by Jenna Reed
Pulling up to the OBGYN’s office, I cruised around the full parking lot until I finally found a space at the back. Judging by how busy it was, it looked like Dr. Bennet was right about this guy being good. Either that, or he was super slow and I’d be here all day. Time to see which it was.
I got out of the car and walked quickly up to the main entrance. Before opening the door, I checked my phone one more time, hoping for a text from Rhett saying he was on his way. All I saw was a good luck text from Sophia. Frustrated, I sent another quick text to Rhett asking where he was and telling him to hurry the hell up. Then I stuffed my phone into my purse and walked into the office.
Checking in took forever, mainly because the health questionnaire was six pages long. When I finally exchange the forms for my ID and insurance cards the receptionist had taken when I first walked up, I was more anxious than ever. Why did they need to know so much? Half the questions about my extended family I couldn’t even answer. I’d read all about what to expect at my first appointment, and nobody had mentioned needing to know the medical history of every female member of my family.
The minutes ticked away, and no text came from Rhett. Every time the door leading to the patient area opened, I crossed my fingers that they wouldn’t call me yet. Eventually, though, a middle-aged woman emerged and called my name. I hesitated, glanced at the main door to make sure Rhett wasn’t racing in from the parking lot, checked my phone, and then finally was forced to stand.
I’d been prepared to do all of this on my own. Why was I feeling so panicked that Rhett wasn’t here? Or maybe it was really anger buried beneath my general basket case-level worry. Maybe it was sexual frustration making me hastier than usual. I’d figure it out after the appointment was over. For now, I followed the nurse’s instructions as she took my vitals and asked a bunch of questions I’d already answered on the six pages of health history forms. When she finally led me to a patient room, I felt ready to collapse.
As I waited, I checked my phone every few minutes. Where was he? I couldn’t imagine he’d forgotten. Had he blown it off? That possibility hurt more than I wanted to admit. Before I could figure it out, a knock sounded on the door and it pushed open a moment later. A tall, dark-haired man in his fifties walked in with a comforting smile.
He extended his hand and said, “Hello, Erica, I’m Dr. Anderson. How are you doing today?”
“Fine,” I said quickly. Then I added, “Nervous, actually. But otherwise okay.”
Dr. Anderson chuckled. “It’s normal to be nervous, but try not to be. Today’s visit is mainly just to get to know each other and to answer any questions you might have. I’ll do an exam at the end to confirm everything we received from Dr. Bennet, but let’s chat for a few minutes first.”
He started out asking me about my health, then my family history, timelines for conception and when I realized I was pregnant, and all the other pertinent details. The longer we talked, the more I relaxed. By the time we’d covered everything he needed to know, I wasn’t twisting my hands together anymore and I felt confident in the level of care I would receive with him. Even the exam wasn’t as bad as I’d been expecting. After he confirmed that everything looked good and the due date Dr. Bennet had given me appeared to be spot on, we were pretty much done. I walked out with a recommendation for prenatal vitamins, a book about what to expect over the next few months, half a dozen pamphlets on various topics, and an appointment for the following month.
I was feeling so good about how everything had gone that I didn’t even think about Rhett until I left the building and saw him sprinting across the parking lot with a frustrated expression on his face. He didn’t notice me right away, leaving me a few seconds stare at him as he ran. It was unfair how sexy he was when running. I didn’t look anything like that when I ran. When Rhett finally saw me, his shoulders dropped and he slowed to a walk. I stopped appreciating his muscular body and crossed my arms over my chest as he approached.
“I am so sorry,” Rhett said while trying to catch his breath. “I got dragged into a meeting on my way back from the restroom, and I didn’t have my phone with me. My boss refused to let me leave, even though I had this on my calendar and let him know I’d be out this afternoon.”
“You couldn’t step out for two seconds to let me know?” I demanded.
Rhett’s jaw ground. “I tried. Every time I tried to excuse myself, my asshole boss purposely directed a question at me and practically threatened to pull the project from me if I left.”
It was a valid excuse, I supposed. But I was still pissed, and suspected he wasn’t telling me the full truth. “Did your boss know why you needed to be out this afternoon?”
“No,” Rhett said immediately. “It’s private. He’s doesn’t need to know why I’m taking personal time.”
That was pretty much what I’d expected him to say. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. “Why didn’t you want to tell him? Embarrassment? Reputation?”
Rhett stared at me, uncomprehending. “It isn’t any of his goddamn business. That’s why!”
“Oh, so you were just going to wait until the baby is born and you’re requesting paternity leave before telling him about the baby?” I asked. I shook my head and started walking toward my car. He didn’t get it, and I was beginning to doubt he ever would.
Footsteps pounded after me. “Wait!” he called out. “Erica, I’m sorry. Wait, please.”
He caught up and darted in front of me, holding out his hands to try and make me stop. I dodged him and kept walking.
“Erica, please. I wanted to be here for this. I’m sorry!”
Spinning around, I stared him down. “Do you think I get to keep this pregnancy private? Do you think I enjoyed having to tell my boss that I was going to need two months off after having just taken on a brand new class? Do you think I enjoy having to discuss my personal health every time I need to go to an appointment? I don’t get a choice to keep this private.”
Rhett seemed stunned by my rant. He stared at me, struggling to come up with some kind of response. Finally, all he managed was, “I guess I never thought of it like that.”
“No,” I snapped, “obviously you didn’t.”
Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Rhett’s brows knitted together. “I didn’t not tell my boss about the baby because I was embarrassed or thought I needed to protect my reputation as a player. I just can’t stand the guy and didn’t want him involved in my private life.”
My mouth opened to tell him that I didn’t like my boss, either, and detested having to tell him what was going on with my body. Rhett must have known what I was about to say, because he held up a hand and continued on.
“It’s not fair that you don’t get the choice to keep this private. I’m sorry you have to put up with your dick of a boss knowing you had to see your gyno today. I’d be pissed about that too.” He sighed and shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to hide you or the baby. I’m just a very private person, and I didn’t consider how my trying to keep this separate from work might affect you. I’ll try to be more aware of that in the future.”
His response surprised me. He’d actually processed what I’d said and thought through it, and came to the conclusion I was hoping he would. This pregnancy affected me in ways it didn’t for him. If he was really planning to be this baby’s father, I needed him to think about me and the baby as well as his own comfort and needs. He wanted to be there for us, but was he really capable?
“If you’d told your boss why you needed to leave,” I said quietly, “maybe he would have been more understanding.”
Rhett scowled. “I doubt it, but you’re right that I should have told him. If nothing else, if he tries to do that to me again, I’ll have a valid complaint to make against him with HR.” He looked almost pleased about that possibility. Meeting my gaze again, he said, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow, okay? This won’t happen again.”
I wanted to believe him. “I hope that’s true,” I said.
Wi
th Rhett, it seemed to be one step forward and two steps back. All of this was new to him. Everything from being friends with the opposite sex, thinking about someone else, preparing for a baby, making decisions with another person…he was starting at ground zero. We’d nailed the sex part of a relationship, too well obviously, but everything else beyond the realm of what either of us had experienced before. The learning curve was steep, which made for a slippery slope. How long would Rhett keep climbing before he gave up and slid back into his old ways?
14
Erika
I sent my class off to lunch and sank back into my chair. I had about two minutes to relax before a knock sounded on my classroom door. Lurching up, I couldn’t stop the rush of panic that pushed me up to half standing. If it was the principal come to harass me again, I might just lose my mind. And probably my job, as a consequence. I was contemplating hiding under my desk when Rhett walked into the room with takeout.
Dropping back into the chair, I heaved out a huge sigh of relief. “I’ve never been so glad to see you.”
Rhett smirked. “I don’t know. You were pretty happy to see me the night we got ourselves into our current situation.”
His teasing actually managed to draw a chuckle from me. Which, of course, inspired a flash of heat in my belly. My belly that was already starting to show. I focused on that instead of how sexy Rhett’s mouth was when he smirked. “I just meant that I was glad you weren’t my boss.”
Rhett’s smirk fell away as he set the takeout containers on my desk. “Is he giving you a hard time again? What the fuck is his problem?”
I reached for one of the takeout boxes and shook my head. “I wish I knew. He’s never liked me. Not when I was student teaching. Not after I got my license. I think he only hired me because he was pressured into it by the teacher I did my student teaching with. That and the teacher shortage.”
Rhett’s jawline tensed. He’d offered, more than once, to have a discussion with my boss about discrimination and what a lawyer might have to say about the way he treated me. As tempting as it was to let him scare the shit out of my dickhead boss, I refused to go that route. It would only make the rest of the year even more miserable. Or he’d find some other reason to fire me.
“What was he doing this time?” Rhett demanded.
I was beginning to regret even mentioning my boss, but I knew how territorial Rhett could get. As much as I liked his aggressive side in the bedroom, I worried it would cause trouble with my job. I knew he wouldn’t let it go, though. “He cornered me earlier to remind me that taking time off could affect my teacher rating with the district and state, which could affect my pay next year.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he snapped. “What kind of a piece of shit threatens a pregnant woman with decreasing her pay?”
Stabbing at my broccoli and beef, I mumbled, “It’s not an idle threat. I really do get penalized for taking sick time or personal days.”
Rhett stared at me in shock. “Seriously?”
I nodded and his jaw clenched again. His possessiveness was worrisome, at times. I didn’t belong to him. He didn’t need to save me from every little thing. We weren’t even in a relationship, for God’s sake. Sometimes, though, I couldn’t help the rush of adoration I felt when he wanted to save me. I was just the mother of his child, because we forgot one little step in our mad rush to have sex that night. That was where our connection ended. How would it feel to be someone he actually loved? To be wrapped up in that much intensity was a little frightening, but also exhilarating.
Finally, Rhett got a hold of his anger, and said, “No wonder there’s a teacher shortage when they treat you all like shit all the time. Are all the districts like that?”
I sighed. “A lot of them. At least the public schools.”
“What about private?”
“It depends,” I said. “Some of the smaller ones are much nicer to their teachers, but they pay less. Big prep schools pay great, but they put a lot of pressure on teachers and I’d need a lot more experience and education if I ever wanted a job at a school like that.”
Rhett turned thoughtful. I could tell he was trying to find a solution for my problem, but there really wasn’t one. I had to stick it out until something better came along. What that might be, I had no idea. Any plans of starting on a master’s degree were put on hold the second I found out I was pregnant. Eventually, Rhett must have come to the same conclusion I had. His mouth pursed, but he didn’t start offering up alternatives.
Relaxing a little, I focused on my lunch. I wasn’t on playground duty today, so I could actually take my time eating. “How is your day going so far?” I asked.
Rhett shrugged. “My boss is on vacation this week, so, not bad.”
I wished my boss would go on vacation. Pushing away thoughts of work, I found myself watching Rhett instead. He didn’t seem to be focused on his food. We’d spent enough time together over the last few weeks that I could recognize when he was trying to figure something out and when he was simply thinking those random thoughts that always seemed to sneak in. I didn’t know if he was still trying to untangle my work problems, or if he was thinking about his own job. Either way, I loved his serious expression.
Even before sleeping with Rhett, I’d recognized that he was more than your typical, shallow playboy. I wouldn’t have returned his flirting if he had been…most likely. I’d come to realize his tenacity didn’t stop at getting an attractive woman into bed with him. It impacted every aspect of his life. He worked hard and took pride in what he turned over to clients. He had long-term goals and ambitions he was working toward. He was very health conscious, to the point of obnoxiousness at times when I wanted comfort food and he insisted on something better for the baby.
Spending time with him was easing me into the idea of him being part of mine and the baby’s lives, which I counted as a good thing. It was also making me more and more attracted to him, which was not a good thing at all. I was in enough trouble when it was just his chiseled body and expertise in the bedroom. Learning he was damn near perfect in every other area of his life was pushing me dangerously close to the line between friends and something more.
“I was thinking,” Rhett began, “maybe we should start looking at furniture and a few of the basics. When I ordered my living room set a few years back, it took almost two months to get them.”
“Two months?” I asked, my eyebrows rising in surprise. I’d been planning to go to a department store and pick out a crib that was safe and affordable.
Rhett nodded. “I know you’re concerned about money, but I’d feel a lot better about getting a crib that didn’t come from a big box store. Researching reviews and product recalls led me down a rabbit hole of terrible stories about cheap cribs that were put together wrong or were just pieces of shit and broke.”
My body tensed. “Really?”
I’d never been all that handy, and didn’t like the prospect of worrying every night about whether or not I’d put everything together correctly. Letting Rhett pick out an expensive crib and paying for it…I wasn’t sure I liked that either.
“Sophia and Cody want to split the cost, actually, as their baby shower gift to you,” Rhett added.
Their generosity didn’t surprise me, but I was surprised she’d offered it to Rhett instead of directly to me.
The corner of Rhett’s mouth turned up. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but she said you’re dangerous with a hammer or screwdriver and she’s certain you won’t pay for someone else to put it together for you.” He chuckled when my face reddened. “That’s why she wanted to go in on the crib, but don’t tell her I told you.”
Sophia was right about my construction skills, and that I wouldn’t want to spend the extra money on assembly. Curious, I glanced at Rhett. “What about you? Aren’t you handy with things like that?”
I suspected, at this point, that he could do just about anything.
Laughing, Rhett said, “Not particularly, no.
Sports, computer code, working out, I have all the patience in the world for that. Following asinine instructions that were written by someone who doesn’t even speak English? I’ll end up throwing it out before I get the first two pieces put together.”
Despite not really believing him, I giggled at the mental image of Rhett losing his shit over trying to comprehend the cartoon instructions of an IKEA manual. I was tempted to try it. But then I’d be stuck with a crib that was either in the trash or not put together properly. I swallowed my pride and worries.
“Are you busy this weekend?” I asked.
Surprise flashed in Rhett’s eyes at my lack of argument, but it passed quickly. Was it replaced by excitement? “I’m not busy,” he said before I could figure it out. “How does ten sound?”
I nodded, and hoped my general dislike of shopping would transfer to Rhett, just enough to keep me from doing something stupid. Again.
My feet were killing me. As was my back. I was exhausted from walking through miles-worth of furniture displays. I was sure we’d visited every furniture outlet and department store in the city that had a baby gear section. Shopping for a crib and a few basics had turned into a marathon. Rhett seemed determined to find everything in one trip. He’d also been determined to pay for everything, which had done strange things to my mood.
I heard the trunk shut and wondered how on earth Rhett had gotten everything in there. Then I wondered where I was going to put everything in my tiny apartment. It was going to look like a Baby Gap store had exploded in my living room. Just the thought of trying to organize it all made me want to crawl into bed…alone. Definitely alone.
Rhett opened the driver’s door and slid into his seat. As he reached his key toward the ignition, he began, “I was thinking…”
