Avery stood, straightening her slim back skirt. “I do. I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Do you need anything before I go?”
“No, no, you go ahead. I’ll just eat at my desk.” She paused in the doorway. “Any idea what time you’ll be back?”
Avery retrieved the nondescript paper bag from her desk drawer. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour or two.”
Lisa smiled. “Take your time, boss.” She closed the door with a definitive click.
Avery waited until she could hear the soft lilt of Lisa’s voice on the phone before she stepped into the powder room adjacent to her office. She set the paper bag down on the small vanity and took a deep breath as she faced her reflection in the mirror.
It had been five weeks since the night she and Ty made love without protection and she was late. Not that she was surprised; her cycle had never been regular. But there were other signs, signs that were harder to ignore. She was torn, part of her was excited about the prospect of having a baby with Ty, but the other part, her logical self, told her that the timing couldn’t be worse.
Her hand shook as she extracted the box from the bag and read the instructions. Once she had read and reread the small slip of paper, she performed the test, washed her hands, and waited for a small plastic stick to tell her whether her life was about to change forever.
She closed her eyes and leaned over the sink, drawing deep breaths to calm her erratic breathing. When she had finally counted off three minutes in her head, she opened her eyes and stared at the test strip in disbelief.
She was pregnant.
As far as Ty was concerned, she had taken the necessary precautions to prevent this pregnancy, only now she would have to tell him that she had made the decision without his input. She settled her hand over her flat stomach and said a silent prayer that Ty wouldn’t hate her for turning his life upside down.
Chapter Ten
Once she and Luc were seated at the restaurant, Avery pulled a folder from her briefcase, trying to force herself to focus on the business at hand. She had driven the short distance from her office to the restaurant on autopilot, her mind racing with thoughts of Ty and the baby. How would he feel when she finally found the courage to break the news that she was pregnant?
She slid the folder across the table. “These are the press releases I sent to the radio stations in the five cities Ty will be visiting this time out.”
Luc frowned as he grabbed the file folder and opened it. “Avery, you emailed this to me last week. I already approved them, remember?”
She cursed herself for the memory lapse. Until Ty came into her life, business had been her one and only priority. Luc hired her to represent his label because he knew she was a workaholic, steadfast in her commitment to helping her clients succeed. Luc was a ruthless businessman, if he even suspected she had taken her eyes off the target, he wouldn’t hesitate to give the job to someone else. “I’m sorry Luc, I...”
He leaned forward. “Hey, are you okay? You don’t look so good, honey. Are you not feeling well?”
Her stomach was churning, but she couldn’t tell Luc about her condition so she faked a smile and took a sip of water. “I’m fine. I guess I’m just a little tired.”
He offered her a forgiving smile. “I know you’ve been working hard on this project. But it’s really starting to pay off. Ty’s debut single is shooting up the charts. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. For an unknown artist to...”
She realized she hadn’t been listening to a word Luc said when he finally stopped talking.
He sat with his arms folded, glaring at her across the table. “I’m sorry. Am I keeping you from something more important?”
The last thing she wanted was to incense the man who held her career in the palm of his hand. She had no choice but to tell him the truth. “I’m sorry, Luc. I didn’t mean to be rude.” She took a deep breath. “It’s just that I’m working through a personal issue right now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Ty, does it? Because I’m telling you, I need his undivided attention right now.”
She looked around to make sure the wait staff wasn’t hovering. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
A look of astonishment crossed his face. “When did you find out?”
“Less than an hour ago.”
He shook his head. “Now I understand why you’re so distracted. Does Ty know?”
She lowered her head, unable to respond.
“Am I wrong in assuming the baby is his?”
“No, it is, but I just don’t know how I’m going to tell him. Let’s just say he’s not expecting it.”
Luc sighed. “Can I ask you a favor?” He held his hand up. “You can say no; this is your call. But do you think you could wait until he gets back to tell him about this? The first few concerts are always nerve-wracking and adding this to the mix right now might send the poor guy over the edge.”
She shook her head in agreement. “You’re right. I don’t want to give him more than he can handle.”
Luc reached across the table to grab her hand. “Don’t worry. Ty’s gonna be thrilled about this.”
Her mind was a crazy mix of fear and hope. “I don’t know about that, Luc. I hope you’re right.”
Luc chuckled. “You must know he’s crazy about you. The guy talks about you all the time.”
Hope slowly began to overshadow the fear. “You really think so?”
He kissed her hand. “I know so.” He grinned. “How about you? How do you feel about it, honey? When we were dating you never talked about having kids.”
“Truth is, I’ve never really thought much about it.” She shrugged. “I always assumed I’d have kids one day. Then I realized this may be my only chance to be a mother. I guess I saw an opportunity and I took it.” She bit her lip. “Is that terrible? If you were him, would you hate me?”
He hesitated, blinking repeatedly. “Are you telling me you got pregnant on purpose?” The waiter appeared at their table, but Luc waved him off. “What the hell, Avery?”
How could she explain her decision to Luc, or Ty, when she didn’t understand it? The silence lengthened between them, compounding her distress. She finally cleared her throat. “We didn’t take the necessary precautions one night. I told Ty that I would take care of it the following morning, get medication to reduce the chance of pregnancy...”
“Obviously you didn’t follow through?”
She became increasingly uneasy under his intense scrutiny. She knew that Luc had become a father before he was ready because his then girlfriend set out to trap him with an unplanned pregnancy.
“I didn’t intend to get pregnant when we slept together, if that’s what you’re thinking, Luc.”
He crossed his arms. “I didn’t say you did. I’m just trying to understand why you didn’t consult Ty. You do realize the impact this is going to have on his life, don’t you?”
She sat up taller, suddenly feeling defensive and frustrated. “If Ty doesn’t want to be a part of this baby’s life, he doesn’t have to. I have the resources to care for this baby by myself, without his help.”
Luc smirked. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a single, working mother? Do you realize the kind of toll that takes over time? You can’t be all things to all people.”
She knew he was right. Her parents had both been workaholics and she had been the one to pay for their mistakes. She was determined to ensure her own child wouldn’t suffer the same fate, even if it meant sacrificing the success she had worked so hard to achieve. “I’ll manage.”
Luc sighed. “Look, I don’t mean to sound harsh or judgmental. I have strong opinions about this subject, for obvious reasons. The bottom line is, you and Ty are going to have a baby and you two need to figure things out before that happens.” He stood up and tossed his napkin on the table. “Order lunch, on me. I have a feeling you could use a little time by yourself to sort things out.” He bent to kiss
her cheek. “Call me if you need to talk, okay?”
She closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed. “Sure, thanks.”
Ty strolled into Avery’s office feeling better than he had since Avery walked back into his life. Soon, he would be free to pursue a real relationship with her and he couldn’t wait to share the news.
“Hi, Lisa,” he said. “Is your boss around?”
She looked up from her computer screen and smiled. “Hey there, handsome. I heard your new song. I think you’ve got a number one hit on your hands.”
He kissed his fingertips and raised them to the ceiling. “From your lips to God’s ears darlin’.” He sat on the edge of her desk, swaying his booted foot. “What cha workin’ on?”
She smiled. “Your press kit. You wanna see?”
“Sure.” He walked around the desk to stand behind her, leaning over her shoulder so he could see the screen from her vantage point. He watched the monitor as she clicked the mouse to scroll through the pages. “Very nice. You ladies really are professionals.” He chuckled. “You can even make a hack like me look like he knows what he’s doing.”
She spun her chair around so they were facing each other. “You’re not a hack. You’re really talented, Ty. You’ll see. You’re gonna be a star in no time.” She stood up suddenly, bracing her hands against the desk behind her and thrusting her chest forward.
Feeling uncomfortable, he took a step back. “That’s real nice of you to say, Lisa.”
She coiled her arms around his neck and tried to pull him closer. “I’m not trying to be nice,” she whispered. She leaned in, brushing her body against his as she inhaled his cologne. “Mmm, you smell so good.”
He cursed silently as he reached behind his neck to seize her wrists. “You’re a really attractive girl, but, uh, I’m kind of off the market right now, Lisa.”
She flattened her body against his while placing moist kisses up his neck. “Really? That’s not what Avery said.”
He tried to thwart his body’s response to her intimate touches while processing her words. “What do you mean? What did Avery say about me?”
Her fingers flew over the buttons on his shirt. “She said you were a client and a friend, nothing more, nothing less.”
He clenched his jaw as his frustration mounted, both at Avery’s easy dismissal of their relationship and Lisa’s relentless attempts to get him naked. He grabbed her hands, trying to halt her progress. “Lisa, stop. You’re not listening to me...”
She pulled his shirt out of his pants as her hands moved to his belt. “It’s okay,” she whispered, bending to kiss his bare chest. “Avery had a business lunch. She won’t be back for hours.”
The front door slammed behind them. “Sorry to disappoint you,” Avery said.
Ty closed his eyes and counted backward from five before he turned to face her, knowing his raging erection was not going to help his cause. “Avery, this is not what it looks like. I swear.”
Her eyes travelled from his open shirt to the front of his pants before finally landing on his face. “Really? ‘Cause it looks like you were getting ready to screw my assistant on her desk.”
Lisa giggled as she adjusted her blouse. “I guess it is what it looks like, Ty.”
Avery glared at her. “Lisa, why don’t you take your lunch break now? You and I will discuss office policy later.”
She slipped her purse out of the bottom drawer of her desk. “Sure, Avery.” She bent to scribble something on a piece of paper. “Here’s my number, Ty. Call me. Maybe we can have dinner tonight?”
She pressed the number into his hand before sauntering out the door, leaving both Ty and Avery staring after her.
Avery pointed a manicured finger at him. “I want you gone, now.”
“Avery, wait,” he said following her into her office. “I know what that must’ve looked like...”
She glared at the bulge in his pants. “It looks like you were enjoying yourself. You can’t really pretend you weren’t.”
A tense silence enveloped the room and he knew he was running out of time to prove his innocence.
“Avery, give me a break; I’m a guy. An attractive woman is kissing up on me and my body responded.” He sighed when she flashed him a look of contempt. “Okay, look that didn’t come out right.” He took a step toward her. “What I’m trying to say is that you’re the only one I wanna be with, baby.”
She took a seat behind her desk and punched the button to turn her computer on. “I asked you to leave, Ty. If I have to ask you again, I’m going to call building security and have you thrown out.”
“This is crazy.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Nothing happened with Lisa, I swear.”
She turned her chair to look at him. “That might be a little more believable if you were fully clothed when you said it.”
He quickly fastened his jeans and began to secure the buttons on his shirt. “Why did you tell Lisa we were just friends?”
She turned back to the computer screen. “We are. At least, we were. Now we’re not even friends. You’re just my client.”
He released a shaky breath. He could feel her shutting down and he started to panic. “You told me you loved me. Were you lying?”
She shook her head, looking disgusted. “Don’t be an idiot. People say all kinds of things they don’t mean when they’re caught up in the moment. Are you telling me you’ve never told a girl you loved her just to get her into bed?”
“No, never.”
She shrugged. “Whatever, I don’t care.” She clicked to open a file on her computer. “I have a lot of work to do. Kindly get out.”
“Avery,” he said, desperate to make her listen to reason. “You can’t tell me you’re going to break up with me because of one stupid misunderstanding.”
She turned her swivel chair slowly, bracing her hands on the desk. “What makes you think we were in a relationship?”
He walked over to her desk and set his fists on the top, leaning over her. “Are you telling me you were making love to me every night just for kicks?”
She nodded sharply in response. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. It was fun, but now it’s over. So you can go out with Lisa, or you can go back to your wife. I really don’t care anymore.”
He felt his control slipping and he knew he was a breath away from losing it completely. How had this happened? He came here to talk about their future and she was trying to convince him he had been nothing more than a pleasurable diversion. “I don’t believe you.”
She glared at him. “I don’t care what you believe. You’ve proved to me you can’t be trusted. That’s it, end of story.”
He pushed back from her desk. “So, that’s it, huh? You’re willing to write me off just like that without even considering the possibility that you may have misinterpreted what you saw?”
She rolled her eyes. “My father was a serial cheater, Ty. I heard him give my mother every excuse known to man by the time I was twelve. If that experience taught me one thing, it’s that men can’t be trusted.” She bit her bottom lip and he could tell her steely resolve was slipping. “I let you convince me you were different because I wanted to believe it. I won’t make that mistake again.”
He knelt down on bended knee so they were eye to eye. “Baby, I am different. You must know that by now.” He reached for her hand. “Please, don’t do this. I have to leave town tomorrow. I don’t want to leave things like this between us.”
“It’s over. Whatever we had is over. You need to accept that and move on with your life. Focus on building your career now.”
He shook his head, feeling the dread assail him. “No, I’m not going to accept that. It’s not over, Avery. If you need a few days while I’m away, I’ll give you that, but this is not over.”
Her lips puckered with annoyance. “Do you really think you can make me love you, Ty? Do you think you can bully me into being with you against my will?”
He clenched his hands around the ar
mrest of her chair, caging her in. “Why are you being so goddamn stubborn?”
“I don’t know how else to get through to you. Is it going to take a restraining order to keep you at a safe distance?”
He fell back on his heels as he stared at her, tongue-tied. “You can’t be serious. You would honestly take out a restraining order against me?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “If I had to, though I hope it won’t come to that.”
He stood up, shaking his head. “No, it won’t come to that. If you want me out of your life, I’m gone.”
“Good, I’m glad we understand each other.”
“What about your job as my publicist?”
“I’ll talk to Luc about that.” She hesitated. “Good luck on the tour. I’m sure it’ll be a big success.”
Before he could express his thanks, she turned her back to him, facing the computer screen once again.
He walked out of the office, pausing in the doorway to look back at her, hoping to see some trace of regret on her hardened features. Instead, she stared at the computer screen, deep in concentration, as though she couldn’t care less that he was walking out of her life.
Chapter Eleven
Ty was running on empty after too many sleepless nights, take-out meals, and too much caffeine. It had been three days since the incident with Lisa in Avery’s office and judging by the tone of her emails and text messages, she was determined to shut him out of her life permanently. She was the epitome of professionalism, always ensuring he was well prepared for interviews and public appearances, but her interest in him seemed limited to his public persona. Personally, it seemed she couldn’t care less about him and her refusal to acknowledge his repeated attempts to reach out were causing him to lose hope.
He pressed his foot down on the brake as a stop sign came in view. He’d been so distracted thinking about Avery he’d barely seen it. Not uncommon these days. It seemed no matter who or what was vying for his attention, she was always in the back of his mind, distracting him from the task at hand.
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