Lucky Star

by Allie Everhart

  He puts his hand up. "Hey, I just came to get coffee. I'm not getting involved in this. Too much drama. See ya later." He goes out the door.

  "Drama?" I call out as he goes down the street. "What are you talking about?"

  He doesn't hear me, now almost a block away. I have no idea what he meant just now. Maybe it was nothing. Lars says a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense so he's not the most reliable person for information.

  "Excuse me," I hear Lauren say. "Could you remove yourself from the door?"

  I step back. "Done talking already?"

  "I need to get to work." She slings her purse up higher on her shoulder and that odd smile of hers appears again. "Perhaps you should consider getting a better job. Or maybe college. You can't always rely on a man to support you."

  "What? I'm not relying on—"

  "Goodbye, Star." She leaves and I watch as she walks to her expensive black car.

  As she drives off I go to the back office where Alexis is working on orders.

  "What happened?" I ask. "What'd Lauren say?"

  "Just personal stuff," she says as she types on her laptop.

  "You're not going to tell me?"

  She stops typing and looks at me. "If I'm not telling her about you, then I shouldn't be telling you about her. Plus, she made me promise not to tell. Not just you, but anyone."

  "So she's hiding something. Something she doesn't want people to know."

  "They'll know eventually," she says, continuing to type.

  "Can you give me a hint?" I ask, sitting on the chair next to her desk. "She was acting really strange and saying all this weird stuff to me."

  Alexis looks up from her laptop. "What stuff? What'd she say?"

  "How I should get a better job. Not rely on a man. And she ordered tea instead of coffee, saying something about how she can't have coffee."

  Alexis opens her mouth to say something, then snaps it shut as her eyes return to her laptop. "I left coffee bean orders in the kitchen. If you have time, can you work on them?"

  "Yeah. Sure." I get up, realizing she's not going to tell me anything. I go to the kitchen and grab the order sheets and take them out front. As I'm filling the coffee bags my mind keeps going back to Lauren and the comments she made. It's like she was trying to tell me something, but what?

  A woman walks up to the counter holding a toddler.

  "Hi," I say, smiling at her and her little girl. "What can I get you?"

  "Chocolate!" the little girl answers, clapping her hands.

  Her mom laughs. "She means chocolate milk. Small, please."

  "Sure." I punch it in the register. "And for you?"

  She scans the menu board. "Do you have herbal tea?"

  "Yes. The flavors are right there." I point to them on the board.

  "I'll take the ginger peach," she says. "On ice."

  She pays for the drinks and as I'm making them, she says, "I really miss coffee."

  "You can't have it?" I ask, handing her the chocolate milk for her daughter.

  "Not now that I'm pregnant," she says with a smile. "No caffeine for five more months."

  I hand her the tea. "I think you'll like this. The peach is really good."

  "Thanks!" She leaves and her daughter waves at me from the door.

  I wave back, smiling at her. She's cute.

  "Who are you waving at?" Alexis asks from behind me.

  "A little girl. She and her mom just left." I turn to Alexis. "Done with the orders?"

  "Yes. Can you give them to the supply guy when he gets here? I have to run to my parents' house."

  "Is something wrong?"

  "My dad tripped and fell. He's fine but my mom's freaking out."

  She races around behind the counter. She always does that when she's worried.

  "Alexis." I hold her arm, stopping her. "Go. Take as much time as you need. I'll take care of everything here."

  She gives me a weak smile. "Thanks. I'm sure he's fine but when something like this happens, I panic."

  "I know." I give her hug. "If you need anything, just call." I let her go.

  "You're such a great friend." She grabs her purse from under the counter. "I'll try not to be too long."

  "Don't worry about it. Take the rest of the day if you want. I can stay late if you need me to."

  "Thanks, Star," she says. "You're the best." She goes to leave, then turns back. "My phone! It's in my office." She runs to the back.

  Grabbing a rag I wipe down the counter and notice a tea bag on the floor. I must've dropped one when I went to make that woman's tea. Or maybe when I made Lauren's.

  Why would Lauren order tea? She never has tea. She always gets coffee. But not today. And when I asked her why, she said she can't, as in she can't have it. Just like the customer who was just here. She can't have coffee. Because she's pregnant.

  I suck in a breath as it hits me.

  Lauren's pregnant! That's her secret! That's why she was wearing that baggy sweater and not drinking coffee.

  "Okay, I'm going," Alexis says, stuffing her phone in her purse on her way to the door. "Call if you need me."

  "Alexis, wait." I run up to her. "Is Lauren pregnant?"

  She bites her lip and looks to the side.

  "Just tell me," I say. "You don't have to hide it. I already know she is."

  Her eyes return to mine. "How'd you find out?"

  "I guessed. And you just confirmed it."

  "Star!" She swats my arm. "I wasn't supposed to tell!"

  "She made it pretty obvious with her comments and then ordering tea instead of coffee."

  "Yeah, the coffee was a dead giveaway. It used to be Lauren couldn't go an hour without coffee and now she can't have it."

  "So who's the father?" I ask, surprised Lauren's been hiding her mystery man from Corbin. I would've thought she'd want to show him off to try to make Corbin jealous.

  Alexis looks down. "Um, I'm not sure."

  "Not sure? Meaning she didn't tell you?"

  "Star, I really need to go." She turns to leave but I grab her coat, stopping her.

  "You know."

  She looks at me. She seems sad, almost pained.

  I let her go. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  She sighs. "I'm really sorry."

  "About what?"

  "It doesn't mean things have to change. I mean, they will, but it doesn't mean you can't still be with him."

  "Who? What are you talking about?"

  She doesn't answer but that sad look is still on her face.

  My stomach knots and an uneasy feeling comes over me. "No. It can't be."

  "I'm really sorry," she says.

  "Corbin?" I say, raising my voice. "You're telling me the father is Corbin?"

  "Maybe I should stay. You're not going to be able to work now." She gets her phone out. "I'll call my mom and explain."

  "No." I take her by the arm and lead her to the door. "Go take care of your dad. I'll be fine."

  She frowns. "Star, I know you're not fine."

  "I'm not, but I'll deal with it." I take a breath. "Just tell me how long it's been."

  "What?"

  "How long have they been seeing each other?"

  "Oh! No, they haven't been together since he started seeing you. This happened before he met you."

  "And she's just telling you this now?"

  "She said she just found out. I don't know how that's possible, given she's a doctor. You think she'd know before now."

  "She probably did," I say, my voice trailing off as I try to absorb the news.

  Lauren's pregnant. With Corbin's baby.

  "I'm just as shocked as you," Alexis says. "I didn't even think she wanted kids, although this wasn't planned, but still. I'm surprised she isn't giving it up. I can't imagine her as a mom."

  "Does he know?" I blurt out. "Did she tell Corbin?"

  "Last night. They met somewhere and she told him. I don't know what he said. She didn't tell me. I'm just wondering what
he plans to do. Will he move to New York with her? But that would mean you'd have to move and—" She stops, her hand resting on my arm. "Sorry, I shouldn't be talking about this. I'm sure you and Corbin will figure out a solution. Star, I really do need to go. I told my mom I'd be there five minutes ago."

  "Yeah. Go ahead. I'll check in with you later."

  She hurries off and I walk back behind the counter in a daze, not wanting to believe this is true. I thought my luck had changed. That finally, my streak of bad luck was over. But I should've known better.

  I found the man of my dreams. The man I want to be with forever. Lauren was his past. She was moving to New York. She was finally going to be out of our lives and we'd never have to see her again.

  But now? Corbin's having a child with her.

  Everything will change.

  My streak of good luck has ended.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Corbin

  "Hey," I say when she answers. I called Star as soon as I got home from work. I've felt sick to my stomach all day knowing I had to tell her the news and now the time has come. I can't wait any longer.

  "Hi, Corbin," she says, a hint of anger in her voice. I don't know why she's angry but it's going to get a lot worse when she finds out the news.

  "Can you come over tonight?" I ask.

  "What time?"

  "Right now?"

  "Yeah. I'm just getting off work so I'll just come upstairs. See you in a minute." She hangs up before saying goodbye. She's definitely angry. This is going to go even worse than I imagined.

  Taking deep breaths I try to calm down as I quickly change into jeans and a t-shirt. I hear her come in the door, her keys dropping on the counter, then Lucky's paws clinking on the wood floor as he runs to greet her.

  "Hey," I say, going up to her. I give her a hug. "I miss you."

  "I miss you too," she says softly.

  I let her go. "Can we sit down?"

  She nods and we walk to the couch. Once we're seated, she turns to me and says, "I already know."

  "Know what?" I ask, my heart pounding.

  "About Lauren. She was in the coffee shop today."

  "And she told you?" I ask, both shocked and angry Lauren would do that. She knows I wanted to be the one to tell Star the news.

  "I figured it out. She was acting weird and then she ordered herbal tea instead of coffee." Star's eyes lift to mine. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I was going to. Right now. I swear, I was just about to tell you but you beat me to it."

  "Why'd you wait? Why didn't you tell me last night?"

  "I don't know," I say, shaking my head. "I guess I just needed some time to let it sink in. When she told me I was so shocked I'm not even sure what I said. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't even sure it was possible. I mean, obviously it was but we hadn't—never mind." I look down at my hands, which I'm wringing together as my nerves get the best of me. I'm so afraid this will change things between Star and me and I can't let that happen. Everything was going so well. This time apart made me love her even more and showed me I can't live without her. That I want her in my life forever.

  "I thought you two weren't getting along at the end," Star says.

  "We hadn't been getting along for months," I say.

  "Then how? Why?" She struggles to find the right words but I know what she's asking.

  "We did it right before we broke up. We hadn't for weeks, but that night we'd been drinking and one thing led to another."

  "And you didn't use protection?"

  "She was on the pill but she had just changed to a new one. It needed more time to take effect." I take her hand. "Star, I know this complicates things but I promise I'll do all I can to keep Lauren out of our lives. Obviously I'll be involved with the baby but that doesn't mean I have to be involved with Lauren."

  "Are you kidding?" Star bursts up from the couch. "This is Lauren we're talking about. The woman who's been trying to get you back the whole time we've been together! And now she's done it! She has you back! You're tied to her forever now!"

  I follow Star to the window. Her back's to me as she looks down at the gardens below.

  "Star, it's not like I planned this. Lauren didn't either. I'm not sticking up for her. I'm just saying this wasn't planned. Neither one of us was trying to have a baby that night."

  "What if she was?" Star turns to face me. "How do you know she wasn't trying to get pregnant those last months she was with you, hoping a baby would make you stay?"

  "She wouldn't have done that. She had no reason to. She thought I'd stay with her forever, even if she treated me like shit. When I broke up with her she didn't believe me. You know this, Star. You were there when Lauren kept showing up, acting like she and I were still together."

  "Fine, so maybe she didn't plan it but now she's using this to get you back."

  "I'm not going back to her. Ever." I take Star's hand. "I love YOU. You're the one I want to be with. Even if I was single I wouldn't take her back."

  "She's going to use this baby to manipulate you." Star rips her hand from mine. "She's already doing it."

  "How? What do you mean?"

  "You're moving to New York."

  "What?" I look at her, confused. "Who told you I'm moving to New York? Lauren?"

  "Nobody told me, but I know she'll make you move there. You want to be with your baby, and in order to do that, you'll have to follow Lauren wherever she goes. And she's going to New York."

  "That doesn't mean I'm going with her," I say.

  "So you're just not going to see your kid?" She rolls her eyes. "You and I both know that's a lie. You're going to love that kid more than anything. There's no way you're not going to be around to see him or her grow up. And you SHOULD be there. It's the right thing to do."

  I sigh. "I know it is, and you're right. I already love this baby and I haven't even met him. And when he's born I'm not going to want to go a day without seeing him. But there's gotta be a way to fight this. Lauren can't be the one controlling everything. She and I both have rights. I can talk to my lawyer tomorrow and see what my options are."

  "He?" Star asks, looking up at me. She has a slight smile but her eyes are sad. "You're having a boy?"

  "I don't know yet. It's too early to tell. It could be a girl, although for some reason I have a feeling it's a boy."

  "Either way, it's great," she says, trying to sound happy. She turns and walks away, wiping her eyes.

  "Star, wait." I hurry over to her and pull her into my arms. "I'm so sorry this is happening."

  She sniffles. "It's a baby. It's a good thing. And I'm really trying to be happy for you. I just..." She doesn't finish the thought.

  "You wish it was ours," I say quietly as I hold her.

  She nods against my chest.

  "I know. I do too. Not that now would be a good time for that but if it was going to happen, I'd rather it be with you."

  "I don't know what to do now." She sniffles.

  "I think you should move back in. And not next month or next week, but now." I pull away from her. "Let's go get your things."

  She shakes her head. "I don't know if I want to."

  "I know you wanted more time but things have changed. We need each other, Star. We need to be with each other to get through this."

  She looks down. "What I mean is I don't know if I can do this."

  "Do what?"

  She swallows and her eyes lift to mine. "I don't know if I can be with you with Lauren in your life."

  "Star, I told you, she's not going to be in our lives. Yes, I'll see her when I pick up the baby but I'll make sure she—"

  "It won't work. She manipulates you, Corbin. You don't even realize when she's doing it, and when I try to tell you, you don't believe me. And now you and her will have to make decisions together. Decisions that'll affect me but that I won't get a say in because Lauren will take over and decide everything and convince you to go along with it."

  "Star, you're making ass
umptions that aren't true. None of that is going to happen."

  Star walks over to the window. "Just wait. She'll make sure you move to New York. I bet she's even got a job lined up for you."

  I don't respond.

  Star turns to me. "She does, doesn't she? She got you a job."

  "I'm not taking it," I say, walking up to her. "And it's not a job. It's a lead. There's a guy she wants me to talk to. I told her I wouldn't. I wouldn't even take his card."

  "She won't give up. She'll keep pushing you until you agree to it. Or she'll find some way to force you to do it."

  "Okay, stop." I place my hands on her shoulders. "Stop trying to predict the future. I don't know what's going to happen but we're not going to make decisions about our relationship based on worst case scenarios. We'll take it a day at a time."

  "I don't want her in our lives, Corbin."

  "I know you don't. We'll figure this out. I promise you, we will." I hug her to my chest. "I love you." I kiss her head. "I love you so much."

  "I love you too," she whispers.

  We stay there a moment, then she pulls away and tells me she has to go. Before I can stop her, she's on the elevator and I watch as the doors close. I could run after her but I don't. She needs time to think about this. We both do. I send her a text later, telling her how much I love her and that we'll talk tomorrow. She doesn't text back.

  ***

  The next day at work I'm having lunch in my office when my phone rings. It's my father.

  "Hey, dad," I say.

  "I hear congratulations are in order."

  Lauren told my father? What the hell? She told me we'd each tell our families separately and wouldn't do so for at least another week.

  "Yes, it was quite a surprise," I say. "Who told you?"

  "Lauren's mother called last night. Apparently she wasn't supposed to tell us but she was so excited she wasn't able to hold back the news. I'm curious why you didn't tell me yourself."

  "I wasn't ready to. I wanted to let it sink in a little before I started telling people."

  "Eve said Lauren is nearly three months along."

  "More like two and half."

  "But it was when you two were together," he confirms.

  "Yes. And nothing has happened since, if that's what you're wondering."

  "So what happens now?"