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Gina Sellers’ car drove deafeningly into the Reid Realty parking lot, leaving an unmistakable trail of smoke coming out of the rusty, barely-hanging-in-there exhaust pipe. The paint was peeling on the sides, the tires were in dire need of a change, and the engine oil level needed checking, but this was out of the question for now. Gina knew that much. She was a relatively good driver who usually took good care of her car, especially now that it was her only luxury in life.
She wasn’t one to be burning rubber on the highway, but she was skilled enough to do a good job of pull-in parking. Her gymnast backbone was arched in perfect alignment with the seat as she squeezed the steering wheel confidently, making sure not to graze either of the two cars that were preventing her from parking with ease.
After a few seconds of successful maneuvering, she turned off the engine and grabbed the big blue bag that was riding shotgun. It was full to the brim, and every time she wanted to find something in it, she found this to be a Sisyphean task. She had all sorts of junk in there, mainly because she was unwilling to get rid of anything, especially given her current circumstances. There were so few things she was able to keep, to call her own, that even a pack of gum from months ago, gum that she’d probably never even chew, seemed like a treasured memento.
You’re being silly with this bag, she’d tell herself every time she tried to find her wallet in this mess of things. You didn’t used to be like this. What happened? She’d criticize herself for transforming from a slight neat freak into this oh-it’s-perfectly-fine kind of person. It made her sad to think what her mom would have thought of all this.
In any case, this situation she found herself in was something she had never expected to happen—ever. And now that it had, well, it seemed she was caught totally off guard, without any solid ground to stand on, and she was just playing it by ear. After all, the kind of debt she was in at the moment didn’t allow for much leeway however she looked at it.
Okay, you can do this. Nothing to it. She gave herself a little pep talk as she eyed herself in the rearview mirror. She had to admit she looked good, even though she was taught that beauty was only skin deep. She didn’t possess the classic beauty women were usually portrayed as having in literature. Under no circumstances could she be considered to have the build of a runway model, but her curvy, petite frame, enshrouded in dark chocolate skin and topped off with even darker eyes, had an appeal of its own. She’d been blessed with flawless skin, though not due to too much pampering. Gina had always been a believer in simplicity, about finding satisfaction in being neat and clean. She liked to think she had an inner glow that others might see as beauty, a glow that came not out of her being considered pretty, but as a good person.
You can do this. She repeated the phrase again, for the millionth time this month. After quickly running a brush through her curly hair, she grabbed her blue bag and got out of the car. Not really knowing why, she felt shaky as the soles of her ballerina flats hit the hard concrete stairs, leading into the fancy new building of Reid Realty. She could already feel herself sweating a little, and thanked her lucky stars she’d followed her roommate’s advice and wore a light ivory blouse that allowed for some much needed air conditioning, plus the fabric didn’t really show any possible sweat stains. Jill sometimes knows what she’s talking about. The cool breeze of the building’s interior promised her a day of freshness as long as she stayed within the building walls, which she was actually supposed to do for the next couple of hours anyway.
The mechanical door welcomed her inside, and the sound of her ballerina flats informed the receptionist that she had arrived. Gina smiled at the androgynous-looking secretary, with her short hair, no makeup, and nails bitten to bone. This lady wasn’t the kind of employee Gina expected to see at an elegant place like this.
“Hi there,” she said, smiling sweetly at the woman, who quickly lifted her blank gaze from her computer. “I’m…starting in housekeeping today. I was told to talk to you about instructions?”
“Oh, yes. You are…” the receptionist checked her computer screen again, “…Gina Sellers.”
“Guilty as charged.” She smiled, but there was no smile back.
“Yes.” The receptionist eyed Gina. “Go left at the elevators, then down the corridor. First door to the right. Ricky should be there to give you further instructions.” Having concluded her statement, she turned her attention back to her screen.
“Thank you.” There was something else Gina wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so.
“Anything else I can help you with?” the receptionist asked briskly, noticing that Gina remained standing there.
“No, no. Thank you.” Gina quickly went toward the elevators, as instructed, feeling like a scolded child.
As she was passing through the corridor, she brushed past a handsome young man in his early thirties with his face buried in a document as he walked, obviously in quite a rush. As they passed each other, the swift motion of his elbow shoved her in the arm. It didn’t really hurt, but that was beside the point. Gina made a disgruntled noise as she kept on walking, rubbing the spot the rude guy elbowed, and she took a deep breath, then finally decided to let it go. Usually, she wouldn’t, being the kind of person who believed in an eye for an eye, but she didn’t want to make a scene her first day on the job.
Gina’s desire to get revenge on anyone who wronged her stemmed from a school play in elementary school. One of the girls pushed her during the performance and Gina ended up on all fours, in front of the entire school, including all the parents, and even her crush, who was standing right next to her. So, when an opportunity arose for Gina to return the favor, she did. She put nettle leaves in the girl’s costume, and when it was time to raise the curtain, the unlucky girl was twitching like an epileptic, with everyone laughing, thinking it was a joke. Gina had to admit feeling a little sorry afterward, seeing the girl with a red rash all over her body that took over a week to heal, but getting even was more important than anything else.
Let it go, Gina. She calmed herself down, took a deep breath, and continued onward. What she failed to notice was that the man who had bumped into her was none other than Tyler Reid. Not being a reader of the tabloid press, which was always chock full of photographs with Tyler and different models every other week, there was no reason for her to know who he was. As he pressed the button for the elevator, he finally lifted his gaze from the document he was so intent on reading just seconds ago. Gina’s lingering perfume made him turn around, and only then did it hit him that he bumped against someone. It was like a flashback, and his brain was being slightly late in registering what had just happened. His first instinct was to call after this woman and apologize, but she was too far down the corridor for him to shout. And besides, the sight of her swaying booty gave him much more pleasure. Her tight jeans accentuated her figure perfectly, as her hips danced in the air, left to right.
He had no idea who this woman was, whether she was a new employee or not, but he couldn’t stop staring at her butt. It was as if a magnetic force was keeping his eyes glued to her posterior, which was no wonder. Then the sound of the arriving elevator shook him from his reverie, and upon taking one last look at the disappearing figure, the doors closed upon him.
Gina found the janitorial office easily, and upon opening the door, was met with a beaming face of a man of sixty or so dressed in a grey janitor’s uniform.
“You must be Gina!” His smile felt reassuring, especially after the automated response she got from the receptionist. It made her happy to discover there were people there who actually smiled upon meeting someone new. “Come in, come in!” he urged.
Gina extended her hand in a gesture of friendship. “I’m Gina. You must be Ricky.” She returned his smile. “May I call you that?” Gina had been taught that elders deserved her respect, no matter what their status in society was. She was happy to give him his due.
“Sí, sí!” He exclaimed. “It’s Enrique really, but everyone here calls me Ricky. And don’t let this old body fool ya,” he said with a mischievous wink. “I may be sixty-four, but I’m as fit as a thirty year-old!” He laughed, and she couldn’t help but join in. She immediately knew she liked him.
“I’d love to chit-chat, Bonita, but we’ve got work to do. I’ve been waiting for you to arrive so I can show you around.”
Ricky filled her in quickly but effectively on where the cleaning supplies were kept, her duties, the schedule, and where she was to begin.
“You’ll start with the conference room. The big boss needs it for this afternoon, and I was instructed to let you do it, so that they can see if you do a good job or not.”
“Well, it’s cleaning. How difficult can it be?” Gina smiled.
“Oh, no, no.” Ricky suddenly turned serious. “You have no idea how uptight the big boss can be about cleanliness. He’s sort of a…well, a neat freak, so you might wanna make sure you do an extra good job. And you didn’t hear this from me—” he took a cautious look around “—but, so far, every helper I’ve had has been fired for some reason. Every single one of them.” He emphasized every word of his last sentence, making it very dramatic.
Gina swallowed heavily.
“Not to frighten you or anything, Bonita, but watch your back. Lots of people here are mal, you know? Bad. They’ll stab you in the back just for looking at them the wrong way. Pure malice. So, do a good job and watch out.” Ricky placed a hand gently on her shoulder, in a show of support.
“I really appreciate all the advice, Ricky. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“I’d like to see you stay here, that’s why I’m doing it. I like you, Bonita. You’re my kinda people.” He winked at her again, getting his little janitorial cart with all the necessities. It made her happy to know she had at least one ally in this place. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Gina wasn’t too happy to discover they had a horrible janitorial uniform for everyone. Hers couldn’t even be called decent, but at least it was comfortable for work purposes. And besides, she wasn’t there to look pretty. She was there to do a good job and get paid for it.
“Shall we?” she asked, and Ricky gallantly offered her his arm.
Ricky escorted Gina to the conference room and left her there, wishing her good luck. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d need all the good luck she could get.
“Well, let’s get a move on,” she told herself out loud, and rolled up her sleeves. Darned if she wasn’t going to do the best cleaning job this so-called big boss had ever seen.
Tyler Reid, aka the big boss, sat comfortably in his big leather chair in front of a huge mahogany desk. It held no personal items, no framed photographs, no gifts from friends and family. For him, this was a place of work, and sentimentality had no business being there.
As he would often tell his young assistant, Benjamin Williams, “It’s as simple as that: if you want to succeed, you have to give it your all. Your focus, your strength, your time, your hard work—without any distractions. Then, when you return home, you’re free to spend that time any way you want. There has to be a proper division. Only this way can you create a successful business empire. Worked for me, didn’t it?”
Tyler suspected Benjamin didn’t entirely agree, despite his nods.
Tyler felt Benjamin, after seven years with the company, believed he deserved a promotion, but Tyler wanted to wait. He believed Benjamin lacked a certain level of people skills, which was a crucial necessity in the realty business. Benjamin simply didn’t have the face or the grace for it, and Tyler knew that eventually he’d have to do something about it; but he kept postponing the situation for as long as possible, seeing that he sort of felt sorry for Benjamin, who’d put everything on the line and lost it for his job. Not that he was in the habit of snooping around when it came to his employees, but he found out, one way or another, that Benjamin had lost his long-time girlfriend to this job, and even some of his friends. And despite what anyone said, Tyler Reid wasn’t the kind of guy who turned his back on those who had been by his side for years. He’d make it work somehow (he just didn’t know how yet) so Benjamin had to be put on hold for the time being.
“Is the rental agreement ready?” Tyler asked, eyeing his half-full coffee mug.
“The one for the Thornton house?” Benjamin asked, fumbling inside his sleek leather briefcase. “Yes, I’ve got it right here…somewhere…” He took out a bundle of disordered papers, trying to find the specific rental agreement.
Tyler grabbed his mug and took a long sip while he waited. The coffee had already gotten cold, but he didn’t mind.
“You know, you could put that thing in better order.” He pointed the mug at the open briefcase, which seemed to have an endless supply of papers of all shapes and sizes. “It’d help you find things faster. Make life easier…for both of us.”
“Yes, yes, Mr. Reid, I know…and I was about to do it, I mean I will do it…” Benjamin was clearly becoming nervous as he clumsily continued looking for the elusive rental agreement as Tyler looked on, sipping his semi-cold coffee.
“Okay, let me know when you find it. And make sure it’s within the next hour or so.” Tyler frowned slightly, brushing a lock of hair that tended to fall into his eyes. He’d wasted enough time today waiting for Benjamin to get it together.
Tyler knew people both in and out of the office considered him to be a playboy, the kind of man who both worked hard and played hard. Not that anybody could blame him. Making such a monster of a realty company basically from scratch took a whole lot of guts, time, and hard work.
“So, I ran into a real hottie today,” Tyler suddenly said after a long-enough, pregnant pause. He saw the surprise in Benjamin’s eyes. This wasn’t usually the kind of thing he talked about. He was just trying to make conversation while Benjamin cleaned up that mess in his briefcase. “Do you know if we’ve hired anyone new lately?”
“No, not really.” Benjamin paused from stuffing another group of papers into his briefcase, bending the corners as he did so. “Why?”
“Just asking.” Tyler looked out the window, which overlooked the entire city of White Plains, the business district that was like a mini-Manhattan, which lay thirty miles to the south. Every time he did so, it gave him a feeling of invincibility. “Who’s been doing the hiring lately? Still Jeanie?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“I’ll have to have a talk with Jeanie, then.” Tyler was still looking out the window, his fingers drumming silently against the mahogany desk, raising the tension Benjamin’s clumsiness was creating.
“Now, if I could just find that agreement. I, uh, guess I’ll have to get it to you. Within the hour,” Benjamin weakly concluded.
“See that you do.” Tyler dismissed him with a quick glance, then focused his attention on the thick folder in front of him that awaited his attention.
Benjamin gathered up his remaining papers in one big clumsy swoop of both hands and rushed outside the door. He wasn’t usually this clumsy, and when he closed the door on the outside, he let all the papers rest on the little desk that was nestled cozily in a corner of the empty outer office area. Then he made a fist and bumped himself on the head several times.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” he angrily whispered to himself. “That’s not how you get a promotion, you idiot!” He squinted hard, wanting to make the last half hour disappear as he kept bumping his own head with a fist.
When he opened his eyes several seconds later, he saw Jeanie’s widened eyes staring at him in disbelief. Where had she come from? She hadn’t been at her desk a minute ago.
“Oh, hey…Jeanie…” His mind raced for an explanation for his weird behavior that wouldn’t send Jeanie off running to her friends in accounting to tell them what a nutcase he was.
She kept staring at him, disbelief turned into amusement, as if gathering the willpower to tear herself away from this spectacle and go back to work.
“I’ll just get going now…” he finally muttered, grabbing papers and briefcase and rushing toward his own office, as Jeanie’s bewildered stare lingered on.
***
Tyler gazed outside his window into the summer day, indifferent to the comical scene going on just outside his closed office door. He intertwined his fingers behind his head and leaned back as much as his chair allowed. He had a ton of things that needed his attention, plus an important meeting this afternoon, but for some reason he couldn’t concentrate on work.
While it was true that he didn’t have any family mementos in his office, but the truth of the matter was that he didn’t really need any. He had them all in his mind. His company was enough of a reminder and proof of how much he truly loved his family. His parents had been upper middle class, and Tyler couldn’t say that he had to work hard for many things in life, especially because he was so good looking. In high school, during his quarterback days, girls would be lining up to go on a date with him, and now, more than fifteen years later, things hadn’t changed a bit. Women were still lined up for just a morsel of his attention, and a date, well, that was a whole dream come true. And Tyler knew this perfectly. A gentleman at heart, but a player, too, he made sure that every woman who was lucky enough to go out with him, and spend the night with him, of course, was treated to something really special: not just dinner at some chain restaurant, but at a highly rated bistro. Not just a movie, but a cabaret act or even a Broadway show. And when it came to showing off, he was no amateur. A tiger in the sack, women in his company would tell tales of his conquests and about a certain lucky friend of a friend who actually went out with him once and ended up with the best night of her life, but also eventually with a broken heart, as Tyler Reid didn’t seem to be the marrying kind. Half the time he never called for a second date.
Tyler shifted positions in his chair, making himself even more comfortable, like a lazy cat just up from its afternoon nap. This was the perfect time to pop open that box of a special brand of Cuban cigars, smuggled in especially for him, but smoking wasn’t allowed on the premises. And rules did apply to everyone, including the almighty Tyler Reid, even though he tried to bend the rules as much as he could. Luckily, he got away with it most of the time.
In the beginning, when his parents first opened this real estate agency, it was barely more than two rooms. The furniture was old, borrowed, or bought with an IOU from friends who believed in Reid’s dreams. Luckily, his father was a charming guy, a trait Tyler definitely inherited, which allowed him to get almost whatever he wanted. All he needed to do was flash his pearly whites and voila—whatever he wanted was his.
But that didn’t mean he took it all for granted once he had it. On the contrary: Tyler’s father taught his entire family the value of hard work and the priceless feeling of obtaining your goals all on your own. This was why his father often missed important moments at home, but Tyler knew why this was so. His father was creating something lasting and stable for his family: something that would be there after he was gone, and Tyler respected him all the more for it.
A loud buzzing noise stirred Tyler from his thoughts. He sat up, lowered his hands, and returned to his professional self.
“Yes, Jeanie?” he said into the intercom.
“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Reid, but Mr. Weston is here. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he told me to—”
Tyler interrupted her politely. It was the unspoken motto of his company that people were nice to each other. And by nice, he didn’t mean smirking and grinning and then talking trash when someone would innocently turn their back. What he meant was genuine niceness, and he tried to lead by example. This was just one of the reasons why all his employees loved having him as a boss.
Tyler knew their nickname for him was “the big boss,” and he actually encouraged others to use it, especially during informal team buildings and get-togethers. What he tried to uphold was his father’s idea of a company that was not only a mix of employees, but of people who genuinely cared about each other and would jump in to help whenever.
“It’s fine, Jeanie. Let him in. Thank you.” He released the button, but a frown had formed on his forehead. He didn’t like it when his morning affairs were interrupted by unscheduled visits from clients. He specifically told them to make an appointment, seeing he was busy throughout the day, and catching him at any point without something to do was highly unlikely. He figured what the hell, he hadn’t been doing anything anyway, so he’d let Smithy Weston interrupt his daydreaming session.
When Gina finished her first day of work, she was actually pretty satisfied with herself, changing back into her everyday clothes and saying goodbye to Ricky.
“Thank you for everything, Ricky. You made this day much easier, and I actually think I can make it here.” She waited for Ricky to pack up all his stuff so that they could head out together.
“Don’t sweat it, Bonita.” Ricky smiled. “Glad to hear no one made this place hell for you. Because if they do…” He shook his fist comically, like an aging knight trying to show off for a much younger princess. She laughed. “Well, okay, I’m that way.” He pointed at the exit. She was surprised to realize he wasn’t going toward the parking lot. “How do you get home?” She asked, genuinely concerned. It was already getting late, and it was a long walk to the nearest bus stop.
“Gonna catch the bus to Yonkers.” He smiled. Yonkers was an hour away by bus, and she was horrified to learn a man his age spent two hours or more commuting each day.
“That’s crazy. Let me give you a ride to the bus stop,” she urged. “That’s the least I can do.” She pointed at her little dirty Camaro that sat nearly alone in the parking lot.
“I’d hate to be a bother…” Ricky shook his head. “Plus, if I get home earlier, I might catch my wife cheating on me, as I’m never home this early.” He said this with a serious voice, so that Gina wasn’t sure at first if he really meant it or not. But seeing the look on his face, and how it was transforming back into roaring laughter, she understood.
“If I lived in Yonkers, I’d insist you ride with me, but I live in Greenburgh. That’s along the bus stop, isn’t it?” She remembered seeing buses run past the apartment house Jill lived in.
“Well, I was never the one to refuse a lady,” Ricky replied nonchalantly, and they got into her little clunker of a car and chatted as Gina drove.
Ricky was originally from Mexico and had emigrated about forty years before with his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Maria. Like most people, they came looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but, unfortunately, all they were able to find were menial jobs that barely paid enough for basic human needs.
“Would I change it all?” Ricky asked. “No way, José.”
Gina smiled, watching the road.
“The years I spent with my Maria here are priceless to me. Money? It just complicates things. Makes people do bad things. We never wanted it. We just wanted enough to get by, to provide food and shelter for our boys, and that was that. The good Lord allowed us this, and I couldn’t be more feliz!” He pointed to a bus stop. “You can drop me off here.”
She pulled over.
“Thanks, Bonita. See ya tomorrow!” He waved as he exited the car, and Gina continued her drive toward what she considered home for the time being.
It wasn’t home at all, simply because she didn’t have a home anymore, no place she could call her own, go inside, and close the door behind her, leaving the entire world outside. Jill’s apartment merely represented a pit stop on the way to something better, but when that something better would come along, Gina didn’t know.
For the time being, the two were testing the limits of their friendship in this little studio apartment, and Gina suspected that, at times, Jill had enough of sharing. Especially when Gina returned to Jill’s apartment one evening to find Jill getting it on with who turned out to be some random guy she just met.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I’ll…I’ll be going now…” Gina stepped back awkwardly, her hand covering her eyes, because seeing a naked butt which she wasn’t sure was Jill’s or the guy’s was a warmer welcome than she had expected to get. Rushing down the stairs, she left Jill a message on her cell to give her a call when the coast was clear.
Knowing Jill, it could take anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours, so Gina went around the corner to a small café and ordered a chai latte. She always had a good book in her bag, which was just one of the perks of having all sorts of junk in her bag. She wasn’t really a social person, definitely not the one to be Skyping for hours or checking her Facebook. Gina had an air of old school about her, something not many women of her age possessed. She was only twenty-five, but sometimes she felt like she was double that, and she knew others could feel it, too.
Sitting there, sipping her chai latte and soaking up every word of her latest book, the last thing she wanted was to be approached by a man. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop men from trying.
“Hey there, this seat taken?” This was the usual question she’d get when she sat alone at a café. Before she could even lift her gaze and reply, the body the voice belonged to would have already sat down, placed his drink on the table, and delivered what he felt was a charming pick-up line that was sure to sweep her off her feet. Needless to say, it never did.
“So, did it hurt?” this latest one asked.
She lifted one eyebrow, not understanding.
“Did what hurt?” She wasn’t amused. She was sitting at a café, waiting for her friend to finish having sex, when she’d much rather be taking a bubble bath at home, and if nothing else, she really wanted to focus on her book. This guy was cramping her style, but she earnestly didn’t want to sound rude.
“When you fell out of heaven, cuz you must be an angel,” he said, his expression dead serious.
Gina burst out laughing, barely believing he actually used such a corny pick-up line.
“Really?” She continued laughing through her words. “Not to be rude or anything, but that’s the best you could come up with?”
The guy seemed embarrassed. He started looking around him, then at his phone, as if trying to come up with something to say.
“Sorry. That sounded harsh, but I didn’t mean anything bad.” She smiled at him. “But those pick-up lines really don’t work. Ever.” She closed her book. “Now, you seem like a nice enough guy. Why didn’t you approach me with something nice, a question, or just give me a good old-fashioned compliment?” Her tone was similar to that of a teacher asking questions she was sure her students didn’t know the answer to.
“I don’t know.” He looked down at his feet. “I guess I’m not very good at this.”
“I’d say so,” she agreed. “Next time, just be yourself. Ask something plausible. Comment. Compliment. Then you actually might get somewhere.”
“Thanks for the advice. Can I buy you a cup of coffee to make up for this stupid mistake?” he offered, sounding genuine this time.
“See? That was great!” She leaned forward to tap him on the shoulder in a show of encouragement. “But I already have my latte, and I’m expecting to leave at any minute. I’m just waiting for a friend to give me a call.”
“I see. Well, thanks for being so cool and all. And…I guess I’ll be seeing you around.” He stood up, taking his coffee with him.
“Any time. Bye-bye!” She smiled, and reopened her book. As soon as she did so, Jill called, and Gina rushed back to the apartment, leaving her chai latte unfinished on the café table.
Gina couldn’t shake the feeling that something similar was in store for tonight as well. I do hope Jill doesn’t have any of her studs over for the night. It was a helluva long day. I’m so tired, I think I’d throw the guy out!
When she arrived at Jill’s, Gina was relieved to find her roommate alone, lounging on the sofa.
“Yo, mama!” Jill greeted her playfully. “What’s up? How was first day at work?”
“Hey, Jill!” Gina kicked off her shoes and sank her tired body onto the sofa next to Jill.
“That bad?”
“Nah,” Gina replied. “It was fine. Just tired, that’s all.”
“Did you get to meet Tyler Reid in the flesh?” Jill’s eyes sparkled as she mentioned his name.
“No, not yet.” Gina closed her eyes. Meeting Tyler Reid was the last thing on her mind.
“Do you want a beer?” Jill went to the half fridge in the kitchen area of the studio apartment.
“No, I’m good.”
“Suit yourself.” Jill removed a beer, opened it, and took a sip. “The girls and I are going to The Rocksteady tonight. Wanna come?” Jill pointed at Gina with her beer. “Lots of cute single guys.” She winked, emphasizing “guys.”
“Yeah, not really in the mood, Jill. Next time.” Gina’s eyes were still closed. She felt like she could doze off right there.
“Okay, hon. I’ll just take a quick shower and then I’ll be off. No boys while I’m gone, you hear?” She laughed at her own warning, as if Gina bringing a guy home was the most preposterous thing in the world.
“Listen, Jill…” Gina started. “I know I’m cramping your style being here and all, and I want you to know that as soon as I can afford a place, I’ll be out of your hair. Promise.” She looked at her friend with puppy dog eyes.
“You know you’re welcome to stay, Gin-Gin. Even though you are cramping my style.” Both of them laughed. “I know how tough it must be for you. Losing your mom to cancer, and all the debt that you’re left with…”
“If only my stupid boss at stupid Burns and Co. offered me short term disability after my injury, none of this would have happened.” Gina buried her face in Jill’s shoulder. “I’d be able to pay off my debt, which is now impossible with this stupid housekeeper salary that’s got me nothing so far, and I wouldn’t be at risk of losing my car, which is the only luxury I have. Oh, Jill, what’ll I do?” She choked back tears. Her mother taught her to never break down when faced with difficulties, but it was just all too much. Gina felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“Hey, hey…” Jill cupped Gina’s face. “Chin up, soldier. You’ll be fine. One way or another, I’m sure you will.”
Gina wasn’t really reassured by these words, especially coming from someone as carefree and superficial as Jill, but at least Jill was there when she needed her the most, and she had to respect her for that. Friends for nearly five years, they’d been through a lot together. Regardless, Gina knew Jill’s patience wouldn’t last forever. She’d asked Jill for favor after favor. Gina knew that she had to do something, and fast.
“Can I just use the bathroom before you do?” Gina asked.
Jill nodded. “Sure, go ahead. I’ll just finish this brewsky.”
“You sound like a frat boy.” Both of them laughed.
This was just one of the reasons she loved Jill so much: her silliness.
Gina went into the bathroom, bringing her bag along. Jill was too busy checking her phone to notice. After locking the door, Gina sat on the closed toilet seat and rummaged through her bag. I know I bought it today. It has to be here somewhere. She was finally forced to turn her bag upside down and shake absolutely everything out of it. Finally, there it was—her pregnancy test.
She carefully read the instructions and followed them. Then the waiting game started. They were the longest two minutes in Gina’s life. When she finally saw two strips appearing, her shoulders sagged.
I’m…pregnant. Her mind sounded off an alarm, but Gina remained strangely calm. She was just sitting there, in one place, not moving a muscle, as if refusing to act upon it made the situation non-existent. She wanted this passivity to last as long as possible. When she finally left the bathroom, almost ceremoniously, she still held the little stick in her hand.
“You done?” Jill asked. Then she noticed Gina’s blank stare. “Gina, hon, what’s wrong? Come here, sit down. Tell me what happened.” She talked frantically, like a wind-up doll.
“I’m…pregnant.” Gina said as she sat down.
Jill stared at her in shock. “You’re what?”
Gina held up the stick with its pink lines. Jill grabbed it.
“Are you sure you did it right? Sometimes it shows a false positive…” she said, being the expert on the matter, but Gina knew. There was no need for a second try.
“It’s true, Jill. I’m pregnant.” She buried her face in her hands as Jill’s hand caressed her back. This time, she couldn’t hold the tears back, because there seemed to be no way out of this hell she was stuck in.
“I can cancel the girls’ night out, Gin-Gin, and stay with you, if you want,” Jill offered. “I was the one who organized the whole thing, but I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“No, no. You go out and have fun.” Gina didn’t really feel like having anyone around. She just wanted to take a nice long bubble bath and go to sleep. At least then she wouldn’t have to think about finding solutions to the million problems she had.
Jill nodded. “Well, all right, but only if you really don’t mind.”
“I’ll be fine, Jill. Really. Go out. At least one of us should be having fun.”
Jill kissed her on the forehead. “Okay, then. And first thing next week, we’re taking you to my gynecologist. He’ll know what to do.”
When Jill closed the door behind her after leaving, Gina felt relieved. The situation couldn’t have been any worse, but somehow finally being alone made her feel a little bit better. She ran her long anticipated bubble bath and climbed in. The warm air soothed her nostrils, and the dash of bath salts relaxed her as well. She soaked for twenty minutes, and once dried off and in her pajamas, she got her sleeping bag out of the closet and wrapped herself up inside it.
When Gina woke up the next morning, for a few blissful seconds, she forgot about the bad news from the previous night. But reality hit her hard, and before she even got out of bed, she was chained by her troubles again. She looked at Jill, who was sleeping like a little baby on the roll-out sofa, without a care in the world. Gina envied her so much.
But Gina also knew that feeling sorry for herself would get her nowhere. So she hopped out of bed and checked her wardrobe for something adequate to wear. Nothing too fancy, but you want to look good. She urged herself to reach for that sunny sunflower dress that she loved to wear. Pairing it up with the same pair of ballerina flats this time, and adding just a tad bit of makeup to accentuate her eyes, she was finally satisfied with how she looked.
Okay. Here I go. She was standing in front of the door, with a key aiming for the lock. It was weird, knowing that she was now two people, but she tried to shake off this feeling. She needed to focus on her work right now, plus today she had a meeting with Tyler Reid’s administrative assistant about a few things. Taking a deep breath, she finally hit the key hole, unlocking the door and bursting outside.
The drive to work was uneventful, and as soon as she arrived at the building, she was greeted yet again by the same androgynous face of the woman on the reception desk. Not really in the mood for anything, she was about to pass her by, without even so much as a simple greeting.
“Miss Sellers!” the receptionist called after her when Gina simply passed her by.
“Yes?” Gina turned around. She returned to the reception desk and leaned authoritatively over it. She had no idea where this confidence originated from, but she liked it. Perhaps it had something to do with Ricky’s advice from the previous day. She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t care. It felt good to be confident in her own shoes, and she decided to try this more often.
“Ummm…” The secretary was confused by this sudden change of behavior. “It’s Miss Forester.” Gina lifted her eyebrow. “She said she wished to see you immediately when you arrived. So, if you would please go down that corridor, you’ll see her there…”
“Thank you,” Gina said confidently, and continued in the same, self-assured manner as before, her heart racing. She was supposed to see Miss Forester at a later point. Was something wrong? Why this sudden urgency? She went down the corridor as confidently as she could.
“Miss Forester?” She addressed a kind-looking woman, with a melodious voice, whose desk was in a quiet part of the building, outside a sitting area and a large oak door, with a superbly intricate design. It was obvious that this door led to another world, a world not many were allowed to visit.
“Oh, you must be Miss Sellers.” She smiled affectionately, and Gina felt relieved at the lack of more cold, androgynous faces lurking behind desks.
“Gina, please. I was told you wanted to see me before I start work today?” She pushed a loose curl nervously behind her ear as she stood there, waiting to see whether she would be granted final entrance into this new and exciting world that was occupied by the likes of Tyler Reid.
“Gina,” Miss Forester nodded once, acknowledging the gesture of informality, “yes, exactly. I apologize if that created any inconvenience for you. I know we were scheduled for later today, and I do appreciate you coming in earlier.”
“Oh, no, no trouble at all.” Gina was liking this lady more with each passing second. Truth be told, she liked her from the very moment she saw her during her first interview, but now she saw this lady was genuinely nice, and it was a breath of fresh air to find someone truly helpful.
“I won’t keep you too long, Gina.” Miss Forester opened the drawer to her desk, taking out a sheet of paper with something printed on it. “I just wanted to let you know that today you’ll be cleaning Mr. Reid’s office, and as some will tell you, he has a specific way of doing things, and he requires the same of his employees.” She smiled at Gina.
“If you point me to the right direction, I’m sure I’ll do a good job.” Gina was confident. Just make everything spic and span, and it’ll be fine, she told herself.
“I’m sure, too.” Miss Forester definitely seemed to be on her side.
“What is he like, as a boss?” Gina suddenly heard herself ask. Even though she immediately knew this wasn’t really the kind of question she should be asking at this point, she was hoping Miss Forester wouldn’t hold it against her. As it turned out, she didn’t, which led Gina to believe this was probably the kind of question every new, female employee asked upon being hired to work for the infamous Tyler Reid.
“Oh, he’s…” She seemed at a loss for words. “It’s difficult to describe him in a few words, really.” She looked at the intercom on her desk, right next to a framed photograph of a man and a little girl Gina assumed were her husband and daughter.
“Do you like working for him?” Gina asked. She didn’t want to know the guy’s whole history, just whether he was nice or not, so that she knew what to expect and what to prepare for.
“Oh, absolutely!” Miss Forester gushed. “He’s real nice. Understanding. Sympathetic. When my baby was sick, he gave me an advance on my paycheck, twice, and a bonus, just like that, so that I could settle all the bills and not get into debt.” Her eyes shone as she revealed this.
“Really?” Gina was astonished. She had to admit, it wasn’t the image she had in her mind: a people lover who helped with advances on paychecks for whatever reason. She was pleasantly surprised, and even optimistic about the whole thing. “Thank you, Miss Forester. That was exactly what I wanted to hear.” She smiled.
“Oh please, call me Jeanie.” It was settled. With this small exchange, the two had become allies. Gina knew it. And the more of those she had, the better she would do in a place like this.
“Good morning, Jeanie.” Suddenly, there was a powerful manly voice behind them, and both women turned around at the same time, facing none other than Tyler Reid.
“Good morning, Mr. Reid,” Jeanie chirped with a huge smile on her face.
“And who do we have here?” He offered his hand to Gina.
“This is Miss Gina Sellers, the new housekeeper the agency sent us.” Jeanie looked at him, then back at Gina, who clumsily took his offered hand and shook it, though not as confidently as she wanted to. A revelation hit her. It was Tyler Reid who bumped into her that first day at work without apologizing. Her nostrils flared for just a second, but it seemed like such a long time ago because of all the things that had happened in the meantime that she simply couldn’t hold any grudges.
“It’s always nice to see someone here before their actual working hours have begun.” He smiled at the two women. “I guess you’ll want to give her some instructions?” He turned to Jeanie, who just nodded. “Great. I’ll unlock the office and leave you to it, then. I’ll just pop by the accounting department really quick, and I should be back shortly.” He turned to Gina. “It was a pleasure, Miss Sellers.”
“Likewise, Mr. Reid,” she replied formally, but with a soft smile.
The two women entered Tyler’s office, and Jeanie was quick to jump to instructions immediately.
“So, what you need to pay attention to is basically putting everything back to its rightful place once you’re done. And I do mean everything.” She eyed Gina, just to make sure she was listening. “He can be somewhat…well, picky about how things are cleaned and taken care of, and seeing this office used to belong to his father, he’s all nitty-gritty about many trinkets and items you’ll find inside.”
Gina nodded, looking around. It was a really classy-looking office. She was sure they had hired some fancy interior designer to make it this good. It oozed comfort, but at the same time, professionalism, combining the two in a perfect mixture. Gina could just imagine Tyler easily conducting business here, and always making a killer deal. The room itself urged you to trust the owner and let him guide you.
“So, all I need to do is do a good job and put everything back where it belongs?” She smiled at Jeanie. “Sounds simple enough.”
“And it is.” Jeanie replied. “That’s why we don’t know why we keep changing housekeepers so often…” Her voice trailed off, as if she was trying to explain something to herself but couldn’t. “In any case, I’m sure you’ll stay with us for a long time.” She smiled caringly.
At that moment, Tyler entered the office.
“You ladies finding everything you need?” He placed his briefcase on the mahogany table and faced them, hands on his hips in a Superman pose.
“Yes, Mr. Reid,” Jeanie replied. “I was just explaining to Miss Sellers everything regarding cleaning your office.”
“Thank you, Jeanie.” He turned to Gina. “As anyone here will tell you, Miss Sellers, I don’t ask for much. Just a job well done.” He smiled, and the two women joined him.
“Say, Jeanie, would you mind giving Miss Sellers and me a moment? And if anyone needs me, just tell them to wait,” he added, surprising both women with his request.
Gina froze, immediately thinking that something bad was about to happen, while Jeanie just nodded, smiled nervously, and closed the door behind her.
“Miss Sellers,” his voice grew softer, and less professional, “I’m afraid that an apology on my part is due.”
Gina felt like she was struck by lightning. Why would Tyler Reid need to apologize to me? Yes, he was rude and bumped into me without saying anything, but guys like that don’t apologize… do they?
“I’m sure that when I bumped into you the other day, that didn’t really leave a good impression of your colleagues here.” He started off. “I was in a rush, and I guess I was lost in my papers, so I didn’t notice you at all, for which I’m sorry.” He actually said it. Gina thought this would be one of those apologies that didn’t sound like one at all, but, in fact, he actually said the words loud and clear, for her to hear them. This came as a very pleasant surprise and any leftover grudge she might have been feeling up to this point was completely gone.
“I assure you, it’s perfectly fine, Mr. Reid…” she started, but was interrupted by the opening of the door and Benjamin storming inside.
“Mr. Reid! Big news regarding the—” Benjamin broke off, realizing his boss wasn’t alone. “Oh, I apologize, I didn’t know…”
“Didn’t Jeanie tell you I asked not to be disturbed?” Tyler glared daggers at Benjamin.
Jeanie, who’d followed closely on Benjamin’s heels, said, “Mr. Reid, I am so sorry.” She looked at Benjamin with annoyance. “He just barged in, even though I kept telling him that you asked not to be disturbed.”
Tyler knew it wasn’t her fault. “It’s all right, Jeanie. Go back to work. Everything’s fine.” Tyler managed to utter this little monologue, even though he was obviously annoyed. Despite all his expectations, he actually looked forward to talking to Gina some more. After all, that was why he asked not to be disturbed. There was something about her that he found fascinating, and it wasn’t only her behind. He was determined to find out more about her, but obviously now wasn’t the right time.
“Miss Sellers,” he turned to Gina calmly, “I’m afraid that we’ll have to cut this meeting short, to my great disappointment.” She smiled shyly. Her doe-like behavior was enough to let him know that her skittish nature had something to do with him as well. Or at least, he hoped so. “But rest assured, we’ll talk again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, some urgent business seems to have popped up unexpectedly. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?”
“I’ll, um, just change and will be back to clean your office.” She slipped out of the room.
Benjamin watched as Tyler’s eyes followed the woman. Who was this Miss Sellers person? Obviously not a client—that huge bag she carried made her look like a nicely dressed bag lady. Not a personal friend of Tyler’s, either, or else he wouldn’t have addressed her so formally. Besides, she was black. It didn’t sit well with him, seeing his boss look at that kind of woman with such admiration. Still, he knew better than to show his true feelings about the whole thing, so he kept his mouth shut, even though his mind was aching to release more than a few racial slurs. Instead, he braced himself when Tyler turned a cold gaze on him.
“I’ll tell you this only once, Benjamin. If I ask not to be interrupted, that goes for anything. And I do mean anything. Even if there’s an earthquake, I’m not available. Got it?” His tone of voice was low, but firm. Benjamin grudgingly nodded, but inside he was teeming. He didn’t deserve to be treated this way, especially because of the importance of the news he was about to tell Tyler.
“Now, what’s all the fuss about?” Tyler became professional again, and Benjamin knew that he was back on safe ground once again.
When Gina exited Tyler’s office, she felt her heart thumping harder than ever. Her palms were clammy and she knew her cheeks were burning. How can this man have such an effect on me? she wondered as she approached Jeanie’s desk.
“Let me walk you back to Ricky’s.” Jeanie smiled and stood up. “I could go for a little chocolate treat about now.”
“Great.” Gina smiled.
As the two women walked through the busy corridor, Jeanie said, “I tried to prevent that know-it-all Benjamin from getting in, but you wouldn’t believe how insistent he was, even after I told him that Mr. Reid specifically asked not to be disturbed. Seriously.” She shook her head in obvious annoyance.
“You don’t like him much, do you?” Gina said with a laugh.
“That obvious, huh? Well, here we are,” she said. Gina followed her into a small kitchen.
Jeanie inserted coins into the vending machine and bent to retrieve the candy bar she’d chosen. “A little mid-afternoon pick-me-up,” she said, looking a bit guilty. “But I swear, that Benjamin really gives me the creeps.”
“Why?” Gina leaned onto a counter.
“Don’t really know why, honestly. Just a feeling I’ve got. And my gut feelings are always spot on, Gina. Always.” Jeanie made a face. “He treats his co-workers really poorly, like he gives them the boring tasks that he’s supposed to do. Plus, I’ve heard him say some stuff that’s really rude, you know, like behind other people’s backs. And that’s really low in my book. I mean, if you’ve got something against someone, be a man about it and tell him to his face. Don’t be a wuss.” Jeanie unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a big bite.
Gina had to admit she really liked this lady. She was not only likeable, but tough and honest as well, exactly the kind of people Gina liked to surround herself with.
“I guess he’s one of the people Ricky warned me about,” Gina mused.
“Probably. You’ll see for yourself soon enough. We all eventually do.”
As Gina walked back to the janitorial office to prepare for work, she couldn’t help but rewind the situation at Tyler’s office over and over in her mind again. He was extremely good looking; she hadn’t counted on that. Upon seeing him, she felt like she’d been struck by lightning right then and there. His casual office style—a white shirt, no tie, a tailored suit that made him look like a Calvin Klein model—it all made her hormones rebel against every reasonable grain in her body.
So what if he’s a good-looking white guy? There are so many others just like him. She tried to explain the whole situation to herself reasonably, and to prevent another hormonal attack when she saw him again, which she was sure would happen sooner than she’d like it to.
And furthermore, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was somehow attracted to her. He certainly seemed angry about Benjamin bursting in on them.
Then, all of a sudden, a crazy idea was born in her mind. What if I make use of this whole situation? She felt like there was a little devilish Gina sitting on her right shoulder, urging her to consider the unthinkable. What if you make him your baby daddy? The angelic Gina, however, perched on her left shoulder, was appalled. How could you even consider that?
As the devilish and angelic representations of her conscience raged a war within her mind, she finally reached Ricky’s janitorial office and let herself in. He wasn’t there, but his stuff was, so she rightly assumed he had already started work.
Well, maybe I could. Why not? Gina thought, not being able to resist devilish Gina’s ideas. He seems into me, and provided I keep his attention long enough, he could solve all my financial troubles. The very thought sent shivers down her spine. Debt-free! Your own place! Getting a new car! It all sounded too good to be true.
Gina closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind. It was all just too much. She had to think about it. But she also had to admit: having Tyler Reid as her potential boyfriend, baby daddy, sponsor, or whatever people nowadays wanted to call it, did sound tempting. Maybe even too tempting.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Now was the time to make it or break it, because her current choice could end up affecting her future in unthinkable ways.
What’ll it be, Gina? Choose, choose, choose… the devil in her mind kept saying over and over again.
Gina woke up for the millionth time that night. Her eyes were wide, owl-like, as she stared at the darkened ceiling, almost believing that if she stared into it long enough, it would magically provide her with the solutions she was desperate for. She pressed her hand on the back of her neck, feeling tension. It was moist. She felt like her entire being was working overtime, body and mind, but this wasn’t enough for her to get over this.
She tried to take a few deep breaths, in hopes that this would soothe her beating heart and allow her to go back to sleep, which she desperately needed. She needed to be up and running at 6 a.m., and at work only an hour later. Having slept only two or three hours wouldn’t provide her with enough rest, especially under the circumstances.
It had been a few days since she noticed some major changes occurring within her body. As someone who always ate whatever she wanted and exercised from time to time just to keep up with her naturally given good figure, she found it baffling that she started feeling tired after some minor physical activity.
The same went for smells. To her horror, she found the scent of her favorite perfume, a remnant from the time when her mother was still alive, almost unbearable. When she put it on, she felt a dizzying blow to the head that left her entire body quivering and reaching for the nearest chair.
She had no idea what it meant at the time, so she ascribed it to all the problems and stress she had been under: grief over her mother’s death, bills piling up without end in sight, the possibility of losing her car, joblessness. Now, she knew better, and it all made sense why it was happening.
Pressing against her chest, as if that would suppress her gag reflex that seemed to be her constant companion nowadays, Gina silently moaned. Could this possibly get any worse?
She glanced at the untroubled Jill, sleeping soundly. She envied her so. Throwing herself back down onto the mattress, Gina squeezed her eyelids tight. Not that she believed it would work, but she actually started counting sheep, jumping over a little picket fence, like the one she saw last time she and her mother visited the countryside. The thought of happy-go-lucky times with her mother actually managed to calm her down, and in a few short minutes, Gina’s mind gladly relinquished control over to the Sandman, who did his job successfully.
When she heard the annoying buzz of the alarm clock, Gina was caught somewhere between sleeping and being awake, but she hastily jumped out of bed and started getting ready. She stopped being afraid of waking Jill up a long time ago, and seeing that Jill partied all night long and returned home somewhere around dawn, it was quite a task waking her up. So, Gina went about her usual morning business, trying to be as quiet as possible, but not really overdoing with it. After all, she wouldn’t leave the house without her morning coffee, and the machine was unfortunately as old and as loud as an aging rooster. However, not even this managed to wake Jill up, who would simply turn over and continue slumbering.
Gina knew the end of Jill’s patience was coming soon, so she was eager to find a place of her own, as soon as her unbalanced financial state allowed her. Sipping her scorching coffee, Gina stood by the window. By the illumination of the street lamps, she quickly skimmed through a few pages of the morning paper, trying to see if there was anything cheap but acceptable available in the rentals. Disappointed, she folded the paper almost as quickly as she picked it up, took a big sip that burnt most of her taste buds, and rushed over to the wardrobe, in search of something appropriate for work. She’d have to change once she got there, and her uniform didn’t really suit her stylish tastes, but that’s how it had to be for the time being.
She got to work quickly in her clunker of a car, parked it at her usual spot, and rushed over to the janitorial office in hopes of catching Ricky there before he went off to tend to his usual business.
“Whoa, Bonita! What happened to you?” This was the greeting Ricky offered her instead of wishing her good morning.
“That bad, huh?” She pushed back a loose strand of frizzy hair behind her left ear, which refused to stay there. “I haven’t been sleeping very well lately.”
“Sorry to say, but…I can tell.” She knew he didn’t say this to offend her, but simply because he was the kind of man to be worried about his friends. “Everything okay at home? Anything old Ricky here can give ya a mano with?” He smiled at her tenderly.
“Well, maybe if you had a couple of grand stashed away somewhere that you don’t need…” She winked at him. “Or if you know someone who’s willing to rob a bank with me, I can make it worth their while.” She laughed, and he joined in.
“Dinero, eh?” He nodded, sighing at the same time. “That damned dinero. Sorry, Bonita. That’s the one thing I could never help anyone with.” He sounded genuinely sorry, and she knew he meant it.
“Well, best not get too into it, Ricky. We all have our crosses to bear, and this one’s all mine. Let me get ready, and I can walk you down the hall.”
“Ready when you are,” Ricky replied, his work equipment already locked and loaded.
“How’s Maria?” Gina’s voice was heard from behind the screen where she was changing into her work clothes, careful not to knock over the little rose bush that was sitting on the table, right next to the screen on the other side. She knew Ricky brought it from home, as it was a reminder from his wife that she always loved him.
“Oh, bien, bien. Been having some migraines. The doctor says it’s the weather,” Ricky replied. “But I do feel bad seeing her in pain like that.”
“I know what you mean.” Gina was all ready in a matter of minutes, and the two left.
Passing through the busy corridors, Gina hoped she wouldn’t bump into Benjamin. She had no idea why she thought of him at that moment. There was something about that guy that just didn’t sit well with her, and after having spoken to Jeanie about him, she liked him even less. She felt like seeing him would ruin her entire day, and was ashamed to admit that she was listening to Ricky with divided attention.
“Well, this is me, Bonita.” Ricky pointed at an office. “Where are you today?”
“The conference room again.” She snorted. “Makes me think I did a lousy job last time, but no one’s telling me.”
“No, it’s not that. The big boss just likes that room to be extra nice, all the time. He’s all about…how do you say…cleanliness is next to godliness, you know.” He winked at her.
“Well, that makes me feel better. Thanks.” She pressed the button, and the door opened immediately.
“Gracias, Bonita. See ya later!” He waved his mop as the door closed upon him.
Gina took a deep breath. The stupid conference room again. She didn’t feel like passing by the reception desk. Seeing the androgynous secretary also didn’t have a very healing effect on her. On the contrary but there was no way around it. However, it seemed that luck served her this morning, and the reception desk was surprisingly empty. What could this mean? This never happens, she thought to herself.
She quickly reached the conference room and pressed the door knob without knocking. Ricky assured her it would be unlocked as well as unoccupied. But Ricky was wrong. There was someone in the room, and that someone was none other than Tyler Reid himself.
When Gina opened the door, almost barging in, expecting no one there, she found Tyler seated comfortably at the head of the big table, skimming through a pile of papers that rested before him. He looked like a million bucks, plus some on the side. His muscles were tucked neatly into a sky-blue shirt that was unbuttoned around the neck. He had a navy blazer on, and in the side pocket, a little triangle handkerchief. His hair was ruffled, as always, and on his face, there was a faint tan, as if he had just returned from a quick getaway in Miami. For one brief second, Gina caught herself in wishful thinking, imagining what a day at the beach with this Norse god would be like, just lounging all day long, with sculpted, tanned bodies around to bring you anything you could wish for. She could almost taste that ice-cold margarita, and her body shivered at the mere thought.
Whether he noticed her shivering or not, Tyler did sense something. He always had a knack for knowing exactly what women were thinking about, and, of course, acting upon it, if he fancied so.
“Ah, Miss Sellers!” He lifted his gaze and met hers. “Didn’t know you’d be here today!”
“I can come later, or…” She wasn’t sure if she was expected to give him some privacy and then clean later, or whether it was okay for them both to do their jobs at the same time.
“I’m actually waiting for Ben, as I need to go over some stuff with him, but you feel free to go about your business.” He smiled a row of pearly whites. “It seems we can never have a few minutes just to ourselves, can we?”
She wasn’t sure what exactly he meant, but then again, she was too tired to play any games. Dutifully, she smiled at him, and nodded. Extracting a pair of yellow gloves from the little cart that she brought in with her, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.
Surprisingly, she found it extremely difficult to focus on her job with Tyler present. She couldn’t escape the feeling that he was more focused on her bending to clean the hard-to-reach places than on the papers in front of him. But she didn’t dare to look at him. Not once.
Tyler’s attention was equally dissipating with Gina there. Even though he tried his best to stay focused on his paperwork, Gina’s bending was too distracting. Being the kind of guy who preferred a well-shaped derriere, he definitely found Gina’s appealing, while still trying to make it look like he didn’t even notice she was there in the room with him.
As she did her job, Gina had to catch her breath a few times, and even lean against a chair at one point, as she noticed that she was getting tired way too easily. She hoped Tyler didn’t notice, because that could mean the end of this job, which was the basis for her entire future. She just couldn’t risk losing it for anything in the world.
When Tyler reached for his cup of coffee, his chair slid to the side, making him lose balance and spill the luckily lukewarm liquid all over his shirt. Ready to curse, but then remembering that Gina was present, he whizzed through his teeth in annoyance. Gina immediately rushed to him.
“I can get that out for you in a second, Mr. Reid. Just stand still.” She started blotting the spilled coffee with a paper towel in an effort to remove the liquid. As his shirt pressed against his chiseled chest, her hand could feel the palpitations of his heart.
“I appreciate the help, Miss Sellers.” He smiled.
“Please, call me Gina.” Seeing the different social levels they both belonged to, it was only natural that he referred to her by her name. She had no idea why he didn’t do so from the start.
“Gina,” he repeated, as if trying to see what her name would sound like on his lips. He seemed to like it.
She continued to put some mild liquid detergent on a damp sponge, gently rubbing the stain in a circular motion. After a few seconds, Tyler’s shirt was spotless.
“Wow.” He looked down where the stain used to be. “I thought I’d have to rush home and change.” He turned to her. “I really appreciate your help, Gina. I’ll have to find a way to repay you.” He winked mischievously.
“All in a day’s work, Mr. Reid,” she replied, trying to sound as professional as possible, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door, and Tyler granting entrance to his assistant. Upon seeing Benjamin, Gina felt like frowning, but knew better. Benjamin, on the other hand, barely glanced at her, heading straight for Tyler.
“Benjamin, there was something about these figures I wanted to discuss with you…” Tyler’s voice had a completely different tone than before. If Gina closed her eyes, she would find it hard to believe that it was the same person talking a mere fifteen minutes ago. But she also knew that in the business world, one couldn’t allow affections and sympathies. It was a dog eat dog world out there, and she knew Tyler had gotten to the point he was by eating a lot of his competition. One had to admire him for that.
Benjamin turned towards Gina, expecting her to look back at him so that he could tell her to get out. And those were actually the exact words he would have used, if he hadn’t been interrupted by Tyler.
“Don’t mind Gina.” Tyler nodded towards her. Gina’s back was to them as she cleaned behind the little table in the corner, a little smile of victory upon her lips. “I need you to focus on this particular spot here. Do you see this?” Tyler’s finger traced a number on the first sheet of paper lying before him. Benjamin bent down to take a better look. “Why is this only one hundred fifty thousand?” Tyler inquired, as Benjamin looked on meekly.
“Yes, that is strange…” Benjamin commented. “May I?” He gestured to take the piece of paper, and Tyler allowed him.
“I guess…” Benjamin continued, “…it’s because we’re charging only a two percent acquisition fee.”
Tyler wasn’t satisfied with this answer.
“And I plan on keeping it there. Is the property refinance fee still one percent of refinance proceeds for the Smithsonian deal?”
Benjamin nodded.
“Strange…” Tyler seemed lost in thought. “We need to focus more on commercial properties, then. We need to reach the three million mark in two months. Actually, try to make it one. Can you do it?” Tyler took back the piece of paper.
Gina felt like there was hairball stuck in her throat. She swallowed heavily, but it didn’t help. Three million? For her, that was an unimaginable concept. Just one small portion of that money would solve all her financial woes. And she’d even have some left for a stable future. But it was only wishful thinking.
“Sure thing, Mr. Reid. The Smithsonian deal is in the bag. Don’t worry about that. We’re still negotiating the Torchwood property, for another two million. I think we’re very close to closing the deal there as well.”
Tyler seemed happy. This was the kind of answer he liked to hear.
“That’s great, Ben. Now, I just need you to take care of these, and you can send them off. I checked everything, it’s on the line. But maybe Margaret could take a quick look before you send it in. Two heads are better than one.” Gina guessed Margaret was Tyler’s lawyer, and a guy like Tyler needed to have an unbeatable one.
Suddenly, Gina felt the overpowering acidity of the detergent deep down her throat, and started coughing uncontrollably. Tyler looked her way, but seeing that her cough was persistent, rushed to her aid, which she refused with an outstretched hand, holding the other one close to her mouth. Once her coughing fit passed, she could see that Tyler was looking at her worriedly.
“Gina, are you alright?” He was propping her up by the shoulders, and she could feel the heat emanating from his warm hands. It felt soothing.
“Oh, I’m fine, Mr. Reid. I’m so sorry, I’ll immediately get back to work.” She reached for her cleaning cloth, but was stopped midway.
“I won’t hear of any such thing.” Tyler’s voice was gallant and kind yet again. “I want you to go and rest a little. Get a drink, water, coffee, whatever will do you some good. But I want you to rest, got it?” He pointed his finger at her, like at a little scolded child who needed to promise they would behave from now on.
Gina knew she had to agree. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with her boss or make a big deal out of a simple coughing fit.
“Thank you, Mr. Reid. I’ll do so immediately. Let me just pick up these things.” She gestured at the little cart.
“Nonsense. Just leave it here. It won’t be bothering anyone.” He smiled. “You just go on and take a break. Work will be waiting when you return.”
When Gina closed the door, Benjamin snorted. In all his daydreaming, Tyler didn’t even notice it.
“Anything to get out of working…” Benjamin mumbled, half to himself, half out loud.
“What was that?” Tyler was shaken out of his daydreaming and only heard noise, not what Benjamin actually said.
“Oh, I was just saying, Mr. Reid,” Benjamin boldly spoke up, sure that his boss would share his opinion, “how those people would do anything to get out of work.” His indignant tone didn’t sit well with Tyler. He eyed Benjamin with distrust.
“What do you mean, those people?” Tyler asked, aiming for clarification. The last thing he wanted in his company was racism, especially if it was aimed at his latest interest.
“Oh, I just meant…” Benjamin got confused. His comment was obviously a miss with his boss, and he realized it only now.
“I think I know exactly what you meant.” Tyler was getting impatient with his assistant, who had shown some not too praise-worthy human characteristics a few times before. But Tyler kept thinking it was always a misunderstanding on his part. This time, he wasn’t willing to let it slide. “And I don’t really like it. Not one bit.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Reid…it won’t happen again…” Benjamin whined, like a cornered mouse, eyeing the door.
“I don’t want you to be sorry.” Tyler pierced him with an intolerable glance. “I want you to be a team player. And there is no me or you, black or white, in a team. We’re all the same. I thought you understood this when I hired you, that my company isn’t just a group of employees who happen to share the same kind of job.” Tyler walked over to the window, glanced outside, then returned his gaze on Benjamin. “We’re all a family. We work towards the same goal. Only that way can we be successful, and be the best. Do you understand that, Benjamin?” The tone of Tyler’s voice assured Benjamin that this was his first and last warning. There would be no more.
Benjamin swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, Mr. Reid. I understand.” He could feel his ears burning. He was furious at that damn housekeeper who got him into so much trouble. I’ll find a way to get you yet. Benjamin’s thoughts were racing, and he could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing.
“That’ll be all. I’ll see you for the afternoon meeting at four.” Tyler concluded their conversation, and Benjamin knew it was time for him to leave. He grabbed the papers he was told to send, and like a hunchback, scurried out of the office.
Tyler sat down and moved the papers further away from him. He remembered hearing Gina cough and how his heart raced when he neared her. He could smell her perfume. Lilacs in bloom. So fresh, so fragrant, so much like her. It suited her perfectly.
Tyler had always thought of himself as the eternal bachelor, the kind of guy who could try anything once, but not really more than that. After all, there was so much to try in this world. And Gina would be his latest conquest. With his eyes still closed, he smiled. Gina, Gina, Gina. Her name had such a lovely ring to it. He loved repeating it in his mind, over and over again. She would eventually be his. There was no doubt about it in his mind. Once Tyler Reid set his mind on something, that something, or in this case someone, didn’t stand a chance.
Gina was sitting nervously at the doctor’s office. Jill was supposed to come with her, but as always, something came up at the last minute, and with lots of sorrowful IOUs, Jill went about her business, leaving Gina alone yet again.
She was fidgeting, and even though she knew it was annoying other patients in the waiting room, she just couldn’t stop. Her nerves were a wreck, and even though the test was positive, and her mind kept telling her that yes, she was one hundred percent pregnant, there was still a faint glimmer of hope that the doctor would tell her it was something else.
She looked around. There were three other women in the waiting room besides her. One had a gloomy look on her face, and Gina thought how she must be in a similar position: either an illness or an unwanted pregnancy. The second woman had an indifferent look on her face as she leafed through a magazine. Yearly checkup, Gina thought to herself. The third one was the most gleaming of the three. She was obviously at least six months pregnant and she looked radiant. From what Gina could see, the woman was in her late twenties, tall, blonde, and beautiful. She reminded Gina of a female version of Tyler, and the thought almost made Gina giggle in the quiet waiting room. The lady was obviously very happy with her life, as her hand never left her gently protruding belly. It rested there throughout the entire twenty minutes Gina spent waiting, until finally her name was called.
“Ms. Sellers?” Gina stood up. “The doctor will see you now.” Gina smiled and entered the blindingly white office.
“Ms. Sellers, please come in.” The doctor’s voice was warm and welcoming. He was in his late fifties, with greying hair and deep green eyes which evoked feelings of security upon immediate contact. “This is your first visit here, correct?”
Gina nodded. “You came highly recommended by a friend of mine, Jill Doherty…”
“Ah yes! Miss Doherty. A regular of mine, lovely young woman.” He smiled. “Well, let’s see if you shall be as satisfied as Miss Doherty. Please take off your clothes behind the screen and then sit on this chair.” He pointed at a little screen, dutifully putting on a mask. “You must excuse me, my son has the flu and I try hard to keep my patients safe from all harm. Even though I’m not really sick, one can always benefit from precaution, right?”
Gina smiled. She felt secure here and was glad that she took Jill’s advice to come and see him.
Once she was ready, she nestled on the chair, making herself as comfortable as the current circumstances allowed. As the doctor started his examination, he kept on talking.
“Do you have any troubles? Anything we should take into consideration when doing the tests?” he asked.
“Well…” she started shyly. “There is a specific reason I came to see you,” she admitted.
“There usually is,” he said, but not in an effort to criticize her. “Rest assured that I’ve heard all sorts of things…” Probably from Jill herself, Gina couldn’t help but think. “And there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Absolutely nothing.”
“Well, I did a pregnancy test, and it was positive.”
“I see.” A few instruments clinked and clanked, but Gina was still busy staring at the ceiling. “May I ask, is it a wanted pregnancy?”
Gina sighed. “Well, that’s the problem. I’m not sure.”
“You know there are options you can consider,” the doctor said gently. “This is not something to be decided on the spot. I don’t expect you to tell me right away what we will do with the baby. But depending on how far along you are, there is a certain deadline by which you need to make up your mind.” He lifted his gaze at her.
Gina nodded. “I know.”
“I would gladly help, if you have any questions or concerns, but I advise my patients to always discuss it with their partners. That makes it much easier. Is your partner involved?” he asked, without prying, and Gina somehow felt safe telling him the truth.
“Absolutely not.” She shot her answer out of a cannon. “If I saw him, I’d gouge his eyes out.” She realized then that she may have gone too far.
“That bad, huh?” The doctor laughed. “Trust me, you’re not the first patient to tell me that. So, keeping the baby in a two-parent family environment is out of the question?”
Gina exhaled noisily.
“He is the last person on this planet, maybe even in the universe, you’d want to have a child with. Just…the worst.” She felt at a loss for words in describing her true feelings for her ex. “His lying, cheating, drug-dealing ass, excuse my French, doctor, is right where it belongs now: in jail.” Gina raised her voice. “And I hope to God he stays there for a very long time.”
“I see. Okay, now, I’d like you to lie on this bed. I need to do an ultrasound, to see how far along you are.”
Gina switched places, and felt a foreign body entering her, in anticipation of news to come.
“Well, there it is,” he said.
Well, there you go. I’m a goner. I’m done for. What’ll I do now?
“Do you see that little bean-shaped shadow over here?” The doctor pointed at what Gina thought was just a shadowy blur on the screen. It didn’t look a bean, let alone something that’d grow up into a child.
“Aha.” She nodded, because she thought that was what was expected of her. “I see it.”
“That’s your baby.”
My baby.
Even though she knew it, she expected it, the final confirmation hit her like a ton of bricks.
“When was your last period?” he asked, switching the images on the screen that was turned towards Gina. All she wanted was for him to hide it from her, but she didn’t have the courage to ask him.
“The twelfth of April, I think.” She tried to remember. She wasn’t sure.
“Well, if the information you gave me is correct, then you, Miss Sellers, are exactly five weeks pregnant.” He turned to her with a smile.
Why are you smiling after all I just told you? she couldn’t help but think. Maybe some kind of professional deformity. After all, aren’t all women happy when they find out they’re pregnant?
She tried to fake a smile, but couldn’t. Her facial muscles remained rigid, her jaw tighter than ever.
He turned off the machine. “Everything is perfect. Both you and the baby are healthy, no complications there. Now you just need to figure out what you want to do.” He smiled a non-judgmental smile. “You can get dressed.”
He went over to his desk, writing in the examination results into the registry. When Gina got dressed, she sat opposite him.
“There are three options at your disposal, Miss Sellers,” he started with a fatherly tone of voice. “You may, of course, have an abortion, if you see this as your only way out. We provide that service here, at the clinic, and we assure the utmost discretion, without judgment, without trying to make you change your mind. It’s your body, and you get to decide what to do with it. Similarly, you are the only one who knows what you can and can’t afford to provide for this baby.” He paused. “Furthermore, you can decide to keep it, and there you have another two options.” Gina was listening intently. “You can keep the baby yourself. You know there are lots of government funded sources for young mothers, and you can always apply for financial aid. Unfortunately, I have no first-hand information on how this functions or whether it will cover all your expenses. Most probably, it won’t, but at least some basics will be covered. That is something you must find out. Finally, you can always choose to give the baby up for adoption. There are many families who, for one reason or another, are unable to have children of their own and who would be glad to offer a loving home to a newborn. There are adoption agencies that deal with these sorts of things, and I’m sure they’d be happy to offer more info on how this entire process works.” He rested his pen on the desk.
“I really appreciate all your help, doctor. I have to think about it all. It’s just…too much. I don’t know how I’m going to handle all this on my own…”
“Is there any family you can ask for help?”
“No,” Gina whispered. “I never knew my father. Ever since I can remember, it’s been my mom and me, just the two of us. And now she’s gone, too. I’m all alone.”
The doctor felt uneasy. He clumsily placed his hand on top of hers.
“It’ll be alright, Miss Sellers. Whatever you decide, I’m sure you’ll make it work somehow.” He didn’t really sound that convincing, even to himself, let alone to Gina. The truth was he didn’t know how else he could help, so for him, it was time for the next patient.
“Please let me know once you’ve decided what your choice is, and we’ll take it from there.” He stood up, relieved to see that Gina was doing the same.
“Thank you, doctor.” She extended her hand. “I appreciate everything.”
“All the best, Miss Sellers.”
When Gina got home that afternoon, she was happy to find the apartment empty. Jill was out doing her errands, and Gina felt free to take a nice long bath. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could endure this heavy burden.
After the weekend, which she spent running to the bathroom every half hour each morning, Gina wasn’t too happy to go to work. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped in horror. The face that was staring back at her seemed to belong to someone else. It was as if she’d switched bodies with a tired, worn out woman, who was almost ten years her senior.
“Good God!” She quickly reached for her makeup bag, in hopes of salvaging what was salvageable, though it honestly seemed to be a lost cause. She spent more time than she usually did on her makeup, and once she was done, she was happy with the result. While it was true that her skin lacked its natural glow and there were unmistakable bags underneath her eyes that no concealer had the power to hide, she still looked better than a while ago. I guess this’ll have to do, she thought to herself, and went to look for a decent outfit.
When she arrived at work, she immediately felt nauseated. There was a heaviness in the air, leftover perfume scents, coffees brewing, salty-sour smelling shirts stuck on bodies that forgot to take a shower every day, and it was all too much for Gina’s delicate state. She could feel her breakfast finding its way back up, so she stopped by an open window and stuck her head all the way out.
“Hey, you okay?” Gina heard a familiar voice.
“Oh, hey, Jeanie.” The fresh air felt good. “Yeah, I think I’m coming down with some stomach bug. You’d best stay away from me unless you want some of it, too.” She smiled.
Jeanie retreated in mock horror. “No way! I had it about a month ago. The worst week of my life, I was vomiting, had diarrhea, fever, the chills, the whole shebang.” Jeanie shook her hands as if refusing something that was being offered to her. “I just got better. Not really in the mood for round two yet.”
“Yeah, I can imagine.” Gina managed another smile, even though her head was banging like a drum. “How are things up with the big boss?” She leaned towards the window again.
“Oh, you know, same old, same old. No one’s complaining though.” Jeanie smiled, but her expression quickly switched back to concern. “You should really stay home, Gina. You look like crap, I’m sorry to say.”
Gina couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, I feel like crap, too.” She breathed in the fresh air, and her dizzied mind cleared up a little. “But I can’t afford to stay home. I need the money.”
Jeanie sighed. “Don’t we all? Well, I do hope you feel better soon, Gina. Come see me during the lunch break if you can. I can whip you up some soup, out of thin air!” She laughed.
“I’ll try. Thanks, Jeanie.” Gina waved and went towards the janitorial office. She could almost feel herself swaying, and all she wanted was a chair. When she reached her destination, slowly but surely, she immediately sat down, barely noticing Ricky behind the screen.
“Who’s… ah, Gina!” He peered through. “Whoa!” His face was shocked, eyes bulging as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. “Gina, Bonita…you look…whoa…what’s the matter?” He immediately approached her, as if he was expecting her to fall to the side at any moment and he needed to be there to prevent her from getting hurt.
“Oh, you know…it’s this damn stomach virus that’s been bugging me since Friday evening. Can’t seem to get rid of it,” she managed to utter, though every word felt like a throbbing knife.
“Why didn’t you call in sick?” Ricky asked anxiously. “You know I would have covered for ya.”
“I know, I know. And I do appreciate it, but I need the money, Ricky. Badly.” She took a deep breath. “I just need to sit down a little and I’ll be fine.” She could actually feel the nausea lessen, and the disgusting acid reflux letting go of her chest. It felt good.
“Do you need me to get ya anything?” Ricky asked, still right next to her, not believing that she’d get better after just sitting down for a while.
“No, no, thank you, I’ll be fine. You just go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you.”
“Well, alright…” Ricky didn’t sound convinced as he grabbed his trusty bucket and mop, but he had no other choice. “If you need anything, I’m just a phone call away.” She nodded, as he closed the door behind him.
Gina had no idea how she was going to survive the day. It was the first time she felt this nauseated, and the dizziness was unbearable. She was hoping that as the day went by, she’d return to her normal self again. Once she felt relatively fine, she changed into her work clothes and went about her business. She started off with the corridors, as always, finishing up on the eighth floor. The elevator ride didn’t even make her barf, surprisingly.
As she was finishing up, ready to take up Jeanie on her soup offer, the elevator door opened, revealing Benjamin, who was holding a coffee in his left hand and a briefcase in his other. Not having noticed that the carpet was slightly rolled to the side, allowing Gina to do a better job that way, he tripped on his way out of the elevator, his coffee landing all over Gina’s freshly washed floors. She lifted her gaze just as she was squeezing the mop dry, happy that she was finally finished, only to see that there was more work to be done.
She just kept on looking at him, expecting an apology or something of the sort. She was shocked to see that no such thing was to follow.
“What idiot rolled up the carpet this way?” he roared, loud enough for her to hear. A few other people passed by, shrugging their shoulders, careful not to step into the creamy puddle that was forming on the previously sparkling floor.
Gina couldn’t believe her eyes. She wanted to shout all sorts of obscenities at him, but she knew this would get her into a lot of trouble. It was best to keep her mouth shut, though this was definitely not something her mother had taught her to do. She dipped the mop back into the bucket again, creating a foamy concoction.
“Do your job properly or I’ll make sure you don’t do it at all,” he spat at her, making her feel smaller than a cockroach as he passed her by without glancing at her twice.
Gina thought she was going to explode. She could feel her heart beating faster than a race horse, and her ears started feeling prickly and unusually hot. She dragged the bucket towards the puddle and started mopping it up. As she did so, she was suddenly stricken with the unmistakable aroma of cinnamon latte that permeated the air around the puddle. Altogether, it was too much: the pulsating heartbeat, skyrocketing blood pressure, the pregnancy nausea, the cinnamon smell. Gina dropped the mop right into the puddle and fell down to her knees, expecting to vomit.
She hoped no one would be passing by at that moment, to see her in this horrible position, but at one point, she just stopped caring. All she wanted was to lie down and take a nap, without having to clean up anything that would make her sick. Still on her knees, weaker by the minute, she closed her eyes for just a second, and felt her entire body drop to the floor. But just before it hit the ground, she was grabbed by a pair of strong arms and lifted back up. The arms were still holding her, and as if through a muffled speaker, she could hear a man’s voice addressing her.
“Gina? Gina? Gina, can you hear me?” It was Tyler. She recognized his voice, even with her eyes closed, even with a booming headache, with a body that wanted to regurgitate everything it had eaten up to that point.
Suddenly, she felt her body being lifted up and taken down the corridor. She could smell a man’s cologne, something that again didn’t sit very well with her, but, somehow, it didn’t make her nauseated. Tyler brought her into his office and laid her on a leather sofa tucked in the corner. When she finally managed to open her eyes after a few minutes, she could see Tyler’s worried face right above hers, and Benjamin sulking right behind him. His image ruined her view.
“Oh, Mr. Reid…” She immediately propped herself up. Somehow, the nausea had passed and she felt like her old self again. The smells still bothered her a little, but at least there was no heaviness in her stomach.
“Easy, easy…” His voice was soothing. “Just calm down, Gina. Everything’s fine now.”
She felt embarrassed, being found by her boss on the floor, half dead. She was resolute never to allow herself such weakness ever again. She sat up on the sofa and looked at both men. It’s all your fault, you snake, her mind hissed at Benjamin. She’d show him another time, without an audience.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Reid.” She managed to go back to her professional self, and the weak Gina was nowhere to be found. “I’ll go back to my duties immediately.” She stood up, but was held by the elbow.
“Where do you think you’re going, missy?” Tyler asked, trying to sound funny, but there was deep underlying anxiety that couldn’t be neglected. “I knew there was something wrong last week, and now you’re going to tell me exactly what happened and how I can help you.”
Gina looked at him surprisingly. Then glanced at Benjamin. Tyler immediately got the hint.
“Ben, why don’t you give us a minute…” he told his assistant without taking his worried eyes off of Gina.
“Of course, Mr. Reid.” It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he didn’t like being thrown out like that, but he had no say in it. So, he left the duo alone.
“Okay, now…” Tyler sat right next to her, taking her hands into his, trying to warm them. “I want you to tell me exactly what’s going on, because, obviously, something is up. I know you’re still new here, and maybe you don’t feel comfortable enough sharing your problems, but it’s like I tell all my employees: we’re not here just as people who work together. We’re a family. And a family looks out for one another, right?” There was a little sparkle in his eye, as his words touched her very soul.
Ever since she’d lost her mother, Gina felt like she had lost not only her entire family, but her entire world. And here was Tyler, this wonderful man, offering her everything that she had been missing so far.
Snap out it, the rational part of her mind suddenly told her. He does this with every cute girl he sees. What makes you think you’re so special? And come to think of it, she knew this to be the truth. After all, she was nobody, and Tyler was…truly a someone in their world. What would he want with her?
She took off her rose-colored glasses and assumed a more official pose.
“I know this must look bad, but I assure you, Mr. Reid, it’s nothing more than a stomach bug that I’ve been fighting for a few days now. I know I should have stayed at home, but I really can’t afford it.” She pulled her hands away from his.
“I could give you a day off, or even a few, no questions asked, Gina. You know this. It’s absolutely no problem,” he urged her gently.
“I know,” she replied, “and I do appreciate it. But I simply can’t afford it. My bills are piling up like crazy and you wouldn’t believe the amount of debt I have…” Suddenly, she thought she crossed the line of employer and employee. “Not that it’s any of your concern, of course. I didn’t mean to whine, just to explain to you that now that I have this job, I can’t afford not to work, even for a day. And I guess this stomach bug just pressed me too hard, so I collapsed under the pressure. But, I assure you,” she smiled her best, most guaranteeing smile, “I am perfectly fine.”
“Well, alright then. I will pretend to believe you, but I’m keeping my eye on you, doll face.” He offered his arm to her gallantly. “But as for today, I’m calling you a taxi and sending you home.”
Gina immediately wanted to object, but he wouldn’t have it.
“No buts. I’m your boss, and if you don’t listen to me, you’re fired,” he said in mock sternness. Gina smiled. “You’ll be paid for the day, don’t worry. But I really need you to go home and rest. Please.”
Seeing as he asked so nicely, there was no force on Earth that could make her do the opposite. A few minutes later, a taxi was already waiting for her downstairs.
“Will it be a problem for my car to stay in the parking lot for the night?” she asked.
“Of course not. Now, go!” Tyler tightly closed the door to the taxi, hit the roof a few times, and waved goodbye. As she was being driven home, Gina couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She didn’t ask for any of this, but still, she felt like she was getting the special treatment. The only question was why.
When Tyler returned to his office, Benjamin knocked on the door several seconds later. It was impossible for Tyler to know that Benjamin had witnessed the entire scene. His calculating mind was always busy working, and what he lacked in height and build, he made up for in being a conniving little sneak.
“Yes?” Tyler was looking out the window, following Gina’s taxi as it drove into the distance.
“Mr. Reid…I just wanted to see if everything was alright, or if you needed me for anything.”
“Everything’s fine, Benjamin. Don’t worry about it.” He was still gazing into the distance.
“How is the girl?”
“The girl…” Tyler said as he turned around, “…has a name. It’s Gina Sellers.”
“How is Miss Sellers?” Benjamin corrected himself, though, in his mind, Gina was still just the girl.
“I don’t know. I think there’s something she’s not telling me, even though I offered to help her. I hope she’ll be able to trust me one day. For now, I was thinking of giving her some paid leave.” He circled his big mahogany desk and opened the drawer, looking for his lighter.
Benjamin had several comments in store regarding such a decision, but knew better than to share them with his boss. Not after how he was treated last time. But in his mind, it was all unfair.
Why would a stupid maid be given paid vacation instead of being laid off? She was obviously lousy at her job—just look at the mess she made, when all she had to do was clean up some coffee!
Benjamin was furious. He could feel his nostrils flaring, and behind his back, he tightened his fingers into a fist, squeezing them tightly.
“Are you sure that’s the best idea, Mr. Reid? After all, she’s new here, and being so lenient with her could make others rethink their own positions here.”
“What makes you say that?” Tyler extracted his old lighter, the one that first belonged to his grandfather, then to his father, and now to him. “Haven’t I always treated all my employees the same way? I would have offered anyone paid leave under the circumstances, whether they’ve been working here for one day or a hundred and one days. It makes no difference to me. It’s all about helping and supporting each other. When will you see this, Benjamin?” Tyler pocketed his lighter and went towards the door. “Find me the Bellows contract for when I return. I need to check something,” he said before heading outside.
When Gina returned home, she thought over everything that had happened. She had to admit, Tyler’s reaction was more than surprising. She doubted many bosses of his caliber would behave in the same way. But then again, it was probably because he had some hidden agenda. No one was that nice without wanting something in return. She was sure of it.
She was happy to notice that her nausea had completely dissipated. It was that asshole, Benjamin. Gosh, how I wish I could give him a piece of my mind! she thought angrily.
She knew he was trouble, and maybe it would be best to avoid him altogether. But she also knew he was the kind of guy who went after trouble, creating it for others. Her mother had warned her about such people, and with them, you couldn’t remain on the side. You had to fight, right in the very center of the arena, and aim to be victorious, because otherwise, these people wouldn’t stop until they ate you alive.
It was early afternoon, and just like before, Jill was absent. Roaming the streets, doing God knew what, pretending that she actually had business to take care of. Not that Gina ever questioned her about anything. Deciding to take advantage of the afternoon, she filled up the tub with hot water, some mild smelling salts and got her favorite book, deciding to read until her fingers were all prune-like.
After a few pages, she noticed that she wasn’t really focused on the book. Maybe some meditation. She closed her eyes and tried a few ohms and ahms. While it did manage to calm down her speeding heartbeat, it did little for her racing thoughts. Without any explanation or reason whatsoever, all she could think of was Tyler, and how he so gallantly came to her rescue. It made her think. Maybe he wasn’t the panty-dropping playboy I thought he was. Maybe he really, truly, actually likes me. Could this be? She kept asking herself the same question over and over again.
Well, why the heck not? Suddenly, the other part of her mind spoke up. Just look at you. You’re gorgeous! She giggled. Her inside conversation sounded like a fifteen-year-old’s prom pep talk. She lifted one of her bronzed legs out of the water. Her skin was smooth, glistening under the lighting, as droplets of water mixed with foam fell back into the tub.
Maybe, just maybe she could pull off the plan that she considered a while back. After all, Tyler would be the perfect candidate to make all her dreams of a debt-free life come true. Could she actually do it? She still wasn’t sure, but the idea was becoming more and more tempting as time went by.
When she started feeling dizzy again, she got out of the tub and went to get dressed. She noticed that her Blackberry was signaling a voice message. Not being the kind of person who immediately rushed to check her phone, she took her sweet time creaming herself up with body lotion and then getting dressed. Gina decided to put on a cup of coffee, then to get cozy on the sofa and only then, to grab the phone to check her message. She didn’t really expect anyone to call, though it could always be Jill or some other kind of emergency.
She clicked the button and the recording started playing.
“Hey, Gina, it’s Tyler.” Her eyes widened, as she listened on. “Given the circumstances of today, I’ve decided to give you a week of paid vacation, and I’m not taking no for an answer. If you come to work, I’ve given the guards direct orders not to let you into the building.” He was obviously trying to crack a joke here, but wasn’t sure if it worked. She smiled. “Well, alrighty then…” Alrighty? She laughed. “See you when you get back to work. Ciao!”
She frowned. What was this all about? Why would he care so much about me? She couldn’t understand. But she was more than happy to get a week’s paid vacation. It’d give her the much- needed chance to rest a little and get this nausea under control.
The week passed nicely, without too much commotion, which was exactly what Gina needed. There were a few pleasant surprises though, such as calls from both Ricky and Jeanie, who seemed genuinely concerned about her and wanted to know what was going on. Naturally, she served them the same stomach bug story from before. She just couldn’t risk anyone finding out her secret, especially not that snake in the grass, Benjamin.
When she returned to work the following Monday, she almost looked like her old self again. She had to do some research on how to keep her nausea under control, and after getting some sound advice, such as eating smaller meals more often, having more protein-rich foods, opting for colder rather than hot meals, and drinking plenty of fluids, she actually managed to ease this heavy burden.
The whole day passed busily, with her having to work a lot, though she didn’t mind. Somewhere around lunchtime, she saw that her next scheduled cleaning was Tyler’s office. She swallowed heavily before heading there. She hadn’t seen him since his gallant rescue from before, and she wasn’t sure how she should react after all the generosity he had shown her.
When she was shown to his office by Jeanie, he was in the middle of signing some papers.
“Gina!” He smiled affectionately. “How are you feeling?” He immediately left the papers and focused on her.
“Much better, Mr. Reid. I’m really grateful for the paid vacation time. I fully recharged my batteries and am ready to get back to work, full speed ahead.” She smiled.
“I’m very happy to hear that. I have to finish signing these papers, but you just go ahead and do your stuff. You won’t be bothering me at all.”
“I’ll be done quickly, Mr. Reid,” she replied as she started picking out the cleaning solutions. She was scheduled for the eighth floor in an hour, so she wouldn’t really be spending a lot of time in his office. She knew that he had an important meeting in the afternoon, and he wanted his office squeaky clean—that was why she was sent there now instead of later in the afternoon. And thanks to Jeanie’s priceless advice, she knew exactly how to clean Tyler Reid’s office perfectly.
The hour passed by quickly as both of them did their jobs fairly diligently. Gina found it easier to concentrate on her work this time, even though she still suspected Tyler had his eye on her the whole time. In her mind, she was still torn between trying to seduce him and not really being sure how to go about it, or just leaving the whole thing be. She hoped time would tell and point her in the right direction.
When her digital watch sounded the old school, beeping alarm, she knew it was time to pack up her stuff and head on to the eighth floor. As she switched off the sound, Tyler checked his own watch, a flashy Rolex, and gathered all his papers in a neat little pile.
“Say, Gina…” he started, seeing that she also stopped with her work. “I was about to order some lunch. Don’t really feel like going anywhere, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to keep me company?” He was already whipping out his phone.
Gina was caught off guard. If she didn’t have the eighth floor scheduled, she probably would have accepted his invitation. If nothing else, it would have given her the opportunity to test the waters a little and see what Tyler Reid really wanted from her.
“Well…” She felt uneasy having to refuse a lunch date with her boss, even if it was for work related reasons. She let her gaze wander around the office a little before saying, “I’d love to, but they’ve scheduled a clean-up for the eighth floor, starting in ten minutes. I doubt I could get out of it…” She looked intently at his face, trying to predict what his reaction would be.
“I see,” he commented blankly. “Too bad. Another time, then.” She searched his voice for traces of disappointment or dissatisfaction, but she wasn’t sure there were any. After all, a guy like Tyler Reid was probably very skilled at hiding how he truly felt about things, so this didn’t really come as a surprise to her. Finally, she gathered her stuff and headed towards the door.
“Goodbye, Mr. Reid. Have a great day,” she said, and closed the door, not waiting for his reply.
When she did so, Tyler turned around in his chair. He had to admit, he felt disappointed. He was looking forward to having some one on one time with Gina, and this seemed like the perfectly innocent opportunity for them to share lunch and spend their break together. But his plans were ruined by the cleaning agency.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and without thinking twice, he picked up his phone.
“Jeanie?” he called out into the receiver.
“Yes, Mr. Reid?” she answered readily.
“Get the cleaning agency on the phone. Tell them to send Gina back. I need her for…something.” His tongue was too fast for his thoughts, and he couldn’t think of a good enough reason right there on the spot. Not that he really needed one.
“Right away, Mr. Reid. Anything else?” Jeanie chirped.
“No, that’s all, Jeanie. Thanks.” He hung up.
Honestly, he wasn’t even feeling that hungry. He had a late breakfast, his usual oatmeal and green tea for a productive boost, so hunger didn’t really hit him yet. What he really wanted was to get Gina back. The eighth floor could wait. He couldn’t.
As Tyler was leafing through a few pamphlets that offered food delivery, trying to figure out what he was in the mood for, Jeanie buzzed.
“Mr. Reid? Gina is here.”
Tyler pressed the button in a matter of seconds.
“Yes, do send her in. Thanks, Jeanie.”
The door immediately opened, and Tyler was more than happy to see a slightly confused Gina enter his office yet again. She had a look of puzzlement on her face, with dimples that revealed an inner sweetness. She obviously wasn’t sure why she was there, but nonetheless she was smiling, waiting for him to speak first.
“So, yeah…” Tyler finally said, feeling his own tongue twisting a little. He had no idea what it was that made him lose his mind and stop thinking straight when Gina was around. As he was looking at her, dressed in those housekeeping clothes that surely didn’t do her justice, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he bumped into her in the hallway, and how she swayed her behind away from him. He felt goosebumps running up and down his body, just remembering that scene.
Then he realized that he had spent just a little too much time daydreaming about her butt, as she was staring at him with a mild look of bewilderment, waiting to be told what to do.
“See, the thing is…” He leaned his head slightly to one side, as if eyeing her better from that angle. “I just don’t know what to do with all these choices. There’s just too many of them, and I can’t seem to make up my mind.” He offered her a pile of pamphlets, trying to appear as comically helpless as possible. It worked, because Gina’s smile widened and she approached his desk.
“And that’s why you called them to send me back here?” She squinted her eyes in mock disbelief.
“Can you blame a guy for not wanting to have lunch on his own?” He shrugged and she couldn’t help but find him irresistible at that moment.
“Well, I guess I could help you, just this one time.” She grabbed a few pamphlets and starting going through them.
“Yes, yes, absolutely. Just this one time,” he repeated like a schoolboy, proving that he’d learned his lesson.
As she was trying to make her choice, Gina felt Tyler’s eyes scanning her, as if trying to figure out exactly what she was thinking, or better yet, what she was hiding. She lifted her gaze and, exactly as she thought, found him staring at her.
“Find something good?” He immediately shot his question, not taking his eyes off of her for a second. “Why don’t you take a seat?” He gestured at a comfortable-looking chair that faced his. She took a seat, and continued scoping.
“How about this?” She pointed at the pamphlet for Little Sicily. “I hear they make killer pasta.”
“Pasta?” He laughed. She looked at him, confused.
“Sure. Why not?” She felt a little insulted. What’s wrong with pasta?
“Sorry.” He finally stopped laughing. “I guess I spend too much time hanging around people who like to consider themselves gourmet connoisseurs, and unless that dish has a name with at least one part of it in French, they’re not eating it for the world.” He laughed again. “So, someone choosing something as simple, and, of course, as delicious, as pasta just stuns me sometimes. Sorry, didn’t mean anything bad by laughing.” He sounded truly apologetic, but she had already forgiven him long before that.
“So, pasta it is?” She nodded, and he agreed. He grabbed his phone and made the order without even leaving his name. Gina concluded that they must have known who the building and the agency belonged to, and there was no need for any further clarification.
But how would the delivery boy know which office to deliver it to?
After making the order, Tyler informed Jeanie, and she seemed to know the drill. Even though she also seemed a little shocked to hear that Little Sicily would be delivering his lunch for the day.
“Well, let’s see if this pasta of yours is any good,” he said teasingly.
“Actually, the pasta I’d make you would probably end up killing you.” She smiled.
“That bad, huh?” He leaned towards her. “I thought every woman had it in her blood. Cooking skills. It just needs a little encouragement to get it out to the surface. Like motherhood. Or sex.” He purposefully emphasized the last word, trying to get a reaction from her. But she wouldn’t bite. At least not yet.
“Couldn’t we say the same about men being mechanics, fathers…lovers?” she retorted as she leaned back comfortably in her chair, positioning her body in a power mode stance. Someone looking from outside would think she was the one the office belonged to and he was there having an interview.
“Touché, madam.” He bowed his head gently as he admitted his defeat. “But tell me, Gina,” his voice suddenly got more serious, “how have you been feeling? Is everything alright? You gave us quite a scare before.” There was an undertone of worry but also affection. She didn’t expect that.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” she managed to utter despite her surprised state. “I really appreciate you giving me those days off. They really helped. I guess I was just overworked, because recently I started working part time as a cashier at a supermarket, so it’s sometimes hard to juggle two jobs at a time.”
He was surprised to hear this, and he didn’t even try to hide it.
“I didn’t know.”
She was on the verge of saying, Well, why would you? but seeing that he was being nice, she bit her tongue.
“Times are tough and we do what we can to get by,” she concluded matter-of-factly.
“I know it’s none of my business, but someone who has to take two jobs must have some financial issues.” He knew very well that some people tended to get offended when finances were discussed.
Gina had to admit that she was taken aback by this prying, but with Tyler, it didn’t seem like prying at all. It was like an old friend was asking her about her latest developments in life, and, of course, her financial woes were among the top three things.
“Ummm, yeah,” she replied, even though she would rather keep these things to herself. “But that’s not an appropriate topic for such a nice day.” She tried to switch topics. “So, how come you don’t have a big important business meeting during lunch?” She smiled. “I thought you rich tycoon types never eat lunch alone.”
Tyler laughed. “You’re right, but every once in a while it happens that someone cancels on you and you call it your lucky day.” He smiled. “Especially if you get to have lunch with a girl named Gina Sellers.” He purposefully emphasized her name as he finished his sentence. It definitely rubbed her the right way.
“Mr. Reid?” Jeanie’s voice came over the intercom. “Sorry to bother you, but your lunch is here.”
“Please bring it in, Jeanie. Thanks.” Tyler spoke into the little machine, still keeping his gaze firmly fixed on Gina.
Jeanie entered carrying a big paper bag, and placed it on the desk, right in front of them.
“Bon appetite!” She smiled and left them alone.
“Well, like I said, let’s see if this pasta is any good.” Tyler started unwrapping the food, placing one of everything first in front of Gina and then setting it for himself.
“Mangiamo, Bella!” Tyler said with a killer Italian accent.
Gina laughed. “You speak Italian?” she asked him as she unwrapped the little plastic fork from the packaging.
“Nah, just a few phrases here and there,” he replied. “I spent a few months in Italy a few years ago, and I’ve always wanted to return. But this job is keeping me super busy. I guess it’ll be one of those things left for when I retire. If I ever retire.”
“You know, I’ve never been to Europe, and actually, Italy is the first place I’d like to visit. They say the Florence Cathedral is to die for, or the Colosseum, or St. Peter’s Basilica.” She spoke of things she’d only read or heard about, but was eager to visit. So many times, she wished that things turned out differently for her; that she had the opportunity to see the world, but alas, with all the troubles she had to carry, there was little chance of such a thing ever happening, and she had to come to terms with that.
“Yeah, I’ve seen them all. All points of interest in Italy, and whoever said they’re to die for, was absolutely right. There is just an air of antiquity about those places that you can’t find anywhere in the States. Now, don’t get me wrong, the States have gems of their own, but Europe is filled with history. Every stone is a marker of some long ago moment that changed the world for those people. And wherever you are, you can feel this. Like an invisible aura of magic…” He suddenly got lost in his own thoughts.
Gina was surprised to hear him talk like this. She never expected such a successful businessman to be interested in history, art, and the creative part of life. But she liked it.
“Sorry for the rambling.” He suddenly smiled, noticing that both of them had got quiet. “You must be starving. I know I am. Let’s dig in.”
Upon first bite, Tyler’s eyes widened in disbelief and he slowly started nodding.
“This is actually pretty damn good,” he admitted.
“My friend Jill knows the owner.” What she actually wanted to say was that she dated the owner’s son, if one could call a few nighttime flings dating, but there was no point in getting into details. “His name’s Mario, I forget his last name, and he and his family moved to the States about ten years ago in hopes of opening a genuine Italian restaurant. After a whole lot of setbacks, he finally made his dream come true, and he stayed faithful to his original idea of using only the best ingredients and original recipes, handed down to him from his ancestors. Cool, isn’t it?” She slurped her pasta like a little child, enjoying every bit.
They quickly ate their lunches, and before either of them noticed, it was time for Gina to go back to work.
“I’d love to stay,” she started, as she gathered the disposable plates and forks, “but all good things must come to an end.”
“Why?” He stood up and approached her, standing right in front of her, gazing into her eyes. She could smell his cologne, and it was starting to make her dizzy. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin this wonderful moment by barfing all over her boss’ office. So, instead, she moved away from him, as if continuing to clean up the remains of their lunch. This separation allowed her some fresh air, and, gratefully, she could feel that the pasta would be staying exactly where it was supposed to be.
“Have dinner with me tonight?” he asked, just like that. Her entire body wanted to freeze, but her brain resisted.
“Tonight?” This was all she could muster, quickly glancing at him as she did so, but then quickly turning her attention back to the disposable plates and boxes.
“Well, yeah. Or any other day, if it suits you better.”
She wanted to think about this, long and hard, but she also knew that she didn’t have the time for it. Then, it suddenly hit her.
Isn’t this what you wanted? the bad Gina whispered in her ear. He’s obviously into you! Use this, girl! What are you waiting for?
She had no idea. Here it was: an opportunity of a lifetime, opening up right in front of her, offering her a way out of her financial troubles, and she was still considering whether to take it or not.
Silly girl! Do it! Do it! Come on! the bad Gina urged, and she finally had to give in.
“Tonight is okay for me.”
It was obvious that her reply pleased him, but he tried not to show it too much.
“Great. Pick you up at eight?”
“Sounds good,” she replied as she gathered the rest of the lunch leftovers.
“Leave it, Gina. I’ll take care of it.” He rushed to her, urging her to just leave everything and go take care of her business.
“But this is my job.” She smiled. “I should do it.”
“Point taken. But,” he added, “it was my treat, and when you take someone out to lunch, whether that actually involves going somewhere or not, you don’t expect them to clean up. Right?” She had to admit, he had a point.
“Well, okay, then. I’m free to go?” she asked.
“Until tonight.” He smiled. She returned the gesture and left his office.
The day seemed to drag on, probably because Gina was starting to feel more and more nervous about her dinner date. She kept rethinking whether she really should have accepted it or not.
“Everything alright, Bonita?” Ricky asked as they were preparing to close up for the night. “You look lost in thought.” He was zipping up his jacket, waiting for her to finish putting on her shoes.
“Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind.” She smiled, wanting to tell him all about her upcoming date with the big boss, but then again, she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate. She wasn’t sure if going out on a date with him was appropriate at all. But a part of her didn’t care one bit, and from the looks of it, neither did Tyler Reid. “Need a lift?”
“Sure, thanks.” They got their stuff and left together, Gina dropping off Ricky at his usual place.
When she finally got home, she had about an hour and a half to get ready. Hoping to find Jill home, she was disappointed to find only a quickly scribbled message about a lecture her newest object of interest was attending, so she’d be accompanying him. It was signed with Don’t wait up. Gina smiled.
She took a quick shower and then found herself puzzled in front of her wardrobe. What to wear? The perpetual female question when it came to going on a date. She knew she wanted to leave a good impression, but she also didn’t want to make it look like she tried too hard. Finally, after much deliberation, she decided on a cherry red dress that hugged her highway curves perfectly. It went all the way down to her knees, leaving just a little bit of cleavage out there, but actually hiding more than revealing. She had the perfect shade of lipstick to go with it and decided to minimize her makeup, seeing red was already quite a striking color, and she thought that too much makeup would make the whole outfit scream instead of whisper. Once she was done, she eyed herself in the mirror with a satisfied look on her face. It wasn’t over the top, but it also showed some effort. It was the perfect combination of both.
At exactly eight o’clock, her phone rang.
“Yes?” she replied.
“Hey, Gina! It’s Tyler. I’m downstairs. So, whenever you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.” She expected to hear noise in the background, seeing their street was busy at this time, but it was strangely quiet.
“I’ll be right down,” she almost whispered into the receiver.
“No need to rush,” he replied, and hung up the phone.
Gina took one deep breath in front of the mirror and grabbed her purse. As she was going down the stairs, she had no idea what she expected out of tonight. Or what Tyler expected for that matter. Well, you know what he expects. Isn’t it the same for all men?
She shook her head in an effort to silence her thoughts, and when it was all peaceful in her mind, she continued walking down the stairs. When she exited the building, she expected a big flashy car to be waiting for her, or at least a limousine. To her complete surprise, she couldn’t recognize which of the parked cars were Tyler’s until he got out of one. It was a Cadillac Series 60, Gina knew that much. It was the car Elvis Presley used to drive, transforming it into one of the most iconic cars in the history of the world. Not that Gina was into cars, but she was into Elvis, just like her mother. The two used to listen to his music late into the night, when Gina would finally fall asleep and her mother would gently carry her to her room.
Tyler’s appearance shook her out of her daydreaming. He approached her and kissed her on the cheek, resting his hands respectfully on her elbows as he did so.
“You look gorgeous.” He smiled a row of perfect pearly whites. He sizzled in a regular fit blue cotton shirt, with smart charcoal trousers. It all looked so effortlessly chic on him, as she noticed that he had a few days’ old beard going, which left him looking even hotter than usual. She swallowed heavily.
“You don’t look half bad yourself.” She managed to smile as he ushered her into his car.
“Just a Cadillac fan or one of us Elvis fans?” she asked as he got into the car and started it. Upon hearing her question, he turned to her with a look of surprise.
“I don’t know what surprises me more.” He smiled. “The fact that you know this is a Cadillac or that you know that Elvis drove one.” The car purred and they were on their way.
“This is one of the first cars I ever bought,” he admitted, looking at the road. “I don’t think I’ll ever sell it, to be honest. Too many memories in here.” He squeezed the steering wheel gently, and Gina had the notion that he was caressing the car as he did so. There was a lot of traffic, but it didn’t seem to bother either of them.
“Mine is an old clunker, but it does the job,” Gina said proudly. So what if it’s not a Caddy? Not everyone can afford one. But she still considered herself lucky enough to own a car, clunker or no clunker.
“Yeah. Sometimes, I feel like selling all those cars that are sitting in my garage, because they’re only being driven twice a year,” he said as he turned left, focusing on the road signs. “But, you know, it goes with the territory, I guess. When you’re a bigshot, they expect you to have frivolous stuff you don’t really need.” His voice trailed off, and even though it might have sounded like bragging to some, Gina could feel an underlying tension Tyler had to be under as the big boss of a company such as Reid Realty. She couldn’t imagine what it must feel like to be in his shoes just one day. But then again, she didn’t think it would be that hard, either.
“Well, why don’t you sell them and give the money to charity?” She said what so many others in the world were thinking. “I bet you could feed a whole African village, and then some, with that money.” She sounded a little scolding, though it wasn’t her intention.
“But I am donating money to charity, dear.” He turned to her as they waited for the light to turn green. “But it’s like with everyone. We give as much as we can. How much do you expect me to give?” he asked her in mock scorn, and she knew that he wasn’t insulted.
“It’s green.” She pointed at the windshield, in hopes that this would be enough to change the topic. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to a little French place I know. The owner’s French.” He winked at her, quickly returning his gaze to the road.
“Oh gosh! You won’t make me eat frog legs, will you?” She gasped, pretending to be horrified by the mere thought of eating such a thing.
“Only if you want to.” He laughed. “But seriously, they’re quite a delicacy, you know.”
“No, thanks.” She shook both her head and her arms, trying to emphasize how reluctant she was to try this so-called delicacy. “Onion soup, maybe, but anything fancier than that and I’m out.” They both laughed.
“Here we are.” Tyler stopped the car and escorted her out, giving his keys to the valet as he did so.
Upon entering the restaurant, the hostess smiled at him without even asking who he was or if he had a reservation. The perks of being a rich, handsome playboy, Gina thought.
“Here you go, Mr. Reid.” The hostess led them to one of the nicest tables in the whole restaurant. “Monsieur De Charbonnele will be right with you.” She left them with a smile and went to fetch the owner. Apparently, the visit of someone as important as Tyler Reid demanded the owner himself to appear before them.
“Tyler!” said a voice with a thick French accent.
“Jacques!” Tyler replied, standing and opening his arms wide to hug the man who appeared from behind Gina.
“Long time no see, eh?” the man called Jacques replied with an equally affectionate hug. “What brings you to my little establishment? Had enough of your silly American cuisine?” He winked.
“You know me.” Tyler smiled, and then gestured towards Gina. “I’d like you to meet someone. Jacques, this is Gina.” She extended her hand, and Jacques’ lips immediately fell upon it.
“Enchante, mademoiselle.” Jacques smiled warmly. “I shall prepare the specialty of the house, just for the two of you.”
“Oh, you don’t need to go to such trouble,” Tyler urged. “We just wanted to say hi.”
“Oh, but it’s no trouble at all, my friend!” Jacques replied quickly. “You know that you and your family are always welcome here, and shall be treated like royalty after all the help you’ve given us.” Gina wondered what he meant by that. “So, specialty of the house it is, and in the meantime, a bottle of our finest Pinot Noir, courtesy of the house!” He bowed. “Enjoy!” He placed a hand firmly on Tyler’s shoulder, and then retreated back into the kitchen.
“He seems very nice,” Gina commented. “Are all French people this nice and polite?”
“I’d like to say yes, but it’s been such a long time since I’ve visited France that I honestly don’t remember!” Tyler moved slightly to the side as the waiter brought a bottle of the promised wine and offered a tasting, to which Tyler simply shook his hand and urged him to just pour it into their glasses. He knew Jacques wouldn’t send him just any old thing.
The evening continued in the same pleasant manner, with both Tyler and Gina loosening up more and more as the wine in the bottle diminished. Gina loved the taste, and it definitely went perfectly with the specialty of the house, which was something called Boudin Noir Aux Pommes.
“Well, now that you’ve eaten every single piece of the dish, I can tell you what the name translates to,” Tyler suddenly said with a mockingly ominous tone of voice.
“It’s not mashed frog legs, is it?” She gasped.
“No, no. Something much worse.” He leaned forward to whisper the seemingly horrid truth to her. “It’s…” he turned around, as if trying to see if anyone was eavesdropping on them, “blood sausage.”
“Blood sausage?” Gina burst out laughing. “That’s not that bad. As long as it’s not frog legs, I’m fine.” They both laughed until their stomachs hurt.
Tyler took care of the check while she was in the bathroom, and upon her return, she saw that he was ready to go. As they were driving through the streets of the now even busier city, he suggested they stop by his place.
“I have a record signed by Elvis himself,” he revealed temptingly. “Belonged to my grandad. He actually shook his hand, you know. That was a big deal back then. Not like now…”
Gina felt like there was more to Tyler than just what the tabloids were writing about, or what he allowed to get out. She also knew what it would lead to if she went to his place. This much was obvious, Elvis or no Elvis. But she didn’t care. Her life had been wrought with troubles lately, and she couldn’t remember the last time she was this relaxed and had so much fun. Couldn’t she let loose, just this once?
“I’d love to see that signed record,” she heard herself say. Upon deciding this, she could feel her body relax and finally go with the flow, which was something she had almost forgotten how to do.
Apparently, Tyler lived not far from the little French place, or perhaps it was that Gina had lost her sense of time, just this once. Whatever the reason, when they arrived at their destination, the situation was completely opposite to that with the car. The place Tyler Reid lived in could never have been mistaken for a mortal person’s dwelling. It was one of those new, high buildings that one gets to see in modern architectural magazines, the latest scream of technology and fashion, all merged together perfectly. And, of course, not everyone could just go in and claim they were visiting a friend or a relative. There was an attendant who wouldn’t even let you get into the lobby without a specific purpose and proof of one.
When the two of them entered, the attendant cocked his hat that was a part of his uniform, and bid them both good evening, referring to Tyler by his surname. They went to the top floor.
“You’ll get used to it.” Tyler smiled as he noticed she was eyeing the elevator buttons with a confused look.
Maybe it was the wine, but she liked the sound of that, the possibility of her coming here more often and actually getting used to the baffling elevator buttons. There was a little ping, and the doors opened.
“This is us.” He gallantly showed her down the hall, with only one door at the very end of it, allowing entrance.
“This is all yours?” The hallway was huge, and if there was only one door, she couldn’t imagine anyone else living on the same floor as him.
“Yeah. The entire floor. But it’s not as big as you might think.”
She stopped before entering his apartment, and looked down the hallway again. Not big, my ass! She almost giggled at her high school comment, but then immediately went back to her serious self.
When she finally entered his apartment, she gasped at the beauty of it. It wasn’t the apartment of a playboy, with signed guitars hanging from the walls or bars opening up from every nook and cranny. It was done in what one could almost call a classical note, with a dash of the modern. Gina thought about his office and remembered how she felt the same way upon entering it for the first time. Not a single piece of furniture was mismatched, everything seemed to blend in perfect unity together. She noticed a few pieces of art that, in her humble opinion, belonged in a museum, and she couldn’t escape the feeling that they must have cost a fortune. Everything in this apartment was screaming expensive, though not with its flashiness or exuberance, but rather its toned-down nature.
Tyler noticed she was admiring a set of Warhol’s prints.
“They’re real,” he commented. “Not just a print. It was one of those forgotten pieces of art that finally got its chance to shine on my wall.”
“A little selfish, isn’t it?” she teased. “You being the only one who gets to enjoy it.”
“Well, me and my guests.” He winked. “But what’s wrong with that? There are so many out there, where’s the harm in selfishly keeping one to yourself?” He approached the framed work of art and eyed it with affection. “I don’t know. It really speaks to me. The boldness of colors, the different versions of the same thing. After all, isn’t that how each and every single one of us views life? We look at the same thing, but we see it and remember it slightly differently. The event is colored by our own mind, just like these prints.” He turned towards her as he finished his sentence.
Gina had to admit she was intrigued. She still couldn’t believe that underneath the serious businessman and the tabloid playboy, Tyler could be anything else. However, this night was proving to be extremely enlightening. She never expected him to be so deep, to have such thoughts about life and even to understand anyone else’s perspective of it. It all came as a surprise to her.
“I couldn’t agree more.” She smiled.
“I wonder how you are going to remember this night.” He spoke with a tempting tone, almost whispering right next to her cheek. She could feel the warmth of his breath and smell the aroma of that wonderful French wine they had.
He lifted his hand slowly, and placed it gently on her cheek. It was burning. She felt like his touch sent a million little shocks throughout her body, electrifying every single hair on it. She saw him approach her even closer, her lips perking up subconsciously, as his hands traveled down her back, pulling her close to his body. She wanted to do the same, to slide her hands around his neck, to grip his hair between her fingers, but something was still preventing her from doing so. All she could do was inhale the sweet fragrance of his body that was standing inches away from her, ready.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you…” he whispered, as his hands traveled down her back and stopped right on her butt, gently squeezing as he did so. Without even realizing, her body reacted to his touch immediately, making her prop herself up on her tippy toes, shaking at the very core of her being.
She could still feel the warmth of his breath, spreading down her neck, and now on her cheek. He was brushing his lips across her chocolate skin, until finally, their lips locked together. It was as if this was the sign her body was waiting for to make a move, and she slowly raised her arms, clenching his neck with her fingers. The sudden pressure of his bite on her lips made her shudder with delight as she gripped his hair and tightened her clutch.
She arched her back as he kissed her neck, his fingers skillfully looking for the zipper that would reveal her body to him in all its glory. Her breath became heavier as she realized what he was trying to do, and she let out a slight cry as she felt her dress loosening up around her body. It was time.
When her dress fell to the ground, Tyler’s kisses traveled downward, lavishing her breasts, as she anticipated the moment when she would be stripped off of that last bastille of modesty that were her bra and underpants. And with one skilled flick on his fingers, her bra fell to the floor. She could feel his manhood pressed tightly against her thighs, quivering and tormented, just like she was by this slow moving dance. But that was what made it so mind-blowing.
Suddenly, he fell to his knees, and she could feel his fingers moving the lining of her underwear, forcefully driving his tongue deep inside of her. She released a loud, uncontrollable moan. With her hands still gripping his hair, she kept pulling him closer, as if afraid that he would change his mind and stop. Her thighs shivered as she felt his finger slide easily inside, hitting just the right spot. She closed her eyes and saw millions of little dots in the darkness. She took short, shallow breaths as he worked her towards what she already knew was going to be one long, exploding orgasm.
Then he went back to his feet. Lifting her off the ground, he brought her to the bedroom, as if he realized only then that not showing your first-time guest the entire apartment wasn’t very nice. The bedroom was equally tastefully done, though Gina had no desire to comment on the art on the walls at this point. He threw her playfully on the bed, and as he kept kissing her, he turned her around, on all fours. As he practically tore her underwear, she could feel his manhood pulsating against her butt, before he finally did what she expected him to do all this time, without even knowing.
He buried his fingers deep into her flesh, yanking her butt back towards him, and gave her deep, hard thrusts, pushing the air out of her lungs each time he did so. Her own fingers clenched at the sheets, and her entire body shivered, waiting for that final push, which would send her over the edge. When he finally released himself into her, they tensed in synchrony, their bodies sweating from the sheer ecstasy. Once the passionate hour was over, both of them fell asleep, exhausted, not giving a damn about what would happen tomorrow.
Gina woke up much earlier than usual, and only then did the severity of the entire situation hit her. A still slumbering Tyler was next to her in bed.
Gina! What the heck? she scolded herself as she squinted and buried her face in her hands. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to make Tyler her baby daddy in order to solve her financial troubles, and now that she gave him exactly what he wanted, there was no way that he would want anything else from her. She’d become just another check in his little black book of conquests.
Oh well. She suddenly calmed down. Not like you didn’t have fun, the bad Gina said. She looked at Tyler, and a little smile appeared on her face. Not bad at all. But playtime is over.
She tried to get out of bed without waking him up, unsuccessfully.
“Hey there,” he said, still half asleep. “Where are you going?” He propped his head on his hand, bending his elbow.
“Oh…” She felt like a thief, caught in the act of escaping with the loot. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, but…”
“But you have to go, right?” he said with what she thought was a slight tone of disappointment. Probably because he was usually the one who got to say that sentence and not the girl.
“Yeah, promised Jill I’d help her with something today.” She got out of bed, completely naked under his watchful gaze. She actually had no plans for the day, but the last thing she wanted to do was stay and become even more embarrassed upon having to learn that Tyler had some business and that he’d give her a call, which, of course, he never would. So why bother? She’d rather just skip the courtesies and go back to her regular life.
“Well, since you’re busy for the day, how about dinner tomorrow?” She almost fell to the floor upon hearing his offer.
“Dinner?” she repeated, not sure she heard it right.
“Uh-huh.” He was still eyeing her with great pleasure, knowing that her dress was in the living room and while she was in his bedroom, her beautiful ebony body was his to look at.
“Uuuum, well…” She had no idea what to say to that, simply because she didn’t know what his agenda was. She doubted he was so mesmerized by her that they’d actually start dating, and she was not really in the mood for being someone’s go-to girl every time they felt horny. Even if that someone was Tyler Reid. She didn’t have much left at this point, but she still had her dignity.
“Yeah, I’m not really sure,” she managed to say as she put on her underpants.
“How about I give you a call tomorrow and we’ll see?” He seemed really persistent, and she didn’t know why. It was really strange.
“Okay. That works.” She replied, knowing very well that he probably wouldn’t call. And that’d be for the best.
“Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?” he urged, like a little child.
“Yeah. Jill must be worried sick already…” She exited the bedroom, went to find her dress and reappeared again. “Thanks for the…evening.” She smiled. She had no idea what else to call it.
“My pleasure.” He winked, still in bed, but then he jumped up. “Let me at least walk you out.”
“Oh, no, no. It’s fine. I can find my way out. You just…relax. And I’ll be seeing ya.” She waved clumsily and headed towards the door, almost bumping against the wall.
To her complete and utter surprise, he actually did call the following day, and Gina could find no excuse to say no, no matter how hard she tried. What followed was yet another pleasant evening, though this time she managed to say no and got home before she slept with him again. She was sure he didn’t like it, but at least he was a gentleman about it.
As weeks passed by, his interest didn’t diminish, to her complete surprise. On the contrary, it seemed that every time she went out with him, he wanted more of her. She tried to be elusive, and not really available to him whenever he thought it appropriate, but she did allow herself the pleasure of sleeping with him a few more times. What’s the harm? she’d think, remembering her current state.
One night, as they were revisiting the little French place from their first date, Gina noticed that Tyler seemed a little distracted, nervous even.
“Is everything okay?” she asked. Maybe this is him losing interest in you. So far, she didn’t really plan anything. The original Tyler becoming her baby daddy plan was still a go, but as she kept getting to know him, she actually started liking him more and more, and the idea didn’t really sit well with her. He was a truly good guy underneath it all, and if nothing else, he really did show her the time of her life while they were together.
“Well, honestly…” Gina knew this was the beginning of the end. Well, at least he had the decency to tell you this to your face, and you didn’t have to find out from the tabloids that he’s found another girl. But she allowed him to do his own talking. “There’s this thing I wanted to talk to you about.” He smiled, a little nervous, but more adorable than she had ever seen him look. She actually felt a little pang as she expected him to dump her right then and there.
“You see, I was wondering…” He fumbled in his pocket, taking out a little blue plush box. Gina’s eyes widened in disbelief as he got down on one knee. He opened the box, and revealed a baguette-cut sapphire and diamond engagement ring that sparkled like a miniature sun. She gasped. “If you’d make me the happiest man in the world and be my wife…”
The dimmed lights in the restaurant kept them hidden from curious glances, and never before had Gina been so grateful to darkness. Not that she wished to hide herself, but she thought that a proposal was an intimate affair, and she was happy to notice that no one was really paying attention to them. She just stood there, frozen in time and space.
You’ve got him right where you want him, girl! the bad Gina was saying. And she couldn’t escape the feeling that Jill would share this opinion once she told her what had happened. She didn’t really know if she should go through with this or not. She was in love with him, that much she did know. But should she marry him for the previously stated reason? All of a sudden, without allowing herself anymore thoughts, she replied.
“Yes!” she whispered, leaning towards him, and kissing him on the forehead.
He smiled as he put the ring on her finger. His own fingers were shaking a little, and she could feel the clamminess of his palms. The ring was a perfect fit, not that she expected anything else from him.
The days preceding Tyler and Gina’s wedding passed by in a daze, or at least that’s how Gina herself felt. It had been less than a month since she first walked into his office, and ever since then, it was a rollercoaster ride, with both ups and downs.
It was all a mess of meeting Tyler’s family and friends, and getting everything ready. In all honesty, she wanted a small event, nothing too big, but Tyler’s family wouldn’t hear of it. Apparently, they had been waiting for him to settle down for so long that they weren’t going to miss the chance to make a huge deal out of their only son’s wedding. She couldn’t really blame them for wanting this, so after some persuasion, she gave in.
As she eyed herself in the mirror, wearing the wedding dress Tyler’s mother and she had picked out together, she couldn’t help but feel that this whole thing was wrong. She wasn’t sure if she was marrying Tyler because she loved him or because she was so afraid of her crushing debt and that it would eventually destroy her life, unless she did something about it. As luck would have it, Tyler came along, offering her everything she had ever wanted…yet she was still unsure.
“Everything okay, Gina?” Jill asked as she entered the room. “I didn’t mean to barge in; it’s just that I knocked twice, and you didn’t reply…”
“It’s fine, Jill, come in.” Gina smiled. She was happy Jill was there, even if it was only for her support of the whole thing. When Gina told her that she had accepted Tyler’s proposal, Jill was over the moon. But, Gina also knew the reason behind this: Jill was sure that Gina would be well taken care of, and as a result, happy.
“How do I look?” Gina asked, still eyeing her reflection in the mirror.
“Breathtaking,” Jill whispered. It looked like Jill was on the verge of tears, and Gina could barely believe it.
“Hey, hey now…” Gina walked over to Jill. “Don’t you go all soft on me now.” She gave her a hug.
“It’s just that this is all so beautiful…” Jill returned the hug, trying to hide the few tears that rolled down her cheek.
“Okay, you softie…” Both girls laughed. Then Gina suddenly got serious.
“What’s wrong, Gina?”
“Do you think what I’m doing is right?” she asked Jill, knowing very well that she wasn’t really the right person to be asked this question, but there was no one else around whom she trusted that much.
“What do you mean?” Jill was surprised.
“Well, this whole thing, the wedding…” Gina gestured at all the whiteness around her, and then down at her beautiful lace wedding gown.
“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet, Gina,” Jill warned her. “Not two hours before your wedding to Tyler freakin’ Reid.”
Gina had to laugh at that. “But seriously…am I doing this for the right reasons?”
“This is not the time to be asking yourself this,” Jill spoke seriously. “You decided this when you said yes to Tyler. And now you should go through with it. It’s too late to back down now.” Her tone was almost ominous.
“Maybe I should just come clean and tell him everything, about the plan, the baby…”
“No! Absolutely not! Are you crazy??” Jill stood up and pressed hard on Gina’s shoulders. “You can’t tell him now. Can’t you see that everything is working out perfectly for you?”
That was exactly what was bothering Gina so much—the fact that everything really was going her way, while she felt like she didn’t deserve one ounce of it. If she told Tyler the baby was his, she could manipulate the dates about three weeks or so, and knowing that due dates were just an approximation, she saw no problem with him believing her every word. But, that was besides the point. She felt bad she would be lying to someone she had begun to care about deeply.
“Are you sure?” Gina whined, trying to straighten out the invisible wrinkles on her crazy expensive wedding dress, a frock that could probably cover half of her entire debt.
“Positive.” Jill cupped Gina’s chin and lifted Gina’s gaze to meet hers. “Would I ever steer you wrong?”
Gina was a little reluctant to reply to this question, but then remembered that Jill really was by her side, through thick and thin, and even though their views differed on some points, Jill always had Gina’s best interests in mind. She had to give her that much.
“Well, okay, then. Let’s get this show on the road.” Gina smiled. She had no idea how, but she was hoping that things would work out for the best eventually. After all, it wasn’t like she didn’t like Tyler and was marrying him just for his money. So why was she still feeling lousy?
She tried to shake this feeling off as she continued getting ready for her big day.
“So, I have something old, which is this pearl necklace that used to belong to my grandmother. Something new, which is this wedding dress, something blue,” she lifted her dress playfully and revealed dark blue garters, which made Jill smile. “Now, I just need something borrowed.”
“Here.” Jill took out a beautiful butterfly hair pin from her bun. “Will this do?”
Gina smiled and turned around. “Can you put it on?”
Gina’s hair was usually unruly, but it surrendered to the butterfly pin easily, adding a touch of class to a simple hairdo, which was exactly what Gina was aiming for.
“Perfect!” Jill commented.
“Thanks, Jill.” The two girls hugged each other tight, and remained so for a long time, neither of them willing to break the safety of the silence that reigned.
The ceremony went smoothly. Tyler and Gina exchanged vows, and for a moment, this whole thing actually felt right. She was happy, and obviously Tyler was, too, as he gazed deeply into her eyes, holding her hand.
There was a whole crowd of people, none of whom Gina knew, but she felt obliged to welcome everyone and thank them for coming, which was quite an endeavor. At one point, she even managed to lose Jill in the crowd, but stumbled across Ricky and his wife, Maria.
“Boy, am I glad to see a familiar face here,” she whispered after hugging them affectionately.
“Beautiful reception, Bonita. Thanks for inviting us.” Ricky smiled in his usual way, while his wife stood next to him.
“I’m really glad you two could make it, and it’s a real pleasure to finally meet you.” Gina addressed Maria, who was a beautiful woman with a smile that could melt icicles.
“Gina, dear…” She could hear her mother-in-law calling her from across the room.
“Sorry, guys. Duty calls.” They all laughed. “I’ll come back later.” She waved, and disappeared in the crowd of people.
“We’re going where?” Gina felt like jumping with joy after Tyler revealed his surprise the following morning as they had breakfast in bed for the first time as husband and wife.
“To Italy. Would you like that?” He sipped his coffee, and took a bite of his croissant.
“That’d be a dream come true!” She hugged him tight and almost spilled everything that was on the breakfast tray.
“Easy, easy there, cowboy!” Tyler laughed, trying to save what was salvageable. “I already booked the tickets and the hotel. We’re going next week.”
Gina could barely believe it. She’d never stepped foot outside the US, and now she’d be heading off to Italy. It all seemed like a dream, something that was too good to be true. And from her own personal experience, she knew that if something seemed too good to be true, it usually was. But she chose to ignore this, at least for the time being.
Suddenly, she felt a surge of morning sickness come on. Releasing herself from the grip of Tyler’s embrace, she rushed to the bathroom. Making sure the door was closed tight, she turned on the tap and tried to make as little noise as possible as she regurgitated the morning coffee she just had.
“Everything alright?” He eyed her suspiciously as she got out of the bathroom.
“Yeah, why?” She tried to answer as nonchalantly as possible, though she knew this couldn’t go on much longer.
Their trip to Italy was everything she had hoped it would be. They stayed at the Hilton in Rome and Milan, and the service was impeccable, just as she thought it would be. Tyler took her to see all relevant points of interest—the Colosseum, then the Roman church and historic tombs of the Pantheon, Saint Mark’s Basilica with its gilded domes, the unmistakable Sistine Chapel, the Galleria Borghese, housing numerous Renaissance art masterpieces, and many others. She realized only now why this boot-shaped little country was one of the most popular travel destinations for tourists from all over the world.
But, as Gina expected, her stay wasn’t free from all those early pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, which attacked her both with and without vomiting, increased need to use the restroom, fatigue, and even aversions to foods that she used to love. She knew she would eventually run out of excuses and have to reveal the truth to Tyler. It’s just that she wasn’t sure how much of the entire truth she should tell him.
As she was waiting for him to get out of the shower, she fought a difficult battle with herself. Maybe I should just tell him everything. Maybe he’ll understand and won’t mind. But then she thought about it more rationally. Who would understand being lied to about something as monumental as a baby?
Without even realizing it, she placed her hand gently on her belly. Of course, it was still too soon to tell she was pregnant, but feeling her belly rise and fall gently calmed her down. She had someone else to think about now, and getting upset wasn’t really doing either of them any good.
“Okay, the bathroom’s free.” Tyler walked out, butt naked, toweling off his head. She smiled. He really looked like a million bucks. “Though I still say we could have used it together.” He winked mischievously.
“Yes, but then we’d be late for our dinner reservation, wouldn’t we?” she replied, knowing exactly what he meant by that.
“I guess you have a point. Spoil sport.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Go before we’re terribly, terribly late!” He spoke with a fake and exaggerated British accent, trying to impersonate the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Gina laughed.
“Okay, Okay! I’m going!” She started, but something held her back. “But before I go, there’s something I need to tell you.” Her tone turned serious in an instant.
“Oh my!” He continued with the exaggerated British accent. “That doesn’t sound very good.”
“I’m being serious here…”
“Well, so am I!” And they both burst out laughing again. “Alright. I’ll behave.” He sat down next to her.
“Well, I can’t have a serious conversation with you when you’re all naked like that.” She couldn’t get the smile off her face, even though the thing she wanted to talk to him about was no laughing matter.
“Well, aren’t you a complicated little lady! I never!” he exclaimed theatrically, and went on to put on his bathrobe. “Better, you little pain in neck?” She nodded. He sat next to her again, expectant.
She looked down at her lap, crushing her fingers silently as she did so. She had no idea where to start or how to go about this. She was dreading the consequences of him finding out. She took a deep breath and gathered the courage to look him in the eyes.
“Tyler…” She paused. “You probably noticed that I’ve been acting kinda…well, strange. Rushing to the bathroom, and all these other trivial things.” There was another pause. He didn’t interrupt her. “I’m sure you know what that means…” She looked down, then back up at him.
“That you’re pregnant?” He suddenly finished the sentence that she was so afraid to say herself. She tried to figure out how he felt about it from the way he said it, but there was little revelation in his question.
“Yes.”
“And this is what you’ve been so afraid to tell me?” he asked, which left her wondering how obvious it was to him that she was afraid of this conversation.
“Well, yes, because you’re—” She wasn’t allowed to finish her sentence.
“You have no idea how happy you’ve made me!” He squeezed her tight, showering her face with kisses. “We’re going to have a baby!” he yelled, and she couldn’t help but smile, even though there was a tight grip of sorrow around her heart.
There he was, feeling so ecstatic about becoming a dad, and she didn’t have the courage to tell him that the child wasn’t really his. She wanted to, she truly did, but he interrupted her and she lost all her courage to continue when he finally revealed how he felt about it. She just couldn’t break his heart like that, not here, in Italy, in one of the most romantic places on Earth.
“I don’t know why you’d keep this a secret from me,” he said as he kissed her hands. “When did you find out?”
“Well, I think it happened that first time when we slept together…” she lied, feeling her cheeks burning, hoping that he’d attribute it to excitement regarding the big revelation.
“And you waited all this time to tell me?” he criticized her in mock scorn. “Bad girl.”
“I had no idea what would happen between us, or how you’d react…” She tried to explain herself, though she knew that no waters could wash away the lies she was saying now.
“Listen to me now.” He cupped her chin gently. “I wanted you ever since I laid my eyes on you at the company, that first time when I bumped into you without apologizing. It just took me a while to figure it out. And now that I have you, nothing will make me give you up.” He kissed her on the lips as a sign of promise.
His words reassured her and made her feel protected. She knew that was how he felt now, but she couldn’t stop thinking about how he would feel once he found out the truth.
Maybe you don’t have to tell him the truth? How would he find out if no one tells him? That asshole is in jail for God knows how long, and Jill surely won’t say a word. So how would Tyler find out?
“Okay, now get your sweet ass into the shower or else we’ll really be late for that reservation!” He suddenly returned to reality. “We have a real reason to celebrate!” He kissed her again, and went to put on some clothes. “My parents will go crazy. They’ve been wanting a grandkid for ages. You really have no idea how happy you’ve made us all, Gina.” The look in his eyes was more than Gina could take. It hit her straight in the heart, and made her swallow heavily as she tried to suppress tears from rolling down her cheeks, but she didn’t manage to do so.
“There, there, baby.” He hugged her tight, thinking she was just being emotional because of the big revelation. “It’s all wonderful…hush, baby…” She cried as she listened to his soothing voice.
When she finally stopped, she took a deep breath. “I’ll be right out,” she managed to utter, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Get a grip on yourself, Gina, she said to herself in the mirror. It’ll be fine. You will be happy. Just relax and go with the flow, as you’ve been doing so far, and it’ll all be fine…
A week after they had returned from Italy, Gina was lazily stretching in bed. The morning promised a lovely day, with early rays of the sun peering through the slightly ajar, plush curtains that allowed for semi-darkness to still reign. Gina lifted her head a little, squinting her eyes, only to notice that Tyler wasn’t in bed next to her. The space was empty and cold. She rose a little more and looked around the room. There were a few statues that she could have mistaken for him, with their Renaissance chiseled chests and arms, as if created to hold up the heavens themselves. They truly were masterpieces. Then again, she never doubted Tyler had good taste in food, music, and art. But, no. None of them was Tyler. The room was quiet and serene, and after a few seconds, she simply slumped back into bed and covered herself cozily. It seemed to be too early to wake up. Not like she had been sleeping all that well lately anyway.
“Rise and shine, babe!” She suddenly heard Tyler’s voice, just as she was about to sail back to slumber land for a quick snooze before she started her day. Even the baby seemed peaceful, and still asleep, without its usual morning gymnastics.
“No…” she said from underneath the covers. “It’s still not time…”
“Don’t be lazy now. You’re setting a bad example for the baby,” he said with a mock upset tone.
She had to laugh at this, as he knew she would. It had been a few weeks since she revealed to him that she was pregnant. She wanted to tell him the whole story, that he wasn’t her baby daddy, but when she saw the look in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to break his heart. It was as if he had always wanted to have a baby with someone like her, and this was like a dream come true.
And who’s to say it’s not? Gina thought. It’s a dream come true for everyone, and the happily ever after will be possible only if you keep your pretty little mouth shut. This time, her mind was simply repeating what Jill had said on several occasions, and Gina had to admit she was right. Why ruin a good thing that happened to come her way?
“Just five more minutes?” Her head was still under the covers, but Tyler pushed the curtains aside, illuminating the entire room. Gina felt like a vampire. All she wanted was darkness, and just a little more sleep, before she ventured out into the light that now seemed to drain her energy instead of replenish her.
“No more minutes.” He sat by her side on the bed, and pulled the covers. “Get your sweet ass up. I’ve got a surprise for you.” He tickled her toes, and she giggled like a little school girl. “Actually, it’s not so much for you, but actually for the baby.”
“A surprise?” She lifted her curly head up and gazed at him lovingly. “Well, why the heck didn’t you say so? A pregnant girl’s not too happy to be woken up this early. But for a surprise…now that’s a different story!” They both laughed, and he leaned over to kiss her good morning. “No, yuck…” She moved her head backwards. “Didn’t brush my teeth.”
“So?” He laughed.
“You’re really gross.” She laughed, but allowed him to kiss her on the cheek. “Now, what is this surprise I keep hearing about?” she asked as she propped herself in bed. The sun illuminated her smooth ebony skin, and Tyler couldn’t resist the urge to slide his hands up her silky soft thighs.
“No way, mister!” She slapped his hands playfully. “None of that. I got up for a surprise. Now, if I like the surprise, then we may discuss…this.” She gestured at her lower body, and Tyler growled.
“Alright. I’ll behave.” He got up and offered her his hand. “Come.”
She accepted his hand, and they walked down the hallway like two high school sweethearts. Gina felt like she had never been this happy in her entire life, and forgetting the truth was all too easy. Little by little, she managed to convince herself that maybe, just maybe, she’d get away with this and she could have her own happily ever after with Tyler, where they both raised this child as their own in a loving home where he or she would lack nothing. And maybe even more babies would pop up. She thought that would be absolutely lovely and knew Tyler would agree. One big happy family. That was what she was hoping for now as Tyler asked her to close his eyes.
“Now, walk this way.” He led her inside a room, and made her stop after a few steps. “You can open your eyes,” he whispered in her ear, and kissed her gently on the neck.
She opened her eyes slowly, her guilty conscience slightly afraid of what she might find, but as it turned out, she had nothing to fear. What welcomed her was a freshly painted and decorated baby room. There were clouds and a big sun on the ceiling, and all sorts of woodland critters running around the walls. The nursery furniture was a soft ivory color, with a little crib just in the corner. There was even a small cupboard and changing table, all with the same motif.
“Oh gosh…” She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. “You did all this?”
He nodded, a huge smile on his face. His hands rested on his hips, all pleased.
“Had a little help, but basically, yeah.” There was pride in his voice. “Do you like it?” He was hopeful, but he already knew the answer.
“I love it, Tyler,” she whispered, her voice trembling as she was holding back the tears. “It’s the most beautiful…” She couldn’t finish the sentence as the tears started rolling down her cheeks and her voice broke.
“Oh, honey…honey, it’s fine.” He hugged her as she cried softly into his shoulder. “Calm down.”
“It’s just so wonderful…all this…and you…” she whispered. “I don’t deserve all of this…”
He took her face in his hands and cupped it, making her face him. “I never want to hear those words out of your mouth again. You deserve all this. And so much more. And I’m gonna give it all to you.” He kissed her forehead. “And to this little sweet pea.” He bent down and kissed her belly. “You two are the most important things in my life, and everything I do, I do it for you. Always remember that.”
“So, how are things?” Jill was sipping her hot coffee, looking at Gina across the table. They were chatting in Jill’s apartment, and Gina couldn’t escape the overpowering feeling of security. During the roughest time of her life, Jill offered her place as a sanctuary, and that was what it truly had become for Gina. “Everything going well with Tyler?”
Gina smiled, but Jill immediately knew it wasn’t a smile of relief. There was something brooding behind it, a heavy heart, and an even heavier conscience.
“Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts.” Jill put the cup down on the table and shook her head. Gina didn’t even get to try her coffee, though she loved the machine Jill had. “A little late for that now, isn’t it? I don’t get you, Gina. You finally have everything sorted out, in a way that couldn’t be better, might I add, and here you are, beating yourself with a stick for a little lie. Learn to enjoy life. And be grateful for opportunities you get. I mean it in the most loving way possible, of course.” She added the last sentence in a much less preaching tone of voice.
Just let her finish her little rant. I’ll try to explain it to her then. Maybe she’ll actually understand. It wasn’t that Jill was a bad person, or that she didn’t know what was best for Gina. It was just that Jill was a different kind of person. She was more practical, more pragmatic, less emotional than Gina, and this, of course, led to her making different decisions and considering them the right ones. She also didn’t care if she hurt a few people here and there along the way. The end justify the means, right?
Gina finally spoke with a heavy heart. “You don’t understand, Jill.” She sighed. “Tyler is ecstatic about the baby.” She eyed her old cup, the one she claimed for her own while living in Jill’s apartment, before grasping it with both hands. It was warm to the touch.
“And this is a problem because…?” Jill didn’t understand. For her, it was all a done deal. Even if he did find out about the baby’s real daddy, he was already hooked, as in he wouldn’t be able to shake Gina without alimony or some other kind of financial support. And after all, wasn’t that what Gina was after all along? “You’ve got him right where you want him. Why would you back out now?”
“Things have become, complicated, Jill.” Gina didn’t know how exactly to explain this. “I feel bad lying to him all the time, especially because I’ve grown to love him. He is a wonderful man. So much different from what the tabloids said about him. And he’s really changed. The baby transformed him completely, and I’m afraid to tell him the truth.”
“Why would you tell him the truth?”
“Because I can’t live a lie. I just can’t.”
“Can’t you convince yourself that this is now your life, and it doesn’t matter who the baby’s real father is because this little munchkin is going to grow up thinking Tyler is his father? What more do you want?”
Gina sighed. There was no use talking to Jill. She was a great friend, but sometimes too far away in her way of thinking to understand Gina’s emotions.
“He’s been doing everything. Getting the best doctors. Driving me to all the appointments. He’s actually there for every checkup, holding my hand. It’s wonderful. That’s why I feel so bad lying to him. I mean, I love this man more than life itself and the most important thing I’ve told him about myself is a lie.” Gina suddenly felt a burst of tears coming on. Ever since she got pregnant, she’d become even more emotional than usual.
“There, there,” Jill said, a little mechanically, but with her heart in the right place and a box of tissues at hand. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure you feel crappy right now, but it’ll pass. Trust me, no good can come out of you coming clean. It’ll just complicate thing unnecessarily. And worse yet, you might lose him. You don’t want that to happen, do you?” Jill hugged Gina, and Gina shook her head, still sniffling. “Calm down now. All’s going to be just fine.”
Inexplicably, Gina did feel a little better after this quick and unexpected crying session. She drowned her guilty conscience and all she could feel again was love for her unborn baby and Tyler.
“Now, how about I tell you about this guy I ran into last night…” Jill started her story, and Gina finally managed to take the first sip of her already lukewarm coffee. She enjoyed Jill’s escapades and was looking forward to hearing about the newest one. It was something to get her mind off of her own guilty conscience, which wouldn’t leave her alone, even in her dreams.
It was early in the morning and Tyler was already in his office, discussing the latest contract with his assistant.
“These numbers here are fine, Ben,” Tyler commented. “We’re right on schedule. I think both of us might be able to take a vacation this month.” He tapped Ben on the shoulder. “Can you just go and grab the Hilton contract? I need to make a couple of phone calls and then we can go over the deadlines for that one.”
“Yes, Mr. Reid.” Benjamin nodded and exited Tyler’s office quietly. As he turned around, he bumped into Jeanie.
“Watch where you’re going, alright?” he angrily hissed through his clenched teeth. He had been even more dissatisfied with his position at the company lately, and it was all because of that bitch Tyler had married. He couldn’t understand it. Tyler was rich and good looking. He could have any woman he wanted, and yet, he chose…the maid. And not just any maid, a black maid. The idea of mixed races repulsed him.
“Touchy, aren’t we?” Jeanie smiled. She thought very little of Benjamin Williams. In reality, everyone at the company did. His weasel-like face was not welcome anywhere, mostly because everyone knew he’d sell his own mother and stab her in the back in the process just to get ahead. His selfish nature was known to all, and everyone was just waiting for the moment when the big boss would figure it out on his own and fire him.
“Everything’s different…” he mumbled, half to her, half to himself.
“What do you mean?”
“Ever since that…trash entered the company, it’s been nothing but a downward slope for everyone here.”
Jeanie wasn’t sure who exactly he meant, but something told her that Tyler had some idea. He was standing right behind them, and was about to invite Ben to come back before Ben’s hateful slur dropped.
“Benjamin. If you please…” Tyler gestured him back into his office. He closed the door, and suddenly his facial expression changed completely. “I couldn’t help but overhear your comment just now, so I’m wondering, who exactly did you mean by trash?”
Benjamin knew he was caught red-handed. He had been saying stuff about the Mexican janitor for years, but he knew that no one was paying too much attention to that. But now he had crossed the line. For a second, he had forgotten that Gina wasn’t just a maid anymore, but Tyler’s wife.
“I’m so sorry, sir.”
Tyler wasn’t having it anymore. “You know, Ben, I really tried to turn a blind eye to many things you’ve said and done over the years because I thought you were a stand-up guy.” Tyler seemed disappointed. “It turns out, I was wrong. Do you know how much I hate being wrong?” He paused dramatically. “I hate it. I really do.” Another pause. “And I think you also know how I feel about teamwork in my company. If you have a problem with somebody, you tell them so. Immediately. You don’t go around talking trash about the people you spend eight hours a day with, do you? So, I think today will be your last day with us,” he concluded.
“What do you mean?” Benjamin shouted desperately. “You don’t mean that, sir…you can’t.”
“My mind is made up, Benjamin. Please gather all your belongings by the end of the day.” Tyler knew that firing people wasn’t really done this way. There was usually a notice, and at least a month was given, but he didn’t want to be around Benjamin anymore. And seeing as he was the head of the company, there was no one who could go against his decision. He was more than happy to give Benjamin an additional month’s paycheck; he just didn’t want him at the office anymore.
“I’ve given my heart and soul to this company. You can’t just toss me aside like I’m nothing just because of that whore maid!” he yelled from the depths of his miserable soul.
“I warn you, Benjamin,” Tyler growled as he grabbed Benjamin by the collar and pressed him hard against the wall, “that is my wife you are talking about. The mother of my child. And if I hear one more word about her out of your filthy mouth, first I’m gonna break all your teeth, and then I’m gonna sue you for slander and take every miserable penny you own. You got that?” He squeezed a little tighter, and Benjamin could only nod.
“Now get the hell out of my sight.” Tyler pushed him towards the door. When Benjamin finally closed the door, Tyler’s body slumped into the chair heavily. He had a horrible headache, and the very thought that he had to call his lawyer and make sure that Benjamin was under nondisclosure, a contract every employee was obliged to sign when starting to work for their company, didn’t help one bit.
That evening, Tyler dropped his briefcase on the kitchen table and took out some papers. He went over them quickly, and after he had done so, there was a smile of contentment on his face. All seemed right with the world. He was home, where he belonged, with the people he loved most.
“Babe!” he yelled. “Can you come in here for a second?”
A few seconds later, Gina waltzed into the kitchen, wearing only a house robe. Her hair was still wet. She looked incredibly seductive without even trying. Tyler kept looking at her, wondering how he’d gotten so lucky.
“Hey, you okay?” She looked at him in astonishment, not sure why he was staring at her like a crazy person.
“Oh, yeah. Fine.” He outstretched his hand, offering her the papers. “Here.”
“What’s this?” she asked, hesitating to accept them. A small part of her brain sounded the alarm. He knows everything! He’s giving us the divorce papers! Do not accept them! But on the outside, she was dead cool. She didn’t move an inch, just kept looking at the papers in his hand, hoping she’d make out any words that might reveal what this was all about.
“Well, read it.” He smiled.
She looked at him, then back at the papers. She finally opened the folder and read what was inside.
“You’ve opened up a trust fund for the baby?” She lifted her gaze. His kindness and generosity were being proven to her every single day. She looked at this wonderful man and couldn’t believe she was still lying to him about everything.
“I just…can’t…” She started crying and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, showering her face with kisses.
“My little emotional darling.” He smiled.
It was a lovely afternoon and Gina decided she would like to spend it walking the streets of the city, with no particular destination in mind. All she wanted to do was get some fresh air and perhaps have a coffee at the little restaurant that had the super sweet lava cake she enjoyed so much. Tyler said he had meetings all afternoon, so despite all his wishes, he was unable to join her. Jill was also busy, so Gina was left to her own devices for the day; not that she had a problem with this.
Gina was now six and a half months pregnant, and finally it was starting to show. Before, she would spend countless hours in front of the bedroom mirror, looking at her own figure in the reflection. Her stomach was still normal. There was no bloating yet, or perhaps just a little bit, so it looked more like she had just eaten a little too much than being pregnant. Finally, her belly started to round up, and nothing gave Gina more pleasure than to place her hands gently on her belly, palms down, and to feel the almost inaudible humming of new life.
She often thought about her baby. She discussed it with Tyler, and both of them had decided together that what they wanted the most was a surprise. Tyler said that knowing the baby’s gender before it arrived would be like unwrapping a Christmas present before it was actually Christmas, and that he wanted to wait. When she heard his reasoning, she couldn’t help but agree. It was too sweet to disagree with.
Gina had been walking around a little, doing some window shopping, when she got a little tired and decided coffee sounded like a great idea. She found a cozy little spot and sat down. The café overlooked a fountain, and pigeons were in it, cooling themselves. It was really a beautiful day, and she wished Tyler could have joined her. She almost couldn’t believe how deeply she had fallen in love with him in such a short time. Yes, their romance had been somewhat of a whirlwind one, especially with the swift marriage and all, but now, after these several months had passed, she truly felt content and happy, finally sure of her decision. There was no more doubt in her mind whether or not she was doing the right thing. She loved Tyler more than life itself, and she was sure that Tyler would be the best father this little child could ever wish for. At times, she could barely believe her good luck. But then she would stop thinking that. Her mother had always told her never to question fate.
“We all get what’s coming to us. No matter what. Always remember that, and never be sorry for getting something better than someone else. For some reason, fate thinks you deserve it.” She could still hear her mother’s voice, as if it was yesterday. It soothed her.
She felt a sudden urge to call Tyler, just to hear his voice. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.
He answered immediately. “Hey you! Everything fine?”
“Yes.” She smiled. It amused her that he always thought she was calling because there was some emergency with the baby. “We’re both fine. Just wanted to hear your voice,” she told him seductively.
“Oh really?” he replied, lowering his voice. “Isn’t that nice of you. I’ll have to find a way to repay these niceties tonight, how about that?”
She laughed. “If I’m not fast asleep or stuck in the bathroom, be my guest!” They both laughed.
“Okay, then. Sorry, but gotta rush.”
“I know.” She smiled. “See ya later. Love ya.”
“Love ya, too.”
Gina hung up, when suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Well, aren’t you one big happy family?” The voice was harsh and bitter. And vaguely familiar.
She turned around and faced Benjamin Williams. She had no idea why he was there. Was he following me? What did he want with me? She knew Tyler had fired him, and she also knew why. That was why she was afraid.
Benjamin didn’t wait to be asked to join her. He simply sat down opposite her and smiled a wicked smile. He had a nasty set of stained yellow teeth, and she always wondered why he didn’t get them fixed.
“What do you want?” she finally asked him when she saw he had no intention of going away or speaking to her for that matter. He was just sitting there, staring at her. But she didn’t dare call for help. After all, he hadn’t really done anything wrong. He just sat down at the same table as her. She believed that if he wanted something from her, he would eventually let her know and she might be able to settle this horrible meeting properly and make him go away. She felt more and more uneasy and afraid as seconds passed.
“A small thing compared to what you have,” he revealed, though this piece of information told her nothing about his true intentions.
“Can you please stop talking in riddles and tell me what you want? Why are you here?” Her voice was trembling, and, instinctively, she was shielding her belly with her hands.
“Here.” He offered her a folder, placing it in the middle of the table. She only looked at it. She didn’t reach for it.
“What is it?”
“It’s your history,” he revealed. “Your life. Your baby’s father.”
When he said the last words, she grew pale. She could feel her head spinning, and it was hard to catch her breath. Benjamin offered her a glass of water.
He pushed the glass towards her. She didn’t even look at it. “Drink it,” he urged her. “I need you alive for this.”
“For what?” she managed to say, still disoriented, unaware of what exactly was happening.
“Well, since you pretty much ruined my entire life, I figured it would only be fair to do the same to you.” There was an evil gleam in his eyes, and Gina knew he was the kind of man to be afraid of. “But to show you I’m a better man, I’ll give you a choice.” He tapped the folder that was still lying on the table. “I won’t show this to your dear husband, provided you give me what I want. Sounds fair, no?” He shrugged his shoulders. It was obvious that this entire game was amusing him immensely.
“What do you want?” She felt like she had just been repeating this question over and over, yet there was still no answer to it.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “Money!” He accentuated the word, every syllable rolling down his tongue like marmalade.
She shivered. “How much?”
“Half a mil should do it.” He nodded. “I’m not a greedy man, you know.”
“I don’t have that kind of money!” She wanted to shout, to scream, so that someone would get this weasel away from her, but she knew he was now stuck to her and would suck her dry, like a leech. That was exactly what he was. She knew people like him very well. If she paid him once, she knew this wouldn’t be the end to it. He would keep coming back for more and more, until one of them put a stop to it. And there was only one way to stop a blackmailer from blackmailing someone.
“You don’t,” he agreed. “But Tyler Reid does.”
“But I can’t spend his money as I wish. That’s not how it works!” She was actually angry with this poor excuse of a man. Did he really think that she had access to all those millions and that she could go and get them whenever she wanted to? Ridiculous!
“Well then.” He stood up to go, and reached for his file. “You’d better find a way to get that money, and soon. Otherwise, I’m mailing this to Reid, and I’m sure he won’t take it lightly.” He shoved the file in his jacket. “You’ve got a week.” He nodded at her and then left.
Gina felt frozen, unable to move a muscle. Just a few seconds ago, she was the happiest woman in the world, then this man came crashing into her like a tornado, destroying everything she had created in the last couple of months. She had no idea what to do. There was no way she could get the money. And even if she did ask Tyler, how would she explain it? What on earth could she possibly need half a million for? There was no way that could work.
But then that meant that weasel would send Tyler the documents. He’d know everything, and he would leave her. There would be no reason for him to stay. The child wasn’t his, Gina lied to him about everything, she betrayed him—marriage over. Gina would be back at square one, and even worse off than she was before. But that wasn’t the worst thing. The worst thing was that she felt like losing Tyler would be too much, like she wouldn’t be able to handle such a blow. Perhaps I should just leave him before he finds out everything, she suddenly thought. Maybe that is the only way out. She could do it, on her own terms, and maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be as painful. Maybe that way, she could survive all this heartbreak.
She had no idea what to do, where to turn to. Back in the day, her mother was her rock, her shoulder to cry on, and now, she had no one. Sure, Jill was there, but Jill couldn’t possibly understand the gravity of the situation. And Jill would probably urge her to pay the guy.
Gina sighed. She paid for her coffee and headed on home. While she was walking to the coffee shop, everything seemed blissful. The city was illuminated and colorful, filled with vibrant people going about their business. Now, the environment seemed to have changed completely. There were only gray people in suits, rushing off somewhere, home possibly, after a long day’s work. Their shoulders were slumped, as if they were carrying the weight of the world on them. Gina felt exactly the same.
There was no other way. She had to call Jill and hear what she had to say.
“Hey, Jill? Could we meet somewhere?”
“I’m kinda in the middle of something. How about tonight?”
“Jill, please. It’s serious.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Jill’s voice sounded reassuring. Jill could be a little selfish, and her world view was largely different from Gina’s, but there was a good reason the two had been friends for years. “Meet me at my place. I’ll be there in an hour and a half, two tops, depending on traffic.”
“Thanks, Jill. I really appreciate it.”
“Gosh, Gin-Gin. You sound bad. Is it bad?” Jill’s voice was caring and worried.
“I’ll tell you all about it later. See ya.” Gina hung up the phone. It was too much. Just as she was finally starting to settle in and be happy with her life, this had to happen.
“Fate. You can’t escape it.” She could hear her mother’s voice yet again.
Gina still had the keys to Jill’s place, so she let herself in. The place hadn’t changed a bit since she’d lived there, but then again, why should it? Jill had no commitments. She was the boss of her own time and she could spend it how and with whomever she wished. The same went for her apartment. Whoever didn’t like it as it was could just get out. Gina looked around. It was still a little messy, but that was how Jill functioned. Creative mess—that’s what she called it. And strangely enough, Jill knew exactly where everything was. Gina smiled to herself. Tyler would have a heart attack if he had to spend the night here, being the neat freak that he was. She sighed. Her heart ached for him, for her, for the baby whose future was now hanging by a thread.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Gina heard the front door open and then slam shut.
“The traffic was a nightmare.” Jill took off her black leather jacket and threw herself on the sofa next to Gina. “Now, tell me, what’s this all about.” There was genuine concern in Jill’s voice. Gina sighed heavily, then started.
“Do you remember that guy from work I told you about?”
“The only guy from work I remember was Tyler, and you bagged him. Who else is important enough that we have to talk about him?” Jill tried to make her smile, and it worked.
“No, the other guy. The little man syndrome guy?”
“Oh, I remember! What was his name…Ben?”
“Yeah, Ben.”
“So, what about him?”
“Well, Tyler fired him recently.” Gina was picking her nails as she tried to tell Jill exactly what happened. “And I think he blames me for it.” Her palms were sweaty. She was getting nervous just talking about him.
“Why would he blame you?” Jill was surprised. “Did you do something to get him fired?”
“No, of course not. You know me better than that. But he still thinks it’s my fault somehow. And what’s worse, he’s out to get revenge.”
“What do you mean?” Jill could almost see the dark cloud of misery hanging above Gina’s head.
“He knows that Tyler isn’t the father of my child.” Gina barely whispered these words, and Jill fell back in shock.
“What does he know?”
“Everything.” Gina explained. “He must have hired a detective or something. I have no idea. All I know is that he approached me right before I called you, and told me he’d go to Tyler and tell him everything unless I pay him half a million dollars.”
“Half a million?” Jill’s eyes widened in disbelief. She shook her head. “Do you have that kind of money?” she asked, though she knew the answer well enough.
“Of course not,” Gina said. “It’s all Tyler’s money. I mean, he’s been giving me some for baby expenses and to spend on myself, but you know I’ve been using that money to pay off my debt, little by little. I can’t have him know that.”
“This is a huge mess, Gin-Gin.” Jill didn’t know what else to say. “So, what are you gonna do?”
“I have no idea.” Gina caressed her belly. All she wanted was to have her little bundle of joy taken care of, any way she could. “I think it’s best just to leave.”
“Leave Tyler?”
“Well…don’t you think so?”
“I don’t know what to think. And besides, it’s something you must decide on your own, Gina. I can help you only so much.”
“I know…and I also know that finding out this isn’t his child would be devastating for him. So maybe it’s best just to disappear for a while. That should buy me some time until I figure out what to do about this weasel that wants to skin me alive.”
“So, you’ve decided?”
Gina closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure. How could she be sure?
“I have to destroy everything I love. Everything I have created for this little sweetheart here.” She placed her hands gently on her belly again. “I don’t want to…but I must. It’s better that he hates us for this than for the truth. The truth is much too difficult to handle.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, and she fell into Jill’s arms. Jill had no words to say, but just being there, as a shoulder to cry on, was enough for Gina to gather her strength and wipe the tears from her eyes.
“Thanks for being here, Jill.”
“No need to thank me. Do you need me to be there with you? Or just to wait for you? Anything?”
“No.” Gina shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I have to do this on my own. He deserves that much.”
Gina had no idea how she was going to break it to Tyler. How does one say something like this? Is there any way of it not destroying him?
She had no idea.
That evening, she found her favorite dress and put it on. It was slightly more fitting than usual. Still, Gina thought she looked wonderful. She was glowing, and it was all because of her little bundle of joy.
“It’ll be just you and me pretty soon.” She spoke to her belly in the mirror. “But don’t you worry. Momma’s gonna make sure you have everything in life, I swear.” She felt another surge of tears coming on and she didn’t want to ruin her makeup. The least she could do was have one last family dinner with the husband she adored before she told him that she was leaving him for whatever reason she managed to think of at that moment.
“Wow, you look amazing!” Tyler immediately stood up from the dining room table and approached her. “It was worth the wait.” He kissed her on the forehead. She only managed to smile a little.
“I hope you like it.” She was referring to the food, which was smartly laid out on the table. “I’m no chef, but I did try.”
“You shouldn’t have bothered with this,” he told her. “Not in your condition. But it all looks delicious, and I’m sure it tastes even better.”
They both sat down at the table. Tyler immediately started eating. He had just come back from work, and she figured he was starving. She even felt a little sorry making him wait so that she could get all dressed up and set the mood in the dining room. She was just devastated that there was such a horrible agenda behind it.
“It’s really good,” Tyler said with his mouth full, and she laughed.
“You don’t have to rush. There’s plenty to go around.” She poked him.
“You aren’t eating?” He looked at her empty plate. She looked down and, as if with great difficulty, picked up the fork.
“I am.” She took a little bit of salad. “Just not very hungry.”
“You have to take care of yourself, and of our little bun that’s being baked as we speak.” He gazed at her. “I am so impatient. This is the first time ever in my life that I actually can’t wait to have something. Probably because I never wanted anything else in my life this much. I’m counting the days, and it never seems close enough. I don’t know how I’m gonna handle another two months of this anticipation!” He shook his head, pretending that he was in horrible pain and she couldn’t help but laugh, even though deep down, his every word stabbed her right through the heart.
“Well, ummm…” she started, but didn’t know how to continue. “There is actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh, why so serious?” he asked jokingly. He stood up and walked towards her with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “You know, I’ve had so many serious and important conversations today, and I don’t think I could take another one. So, I was thinking…” He caressed her bare shoulder before kissing the same spot. “Maybe we could do something more fun than talking…” he whispered in her ear, as he was now standing behind her, his palms massaging her delicate neck. “And if afterwards you still want to talk, I promise to listen…” His lips were now on her neck, and she could feel all her hairs standing on an end. Her entire body was attuned to what he was doing, to what he was saying, and there was no way she could deny him this pleasure when she wanted it more than he did. After all, would it be so terrible? she asked herself as he kept kissing her passionately. One more time? For old times’ sake…
She had made up her mind long before these thoughts materialized in her mind, and she already had her arms around him. Suddenly, he hoisted her up in his big, strong arms and carried her to the bedroom. She was surprised that he could still carry her, given that she weighed more now, but she immediately shook these thoughts away, focusing on what was happening right at that moment. She returned his kisses with an equal passion that burned deep within, and in her mind, she begged him to explore her body with his hands, his fingers, his kisses. As if he heard her, he dropped her gently on the bed and stood above her. He took her left leg and started kissing it, slowly working his way upward. When he reached her underwear, he stopped, and did the same with her other leg. Soft butterfly kisses were being showered upon her, gradually building their way up.
But then his tempo and tune changed radically. He bit on her underwear and tore it with his teeth. Her eyes widened in shock, but the last thing she wanted was for him to stop. He slowly spread her flower with his fingers, licking it gently. In a blink of an eye, his pants were down and he was on top of her, careful of his position. His lips pressed hard against hers. Her nails dug deeply into his skin as he entered her with one powerful thrust. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and arching her back. He propped himself up on his hands and kept pushing in. In a matter of seconds, it was done, and yet, she felt electrified, completely charged up, and inside her mind was bliss.
“Come here…” He invited her to lie down on his shoulder, and she did. He kissed her forehead, and breathed in the sweet fragrance of her hair. “You are gorgeous. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” She closed her eyes. She didn’t lie.
His eyes were also closed, but for a very different reason. He was exhausted and about to fall asleep.
“Wait…” He suddenly opened his eyes and moved away a little, to be able to look at her. “Wasn’t there something you wanted to tell me?”
“Oh…” She buried her face deeply into his chest. “We can talk about it tomorrow.”
Her answer pleased him, and after giving her a goodnight kiss, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The following morning, Gina woke up before Tyler. She propped herself up in the bed and looked at him. He slept so peacefully. And he was such a handsome man. Too handsome, she sometimes thought. Too handsome for her, and yet, somehow, she got him. Like any other woman, she had been proud to have such a catch by her side. But it was more than that. During this time, she had gotten to know the real him, not the Tyler Reid that was known to the public. She realized that people like him needed to split their personality and decide which one was public and available for everyone, and which one was hidden and reserved for only the select few. She never knew how hard it must have been for him to keep private and public separate. And yet, he managed.
Today, she was going to leave him. She had promised herself that. There was no point in prolonging the torture. It was best to do it suddenly, like ripping off a band-aid. First, she thought she would talk to him and try to explain, but then she realized she did not have the strength for that. She knew it would be the coward’s way out, but she decided she would wait until he left for work that morning and then she would pack her stuff and leave him a note. Of course, he would want to talk about it, and she would agree and discuss it, but it would already be out there and she wouldn’t have to say half of the things she didn’t want to. The coward’s way out, yes, but the least painful one.
That morning, Tyler was unusually cheerful and it made Gina feel even worse.
“You okay, babe?” he asked her while brushing his teeth, peeking around the bathroom door.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied, trying to sound normal. “Just a little nauseous.”
“I know it must be tough.” He spat and rinsed his mouth. “But think about it. Just two months more and we’re done.” He was wiping his face with a towel, winking at her as he did so.
She nodded, a bleak smile on her face. She was still in bed, under the pretext of feeling a little dizzy. Tyler brought her a hot cup of cocoa and a little vase with a sunflower in it.
“Where on Earth did you find a sunflower this early in the morning?” She laughed at this sweet surprise.
“Had it in my pocket all along.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “To let you know that you are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray!” He started singing and she couldn’t stop laughing. His singing voice was horrible. It was probably one of the rare things he didn’t do that well, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him.
“Okay, okay, Sinatra…” She continued laughing. “You’ll be late to work.”
“Right, Nancy.”
She giggled. He got dressed quickly and rushed out the door.
“Meet for lunch today?” He sounded hopeful. She totally forgot that she promised him they’d go out to lunch.
“Ummm, yeah. Sure.” Then she quickly added, as if she just remembered something, “Jill mentioned needing me for something today, so not sure if that’s still happening. I’ll let you know.” She caressed his cheek apologetically.
“Alright.” He was fine. She loved the fact that he never expected her to be available to him twenty-four hours a day. He knew she had a life before him and was happy to allow her to keep it. “Let me know what the plan is. If not before, I’ll see ya tonight. And say hello to Jill for me.” He grabbed his coat and car keys, gave her a peck on the cheek and rushed out the door.
When she was finally alone, she felt like something was stuck in her throat. She wasn’t suffocating, but she couldn’t breathe properly either. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. It took her several minutes of inactivity, but she still didn’t feel better, so she decided to start packing. Nothing will make me feel better, so why wait any longer?
She took only a few things of hers from the wardrobe. She decided not to take any of the fancy, expensive dresses and other things Tyler had given her. She only grabbed what was truly hers, what she brought into this lovely home. In the end, that was all she would need. She filled up one small suitcase and then sat down at her vanity table. Nothing was missing from it. She had left everything.
She took a small notepad and a pen, and stopped her hand mid-air. What should she write? Should it be long, explaining everything in detail, or should she keep it short and to the point? Both ways seemed wrong. She should just talk to him, but she was afraid he would convince her she was doing the wrong thing, that she would eventually stay with him and everything would be revealed by that horrible man. There was no way in hell she was going to pay him that insane amount of money. And the only way out was for Tyler to find out everything. He would hate her. She knew it. She knew he wouldn’t accept this child as his and he would end up hating them both. This way, he would hate her, but not for the right reason, and she could live with it.
She started writing.
Tyler,
I can’t do it. I’m leaving. Please don’t hate me.
Love,
Gina.
She lowered her hand and reread what she had written several times. It said nothing. Just what she was doing. She didn’t want to explain. But she had to start somewhere. She took the piece of paper and pressed it against her heart. She could feel it beating inside her chest like crazy. She put the note on his pillow and went to get her suitcase, which was waiting for her by the door.
Unexpectedly, she saw the door open.
“Hey, babe, forgot the…” He stopped mid-sentence. He looked at her, her eyes all ballooned from the crying. He looked at the suitcase that was right by his leg. He looked at their bed, with the note stuck to his pillow.
“What’s going on?” He gestured at the suitcase, then at the pillow. “Where are you going?”
Gina was standing there, at first, unable to move, as if she was frozen in that spot. She still felt like crying, but the tears stopped flowing. There was only immense pain, deep in her soul, which she knew would grow once she told Tyler what she was about to do. Once she closed that door, she knew there would be no way back into Tyler Reid’s heart.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way…” she started, hoping she would be allowed to say what she had to say and then leave. That was what she was hoping, but as it usually is in life, things rarely go the way someone planned them.
“Find out what?” His voice was unremorseful, fuming, and wild. She had never heard him speak like this. This Tyler Reid was reserved for work, when someone was trying to move in on his territory or steal his contract. This was Tyler Reid, King of the Jungle, and if circumstances were any different, Gina would have been happy to meet this side of his personality.
“Find out that you are leaving me?” He took one step towards her. “That you are pregnant with my child and that you are taking my baby away from me?” There was something in his voice that she had never heard. A hurt, a madness that was locked up deep inside his heart, and that was never let out again. Until now.
“You don’t understand…” Her entire plan went haywire. She lost her train of thought. She couldn’t remember her practiced speech anymore, and it all went to hell much earlier than she had anticipated.
“Oh, I don’t? Then, explain it to me, if you please.”
“I can’t do this anymore…” This was the only part of her memorized speech she could remember, and she decided to go with it. “This whole thing, you and me… I can’t.” She regained a part of her composure.
“What whole thing?” All of a sudden, he didn’t sound angry anymore. He was hurt. He was in pain. “I thought you were happy.”
“I was…” She swallowed heavily before continuing. “But this life isn’t for me,” she managed to say, as if this was the most normal explanation in the world for leaving someone.
“This life where you have everything handed to you?” He really didn’t understand and it made it all the more difficult for her.
“Yes, this silver spoon.” She gestured at the entire room, where she wasn’t meant to do anything there, clean or order or anything. Tyler had made sure of that. “I don’t want it. And I didn’t know how to tell you this.” She sighed. “I know this was the worst way to tell you, and believe me, it hurts me more than it hurts you, but this is something I have to do. There is no other way.”
“Can’t we talk about this?” There was begging in his voice. His eyes pleaded with her, and she had to turn her back to him so that he wouldn’t see she was on the verge of tears. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to push it until the end. But then she remembered what was at stake, and she knew she had to find a way.
“I’m sorry,” she said coldly, turning back towards him. “I tried to give you subtle hints that I was unhappy,” she lied, “but you never took any notice of them. Now, it’s too late for everything, Tyler.”
“Please…” He took one step closer to her, afraid if he touched her, she would disappear into thin air. “If you don’t want this, I’ll give you whatever you need. Space? You want to see less of me?” he cried loudly, and it tore her heart. “Done. I’ll spend so much time at the office you won’t even know you’re married. You want to live in a smaller house? You want to do your own cooking and cleaning? By all means!” At this point, he would have agreed to anything and she knew it. That was why this entire scene was so devastating and she just wanted it to be over as soon as possible.
“No, no, no…” She shook her head. She knew she had to use plan B. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but…the silver spoon was just an excuse. That’s not the real reason.” She paused, looking at him. She knew she was looking at a man who was about to become dead inside. She wondered if anyone would ever be able to revive him. “I’m in love with someone else. With my ex. I want to get back together with him.” In her mind, it all sounded much more convincing, but when she said it out loud, it sounded hollow. She just hoped he wouldn’t analyze it too much.
“Your ex?” he exclaimed. It was the second blow he’d received today, neither of which he was ready for. He wasn’t expecting her to have another reason for leaving him. He thought it would be his overzealous work habits, anything other than this. He had never lost any woman to another man. It was the first time for him, and even though he didn’t want to admit it, his pride was hurt. He could give her the world, the moon, and the stars.
“Are you sure of this?” he asked. “Are you sure of your feelings?” He took her by the hand. She knew he was surrendering to her, and this was his way of showing that he was waving the white flag. “Because just a few weeks ago, you were telling me that you loved me and our child more than anything else in the world. I can’t believe this changed in just a week or two.” Something didn’t add up, he suddenly felt.
“Is there any way we could work this out?” he asked her, seeing that she was contemplating her decision, and perhaps even rethinking it. He knew he had to push just a little longer, and maybe he could get her back. “Stay…” he whispered, her hands still in his. They were ice cold. “Stay a little longer.” He kept on pleading from the bottom of his heart. “I will give you whatever you need, and if after a week you still feel this way, I will let you leave. I promise. No fuss.”
“Promise?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but leaving Tyler proved to be ten times more difficult than she originally thought. They both loved each other even more than they were showing, and now she knew that something earth-shattering had to happen.
“Yes.” He kissed the palms of her hands. “I’ll do anything. Just stay. For now. Please?” He looked at her with the eyes of a deserted puppy who desperately wanted to be taken to a new home.
She would talk to Jill. Jill would help her create a new plan, one that wouldn’t backfire. For now, she decided to stay. But in the long run, staying would be the wrong decision. Plus, she had only a week to pay that rat or to make sure his words never reach Tyler.
The bad Gina sitting on her right shoulder was deep in thought. We can handle the weasel. Find out stuff about him! Tyler must have some dirt on him too. Fight fire with fire! We can do this!
The pep talk worked. Gina felt self-assured. Perhaps she could actually get out of this whole mess unscathed, and maybe, just maybe, still have Tyler by her side.
The morning promised a nice day outside, but this meant little to Gina. It had been three days since she and Tyler had a very serious conversation about their future together, and despite all Gina’s hopes, it didn’t seem like things could improve any time soon, no matter how much she wanted them to.
She wanted to stay with Tyler. Of course she did. He was her everything. She had gotten used to all his mannerisms, all his habits, all his sweet little quirks. She knew and loved them all. There was nothing about him that was unappealing or unattractive to her, but that was beside the point. It was he who had to make the decision for both of them, and he wasn’t even aware of this fact.
Gina was sitting in her fluffy pink house robe, gently resting her hand on her belly. The window was big, illuminating the entire room, and it was her favorite spot in the entire apartment. She loved it, though she couldn’t really explain why. Perhaps it was because the window overlooked a little garden, and right next to it was the metro station. Sometimes she would just stare out the window for half an hour or more, just looking at the passersby, busy and rushing on their way somewhere. Many of them had a deeply brooding look on their face, and only a handful had a gentle, barely noticeable smile on their face. It could almost go unnoticed, but it was there nonetheless. A smile that was there despite everything bad that happened to them, despite all the hurt and pain they went through. A smile that was stronger than all that. A smile that could never die.
These were the people Gina envied from the bottom of her heart. She wanted to be like them so much. She had wanted this ever since she was a little girl, and she promised herself this wish would come true once. With everything bad that had happened to her, she actually started doubting whether happiness was meant for her. It seemed that her life was set on a downward spiral and there was no way of changing her path. But then something happened. She met Tyler Reid, and through this chance encounter, her hopes and dreams became something more, something tangible. They became her reality. And now, this reality was being threatened, and with it her entire future happiness.
This was what she was thinking about as she gazed out the window, long after Tyler had kissed her goodbye and left for work. She knew she had promised him to stay another week and see how things would go. She also knew she hadn’t told him the truth about many things, including the reason for her wanting to leave.
But the worst thing was that Gina was finally sure what she wanted: to finally allow herself to be loved and to be able to return it. For the first time ever, she knew. She could feel it deep in her gut, and she knew that a feeling that strong could never be wrong. It couldn’t be anything other than fate. And fate always knew how to get her way. Gina knew she was in love with Tyler and that she loved him more than anything else in the entire world. She knew she wanted him to be both her husband and the father to her child. But she didn’t know how he would react to finding out that the child’s real father was some crook who was locked up in the big house for years to come, or how he would react to finding out that the only reason she started dating him in the first place was to make him her baby daddy. It all sounded so horrible now, and she couldn’t believe there ever was a time when she wasn’t in love with him. It was difficult to believe, but it was so, and this was what might push him over the edge. She couldn’t predict his reaction, and she thought it would probably be best not to even try.
Suddenly, she heard the doorbell. She was shaken out of her thoughts, but she didn’t mind. She welcomed the distraction, as she knew exactly who it was. She rushed to the door in her slippers and opened it wide.
“I’m so happy you came,” she told to the smiling face holding a bottle of wine in her hand.
“What else are friends for?” Jill replied, winking mischievously.
Gina welcomed Jill inside and sat by her on the sofa. Jill had been busy with one of her latest conquests, but she knew she had to make time for her best friend. She rested her hand on Gina’s.
“How have you been?” she asked, though she could guess the answer just by looking at Gina’s worn out face and big bags under her eyes. Gina hadn’t been sleeping too well, and it wasn’t only because of the baby.
“Fine,” Gina answered shortly. “I just keep thinking about it, and can’t think about anything else. Not even the baby. It’s driving me crazy. I wake up in the middle of the night and I just stare at the ceiling. I keep playing old scenes in my mind, wishing I’d made the right choice, but it’s always the same…”
“You poor thing,” Jill sympathized with her. “How is Tyler acting?”
“He’s actually been so good…too good.” Gina sighed. “He’s making it all the more difficult. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, is there any way you could deal with that guy?” Jill wondered. “Maybe find out some dirt on him and return the favor?” Jill suggested the same thing Gina had thought about. That weasel Benjamin Williams wasn’t going to ease up on her, she knew that much. Blackmailers never did. He had her in the palm of his hand and knew she was helpless. She hated being helpless. She knew she had to find a way to turn the tables and make herself the one holding all the strings.
“Maybe,” Gina replied. “But I’m not sure I’d be able to do it all in time.” She shook her head. “I mean, I only have a couple of days left before he tells Tyler everything, and then I’ll be even worse off than I am now.” She sighed. “Maybe it would be best just to go, without any word, and disappear. Just tell Tyler it’s over. I don’t know…” She shook her head and buried her face in her hands. She was completely out of ideas. She had never dealt with blackmail before and she was more afraid than she was willing to admit.
“I think that’s what I’d do,” Jill revealed matter-of-factly. “This is all too much to handle. At least it would be for me.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how you do it, Gin-Gin. My hat’s off to you. But me…” she pointed at her chest with her thumb, “…I’d bail.”
“Really?” Gina asked, looking at her, though Jill’s words didn’t really come as a surprise. Jill had always been a little selfish, thinking more of herself than of others, and she saw nothing wrong in it. Gina, on the other hand, was much more altruistic.
“Totally.” Jill nodded. “Just look at this mess. If you stay and Tyler finds out about everything, he could get real vindictive. I mean, I’m sure he’s not the type, but you never know what will push someone over the edge. People can go crazy for less than this. Maybe this is it for him. And then he’d go out of his way to hurt you, to get even, to have his revenge, and he could even try to take the baby away from you.”
Gina gasped. He wouldn’t…would he? The bottom line was that she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure. And there was really no way to be sure until it was too late. She was unwilling to go down that path if she didn’t need to.
“I don’t want to scare you, Gin-Gin. You know I wish you well. But maybe it’s best to bail,” Jill concluded. “I mean, if you’re out of the picture, then the weasel has nothing to gain by telling Tyler anything. Meaning, you’re off scot-free,” Jill explained. “You just have to live differently than you expected. Can you do that?”
“I don’t know.” Gina sighed. She had no idea what life without Tyler, now that she had known him and loved him, would be like. Especially with a child to bring up. She couldn’t even imagine it. But it turned out she would have to.
“So…go?” Gina asked quietly.
“I can’t make that decision for you, Gina,” Jill said. “I’m just telling you what I would do. And do consider, we are two different people, you and me. We think differently. We act differently. This is how I would act. And I would stick by it, no matter what. If you do that, could you claim the same?”
Gina wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to leave Tyler. She didn’t want to be forced to do this. But maybe Jill was right. Breaking his heart would be better than destroying him. Or would it actually be the same?
“Did you hear that?” Gina suddenly jumped from her seat and rushed to the door. Jill quickly followed.
“What? What did you hear?” Jill asked, not really sure what had just happened. She didn’t hear anything.
Gina was just standing there in front of the apartment door. There was no key on her side, and she usually left it there for security purposes. But she couldn’t remember if she left it there this morning. Or did she take it out when Jill arrived? She wasn’t sure. With all that was going on, she couldn’t be sure of anything she did anymore.
“I thought I heard the door close,” Gina finally said, leaning on the doorknob. The door was locked.
“I didn’t hear anything.” Jill tried to calm her down. She was sure it was just Gina’s nerves and nothing more. It was perfectly understandable, given her condition and all. “I’m sure you just imagined it. Or maybe one of the neighbors slammed their doors too hard and you thought it was yours.” Jill placed her hand gently on Gina’s shoulder. “It’s fine. Let’s go back and sit down. I’ll make you a nice cup of tea.”
Gina allowed Jill to lead her back to the living room. It was true she had been edgy and a nervous wreck in the last couple of days. Jill was probably right. Perhaps she heard nothing, or just the neighbor’s door. Was it her door? Was someone in the apartment? Could it have been Benjamin? She wasn’t sure what she heard. But she was sure of one thing—she was terrified.
Tyler Reid was in his office. It was the first time in his life that he was late, but that wasn’t the reason why he was sitting in his chair, brooding. His shoulders were slumped down heavily, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and his face was buried in his hands. His eyes were closed. It seemed that his eyes had been closed for quite some time, and only now did he realize this. His heart felt heavy inside his chest. Like burning coal, jumping to get out, scorching everything along its path. Tyler was in pain.
“Mr. Reid?” his secretary shyly asked over the intercom. “Your nine o’clock is here.”
“Tell him the meeting is cancelled,” Tyler swiftly replied, his voice glum and deep.
“Oh…alright.” Jeanie sounded confused, having received this instruction for the first time since she started working for him. But something told her this was not the right time to be asking any questions. It was the time to follow orders.
Tyler Reid had left his home happy that morning. He had woken up like every other morning, he had breakfast like every other morning, and he kissed his wife goodbye like every other morning. Despite everything that had happened, he truly believed that his marriage could be fixed somehow. He just had to find a way. But he wasn’t worried. He loved his wife, and he was sure she loved him. They were going to have a child together. Taking all this into consideration, wasn’t it only natural of him not to worry too much about everything?
Then he realized he had forgotten something. A stupid thing. The lighter his father had given him for his twentieth birthday, the lighter that was always in his pocket, even though he didn’t smoke anymore. It had become more of a habit now, to feel it inside his pocket, to play with it a little at times when he was feeling nervous or just plain bored. He liked to feel like his father was still there. He remembered that morning he had left it in his other jacket, and naturally, since he was a bit early for work, as usual, he thought it would be a breeze to quickly rush back home and get it. What he didn’t think was that he would find his wife there, with her best friend, thinking of ways to leave him. And worse yet, there seemed to be more secrets in his home and in his marriage that he was unaware of. His wife sounded like a completely different person, someone he didn’t know. It frightened him to hear her talk this way about them, about their marriage.
He had no idea how this happened. He had always been good at reading women, and when one of them was lying to him, for whatever reason, he could smell it a mile away. He was that good. What happened this time…he couldn’t really tell. He loved Gina with all his heart and he thought that would be enough to give her everything she had ever wanted, everything she had ever needed to be happy. And she didn’t seem to be happy. She was going to leave him soon, even though she promised she would stay and try to work it out.
When he returned home for his lighter, he heard voices, and something told him to be quiet and just listen. He couldn’t really hear everything that was being said, only snippets of the conversation. Gina mentioned blackmail. If there was blackmail involved, that meant there was a big secret that he wasn’t in on. She kept something hidden from him and was ready to succumb to blackmail to keep him from finding it out. This stabbed him right in the heart. He didn’t expect this of her. And there was her best friend, urging Gina to leave him, suggesting it as the most painless option of all. Painless for who?
Being the leader of an international company, he knew that one needed to have the entire picture revealed in order to be able to act properly, so he knew he would need to find the missing pieces of the puzzle that was his wife. He thought he knew who she was, but it turned out he had been living with a stranger all this time, and now, he needed to find out who exactly this stranger was and what she wanted with him.
“Jeanie?” Tyler suddenly rose from his seat and called for his secretary. She just peered through the slightly ajar door. “Get me Phil Perkins on the phone. Immediately.”
“Yes, Mr. Reid.”
Tyler knew this wasn’t the right way to talk to his employees, at least not in his company, but he couldn’t be bothered with that now. His life was about to come crashing down and he couldn’t be bothered with politeness at such a moment. His phone rang and he rushed to grab it, like a desperate man grasping for a straw.
“Phil?” he said into the receiver.
“Tyler.” He heard a friendly voice on the other side of the line. “Long time no see. How have you been?”
“Good, good. Thanks. You? The wife?” Tyler tried to do the pleasantries as quickly as possible and then get back to business. Time was of the essence.
“All good, thanks,” Phil replied. “But I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.” Phil was the best detective in town, and he knew very well that people who called him, friends or not, rarely called him just to check up on him and his life.
“No, Phil. Afraid it’s not.” Tyler sighed.
“Who is it?” As always, Phil needed just a name and he would come up with everything else. Phil could dig up a bone which even the dog himself had totally forgotten about, so Tyler knew that if there was anything to discover, Phil was the guy.
“Gina Reid,” Tyler said through clenched teeth, as if a part of him refused to reveal the name that meant everything to him.
“Your wife?” Phil thought he didn’t hear it right. Yet it wouldn’t be the first time such a thing had happened, for a husband to do some checking on the wife. Though it was usually done before the wedding.
“Yes,” Tyler confirmed.
“Give me a week.” Phil knew that in such conditions, it was best not to ask any questions.
“I need it faster, Phil.” To anyone else but Phil Perkins, a longtime friend of the Reid family, it would seem like a direct order, but Phil knew better.
“I can do it in two days.”
“Thanks, Phil.” Tyler paused, as if he needed a few seconds to compose himself and actually realize what he was doing. “I appreciate it.”
“Sure thing, Tyler. Talk to you soon.” He hung up.
Tyler held on to the receiver for a few more seconds, then placed it back gently. It was done. If there was any secret Gina was hiding, Phil would get to the bottom of it, and so would Tyler. It was only a matter of time now.
Exactly two days later, just as he had promised, Phil was in Tyler’s office. The two men didn’t like wasting time, so they got straight down to business. Tyler was sitting in his chair, and even though he offered Phil a seat, he refused it.
“I don’t plan on sticking around for long,” Phil explained.
“That bad?” Tyler asked, his gaze fixed intently upon the heavy-looking folder Phil was holding in his hand.
“It’s not good, I can tell you that much,” Phil revealed as he placed the folder on the table, just within Tyler’s reach. “Everything you wanted to know is here.” He patted the folder.
Tyler looked at him, then back at the folder. He felt a heaviness in the air. He couldn’t wait to be left alone with the secrets this folder was holding, and yet he didn’t want Phil to leave. As long as Phil was there, and as long the contents of that folder weren’t revealed, Tyler could go on believing that everything Gina had told him was the truth and nothing but the truth. He still loved her that much; to be able to turn a blind eye to everything and just keep on trusting her. But her words wouldn’t let him be, and he knew they would always come back to haunt him. He had to know, no matter what the price for this knowledge would be.
“I appreciate the help, Phil,” he managed to mutter.
“I can still take it back,” Phil suddenly said. “It’ll be like none of this ever happened. And in some cases, it’s better that way.” He paused. “Is this one of those cases?” Tyler shook his head. “Then, I’ll take my leave.” He tipped his hat and left Tyler’s office.
Seconds passed, then minutes, and every minute was as long as an hour. Tyler could almost feel the passage of time as something tangible, something that was sitting on his chest, making it increasingly harder to breathe. He wanted to believe Gina; he wanted to believe her so badly, but he knew she was hiding something, and he would never be happy with her knowing there was a secret that could tear them apart at any given moment.
He couldn’t wait any longer. He grabbed the folder and started pulling out papers, one by one. He read them hungrily. It was all there: Gina’s entire life. Tyler knew about her mother, but the part about the huge debt surprised him. Gina never mentioned she was in any financial trouble. He wondered why. She must have known he would have paid off any amount of money that she owed. He didn’t understand this.
He also didn’t know that her ex was in prison. Of course, this was nothing to brag about, but he thought she could have at least mentioned it. Then he noticed the timeline Phil generously created for him. It seemed that the guy went to prison just around the time Gina started working for his company. And one word was written in capital letters: baby. There was a question mark after it.
Suddenly, all the pieces of the puzzle were in their place. Tyler shook his head. He was dizzy. It was hard to breathe, as if an invisible hand was holding him by the throat and wouldn’t let go. He had to talk to Gina about this, and he had to do it now. All sorts of thoughts started swarming inside his mind as he rushed out of his office, telling Jeanie to cancel all his appointments for the day because he was feeling unwell and he was headed home.
As soon as got in his car, he turned the ignition and blasted out of the parking lot. He was squeezing the steering wheel, pressing hard on the gas pedal. He didn’t care if he died right then and there. He felt like his entire world had been destroyed by the hand of the very same person who helped build it, and it was killing him. He almost didn’t want to know if this was true, if the baby really wasn’t his. But if he didn’t find out, he wouldn’t be able to go on, with or without Gina.
Gina was taking a nap on the couch when she heard the front door slam violently.
“Gina!” Tyler yelled. She had never heard him speak like this before.
“In here!” she shouted back, still a little taken aback by his tone of voice.
He entered the living room holding a bunch of papers in his hand. He looked a total mess. His usually well groomed hair was sticking up every which way, his shirt collar twisted the wrong way, and he entered the apartment in his shoes, something which he had never done before. All this revealed to Gina that something was terribly wrong.
He knows. There was nothing else that could shake him this much. She thought she had more time, as she always did. She wasn’t even sure if she was going to leave Tyler yet. She was still weighing her options. But Tyler knew everything. That much was obvious.
“Why?” He said just this one word, and nothing else. His gaze was fixed upon her, as if she would disappear any moment and he wanted to keep the memory of her inside his mind for as long as he could. She truly was beautiful. Even more so when she felt she was endangered.
Gina stood up, trying to face him, but she didn’t want to get too close to him.
“Why, Gina?” He threw the papers on the little coffee table that stood between the two of them, separating their bodies.
She recognized a few documents. She knew immediately that he must have hired a private eye to check her past. She just wasn’t sure if Benjamin was involved in it. Not that it mattered too much at this point. It was all over. Benjamin didn’t get his money, so of course he’d go to Tyler with all that info. There was nothing else to win or to lose. She had to forfeit.
“Why didn’t you tell me all this?” He gestured at the documents. “You lied to me. About everything.” His voice was on the verge of breaking. He wasn’t yelling. He wasn’t whispering. He wasn’t using his normal voice. “I loved you. I trusted you. I needed you.” He shook his head. He was pacing the room like a caged animal. He didn’t want to be there. He wanted to be far away from her, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to slam the door on the way out. “But now you are dead to me.”
“Please…” She grabbed his hand. “Let me explain.”
“There is nothing to explain,” he said coldly. “I know everything. What else can you tell me that I don’t know already?”
“The truth,” she whispered. “My truth.”
“I’ve been hearing nothing but your truth and I’m tired of it. My eyes are finally open, and I won’t let you close them again. And as for…” He looked at her protruding belly. “I can’t know if it’s mine or not.” He sighed. He loved that baby. She knew it well. She knew he wouldn’t let her go through it all alone. “I’ll pay for everything. Doctors. Hospital bills. Whatever you need. I won’t let this poor innocent thing suffer for the mistakes of its parents.”
“Tyler, please…” She tried to grab his hand again, but like before, he rudely pulled it back, not allowing her to touch him. She understood why he would feel this way. “If you just listen to me, for just a second, you’d see—”
“Gina…” He sighed, interrupting her. “I’m done playing your games.”
“It’s not a game!” she shouted as if her life depended on it. “My life is not a game!” She threw herself towards the papers and shoved them to the floor. “This is the truth. Yes.” Her voice became quieter as she noticed he wasn’t interrupting her and that he was actually listening to her. “Whatever it says in these documents, it’s true. I don’t want to read it, I don’t want to look at it. It’s probably all true. And now you don’t want anything to do with me. I understand. I really do. I mean, after what I’ve put you through, who’d want to have anything to do with me?” She snorted. “But please. Just hear me out. Give me a chance to tell you what happened. To tell you how sorry I am to have caused you pain. And then I’ll be out of your life forever. You won’t have to see me ever again.” She paused, as if she remembered something very important. “You don’t know this, but I went to see your lawyer a few days ago, and I signed a waiver.” He didn’t take his eyes off of her, but he said nothing. “In case of a divorce, I get nothing. The lawyer warned me against this, but I did it anyway. I don’t want your money, Tyler. I did…in the beginning, I admit. I needed it desperately to pay my bills and my debts, and I needed money to take care of my unborn child. And when you showed interest in me, I felt like I hit the jackpot.”
She sighed, and then sat down. She felt a little dizzy. It felt liberating to finally be able to tell him everything without holding back. “We started dating, then when you asked me to marry you, I thought this must be what it feels like to be born under a lucky star. I never felt that way before. I felt safe. Protected. Sheltered. Like I didn’t have a care in the world. And I didn’t. And it was all because of you. But then it started becoming more than just that. I started falling for you. Your charm, your way of talking to me, of treating me like a true lady, all that won me over and I fell head over heels for you. I never felt this way about anyone, and I can truly say I feel you are my soul mate. But I know that no relationship can be built on a foundation of lies, and a part of me always knew that you’d find out eventually. Whether Benjamin told you or not, it doesn’t really matter now. What matters is that you know this baby isn’t yours. It belongs to that moron who’s in jail, and who I’ll never see again, if I’m lucky enough. He was the worst mistake of my life, but there is nothing I can do about that now, except move on. I also can’t change anything about the fact that this baby isn’t yours, no matter how much I’d like to. I would give ten years of my life to do that, but I can’t. Things don’t work that way. And now I see how much I’ve hurt you with my lies, so I think it’d be best just to leave you alone. I don’t need anything from you. I don’t need your money. I’ll be just fine, one way or another. But I still want you to know that I love you and I would have given anything to be able to turn back time and tell you the truth from the start. Maybe it would have ended the same way, maybe it would have ended differently…all that doesn’t matter now.” She stood up, and tapped him clumsily on the shoulder. “I’ll be quick to pack my things and go. I really am sorry.”
She walked out of the room slowly, like a man walking to his grave. She cradled her belly as she opened the wardrobe and, again, took only those things which had always been hers. She packed her suitcase slowly and painfully. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but in a strange way, she felt liberated. She was finally free from the cage of lies she had created for herself, and even though she had lost everything, she was able to walk with her head held high and be proud of herself. There was nothing to be ashamed of anymore.
All of a sudden, she heard footsteps behind her. She didn’t turn around. There was nothing more left to say, so why waste her breath?
“Why did you sign the waiver?” he asked.
She turned around and looked at him, slightly confused. She had no idea why he wanted to know, not like it mattered anymore. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.
“Why did you do it? I didn’t ask you to.”
She didn’t understand the purpose of this question. But she decided to reply nonetheless. “I didn’t want anyone to think I married you for your money,” she explained. Even though it started off as a scheme, she wanted to end it as anything but that.
“But you did. You did marry me for my money. You just needed me to fix your life, to pay for your bills, to be your baby daddy. You didn’t love me, and yet you accepted to be my wife. This is what I don’t understand. What kind of a person does such horrible things?” he asked her, not believing it.
“In the beginning, yes. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you. It was so easy to do this, to love you, don’t you understand?” She went back to packing her bag, with her back turned to him. “I actually don’t expect you to understand. I myself don’t understand, but that’s how it happened. I started loving you, without even noticing it, and everything changed. My whole life changed. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but it did.” Her suitcase was half full.
The room was eerily quiet after all that shouting. In a strange way, it gave them comfort. This silence made them feel too far away from each other to be able to fix anything.
“Love is not something you can understand,” he suddenly said. She stopped packing again. “It just happens, whether we want it to or not.” He stared at her back. She could almost feel the heat of his gaze upon her.
“It does.” She didn’t know what else to say. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder. It electrified her. The butterflies in her stomach all woke up and started fluttering about. She could feel her cheeks glowing red. She dared not turn around and face him. Not yet.
“We love. But we don’t know why we love,” he whispered in her ear, pulling back an unruly strand of hair that escaped her ponytail. “We just know we do. And we love with a love that’s more than love.”
She smiled. He was quoting Edgar Allan Poe, her favorite poet. Not many of her friends and family ever knew she enjoyed poetry. It was a secret pleasure she indulged in, and yet, Tyler knew. He knew everything about her, every inch of her body, mind, and soul, even the things she would gladly hide. Now, he really knew everything.
“I and my Anabel Lee.” Gina smiled, and finished the quote.
“Don’t leave,” he said. “Stay.” His words were mere whispers, so silent that her fluttering heart thought she must have imagined them. She turned around and saw the truth in his eyes.
“But I can never forgive myself for hurting you this much. How could we ever go on?”
“One day at a time.” He smiled as he cupped her face in his hands. “The three of us.” He looked down at her belly, then back at her eyes. “One day at a time.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, trembling before him.
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life.” He kissed her forehead.
“Oh, Tyler!” She wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t believe what was happening to her. Just a few minutes ago, her entire world had been destroyed by the hands of one evil man, and now it had risen out of the ashes like a Phoenix. But she also knew she was to blame for what had happened. She should have been honest with him from the beginning, and she could have avoided all this headache. It didn’t matter now. All she could think about was how happy she was as she rested her head on Tyler’s shoulder.
He was here. He would always be here. He would never ever leave.
After a while, things seemed to settle down. As each day passed by, Gina saw that Tyler had really forgiven her. He never mentioned the reason for that horrible argument, and she never felt as if he resented her for anything. Their relationship was once again as strong as it was in the beginning, even stronger, as now it wasn’t based on a string of lies, but on truth, on mutual respect, understanding, acceptance, and love. It was all Gina ever wanted, and she couldn’t have been happier.
One night, she woke up in horrible pain, which came and went in waves. She immediately grabbed her phone and started tracking the time between each contraction. She knew it was time. She quickly elbowed Tyler, who seemed unwilling to wake up.
“What…” He turned his face to the other side and buried it once again in the softness of his pillow.
“It’s time,” she whispered in his ear, managing to take a deep breath before another contraction hit her.
“It’s too early…there’s still time,” he replied, not grasping the real meaning of what she said.
“No, sweetie. It’s time.” She smiled as she started to get up and searched for the nightlight.
“Time…” he replied. It was then that it hit him. “Time?” He propped himself up. “Time!” He jumped. “It’s time!” He got up as fast as he could and turned on the light. It flashed and almost blinded them both.
“Honey, could you…” She pointed in the direction of the big chandelier as she shielded her eyes.
“Yes, yes, of course. It’s time...” He switched on the nightlight.
“It’s fine.” She gave him a big hug, and kissed him on the forehead. “We’re gonna be fine. Just try not to freak out.” She smiled.
“No, no…I’m fine. It’s time.” He kept repeating that, like a broken record.
“Yes, it’s time, just stop saying it already!” She couldn’t help but laugh. “And could you help me get dressed? The contractions are still far apart, but I think my water just broke.”
He started getting dressed, and did it in record time. “What do you need, babe?” he asked her, ready for whatever was coming. She thought it was the most adorable thing in the world to see him this way, so excited to meet his child.
“Just get me that blue dress from the wardrobe and the beige sweater.”
He handed her what she asked for, and she got dressed quickly.
“Okay.” She looked around. “There’s the hospital bag. Everything’s packed and ready. We can go.” She smiled and placed her hand on her belly. “It’s time.”
“It’s time.” He repeated, much more calmly this time. He gave her a passionate kiss. “I love you more than life itself,” he whispered. “Both of you.” He knelt down and kissed her belly. “I can’t wait to meet you, little person. Boy or girl, you will be my everything.” He rested his head on her belly, and then got up.
In less than five minutes, there were on their way to the hospital.
“Are you alright? Are you in pain? Should I drive faster?” he asked her, his eyes fixed on the road. It was peaceful, as it was still the middle of the night.
“I’m fine,” She replied. The pain was still bearable and short. “We’ll be there in time. Don’t rush. Not like they can start the party without us.” They both laughed. He loved that even under the circumstances, she was still her charming funny self, though he could see that she was in increasing pain.
When they got to the hospital, she got a quick checkup and was told that the baby would be arriving soon. They prepped her and asked Tyler to stay behind. He was pacing the hallway nervously, occasionally biting his nails, which was a habit he had lost as a child. He was a nervous wreck, but he wasn’t going to let it show in front of Gina. He needed to be her rock, her shoulder, and there was no way he’d fail.
“Mr. Reid?” a nurse called out to him. “If you would just follow me. We’ll get you ready and you’ll be able to join your wife.”
He followed her nervously. He had agreed to be there for Gina when she gave birth, but now he was getting a little squeamish. He took a deep breath and decided to stick with his promise. He got suited up and joined Gina. She was lying on a hospital bed, legs spread apart, covered with a light white sheet. She still looked alright. There were two nurses and a doctor there. No one seemed to be in a hurry.
“Everything alright?” he asked Gina.
“Yeah, contractions still aren’t as they should be.”
The moment she said it, she felt a surge of the most horrible pain ever. It was like someone punched her in the belly, then kicked her for what felt like hours.
“I’m guessing that was the beginning of the end.” The doctor smiled. She peeked underneath the sheet and nodded to the two nurses.
The rest seemed to fly by in a haze for Tyler. He held Gina’s hand as she pushed. Every time she did, he thought she was on the verge of becoming a plum, which he told her later and they both laughed about it. But now, neither of them felt like laughing.
“Push, push, push, now!” the doctor instructed, but after three hours, she was exhausted. When the doctor urged her for one last push, Gina thought that her soul would fly out of her body if she pushed any harder. Luckily, it was done. Finally, Gina and Tyler heard the cry of a little baby girl.
“Would you like to do the honors?” the doctor asked Tyler, referring to the cutting of the umbilical cord. He nodded, and, taking a small pair of surgical scissors, carefully cut the indicated spot. He was surprised by how thick it was.
“Can I hold her?” Exhausted and barely able to take a breath, Gina extended her hands towards her child. The moment she pressed her against her breasts, she knew this was what real happiness felt like. “Evelin,” she said to the baby. “Do you like it?” She allowed the baby to grasp her finger, and felt like her heart would explode within her chest.
“Evelin,” Tyler repeated, and hugged the two most important girls in his life.
When Gina woke up in her hospital room, her daughter was right next to her. She was blissfully asleep. Gina couldn’t take her eyes off of her. She truly was the most wonderful thing Gina had ever laid her eyes on.
“It was all worth it, just to have you,” Gina said.
Tyler wasn’t there with them. She was sure that was the same day. The labor lasted only three and a half hours, and everyone told her how lucky she was. She felt exactly the same, about everything that was happening to her. Tyler had promised he would stay with her all day, but he wasn’t there.
Did he change his mind? There were dark thoughts inside her mind. Maybe he decided he didn’t want to raise a child that wasn’t his. Maybe he had simply changed his mind, and nothing he had said before was true anymore.
She closed her eyes as she held Evelin’s hand in her little hospital crib. She felt tears coming on, but she took a deep breath. She felt overly emotional, but she couldn’t help it.
No more, she told herself self-assuredly. No more. We have this little precious thing to think about and no more crying about something that can’t be changed, something that wasn’t ours to begin with.
She closed her eyes again and listened to Evelin’s steady breathing. All of a sudden, she heard the door to her room open.
“How are my princesses?” Tyler asked.
“We’re fine.” She smiled, thinking how silly she was to assume Tyler would leave them. She was sure, now more than ever.
He kissed Gina’s forehead and knelt before an asleep Evelin.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” He was completely mesmerized by her.
“Is everything alright?” Gina asked.
“Yeah, why?” He seemed surprised at her question.
“When I woke up, you weren’t here…” Gina tried not to sound suspicious, but she still wanted to know where he was.
“I actually had some business to take care of,” he explained.
“Today? Of all days?” She sounded sad and disappointed.
“Wait, wait, honey.” He had a smile on his face. This made her even sadder, and little angry. Why would he smile when this was obviously hurting me?
“This is for you.” He offered her a folder.
She felt nauseous. It was the same kind of folder he gave her when he found out she was lying. What is he doing now? What is he playing at? She had no more secrets, she was playing with all the cards open. She knew he had nothing on her, and yet she was upset he would play games with her after everything.
“Maybe it was the wrong choice of a folder?” He winked.
“Seriously.” She was getting angrier by the minute, but she didn’t want to show it. “What is all this?”
“Alright, alright,” he said apologetically. “It was a joke that backfired. I’m sorry.”
“It’s really not funny, whatever it is.”
“Just open it. Please.” He offered the folder again. She hesitated a little, then took it.
“What is this?” She opened it and took out a single document with a big official seal at the bottom. She quickly skimmed through it. She then glanced at him in shock. “It says here you are the real child’s father.”
He smiled.
“But I thought…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence.
“I spoke to my lawyer. All’s taken care of.”
“But…how?” she wondered. “I thought we’d need months to sort out the paperwork.” She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“The child is mine. End of discussion.” There was a sweetly mischievous look on his face, like a proud boy who did something exactly the way it was supposed to be done.
“So, that’s that?” She smiled, looking at Tyler and Evelin.
“That’s that, darling.” He kissed her forehead. “Nothing will stand in the way of our happiness ever again, I promise you that.”
All of a sudden, they were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door. The nurse peeped in.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but visiting hours are over,” she said to Tyler.
“Of course.” He stood up, caressed his sleeping baby and kissed his loving wife goodbye. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow, but not very early. I’ve got one more thing to take care of at the office.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, much more calmly this time.
“Perfectly.” He winked at her and left the room.
The following morning, Tyler was sitting in his office. He had a nine o’clock meeting and he wanted to be sharp. He was wearing his finest suit, and it made him look exactly as he was feeling: invincible.
“Mr. Reid?” Jeanie said. “Mr. Fynmann is here.”
“Do let him in, Jeannie. Thank you.” Tyler was now an improved version of himself.
When the door opened, a tall, lean man wearing a raincoat and a wide-brimmed hat entered his office.
“Joel.” Tyler stood up to shake the man’s hand. “I appreciate you coming in on such a short notice and in this God forsaken weather.”
“Tyler.” The man reciprocated with a smile. “Always happy to help, in any weather.” He took off his coat, revealing a blue shirt and polka dotted tie.
“Love your tie,” Tyler joked. “Sofia pick it for you?” Sofia was Joel’s five-year-old daughter.
“You know it.” Joel laughed. “She loves to pick my work clothes. Too bad they don’t really work out well for me in the court room.” Both men laughed. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Yes.” Tyler smiled. “Evelin.”
“May she be your pride and joy everywhere she turns.”
Tyler had always liked Joel. They had been friends since childhood, both sons of important businessmen, and they had much in common. Higher education separated them for a few years, but when their paths crossed yet again, they realized their friendship had remained as strong as before.
“Thanks, Joel.”
“Now, let’s get this ugly business over with,” Joel continued. “Is he coming?”
“Yes. Told him nine sharp.”
“Okay.” Joel looked at his Rolex. It was eight fifty. “Just tell him what I told you. And relax. He’ll be off your back as soon as we’re done.”
“Thanks, Joel. I really appreciate your help with this.”
“I never forgot what you did for my brother, Tyler. And I never will. You know you can always count on me.”
Tyler smiled, though he didn’t like to remember that certain episode of his life. Joel, his brother Will, and Tyler went swimming at a hidden quarry one day when they were boys. It was something they had wanted to do all summer. Unfortunately, tragedy struck. While Tyler and Will were in the water, Will got caught in some weeds and he couldn’t rise up to the surface. Joel was too far away on the shore to be able to reach him in time, but Tyler’s quick reaction and great swimming skills ended up saving Will’s life.
“Mr. Reid?” Jeanie buzzed in again. “Mr. Williams is here.” Jeanie’s voice was different this time. It was obvious she didn’t like him one bit. Tyler couldn’t blame her. Not after everything he had suffered at the hands of that man.
“Please show him in. Thank you, Jeanie.” Tyler pressed the button and glanced at Joel. Joel simply nodded.
Benjamin Williams entered Tyler’s office all important. He had an air of a winner about him, as if he knew he was getting exactly what he wanted. Tyler smiled. It would be his immense pleasure to burst his bubble of self-satisfaction.
“Thank you for coming, Benjamin,” Tyler said with a smile on his face. “Please sit down.” He gestured at the seat opposite him. Joel was standing by his side.
“I understand you have some information to share with me,” Tyler said.
“Yes, but…” Benjamin gestured at Joel. “I do believe such things are better discussed in private.”
“You mean like the fact that you were blackmailing my wife?” Tyler asked, and he enjoyed the look of complete shock and amazement on Benjamin’s face. “Yes. I know all about it. And my good friend here,” he gestured at Joel, “knows as well. And neither of us take kindly to blackmailers. Do we?” he asked Joel.
“Nope,” Joel replied. He was having fun, being used to strict protocol in courtrooms, so this one-on-one with the bad guy felt amusing and more than fair.
“So, we wanted to invite you here and let you know a few things.”
Benjamin swallowed heavily. He went in thinking he’d be getting some money, but it turned out he was far from it. Now, all he wanted to do was get the heck out of there. But Tyler had a different agenda for him.
“I know that you blackmailed my wife. A pregnant woman,” Tyler continued. “Does that make you proud?” Benjamin was silent. “I know everything. I know what you wanted to tell me. So you can save yourself the effort.”
Benjamin was just sitting there quietly.
“And since I don’t find this meeting particularly pleasant, I’ll just tell you what I have to say. So, listen carefully.” Tyler stood up, his hands resting on the table before him in a menacing stance. “You are being charged with blackmail and theft of intellectual property. I will make sure you never find work in this city again. The life you had up until now? It’s done. It’s finished. You…” he paused dramatically, “…are finished.”
Benjamin turned pale. Game over.
“Now, you may leave my office. I am done,” Tyler said.
Benjamin stood up and left the office without a word. Tyler felt incredible. He had protected the woman he loved, and finally, all their troubles were over.
Several weeks had passed, and Tyler and Gina were settling down in their newfound roles as loving parents. Gina expected Tyler to leave everything regarding the baby to her, and was completely surprised to find out that he wanted to be a part of it every step of the way, seeing that he was so busy at work and would sometimes return very late, to find her fast asleep. He changed Evelin’s diapers, he lulled her to sleep, and even woke up in the middle of the night to help with the feeding if necessary. He eventually took some time off work to help her, and Gina found those weeks to be the most loving weeks of her life.
“This is the life,” Tyler said as the two of them rested on the sofa in the living room. Evelin had just been fed and she was sleeping soundly in her crib. Gina’s head rested on Tyler’s shoulder. It was semi-dark in the room and wonderfully quiet. Tyler realized it had been a while since they were able to enjoy an evening together like this.
“What?” Gina didn’t hear him. She was lost in her own thoughts, half asleep.
“Just thinking out loud,” he said, and kissed her cheek.
“Anything important?”
“Nothing I hadn’t told you before.” He smiled. “Just thinking how wonderful it is to have you both here.”
“We’re happy to be here,” She smiled, and nestled more cozily in his arms.
“So, when do you think you’d be ready for round two?” he asked as she propped herself up, looking at him in mock anger.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” he said seriously. “I’m totally ready for round two.” He raised his eyebrows, making her laugh in the process. “I want a whole soccer team to play in our backyard.”
“Good God!” Gina squealed as he started tickling her. “Shhhh…you’ll wake the baby.” She urged him to be quieter, but it was already too late. Evelin was awake and she wanted her mommy.
“Alright, alright. Go take care of our little munchkin, and as soon as you’re ready, we can make another one, and another one, and another one…”
Tyler kept talking until Gina left the room. She couldn’t even count how many children he wanted, and she smiled to herself. She entered Evelin’s room and picked her up, pressing her gently against her chest. Evelin stopped crying immediately.
Gina rocked her a little, singing her a lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was little. Everything was alright with the world. She had everything she could ever need. How? She had no idea. Was it luck? Good fortune? Or was it fate? She wasn’t sure. She just knew that she finally found a place to call home and a heart to call her own. THE END
Thank you for reading!
AND IF YOU HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE...
Turn the page to read: “The Billionaire's Nanny ” by Danica Jackson
Regan
The headache wouldn’t go away. It had plagued me all day, starting this morning and progressing straight through the afternoon. Sitting in front of a computer screen hadn’t helped at all. As a journalist, well aspiring one anyways, I was typing on my laptop ninety percent of the time. It just came with the job and I was damn good at it. If only my boss realized. I took a deep breath. It wasn’t worth worrying about now. Now the only thing that mattered was the fifteen minutes I’d already wasted waiting in line to check out.
I so do not need this right now!
I came to the store to pick up some groceries after work. A few cartons of yogurt, a dozen eggs, and loaf of bread. My usual stuff. I figured I would just get my food, wait in line, and then get to go home, but as the time ticked by, that last one seemed more and more doubtful. What the hell was going on up there? I stood on the tips of my toes to look around the guy ahead of me to try and see what the holdup was, but I couldn’t make it out through the long line in front of me.
I rocked back on my heels, my eyes glancing over the guy standing just a foot ahead of me once more. He was handsome in a severe kind of way, but the little girl at his side crying her tiny eyes out was what really caught my attention. And my headache’s attention. Well, crying was an understatement: more like a high pitched shrieking that pierced my ears and would have put an opera singer to shame. It sort of reminded me of a Mandrake, but not the fun kind that you saw in the movie. No, this was the kind that made you pass out if you weren’t wearing ear protection.
Deep breaths; just stay calm and take very deep breaths.
But the child just wouldn’t stop screaming. My headache was pounding in time to the awful sound. I had to swallow hard against the pain, but the line was moving a little and I had already wasted this much time. I might as well try and stick it out.
My gaze shifted to back to the girl’s father. He stood, seemingly oblivious or uncaring of his child’s needs. How he could somehow have missed his daughter’s ear drum shattering cries was beyond me, but he seemed willing to just stand there and do nothing. My head railed at him to calm her down; to stop her crying, to do anything to quiet the noise.
But the screaming continued, actually seeming as impossible as I would have thought it, to grow louder. And still, her father didn’t do anything. A quick glance behind me showed that everyone else in the line was blisteringly aware of her screams. How could he just ignore it? Who does he think he is? That the rest of us have to stand in line, listening to his daughter’s tantrum, and he just gets to ignore it.
The line shuffled on a little further towards the overworked cashier and he bent towards her, at least trying to calm her down, but it was only trying. He sure as hell wasn’t succeeding. I sighed once more, rubbing my temples, my headache growing to monumental proportions, and I was on the brink of just leaving my basket full of food somewhere and walking out. It’s fine, I thought, I can just ignore them. If I can ignore my boss treating me like little more than an intern, criticizing me at every turn, I sure as hell can ignore one upset, screaming child.
That’s what I told myself, until one particularly loud yelp cut through the air like shards of glass. Maybe it was the headache, maybe it was the terrible day I’d had at work, but I’d just had enough.
“Sir?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm as I tapped his shoulder, “Your daughter seems really upset. Maybe I can help?”
I’m not the type to butt into other people’s business, but I had plenty of experience at babysitting when I was younger, and knew how kids work. And if the ear piercing noise continued, I honestly thought my head was going to explode all over the checkout aisle. Honestly, I was just preventing a medical emergency.
The father of the child half turned to me, and I noticed for the first time just how tired his eyes looked. Drop dead gorgeous baby blue eyes, but tired nonetheless. Somehow, it didn’t make him any less handsome. I offered a polite smile. My smiled didn’t last, however, fading quickly at his sharply spoken words.
“It’s none of your business.” He snapped at me and turned away again, as his child continued to scream at his side. I know it’s hard. I know kids can cry and there’s nothing the parents can do but smile apologetically and go about their business. I wasn’t completely without sympathy, but my pounding headache made it hard to concentrate on any feelings of mercy at the moment.
I couldn’t help but clench my fist at his harsh tone, but I took a deep breath when I looked down and saw the girl. Her eyes were as blue as her dad’s but clouded with tears. She was genuinely upset about something and just wanted to be comforted. I rolled my eyes at my soft spot for kids, from years of babysitting or something else I’m not sure. But as I took a deep breath, I met the little girl’s gaze once more and knew what to do. If there was anything I knew about kids, I knew it was that they liked when people made fools of themselves. Good thing I was great at that.
I pulled a coin out of my pocket and showed it to the crying girl, turning it from one side then the other. I dug a pencil out of my laptop bag and started coloring the edges, making sure there was lead in all the ridges. I showed it to her again and with a goofy look, I rolled the coin down from my forehead through the middle of my face. The pencil came off on my skin in a wiggly line and she started to calm down, her eyes widening first in apprehension, and then her cries slowly turning to little giggles. For good measure, I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out and she began to laugh in earnest at the more ridiculous faces I made at her.
Eventually she stopped crying completely, still sniffling occasionally, but giggling more often than not, so I smiled at her. As she calmed down, the redness fading from her cheeks, she really did look cute. Another idea popped into my head: the simplest trick, but I’d used it before to astound little kids. I took the coin and with one, smooth motion, made it look like it had disappeared. Her bright blue eyes widened in awe, and it made me almost want to laugh. To finish the trick, I reached to her ear and pretended to grab the coin out of it.
The girl was amazed, a full blown smile now turning up her mouth instead of cries, and I laughed myself when she tipped her head, hoping to get more money out of there. I chuckled at her actions, and the sound drew the man’s attention; that and the fact that his daughter was no longer crying. He finally looked away from the cell phone clenched in his hands, the object that had been holding his attention before.
He turned to the little girl in surprise and then he turned to me. I just kept smiling at her for a moment longer before turning to look at him. Damn. My heart skipped a beat and my thoughts froze for a moment. I’d noticed he was handsome in a distant sort of way before, more distracted by his screaming daughter. His features were sharp, striking with his straight nose and softened by lush lips that would look great in a smile. Or a kiss. And his eyes, those piercing blue eyes that shot straight through me. He was quite a bit taller than me, with a muscular, athletic build and broad shoulders all wrapped up in a perfectly tailored suit. Like a present. Or a piece of candy. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to unwrap him, to wonder what he would taste like. What the hell was I saying? I quickly shook my head, trying to get those thoughts out of my mind.
I stared at him a little too long, longer than I should have, and it looked like he was doing the same to me. After a moment, I had finally snapped out of it, looking away bashfully, but he kept staring, his blue eyes locked on my own. It was unsettling to be looked at like that. Like he was wondering just how I would taste. Then I realized I still had a pencil mark on my face from showing his daughter the trick with the quarter and a hot blush flamed across my cheeks. Suddenly embarrassed and uncomfortable, I raised my eyebrow at him before blurting out, “What?”
My sharply spoken word seemed to snap out of his shock and he gaped at me a little before clearing his throat and glancing down at his daughter before meeting my gaze again. This time his eyes held more annoyance and frustration, but still there was a heat hidden behind the other emotions. It was confusing and unnerving, but I forgot all about the banked desire in his blue eyes when he opened his mouth.
“Excuse me, but this is my daughter. I would appreciate it if you don’t interfere,” he snapped, his voice deep and his words causing my hackles to rise. The nerve of the guy.
I just scoffed at him. I couldn’t believe he just said that. No, seriously, did he just say that to me? My own anger spiraled higher as he stood there in his expensive suit and continued to look down his nose at me.
“I beg your pardon, but you weren’t doing such a good job at quieting her down,” I stated as calmly as I could. My headache was back in full force and cut any patience I might have had for this prick down to barely nothing at all.
“That’s still none of your business. She’s my daughter and I know how to deal with her.”
I looked at him, pure disbelief and irritation lighting my gaze. The guy seemed so sure of what he was saying. I couldn’t believe it. Had he somehow missed the ear piercing cries of his upset daughter? And the way he had just ignored it to the pain and suffering of everyone stuck in the long checkout line. I looked down at the girl who was still trying to see if she could get some coins out of her ear and my expression softened. It wasn’t her fault.
“Yeah, it looks like you just standing there and not comforting your child helped a lot,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my lips. I knew I should just let it go, but it was either my headache, or my bad day, or my frustration with this too-handsome man that had me opening my mouth.
“Hey, screw you, lady. I was doing what I could, okay?” He spat out the words, anger written over his face.
“You should be thanking her, young man!” An old lady behind us said quickly, and her words had satisfaction rolling through me. It took everything inside me not to send him a smug look of my own.
“Yeah, she did what you should’ve done as a father.” Another woman said, and it snowballed as other people standing in line chimed in.
“Don’t blame her cause’ you can’t handle your kid.” A guy towards the back commented.
“And just because you can’t take care of your kid it doesn’t mean we should have to deal with it,” I stated, staring at him, watching anger melt into rage in his fiery blue eyes.
He scoffed at my words, but he was completely outnumbered by everyone. With a huff, he left his cart full of food and began to walk away.
Before he’d taken more than a step, he stopped and turned around. “And by the way, you have something on your face!” he hissed.
“I know!” I yelled, “It’s what got your daughter to calm down.”
He growled low and rough like a cornered animal before walking away, the little girl’s hand clenched in his as she trailed behind him. His daughter waved back at me and I sent her a small smile. Poor kid, it wasn’t her fault her dad was an ass.
I would’ve liked to make sure she was doing fine, but I probably was never going to see her again. On the plus side, one less person in this unfortunately long line!
“Oh, don’t pay that man any mind. You did a good thing for that little girl.” The older woman behind me assured me.
“Yeah, poor kid though,” another shopper said.
My thoughts turned to what had made the kid cry like that in the first place. Sure, it was probably just a little girl throwing a tantrum, but for some reason, my mind couldn’t let it go. I knew how to recognize a kid throwing a tantrum from a kid who was crying because they were genuinely upset. I’d certainly had enough experience with both during my babysitting years, and something about the whole episode had me worried for her. There’s nothing else you can do now, I told myself, finally making it to the cashier with my handful of groceries. I did everything I could.
Regan
“Regan, the boss wants to know if you have her coffee ready,” I heard my coworker and friend, Sarah, say from behind me. I turned around, groaning at her words. What was with my boss? Did she not know she actually hired me for my brilliant work and not my ability to get some coffee? How could she still not realize after all this time that I was a good writer, and a damn good journalist. But she insisted on treating me like an intern, or some sort of personal assistant.
“Yes, I’ll give it to her in a minute,” I finally responded, frustrated. I quickly saved the piece I was in the middle of writing before getting up from my desk. I did not have time to get that woman her coffee. It was an important piece of news that the public needed to be aware of, as it involved indisputable evidence that the Senator had committed fraud and was trying to cover his tracks. It was a great article, with important content that people deserved to know about. I needed to finish it, not be interrupted every fifteen minutes.
Sarah gave me a sympathetic look and a shrug. “She wants it now.”
“Then you take it to her,” I told her, handing her the coffee with a frustrated growl.
She was silent for a long, tense moment before speaking again. “She also wants to see you in her office,” Sarah said finally, her voice soft and tentative.
I groaned again, throwing my head back before rubbing my face. I so did not need this right now. I was on the brink of writing an award winning article a full day before the news would break in any other paper. I was damn good at my job. What does it take for a woman to get recognized for it? Nope, instead I was left to fetch coffee.
“I’ll be right there.” I gave in reluctantly, grabbing the coffee.
I stopped in front of Sarah before going any further, “When is she going to realize that I’m one of the best journalists she has here? What do I have to do?”
Sarah just shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Regan. I know it’s hard. Hey, maybe it’s not as bad as you think it is.”
I rolled my eyes at her in disbelief before turning and walking towards Rebecca’s office. The urge to spit in her coffee was strong but I shook it off. Whatever dirty games my boss might play were up to her, and I was better than that. But that woman could drive anyone mad. Finally I reached the far end of the office and knocked on her door.
I loved my job, but my boss was another story entirely. Not just because she’s unbearable, but because she just wouldn’t let me progress. In her eyes I’m just the girl who gets her coffee, her reports, and her lunch. Just an assistant with no real potential, even though I’d been writing articles for over a year now. I knew they were good, and I knew I was a great writer. I just didn’t know what to do to make her realize it.
At her sharp command I opened the door, and with a deep breath to steady my nerves, walked inside.
I was there for almost forty grueling minutes. The woman complained about the pieces I wrote and how I wrote them. I don’t sugarcoat anything in my articles and she knows my work sold papers and people liked it, so she couldn’t really stop me from publishing. As she continued to rail at me, I had to wonder what it was that had made her dislike me so much. I knew for a fact that if my articles weren’t some of the most widely read, I would have been fired months ago. It took everything in me just to stand there and take her criticism, but finally, mercifully, it was over.
I went back to my desk to finish the paper. The only consolation was when I looked to the clock and realized that my shift was over. I sighed in relief, saving all the information I had written before clocking out and leaving along with Sarah.
“So I’m going out with this guy Mark tonight who got us tickets to a basketball game, but we can still hang out afterwards,” Sarah offered with a smile as we pushed through the revolving doors of the office building.
“Well, to be honest, I was hoping to take some time to kick back at my place,” I said. I really didn’t feel like going out today, especially after that nightmare meeting with my boss, “Maybe watch some movies, I could look at the Star Wars 7 trailer another twenty times and...”
“Oh!” I yelped when I bumped into someone, “Sorry.”
I quickly regretted my words when I looked up and saw the person who I had bumped into. My eyes widened in shock, before narrowing again in irritation. It was the same guy from the grocery store. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Just my damn luck to run into this asshole. It was the cherry on top of my already terrible day.
“Well, nice to see you again too,” he said, a forced, fake smile plastered on his face.
“Forget what I said, I’m not sorry,” I spat, turning to walk away.
“Oh very nice of you,” he gritted.
“What, you think I’m actually gonna be nice to you?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in surprise. Did we not have the same conversation in the grocery store? Because I remembered every rude word that he’d said after I’d calmed his daughter.
“I’m sorry, who is this?” Sarah interrupted with a pointed look from me to the handsome man still standing in front of me.
“It’s the guy from the grocery store I told you about,” I finally responded.
“Oh, the ass-face who got pissed because you did what he should’ve?” Sarah came back, instantly defending me, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my irritation. There was just something about this guy that pushed all of my buttons.
He rolled his eyes. “Why are you even here?” he asked, completely ignoring Sarah’s comment.
“That’s none of your business,” I scoffed, folding my arms across my chest and trying to walk around him. I may or may not have stomped on the toes of his expensive shoes as I passed.
“You’re really unlikable.” He called after me, drawing me to slow down and turn back towards him.
“Oh I’m unlikable? I’m sorry, who’s the guy who got yelled at by people at the store for being a jerk?”
That shut him up, but only for moment. The look in his blue eyes never changing, only now edged with heat that made me want to take a hasty step back.
“Anyways,” I continued, talking to fill the sudden tension-filled silence, “if you’ll excuse me, we have to go. Somewhere far from you,” I added. I knew it was petty, but I couldn’t hold in the words.
I linked my arm with Sarah’s who waved him off and we began to walk away, all the while hoping that would be that last I would ever see of that guy. Unfortunately, luck wouldn’t have it that way.
“Hey,” he called out, stopping me again despite myself. I don’t know what caused me to turn around, maybe it was curiosity or maybe I simply felt bad about the desperate note in his voice, one I’d never heard before. Arrogant, cocky, dismissive, sure. But never desperate. Sarah threw a questioning glance at me which I pointedly chose to ignore.
“You were great with my daughter,” he finally said, surprising the hell out of me.
I raised an eyebrow at him. Was that a compliment? Did he actually compliment me? I turned to Sarah, silently asking if I heard correctly, but she just shrugged, looking as confused as I felt.
“I really do appreciate what you did,” he said reluctantly. “I love my daughter, she’s my whole world. You really were great with her, and I want to make you an offer.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, my eyebrows in my hairline now as I tried to make sense of his words.
“I want to ask you to come work for me, as a babysitter. My previous nanny had to quit, so I don’t have anyone else to take care of my daughter. And she needs someone. Someone like you.”
Well I certainly didn’t expect that; seriously, I couldn’t believe my ears. I guess my face showed it, but I could see the sincerity shining in his blue eyes, in his words.
“Look, I really need someone to take care of my daughter. And you seem like a good candidate. You made her laugh. You made her happy. That’s all I care about.”
I looked to Sarah who still said nothing; I don’t think she knew what I should even say to that. In the end I looked back to him, remembering how he’d been at the store. I couldn’t believe he’d changed so quickly. More than likely he was still the same rude, intolerable man from before, so I rolled my eyes and began to turn away, but his voice stopped me once more, still desperate, still earnest and sincere.
“Please!” he called out, walking after us now, “I’ll pay you really well.”
I sighed, turning around; well, I just couldn’t say no to that, right? Sarah shook her head a little, silently telling me that it wasn’t worth it. I sighed at her: it really wasn’t, but I could do with a few extra bucks, especially with my boss’s threat hanging over my head that she would fire me for the smallest mistake. A girl still had to pay rent.
“Ten bucks an hour,” he said, when I gave him my full attention.
“…Twenty.” I saw from the corner of my eye Sarah was making a face, but I decided to ignore her.
“Fifteen.”
“…Done.”
He seemed to be relieved but tried to hide it; instead he took out a notepad and started scribbling a few things before ripping the paper off and handing it to me.
“Come to this address at that time tomorrow.”
“Fine.” I still couldn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. What was I thinking? But I knew. It was the love that shone in his blue eyes when he talked about his daughter. Anyone who loved his daughter that much couldn’t be all bad. Maybe he’d just been having a bad day at the grocery store or something.
That was the last thing I said before walking away along with Sarah. I could just throw this paper into the next trash can and forget about it. But then again I really wanted the money, and might really need it in the near future if my boss had her way. I huffed in frustration. There was a reason why greed was one of the deadly sins, and it was because it came to bite you in the ass!
“I do believe you’re gonna regret this,” Sarah commented after we were out of hearing distance.
“Shut up,” I groaned, hoping she was wrong.
“But hey, look at the bright side, he’s totally hot.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. And it didn’t hurt that it was true.
“And a rich guy like that must have a Jacuzzi, so you better invite me over some day.”
I laughed again; maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Besides, his daughter needed someone else to take care of her and the girl was cute. It was just a babysitting gig, something I’d done a hundred times . A thousand. How bad could it be?
~~~~~
I don’t really know what compelled me to go to his place in the end, but there I was. As I stood there looking over his palatial home, I had to admit the guy had some pretty good taste. And he was apparently loaded. No wonder he’s an asshole, I thought to myself. Most of my interactions with wealthy people had only gone one way. Not good.
“Might as well,” I whispered to myself, reaching out a single finger to ring the doorbell. It didn’t take long for the man to open the door. Almost as soon as the bell had chimed, the heavy mahogany door was thrown open to reveal my new employer. He was probably on his way out.
“Oh, you’re early,” he said, sounding surprised.
“Yes, people do that occasionally.”
“I didn’t think you would. You didn’t seem like the type.”
“Why, because I’m not a fancy person like you?” I said through gritted teeth. What was with this guy? And why did it take so little to have me bickering with him like a little child?
“That’s not what I...”
“It’s fine,” I finally said, drawing in a deep breath to calm myself. “Where’s your daughter?”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, but led me in anyways and took me through a maze of hallways and large, expensively decorated rooms, all the while explaining whatever he could about her. “Her name is Stephanie, she’s three. I’ve written a list of the numbers you'd need to call just in case, along with the food she usually eats, make sure she eats everything. She’s over in the living room right now. I’ll keep in touch, miss…um.” He trailed off, looking at me expectantly, and I realized we had never even exchanged names.
“Regan O’Donnell,” I said slowly, staring up at him.
“Evan Bale,” he called himself, extending his hand. “Nice to formally meet you.”
I inhaled deeply again, biting back all the things I really wanted to say to him. No, it’s not nice. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. I’m just here for the paycheck.
Evan arched one brow at me expectantly, looking pointedly from me to his hand and back again.
Gingerly, I reached out my own, just barely sliding my hand against his, palm against palm, and I had to bite back a gasp at the shock of it. It was like an electric current running from skin to skin, doubling back on itself until I had to jerk my own fingers back, holding them clenched against me as if burned. That’s what it had felt like. Heat. Overwhelming heat.
He looked torn between saying something or growling. I hoped my forced smile hid the uncertainty that I suddenly felt.
“Right. Well, just do the job and we can both get through this,” he finally said, and I wondered if he was as affected by the touch as I was. No, no, no. Get your head out of the clouds. This guy is rude and awful. It doesn’t matter if he’s handsome as sin. I still dislike him, and he dislikes me.
“Fine.” I snapped out the word, harsher than I had intended.
“Fine!”
With that, he turned on his perfectly polished heels and left me alone in his house. I went to go find Stephanie. It took me a few tries to find the right room in the giant maze of a house, but I finally did. She was sitting on the floor of the living room, playing with some dolls.
“Hey Stephanie,” I called to her kindly from the doorway. “Remember me?”
The girl looked up at me, curious at first, and then excited exclaimed, “You’re the magic coin lady.”
I chuckled at her nickname for me, at the expression of wonder still on her face, and the way she reached one hand up to check her ear again, just in case there were any more coins in there.
“So Stephanie, your dad asked me to take care of you. I’m Regan,” I said, introducing myself as I walked closer to her.
“Are you the crazy itch he was talking about?”
I froze and blinked a few times, wondering if I had something in my ear. Did I just hear her right?
“What?” I asked, sitting on the floor next to her.
“I heard him talking on the phone about some crazy itch that was going to take care of me,” the little girl explained. Oh sweet Lord she was so innocent. I gaped for a little bit, and panicked at her next words. “Why did he call you itch?”
“Oh!” I said, racking my brains for what to say. Damn that bastard! What the hell was he thinking, saying something like that in front of a three-year-old?
Finally, the little girl gave her a way out. “Did you do something that made him itch?”
I had my mouth opened, forced it into a smile, as I nodded, “Yeah, totally.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, instantly accepting the explanation. Thank God.
I sighed in relief, glad that she was satisfied with my answer, because honesty, I don’t know what I would have said to that.
“Do you want to play with my dolls?” Stephanie offered sweetly.
“Sure.” I said. Oh God, yes, let’s please change the subject.
“Great you’re just in time. Black Widow is about to free the Avengers!” she yelled excitedly. I gazed curiously at the dolls she had, and it was a Barbie with red hair, dressed in black. Then I saw many Kens dressed like the Avengers. All the clothes looked handmade. I mouthed a huge “aww." I felt so proud of this girl. And it didn’t hurt that the Avengers were one of my all time favorites.
“Hurry up, Hawkeye is going to be thrown into a pit full of crocodiles and Black Widow has to save him!”
“Right away!” I said, instantly falling into character as I picked up the Ken doll turned superhero.
This girl liked Black Widow! Oh God, she was so adorable!
“Black Widow, hurry!” I yelled, moving the Hawkeye Ken.
“I’m coming, Hawkeye!” Stephanie yelled, making the Black Widow Barbie beat up a few more dolls and I chuckled at her antics. Even I had to admit that this was more fun that sitting at home by myself and watching movie trailers.
I could totally get used to this!
Regan
Spending time with Stephanie was a joy; the little girl was so adorable and sweet, and so unlike her father. The little girl and I had hit it off right away, especially since she was obsessed with comic books, and more importantly, the ones with female leads.
“And then Angela swoops in to save all the Asgardians held prisoners!” Stephanie yelled excitedly as I played along with her. I may not have had any siblings, but with all the years I spent babysitting, I did know my way around kids, and she was just a total sweetheart.
“We should have a tea party next time with the Avengers, they deserve a break,” Stephanie said kind-heartedly as she cradled her dolls like they were the most precious things in the world.
“That’d be great; you know I could bring over some chocolate chip cookies to go with the tea.”
Her expression lit up even brighter at my words. “Yay! Thor loves cookies! Chocolate chips are his favorite.”
I had to laugh at her enthusiasm. “Okay, I’ll bring some tomorrow then. So what do you want to do now?”
“Wanna read me my comic books?” she said after a long moment of serious deliberation.
“Sure!”
Stephanie was about to go and get her comics when the front door to the house opened. I looked at my watch; Evan was probably here, so that meant it was my time to go.
“That’s daddy!” Stephanie shouted, vibrating with excitement to see her father.
“Let’s go greet him,” I said, faking my excitement. It was obvious that she adored her dad, but to be honest, I just wanted to give him a piece of my mind. How dare he say the b-word in front of his daughter?!
I lifted Stephanie up when she took the superhero pose. The girl really loved superheroes and liked to pretend she could fly. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I let her down and she went to run to her father.
“Daddy!” she yelled excitedly.
She ran around the corner and before I had time to turn, Evan popped out with Stephanie in his arms; he smiled at her and kissed her in the cheek.
“Baby, I’ll be right with you, I promise,” he said before handing her to me. “Look, can you take her for just a little bit longer? I’ll be right back.”
I glanced at Stephanie, but she was distracted with the dolls still clenched in her hands, pretending they were fighting off an alien invasion.
“Dude, my shift is over. I have to go to my other job,” I whispered as quietly as I could. “I still need to go and catch the bus. I can’t just...”
“Please,” he said, and the desperation in his voice made me go quiet. “Just for a few minutes while I deal with something.”
“Deal with what, daddy?” Stephanie asked, and he seemed at a loss of what to say to her, so I just smiled at her and explained it myself. Evan seemed genuinely upset, and even though I didn’t want to be late for my next job, a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. I gave him a brief nod and he sighed in relief.
“Your dad needs to handle grown up things,” I finally said, walking a few steps away from the front door.
“Like grown up boring things?”
“Yes, grown up boring things, like coffee,” I responded, twisting my face into an exaggerated grimace as I drew out the word.
“Eww.” Stephanie wiggled out of my grasp and ran upstairs quickly.
Evan sighed in relief, before frowning. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, apparently she thinks it makes your soul boring and that’s why adults don’t play as much. Your daughter has a lot of wonderful ideas and an amazing imagination.” I explained, smiling at him, forgetting who I was talking to for a moment.
He thought this over, but shrugged nonetheless before looking back. He still seemed just as tense as before.
“Thank you,” he finally whispered.
“No problem,” I said as casually as I could before going upstairs too as he turned to go back toward the way he came. I started going up the stairs, letting him deal with whatever problems he was having ,when the sudden sound of raised voices stopped me. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help it: Evan sounded genuinely upset.
“Why the hell did you have to come here?” I heard Evan snap at someone and was surprised to hear a simpering, feminine voice answer back.
“She’s my daughter too, Evan. I just want to take her home with me. I’m Stephanie’s mother. She needs me.”
“Some mom you’ve been.” Evan bit out he words laced heavily with sarcasm. “Who do you think has had to deal with her crying all the time because she misses her mommy? Do you have any idea how many times she’s been like that? How bad it’s gotten?”
The woman, Stephanie’s mother, spoke again, this time trying to sound cajoling but coming off as condescending. “I understand you’re upset about that. But really, she’ll grow out of the tantrums.”
“No, you don’t understand. Hell, the other day I was at the grocery store and a stranger had to comfort her for me, because she won’t listen to me most of the time.”
I heard the woman scoff before laughing, and the sound was like nails on a chalkboard. “Is that what the new nanny is doing? Playing her mommy because you can’t handle it yourself? You’re her father for Christ’s sake, Evan.”
“That woman is helping me because I can’t be both Stephanie’s father, and mother, and the guy who drove her mom away.”
I cocked my head as a tense silence passed between them. Finally, the woman spoke again.
“…You haven’t told her, right?”
“How do you tell a little girl her mom isn’t with you because she’s a cheater? Oh I can just imagine that conversation going so well. She’s only three years old.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” Her words didn’t sound sincere at all to my ears, and I wondered for a moment if Evan would fall for it, and I raised a silent, mental cheer when he spoke again.
“Screw your apologies. I don’t give a crap about them. Look, right now she’s okay, so please just get out before she sees you!”
There was silence for a while, but I didn’t hear any movement of her leaving; instead, I heard the woman’s soft voice, purring this time. “I didn’t just come for her: I came here for something else…I want to get back together with you.”
There was another long silence for a while, before he burst into fits of hard-edged laughter. “You’re crazy!”
“Maybe I am, but I promise you I’m willing to make things right. I want us to be together again.”
Evan’s laughter slowly faded before he spoke again. “If you wanted us to be together, then you wouldn’t have slept with another man.”
“It was a mistake, and I realize that now.” The woman tried to plead, but Evan interrupted her, his voice hard as steel.
“No, a mistake is forgetting a person’s name when you first sleep with them. A mistake is not calling someone after the first date. This is as far from a mistake as it’s going to get, because mistakes can be fixed. This can’t.”
“Evan...” she tried, and I could hear movement and then Evan’s curse.
“Don’t touch me!”
“Why are you so willing to forget all the good things we had?” There was a pout to the woman’s voice that had me cringing from where I still stood on the stairs, eavesdropping, even though I knew I shouldn’t.
“Because you seemed to have done the same thing!” Evan finally snapped.
“I know I did something wrong, but would you rather have your daughter spend time with her mom or with a total stranger?”
“Total stranger,” he said instantly. “Yes, I do, in fact. Because a total stranger showed her some support while her mother went off with her buddy.” The emphasis he put on that last word left me in no doubt of what he meant.
“…Look, if you don’t want to talk that’s fine, but at least let me take Stephanie back to my place.”
“That’s not going to happen, Melanie. Not now. Not ever.”
“You can’t keep her from me, she’s my daughter too.” The woman pleaded again and I just shook my head. I knew she was Stephanie’s mom, but she seemed like the last person that fragile little girl needed right now.
“You’ll visit her on the weekend, like we agreed. Until then, get the hell out of my house.”
There was another long, heavy silence full of unsaid words and accusations and I held my breath, intrigued to hear what came next despite myself.
“…Are you fucking her?” She finally said, and I bit back a gasp. Evan did a whole lot more than gasp as I heard his string of muffled curses.
“What?” He finally said, his tone slightly more normal.
“The new nanny: are you fucking her? You are, aren’t you.”
Evan groaned in disbelief. “I can’t believe you! I don’t want to get back with you and the first thing you do is ask me if I’m fucking my nanny? That’s it; get the fuck out of my house.”
“…Fine, but just know whoever she is, no woman will ever be like me. And Stephanie knows that in the end, she’ll ask for mommy, and you’ll have to tell her you pushed me away.”
“I didn’t push you away. You gave up on us. You cheated, not just on me, but on both of us, because you cared more about getting whatever you wanted than your own family…Now. Get out.”
I didn’t see anything. I only heard the woman’s heels clicking and the door opening before closing. Afterwards it was only silence, only Evan’s harsh breaths sounding in the kitchen as I wrung my hands together. Should I say something? No, best just to leave him alone to deal with his emotions. The last thing he probably wanted to see just then was me.
I didn’t want to bother the man, so I slowly walked back upstairs and a cold grip found its way in my stomach when I saw Stephanie at the top of the stairs. Damn, she’d heard too. The little girl looked at me helplessly, her blue gaze as wide as it could be on her pale face.
“That woman sounded a lot like mommy,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. I bit my lip and sighed, thinking over what to say. I reached to pull some hair away from her cheek, admiring her cute little face and those sweet eyes. I tried to put on my best smile, thinking about how to say things. How to explain something like that to a three-year-old?
“Sometimes grown-ups have differences,” I finally said, sighing as my heart ached for the little girl. “And sometimes you can’t fix them easily.”
“In my comic books, they always fix things,” Stephanie said, believing in right and wrong and that good always beats evil in a way only a child can.
“Yes, but in your comic books, it’s usually with their fists. There are some things that you just can’t fix by punching something.”
Stephanie started crying, big fat tears that dripped down her rosy cheeks. “I really miss mommy.”
I smiled sadly at her before lifting myself and offering my hand. “Come on, let’s go read one of your comic books.” There was nothing more I could say to her, nothing I could do to replace the mother she’d suddenly lost, or to ease that pain.
She took my hand, not knowing what else to do, and I led her to her room. By the time I'd finished reading to her, she had fallen asleep, so I settled her in her bed. I looked at my watch and noticed the hour was really late, a lot later than I had realized. Might as well call in sick.
I went downstairs to the kitchen to use the house phone, and a strange noise stopped me. I glanced around the dark room and found Evan, sitting at the kitchen table, shielded mostly by the deep shadows, crying. I cleared my throat, not wanting to disturb him. His head jerked up at the sound. Noticing me, he quickly moved a hand to his face, obviously trying to hide it.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked, as kindly as I could after an awkward moment. I may not like the guy, but I wasn’t about to beat him when he was down.
“Yeah, go ahead,” he said, his voice hoarse from crying, and he stood, turning away to pour himself a glass of water.
I didn’t waste any time, and didn’t have a clue as to what to say to him. Kids were so much easier than adults. I picked up the phone and dialed my work, informing my coworkers to tell my boss that I was sick. I hadn’t had any sick days, so I knew it was okay to take at least one. Hopefully, this wouldn’t count as one of those small ‘mistakes’ my boss was looking for as an excuse to fire me.
I noticed that when I mentioned calling in sick, Evan groaned quietly, and from the corner of my eye, I saw him rub his face. I didn’t say anything; I only continued talking, because, to be honest, I don’t think I could blame him. The guy looked completely destroyed.
“I’m really sorry,” he said, once I hung up, running his hands through his hair and messing up the perfectly styled locks. It made him look somehow even more handsome.
“It’s fine,” I tried to say.
“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have asked you to...”
“Evan.” I kept my voice gentle, letting him know that I wasn’t angry. “It’s fine. Really.”
He looked at me helplessly before nodding and reaching into his wallet to take out some money, making sure to give me enough to compensate for the extra time I was there. I smiled in gratitude and didn’t bother commenting anything else. It was bad enough that I overheard everything that was said between the two: he didn’t need me meddling in his shit.
With a small sigh after my first day, which was way more exciting than I had ever thought, or wanted, really, I headed out the front door without another word.
That night I went home and spoke with Sarah, trying to get the conversation out of my head, but somehow couldn’t help but be drawn back to it. Okay, I would never excuse someone for behaving like an asshole, but now that I knew the whole story, I just couldn’t blame him.
Evan
I had Melanie in my head since the day before, every time, thinking over her words. I'd been replaying our argument over and over again. I rubbed my face with my hands; I wasn’t supposed to have to deal with the woman again, so why did she have to ruin my peace? Why couldn’t she leave well enough alone? But more importantly, why did I let it affect me? Then again, it was really hard to forget the time you spent with someone and the life you had with them.
I groaned again, I really did not need this; I still needed to get to work.
God damn you, Melanie, I thought bitterly. Thinking she can just ask me to get back with her. We broke up for a reason, so why can’t she understand that? There was no way I would even consider going back to her. Not after everything that happened.
“Daddy?” I heard Stephanie say behind me, and her sweet voice calmed something in me.
“Hey pumpkin,” I greeted her, putting on my best smile as she walked over towards me.
“When are you and mommy going to get back together?”
Ah shit, I should’ve known. Her question hit me like a cannon shot, knocking me back on my heels. I took a deep breath, not sure how I should explain this to a three-year-old. Maybe I wouldn’t have to if her mother wasn’t such a horrible person. I took another calming breath. No, this wasn’t about Melanie anymore, this was about our daughter, and how to make it as easy as possible on her.
“Honey we talked about this,” I said, trying to keep my voice soft and soothing. “Mommy and I aren’t getting back together.”
Her big, blue eyes, so much like my own, welled with tears of confusion. “Why?!”
“Because baby, when adults have differences and can’t work past them, they have to split up.”
“But I want you both together!”
“Honey, that can’t happen.” I tried to keep my voice even, struggling to think of another way to say it so that she could understand. Hell, I barely understood it myself.
Why is it that I never know what to say to my daughter? I opened my mouth to say something else, but it was too late. She’d already turned and fled. Now she’s gone off running to her room. I heard a door slam and followed after her.
“Stephanie!” I called out to her. “Sweetie!”
I followed her as far as the doorway to her bedroom and thumped my head against the closed door and let it rest there. I really felt like a very crappy father. And the worst dad of the year award goes to…
“Having problems?” An annoying familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned, facing the person I least wanted to right now, but having no other choice. I did hire her after all.
“Can you please just help me? I mean, help Stephanie?” I asked, my voice making me sound more tired than I initially felt.
She regarded me with a cold expression, cocking her head to one side before shaking it at some unknown thought. After a moment, she went to the door anyway, where Stephanie had just disappeared through and now a smile in place and her voice sounding sweet when she spoke.
“Hey, Steph,” she called out, her voice so different from the one she used to talk to me, knocking on the door. “I brought those cookies I promised. They’re Thor’s favorite, remember?”
We both waited a long moment, but the girl didn’t open the door. She raised her fist and knocked again.
“Steph, don’t you want to have a tea party anymore?”
Miraculously, the door swung open, just enough to allow her to enter, but not me. I stare helplessly at her and Regan just looked back with a shrug of her own.
“It’s okay,” she finally said, taking some pity on me. “I’ll take care of this.” And then she walked inside, shutting the door behind her, shutting me out. I leaned my head against the door once more, wondering how she was so good with Stephanie, while I, her father, struggled with her every day. It almost didn’t seem fair.
I sighed, rubbing my hands across my face. I really did not need this right now. What I needed was a fucking drink. I stopped short, remembering I still had to work. While it was Regan’s day off from her other job, I still had to go, this time in the afternoon. I groaned and went to at least drink some coffee. Yep, totally didn’t need this right now.
A little while later I heard the upstairs door open and Regan come down from Stephanie’s room. She waved lightly when she saw me in the kitchen.
“She’s napping right now. Drank some milk, ate her cookies, and I read her one of her comic books and she was out.” She laughed softly; I couldn’t bring myself to laugh as well.
“Thanks,” I muttered quietly, with a nod in her direction, for once forgetting about my pride. It didn’t sting, that much, anyways.
“…Okay.” she said, and from the tone in her voice, I guess she didn’t know what else to say to that. At least I didn’t have to hear a sarcastic comment. I really couldn’t handle her sarcasm, and was grateful that she left it at that.
I glanced down at my gold watch, shining from my wrist, and realized it wasn’t time for her to leave. We both stood there, unsure. It left us both in awkward silence and I searched for something to say to break it, anything to ease the sudden tension filling the room.
“So um…” I spoke, still struggling, rubbing my neck. “Do you want something to drink?”
“…You got hot chocolate?”
“Yeah, sure.” I walked towards the cabinet, pausing for a brief moment as she spoke again, her tone once more biting. I guess our small prelude was over.
“So you wanna tell me what you did to upset her this time?” Regan folded her arms in front of her chest and leaned back against the edge of the counter top, waiting for my answer. An answer she didn’t deserve.
I sighed in resignation while I poured some hot chocolate for her. I had no interest in talking to this woman, but she was taking care of my child, and doing a hell of a better job than I was. Besides, they say talking helps, right?
“The same thing I did last time. I explained to her that her mother and I aren’t getting back together,” I said solemnly as I handed her the steaming mug of hot chocolate.
Regan took a tentative sip before saying anything. “I guess she didn’t take it well.”
I chuckled bitterly. “That would be an understatement.”
“Sorry.”
“Eh, at least she’s not a teenager, right?”
She smiled in sympathy; at least I'd hoped it was sympathy and not mockery.
“Is that why she was crying at the grocery store?”
The question threw me a little off, but I answered nonetheless, casting my thoughts back to that day - the day where we first met. “I think I should apologize for that. I really am sorry, it’s just… She thinks it’s my fault that I drove her mother away. And well, I can’t really explain things to her as they are. I was angry that you, a complete stranger, was able to comfort her when I couldn’t every time I tried.”
Regan stared at me for a long time, her eyes wide and focused on my face as if looking for some hidden meaning behind my words. But I meant what I said. Every single thing.
“Apology accepted,” she said, a kind smile on her face.
There was another long moment of silence between us, more comfortable this time. Less hostile. A moment later, I worked up the courage to speak again.
“So, what do you think?”
She tilted her head to side in that curious way she had. “Of what?”
“Of me. Of how I’m handling things with Stephanie. I know this is hard on her.”
Regan pondered for another minute before answering. “I think all things considered, you’re not doing such a bad job.”
“Well, thank you for that.” I said with a sigh.
“I still think you’re an asshole.”
“Noted.”
“But you’re an asshole who loves his daughter.”
I smiled at her, maybe a little too long. Oddly enough, things hadn’t been that tense between us for the past week. It was almost nice.
“So how do you do it?” I asked. “How do you calm her down?”
“I’m Scottish, I guess it’s in my nature. Besides, I spent the first fifteen years of my life babysitting for kids way more difficult than Stephanie. She really is a sweetheart.”
“So that’s why you have a faint accent.”
She laughed at that, tucking some of her box braided hair behind her ear. She looked quite cute if I thought about it. Her eyes squinted ever so lightly when she smiled, highlighting her blue/grey eyes so much lighter than my own deep ocean blue, and the sunlight shimmering from the window gave a beautiful glow to her dark skin. I shook my head a little, realizing just now how I was staring too much.
“I guess I don’t really notice it much,” she replied with another self-conscious shrug.
“Stephanie asked me once if you were related to Loki.”
Regan chuckled at my words and it sent warmth spiraling through me. “Of course she did.”
I laughed along with her. “She really loves Marvel.”
“Who doesn’t?”
My laughter faded to a warm smile and I shrugged, a little abashed.
“Well, I’m more of a Lord of the Rings fan.”
“Oh I love that too!” Regan said excitedly, and I couldn’t help but get caught up in her enthusiasm.
Looking at her excited face when she said that it made me have the courage to admit what I hadn’t admitted even to Melanie. “I know Elvish.”
She choked on her drink before looking at me with wide eyes. “Shut up!”
“It’s true.” I shrugged again, feeling an odd relief at sharing something so secret about myself that almost no one else knew.
“You learned Elvish!?”
She began to laugh, and for once it wasn’t mocking. It was actually rather comforting, friendly, almost. It was nice talking to someone like this. Melanie hadn’t liked how I used to bring up my nerdish pleasures, the one thing that Stephanie and I had in common. Yet this woman went along with them. No wonder she and my daughter got along so well.
“Well, fun fact: I’m trying to see if I could learn Valerian,” she commented, bringing up one of my favorites, Game of Thrones. I grinned at her, impressed despite myself.
“You’re kidding,” I said, but she just shook her head.
“I’m really not. Oh yeah, I’m thinking about getting a Daenerys costume this Halloween.”
The time went quickly, and surprisingly easy between us. We spent the whole time talking about nerdish things. We got so carried away with our conversation that I almost missed the time. A quick glance at my watch had me jumping to my feet.
“Oh shoot, I have to get to work,” I said in a rush, my mind on how I was going to get there on time, darting for my stuff and without even thinking, pecking her on the cheek.
I froze. Wait, why did I do that last part?
She stared at me, dumbfounded. She looked really cute like that I had to admit...damn it, no! Stop thinking like that!
“I-I-I’m so sorry,” I stuttered, still staring at her. “I don’t know what came over me.”
I did know: this was a routine I used to do with Melanie. Whenever I had to leave, I gave her a quick kiss because it’s something that I liked to do when I was in a hurry. I liked to demonstrate that while I needed to leave, I still had time for one kiss. I loved doing that, but I could only do it with someone I cared about. I wanted to care for someone the same way I used to care for Melanie. But this wasn’t Melanie. She wasn’t my wife. She wasn’t someone I cared about.
I shook my head, trying to forget those thoughts, and gave her another weak apology before darting out of the house and off to work. Once in the car, I looked back to the house and saw her through the window. She seemed to be watering some of the plants in the house. She looked so beautiful, treating them as carefully as I would.
I sighed at the sight, trying to ignore the thought that popped unconsciously into my mind. I really wouldn’t mind going home to her.
Regan
It had been a mostly uneventful day. Stephanie had slept for most of it; we did watch a few movies though, this time Disney movies because she loved Disney. But who didn’t? Even if it was evil, you couldn’t help but love it. The songs, the dancing, the funny characters, the love story.
When Stephanie fell asleep again I was so bored. I’d already gone through their DVD collection, twice. I sat back on the couch, trying to stay quiet because I didn’t want to wake her up. Three- year-olds needed their rest; otherwise, she would be cranky the next day, and I found myself not wanting to make Evan’s relationship with his daughter any harder than it already was.
“So how’s everything going?” Sarah asked, perky as ever. I called her after I ran out of all other options. It was either Sarah or solitaire, again.
“Well, it’s really boring when the kid is sleeping, but she’s a sweetheart when she’s awake. She loves Black Widow. She has all these Barbie and Ken dolls that she turned into superheroes.”
“Oh Lord, that kid will go far in life!”
“I know, she’s just such an angel,” I said, a small smile in her face as she remembered the epic battle they had reenacted earlier in the day.
“And the father?” Sarah finally asked, her voice prying and I just shrugged, trying to figure out where I stood on him. My dislike for him wasn’t as strong as it had been when I first started out, but could I say that I like him? That might be going too far.
“Well, he’s not as annoying as I thought he would be.” I finally settled on that.
“But still annoying?”
“Well a little, but also…surprising.” I finally settled on the word. Yes, Evan Bale was definitely full of surprises.
“Surprising? How is he surprising?”
“Well, you may or may not believe this, but we got to talking while Stephanie was taking a nap and…”
“And what?” Sarah prompted, after I was silent for too long.
“He knows Elvish.”
“What? Seriously?” My friend said, disbelieving.
“I’m serious. He knows Elvish.”
“No way,” she said with a laugh. “Regan, it looks like you found your nerd soul mate!”
I was about to reply when I heard the door opening.
“Shit, gotta go!” I said, quickly hanging up the phone, putting the DVDs back where I found them and running out of the room. I quickly made my way downstairs, trying to hide my smile as Sarah’s words echoed through my head. Soul mate was taking things a little too far, but I rarely found anyone as into that stuff as I was. I went to the kitchen where I left a book I had started earlier and pretended to read it.
“Hey,” Evan said tiredly as he walked in, dropping his briefcase on a chair and walking over to the cabinet to pull down a glass.
“Hey,” I replied simply, looking at him briefly then at the book. My heart skipped a beat when I realized I had it upside down. I quickly turned it over, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
“How was she today?” he asked me, his voice weary as if he’d had a long day at the office and my heart went out to him a little.
“Better, I put Finding Nemo on for her. It usually makes her sleepy.”
“Yeah, I know. Don’t know why, though,” he said with a baffled shrug before turning back towards me.
The silence stretched on way too long between us and the memory of that strange peck on the cheek from earlier kept trying to rise in my thoughts. I squashed it back down as I jumped up.
“Well anyways, I have to go, so pay up.”
I extended my hand expectantly toward him as he handed me my salary. After that, I quickly waved goodbye and proceeded to leave, but his voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Hey!”
I turned to him out of curiosity and saw him shifting uncertainly on his feet for a while. It was odd to say the least, usually the guy just behaved like an arrogant prick.
“I was wondering if you…would like to go out.”
He said those words ever so softly, his arm rubbing the back of his neck and his feet still shifting. He wasn’t serious, right? The guy who was a jerk to me most of the time. No way.
I couldn’t help myself, I burst out laughing, not noticing the look of offense that crossed over his handsome features. It was too freaking hilarious. Oh shit, I hadn’t laughed this hard in such a long time. I had a lot of difficulty breathing and my eyes started to water. Every time I thought I'd caught my breath, I couldn’t help but laugh harder.
“Good one,” I responded, still snickering, drying my tears. Thank God I hadn’t had any water to drink, I think I might’ve actually peed my pants from this joke.
“It’s not a joke. I’m really asking you out.”
I shook my head at his words. “Well forgive me if I’m not falling for it.” I chuckled and waved goodbye. “Catch you later, Evan.” I turned to leave again, humor still lifting my lips up into a slight grin.
“Please.” I heard him call out, stopping me again, and I turned again. “I’m genuinely asking.”
I was about to laugh again but then I saw the look in his eyes: there was no lie, no joke. There was only sincerity. I desperately looked for something that might tell me he was lying as my own smile faded quickly. Any moment, any moment now, he would burst out laughing and say gotcha. I waited a little bit but no such moment actually came.
What the hell? He was kidding, right? This guy, Evan, wanted to go out with me? Seriously? When we had done nothing but mostly argue? I raised my eyebrows in disbelief, but looking at his face, that disbelief vanished. I looked at the man’s expression and it seemed to be full of hope and fear of rejection. Shit, the guy was really serious.
“I might not have time today,” I said, struggling for something, anything to say to his surprising request. It was a poor excuse, I know.
“Well it doesn’t have to be now,” he said quickly, taking a step towards me. “We could go out some other day, when you feel like it…I’ll pay, if that’s what you’re concerned about.
I stood with my mouth gaping and trying to rack my brain to know what to say to this. I seriously didn’t know how to answer him. What the hell was I supposed to say? Why did I even have to say anything? I was within my right to refuse. Just say no, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You get fired? Big whoop, you have another job. But a stupid part of me didn’t want to refuse the request; it didn’t want to refuse him.
I felt my heart flutter in my chest. Thinking it over, I could tell my lack of answer was killing him, but I just couldn’t force the words out of my mouth. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before giving him my answer, not even really knowing myself what it would be until the word was out.
“Okay.”
He nearly collapsed in relief and I could hear a deep exhale. No doubt he had been holding his breath. It almost made me want to laugh, but then I remembered what I was doing and it made me want to take back what I had said. Well tough shit, no take-backs, especially when he started showing that goofy grin of his. I quickly looked away; I was not embarrassed by how much he felt like he'd just got his greatest wish fulfilled.
“That’s great!” he said, standing up straight now, all confidence and arrogance once again. “Just great!”
Damn it, why couldn’t I just tell him I changed my mind? Oh right, I didn’t want to. But I did not feel so good and important when he kept looking at me like that. It was just a stupid date, right?
“Name the place,” he said suddenly, surprising me with another one of those killer grins as he stared at me.
“What?” I asked, almost getting lost in my thoughts.
“Name the time and place and we’ll go. I’ll make all the arrangements.” He elaborated, looking at me expectantly now.
I raised my eyebrows at him. He really did seem eager about this. He must have finally noticed my confused expression, so he started clarifying. “I want to get to know you, so please just let me know.”
“What if I pick an expensive place?”
He shrugged, “I can pay for it.”
“What if the food sucks?”
He shrugged again. “No reason not to have fun, right?”
I was very tempted to turn around and just forget about this, a part of me already regretting my decision, but something in his expression had me rooted to the spot. I couldn’t just leave him like that, hanging there, waiting for my word. Besides, the guy was decent when he wanted to be, and a little funny too. And I knew he loved his daughter more than anything else in the world. He was a really nice person to talk to when he set his mind on behaving like a nice person. Well, what harm could it do, right? It couldn’t be that bad.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, still stalling for more time. He just smiled at me, slow and mysterious and full of a heat that had my whole body flashing like fire.
“Great, let me know what you decide then.”
~~~~~
“You’re kidding?” Sarah said. I was back at my apartment by now, having fled Evan’s house as fast as I could. We were discussing what Evan had said to me and what I had said back.
“I know, he just showed up today and all of a sudden, he’s all, ‘I like you.’” I said, through a mouthful of cereal. “Can you believe it?”
“Well, maybe he really does like you?” Sarah said tentatively.
“Oh please,” I said, rolling my eyes even as I spoke. “I know why he’s doing this. He’s feeling down because his wife left him and now he’s trying to bounce back. I’m just the rebound girl, so no I’m not taking him up on his offer.”
“I didn’t say you should.”
“I mean, why would I even consider it?”
“Then don’t.”
“There’s no way I’d ever want to even be near the guy. Outside of work, I mean. His daughter is great,” I said, my mind tumbling in circles, arguing with itself as much as with my friend.
“Then don’t be.”
“And his body is not that hot, I shot back.
“It’s not,” Sarah said, and one glance at her face said she was fighting back laughter at our back and forth. Finally, I shot her a mocking glare.
“Good Lord, Sarah, what’s with you trying to get me to go out with him?”
Sarah smiled in amusement. “You’re not really thinking of going out with him are you? I mean, not really.”
I stood silently for moment, thinking over what he had said. He had sounded sincere, and we did have a few good laughs. Plus, he knew Elvish! He was cute, smart, and funny when he really wanted to be. I sighed, running a hand through my face. Then I thought over how he was after speaking with his ex. He seemed so vulnerable and sad; it just tugged at my heart. I remembered how lost he looked when his daughter wouldn’t talk to him. Now that I thought about it, he did seem to have that same look when we were at the grocery store. How didn’t I see it then? I mean, he did behave like a jerk and I have no regrets about calling him out on his bullshit, but I wonder if maybe he was feeling the same way as he was yesterday. There was so much more to him than I first assumed.
“I just don’t think he’s all that bad. I mean, should the guy stop being a dunderhead? Yes. Does he need a little comfort in his life? Yes.,” I said, knocking off the list on my fingers. I opened my mouth to keep going, but Sarah’s words interrupted me.
“Look I’m just saying, getting involved might over-complicate things.”
I stopped, sighing as what she was saying sunk in. But there was a part of me that kept arguing. “And I understand that, but I just…I want to know him better. You have no idea how well we get along when we really try. And by that I mean when he’s not acting like a total arrogant asshole. He enjoys about almost all the same nerd stuff I do. He likes voicing his opinions on important matters. And if you were to see the way he loves his daughter, Sarah, you’d understand.”
Sarah sighed in resignation. “Well it’s not like I can tell you otherwise. I just hope you know what you’re doing. I mean, what if you’re right, what if you’re just the rebound girl?”
“It’s possible. But who knows?” I replied slowly.
I smiled in gratitude; yeah, I knew there was a huge chance of that. Maybe the guy just wanted to be with someone who would take his mind off of his wife. Maybe I just happened to be that person because I was the closest one he had. I sighed through my nose, thinking it over. On the one hand, I could just say no; maybe even quit and never have to see his face again. On the other, I really loved spending time with his daughter. I enjoyed going over there, and occasionally, I enjoyed myself around him.
Yeah, maybe he was just using me, but it hasn’t been the first time I’ve gone out with someone like that. I never minded much. I enjoyed the sex and I knew it wasn’t going to last. Maybe this time was the same thing. I knew the score going in. I wouldn’t let myself get hurt. Then again, I don’t think I would actually find out if I didn’t agree to it first.
“I’ll be okay,” I replied smugly, maybe even a little arrogantly. Sarah just shrugged again before we finished our food and went to watch some movies.
The pictures played on the television, and all the while I couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was one of those things that you had a gut feeling that it was a mistake. It twisted inside you, screaming at you that you were doing the wrong thing, but you just didn’t want to pay attention to it.
That’s what this was: the feeling I felt twisting in the pit of my stomach. I’m no stranger to mistakes, and this would certainly not be the last one I'd make. Besides, what better way to find out whether it was a mistake than to make it. I won’t know until I try, right?
~~~~~
My mind drifted back to the first night when Evan had first asked me out on a date, and I had thought that I wanted to see whether this was a mistake like my gut told me, or something different. Well that feeling in my gut grew with every second. It made my heart bounce when I finally agreed to go out with him a few days later. He seemed genuinely happy about it, but it sort of gave me butterflies in my stomach. Or maybe it was just that feeling again, growing even more insistent. That still didn’t mean I wasn’t worried that maybe this really was a bad idea. I was definitely worried.
I don’t know what I was doing, just agreeing to go out with my boss and forgetting myself. I mean seriously, what was I doing? Here I was, dressed all nice for the guy, going to a fancy place and all. What was I even doing here? I hated dressing up all nice! I did keep my box braids though. There was no way I was getting rid of those; they took forever to get them just right and beautiful as always. Plus, they looked good with my golden dress. It hugged my curves and I knew I looked good. And then I wondered why I cared so much, shaking my head at myself. God, I hoped this wasn’t a mistake.
I walked through the restaurant slowly, taking in the glittering chandeliers and crisp tablecloths. I had always wanted to come here, but never had the time or money. Good thing the boss was paying. Paying his nanny to be here with him on a date. It just dawned on me that he was my employer, I was his employee, and we were here on a date. An actual date, not just hanging out while Stephanie was sleeping and talking about the different dialects of the Elvish language. I almost wanted to turn around and run to my house, but I forced myself to stay, if only out of wanting to avoid not showing. I wasn’t the type of person to leave someone hanging. No one deserved that.
Deep breaths Regan, you can do this. I straightened myself up and went over to the receptionist.
“Good evening,” the woman said with a smile. “How may I help you?”
“I have a reservation,” I told her, rubbing my hands together nervously. Gosh, why was I sweating so much?
“Name please?” she asked, distant but polite.
“Oh, I’m here with Evan Bale,” I replied, the woman nodded, looking through the list on the computer.
“Regan O’Donnell?”
“Yes that’s me.”
“Martin, take her to table eighteen please,” the woman said to a man nearby who gave a small bow and gestured me to follow him. I did so, impressed with how fancy the place was. The guy actually bowed! I went and followed him suddenly stopping dead, doubts once more threatening to overwhelm me.
“Wait, wait.” I said to myself more than to him, but he still looked back in surprise. “Maybe I shouldn’t do this. You could just tell him I got sick and had to go. But it has to be something believable: tell him I had to run to the hospital. No, I can’t do that to him, he’s a good guy, he doesn’t deserve me bailing. But he’s also a jerk sometimes, so maybe this will teach him a lesson. But he has gone through some bad crap, I don’t need to add to the pile. I know I’ll tell him I got my period. No Regan, you are not bailing. Do you think I put on too much make-up?”
I’m pretty sure almost everything I said as I rambled nervously didn’t register in his brain because he just looked at me with a confused frown. I suddenly remembered that this was a stranger and he didn’t understand that I was basically going through a panic attack. The guy didn’t need to deal with my crap either, so I just waved it off.
“Forget everything I said,” I said with an apologetic smile.
The man bowed again, this time a little deeper. “Already done, miss.”
“Fair enough. Let’s move, then,” I said, trying to catch my breath and slow down my racing heart beat as we resumed walking.
He finally led me to our table and I was surprised to see Evan already there, waiting for me. When he saw me approach, he got up to greet me, except no words came from his mouth. He just kept staring at me. What the hell? Did he really think I looked that good? No, that couldn’t be. Oh shit, did I have something on my face? Did I spill coffee on my dress? I tried to look down surreptitiously but didn’t see anything.
I glanced back at him questioningly, but seeing how his deep blue eyes wouldn’t leave me, I started to question that. We were both silent for a while longer, and it made me start to fidget, uncomfortable under his heated stare. Gosh, how long was he going to keep staring? I tucked some of my braids behind my ear and looked elsewhere, hoping to get the message across but he just kept staring!
“Hey!” I called, my thin patience breaking, snapping my fingers at him, fed up with his looking. “Geez, dude it’s not like we haven’t seen each other before.”
I huffed, still uncomfortable, sitting in the opposite chair and picking up a menu, trying to ignore the burn I felt spread across my cheeks. I just didn’t want to be under his gaze for much longer. He cleared his throat and sat down, now avoiding looking my way. If I didn’t miss, it looked like his face was tinged a little red as well.
“So what do they serve here?” I asked, saying anything to break the silence.
“Didn’t you pick this place?” Evan responded.
“I picked it because it looked pretty, not because of what they served.”
“To be honest, I have no idea,” he said, frowning at the menu. “Everything’s in French.”
“Oh yeah.” I frowned, trying to decipher which of the words were for meals. “If only it was in Elvish,” I said with a smile, a small token to bridge the sudden gap between us, and his answering grin made me finally relax.
“Are you ready to order?” One of the waiters asked, standing near us. I looked to Evan, raising an eyebrow in question, but he just shrugged.
“We’ll have the specialty,” I told the waiter, handing him the menus.
The waiter nodded and left us.
“What’s the specialty?” Evan whispered the question, leaning forward conspiratorially.
I leaned forward too, until our faces were so close together I could see the little flecks of sapphire in his eyes. “I have no clue.”
We both sat there, staring at each other, at a loss of what we had ordered and what to do before we burst out in fits of giggles.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his laughter finally fading to a soft smile. “I don’t do this much.”
“Yeah, same here,” I said with a shrug. “I guess we’re both out of practice.”
We both laughed before we fell into silence. It was a little weird to be in his company, but to be honest, not that unwanted. I guess I kind of liked being with him. He was really nice when he wanted to try. And the fact that he was really hot certainly didn’t hurt anything. I shook my head at this and drank from a glass of water, hoping the cool liquid would soothe the heat still tingling my cheeks.
“So, uh, what kind of work do you do?” he asked, clearing his throat, “besides working with me, of course.”
I took another gulp of my water, glad for the distraction. “I work as a journalist.”
“Oh, really? That’s nice. Must be interesting.”
“Yeah, I write most of the news regarding political, social, and economic matters.”
“Such as?” Evan asked, intrigued.
“Secrets.” I winked at him, making him laugh and he raised his hands in defense. I laughed along with him. “Sorry, can’t tell you much about what I’m doing, but I can tell you I’m the one who wrote about the details surrounding our corrupt Senator. The story just dropped last week.”
“Really? That was you?” Evan sat forward, an impressed look on his face and he seemed to look at me in a new light, as if seeing me for the first time.
“Oh yeah. That was all me.”
That was something I was really proud of. The corrupt bastard was going to get what was coming to him.
“Well I’m glad we have someone like you giving us that information,” Evan said, toasting me with his glass and spreading a warmth through me at his approving look.
“And you, what is it that you do exactly?” I asked him.
He gave her a sardonic smile and answered with a shrug. “I’m a prosecutor.”
“One of the good ones?”
“I wouldn’t have my house if I wasn’t,” Evan answered, taking another sip.
“It is a lovely house,” I commented, thinking that ‘house’ wasn’t quite the right term for the large estate. Mansion would probably be more appropriate. “So how many have you put away?”
“Not to brag, but quite a few.”
“Names?” I pried, wanting all the juicy details. What can I say? It was the journalist in me. Always digging deeper, always asking questions.
“Nope, I can’t give any names at all.” Evan shook his head in denial. I pouted for a moment before letting it slide.
“Oh fine. How about something a little less secretive?” I grinned at him, and his look of wariness had it widening even more, “How did you learn Elvish?”
He nearly choked on his drink while laughing. I could see a little bit of red on his cheeks. I bit my lip to keep from laughing at him while he tried to hide his face.
“Um, I was browsing through the internet one night, bored and alone, and I had no idea what to do so when I found this site on Elvish, and I started to learn it. I guess I was really bored. Gosh, I feel like such a nerd.”
“Nerd and proud,” I boasted, raising my glass to him which he did too and we toasted. “So what do you normally do on dates? Do you normally take girls out to places like these?”
Evan huffed a laugh. “The last date I went out on was with my ex-wife.”
“Oh, sorry.” I instantly felt contrite at the question. I should have known the answer to that one already.
Evan waved away my apology with one hand. “It’s fine.”
He might have been saying one thing, but suddenly he got a lost look on his face. I could only imagine what he was thinking, but then a few moments later, he continued. “We met in Paris. She just seemed like the ideal woman, but I guess things don’t work out like that. Well, they didn’t work for us, anyways.”
“Well it’s not so bad,” I said, struggling for words that would comfort him. “You had your daughter and you care about her. Stephanie is a wonderful child.”
“I do love my daughter,” he said with a sigh and slight, pained smile. I knew things had been difficult between them since her mother left, but that love was shining in his ocean blue eyes, and that couldn’t be faked.
“So something good came out this, right?” I asked, encouraging him to see the silver lining, and eventually he nodded along with me.
“Yeah, it did.”
We remained somewhat silent for a little bit, when I suddenly thought to voice something which had been bothering me since we sat down.
“Now, I have a very important question for you,” I said slowly, hesitantly, making my tone as serious as I could.
“What is it?”
“…Are you just as creeped out as me by the amount of lobster that everyone is eating?”
“Oh Lord, I thought it was just me,” Evan said with a laugh. There was honest humor in his deep blue eyes and it sparked an answering emotion in me. I leaned forward to whisper to him again.
“Let’s get out of here, please.”
“Gone,” he said, throwing his napkin on the table and signaling to our server.
We asked the waiter to pack our food to go as I glanced around the dining room again. Seriously, there was an incredible amount of lobsters. I’d always found lobsters creepy, with their claws and weird antennae things. Thank God Evan shared the feeling.
“Seriously, it’s like they’re judging you for eating them,” he said, shivering a little.
“I know, right?” I agreed, sharing a small, knowing smile with him as we waited for him to pack up the special, whatever it was.
“Here you go.” The waiter called, coming over to us, with the boxed food in hand, “Lobster to go.”
I shot a look of mock horror at Evan, only to find him looking at me the exact same way. After a moment, we both burst out laughing, shocking the poor waiter as we grabbed our food and scurried from the restaurant, our giggles still echoing long after we’d left.
~~~~~
Since neither of us could stomach the lobster, we had to give the food away. Thankfully I knew a great shelter nearby where they wouldn’t mind looking that thing in the eye as they ate him. One kid in particular did something with the eye that I just wanted to forget. We strolled down the street after leaving the shelter, a place I’d never expect Evan to look comfortable in, but he seemed more himself there than he had at the fancy restaurant. We couldn’t decide what to do afterwards, so eventually we settled for walking along the beach. It was close to where we already were, just a short walk to the shoreline.
“Aren’t you cold?” he asked me, shivering a little himself.
“I’m from Scotland; we wear skirts through winter, pal.” I gloated, ignoring the chilly night air hanging dark around us.
“You Europeans and your cold,” Evan teased, shaking his head, “I’d like to see you go somewhere hot.”
“Well, if you ever want to kill me, you can take me to Australia,” I joked, and Evan laughed with me, throwing me a sidelong look as we ambled.
“Kill you from what? The heat or whatever animals they have there? Did you know there are more poisonous animals in Australia than anywhere else in the world?”
I laughed at that, as it was a good question. Then again, I’m sure I would just die the minute I stepped off the plane. I didn’t do well in the heat.
After a moment of companionable silence, Evan spoke up again. “So, Scotland. How is it over there?”
“Oh lovely. We have a ton of green over there unlike America.” I closed my eyes, picturing the grassy rolling hills and dramatic cliffs. Everything seemed so flat here in comparison.
“Hey, we have green here,” Evan defended, and I just snorted in disagreement.
“Eh.”
He chuckled a little stepping closer to me.
“So what made you come here?”
“I didn’t, my parents did,” I answered, remembering all those years ago as I stared up at the stars shining overhead. “When I was a kid, they got jobs here so we ended up moving. We would often go back during winter breaks though.”
“Do you miss it?” he asked after a moment of walking in silence.
“A little, but I really like the life I made here. America is a crappy country in a few senses, but it’s not so bad. It’s my country about as much as Scotland.” I turned to him suddenly, “And you, where are you from?”
“Oh, I’m just from California, nothing special there.”
“Hey, don’t be like that,” I scolded, bumping into his shoulder with mine.
He laughed a little. “Well, my parents got divorced when I was little. I lived with my mom for some time there before we moved here. I do sort of miss it too. But the only reason I won’t leave is for Stephanie: she loves it here.”
“…Well you know what they say, home is where you make it.”
He smiled at that and I couldn’t help but smile myself. So far this didn’t feel wrong; it didn’t feel like the mistake I was worried it would be. So maybe that was a good sign. Who knew, maybe this could lead to more dates in the future.
“So, should we go back home?” he asked, looking at me questioning, something in his blue eyed gaze uncertain, and I answered him with a soft smile.
“Only if you buy a bottle of whisky.” I sighed.
“As you wish.”
Regan
It was a good thing I’d had the idea of calling Sarah and asking her to take cover for me and watch Stephanie. Her friend had taken the little girl to her house to watch her and boy, was I grateful. Yeah, I did not want that kid to see me with her father like this.
I can only remember coming back to his house, watching some movie in the living room even though I couldn’t remember what it was for the life of me, having some shots and then all of a sudden, as if out of nowhere, we were locking lips.
We pulled away briefly to look at each other, both just as dazed from the alcohol, but even more by the want in both of us, by the desire burning us up. We wanted this. We wanted each other. Honestly, I may have had a few drinks, but I was sober enough to kiss him fervently, sucking on his sweet lips just as he sucked mine. God, he tasted so good, like the sweetest wine, a drug sweeping through my system, addicting me. We kissed again, hard, and I pushed him back until he was leaning on his hands.
I crawled on top of him, straddling his hips, and continued kissing him, running my tongue inside his mouth along with his. I pushed a little too much and he fell on his back. We both giggled at that a little, lost in looking at each other again, then resumed kissing.
I felt his hands crawling up my dress, grasping the back of my thighs and caressing my hips. I moaned at the gesture parting from his lips and giving him access to my neck while I ran my hands down his chest and abs. I have to hand it to the guy: he worked out and it paid off.
“Wait,” he said breathlessly, pushing me away a little. “I don’t have any condoms.”
“It’s okay, I’m on birth control,” I said hastily, getting back to kissing him. I needed his lips on mine, needed to keep tasting him.
“Wait!” he said once he pushed me away again. “Are you sure?”
I frowned in thought, thinking about it. I do remember going to the doctor about that, but impatience and desire muddled my thoughts and I could only focus on one thing - him.
“Yeah,” I replied, kissing him again. I was super horny. I wanted him so bad my entire body was trembling from it, and I could feel from where I was straddled above him, that he was too.
My hands found his shirt and began to pull it off of him; he asked no further questions and raised his arms to help me begin to take it off. Once it was over his head, I leaned back and admired his gorgeous abs while he brought his hands up my back to undo my zipper. Once that was done I helped him lift it over me and threw it aside along with the shirt, letting him admire my breasts. He did so with a look that wasn’t lustful but sensual, and it made my stomach flip. He lifted himself up and pushed back against me until it was my back that was on the couch and him on top of me.
He gazed at me intently before taking my lips again and then he began to grind his hips against mine. I moaned at the feel of his pulsing erection between my legs. I reached my hands down to his waist and started tugging at the belt: he obliged by pulling them undone and then pushing them down. I reached my hand toward his erection and smiled in satisfaction when his eyes closed in pleasure, his mouth parted in a gasp. I kept stroking his penis in my hand, watching his face twist in pleasure, although after a few strokes he grasped my hand and pulled it away; he didn’t want to come just yet.
“Slow down a minute, Regan.” He groaned out the words, taking control as he moved above me. He leaned down for a moment, grabbing his belt and a moment later, he was back.
He took both of my hands and tied them together with his belt, firm but not tight enough to hurt me, and he pushed them over my head. He gave my lips another kiss before he nipped at my jaw and trailed down to my neck, grinding his teeth at a sensitive spot that had me moaning, especially when he reached his hand down my panties, caressing the sensitive skin of my butt cheeks.
I gasped at the sensations, grinding myself against him. He really knew how to turn a woman on. He lowered himself from my neck and to my breasts, taking one in his mouth, causing me to bite my lip to hold back my moans. He was sucking on one of them, running his tongue over the nipple while he reached his free hand to caress the other. I kept on moaning, a constant sound I was barely aware of, grinding my legs as I felt my vagina’s natural lubrication between them. The hand on my ass found its way to my vaginal lips and he chuckled against my nipple making me moan again.
“Eager aren’t we?” he said, lifting his head, feeling how wet and ready I already was for him.
“You’re one to talk,” I replied with a dazed smile, grinding against his erection and making him gasp before laughing breathlessly at the movement, at the teasing between us.
“Okay, point taken.” He grunted, pulling against my nipple, making me gasp, “But I’m not coming first.”
That sounded like a challenge, but one that I felt I wasn’t going to win, especially when he ran some kisses down my stomach and to my pelvis, pulling my panties down and exposing my vagina.
Oh shit he wasn’t going to...!
I couldn’t help but arch my back in pleasure and emit a loud yelp when he started sucking on my entrance. I tried to twist myself. but he held my hips down and kept running his tongue over them, eventually reaching my clitoris. I moaned loudly when he focused his attention on that, the most sensitive part of me, sucking slowly but eagerly. I couldn’t keep my legs from moving, and my pelvis from grinding up to meet his tongue. My moans and gasps sounded all throughout the house and my hands tugged helplessly against the restraint, but to no avail. I tried to writhe away, but otherwise I could do nothing except submit to the pleasure he was making me endure.
He continued lapping at my clitoris, spreading my legs wide apart as I continued to move restlessly, instinctively beneath him and emit loud noises. This was torture: I needed to come badly. I whined at how he parted from my entrance and I saw him smirking down at me before crawling up to suck a nipple again, teasing me because he knew how much it was tormenting me.
“Please,” I whined, moving my hips up, desperate for more contact.
“I got you,” he said moving his fingers at my entrance, making it twitch. “I want to see your face when you come.”
Before I could even think of a response, he thrust two fingers into me and my eyes widened in shock and pleasure. They went in rather smoothly ,but my vagina, super sensitive from his earlier treatment, sent shocks throughout me. I tried to speak, but my mouth kept gaping open, no sound coming out but a purr that I couldn’t stop, my brain unable to form coherent thoughts anymore. I could only watch helplessly as he smiled down at me and began moving his fingers. My eyes rolled at the amazing feel of them inside me, reaching in deep while his thumb caressed my clitoris. My legs kept writhing as he continued his ministrations, while my breaths started to become pants, and my nipples hardened.
He took the opportunity to insert one more finger, making me arch my hips again, trying desperately to get them deeper. I tried to reach my bound hands to him, but he made them stay where they were. I was at his mercy now: all I could do was moan wantonly and arch into his touch as he dug deep into my vagina, rubbing my clitoris until I felt my orgasm building.
I wanted to say something, but I could only emit sounds of pleasure and stare into his eyes that bore down on me, waiting. All of my limbs started to tense, his fingers were in knuckle deep, and I felt the waves of pleasure racking my whole body as I felt my orgasm explode, and I screamed at the feel of it washing over me, throwing my head back, curling toes and arching as much as I could to make the feeling last.
Oh God, it was so intense that I felt it lasted for hours, but then it finally ended and I was left twitching with his fingers still inside me.
I panted up at him, breathless and unable to speak as he leaned close.
“Oh, the fun’s just starting,” he whispered in my ear before pulling his hand out, making me whimper at the loss of contact, my body craving for something inside me once more. Something more than just his hand. He did, however, continue to caress my clitoris, the sensations beginning to build up again, but before too much torture, he turned me around until I was on my knees, my hands lying in front of me, still bound together by his belt, and my ass raised in the air toward him.
I continued panting as he began to stroke his member against my entrance. I could feel him like a brand against my skin and I needed more. I used what little strength I had left to move my hips and meet his penis, but he only continued rubbing it on my lips, feeling my moisture drip wet and hot as melted honey.
I whined with impatience, making him laugh, but it didn’t take long before he pushed his dick inside me. I gasped at the new pressure now inside me and then yelled at how his member filled me up more than his fingers did.
I arched my back, hoping to get it as deep as I could go while his fingers still rubbed my clitoris and his free hand went to grab one of my breasts. His talented fingers started rubbing and squeezing first one and then the other until I thought I couldn’t take anymore. But he didn’t stop.
My breaths felt like wheezes now, and I didn’t know which sensations to focus on. It was so intense, everything that he did, all the pleasure that he gave me. Fortunately, I didn’t have to decide since he let go of my breast and clitoris, the loss of contact nearly making me scream in annoyance, and he grasped my hips before he started thrusting into me, all the way in, as deep as he could go, setting a rhythm that had me gasping.
I cried when he started to move his dick in and out, plunging deep into my vagina, unable to control my voice. He didn’t care: he only dug his hand into my hips, holding them in place with each thrust. He set a torturous pace, deliberately slow. I almost wanted to cry at how much I needed him to pound away into me. I tried moving my hips to meet his, but he held them still and simply moved his penis.
“Beg me,” he groaned, his voice as harsh as gravel and lower than I’d ever heard it before. “Beg me to fuck you.”
I gasped for breath, trying to do as he wanted, as I wanted. My voice was soft and out of breath, but still I managed to say the words, “Fuck me, please. Please, pound into me.”
I swear I could almost hear the smirk behind his voice when he spoke, “No problem.”
I felt him grasp my hips a little more firmly and this time he started pulling them back to meet his thrust which also increased speed. Our hips kept making loud smacking noises which almost drowned out my voice. Still I screamed because he continued to slam into me, rubbing my clitoris as he did, pummeling my face into the couch cushions and knocking most of my breath out of me. I tried to hold myself, but I could only let him take over and allow him to shove his erection deeper and deeper into me, rubbing against my walls and that sensitive spot inside me. He kept thrusting, and all I could was hold on as he took me, as he made me lose my mind.
An intense euphoria started to build up once more and I found my orgasm approaching. I tried to tell him, but all I could voice were my yelps, shrieks and cries of pure pleasure. He seemed to sense it, though, because I unconsciously clenched it tighter around me and it prompted him to increase the tempo. I felt his long, thick penis plunge into me, waiting to ride out through my orgasm. It was close, I could feel it. I was so close. I shut my eyes, squeezing them tight as I felt it course through me. I felt the climax escalating and making me yell louder than before. Fuck, it felt wonderful. I felt like electricity stimulating all of my nerves at once, my mind seeing stars as my own orgasm sent Evan over the edge and he came inside me.
Once the feeling passed, I felt his penis pulsing inside me, releasing his seed into me, which made me twitch and spasm around it. I gasped once the aftershock was over, finally able to breathe again, still panting as the pleasure settled through my body along with satisfaction. I collapsed against the couch and Evan collapsed against me, but still held himself so that he wasn’t crushing me. We both lay gasping for a moment before I burst out laughing. Or at least tried to. It was more of a breathless chuckle.
“You’re really kinky aren’t you?” I finally said, making him laugh as well.
“Well, I love being the dominant one,” he admitted, and I could feel his shrug from above me.
“Good for you,” I said, contentment rolling through me in waves that made me never want to move. I figured Evan would feel the same, but was surprised when he turned me over, his expression serious and his eyes flashing blue fire at me.
“So, ready for another round?”
I shrugged as best as I could, a small smile lifting the corner of my lips. “If you can turn me on again.”
“Is that a challenge?” he asked, lifting himself and kissing my shoulder, running his mouth across my hypersensitive skin.
“Depends on how you want to take it,” I mocked, shrugging slightly and trying to still the sudden butterflies that exploded at the new look that came into his gaze. It was pure sin.
“You’re on.” Evan stared down at me and I couldn’t look away. “Close your eyes,” he finally ordered, and it was hard to make my eyelids shut, but I did as he asked.
I might’ve regretted saying those words, issuing the challenge as that look grew and Evan disappeared for a long moment, but I didn’t. My body was already starting up again, a new wave of moisture slick between my thighs at the thought of what was coming next. Not knowing was really turning me on.
A few minutes later, I felt something, like my vagina was being prodded at with something. He kept rubbing it over my outer lips, slicking it up with the juices collected down there. I peeked one eye open, surprised to see a pink vibrator clasped in his hands.
“Wait,” I said, making him stop. “Did you ever use that?”
“No, don’t worry, I got it right when I found out Melanie was screwing someone else.”
“Oh, okay, proceed,” I said shakily, making him smile, and before I knew it he pushed it inside me. I immediately tensed around it, my sensitive walls trying to adjust to it. It was covered with little lumps that massaged my walls in ways that had my breath catching in my lungs. I bit my lip and arched into the vibrator as he kept pulling it out and then pushing it all the way in, its texture rubbing every inch inside me.
I felt his lips on my shoulder as his free hand reached to my breast, caressing it and pinching the nipple. I arched into the touch, relishing his touch, the feeling at my vagina before he undid the belt from my hands and led one of them to his penis.
I gave it a firm squeeze, happy with the sound he made, so I started stroking it, coaxing moans out of him as he continued to plunge the vibrator in me. After a few strokes, I stopped his hand, looking up at him with heat blazing in my eyes, and before he knew it, he was on his back with my hand still grasping his dick and the vibrator still inside me. He looked surprised but smiled as I continued to stroke him, then leaned my body down to take him in my mouth.
I smiled around his member when I heard him grunt in pleasure. I looked up to gage his reactions as I started moving my lips. I would pull out only to the tip only to take it all again, my teeth scraping against it as his toes curled and one of his hands found itself on my head, encouraging me to take it in.
I felt his other hand moving, wondering what he was doing with it. I realized instantly what that was when the vibrator started up inside me. I moaned loudly around his penis, but his hands kept me in place while my hips started moving of their own accord and my walls clenched against it. Still I made sure to keep on sucking his penis, my moans enticing him on as both of us started to writhe wildly as our pleasure grew higher and higher.
My mind had gone blank at this point. All I was doing was sucking on his penis and moving mindlessly against the object in me, and I was loving it. I could tell he was too, given his groans and pants. He was close, and so was I. I pulled my mouth away and started stroking him, using my hands and fingers as I moved, going to lie over him. He looked at me with a smile and started moving the vibrator again, making me arch myself into his touch and tugging at his penis so that we could come together.
I kept moaning as the vibrations drove me closer to my orgasm until I screamed, squirting more juices over it. I continued to move my hand, riding out my orgasm until I heard his moans get louder until he too screamed and came all over my hand.
In the end we both laid there, basking in our aftershocks of orgasm. After a bit, I collapsed on top of him, completely spent. He reached an arm to wrap around me, pulling the vibrator out of me and setting it aside, letting my head rest on his shoulder. After a long moment where we just laid there, both trying to catch our breath, he sat up and then carried me to the bathroom. I was a little exhausted, but the thought of a bath had me moaning again with a different sort of pleasure.
The bath was almost as great as the sex; well, not quite. Not anywhere near, really, but it felt great. It was very comforting, letting him wash me and letting me wash him in turn. I felt relieved and so relaxed. By the time we got out, we went back to the sofa, and he went to get a blanket and we cuddled against each other. His arms felt so warm and safe, and they were everything I'd ever wanted when sleeping with someone. I don’t know how long it was before I drifted to sleep, but I did know that I wouldn’t be as secure sleeping with anyone else.
Regan
Ah, such a beautiful day, full of singing birds and sunlight, and, oh shit! What the hell is that feeling?
I slowly sat up on the couch and covered my mouth, feeling nausea roll through me. I ran to the bathroom, throwing the door open and leaned over the toilet bowl emptying my stomach contents. I vaguely felt someone holding my hair back and out of my face.
“It’s okay, I got you,” I heard Evan say Unfortunately I was too busy throwing up to properly thank him.
After a few minutes, I finished releasing everything and finally sat there gasping before Evan handed me some water which I took to rinse my mouth and a damp towel to clean up with.
“I know, happened to me too. Lucky for me I don’t have such long hair,” he said with a chuckle. I couldn’t help but laugh as well, but it was a weak attempt.
“Ugh, my head,” I groaned, getting up slowly, achingly, and rubbing my temples.
“Same here.” I handed him back the towel he gave me to wipe my face, not brave enough yet to look in the bathroom mirror. I’m sure it wasn’t pretty. I wasn’t a morning person.
“Aspirin?” I asked, the pounding in my head doubling as I glanced at him.
“In the cabinet.”
I hurried as fast as my wobbly limbs allowed me and I got that much needed aspirin. I leaned over the sink, briefly allowing myself to look back in the mirror and saw Evan admiring my ass.
“Really?” I asked, half-heartedly complaining.
“It’s a nice ass” he shrugged, unabashed.
I laughed before putting on a bathrobe that was hanging there and then I flushed the toilet.
“What’s for breakfast, then?” I asked, my appetite suddenly returning as quickly as the nausea had come and left.
Evan smiled at me, holding out a big hand. A hand that had given me so much pleasure the night before. “Not to brag, but I make a mean crepe.”
“Oh sounds delicious. I’m suddenly hungry.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked warily, looking serious as he waited for my answer. I gave him a shrug and small smirk.
“I’m never too sick for a crepe.”
I took his offered hand and strolled with him into the kitchen, content to just sit and watch as he cooked, the smells wafting from the stove enough to have my stomach growling in hunger.
When he finished making his crepe, he brought it over to the table where I’d been impatiently waiting and we both dug into it, happy to have such a delicious meal after a long night of sex.
“So where are we right now?” he asked me slowly, softly, to which I just looked at him in surprise.
“In the kitchen? Eating a delicious crepe.”
But he was already shaking his head, my comment drawing a smile from him, despite his attempt at seriousness. “I mean us. Are we together or just casual?”
I shrugged, those damned butterflies in my stomach acting up again. “Do you want us to be together?”
“I was thinking…” he seemed hesitant to continue and he raised an eyebrow in question before speaking again. “Yes?”
I smiled at him. He could be so dominant in the bedroom, but oh so cute outside of it.
“Of course,” I said, before laughing as he let out a breath. “But, I am gonna have to quit.”
“Oh come on, you’re great with Stephanie,” he groaned, looking down as his half eaten crepe as if trying to find the answers there.
“I’m sorry, but I just don’t think it’s right that I’m both your babysitter and girlfriend. If I’m going to be your girlfriend, there needs to be some space between me and Stephanie. That way, if something happens, you can break it to her easily.”
“Yeah, the last time I tried to break something to her easily, it didn’t go so well.” Evan said the words with a cynical roll of his deep blue eyes and I shrugged. I know it had been hard for him before, but that was exactly what I was trying to avoid now. I leaned forward so he could see my expression of how serious I was.
“Well tough bro, you’re gonna have to do it. At this point, we don’t know where the relationship is going to go. Stephanie likes me, but she hasn’t gotten to know me that well for us to cultivate a good relationship, so right now it's good for us to keep our distance. Because if we let her get attached to me and it ends badly between us, I’ll still have to quit and she might end up being devastated by it.” I tried to make him understand the logic behind what I was saying, but I still didn’t think he was getting it. He kept looking at me with a goofy grin on his face.
“You’re assuming we’re going to break up,” Evan said, that damned smile growing wider.
“I’m not assuming anything. Besides the fact that your daughter still hasn’t gotten over you breaking up with her mother and that adding another woman into the mix is just going to make her more upset.” I pleaded with him to understand, or at least try to understand and finally his smile faded as my words started to sink in.
He groaned at that, loud and uncharacteristically pouty, and my guess is he didn’t want to think about his wife right now, or possibly ever. Unfortunately, he still had a daughter to think about and he needed to put her before everything else, even me. Especially me. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be for the little girl if her dad suddenly got a new girlfriend.
Evan looked at me, his blue eyes clouded in thought, and I could see the moment that resignation settled across his handsome features. “Fine, let’s just wait a little longer,” he said with a deep sigh. “I’ll look for a new nanny in the meantime, though, and I will ask you to continue looking after her.”
I nodded once, on the one hand glad that he was thinking about his daughter, and on the other, feeling something that I didn’t expect to feel: disappointment. “Okay then. But I’m still getting paid.”
“Oh come on!” he whined playfully. “Can’t you do your new boyfriend a favor?”
“Boyfriend?” I asked, one brow arched.
“Boyfriend in waiting, then,” he replied, and that damned smug smile was back on his face, making him look more handsome than ever.
“No, because my new boyfriend in waiting understands that I have another job in which I have to deal with a shitty boss. So if I’m spending the rest of the day taking care of my boyfriend’s daughter, I’m definitely getting paid.”
“Fine,” he groaned, finally giving into me. It was inevitable. In this battle of wills, there was no contest. I was Scottish, for Christ’s sake, and had a stubborn streak in me a mile wide. Evan continued, his voice sliding deeper, sexier with every word. “Do you think I can get a discount for your services, thanks to the ones I provided you?”
“No!” I said, my voice was appalled but my expression was all smiles. How could he make me want to laugh and so irritated at the same time? It must be his special gift.
Evan just shrugged nonchalantly. “Worth a shot. Oh, and speaking of Stephanie,” he paused, that heat in his blue eyes firing again. “I just called your friend, Sarah, and she said she was willing to keep an eye on Stephanie today again. And I just called in at work and took the day off.”
“Oh?” I asked in a playful manner, “So what does that leave us to do?”
He smirked at me, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Oh Lord, was he thinking what I thought? An hour later ,I found us both on the couch, engrossed in the screen in front of us as we hammered away at the remote controls we each had clenched in our hands. I couldn’t express how awesome he was when he suggested we play Mario Kart, with a twist.
“HA, I BEAT YOUR SORRY ASS!” I yelled in triumph as he groaned at the screen. Five games of Mario Kart and I was in the lead in each one. It didn’t help him that I constantly took all the bonuses. I also think he was more than a little distracted and I felt no guilt whatsoever at taking advantage of it.
Evan glared at me good naturedly. “I don’t know how you’re doing it, but you’re cheating!”
“Oh quit whining and take your pants off,” I said, smiling at him sweetly, my eyes glued to him now instead of the screen.
We were playing strip Mario Kart, and the guy was finally down to his underwear. Gotta say, this was an amazing idea that we would certainly be doing again. If we ever made it through the first game. It seemed almost unfair that I had won all the games, but as he shed his pants I couldn’t regret it. Damn, Evan had a nice body. Broad shoulders and a well-muscled chest, six pack abs and hard thighs peeking from beneath his boxers. It was all too easy to remember exactly how good the still hidden parts looked too.
“So embarrassing,” he muttered, throwing the pants into his other pile of clothes.
“I don’t know, I’m liking the view.” I smirked, my gaze still glued to his impressive body and I could feel warmth spread through me at his look. Evan smiled, slow and sensual, and I swore that warmth burned a hundred degrees hotter just like that. I glanced down at a vibration, searching for the source and then looked to my phone when I realized I had a new message. I groaned at it: apparently the boss was having problems, some sort of emergency, and needed me.
“I have to go,” I told him regretfully, more regretfully than he knew, as I snuck one final look at his nearly naked body.
“Oh, come on,” he said, glancing down at his own nudity, and then back up at her with a grin on his lips. “You can’t leave now. Things were just getting interesting.”
“Sorry, I wish I could stay, but my stupid boss needs some extra help.”
“What is it with newspaper editors and hounding people’s asses?” he mumbled sourly as he moved to pull his pants back on.
“You know a newspaper editor?” I asked, curious as I gathered my things, preparing to leave.
Evan nodded solemnly as his expression twisted. “Yeah, my ex.”
“Well I guess it runs in them,” I shrugged, before kissing him and walking out, “I’ll see if I can drop by tonight.”
“Later.”
Ugh, I did not want to go to work today. There was only one reason my boss called me before I had to work and it was because she had done something stupid and she wanted to make my life hell for it. Damn it, today had started out so good and now she had to ruin it.
Oh well, at least I had last night’s somewhat foggy memories to help me through it. Despite that, I couldn’t help but think that today was going to be shitty.
Once I got to my car, I pulled the door open to head to my lousy workplace when nausea once more had me grabbing for my stomach and running towards the nearest bush as I threw up again. Shit! It was probably a bug going around. I groaned at that. I had just lost my lunch and I was probably going to deal with losing it again later. Yep, today was about to be a shitty day.
Regan
I was right: today did turn out to be a really shitty day. We’d got the so called ‘emergency’ fixed, which was little more than a clerical error that anyone could have handled, but the woman had me running errands for her all day, making me bring her coffee, going to pick up the designs for the cover. Ugh, she was so frustrating. The entire day seemed to drag on endlessly, each hour ticking by so slowly that it was almost painful. Plus, I still had to go and pick out some groceries so I ended up arriving super late to Evan’s house: good thing he was still up.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived. I just wanted to make sure Stephanie was doing okay, but I was certainly unprepared for the minefield I stumbled on to. I had just put Stephanie to bed when I heard the voices. It was when I overheard what was being said when I understood just how shitty my day would be.
“I can’t believe it! I just can’t fucking believe it!” I overheard what was my guess Melanie’s voice. I swear it sounded so familiar, but their words were what really had my attention.
“Will you stop yelling? Stephanie is sleeping,” Evan hissed.
“You’re fucking your babysitter. Why the fuck would you do that?” the woman shrieked, paying no mind to her sleeping daughter, or to Evan’s entreaties to stay quiet.
“Uh, because I’m allowed. I like her and she likes me. It's what people do sometimes.”
“I just can’t believe you would rather fuck with that skank!”
“Do not call her a skank! You don’t even know her. You don’t know anything about her!” Evan’s voice was low and hard as he spoke and I gave a mental cheer.
I had to admit, my heart fluttered when he defended me.
“Of course she’s a skank,” Melanie scoffed, “what else would she be? She comes in here to take care of our little girl, only to get into your pants.”
“Ok, first of all, yes, I hired her to take care of Stephanie, but I was the one who asked her out. Last I checked I have a right to ask someone else out if I feel like it, including my babysitter if she so wishes it.”
“How could you do this? How could you do this to me? Did you do it on purpose?”
“Oh my God, you are acting as if I did this for the sole purpose of affecting you. I promise you, you were the last thing on my mind.”
“Didn’t you? You wanted me out of your life, so you got together with the first woman you saw.”
“That is not what happened at all, Melanie. You have things so twisted around in your mind. You were the one who cheated on me, not the other way around. We were finished long before this, and it’s not my fault that you can’t admit it, because guess what, not everything I do is about you.”
“Then why else would you tell me?”
“I don’t know, maybe because despite everything, you’re still my ex-wife and you deserve to know.”
“Or you did it to make me jealous?” Melanie spat out and I cringed at the venom in her voice.
Evan paused for a long moment before answering, “What?”
“You want me to be jealous and that’s why you told me, so that I would get worked up over it.”
“Oh for the love of God,” Evan muttered impatiently, and I heard the sound of a chair being pulled out and imagined him falling into the seat, disgust on his face.
“Look, there’s still time for us. I promise we can make us work.”
“We are not making anything work, Melanie. God damn it, why can’t you understand that there is nothing between us anymore, and there never will be? I’m done with you! Can’t you understand that?”
“No! It was me you married; it was me you chose to have a life with. You loved me.”
“I married someone else; I married the illusion of a woman who never existed. If she did, she never would’ve left me. It was an illusion I loved and that illusion has faded.”
His words surprised me, and no doubt they surprised the woman because she remained silent.
“She’ll never be that woman. She will never love you the way I did. No one will ever care about you the way I did. You were just some sad, pathetic, weak man before you met me!”
“Alright that’s enough!” I yelled, stepping from around the corner. If she wanted to call me a skank she could, but she was not talking like that to my new boyfriend. “I don’t know what your problem is lady but I...”
I was totally prepared to give her a grandiose speech in hopes of getting her to leave Evan alone forever, so that he wouldn’t have to deal with her again and hopefully make things better with Stephanie. Unfortunately, a second before I made my grand entrance, I realized why the woman’s voice sounded so familiar. When I came face to face with her, my blood ran cold as ice and I swear I blacked out for a second.
It was my boss, Mrs. Hershaw.
“Oh shit,” I muttered, my eyes and my boss’ opened wide in shock. “No. No way.”
“What’s happening?” I heard Evan ask. “Regan?”
“Um...” I gulped, struggling for air, struggling for any words to possibly explain just how messed up the situation had become.
“You slept with her,” Melanie hissed, her rage-filled eyes making me want to just vanish into thin air.
“Yes?” Evan said. He seemed unsure of what else to say, and he looked from me, to Melanie, and then back again. “…Do you two know each other?”
I cleared my throat, trying to avoid Mrs. Hershaw’s glare. “Evan, this is Mrs. Hershaw, my boss.”
“…Your boss?”
I swear we were all so silent, you could drop a pin and it would echo through the house. I caught Evan looking between us, and Melanie just wouldn’t stop glaring at me. I couldn’t take it, this awkward silence was killing me!
“So...” I began, but Melanie let out a banshee shriek of rage and stalked off, making me jump. Evan and I stayed there, our collective breath held, and when we heard the door shut, we finally let them out.
Evan sighed, repeating the now obvious facts. “Your boss’ name is Hershaw, which just happens to be my ex-wife’s maiden name. You work at a newspaper, as does Melanie. How did I not figure it out?”
“Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!” I kept saying, holding my head and pacing.
“Calm down,” Evan said, gesturing to the chair next to him, but I couldn’t sit down. I couldn’t even stop pacing.
“No! I will not calm down! This is a disaster! This is the end of my life as we know it!”
“It’s fine, if you’re worried about losing your job, then don’t be. She can’t fire you for this. If she did you could totally sue.”
I couldn’t help but laugh in his face; I swear I must’ve looked like a maniac to him. I kept on laughing, his eyes wide in surprise and confusion, and I patted his arm. Such an innocent man; he knew nothing about the minds of women. It was like he had lived in a bubble, far away from us.
“Are you okay?” he finally asked, staring at me, but I just shook my head, trying to process what had just happened.
“I’m fine!” I said, still smiling. “Why wouldn’t I be? I know she can’t fire me. If she could, it would actually be a blessing! If she could fire me, I wouldn’t complain! What she can do is make my life miserable for sleeping with her husband!”
By that last sentence my false cheer went away.
“Ex-husband,” he clarified.
“Do you really think she’s aware of that difference?!”
“Well, now that you mention it...”
“Oh my God, she’s going to send me to the copy room. She’s going to make me print, copy, and scan things instead of writing them! And she’ll constantly ask me for her coffee! I’ll never see the screen of a computer! I’ll never make everyone see the truth, I’ll never help my friend edit the crossword puzzles section!”
“Regan!” he yelled at me, grasping my shoulders. “Breathe. Just…breathe.”
I nodded at that. I should probably do that. I took in some air and then let it out. In and out Regan. That’s it. Nice and easy.
“Now, if you’re so concerned about how your job is going to go, why don’t you look for another one?”
“I can’t do that. I have put a lot of time and work there, and in a few months I can apply for a promotion.”
“Yeah, she’s not going to give you a promotion,” Evan said, with a look of commiseration. He was finally grasping just how drastically this would change things for me.
“…New job it is.”
“There we go,” he said before taking me in his arms, letting me rest against him. “Now why don’t we have a nice dinner and forget about all this?”
“Ugh, I wish I could, but, I knew today was going to be horrible. I just knew it.” I let my head rest against his chest, letting the soothing, steady beat of his heart calm my own troubled thoughts.
“Hey, it started out okay; you weren’t complaining in the morning,” Evan said with a small grin as he laid a sweet kiss on the top of my forehead.
“That’s because my vagina was doing the thinking for me,” I shot back, and he chuckled silently.
“True.”
“But you’re right. Let’s just forget about this and...”
I stopped talking when I felt something: my stomach clenching in a nauseous cramp.
“What’s wrong?”
I was unable to respond because I felt some bile coming to my mouth. I raised my hand as I quickly ran to the bathroom. Evan followed me and held my hair back again as I heaved violently over the toilet.
“Ugh, I hate this,” I groaned, feeling horrible at first, but just as quickly as it came, the feeling passed.
“Are you gonna be okay?” he asked, his expression concerned as he wiped my hair from my forehead.
“Yeah, there’s a bug going around. It’s probably that,” I replied.
“Okay, are you still up for dinner?”
“Well, I just threw up what I had for lunch, so yes.” I was suddenly hungry, starving even.
He chuckled as he handed me a towel and some water, both of which I took gladly. Once I felt better, we headed down to the kitchen where he started cooking. I have to hand it to the man: he knows how to make good food.
Unfortunately seeing him there, after what just went down, made me slightly uncomfortable. It didn’t feel right for me: he had just had a huge argument with his ex and here he was, making me dinner.
I tried to muddle through my own tangled thoughts, struggling to find the right words to say to him. “Evan, if you want to talk about what just happened...”
“If it’s fine with you, I don’t,” he said quietly.
“But...”
“I don’t Regan, please.”
He looked at me so helplessly that I just couldn’t say anything else. He seemed genuinely upset, so all I could do was smile and nod. He smiled back in gratitude and went back to cooking. But I couldn’t let it go, not only because I just found out Melanie was my boss, but because of the conversation she had with Evan. In the end, however, I sighed in resignation. I knew I shouldn’t have to bring it up if Evan didn’t want to.
Evan
I’m not normally one to lose my mind over something insignificant. I’m a lawyer for Christ’s sake. I’m paid to keep my cool at all times. So why was it that whenever Melanie was involved, I panicked? She knew just what to say to send me over the edge. Then again it wasn’t just Melanie, it was Regan too. I know she won’t tell me, giving me time to work through it for myself, but the whole thing about Melanie has been bothering her, and I, like an idiot, won’t deal with it.
It had been about a week since I’d last heard from my ex-wife. To be honest, it was making me nervous, like the calm before a storm. But right now I couldn’t worry about her; I just had to talk to Regan.
At the moment though, I was currently at home with Stephanie while Regan was working, so I would have to call her later. It was a good thing Stephanie hadn’t asked about her mother, seeming to come to terms with the situation a little better. And I know Regan had been a big part of that change. I just have to focus on something I can actually do something about, so right now it was to find a babysitter, discuss things with Regan, and after that, discuss things with Stephanie.
Shit, I really had a lot on my plate.
For now, I just had to focus on one thing at a time. Easy, right? At least it would be if I didn’t have every single thing nagging in my brain.
~~~~~
I had just finished preparing us dinner for today after having put Stephanie to sleep. I knew I had to talk to her soon, but it could wait: at least now she wasn’t getting into her fits of screaming. Plus, she seemed to be listening to me a little more, so that was good. I loved my daughter and if I could do something to ease her mind, then I would. Unfortunately what she wanted was for me to get back with her mother, which was just not going to happen. That was also something I had to clear up with Regan right now.
Good thing she was available tonight: one talk less to worry about. One more thing I can cross off of my ever growing list of things to take care of.
“I’m glad you could make it,” I said, once she had arrived, kissing her cheek with a smile, but then I frowned when I looked at her. She looked really tired, exhausted even, and had dark smudges under her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Oh yes, I’m fines” she said, though I could tell her smile was forced.
“It’s Melanie, isn’t it?” I asked. Of course it was her: she had been giving Regan nothing but problems lately.
Right now, she looked like she was trying to voice her thoughts while holding back her anger. “She made me write an article and kept buzzing me every five minutes to see if I was finished with it.”
“Oh.”
Annoying, but not so bad.
“And then she kept complaining about her coffee having too much sugar when she was the one pouring the sugar.”
“Wow.”
Still, she wasn’t being that irrational.
“And then she kept asking me why I didn’t make sure the toilets were properly clean despite the fact that she knows that’s not my responsibility.”
Nope, she was definitely being a bitch.
I rolled my eyes and sighed in exasperation: how did I not leave that woman sooner?
“I’m really sorry you have to go through all of this,” I said, rubbing my head, knowing mere words weren’t enough, but at the moment they were all I had to offer.
“It’s okay; I’ll be out of there in no time. I just have to put up with her behavior for a while longer…and try not to put rat poison in her coffee, which, by the way, shouldn’t be that accessible to the public: it’s very tempting.”
I nodded; I had once considered it myself.
“…Maybe just a drop?” she asked.
“No!” I scolded, smiling when she rolled her eyes and growled in frustration.
“You’re no fun,” she muttered going to the kitchen, no doubt smelling the dinner I had just put aside on our plates.
“Oh, this looks good,” she said, picking a sautéed green bean from a plate with her fingers and munching it before I could stop her. Her groan of delight was enough for me and I smiled at her expression. “Amazing.”
“Thanks.”
I set a plate for her and helped her to her seat, before sitting down myself. “I actually wanted to talk to you about Melanie.”
“Oh my God, you want to get back with her, don’t you!” She yelled, her eyes growing wider every second.
“Wait, what?” I tried to backpedal, tried to get her to stop, but she just spoke right over me.
“I knew it, I just knew it. I knew it would happen.”
“No that’s not,,.”
“I thought to myself, okay, maybe he’ll think of us, but then I thought he has a daughter. He’ll most likely want her to be happy so of course he’s gonna get back with his ex. If only for his daughter’s sake.”
“Regan, that’s not what’s happening.”
“Oh don’t you dare lie to me. I know you get that far off look, like you’re thinking about her. Don’t deny it!”
“Regan, you’re being paranoid.”
“Oh am I?”
“Yes,” I snapped, trying to get her to listen to me, but she just kept on going, not hearing a word of it.
“Prove it. Call her and tell her you want nothing to do with her.”
“I’m not going to call her,” I said slowly, and as patiently as I could.
“Why not?”
“Because she’s crazy! Which is what you’re being right now!”
“I’m not being crazy!” she finally yelled, smacking her hand against the table.
I looked at her skeptically then gestured to her hand, which she had just slammed against her plate of food. She lifted it and sheepishly started wiping it with a paper towel that I handed to her.
“Okay, maybe I’m acting a little irrationally,” she said with a small smile of apology.
“You think?”
She glared at me for a bit before finally sighing. “I’m sorry, I just can’t help but think about how you guys used to be together and how you have a daughter and all that…It makes me feel like I’m just your rebound girl and that someday you might want to go back with her. And I’m really tired, like, really really tired, so my mind is just going a little crazy, you know?”
“You’re not my rebound girl. I asked you out the first time because I liked you, and because I thought there could be something between us. Something real. And something that doesn’t have anything to do with Melanie.”
I sighed after this. I knew I had to tell her this part.
“It’s true, I did care about Melanie once, but that was over when I realized she wasn’t the person I loved. She cheated on me, she lied to me and used me. And that’s just not you. I like you because I know you’re a good person. I know we got off to a rough start, but we got past that and now here we are.” I reached my hand out to grasp her chin, making her look me in the eye.
I smiled at her reassuringly. “I’m not getting back together with her, because I like you…And because she’s a psycho.”
She laughed at that and seemed at a loss of what to say, but eventually she pulled away with a smile, looking at her plate awkwardly “So is there a chance I could have another plate?”
I chuckled, glad that she understood, and went to serve her another plate. I loved seeing her like this. I remember things being a lot different with Melanie. Sure, Regan could be difficult sometimes, but she was also kind and loving. Plus, she thought I was an excellent cook and that the eagles in the Lord of the Rings series were assholes for not saving the day earlier. What more did I want?
“So I was thinking that today we could...”
I didn’t have time to finish because she took off running, her hand over her mouth. Shit, not again. I ran after her, just in time to hold her braids back while she threw up in the toilet. How did she always get those braids to be so neat and gorgeous? Right, wrong thing to worry about. Seriously, whatever was going on with her, I did not want to catch it.
“Better?” I asked, to which she nodded, so I handed her a towel and more water. It seemed to be developing into a ritual. “I really think you should have someone check that.”
“I will,” she said, giving me a weak smile. “Later though, not until I know it’s not just going to go away by itself. Now let’s eat.”
“Are you sure you’re up for solids?” I asked warily, wondering how she could still have an appetite.
“Evan, the food you make is delicious and if it’s not in my stomach, I will eat you.”
“Don’t let me hold you back,” I said with a grin, distracted by the sudden heat in her eyes.
She smacked my arm playfully at that.
After that, the rest of dinner went smoothly. No more talk about Melanie or psycho bosses, just easy conversation between two people who honestly liked each other, and it was one of the best nights I could remember in a long while. I knew it was because of Regan.
Before I knew it, we were kissing, one thing leading to another, but I didn’t want to risk waking Stephanie up, which is how we ended up in the garage. Right now, I had my back smacked against the hood of my car with Regan madly kissing me. My hands curled at the back of her head and I deepened the kiss, before pulling away to run my lips along the juncture between her neck and shoulder, enticing me to move my hand up her skirt and under her panties. Her gasps and moans were adorable and made my entire body harden instantly.
My other hand trailed down to her hips, holding her in place as she pulled back to remove her shirt and bra, exposing her breasts to me. I loved seeing her like this, especially when she was moving her hips against my fingers. I reached my fingers deep into her, grasping her clitoris and loving how she moaned louder. I reached up to grasp her back, then, in one swift move, turned her over until it was her back pressed to the car. She barely noticed and only kept on moaning as I continued to move my hand. And after seeing her moan and writhe against me for several long, torturous moments, I removed my fingers, almost laughing as she groaned in disappointment, and removed my shirt as well as quickly freeing my dick.
I ran my hand over her, pulling her skirt and panties down and leaving her completely exposed. She looked so beautiful and radiant, her dark skin glowing with sweat and her breasts rising and falling from her panting. I smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her neck, before trailing down to kiss one of her breasts. I eagerly sucked on it, her moans urging me, while my other hand trailed down her hip, grasping a leg and rubbing it tightly.
I pulled back with a pop and admired her face, her eyes closed and her mouth wide open, releasing soft gasps. I reached down again to kiss between her breasts, trailing kisses down until I was at her vagina. I always wanted to make sure my partners were well lubricated, and this always seemed to work. Plus I got a kick out of it when my mouth touched her and she squirmed into it while letting out a yelp of pleasure. I almost smiled but resumed my task, plunging my tongue deep into her as my teeth scraped her clitoris. Her moans were increasing as did my tempo, but I couldn’t have her coming like this.
I pulled away from her, to her disappointment, and wiped my mouth before I started. I took my already hard member and positioned it at her entrance. I lowered my mouth to hers and took her in a deep kiss. I sucked at her lip, and in one motion, I entered her while she moaned through my lips. I drank it in, swallowing her groans and cries of pleasure and loving every moment of it. I continued sucking on her mouth, enjoying her muffled sounds of pleasure before I parted away from her and licked her behind the ear. She gasped at the action, her walls contracting to adjust to my member which caused me to groan in pleasure.
I reached a hand to her breast, stroking it in my palm while the other caressed her side down to her thigh, which I grasped and lifted it over my shoulder giving me deeper access. I then made sure she was properly adjusted and began thrusting. I grunted at the amazing feel of her vaginal walls clenching and stroking my penis.
I clutched her leg tightly, delivering a kiss to her inner thigh which made her laugh briefly at the ticklish sensation before she resumed her pants and moans, our bodies rocking against the car, making it move along with us. Her hands clutched my shoulders, tighter with every thrust, and her nails dug into my skin, but I ignored it. Right now, I didn’t care about it. I was too busy driving my dick into her.
I went back to kissing her, still moving inside her tight walls. The noises she was making just made me go faster, coaxing more out of me, so I continued to pound into her. I knew she was close, and so was I. I drove my penis inside her all the way as we both finally burst, my semen coating her insides as her walls contracted around it. It was the most amazing feeling, and I kept rocking against her, drawing out the very last ounce of our pleasure.
I caught myself before collapsing on top of her, both of us panting in exhaustion.
“Let’s do that again,” I laughed, still trying to breathe.
“Not tonight, baby,” she panted, reaching up to pull some hair out of my face.
I reached a hand to caress her cheek and looked straight into her eyes: she just looked so wonderful. She was wonderful, and everything I had ever wanted. I loved being with her. Sure, the sex was amazing, but I could do without it. I could just stay there and look at her forever. It was a very odd feeling, but every time she was with me, I felt my heart flutter and all my worries go away. I loved how she overreacted sometimes, I loved how kind and gentle she was, but more than anything, I loved her. The thought struck through me and I realized it was true. I wasn’t afraid to admit it.
She was the one person that I wanted to be with, and deep down I think she too saw me in the same light. The way she smiled at me: I had never once imagined someone being able to look at me like that. I never once thought that I could make someone as happy as she was when she was around me.
“I think I’m in love with you,” I whispered.
To be honest, I expected fear or even rejection from her when I said those words, especially after everything that had happened with Melanie. However, all I got was love and happiness, a smile and eyes full of joy.
“I really think you do.”
I clicked my tongue and slapped her head gently, making her laugh which in turn, made me laugh.
“Just kidding,” she said through her chuckles. “I think I love you too.”
“Whoa there, moving too fast, don’t you think?” I joked, and this time it was her who smacked me and we continued laughing. Both of our chuckles slowly faded away until it was just the sound of our heavy breathing and racing heartbeats. It was pure joy. Slowly, I eased back, helping her back into her clothes as I righted myself as much as I could. In the end, we parted and went to take a shower.
“So we’re officially a serious couple now,” I stated, while preparing the water, still not being able to believe it. I gave her a sidelong look to gage her reaction.
“Yep, I guess so,” she said, and from her tone, it sounded like she couldn’t believe it either.
“You need any help with that?” I asked, still looking at her, unable to tear my gaze away from her. She was currently undoing her braids.
“No, I got it.”
“How do you even get those done?” I asked curiously, watching her fingers manipulate the delicate braids.
“Oh, please.”
I shrugged. Women and how they do their hair would always escape me.
I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help the words from coming out of my mouth before I could stop them. “Hey, are you sure about this? I mean, the last time I dated we got married, and it didn’t turn out so good.”
She cast me an angry look through the bathroom mirror. “The last time you dated you dated a psycho bitch.”
“Hey, she’s the mother of my child.”
“Sorry, she’s a psycho.” Regan shrugged unapologetically and I couldn’t blame her. If I had to work on a daily basis with Melanie, I would probably feel the same way.
“Better, and you still didn’t answer my question.”
She finished undoing her hair, letting it fall down and turned to me with a far off look on her face. “Well, I haven’t been in a serious relationship like this before. To be honest, I’ve never felt this way about another guy.”
“And you feel that we’re at a good spot?”
“…Well, yeah. Don’t you?”
“Well, now that I think about it, I’ve never felt like this with anyone else either. I certainly didn’t feel this way with Melanie. I thought I did, which is why I married her. But being with you right now, it just feels way different; it feels right. As if everything that has ever happened in my life has finally fallen into place.”
“…Gosh you’re so corny.”
I smacked a towel over her head, to which she laughed and ducked into the shower.
“Corny or not, you love me,” I gloated, going into the shower with her.
“Okay, yes, but you’re still corny.”
I laughed again, and decided to just enjoy being next to her in the relaxing water.
“Hey, you think we should have sex in here?” I asked, looking at her wet figure, my body already hardening again at the sight.
“We’re so not having sex in here.”
“Why not?”
“Do you want Stephanie to be the daughter of the guy who died by slipping and falling in the shower while he was boning his babysitter?”
“Oh, people don’t die in the showers like that. They die by getting stabbed with a butcher knife by a transvestite with mommy issues.”
“Ok, creep analogy, but those tiles are dangerous.”
“Please,” I begged, nibbling at the back of her neck as I pulled her curves against me.
“No!” Regan said again, this time more seriously.
“Ugh, you’re no fun,” I teased, worried when she pulled away from me suddenly.
She stepped out of the shower with an awful face.
“Oh come on, don’t take it to heart,” I said, thinking I had upset her, but in reality she had only stepped out to puke in the toilet. “I really hope that’s not contagious. Go to a doctor, woman.”
“I’ll go when it stays too long,” she complained, wiping her face with a towel and gargling water from the sink. I just shook my head at her stubbornness.
“Fine, but you better not contaminate me.”
“Don’t be a wuss.”
I laughed at her once she stepped back into the shower and began shampooing her hair, reaching down to kiss her shoulder, content with her presence.
Regan
A few weeks had passed, as did my relationship with Evan. After we had admitted how we really felt, things progressed rather well. He texted me frequently whenever he was free so we could go out or we would hang out at his place, and he would always make me dinner. I loved being with him, as he was just everything I could dream of in a guy. He was smart, funny, sensitive, etc. I just wanted to be with him all the time, to have him hold me. I loved to listen to him talk about his nerdish likes, and it was hilarious watching him speak Elvish. Plus, it was amazing to find someone that had so much in common with me.
Today, I just wanted to go meet him right away; unfortunately before I could do that, I still had this doctor’s appointment. The vomiting hadn’t stopped, and Evan had finally convinced me to make the appointment. So I would go, talk to the doc, and get something for it. But unfortunately it was contagious, and Evan caught it. The odd part was that he got over it rather quickly but I still had it. So here I was, and I just wanted the woman to hurry up so I could go see him, as he promised me we'd play board games today. I remembered our night of Mario Kart, with a twist and wondered if we could make it a strip board game night. The idea had a small smile curving over my lips. Damn, I wanted to get out of work.
“So Miss O’Donnell,” the doctor said, finally walking back into the examination room. “There seems no indication that you have a bug. It might have started out that way in the beginning, but it’s not the case now.”
“Then why would I still be throwing up?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” she answered, frowning at her clipboard.
Please don’t say I’m dying! Please don’t say I’m dying! I won’t let my life turn into a tear-jerker romantic movie where the main character has cancer then dies!
“Don’t worry, I don’t think you’re dying,” she said, as if reading my over-wrought mind.
I sighed in relief; I'd dodged a bullet.
“But I do want to ask. Have you experienced any other unusual symptoms?”
I furrowed my brows in thought, not sure what she meant. I figured it was something that I hadn’t experienced much of before. I racked my brains and thought back on how I started getting other feelings along with throwing up.
“Well I do get headaches from time to time.”
“Anything in particular with your body?” she asked, all the while making notes on her damn clipboard.
“…I feel my breasts a little swollen sometimes. I’ve had more appetite lately and I’m late for my period but I figured it was just...”
My eyes widened when I said that last one. Oh shit! I looked at the doctor in panic, and she only nodded; my guess was that I had just confirmed her theory.
“No!” I said, my heart stopping, and then lurching into a fast beating rhythm like a galloping horse.
“The symptoms do match.”
“No! We’ve been using condoms.”
“When was the last time you didn’t use protection?”
“About a month ago, but I was on birth control!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I know I...”
Then I suddenly remembered: Sarah had borrowed my pill kit before, thought she gave it back, and two weeks ago she confessed that she accidentally handed me hers. And my stupid brain didn’t register it then, but it was registering it now: I took something else instead of birth control.
Shit!
I looked to the doctor in panic. She seemed to be at loss of what to say so she handed me a pregnancy test which I took, rather abruptly from her, and dashed into the bathroom. I followed the instructions and waited with bated breath until finally I looked at the strip.
Positive.
Holy shit!
~~~~~
“Holy shit!” Sarah whispered once I told her.
“I know, what am I going to do?!” I cried, my whole world feeling like it had screeched to a standstill. Or a head on collision.
“Well, for starters, tell Evan,” Sarah advised, always the voice of reason to my dramatic antics.
“Oh my God, he’s gonna freak!”
Sarah just shrugged. “It’s just a baby. And you guys seem really strong. He can handle it.”
“It’s not just a baby: it’s a baby added to the one he already has! We don’t even know where our relationship is going to go right now! I can’t just throw a baby into the mix!”
“Relax. Just relax..." Sarah started calmly before I interrupted.
“I can’t relax! Oh my God, what if he kills me!? What if I’m gonna end up as one of those dead girls in TV shows that get killed off for being pregnant!?”
Sarah just shook her head, clicking her tongue like a mother hen. “First of all, he would have to still be married for that to even make sense. Second, has anyone ever told you that you overreact too much?”
“Yes! No! Who has?! Give me names!”
Sarah rolled her eyes and me and grasped my shoulders. Her eyes trapped mine in a serious gaze, and she gave me a tiny shake to make sure she had my attention.
“Honey, you have to tell him.”
I scrunched my face in despair, panic setting in like a brick in the pit of my stomach. “No I don’t! I’ll run away to Canada, or Mexico like that guy in that movie, then you could follow me like Morgan Freeman at the end!”
“We’d have to be in jail for that to make sense.”
“Why can’t life be like a movie?!” I cried out, turning away from her and pacing around the small living room. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t be.
Sarah threw her hands up in exasperation. “Because you’re not dead or in prison! So that should be a good thing!”
I groaned, rubbing my hands over my eyes.
“Look, I know it’s hard, but you have to go over there and talk to him.”
I just looked at my friend for a long, drawn out moment as I felt my life crumble around me. “But what do I say?”
“Oh I don’t know; how about, ‘I’m pregnant with your baby’?”
“Oh my God, this is a nightmare.”
“…Well it doesn’t have to be.”
I stopped at hearing those words, thinking them over. It was a baby. I had planned on having children in the future when I would be ready. Right now was not a good time for this, because I hadn’t planned it. Then again, I hadn’t planned on meeting Evan, nor had I planned on caring for him and his daughter so much. Looking back at my life, there were a lot of things I hadn’t planned. To be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to regret any of them. I placed a hand on my belly, wondering if maybe this might be one of those things, but wondering if maybe I might not end up regretting this.
~~~~~
I arrived at Evan’s house just in time to be shushed by him, as he was carrying a sleeping Stephanie to her room. I followed closely behind him to make sure Stephanie didn’t wake up, and to help should he need it. I ended up with a clenched gut, thinking over the news I had in store for him. I was so nervous my hands were shaking uncontrollably and I had to clasp them behind my back so he wouldn't see them.
But oh, there he was, tucking Stephanie in. I sighed at the way he was so careful with her, like a true father. There was the problem for me: he may already know how to act like a father, but he might not like acting as a father to another child. He gently kissed the little girl’s cheek and followed me down to the living room.
“So I was thinking about movies, popcorn, wine, and a few other things,” he said, offering me a wink at the last suggestion.
“Quiet ones I hope.”
Evan grinned at me. “We could always go back to the garage.” He was handsome and wonderful and sexy as hell, and I just stood there for a long moment, staring at him, trying to dig deep and uncover every ounce of courage and strength that I had to say the next few words.
“Actually…there’s something I want to talk to you about,” I suggested, following him into the kitchen where he got some wine bottles.
“What is it?” he asked, offering me a glass which I took gladly.
I was about to swallow when I remembered I was carrying a baby. I quickly spat the wine into the sink and rinsed my mouth, and when I looked back at him, he was staring at me with a confused frown. I racked my brains, thinking about what to say.
“Did the doctor say no wine?” he finally asked, looking at me with his head tilted to one side as if trying to figure me out.
I thought this over: she hadn’t actually said that, but I really didn’t think it was something she would recommend. God damn it, I really needed some alcohol!
“Yeah,” I choked, turning away from his scrutinizing gaze. It was a little easier with his piercing blue eyes on me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice growing concerned, and I thought for a moment how to answer. It should be simple, right?
“Maybe.”
“Maybe, yes or maybe no?” I could hear him walk closer behind me, searching for an answer but I didn’t have one. Not for him, not for me.
“I don’t know, don’t confuse me!” I said, running my hands through my hair.
“Look if you’re not feeling well, then just let me know what I can do. Do you want me to drive you home? Or...”
I turned around quickly, still not meeting his gaze. “I’m pregnant!”
There was a brief pause before he dropped the wine glass he was holding, making me jump a little at the noise. I looked at the glass then at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but he just stood there. It was like he was frozen in time, a statue, and only kept staring at me.
“Evan?” I asked, shaking my hand in front of him but he seemed to ignore it as well. “Ev?”
“Just!” he squeaked, raising a finger. “Let me process this.”
He then took the whole bottle of wine and drank. Two, three, four, a lot of gulps later. he put the bottle down and gasped. I stood there with my eyebrows raised, waiting for him to yell, throw something, complain, anything!
“Better?” I asked.
“…Give me a sec,” he said, rubbing his hands over his face and taking in a deep breath. “I thought you were on birth control.”
“My bad?”
“Your bad!”
I groaned. I couldn’t say I wasn’t expecting this. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d taken some pills, but it turns out they weren’t the correct ones and I ended up taking something else. I know this is crazy.”
“Well, not unless you’re planning to keep it,” Evan spat out, and his words knocked me back as they sank in.
I was silent for a moment, hoping that didn’t mean what I thought it did. Finally I said, slowly and clearly so he understood, “I am keeping it.”
He looked at me, once again frozen, and took a few more gulps of wine. I waited for him to finish before speaking again. “I did think about not keeping it, and I know this is weird for you ,but…I want it. I want this baby and I am keeping it.”
He was silent for a moment. This time he didn’t reach for the bottle; rather he sighed, most likely pondering the news. He leaned against the counter and ran a hand through his hair before looking at me.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice no more than a whisper. His expression was a mix of horror, disbelief, and confusion. I understood. It was exactly how I felt when I first got the news.
“Yeah.” I said, “and I understand if you don’t want this.”
“If by this you mean you?” he asked, moving closer towards me. “Because I do. I do want to be with you.”
“Well, you have to understand that choosing me, means choosing this baby, too.”
He seemed lost for a moment, dropping the hands he’d been reaching for me with, but I didn’t want him to delay his answer any further. “Do you want this baby, Evan?”
I stood there, looking at him and waiting for him to say something. I just wanted him to say it. If he didn’t want the baby, then that was okay: I could just be a single mother. But I needed him to tell me, and I needed to know whether he…loved me.
And then, I felt my heart flutter when he grasped my face and kissed my lips softly and whispered, “Yes.”
I smiled at him and then hugged him, resting my chin on his chest as a sense of momentary relief flooded me. To be honest, I wasn’t that convinced, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I just wanted to be with him.
Evan
Ugh, why was looking for a babysitter so damn hard? There were too many to choose from. There were the agencies, the independent workers, and the girls on my block asking for a job in babysitting; but honestly, those girls seemed too young to be taking care of a baby. Damn it, it was so much easier when it was Regan I had to pay. And on top of it all, I didn’t know how Stephanie would react to a new babysitter. Now that I thought about Stephanie, it reminded me that I still had to tell her that Regan was my new girlfriend, and that her mom and I weren’t getting back together, and that she was about to have a sibling.
It was too much for me to process, let alone a three-year-old girl. She’d been doing so much better. How the hell would she react to the news? Would it send her spiraling back to where we’d been before Regan? My thoughts tumbled together as I tried to sort it out, and tried to figure out the best way to break it to her.
I groaned at the thought. After Regan explained to me how she hadn’t been on birth control, I almost yelled at her. Granted, I stopped when she started freaking out about how I was going to murder her like those pregnant women in movies; that woman could be so paranoid sometimes. Shit, it’s not like I was upset or angry about a baby coming, but it was still something else for us to deal with. We didn’t even know if our relationship was going to last! Yes, I haven’t felt this way for any other woman but Regan, but unfortunately, that wasn’t nearly enough for us to determine if the relationship was going to work.
What if we broke up and she had the baby? What if Stephanie becomes harder to deal with? What if Regan can’t be a mother to both the new baby and Stephanie? What if I can’t be a father to both of them? There were just too many “what ifs” for us right now, and every time I thought of them, it just hurt my head. Stupid life and its stupid complications. I couldn’t deal with all of it at the same time.
I sighed and closed my laptop in resignation. I wasn’t going to get any work done now. I just didn’t know what to do, but I couldn’t think about this right now.
“Daddy!” I heard Stephanie say, and I turned around and put on my best smile.
“Hey, sweetie.”
She gave me one of her sweetest smiles, dimples and all. “Can we play?”
The question brought a sense of joy and relief. It had been a while since she had asked me to play with her. And thankfully, it was one question that had an easy answer. Nothing complicated about it.
“Sure, baby,” I said, almost excited as I followed her to her room.
We played in her room for a while, and I'd realized that I missed these moments with my daughter. The break up with Melanie had been hard and because she blamed me, I barely got to do this. I really loved my little girl, and I didn’t want her to deal with all this stuff, but I knew what I had to do. I had to tell her everything that would affect her. Unfortunately, just as I was working up the courage, she suddenly asked me that which I had been dreading.
“Daddy, are you and mom not getting back together?” Her blue eyes were wide and questioning on me as I turned to her.
Yep, there it was. I gaped at her a little, trying to voice my thoughts, but eventually sighed in defeat. There was no easy way to put it for her anymore.
“Sweetie...”
“I want you to get married again; I don’t want a new mommy.”
I groaned softly: this was really going to be difficult for her.
“Baby, mommy and I can’t get married again.” I tried to explain, but she just pouted at me, her bottom lip trembling.
“But that’s what happens in movies. Parents split up and then they get married again. And then they live happily ever after.”
“I know, baby.” I really wanted to kill those directors. Stupid movies putting ideas in kid’s heads about split up parents. Life wasn’t that easy. Sometimes you separated from someone and it couldn’t be helped. “But the grown-ups in those movies don’t have the problems that your mother and I had. This is just something we can’t fix.”
“But she’s my mommy.” Those eyes, her eyes, filled up with tears just short of falling and I was at a loss for what to say. There was only one option. The truth.
“I know sweetie, but mommy and I can’t get married again because...” I bit my lip, looking her straight in the eyes, not knowing how to phrase my next words, but eventually I just resigned myself, took a deep breath, and said the words as I let it out. “…I’m actually with Regan right now.”
“No!” she cried, throwing down the toy she’d been playing with.
“Sweetie please understand...”
“I don’t want her as my new mommy!”
“But you love Regan. She always plays with you, she gives you cookies, and she reads you your comic books.”
Stephanie jumped to her feet, her voice rising on her next words. “I don’t want her as my stepmom. She’ll be mean and bad.”
And that was another thing: why the hell was the stepmom seen as an evil villain? Stupid movies, really.
“Honey, I know this is difficult, but I love Regan.”
“Why can’t you and mommy be together?”
“Because…”
It’s a hard thing, relaying to your child some really sad information. Right now she was close to tears, but I had to do it.
“Mommy did something,” I said, placing my hands on her arms and rubbing them in comfort, “She did something bad, and she hurt me. And you may not know, but she hurt you too.”
“I don’t feel hurt,” the girl argued, which made me laugh bitterly.
“I know you don’t, because you’re a strong girl. But she did something that you should never do.”
“What did she do?”
I sat with my mouth open, thinking of how to phrase it to a child., “It’s complicated.”
“But she loves you, daddy.”
“…No baby, that’s not true anymore.”
She looked up at me, defiance written all over her tiny face and mutiny in her blue eyes now. “But that’s what she told me.”
“I know…she told me that once. The thing is, if you love someone you don’t hurt them. That’s why I can’t marry your mom again. She hurt me, despite how much I loved her.”
“But mommy says you hurt her, too. And she said Regan was going to hurt you and me. And that you still wanted to be with her.”
I gawked at her, my daughter’s words replaying in my head for a second, then a third time. How could she? Damn, Melanie. How dare she put ideas in a little girl’s head? She’s a child, she shouldn’t have to go through that.
“That’s not true, baby, I promise: Regan is never going to hurt either of us.” I finally forced the words out, still struggling with the fact that Melanie would use our daughter like that, tell her lies to try and manipulate her.
That may not be a complete truth, but while there was still the possibility of Regan hurting me, she would never hurt my child. Nobody would.
Stephanie was quiet for a long time as she thought over my words. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
I smiled at her and lifted her chin when she lowered her head in sadness. I then reached forward and laid a kiss on her forehead before running my hand over her red hair.
“I love you, baby,” I whispered to her. She only looked at me with a sad frown but went to hug me nonetheless.
“I love you too, daddy.”
I smiled at that, only to frown with what she said next. “But I love mommy too.”
I let my shoulders slump, releasing her and looking at her sadly.
“Please marry mommy again.” She pleaded with me and my heart broke all over again. Not because of Melanie: that chance was long gone; but at the pain this had caused my daughter. She was the last person in the world I would ever want my actions to hurt.
“…Honey, I can’t,” I whispered, nearly crying when I tried to pat her head and she pulled away and went back to her toys.
That may not have gone the way I had hoped; no, screw that: I’m sure that conversation didn’t go as I had wanted it to. Stephanie had gone back to her dolls and not said a word again. Well, it wasn’t what I had hoped for, but it was a start. At least now she didn’t seem to be too mad at me, but now I had some insight as to why my daughter was so against me.
Later, when Stephanie was asleep, I drank a glass of wine, or maybe two or three, to relax and calm myself as much as I could before I angrily dialed Melanie’s cell phone. That woman was going to get it now.
“Hello?” Her familiar, high pitched voice said over the phone.
“Don’t you dare put lies in my daughter’s head ever again!” I snapped, not even bothering with the usual polite conversation first. “If you want to be a bitch to me, then go ahead and be a bitch to me, but you better leave my daughter out of this, or I swear to God, I will take your weekends away from you as well and you will never see her. Now that’s not something I want to do for her sake, so watch it.”
“I don’t know...” she said, startled.
“Cut the crap. I mean it Melanie, don’t you ever lie to my daughter again. You were a shitty wife; the least you could do is not be a shitty mother!”
I didn’t wait for her reply, I just hung up the phone in anger. The heat of temper carried me back to the kitchen table and I poured another glass of wine with trembling hands. No way was I going to let her mess with my daughter’s head. The only thing I was concerned about was how this would affect Regan. Then again, that woman certainly knew how to handle herself. I guessed she would just have to deal with Melanie’s crap until she found another job.
I suddenly took out my cell phone and texted a brief message to her: I love you. Make sure to eat a lot for the baby.
Then I walked back upstairs to the bedroom and looked back into the room to Stephanie’s sleeping form and smiled. All things concerned, I wasn’t the worst father, so I guess another kid wouldn’t hurt. Maybe it would even help Stephanie adjust? Someone who she could look out for and take care of. I didn’t for a minute think it would be an easy change for any of them, but in the end, it might just help her.
But it did remind me that I had to get my daughter to be okay with her possibly getting a new mother. I quickly texted Regan another message: Come as soon as you can, please.
My stomach knotted as the thought struck me, and I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be fun, even if it was necessary. I needed to sit the girls down and talk.
Regan
I’m not usually one to literally contemplate murder, but I was seriously contemplating buying crime books to get some ideas. Seriously, the human body has like a billion nerves and Melanie managed to get on every single one of mine: it was so unfair. If not murder, then maybe I'd consider banishment to a distant land, preferably somewhere desolate and devoid of life. Or maybe Mars, like that guy in that movie. I’m sure she could grow potatoes too. No, it was too complicated.
But no worries! Today I had an interview and I just had to be professional. I was confident in my skills, and they would surely see that I had a great writing history. I had always wanted to apply here at Planet Journal: it was a pretty big office and covered worldwide news. To be able to write about things happening around the world was something I had always wanted to do, so here I was. Though let’s be honest: I was here mostly because I wanted to get away from Melanie. No big deal, though: I just had to get through this interview.
The good news was that I had a good résumé; the bad news was that I was currently asking for a job while I was pregnant. I just hoped that wouldn’t have to be discussed, as it was very difficult for pregnant women to get a stable job. And yet America keeps complaining about why women want to get abortions. It was things like these that made me wonder if I would’ve had better luck back in Scotland. But Evan was here, as was Stephanie. And the new life we were starting together.
I sat in the waiting room, rubbing my hands over my pants because they were just so sweaty. I kept taking calming breaths to make sure that I wouldn’t have a panic attack.
I looked down at my belly and patted it.
“It’s okay, we’re okay,” I said, more to calm myself than anything else.
I just wish that was the only thing on my mind right now. Evan had yet to tell Stephanie about us and about the fact that she was getting a new sibling. It just made me more nervous than I usually would be.
“Regan O’Donnell.”
I jumped in my seat, hearing the woman calling me, but I quickly straightened myself and took my things, following her to where she told me my possible future boss was. It’s okay, I told myself; this was nothing I hadn’t done before. Just meet the person, talk about your previous work and experience, and then you’ll be out of here before you know it. I had to keep repeating that mantra in my head. Shit, I just needed to calm down.
“Ma’am, your ten o’clock is here,” the young assistant said when she opened the door to an office, announcing me.
“Let her in,” I heard, and had to gulp a breath before stepping into the room. I was met with a nice office and a great view of the park nearby. The woman at the desk stood up to great me and I nervously shook her hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Regan,” the woman said. “I’m Janine Harrison, but you can call me Jan.”
“Pleasure to meet you, too, Jan,” I said, trying to hide my shaking and offering a smile.
“Now I’ve already reviewed your résumé, but I would like to hear more about you and what you think you can offer me,” she said, gesturing toward a chair for me to sit in as she sat at her desk again.
“Well,” I gulped, sitting on the chair. “I have a good work record. I’m a very dedicated employee, I have a passion for getting the truth out to the world. To be honest, I want to be able to make editor someday.”
“But looking at your work history, you’ve been working for Chronic Reports for a while now. Why do you want to suddenly leave now?”
“Oh,” I breathed, racking my brains for something to say. I couldn’t exactly tell her that I wanted to get away from my boss because I was dating her ex-husband. “I just felt I needed a change. We mostly work on local news there, so I wanted to try out something that covers the world at large. There are a lot of stories in the world that should concern us, so I thought I should be doing that instead.”
“I see then, and what about your personal life? Is there anything I should know?”
“I’m pregnant.”
My eyes widened when I realized what I had just said. I could’ve said I was getting surgery, I was losing my home, my dog died, anything! But no, I had to say that which I did not want her to know! Stupid fucking brain, stupid fucking nerves.
“You’re pregnant?” Jan asked, as she seemed a little surprised.
“Um…yes?” I choked, before offering her a nervous smile.
“And you want a job while you’re pregnant?”
“…Well if it’s not too much trouble?” I asked tentatively, mentally kicking myself for my slip up.
She gave me a curious look which made me feel a little uncomfortable. I had done it: I made her forget about even hiring me.
“I see, then what have you worked on in the past, that’s worth noting?” she continued. It surprised me. I thought she would immediately discard my résumé and tell me to leave.
“The latest story was the one about the local Senator and his corruption. I was the one who broke that article and it lead to his investigation and impeachment just last week, I think.”
Jan looked at me, impressed, but I didn’t see it. All I could hear was my mistake repeating over and over in my head.
“Okay, anything else you’d like to discuss?” she asked
I answered without really thinking much anymore. She kept her professional tone all throughout the rest of the interview as she continued to question me, and I just sat there, trying not to panic at my stupidity.
By the time I exited her office, I felt like I could really use a relaxing bath. So maybe the interview didn’t go exactly perfect, but at least she seemed impressed with my work. That was good, right?
I exited the building with less nervousness than when I went in. All in all, it might not have gone the way I wanted it to, but at least now I could breathe. It’s like ripping off a band aid: you just had to do get it over with.
Once I exited, I looked to my phone, and was glad I did, because instantly the tension from the interview went away. I read Evan’s message in which he said he loved me and to eat more for the baby. It brought me incredible joy seeing how he was handling the baby a little better. However, his next message had me frowning a little: it said to get over there quickly. I wondered what that was about and hoped everything was okay. The last thing they needed was something else to complicate things.
~~~~~
“Hey Reg.” Evan greeted me once I arrived, taking my stuff and leading me inside after a quick kiss to the cheek.
“I got your text, you wanted me to come over?” I said simply as I let him carry my things.
“Yeah, thanks for coming quickly.”
I noticed the strained look on his face and instantly wanted to soothe it away. “What’s wrong?”
He rubbed his head a little, almost hesitant to speak again before he let out a huge sigh. “I need your help with talking to Stephanie.”
And that was something I hadn’t wanted to deal with. Great, one tension gone, only to be replaced by the next one.
“Didn’t you already talk to her yourself?” I asked, stalling, I knew.
“I did, but that was hours ago. Now she won’t talk to me at all. She’s really upset and I know what I have to tell her. I just need a little help.”
He looked so tired and lost. I couldn’t help but offer him a sympathetic smile and a hug. The guy had a lot on his plate and it was mostly because of me. I separated from him and offered him a short nod before going upstairs to Stephanie’s room.
I knocked lightly on the door. “Stephanie, it’s Regan. I’m coming in,” I gently said, opening the door and stepping inside. Stephanie didn’t seem to be paying me any attention, so I stepped inside and sat myself on the edge of the bed near her. She seemed to be purposely turning her head away, and it made me smile at how she wanted to pretend she didn’t still have fun with me.
I could tell she wasn’t going to acknowledge me anytime soon, so I took out some of my cookies from my purse and started eating. I pretended not to notice when she turned to me, looking sidelong at the cookies. I ate a few more before turning to her. She was biting her lip, looking at the chocolate chip cookies.
“You want some?” I asked with a smile. She looked at me warily before nodding softly, so I ended up giving her some. We sat in silence for bit, eating the cookies. I was just waiting for her to speak; finally, she seemed to summon up the courage to do so.
“Are you going to be my mommy now?” she asked, straightforward as only a child can be, and I took a deep breath before answering.
“Well, it’s not a sure thing, but it’s a possibility,” I said softly, searching for the right words.
Stephanie shook her head. “But I don’t want you to.” Damn, this girl could be as stubborn as me.
“Why not? Don’t you like me?”
“Yes, but if you become my stepmom, then I won’t like you anymore.”
“Why’s that?” I asked her curiously.
She shrugged as if stating a fact. “Because stepmoms are mean.”
Ah, stupid movies and painting stepmoms as evil villains. Those were some unhealthy thoughts planted in children’s brains. Did they not get that divorce exists for a reason?
“Well, stepmoms aren’t all bad. Stepmoms are meant to be there when your real mom isn’t. They do the work of a real mom, they take care of you, they comfort you, they love you.”
Stephanie looked at her legs with a sad frown.
“Mommy doesn’t do that.”
I was at loss in that aspect. Sure, Melanie wasn’t the nicest woman alive, but I figured she would at least show affection for her daughter. That could be true, right?
“…Well, that’s how adults are sometimes,” I said, not really knowing what else to say. I couldn’t exactly tell her that her mom was a bad person.
“She doesn’t give me cookies, either.”
I smiled to her in comfort and reached my hands to caress her.
“Steph, I know I can’t be your real mom. But if things go well, I want to be as best a mother as can be to you. I love you, sweetie.”
She smiled at me. Gosh, she was such an angel and I meant every word I said.
“I love you too, Regan.” She reached over to hug me and my smile widened. I was glad that I finally got to talking to her.
“Now isn’t Black Widow supposed to be saving people?” I said, surreptitiously wiping away a tear, laughing when she gasped and rushed back to her dolls.
So she resumed playing. I was still not fully convinced she understood, but she listened to me. That was the most important thing right now. She may not yet understand, but she knew I loved her. It got me thinking about my pregnancy and how this would affect her.
“Steph,” I said, feeling a little nervous. “How would you feel about having a sibling?”
She looked at me funny, then she bit her lip in thought before smiling.
“Yes!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I always wanted one. Why?”
“Well it’s not an assured thing, it was just a question.”
“Okay! But I want a brother so that I can dress him up as Loki and put him in jail!”
I stared at her with wide eyes before smiling. Well it wasn’t an ideal reason for wanting a sibling, but it was a start.
“Okay then!” I laughed, before whispering to myself. “Man, those comic books don’t have healthy sibling relationships.”
“Now Black Widow has some bad guys to beat up!” she yelled excitedly.
I let her continue to play, joining when she needed me. Suddenly I didn’t feel so nervous or anxious anymore. Unfortunately, I still had to deal with some things, and I didn’t think the rest of them would be so easy.
~~~~~
A while later, I came down the stairs, a little exhausted, but relieved nonetheless. At least I finally got Stephanie to open up and talk to me a little bit. All I had to do was bribe her with cookies.
Evan glanced up at me as I walked into the room. “Hey, how did it go? You were up there for quite a while.”
“Oh, I just got to playing with her for a bit.”
“And?” Evan asked, his expression worried.
I smiled in reassurance. “Don’t worry, she gets it.”
He sighed in relief, coming over to hug me and planting a kiss on my head again.
“And…” he said once he pulled away, placing a hand on my belly. “What does she think?”
I said, as I sighed, “She wants a boy and she wants to dress him up as Loki to put him in jail.”
He was quiet for a while, staring at me with a blank face before shrugging. “I can work with that.”
“And you?” I asked, “Not having second thoughts?”
“Not even close. I want this,” he responded. “I just realized that I’m not such a crappy father, so why not have another one.”
I laughed at that before looking at him seriously.
“And Melanie?”
“As much as I hate it, we need to talk to her,” he said tentatively. I hated it even thought I knew he was right.
I groaned at that while he rubbed my shoulders. That was a conversation I was definitely not looking forward to.
“We can do this, right?” I asked.
“Totally…I think.”
We both sighed in resignation. Might as well get it over with. He went to pick up the phone and began dialing, stopping when he looked as if he had remembered something.
“Well, I might’ve complicated things a little.”
“How badly?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know. He shrugged again, looking bashful.
“…Let me just see if she still answers my calls.”
Regan
Well this was certainly an awkward situation, especially given how Evan told me he had yelled at her over the phone. An hour later, Melanie sat across from us with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Really, she thought she was unhappy about the situation? For crying out loud, I’m pregnant and I should not have to put up with this crap. Gosh, why did I have to fall for a guy with such a complicated life? And looking at him, he didn’t seem all that comfortable either. This was us: just a bunch of people who didn’t have to deal with crap, but crap found its way into our hands.
“Why does she have to be here?” Melanie snapped at last, glaring at me as if her life depended on it.
“She is called Regan,” Evan responded bitterly. “And she’s here because she’s my girlfriend and is just as much affected by all this.”
“Excuse me, how is she affected by any of this?”
“Yesterday you made me get you coffee and then you told me to take it back because you hadn’t ordered it.” I said, through gritted teeth. I had to keep my cool. I could do this.
She shrugged, “It’s not my fault you don’t listen.”
My God, I was so close to chucking something at her.
“I still don’t know what I’m doing here,” she snapped, directed to Evan. She looked like she was set on just ignoring my presence if she couldn’t get rid of me.
“You’ve been feeding my daughter lies about us, about Regan,” Evan spat. “And it has to stop.”
“I only told her the truth.”
“About me hurting you, about me wanting to be with you again? You cheated on me, woman!”
“And it’s something I regret. Is it too much to ask for a second chance?” Melanie pouted coyly at him and Evan just shook his head in disgust.
“Yes, it is. I’m with someone else right now. You don’t get to tell me you regret something and expect me to get back together with you. I didn’t do it when I was still single, and I’m not doing it now.”
“If you could just remember the good times we had, the two of us and Stephanie. We used to have so much fun, so many great times. We were happy together. Do you think she’s going to give you that?”
I gawked at her, offended by her question. How dare she speak of the happiness they had after she was the one who cheated on him and basically neglected her daughter. I was about to say something along with her, but Evan beat us to it.
“Yes I do, because she’s not like you. We’re over Melanie!” he yelled harshly, and from the look on Melanie’s face I could tell she got the seriousness of his tone. “We are never getting back together. I love Regan, and I’m not leaving her for you. Understand that.”
Time seemed to be still for a while and Melanie looked at him with rage and stomped off. But in that moment, I saw something in her I hadn’t seen before. From the corner of my eye, I saw Evan scoff while moving to get up. I stopped him by putting a hand to his shoulder.
“Let me,” I said.
“Are you sure?”
“Definitely.”
I immediately went to where Melanie was going and found her looking at the plants in the kitchen. I stood at the doorway, scrutinizing her. Suddenly she didn’t seem like the total bitch I had encountered before. She didn’t seem like the cold-hearted woman who cheated on Evan and wouldn’t even play with her daughter. She looked lost and alone.
“Evan would always complain about how I didn’t water these,” she muttered, running her fingers through the plants. “He said that if I wasn’t going to take care of them, then maybe I shouldn’t have them. Kind of like my husband and my daughter.”
I sighed. Damn it, the woman could really make you feel sorry for her.
“…Melanie...”
“You won’t be her real mother,” she said bitterly, turning back to me, a sad and angered frown on her face. “You won’t ever be Stephanie’s mother.”
“I think I’ve been a better mother than you,” I replied. I didn’t say it in a harsh manner: I only said the truth. Despite her words, I still felt sorry for her. I didn’t want her to suffer; I wanted her to understand.
“But she’ll ask for me,” she whispered, nearly in tears. “She’ll ask for mommy. She’ll miss me and wonder why I’m not with her father.”
I could only shrug. “Which will happen, and you’re still her mother. And I’m sure you can be a good one if you try. And I’m sure Evan won’t stop you from seeing Stephanie, but he won’t get back together with you. Even if he and I don’t work out, he won’t love you or care about you the way he used to, because of what you did. Because of how you hurt him. ”
Melanie looked at me, angered, but then she sighed and seemed to calm down. She ran her hand through her hair before speaking. “I had everything with him: a nice house, a lovely daughter, and him. He was the ideal man…but that wasn’t enough for me. Sometimes I just wonder why I did it. He was everything I'd ever wanted, and I was too stupid to hold on to him. Why did I do that? Why did I hurt him?”
“…We all make mistakes, but they’re mistakes we have to deal with because sometimes you just can’t fix them. I’m not saying this because I want you away from him. I’m saying this as someone who wants you to move on. He won’t love you again.”
Melanie looked at me and she smiled, she actually smiled. For some reason, she looked far more calm than she ever did, more relaxed. It was like she lifting a weight off her shoulders; maybe it felt like a burden for her, to go after a man who didn’t love her anymore.
“I still think you’re a lousy assistant,” she said, suddenly all friendliness gone from her.
“I still think you’re a crappy boss,” I said. “Also, I quit. I’ll file the paperwork tomorrow.”
Now, I hadn’t actually got the new job, but hey, I was still getting paid by Evan and I still had some money saved up, so what the hell? I was not about to keep working with her and make everything way more uncomfortable and annoying that it already was.
Melanie nodded. It was the first time she'd shown me some respect. Too bad it didn’t last, and the next moment, she went back to being a bitch.
“But don’t think I won’t try and get him back if you do break up,” she said smugly. “So better hold on to him.”
“Oh please.”
“Don’t test me, girl.”
“Don’t threaten me.”
Melanie huffed at me. “What are you gonna do, hit me with your ugly braids?”
“For your information, these are gorgeous!” I shouted, not even aware that I was raising my voice.
“They’re ridiculous and having to look at them every day is a nightmare.”
“Well, it’s not so great looking at your shirts. Ever heard of ironing? Besides, you won’t have to look at them ever again.”
I don’t remember what happened after that. I just remember arguing with Melanie a little more, our voices escalating quickly, until Evan arrived and broke us up. Gosh, she was so annoying I wanted to strangle her so much! Fortunately, Evan separated us before we could do some damage and he sent Melanie away. Once at the door, she only offered her hand to Evan, which he took, a nod and a promise to pick Stephanie up during the weekend.
“Well, that was a disaster,” he complained once she was out of the driveway, turning to me with a deep sigh.
“Don’t worry, she got the hint. She won’t bother us anymore,” I explained. “She’s still a total bitch, though.”
“Yeah, I got that much.”
I turned to Evan with a deep breath of my own. “Anyways, I officially quit my job and now I’m unemployed.”
“Didn’t you get the other job?”
I shrugged at his question. “I think it went okay, but I’m not so sure. The woman seemed impressed and said she would call me later to see if I would be hired.”
“I’m sure you will.”
He looked away for a while, rubbing the back of his head, a nervous gesture I had learned to detect.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, raising my eyebrow in question.
“I guess I just wanted to ask…” he gulped, seemingly trying to find the right words to say. “I wanted to ask you if you wanted to move in with me.”
I looked at him, feeling my eyes go wide as saucers. Did he really just ask me that? Seriously? He wanted me to move in? I tried to keep my smile to myself, but it was an impossible battle.
“I really want us to work out, and I think we need to start by having you spend more time with both me and Stephanie.” I stood gawking at him and he only smiled, placing his hand on my stomach. “I don’t want to regret this. And I don’t want to regret meeting you.”
I let out a huge breath, laughing nervously and racking my mind for something to say about it. Feeling his hand on my stomach, seeing his eyes that looked at me as if I was the best thing in the world, I knew what my decision would be.
“Yes!” I yelled excitedly, making him yell as well, as he picked me up and spun me around before placing me down and kissing me.
“This is so great!” he said. “Thank you so much!”
“Thank you!”
Unfortunately, another thought ran through my head.
“Oh shit,” I groaned, rubbing my head.
“What’s wrong?” he asked in concern.
“That’s another conversation I have to deal with tomorrow,” I complained. “Ugh, why do things always manage to get more complicated than they should.”
He smiled in sympathy and cradled me against his shoulder. At least I could wait in his arms until tomorrow, and for a little while feel like everything in the world was just perfect. Because with Evan, it really was.
~~~~~
The next day I found myself at my apartment with my roommate and closest friend, Sarah.
“You’re leaving me?” Sarah asked, looking really hurt. “You’re leaving me for him?”
“We both knew this day had to come,” I told her, feeling bad for doing this to her. “He’s just someone I care about so much. I mean, I care about you, but he’s different. You can’t give me what he can.”
“But I thought you cared about me. Who’s going to watch cat videos with me now?” she whined, tears in her eyes. “And laugh at stupid Putin memes? And look for gay pictures of Marvel characters?”
“We’ll still be friends,” I quickly said, trying not to cry myself. “I’ll come over whenever you want to hang out, and you can come visit us. It’s not like we’ll stop seeing each other.”
“But it won’t be the same!” she said, finally wailing.
“I know!” I said, letting my tears fall once and for all. “I’m so sorry.”
“Was it me? Was I just a lousy roommate? I was, wasn’t I?” she cried, wiping ineffectually as the tears started sliding down her cheeks.
“No! No, don’t say that! You were amazing! It’s just that…he cuddles with me!”
Sarah burst into more tears at that. “I should’ve cuddled with you more! I shouldn’t have called you annoying when you tried to cuddle. I should have let you be the overgrown cat you’ve always been.”
“But it’s okay, we’ll still be in touch. Just not like we used to be…I just, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too!”
We both wailed a little more before hugging each other and crying, each one rubbing the other’s hair and back.
“Good God, you guys sound like a couple breaking up,” I heard Evan say.
“SHUT UP!” we both yelled at him, as he lifted his hands in surrender and we went back to crying on each other’s shoulders.
~~~~~
After we’d finally parted, Evan complaining about how silly we both were, we finally got to pack my stuff and take it to his place. I mean, my new place, now. I had to admit, I was a little bit excited.
“So this is it?” Evan said, looking at my stuff in the living room, a bunch of boxes completely stacked.
“This is it,” I said, showing my excitement by grinning widely.
“No turning back now.”
“Nope.”
“Feeling nervous?” he asked with a wide grin.
“No, are you?”
“A little, and I’m also a little sweaty, but I’ll get over it.”
I laughed at him and reached up to kiss him, parting only when my phone started ringing.
“Sorry, gotta take this. Hello?” I said, before answering.
“Regan, it’s Jan.”
My eyes widened and my body froze. I turned to Evan, who looked surprised at my reaction.
“It’s Jan, from the Planet Journal!” I whispered, making sure that woman didn’t hear. He looked as excited and prompted me to continue speaking, moving in closely to hear. “Yes, good afternoon, Jan.”
“Regan, I was reviewing your application and I’ve come to a decision.”
Evan took hold of my hand, both of us crossing our fingers.
“I want to offer you a position in the editing department.”
Well, that was something I hadn’t expected. I looked to Evan with a wide smile before resuming speaking with her.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes, I think someone like you is just what our department needs, and don’t worry, the work schedule is kid friendly.”
“Oh my God, thank you so much for this,” I said excitedly.
“Just make sure to come tomorrow so you can sign the contract,” she said kindly, happiness exploding through me, along with relief.
“Will do, Ma’am,” I said.
“Great, I look forward to having you here. Have a nice day.”
“You too!” Once I hung up, I started jumping excitedly along with Evan.
“Daddy?” we both stopped, turning to Stephanie, who was looking at us like we’d both gone crazy. “What’s happening?”
Evan looked to me and I simply shrugged. Now was as good a time as any.
“Honey,” he said, “Regan is going to be living with us.”
Stephanie didn’t react for a moment; she only took a few steps toward us and dashed toward me, her little arms reaching as high as they could, so I bent down and hugged her as well. Things were looking up now.
Regan
So many weeks had passed, and I was firmly adjusted into life with Stephanie and Evan. Melanie had kept her word and hadn’t bothered us, so it was all good. Right now, my belly was very swollen, and Stephanie often liked to hug it, so I figured it was time to go and get an ultrasound test. To be honest, I was a little nervous: was this really what I wanted? Did I really want a family with Evan, Stephanie, and a new baby? Ugh, I really couldn’t think of this right now. I just had to take deep breaths and wait for the doctor to proceed.
“Ok Regan, here we go,” the doctor said gently.
I smiled nervously and nodded, letting the woman put something cold and jelly-like on my belly, followed by the device and it started moving it over my stomach. Then we both turned to the screen where it showed the inside of my belly. It looked really weird, if you asked me. It was hard for me to make out anything; it was mostly black and white all around it.
“Here we go, there’s the head,” the doctor said, pointing to a place on the screen. I could see it now, and it looked so small and fragile, like a little baseball. I felt I could just hold it in my palm.
“What is it?” I asked out of curiosity. I wanted to know if I could tell Stephanie whether she would have a brother or not.
“It’s a little early to tell. It’s not fully developed yet,” the doctor answered, moving the object again. “And now here’s the other head.”
My eyes widened and I turned to her in shock. Shit, was my baby going to have two heads?
“What?” I choked, hoping that this was some sort of joke.
“Both of them seem to be in perfectly good health. Heartbeats are stable, and they show no signs of premature deformity.”
“Wait, both?” I asked. Okay, two heads and one body was ruled out, but she said, “both”: that meant more than one baby.
“Yes, you’re having twins.”
I gawked at her for a moment, then turned back to the screen. Twins! I was having twins.
“But how, I thought it would just be one,” I questioned.
“Well, twins do develop sometimes.”
“But it’s going to be two.”
The woman laughed at that, removing the device.
“Don’t worry, it’s the same process. And yes, two. That is usually what ‘twins’ means.”
Well, that was comforting.
“Here are some pictures,” she said giving me the paper of the images we just saw. “Are there any questions you have right now?”
“Nope, I have to leave. Right now, immediately,” I said, moving to get up and trying to keep my breathing steady.
I tried to remain calm for the duration of the visit, only vaguely hearing what the doctor said to me and nodding occasionally. Only when I left the clinic and went to my car did I start breathing harshly. Holy crap, I was having twins! Two babies at once! Why? I hadn’t ordered two: I only ordered one! Shit, I needed to talk to someone fast!
I picked up my phone and instantly dialed Sarah’s number, jumping up and down, anxiously waiting for her to pick up.
“Hey Regan, what’s up?” she finally answered.
“Sarah, I might have a problem,” I said without preamble.
“What is it? Did you accidentally spill hair dye in Evan’s shampoo again?”
“What, no! I just went to the doctor to get an ultrasound checkup.”
“Oh that’s great, what happened?”
I took a deep breath, still not even believing the news myself. “I’m having twins!”
I heard silence from the other line before glass shattering.
“Twins!?”
“Yes! Holy crap, what am I going to do?”
“Okay, calm down and breathe deeply.”
“I am, and I thought I was breathing for two, but it turns out I have to breathe for three. How am I gonna get that much oxygen?”
“That’s not how breathing while pregnant works.”
“Oh God, now I’m gonna get twice as fat.”
“Not necessarily,” my friend said, trying to calm me. It was way too late for that.
“Sarah, help me!”
“I am helping you: you just need to calm down, woman!”
She was right: deep breaths, Regan. Remember that.
“Now,” Sarah continued, “You need to get over here, you’re clearly exhausted and we don’t want you getting upset.”
“Ok, you’re right,” I said, starting the car. “I’ll meet you over there.”
It took me a few minutes to reach our old apartment. It was pretty close to the clinic, and once inside, I immediately went for the food she had on the table.
“Ok, we need you to stay calm and, ... hey, that’s mine!” she yelled, once she saw me eating her food.
“Now it’s mine! Pregnant woman trumps all,” I said through a mouthful, making her roll her eyes.
“Oh fine, now sit over here, you need to be comfortable.”
“Oh please, I’m pregnant, not an invalid,” I complained.
“But you’re a pregnant woman who overreacts and too much anxiety is not going to be good for the babies.”
I made a whiny noise at the back of my throat when I heard babies.
“Do you have to make it plural?”
“It’s what it is, woman,” she said, guiding me to the sofa and sitting me down. “Ok, just stay here and relax for a bit. Work and home life have been stressing you out too much. You need to take things easy for now.”
“You’re telling me that, but it doesn’t make shit go away,” I complained, then looked at her seriously. I was just so scared and confused right now. “Sarah I don’t know what to do. I’m not so sure I want a baby anymore, much less two.”
“Yes you do, you told me yourself,” she assured me. “You said you wanted to keep it, and another one won’t hurt you.”
“Says you! You don’t have to push them out in a few months, you’re not gonna have them splitting your vagina in two.”
Sarah sighed at that, and she knew I was right.
“I guess. Look, I know you’re scared. I would be too, but this is just the pregnancy talking.”
“But I’ve been having these thoughts a little after I moved in with Evan. What if I’m not ready to start a family? What if I become one of those mothers who leaves in the middle of the night without a trace? What if I decide not to tell Evan about the second baby and have them separated at birth? Then they would find each other later and be long lost twins.”
“You need to stop watching so many movies,” she deadpanned, making me nod and bite into the food again. “Have you talked to Evan about this?” Her voice sounded serious and she looked at me expectantly.
“No,” I mumbled. I hadn’t wanted to mention this to him. I didn’t want him to think that I wanted to leave or give up the baby for adoption.
“Then honey, you need to tell him. Otherwise it’s going to eat you up and I assure you when he finds out, it’s not gonna be pretty. For either of you.”
“…But what if we can’t work through it?”
Sarah just shook her head at me. “Well that’s the risk you signed up for. You can’t keep secrets from him. He’s the father of your babies and if you want him in your life, you have to let him know about this. Besides, he already knows about the first one, so how much harder will it be to tell him about the second?”
I sighed at that, flopping against the couch and groaning into my hands. Why was a couple’s life so complicated? Why did it have to be two babies instead of one? I so did not sign up for this, and I vaguely wondered if the pressure was the reason Melanie screwed it up with Evan. I thought about Evan and Stephanie, and found myself wondering yet again if they were part of the life I wanted, and if these babies were part of the life I wanted.
“I’m scared,” I mumbled.
“You’ll be alright. It’s better to get it all out there before it eats you up.”
I looked at her in resignation before nodding. Might as well get this over with. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to talk things out with Evan. If all went well, we could work it out and forget my doubts ever existed. If not, well, I didn’t want to think about that part.
Regan
Sarah drove me to the house, calming me down for the duration of the journey. With every block that we got closer, I would start to tremble and panic, but she would reassure me and sing along with the songs I liked. She knew how to calm me down more than I did, and I was so lucky to have her as a friend. I wondered why it couldn’t be as easy to talk to Evan as it was with her. Then again, having a friend is easy. Making a life with someone was a little harder to deal with. Communication was a must, but fear came along with it. Maybe that was why a lot of marriages didn’t work.
“You want me to go in with you?” Sarah asked, once she parked in the driveway.
“If it’s not too much to ask,” I sighed. “At least to make sure Stephanie stays in her room.”
Sarah nodded immediately, then turned to me again. “You sure you want to talk to him now?”
“Yes, might as well get it over with.” I signed in resignation, wishing briefly for the time when things weren’t so damn complicated. It seemed like it was just one thing after another. When would it stop?
“Yeah, you’re right,” Sarah agreed, pulling me back from thoughts and to the task ahead of me.
I looked at her and sighed one last time. “Here we go.”
So we both got out of the car and headed inside. We went into the kitchen to find Evan making dinner, smiling when he looked at us.
“Hey guys,” he called.
“Hi,” Sarah answered, and I only raised my hand in greeting.
“Sarah, I didn’t know you were coming. You staying for dinner?”
“Actually,” I said, looking at her, “I wanted Sarah to keep an eye on Stephanie for a bit.”
Evan looked surprised at this, and looked from one of us to the other.
“I’m just gonna go and do that,” Sarah said, quickly darting toward Stephanie’s room before she got caught up in the mess.
“What’s going on?” Evan asked. He seemed a little worried. I couldn’t blame him; after all, I was pretty sure my face didn’t exactly scream tranquility. I think it showed a more blatant hesitation. I didn’t want to do this, but I had to. He was currently begging me with his eyes for me to speak up. So, in the end I gestured to him to sit down, and he did so warily, still not taking his eyes off of me.
“I went to get my ultrasound,” I said, pulling out the envelope the doctor had handed to me.
“Oh, really? That’s great,” he replied, still not sure as to why I was like this. I showed him the photos that the doctor had taken with a small smile.
“It’s two babies,” I explained, and he looked at me with wide eyes. “They’re twins.”
He stood up, running his hands through his hair. He huffed out some air, rubbing his face.
“Two?” he asked, to which I nodded. He looked a little torn at what to say or how to even react. He seemed to think it over for a little while longer and then he laughed; I couldn’t tell if they were nervous or happy laughs. “Two?!”
“I know, it’s a lot to deal with,” I muttered.
“Well, I think it’s great!” Evan said, shocking the hell out of me with his easy decision.
I visibly stiffened at that. He was on board with this. That just made it harder for me to voice my doubts.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah, no big deal. We were already planning on adding to the family, and now it will be an extra baby to love. I’m sure Stephanie will love this, too. And who knows: might be a boy and girl at the same time.”
He walked over to kiss me and he was about to go to Stephanie’s room too, but I lost it. I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
“I’m having doubts,” I called out him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to me in surprise and I couldn’t help but groan at the whole situation. “I’m having doubts about the babies, about us. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
He looked at me, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this. If I can somehow manage to have this life. You, you’re already a father, and I know Stephanie likes me, but I don’t know if that’s going to be enough. I don’t even know if we’re going to stay together or I we’re going to drift apart. It’s just too much for me. I don’t know if I want to have these kids anymore. I’m just so confused right now.”
I stood there, knowing there were now tears in my eyes, and I only looked at him. My eyes pleading to him, begging him to help me.
“I’m scared, Evan,” I continued. “I’m scared that I won’t be good enough.”
Evan didn’t say anything; he simply walked toward me and placed a hand on my cheek, rubbing at it. I leaned into the touch; it was so warm and comforting. I just didn’t want to let it go. I wanted him to hold me forever without any other worries. But I knew that couldn’t happen: his touch would be brief and he would let me go.
But then something happened that I hadn’t expected. He kept his hand on my cheek and placed his other hand on the opposite cheek; he kept rubbing at them softly. Then his face came closer to mine and he closed his eyes as I followed suit. His breath hovered over my lips as our foreheads touched, and it felt soft and gentle. Suddenly I felt him moving, and his lips were firmly planted on mine. I didn’t respond at first, but as soon as he started moving his mouth, I moved mine as well. Both our mouths were moving in sync with each other; his were rough but soothing to touch. He wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer, mindful of my belly, and one of them ran down my back while the other wrapped around my head. His arms warmed me in such a caring way that it felt like I was floating, and his lips were the only thing that grounded me. I felt so calm; all tension had broken away, all doubts were cleared or at least subsided. I knew I didn’t want to be without him and I wanted this. I wanted us. I wanted a family.
At last we broke away, panting. I was still crying, but they were no longer tears of pain and fear: they were simply tears of joy. He lifted his hand to my face, taking my braids behind my ears and then he held my chin in his fingers.
“Do you still feel doubt?” he asked. “Because I still feel it sometimes, but I remember you. I remember what it feels like to kiss you and to be with you. I remember looking at your eyes and thinking about how beautiful they are. I remember your pretty little cheeks and how I just want to bite them.” I smiled as he grasped them, pinching them a little. “I remember those lovely braids of yours, and think about how I really want our kids to have your hair structure because it would be fun to learn how to make them.”
That got a laugh out of me and made me touch my hair.
“Then I stop to think about Stephanie’s red hair, and wonder about whether or not one of them is going to be blonde. That way we can have a redhead, a blonde, and a brunette in the family. All three hair colors.”
I laughed again and he took my face in his hands again. “Wouldn’t it be amazing? To at least see if we can braid our children’s hair?”
It was such a simple reason for wanting a kid, but then again, when I thought about it, it really wasn’t. Everything about having children was about the little things. Dressing them up in cute clothes, taking them outside, watching them walk or speak for the first time. It was all about the little things. Evan was right: it was definitely worth it.
But still I bit my lip, hesitant. “What if I have these feelings again? About not wanting this?”
“Then just remember how this kiss felt. Remember that I’m always here for you, and will always be here for you. Just talk, too. And most important, remember how our goal is for our kids to have the different hair colors.”
I laughed again, while he brushed the tears out of my eyes with a smile.
“Oh, and another thing,” he said, pulling something out of his pocket. “I want you to remember that I got you the best gift ever.”
I was confused, but then my heart sped up when he showed me a diamond ring in his hand. It sped up even faster when he got down on one knee and held it out to me.
“Regan O’Donnell,” he said slowly, softly, and he looked at me like he always did; like I held all the stars within me. “Will you marry me?”
I breathed heavily for a moment as his words washed over me. Fresh tears were moving their way through my eyes and my smile grew as wide as it would go. I was at loss of what to say, but I knew what I wanted to say. No, I simply knew what I wanted. I knew I wanted a life with him forever and ever. I wanted us to be together, and I as I stood there, looking at him with all the love that I felt in my heart, I was no longer afraid.
“Regan, please hurry, you’re scaring me and my knee is cramping,” he said, a slight twitch in his voice, and I couldn’t help but laugh. The sound was wet with my tears, but also full of joy, and hope for the future.
“Yes!” I shouted excitedly as he grasped my hand, putting the ring on my finger. He sighed in relief and stood up, hugging me and kissing me once more. Yes, I knew this is what I wanted, and I wouldn’t be so stupid as to let it go. I wouldn’t doubt. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
We stood there for a while before he ran his hand over my belly again.
“Twins,” he said, still not able to believe it. “We’re going to need another crib.”
“You got a crib?” I asked, looking up at him in surprise.
“Well not, exactly. It was Stephanie’s,” he admitted, making me laugh.
“Come on, let’s have dinner. I’m starving,” I said, to which he went over to serve the plates.
Evan looked at me, his eyes still full of love and joy and disbelief. “Well, you are eating for three now.” We both chuckled softly as Evan went to the stove to start cooking. Every now and then, he would look over at me in wonder and awe and it filled me with warmth every time.
“Oh, get Sarah down here and tell her the good news.
The rest of that evening was spent with Sarah yelling excitedly and us shushing her, since Stephanie was asleep. She also started making plans for the wedding and we couldn’t help but laugh at every single plan she had for it. It was like she thought about this way before either of us knew it would even happen.
It felt nice. Evan and I getting married, with Stephanie and two other babies coming along. It was everything I had dreamed of. Not exactly in the way I had imagined, but somehow so much better. It just felt…right. It was all that I wanted. No amount of doubts would change that. I knew what I wanted and whatever problems we would have, we would face them together as a family. That’s what we were now: a family.
Several months later:
I was so going to kill Evan. How dare that bastard do this to me? It was his fault, despite the fact that I hadn’t taken my birth control. It was his fault for being so damn gorgeous and sexy and making me fall for him. Now he was going to pay for this. If he knew what was good for him, he would run after I was done.
“AAHH!” I yelled in pain as another contraction hit me hard, pushing with all my might.
“It’s alright, just push!” I heard a woman yell and I did what she asked. I needed to push my babies out. I kept going as the woman urged me to do so again and again. I was tired, but there was no way I was stopping now. It had been nine longs months, and I was ready to stop feeling like a planet. And I was more than ready to meet my new babies, both of them.
“It’s okay, honey, I’m here,” Evan kept saying beside me, grasping my hand tightly. Though I think it was me, grasping his hand and squeezing with all my might.
“Shut up! I hate you!” I whined, before yelling and pushing again, but I never let go of his and he never let go of mine. We clung together as sweat dripped from my forehead.
“Yeah, I know,” he groaned, I was probably hurting his hand, but who cared? I was giving birth for crying out loud! And not just once, but twice!
“You’re almost there! Just keep pushing,” the doctor said and I did so, trying to listen to her voice and ignore the wrenching pain only because I wanted to get this over with and kill Evan. I felt a certain relief when I heard a cry: it wasn’t mine. It sounded small and tiny and healthy and it surprised me. Then I looked up and there was my baby: it was a girl with skin as dark as mine. I smiled, wanting nothing more than to hold her, but the contractions pulled at my attention. She would have to wait, because her brother was on the way, and he was as impatient to be born as I was.
“We’re almost done,” the doctor said. “I see the other one: now I need you to push on three. One. Two. Three!”
I pushed with all my strength, yelling all the way until finally it was over and I heard a second cry. I lay there panting, as the doctors helped get me cleaned up. I felt Evan leave me for a bit, as he was going over to the babies.
“How are they?” I called tiredly, feeling completely worn out. Who wouldn’t be tired? I just gave birth to twins!
“Regan,” Evan came back, looking very excited. “We got all three hair colors.”
I looked at him confused by the statement, but when I saw his goofy smile I remembered: I recalled that conversation we had all those months ago. I laughed tiredly, wincing in pain every now and then. The dumbass still remembered that: what a dork! Though I can’t say I wasn’t proud of that as well. It just felt really cool, having three kids with all three different hair colors.
Once the doctors finished with me, they brought in the babies, all cleaned up and wrapped in little blankets. They had stopped crying and were now asleep, making gurgling noises every now and then. The doctor handed one to me and the other to Evan. Now I finally saw the boy: he had a lighter skin tone than mine and cute blonde hair. All the hair colors were accounted for; we just had to bring them all together now.
“Call Sarah,” I said to Evan, still a little tired, but I wanted Stephanie to be here with us.
A while later, Sarah came in with Stephanie in her arms. The little girl looked at us before looking curiously at the bundles in our arms.
“Look, Steph. This is you brother and sister,” Evan said, as Sarah carried her closer to get a good look at them.
“They look so tiny,” Stephanie said, smiling at them. “And squishy!”
We all laughed at that.
“What do you think, baby?” Evan asked.
Stephanie contemplated them for a while before lifting her chin, crossing her arms, and nodding in approval.
“They’ll make a good Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.”
We all laughed again, Evan reaching out to kiss her forehead while she reached out to run her hand through the baby girl’s head in his arms.
“What should we name them?” he asked me.
“I’m not sure,” I answered, looking at them curiously.
“Luke and Leah?” Sarah asked.
“Ew, no,” I said quickly. “Those two kissed. I’m not naming my kids after them.”
“Hey, they didn’t know,” Evan argued.
“We’re still not calling them that.”
“Why, because you said so?”
“Yes. The woman who just pushed them out of my vagina says so.”
“I’ll shut up.”
“How about one of you names each one?” Sarah suggested. We looked to each other then back at the babies and shrugged.
“I think I’ll call her…” Evan furrowed his brow in thought, “Britney. I like that name.”
“Sounds better,” I commented, looking at the boy this time. “I’ll call him…Christopher.”
“You just want to call him that because his hair reminds you of the Chris,” Sarah joked, to which I shrugged.
“Stephanie, what do you think?” I asked.
“Can I still call them Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver?”
I shrugged at her with a smile. “Sure.”
“Then they’re okay.”
We all laughed at her.
My little babies were her, with their big sister. Their father and I, we were about to get married in a month. If I had any regrets before, they were certainly stomped down. Until now, I hadn’t felt any regret whatsoever, and I wouldn’t start now. My life was here, and I wouldn’t throw it away for anything.
The End
Thank you for reading!
Italian Billionaire’s Pretend Wife
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