by Maya Banks
She shrugged and set her glass in the sink. After washing her hands, she walked to the French doors leading out to the deck and slipped outside. The sun was setting over the horizon, spreading an array of pink and purple hues across the western sky.
Settling into a lawn chair, she leaned back to enjoy the view from the elevated deck. As a song once lauded, there was nothing like Southern nights. The evenings were cooler with the coming autumn, and the faint smell of burning leaves filtered through her nose.
In six months her life would change forever. She no longer had only herself to look out for. Though she’d come to terms with her pregnancy, the idea of parenthood still scared the hell out of her. A lot of women seemed to have an innate sense of how to care for a child, but she wasn’t one of them.
Her hand crept up to palm her abdomen. Only the slightest hint of a swell existed, and someone not familiar with her usually flat stomach would never be able to discern the gentle curvature.
A light breeze blew over her, lifting the strands of her hair and blowing them softly against her face. Maybe pregnancy was mellowing her, but she felt an inner peace she hadn’t felt in many weeks.
The sound of the door sliding open pulled her from her silent reverie.
“Telephone for you, Toni,” Matt said handing her the cordless phone.
She took the receiver and Matt backed into the house.
“Hello?”
“Hey Toni. This is Mike. How you doing?”
“I’m good. How about you?”
“Doing great. Enjoying my day off. Hey, listen. I was calling because I wondered if you wanted to go out this weekend. Maybe catch dinner at Drake’s.”
An awkward silence ensued as Toni struggled with her surprise. “I uh.” Shit. She didn’t want to get into the whys and wherefores over the phone. No one at the station knew she was pregnant yet. “Sure,” she finally said. “Sounds great.”
“Hey great. I’ll pick you up around six. That okay?”
“I’ll see you then,” Toni said. They said their goodbyes, and she punched the button, ending the call.
She leaned back in the chair and laid the phone in her lap. Her mind was whirling. Truthfully, she had no desire to go out with Mike, though he was a great guy. But on the other hand, it was high time she gave up her childish fantasies. Unrealistic dreams about a relationship with Simon and got on with her life. She had a child to consider, and despite the fact she couldn’t have the one man she wanted, she didn’t want to spend her life alone. Didn’t want to raise her child alone.
Mike might not be the one, but he was a start. The beginning to putting Simon and her disastrous night with him behind her.
Today’s appointment had been an exercise in bittersweet. Simon had gone with her, but his presence had been a painful reminder of what she would never have. Pretending was doing her no good. She felt like a dog being patted on the head, and it was getting harder to bear.
A few weeks ago such thoughts would have her in tears, but now she simply felt a deep seeded melancholy over the course, or non-course, her life was taking.
Well enough was enough. She swung her legs over the side of the chair and got up. She walked back inside to see Matt and A.J. sitting at the bar watching Simon cook dinner.
“What did Mike want?” Matt asked with ill-disguised curiosity.
“He asked me out,” she returned nonchalantly. She crossed to the bar and replaced the phone on the charger then slid into a seat next to A.J.
Three sets of eyes turned on her. “What?” It was hard to distinguish who’d asked the question since all three of their mouths were open.
Simon stood frozen, spatula in the air. “Mike as in Mike from the station?”
“That’s the one,” she replied.
“What the hell is he doing asking you out?”
She pinned Simon with a frosty stare. “Could it be because he’s interested?”
A.J. chuckled. “You stepped in it this time, dude.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that he wasn’t interested,” Simon said calmly. “I was surprised. I mean it came as kind of a shock.”
“Why?”
Matt grinned. “You better shut up while you still have teeth.”
Simon held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I just had no idea.”
“Nice to know Simon the Smooth has moments of stupidity,” A.J. said with obvious glee. “For once it isn’t me getting into trouble.”
“I’m glad you all find this so amusing,” she retorted. “Why is it hard for you to believe I have a date?” She turned and stalked to her room in disgust.
“Way to go,” A.J. said shooting an amused glance at Simon.
Simon watched Toni stomp away to her room. He was still reeling from the news that Mike had asked her out. What the hell was he doing asking her out?
“If you frown any harder, something is going to go up in smoke,” Matt piped up. “And if you don’t flip those burgers, the kitchen’s going to go up in smoke as well.”
“You mean you guys aren’t bothered by the fact Mike asked her out?”
A.J. raised an eyebrow. “Should we be?”
“Come on. Mike has a different woman every week. Do you really think we ought to be letting him take Toni out? You’ve heard him talk about how many times he’s gotten laid.”
Matt and A.J. exchanged amused glances, which only served to irritate him further. “What’s wrong with you two? I’m being serious.”
“Oh, yes, we can see,” Matt chortled.
“Toni’s a big girl. She’s pregnant for Pete’s sake. She’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She knows all about Mike, and if she wants to go out with him, who are we to say anything?” A.J. pointed out.
Simon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Any other time the two of them would be growling like a pair of Pit Bulls if Toni was going out with the wrong guy.
He didn’t like it. Didn’t like it one bit. He turned back to the skillet and flipped over a burned hamburger patty. That one was going to be A.J.’s.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” A.J. said with a groan. “I gave up a date with Mindy Sue Stevens. I was assured of scoring too.”
“Quit complaining and keep a look out,” Simon snarled from behind his menu.
He edged the menu down and peered over the top across the restaurant where Toni and Mike were eating. So far they had appeared to talk, and Toni was picking at her meal. Why wasn’t she eating? Was Mike bothering her?
The waitress stopped at their table temporarily obscuring Simon’s view. He quickly ordered a dessert and waited impatiently as A.J. rattled off what he wanted to eat. When the waitress finally sashayed off, his eyes flitted back to Toni’s table.
His eyes narrowed as he saw Mike’s hand reaching across to cover Toni’s. She smiled at him in return, but didn’t make any effort to move her hand. This was not going as he’d envisioned.
“Looks like it’s going well to me,” A.J said with a shrug.
“Yeah, up until Mike tries to get her in the sack.”
“Well, if that’s where they end up, I am sure it will have been what Toni wanted.”
“She’s pregnant for Christ sake!”
“Lower your voice or we’re going to be busted,” A.J. warned. “Have you forgotten that getting in the sack is what got her pregnant to begin with?”
