He kissed her again. “And I’ll see you tonight. Call me after the lawyer. I’m seriously curious on this one.”
    â€œYeah, that makes two of