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“Hey, beautiful.” Klein sat in his home office typing on his laptop when Sonjay returned from the motel. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. Did the meeting with your student’s parent go okay?”
Sonjay slammed the door, rushed to Klein’s desk and flung him around in the swivel chair.
His reading glasses bobbed on his nose. “Babe?”
Sonjay straddled him, drowning him in loud, passionate kisses for the soul purpose of trying to forget how much she’d hurt Dex and how she’d given up the love she really wanted.
She’d do anything to get Dex out of her mind.
“Whoa.” Klein snickered, moving his mouth so he could speak. “What’s this about?”
“I want you.” She yanked off her jacket and threw it to the floor. “Right now.”
“I see that.” Klein wiggled his legs, and she felt his nature rising between her legs. “Honey, I need to finish this.”
She snatched off his glasses. “You need to finish me.” She ripped open his shirt.
“Sonjay.” He sat at attention. “Honey, wait.”
She undid his pants, gyrating on his lap. “I need you now.”
“Sonny, wait.” He turned his head in the opposite direction of her kisses. “Wait, wait, wait. I can’t, okay?” He patted her butt, gave her two bounces and pulled her from his lap. “I need to finish this.” He continued typing.
“You’re refusing me? Yet always complaining I don’t ever wanna make love.”
“I’m creating a proposal for the mayor’s meeting with the fire department. They’ve been squawking about a raise for months and we don’t have the budget for it.”
Sonjay turned and walked away from the desk, rubbing her forehead.
“I have to suggest immediate options that will satisfy everyone which won’t be easy.”
“Forget Mayor Bordeaux, Klein. I’m trying to make love to you.”
“I want that more than anything, baby.” He kept his focus on the monitor. “But this can’t wait.”
She plopped on the wool couch by the slender bookcase. “Let’s get married right now.”
Klein laid his glasses on the ash-wood desk, eyebrows raising. “What did you say?”
“I don’t want to wait.”
“You’re the one who can’t decide a wedding date.”
“That’s right so why make a grand event of it?”
“Where is this coming from?” He squinted. “Is this because you’re pregnant? I had concerns about how it looks to the public for you to be pregnant before we get married but—”
“This has nothing to do with the public.” She stood. “Is the mayor and how things look all you care about?”
His eyes drooped. “Course not.”
“We can go to the courthouse.”
“But, you’ve always wanted a big wedding and your parents would kill us if we robbed them of our wedding day.”
“It’s not about them.” She sighed. “You still want to marry me, right?”
“I’ve wanted to marry you since we were kids, girl. Is this what you want?”
“Yes.” She touched her stomach. “I want to be your wife and have your child.” She
pushed away thoughts of Dex. “That’s what’s right for me, and I want the world to know it.”
“Okay.” He stood, pulling her to him with both hands. “But, we’re not doing it at some courthouse. We’ll have a small ceremony.”
“I don’t want my parents there. Channing can come and maybe Anderson but that’s it.”
“This feels like we’re sneaking around.”
“It’s our lives.” She sandwiched his face in her palms. “We can have a big wedding down the line but right now let’s just do it.” She hugged him. “As soon as possible.”
****
Dex entered Presley’s hospital room a few evenings later with a bouquet of pink, yellow and white carnations. “Hello.”
Channing squinted, holding her daughter’s hand.
“Bet you’re surprised to see me.” Dex chuckled, his wingtips squeaking. “I brought flowers.” He handed them to Channing. “Tried to get some as pretty as she is but none exist.”
Channing half smiled as she sniffed the bouquet.
“Looks like she’s got a whole garden in here already.” Dex gestured to the bouquets by Presley’s bed. “How’s she doing?”
Channing stretched. “The same.”
“I’m praying for her.” Dex stood on the other side of the bed and took Presley’s warm hand. “You need to come out of this quick, honey. Hurry and turn eighteen so I can marry you.”
Channing grinned.
Dex patted Presley’s hand and let it go. “Channing, I—”
“You don’t have to apologize. I’ve forgiven you. You did what you thought was best.”
“I still feel like shit about it though.” He walked from around the bed. “Sit here day after day waiting and nothing changes?”
“This brings me peace. It’s so hard going home while she’s here.”
“She’s lucky to have a mother like you.” He sucked his tongue. “I’ve been wondering what kind of father I’d be. Sonjay told me she’s pregnant.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“I love her.” He sighed, yearning in his eyes. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I do her.”
“She loves you too.” Channing crossed her legs in the chair. “That’s why I have to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Sonjay swore me to secrecy, but I can’t keep her secrets anymore. It’s not right for you, her or Klein to keep going on like this.” Her shoulders relaxed. “Klein and Sonjay are getting married Saturday with just me and Anderson there. Mom and Dad don’t even know.”
“Channing, that’s in seven days. Is Sonjay crazy?”
“Pastor Leto’s performing the ceremony at her house at five p.m. It’ll be in the backyard.”
“Wow.” Dex leaned over the sink. “She thinks rushing a marriage will stop her feelings for me but love doesn’t work that way.”
“She’s stubborn and she’ll take this secret to the grave. I can’t stand by while she brings up a child under false pretenses. Dex, if you love her like you claim you have to stop this.”
He leaned up, holding his side. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Sonjay does what she wants.”
“Don’t you want her?”
“Yes, but she has to be the one to end this. I’m not letting her off the hook this time, Channing. I’ve put my neck on the line for her and it’s time she takes responsibility. I’m not committed to Klein, she is.”
“Dex, she’ll marry him. She’ll do it.”
“Let her do it.”
“What about the baby?”
“If it’s mine, I’ll be there for it.”
“This isn’t the Dex I know.” Channing batted her eyes. “You’ve never been one to give up.”
“The older I get I’ve learned sometimes you have to. I’ll see you.” He exited and fell against the wall when he got outside the room. “Fuck.”
No way in hell would he let her do this.