Deathtrap by Dana Marton Page A

she ran into her friend Wendy in the hallway. They’d been neighbors back when Sophie had lived with Jeremy.
    “There she is!” Wendy enveloped her in a big hug, a smile lighting up her face. “How did it go?”
    “Good. I didn’t know you were coming.” But, God, it felt great.
    “Had the date written on my calendar. Nobody should have to go to one of these things alone, right? I’m taking you to lunch.”
    “Where’s Justin?”
    “Day care. Tryout. Two hours. We’ll see how it works. I’m going to have to go back to work, if anyone still wants me.”
    Wendy did modeling for some local agencies, nothing big, mostly department store weekly flyers.
    “People who look like you are not allowed to feel insecure,” Sophie warned her as they started down the hallway.
    “I’ve gained weight.” Wendy groaned. “Maybe we should catch up at the gym instead of over lunch.”
    “How long have you known me? Do I do the gym?” Sophie raised an eyebrow. “And we’re so not going to talk about gaining weight.”
    “Right. We’re going to celebrate your recovery.”
    “And your getting picked for every photo shoot in the city.”
    They went to Zerritos next to the hospital, not only because the place served healthy food but because they had the best coffee, hands down, in the entire city, in every flavor ever invented.
    “Pictures?” Sophie asked as she tried to eat her honey-mustard chicken with restraint instead of gobbling down the entire plate within three seconds.
    Wendy passed her phone across the table.
    “Could he be any cuter?” Sophie scrolled through the baby pictures. “He should be in ads.”
    “The talent agency offered to sign him last week.” Wendy gave a proud grin between two bites. “I’m just not sure if I should start him so early.”
    What she didn’t say was that money was an issue. The baby’s father wasn’t in the picture, and her parents, living in Florida, couldn’t afford to help financially.
    “Don’t look at me for advice on how to make a good decision.” Sophie filled her lungs and then told Wendy about the stray Rottweiler.
    They were still hashing that out after lunch when they stopped at the pharmacy to fill Sophie’s prescriptions and pick up diapers for Justin. Sophie also picked up dog food and some dog toys, and a collar and leash too, so if the owner showed up it’d be easier to lead the dog away.
    A colorful display of nail polish caught her eye as she passed by the cosmetics isle. She hadn’t worn much nail polish in the past. Her doctors liked to keep her nails uncovered, since a blue nail bed indicated cyanosis, low oxygen saturation in the blood. Also, during surgery, nail polish, especially red, messed with the older pulse oximeters.
    Except there’d be no more surgeries, God willing.
    “Go ahead,” Wendy said when she caught her looking. “You deserve it.”
    She grinned and picked hot pink, spring green, and a wild orange. Then she picked lip glosses to match. Her sick days were behind her. From now on she was going to be a vivacious woman with unbridled enthusiasm, living a life of endless possibilities. The next endcap display held boxes of condoms as colorful as the nail-polish display.
    Sophie passed by. “Not gonna need any of those.”
    Wendy pulled her back. “What kind of negative thinking is that?” She grabbed the box and dropped it in the cart. “You prepare for the things that you want to happen in your life. You deserve a great guy.”
    New heart. New house. New life.
    “Fine. Have you seen Jeremy lately?” she asked as they went through the self-checkout.
    Wendy worried her perfect bottom lip. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to know.” She hesitated. “I think he has someone.”
    “Good for him.” She meant that. They weren’t right for each other, but she wished the best for him.
    “Honestly, I never understood what you saw in him. You deserve so much better.”
    “He was my knight in shining armor at first, before he