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new iPhone is the paradigm shift everybody says it is, being able to talk to multiple people at once isn’t going to be enough,” and the meeting deteriorated into crosstalk as they speculated about what was on Apple’s new phone and discussed possible ways of finding out.
    Just send Suki over,
Briddey thought, and was about to text Trent that when he texted her, “Hamilton wants to see me. I’ll call you after. Love you. Don’t forget forms.,” and left her to listen to the speculations, which threatened to go on forever.
    C.B. has the right idea refusing to go to meetings,
she thought. She pulled up the second questionnaire, even though she doubted getting it in quickly would have any effect. When she looked up Dr. Verrick online, his client list included not only Hollywood celebrities but sports figures, royalty—he’d reportedly done Prince William and Kate’s—and the CEOs of a dozen Fortune 500 companies. She and Trent were lucky to have gotten on the waiting list at all, and Dr. Verrick wasn’t likely to bump David Beckham or the Sultan of Brunei for them. Just in case, though, she started through the questionnaire, which turned out to be a full battery of tests designed to measure emotional sensitivity, empathy, and couple compatibility.
    I’ll never be able to finish this today,
Briddey thought, but by the time everyone at the meeting had finished discussing the likelihood that Apple was only bluffing and whether Apple was spying on them, how unethical that would be, and who they could get to spy on Apple, Briddey’d finished the tests, sent them off to Dr. Verrick’s office, and started in on her email, ignoring the flood of messages from her family.
    There were two from C.B., one headed, “What Would Hedy Lamarr Do?”
    So that’s what “WWHLD?” stands for
, she thought.
Of course.
    His email was linked to a long article about Hedy Lamarr’s accomplishments regarding frequency hopping, and his second one to a news story titled, “Iowa Man Dies from Hangnail Surgery Complications.”
    When the meeting finally got out at four, she was surrounded with well-wishers telling her what a great catch Trent was and wanting to know how they’d been able to get on Dr. Verrick’s waiting list. “We couldn’t even get on the waiting list for the waiting list,” Lara from Accounting told her wistfully, and Beth from Quality Control enthused, “The EED’s the best thing ever invented!”
    Could you tell that to my family and C.B., please?
Briddey thought as she went back to her office, wondering what excuse she could give to get out of going to supper. A last-minute report due? A co-worker with a broken arm who she had to take to the emergency room? An outbreak of hantavirus?
    Whatever she told them, she needed to do it soon. It was already four thirty, and she wouldn’t put it past Aunt Oona to send Kathleen to Commspan after work to make sure she didn’t back out.
    Charla was standing at the door to her office. “These just came for you,” she said, pointing to a bouquet of pale pink camellias. “From Trent Worth.” She handed Briddey the card. “Longing for you,” it read, “and longing for the day when I won’t have to tell you that because you’ll already know. Trent.”
    “You are
so
lucky,” Charla said. “Nate never sends me—”
    “Any messages?” Briddey interrupted.
    “No, but your family—”
    “Call them back and tell them something’s come up,” Briddey said, walking past her, “I don’t care what, an emergency meeting or something, and I’m not going to be able to make it to supper,” and opened the door.
    On the whole clan. They were all there, including Aunt Oona in her tweed skirt and cardigan, her knitting in her lap. Mary Clare and Kathleen stood on either side of her, and Maeve sat cross-legged on the floor in the corner.
Please, please don’t let them have heard what I just said,
Briddey thought.
    “An emergency meetin’, is it?” Aunt Oona asked, her