Annie sat at her kitchen counter, regarding the parade of prenatal vitamins laid out before her. She was supposed to take one of each of these? Every day. No, wait, some of them were every other day. With food, without food. What were these supposed to do again? She remembered when she was 15, and one of Danielle's friends told her prenatal vitamins made your hair shiny. She'd taken one, and been so sick to her stomach that she never tried them again. Annie and vitamins didn't mix. She was squeamish in the weirdest ways.
She'd also been exceptionally smell-sensitive lately. Everything turned her stomach- the smell of the coffee stand at work, the broccoli cheddar soup at Panera only moments after it had seemed like the most delicious thing in the world... Eric Barber's chips.
When she got off the elevator that morning, Auggie walked right past her.
That was a first.
"So that's how it is!" she joked, calling after him.
He paused, frowned and turned. "Good morning, Walker. My bad."
"What's the deal?" she tried to keep it light as he took her elbow. "You blowing me off these days?"
"You? Never," Auggie said. "You just, uh... I didn't recognize you."
Annie frowned.
"You break up with Jo Malone?"
"Oh," Annie said. "Like, every smell on the planet makes me barf these days."
"Morning sickness, thou art a bitch," Auggie joked. "I take it you put the kibosh on the kitten heels, too."
Annie peeked down at her running shoes, with the hot pink soles. "I didn't even realize I was wearing these. I've been wearing them around the house lately... They're so much more comfortable."
"Well you are throwing me off left and right."
"So much for that fuzzy aura you can sense."
Auggie scoffed and rolled his eyes as they split off in separate directions. "Get to work, Walker. And try to hold your lunch down."
...
"So is it true?" Eric asked.
"Spit it out, Barber, I don't have the time."
"You knocked up Annie Walker?"
"Do you have to use that phrase? I hate that phrase."
"So, yes?"
"Yeah, Annie is pregnant."
"And yes you are the father?"
Auggie sighed. "Yes."
"Dude, why am I the last to know about this?"
"We weren't really broadcasting. It was a one-night stand, almost four months ago."
"Slap me some."
"Nope. Put your hand down. I am leaving you hanging."
"What's Parker think about it?"
"She's fine."
"No way."
"Yes, way."
"Just once, when confronted with a chill, sexy girl, could you pass one along to me?"
"I'm so far off the market they're scratching the decals off my storefront window, Barber. My chill, sexy days are over."
Barber chuckled. "All right, buddy. More for the rest of us."
"That's why I like you, Barber," Auggie muttered. "Always the town optimist."