by Mia Madison
I didn’t have it in me to continue the night, so I spoke with one of the managers and asked to head out early. Red, bleary eyes and sobs, provided with a round of nausea that sent me retching were enough to to get me off early without argument.
The manager looked concerned. “Trixie’s your ride, isn’t she? She’s in a VIP. Just went in.”
I nodded. “Can I leave the keys with you? I’ll just take an Uber.”
It didn’t take fifteen minutes to throw on my clothes, grab my duffel, complete my tip out to the house and summon my ride. The Uber driver was cheerful and polite, but didn’t bother pursuing conversation.
By the time I reached home, the steady flow of tears saturated my top. I thanked the driver and ran into my apartment. Tossing my bags onto the floor, I headed straight to my room.
Fuck everything, I decided. I would deal with my mess in the morning.
* * *
I slept long and hard once I finally passed out, but at some point Trixie woke me up.
“You get your period?”
“What?”
“Is your period here?”
“No…”
She grabbed my arm and yanked me to sit up. “Come on. Get up. To the bathroom. Now.”
“What? Why?” I shivered, cold from the sudden loss of covers. There was an ache in my boobs, and I just knew my period was coming. I hoped to God today would be the day.
Except, it wasn’t.
Trixie pushed me into the bathroom and shoved a pregnancy test in my hands. Too tired to protest, I peed on the damn stick.
Positive.
“False positive. My period’s coming. I feel it.”
“Take another one.” She pushed another stick in my hand. “I bought a box of 6.”
“I just peed,” I argued.
Several hours and several pee tests later, we’d emptied the box. Every last one confirmed the previous result. I was positively pregnant and positively freaked out.
Cam was obviously the father. There couldn’t have been anyone else. He was the only one I was with. But he was also the last man on Earth who wanted to see me. He’d come after me, determined to make things right and clear the air, and I’d bungled things up again.
I broke down in tears. I’d told Trixie everything that happened with Cam and I the following morning, so there was no surprise as to why this news was troubling. I couldn’t even form a complete sentence to apologize to this man. How was I going to tell him I was pregnant?
“You need to tell him,” she declared.
“He hates me,” I wailed. I was 18 and pregnant. A barely legal teen mom and stripper. I didn’t know what was worse: becoming exactly what my mother worked so hard to prevent, or facing the man whose heart I’d broken to reveal the news.
28
Cam
Five days later
Life was moving along, as steadily as it could, in the days that passed. I’d reached a semblance of peace as I decided to accept the truth: Blair was a mistake. A beautiful mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.
Alan contacted me several times, but I hadn’t responded. My mind had been torn. The Venus Suite was a great investment, an excellent stream of revenue to increase the family income. But I didn’t need the extra income if it meant having to be connected to Blair.
She’d decided she wanted nothing to do with me, at least not on the level I wanted. It scathed me to live in need of this woman’s affections, yet be denied for reasons I’ll never know.
I tried to wash my hands of the situation, but it wasn’t easy. My brother called and pushed me to put in an offer. The money would increase his income, which he needed for his childrens’ trust funds and college savings plans. My envy burned even deeper. At 36, I still hadn’t found the right woman to have a child with.
Actually, I thought I did. I saw the potential in her, but she couldn’t see it in me, no matter how hard I tried.
Cameron Creed Jr. would forever be a thought.
No woman would touch me with a 10 foot pole - and this fucking Venus Fly Trap of a business was the reason.
The frustration was enough to make me punch a wall.
My phone rang. Assuming it was my brother, I ignored it and continued rolling my stress ball between my fingers. The phone stopped ringing and the voicemail alert sounded. Then there were several beeps. Someone was texting me furiously.
The phone rang again, and I answered it, annoyed as hell.
“Hello?”
“Sorry to bother you…” That soft voice belonged to one woman. Blair. I leaned forward, eager, even though I should’ve known better.
“It’s fine. What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you…”
“I’m listening.”
I could hear the slow draw of her breath as she prepared herself. “… I need to talk to you in person.”
My heart dropped like a 60 pound dumbbell to the pit of my stomach. I paused, controlled my breath, and asked her where she was.
“Home.”
“I’ll be there shortly.”
I shook my head as I got dressed and left the office. I knew better, but even against my swift and sober judgment, one call was all it took to send me running.
29
Blair
“ I need to talk to you in person.”
That’s all it took. Thank God, because that was all I could tell him.
Trixie held my hand and sat next to me when I called him. She was persistent in me giving him the news before I made any final decisions. Truth be told, I was far from any final decision. I wasn’t keen on abortion, but I wasn’t ready to be a mother either.
As we waited for him to arrive, I rocked back and forth, asking myself, “How did this happen?”
When the doorbell finally rang, Trixie patted my lap. “I’ve got this.”
Several moments later, Cam walked in. He wore black slacks and black V-neck. His hands were shoved in his pockets.
“Hey.” He looked at me briefly and stood, waiting for me to say something.
“I have to run to the store,” Trixie announced, grabbing her purse and keys. She shot Cam and sympathetic look and squeezed my shoulder. “Cam, have a seat. See you guys later.”
Several moments passed, and I felt myself stalling for words again.
Cam was completely silent. His tight expression and rigid body language signaled his lack of comfort. He didn’t know what I was going to say, and I’m sure he was pinching himself with annoyance that he’d even gotten involved with me.
My lips trembled. My legs shook. I looked at him and confessed my worst nightmare.
“I’m pregnant.”
There. I said it.
“What?”
I took a deep breath, and repeated myself one more time.
“I’m pregnant.”
30
Cam
She was shaking harder than a baby lamb in the freezing cold. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and released the phrase again.
“I’m pregnant.”
It sunk in this time. She was pregnant. Carrying my baby. Informing me that I was going to become a father.
“Wow…” I said back, and ran my hand over my head. My mind was really blown. Was this why she avoided me? Because she thought I wouldn’t believe her?
No, that couldn’t be it. We had barely known each other when we hooked up. But perhaps the other day… Maybe that’s why she had such a troubled look in her eyes.
Blair’s big brown eyes watered as she burst into sobs. Unable to take her distress, I went to sit next to her on the couch, grabbed her, and wrapped her into my arms. I was still feeling a mixture of shock, awe, and bewilderment.
I couldn’t believe it. She was having my baby. We were going to be parents.
Parents.
She didn’t hug me back. She didn’t squeal with delight. She sobbed hard until she suddenly stopped and went …limp.
Silence.
“You good, Babydoll?” I tilted her ch
in up, kissing the tip of her nose. She hadn’t spoken a word but I could see the petulance screaming in her eyes.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeated for the third time. “I’m eighteen years old, and knocked up by my boss. Well, ex-boss.”
Those words dug underneath my skin.
“Oh that’s all I am now? Your boss?” I was more than just her boss. We were more than just lovers. We had something, and I wasn’t going to sit here and pretend we didn’t.
“I mean, were we ever anything more?”
The bitter snap in her voice stung.
“I’ve never shared myself with anyone the way I shared myself with you.”
She buried her face in her hands. “No? Then why did Delilah get in my face and tell me all about you and Lena?”
“What?”
“That night she slapped me, she told me Lena used to sleep with you. She talked about how big your dick was.”
She blushed as she said that. Jealousy peppered her face. It was cute to see, but I had to correct the bullshit.
“Lena tried to fuck me one night. She grabbed at me and felt it. This is when I didn’t realize how drugged out she was.”
She looked at me, questions burning in her eyes.
“She’s beautiful. All of the women I hire are. But I never touched her. Never wanted to touch her. I distanced myself since then, and gave her a firm warning. I actually care about you, Babydoll.”
A pleasant glow littered her eyes.
“Really?”
“I adore you - even though you continue to run from me.” I couldn’t resist pressing my lips to her forehead. She was warm and woodsy. That signature scent of hers filled my nostrils and drove me crazy.
“We have to be practical,” she pleaded. “I’m barely in college. I’m not sure what I want to do with my life. And you were my boss.”
“Is that why you left?”
“I left because I got tired of dealing with the drama between Trixie and other dancers. Lena’s friends threatened to physically harm us right before her car was vandalized.”
The weight seemed to lift from her shoulders as she confessed. “As for us… I didn’t expect to feel the connection I felt. But we had one, and I felt it in my soul.”
“Then why pull away?”
“Because I don’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. I don’t believe I should be sleeping with my boss. I don’t think it’s professional to fall in love with my boss.”
I nodded. I didn’t like what I heard, but I understood. See? I was understanding.
She shook her head. “I can’t afford to have a baby right now. I promised my mother I wouldn’t do this to her, make her a 40-year old grandmother.” She lowered her voice as her eyes roamed the floor and muttered, “She doesn’t even know I’m a dancer.”
“Does it matter?” I stepped forward. “You’re taking responsibility for your life, and I’m here. I’m not going to turn my back on you with my baby. In fact, I don’t even want you working. We need to discuss you moving in.”
“Moving in where?”
Was she kidding? “With me. You can stay with me, and we can start preparing for parenthood together. Then you won’t need to find another job.”
“Who says I’m quitting? I just found out this morning. I don’t even know how far along I am.” She raked her hands through her tousled hair. “I have to figure out what I need to do.”
I stepped toward her, lowered myself on my haunches, and placed my hand on her stomach. It was still flat for now, but my palm radiated at the sensational knowledge of life growing on the other side.
“Please don’t get attached to this news. I told you because I thought it was only right. But I’m not sure if I can do this.” Gripping my hand with firm intention, she slid it off of her with a grim expression. “I have to do what’s best for me.”
My jaw tensed and my nostrils flared. There were so many men who didn’t even want to be bothered with pregnancy, much less hear their lady was pregnant.
I wasn’t trying to take ruin of her life. I didn’t want to destroy her plans. I just wanted to make sure she’d need for nothing for the next 9 months.
“Blair, it’s time for me to come clean with you.” I stood up and knelt on one knee in front of her.
“From the moment I first saw you, I realized you were beautiful. Every one of the dancers in my club, despite its reputation, are beautiful. Yet ever since we truly connected, there was something about you that captivated me.”
She blushed.
“You’re gorgeous, intoxicating, and have a good head on your shoulders. Just by the way you carry yourself, I can see this isn’t your life path. You’re going to leave this behind the moment you graduate - and I love that about you.”
I continued pushing the charm. “You’ve had me in the palm of your hand from the moment I got you alone in my office. And I don’t care what you try to say, we both know this is anything but a casual experience. You’ve felt every emotion I’ve felt - and I know because I can feel it whenever I make you cum for me.”
Now for the kill.
“This situation is anything but ‘normal.’ But I want you. Give us a chance. Let’s really talk this over. I don’t go crazy for any woman, but I’m crazy over you, and it’s beyond obvious to anyone who sees. I’m ready for a woman like you. I’ll never run from you, or our child, and I promise - my brother’s a lawyer - we can draw up an agreement now for a monthly stipend plus medical expenses if needed so you’re provided for throughout the pregnancy and birth of our child.”
“Just give me a chance,” I aggressed. “Give me a chance to show you what’s meant to be - and give you the leg up you need to get out the club once and for all, and get on the path to your dreams.”
“I don’t even know what I want to do with my life yet…” She looked uncertain and shamed with those words. Tears started to spill as she faced that silent elephant in the room - one I didn’t know existed until now. “I’m giving up my life, but I haven’t even experienced it to begin with.”
“Shh, babydoll,” I said, caressing her tears away with a thumb. “You have me. You’ve always had me. You’ll always have me. I can’t believe I’m even confessing this, but the only problem I’ve had with you all along is that I’m in love with you but you just refused to see it. I don’t need you to love me back right now. Just promise me the chance to prove myself to you. I’m more than some sleazy strip club owner taking advantage of his dancer. I’m a man in love with an extraordinary woman who has yet to fully realize her potential, and I want to be there with you along your way.”
She nodded, and shivered. Her lips quivered as she took a deep breath. She looked like she was about to nosedive off a cliff.
“I… I’m scared. But I think I love you too… either I love you or I’m hormonal and crazy. And I am willing to give you this chance, if that’s what you want.”
I looked into her eyes, allowing this to sink in. She was going to stop running. She was going to give me a chance.
“I love you, Babydoll.” I kissed her on the lips.
“I think I love you too, Cam,” she replied, kissing me back between sniffles.
31
Epilogue
Five Years Later
“CJ!”
“Yes, momma?”
My son appeared in the doorway. He was only four, yet he was as big as most six-year-olds. It threw a lot of people off. As petite as I was, they didn’t understand how I gave birth to such a tall kid. Until they met his father. Then it made perfect sense.
“Get dressed. Momma’s going to the doctor.”
“We’re going to see my baby sister?”
I smiled, patting my tummy. “Yes honey.”
“Yay!” He screamed. I heard him running as he yelled. “Daddy! We’re going to see my little sister.”
As promised, I gave Cam the chance he needed to prove his love for me - and it was the best decision I’d ever made. Not only had he done everything he pro
mised, but he made sure I’d never doubt his love for a minute.
To be honest, once I said yes, it was as if my life transformed into a fairytale. He didn’t pressure me, but he eventually helped me move out of my apartment with Trixie and into the condo with him.
He paid off the rest of our lease, so Trixie didn’t have to worry about money, and he also offered her a nice salary to be my assistant when he needed to work. Trixie took the money and helped, but she continued to strip because she actually loved working at The Venus Suite - and loved it even more when Cam purchased the place.
The hardest part of my new life was breaking the news to my mother. She wasn’t pleased to know that I’d gotten pregnant. She was even less enthused to learn that I had been dancing to make money, and that my boss was the man who’d gotten me pregnant. Most of all, she was more hurt by my deception, and that I felt the need to go down that path.
“You know you could have always come to me,” she said. “I’m your mother. That’s what I’m here for. We could have figured something out.”
She met Cam met her soon after. She was reluctant at first, but after seeing how seriously he took the pregnancy, and how undeniably happy and healthy pregnancy I was, she relented. They built a solid relationship by the time our son was born.
Motherhood scared me. I wasn’t sure I was ready. But when I gave birth to Cameron Creed Jr., I realized God made no mistakes. He was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen, and he was a spitting image of his father.
Cameron proposed during my sixth month of pregnancy, but I made him wait before we walked down the aisle. We married April 21, one year later on Cam’s first birthday. Our mothers, closest friends, and family, were in attendance. Trixie, of course, was my maid of honor. Cam’s brother was the best man. Cam’s niece was the flower girl, and of course, our baby boy, CJ, was the ring bearer.
