by King, Imani
The MediPads were Timothy’s current project. He’d been working on them fulltime for over a year now. They were tablets designed specifically for use in hospitals and doctor’s offices. Timothy was heading everything up, overseeing the hardware and software needed to revolutionize medicine .
Doctors and nurses would’ve have to worry about paper charts and files. They wouldn’t have to worry about physical X-rays or test results. They’d be able to access all of their patient’s information on their MediPad. They’d be able to transmit files to other doctors for consultations or referrals. Best of all, the custom hardware would be able to withstand the heavy use in a hospital environment. They’d be sturdy enough to withstand being dropped or things being spilled on them. But they’d be easy enough to sanitize as well .
It’d been something Jonathan had thought of years ago, back when they were still in school. It’d been a side-project of Timothy’s since then. Now that side project was finally coming to light. He’d produced a prototype last year and was working on refining everything now .
It was supposed to be one of the main selling points of the hospital they were building. Everything in the hospital would be connected and accessible through the MediPads. Any information the doctors or nurses needed would be right at their fingertips .
That is, as long as the board doesn’t decide to pull the plug on the project. Jonathan knew they’d be stupid to do so. Not only would the project revolutionize the way doctors handled patient records, but it’d bring in a fortune for the company .
But the board were a bunch of old farts with old money. They weren’t big on things that were risky ventures, which the MediPad was. The device relied on becoming an industry standard. It wouldn’t succeed unless it had near universal adoption .
“Relax,” Jonathan told him, smiling. “I’m sure they just want a status update on how everything is going. I haven’t heard any rumblings, so I doubt they’re going to do anything drastic. Besides, if we don’t release the MediPad, someone else will. It’s only a matter of time with how digital society is becoming .”
Timothy nodded, but didn’t relax at all. “I guess it’s a good thing we’ve been making progress then. All that’s left really is working out some of the software bugs before it’s ready to go into production .”
“Good. Then the board can’t complain. Although, I’m sure they will. You know how those old farts are. If they can’t complain about anything, they complain about not being able to complain .”
Jonathan grinned at him, hoping to put Timothy at ease a little. He doubted the board would pull the plug after this much work had gone into it, but you never did know with that group of old fogeys. Not everyone was keen on change nor did they always trust technology .
Before he knew it, it was time for the two of them to head down to the meeting with the board. Just as he’d suspected, they wanted a status update on the MediPads. Timothy may have been a nervous ball of energy, but he was passionate about his projects, which helped ease the old fogey’s minds .
Everything was on track for their December launch of the project. The hardware was stable and ready for production. All that was left were a few bugs in the coding and the tablets would be ready for production. They’d be given to a few local doctors to test out before the hospital opened, this way they’d have actual field experience before the hospital was even finished being built .
The last thing they needed was for some major snafu to pop up that would cripple the hospital. Which was why they planned on testing small batches at first in less critical environments before the hospital was even finished being built. They’d thought of every contingency, at least Jonathan hoped they had .
21
Trisha
T risha stared at herself in Jonathan’s bathroom mirror. Just like the rest of his room, it was ornate and gilded and probably cost more than she had in her bank account. Jonathan had left for work an hour ago. She’d feigned sleep, not quite ready to face the day. Not quite ready to face him .
Even though he’d left without waking her most mornings, it was different than it had been that first night. She didn’t feel abandoned or that he’d snuck out. Instead, it felt almost natural, like he was being considerate by not waking her at dawn when he left, letting her sleep in until it was time to start taking care of the boys .
Things had been going well since their trip to Italy. Even though she’d been a little iffy for a few days after they’d returned, once Jonathan had taken her to bed, she’d slept with him every night since. They fucked at least twice before falling asleep in each other’s arms .
He'd been coming home for dinner almost every single night, something the boys were very happy about. The four of them would eat together, then either play video games or watch a movie until it was time for the boys to head to sleep. Then, it would just be the two of them, and they’d head up to Jonathan’s bedroom .
Everything seemed to be perfect, until last night. After they’d had sex and cuddled together under the blankets, Jonathan had fallen asleep almost right away. She couldn’t really blame him, since he was getting up near dawn every morning to head into work and staying there until almost dinner time .
But as she’d lain staring up at the ceiling, Jonathan’s arm draped across her stomach, she realized something. It’d been well over a month since she’d gotten her last period. She should’ve gotten it last week, but it hadn’t come .
She’d slept fitfully all night as she considered the possibilities. She’d never had a late period before. Her schedule was always regular, even more so than any other woman she’d met. And since she’d never even thought to use condoms, that left only one possibility .
She was pregnant .
It was stupid, she told herself as she started at her reflection. Why hadn’t they used protection? She wasn’t on the pill, since it didn’t agree with her body and made her sick. She should’ve insisted on them using condoms, especially after their first night together .
Yet, each time she’d fallen into Jonathan’s arms, the only thing that had been on her mind was feeling his cock inside her. Once they’d gotten going, birth control was the furthest thing from her mind .
Now what was she going to do ?
She needed to get a pregnancy test done, but was scared of what the results might say. Worse, she was scared of what Jonathan might say if she really was pregnant. Would he throw her out and pretend he didn’t know her anymore? Would he insist on her having an abortion ?
She shivered at the thought. There was no way she was getting an abortion. It didn’t matter that she still had at least one more year of school left. It didn’t matter if Jonathan tossed her out on her own. This baby would be part of her, and she wasn’t going to give it up, not without a fight .
Before the boys woke up, she called Sam and made plans to meet with her at the park. She needed to get out of the house and talk to someone, but she couldn’t leave the boys home alone. The park seemed like a good place for those two to occupy themselves while Sam and Trisha had a private chat .
A few hours later, Sam and Trisha were sitting beneath the sun’s rays as they watched Declan and Alexander toss a football. Trisha’s heart hammered in her chest as she thought about that to say to Sam .
This wasn’t going to be an easy chat .
“So, did you bring me here to talk about something or just to watch the boys play football?” Sam looked side-eyed at her. “’Cause, I have to tell you, as entertaining as this is, neither of those boys are ever going to go pro .”
Trisha snorted. Just as Sam said the words, Declan dove for the ball, missed, and came up with dirt all over his pants. There was definitely a reason they preferred video games over sports most of the time! But hey, they were having fun and that was all that mattered. Plus, they were distracted for a little while, giving her and Sam a chance to talk .
“Talk. Definitely talk,” Trisha said. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. How should she broach the sub
ject ?
“Just spit it out .”
That was Sam, never one for beating around the bush. But, like always, she was right. There wasn’t much point in cherry coating it or delaying the inevitable. She just needed to come out and say what was on her mind .
“I think I’m pregnant .”
Sam’s head whirled around so fast Trisha thought she might’ve given herself whiplash. Sam stared at her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, making Trisha giggle. This was the first time she’d ever seen Sam speechless .
“W..What? How?” Sam waved a hand. “Never mind, I know how. Is it Jonathans ?”
Trisha nodded, her face flushing. She’d never felt like this before. Guilt and shame washed over her, even though she had no reason for it. She was an adult, perfectly capable of having sex and children. So why did she feel like this ?
And yet, she couldn’t shake it. She’d known better than to have sex without protection yet had done it anyway. What was Jonathan going to say when he found out? When she hadn’t insisted on a condom, he probably assumed she was on the pill or something .
Samantha wrapped her arms around Trisha and hugged her tight. Trisha gasped as the air was forced from her lungs. Then she patted Sam gently on the back before pushing her away. Well, at least someone was excited .
“Oh my god! This is amazing news!” Sam bounced up and down, grinning like a madman now. “Do the boys know yet ?”
Trisha shook her head, the flush in her cheeks deepening. “I haven’t even told Jonathan …”
“Why not? He’s going to be so excited! I can’t wait to throw you a baby shower. I wonder if it’ll be a boy or a girl ….”
“What if he doesn’t want me to keep it ?”
Sam froze, her eyebrows rising. “Why wouldn’t he? I thought you said things were going good between the two of you .”
Trisha shrugged. Things had been going pretty well. At least, they weren’t horrible. But Trisha was still essentially his mistress, their relationship being confined to the bedroom. She had a feeling Jonathan wanted it that way .
He barely spoke about his late wife, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to marry again. As far as she had gleamed over the past few months, he hadn’t dated anyone since she’d died. So why would he make an exception for her ?
It wasn’t like she was anything special. She was just the girl he’d fallen into bed with. Now she was the pregnant girl he’d fallen into bed with. Not to mention she was his nanny! This whole thing had Jerry Springer written all over it .
Boy, didn’t she know how to pick them ?
“Things haven’t been bad,” Trisha said at least. “But it’s really just been sex between the two of us. We’ve never gone on a date. We haven’t even really been out of the house together since Italy. And it’s not like he’s told the boys about us .”
Sam kept an arm around Trisha and leaned her head on Trisha’s shoulder. Even without saying anything, Trisha relaxed a bit from the contact with Sam. “You should talk to him. Sit down and tell him how you feel. This is gonna be his kid, too. He deserves to know .”
Just once, Trisha wanted Sam to be wrong about something. One person had no right to be correct all the time. But she couldn’t deny what Sam said was true. She did need to talk to him, the question was how ?
He’d been extremely busy over the past few days, what with his company working on building that new hospital and the charity ball that was coming up. When he’d first mentioned it at dinner one night, Trisha had a small hope he might invite her to go with him, but she’d already given up that little fantasy .
Sam and Trisha spent a little while longer talking until the boys seemed to wear themselves out. After getting them some food, Sam went back to her apartment, giving Trisha a hug and some words of encouragement. Trisha wasn’t sure what she’d do without a friend like Sam .
She decided to wait a few days until she could take a pregnancy test and be completely sure. Then, she’d pull Jonathan aside when the boys were busy and talk to him. Then, she’d tell him the truth and hope for the best .
What else could she do ?
22
Jonathan
“S o, who are you bringing to the gala next week?” Timothy asked. He sat in one of the chairs in front of Jonathan’s desk, hands behind his head, relaxing like he didn’t have a care in the world .
Jonathan scowled at him. He just had to bring up his date. Most of the time he went with a friend or a coworker, at least he had since Jackie had passed away. But this year he wasn’t quite sure what to do .
He’d thought about bringing Trisha, but he still wasn’t sure if he wanted to make that step yet. She’d spent every night for the last week in his bed, and he his attraction to her grew with each passing day. But was he ready to make things official with her ?
“I’m not sure yet .”
“You should bring Trisha,” he said, like he’d been reading Jonathan’s mind. Damn him for knowing Jonathan so well. “She sounds like a lovely person. I’m sure she’d have fun .”
Except he didn’t know what was going on between the two of them. If they’d just been friends or if she’d still just been his nanny, he wouldn’t have hesitated to invite her to be his date for the evening. But with how things had been going between them, if he asked her to be his date for the night, it wouldn’t be just platonic .
“Maybe,” Jonathan said. He wasn’t quite ready to commit to anything yet .
Part of him screamed to just do it. To just ask Trisha to take the next step with him. And yet, another part of him wanted to push her away all together before things got too serious. The last thing he needed was for the boys to get even more emotionally invested in her, then have them break up. It would devastate both of them .
And, above everything else, he was a father first. He couldn’t risk doing anything that would upset the boys. Even if it meant being single for the rest of his life, he wouldn’t do anything that would hurt them. Their needs came before his .
Yet, even after Timothy went back down to his lab, all Jonathan could do was think about what he’d said. Should he ask Trisha to attend the charity gala with him? Like Timothy said, he was sure she’d have fun there. It’d get her out of the house and away from the boys for the night, too .
Maybe he could talk to her, make sure she understood that she’d just be there as his friend .
But that wouldn’t be fair to her .
He’d basically be telling her he didn’t want anyone to know about their relationship, that he was ashamed of her or something. If he did that, he’d completely ruin any chances of ever making this more than just casual sex between the two of them. Hell, he’d be lucky if she didn’t storm out and never speak to him again .
At the same time, he still wasn’t sure if he wanted this to be more than just casual sex. No, that wasn’t true. He knew he wanted more out of this relationship. But he wasn’t sure if he should take the next step. Things just weren’t that simple in his life, not with two boys to take into consideration .
He needed to make sure this absolutely the best step to take before he did anything .
By the time he headed home for the evening, he still hadn’t made up his mind. Dinner was excruciating that night, since every time he made eye contact with Trisha, his stomach tossed and turned. He needed to make up his mind and soon .
After the boys were asleep, Trisha came up to his room again. Despite his mind still being in turmoil, he couldn’t help but grin as she slipped inside. No matter how confused or upset he was, Trisha never failed to make him smile .
To make him happy .
And, as it turned out, she knew just the way to distract him from his thoughts for an hour or two. Once she slipped out of her clothes and crawled into his bed, all thoughts disappeared from his mind. His only focus was on Trisha .
It wasn’t until she’d fallen asleep, curled up against his side, his arm around her shoulders, that his thoughts returned. As he stared up at the ce
iling, his mind was much clearer than it had been that morning. With Trisha breathing softly beside him, he knew what he wanted now .
He wanted Trisha .
He needed Trisha .
* * *
W hen Trisha disappeared on Sunday to go visit her friends, Jonathan found the boys sitting in the game room. He was pretty sure they spent more time in there than in their actual bedrooms, but if they were keeping out of trouble, he couldn’t really complain .
“You guys got a minute?” he asked, sitting on the couch’s armrest .
He waited until they were able to pause the game, then turned to face them. As they looked up at him expectantly, Jonathan’s heart began to pound. He’d negotiated deals worth millions of dollars, yet none of that had made him as nervous as he was right now .
It was amazing the affect two small boys had on him. What they said today would determine a big part of his future .
“What do you guys think of Trisha?” he asked. That seemed like a safe way to start the conversation. Still though, his heart pounded as he waited for their answers .
Alexander shrugged. He frowned though, his brow coming together. He knew there was more to the question. “She’s okay, I guess .”
“I like her! She’s cool!” Declan said, grinning broadly. Clearly he was much happier with his new nanny than his older brother was. But then, Declan was younger and more open to changes .
Well, that was a start, he figured. He was pretty sure Alexander liked her a bit more than he was letting on. He’d gotten to that stage recently where he feigned indifference to everything. But if Jonathan didn’t tread carefully, Alexander would fight every step of the way .
