‘From what I remember you loved your coffee. Couldn’t slurp it down quick enough.’
She glares back at me. ‘Yeah, well a lot has changed.’
I grimace. This couldn’t be going worse.
‘But thank you,’ she says quickly, obviously remembering her manners no matter how pissed off with me she is.
‘Well, I just wanted to wish you luck.’
She looks up at me and not for the first time I’m blown away by her natural beauty. It must be because I haven’t seen her in a while, but she actually looks better than I remember. Her shoulder length brown hair seems thicker, her skin more luminous. Even her breasts look bigger. Man have I got it bad.
‘You’ve said it. Thanks.’
And that’s me dismissed.
Tuesday 1st September
Charlotte – 20 Weeks Pregnant
Well, I hate to admit it but after working here for two weeks I’m starting to understand Arthur. I don’t stop from the minute I get in, until I leave. I see him now and again, always walking in such a hurried pace that he might as well be doing a light jog. He exudes such an authority, I see people scuttle around to help him pass by. It’s sexy as fuck.
No wonder he was honest about not having time for a relationship. I barely have the energy to make myself dinner by the time I get in every night. I’m throwing on any old clothes in the morning, too tired to care, which is so unlike me.
I’ve found myself breaking down in tears on the phone to Mum or Eloise about it. I swear it’s not the hormones, it’s just pure exhaustion. Who knew growing a human being would be this tiring?
It’s my twenty-week scan today, and Eloise is coming with me. In my head I was expecting myself to have told Arthur by now. Given him the chance of coming with me, but I’ve barely seen him. I suppose I wasn’t exactly friendly when he offered an olive branch. I doubt he’d have the time to come with me anyway.
Eloise smiles back at me as the sonographer places the wand over my jellied belly. I still haven’t got much of a bump, but that just has me worrying more that they’re going to find something wrong with the baby. Maybe it’s not growing properly.
Its image is reflected on the screen, far clearer than the last scan. Its heartbeat plays strong. Thank God. The cheery middle-aged sonographer does some measurements.
‘All is looking good and we are expecting a due date of 19th January.’
Eloise smiles wide, her eyes glassy. ‘Can we have two sets of photos please? One for her and one for the daddy.’
She smiles. ‘Of course. Many fathers can’t make it to the scan.’
Eloise looks at me with raised eyebrows. I know what she’s saying with her eyes. You need to tell the daddy, and more importantly you need to tell me.
I wipe the jelly off, rush to the toilet to relieve my bulging bladder and then back to Eloise’s judgemental eyes.
‘It’s just very complicated,’ I say for the millionth time.
‘Yeah, yeah.’ She dismisses me with a wave. ‘That’s why you have me as a sounding board. There’s nothing too complicated that I can’t solve. I work for the government for God’s sakes.’
I snort a laugh. ‘Trust me, it’s because you work for the government that I don’t want to tell you. It affects you too.’
‘What? What the hell are you talking about?’ She stops and turns to face me in the corridor, eyebrows raised. ‘Tell me, Char. Who is it?’
I lean against the wall, my legs tired. No, scratch that, my whole body is tired. I just want to face plant a bed and hide under the covers for the next year.
‘It’s Arthur. Arthur Ellison.’
Arthur
Work has been crazy this last week. Oh who am I kidding? Work is always crazy, but it’s been especially so. I’ve tried to get Charlotte out of my head, but she keeps invading my mind. Every time I see someone gulping down their coffee like it’s a lifeline. Every time I see a packet of Maltesers in the shops.
I’m just on my way to a meeting when I see Eloise up ahead, her strawberry blonde hair swishing around her bum.
‘Eloise!’ I call after her.
She spots me, eyes widening and tries to run. What the hell? I don’t have any outstanding projects due from her department, so I’ve no idea why she looks so worried. I run to catch up with her.
‘Eloise,’ I say, touching her arm. ‘Did you not hear me calling you?’
‘Err, no.’ She crosses her arms against her chest, avoiding eye contact. Why is she so pissed? I haven’t blocked anything she’s tried to pass lately, she must just be on the rag. ‘What is it you need?’
‘I was just wondering how Charlotte was getting on?’
She scoffs and rolls her eyes. ‘Why don’t you bloody ask her?’
‘Well,’ I put my hands in my pockets, ‘I got the impression that she didn’t want me near her.’
‘Do you blame her?’ she says under her breath, just loud enough for me to catch.
Why are they so angry with me?
‘What did you say?’
‘Nothing. Just… ugh, go talk to her.’ She spins on her heel and storms away.
Jesus, women. I’ll never understand them.
Wednesday 2nd September
Charlotte
I’ve barely settled back at my desk after being lumped with a mountain of work from Roger, my heartbeat starting to return to a normal rhythm, when Arthur appears in front of me. Damn, does he get sexier every time I see him? He’s just got such a strong presence. I can sense him before I see him.
‘Hi.’ He smiles, scratching his neck.
Do I detect nervousness?
‘How are you settling in?’
I sigh but nod. ‘I’m okay.’ I try to smile, but I’m so exhausted my lips don’t really work right now.
He frowns, tilting his head to one side, his dark eyes surveying me.
‘Really? Because you look like you’re exhausted.’
Just what you need. Someone telling you that you look like shit.
‘Gee thanks.’ I roll my eyes and try to busy myself by shuffling some papers.
‘Why don’t you let me take you out for lunch? Cheer you up a bit?’
I stare up at him. He looks so hopeful. ‘I thought you don’t have time to date?’
Shit, that sounds like I want him.
‘I never said it was a date,’ he corrects with that annoying smug smile. ‘Just a lunch between friends.’
‘Really?’ I even sound exhausted.
His eyes make him look like the devil, offering me a poisoned apple that I just can’t resist taking. I now have much more sympathy for that Eve woman.
Saying that, this could be good. I could ask him loads of questions, get to know him a bit better.
‘Okay.’
He blinks, clearly shocked I’ve relented so quickly.
‘Great.’ He beams back at me like I’ve just made his day. It warms my heart. ‘I’ll come and get you at one.’
Arthur
I can’t actually believe she agreed to lunch with me so easily. I was expecting a harder fight.
She insisted on eating at Pizza Express, even though I said we could go anywhere. I understand when she’s wolfing down the dough balls. Damn, she likes to eat. It’s so refreshing. Most of the women I know stick to salads.
‘So,’ she says around a mouthful of dough. ‘Where did you grow up?’
God I hate all of these small talk questions.
‘London, but I was off at boarding school in the country most of the time.’
‘Did you like it there?’ she asks, her eyes thoughtful, as if genuinely interested.
A clear memory of me being around eight years old and crying because I didn’t want to leave my mum pops into my mind. I don’t want to slag them off though, I know I’m extremely privileged.
‘I mean, it did me a lot of good. Made me independent, gave me a great education.’
She grins, raising her eyebrows. ‘That isn’t what I asked.’
<
br /> She’s good at calling me out.
She dunks another dough ball in the butter. ‘Put it this way, if you had a kid of your own, would you want to send them there?’
The idea horrifies me.
‘God, no.’ I steal a dough ball from her plate, ignoring her death glare. ‘Not that I plan on having children.’
Her mouth drops open. ‘What, like ever?’
I shrug. ‘I mean, potentially one day. In like ten, fifteen years maybe. I just don’t have the time to be a father.’
She looks crestfallen. Does she want a baby in the next few years or something? She doesn’t strike me as a baby mad woman, not that I spent much time getting to know her before ripping her clothes off.
She chews, looking down at the table as if lost in thought. ‘Are you close with your parents?’
I shrug. ‘Not really. What about you?’
She smiles and it brightens my heart in an instant. It scares me how already her happiness is tied to my own.
‘Yes. Well, not like crazy close or anything, but we get on well. They divorced when I was eleven, so they’ve always been more bothered about scoring points against the other to worry about me. So I could never really rebel.’ She snorts a laugh. ‘They’re actually quite cross I’ve gone into civil service work.’
I gawk back at her. Surely a secure career like that is every parents’ dream? Not a frilly job in fashion.
‘God, why?’
She smiles fondly. ‘They want me to follow my dreams and become a fashion designer.’
I nod. ‘Bit unrealistic though, isn’t it?’ Her face drops, as if I’ve just kicked a kitten. ‘I just mean in this current climate,’ I quickly add, not wanting to sound like an arsehole.
She rolls her eyes. ‘God, you’re so rigid. Haven’t you ever had a dream?’
So she’s a day dreamer.
‘Yes.’ I nod. ‘I wanted to change this country for the better. The way I see it, the job I do is making a difference. Sure, the general public moan about whatever we do, but I try my best every day to make England a better place to live. I won’t stop until it’s the best country in the world.’
She smiles up at me, her eyes filled with affection. ‘You’re cute.’
I frown back at her. ‘Excuse me?’ I have never been called cute. Not even by my mother when I was a boy.
She grins and shrugs. ‘I said you’re cute.’
‘I have never, in my life, been referred to as cute.’
‘Well, there’s a first time for everything.’ She sticks her tongue out at me.
I can’t remember the last time someone stuck out their tongue at me. Actually yes I can. It was in primary school. She is beyond ridiculous. But, well… she’s very sweet and endearing.
‘Are you close with your grandparents?’ she asks out of nowhere.
‘Err… no, they’ve passed away.’
She chews on her bottom lip. ‘Oh really? What age did they pass away? And what from?’
Well she’s bloody nosy. She’s going to ask me what I earn next.
I shrug. ‘I don’t know about three of them. They passed before I was even born.’
She chews on the inside of her cheek as if this means something to her.
‘I was close to my paternal grandmother. She died when I was sixteen.’
She smiles as if this bit of information makes her happy.
‘And what did she die of?’ she asks, leaning forward for my reply.
What on earth is going on here?
‘Heart attack.’ I clear my throat, eager to change the subject. ‘Anyway, how is the job going? Why do you seem so exhausted?’
She sighs. ‘It’s just the long hours and the commute home. It’s too much for me sometimes.’
‘Where do you live?’
‘Watford.’
‘Jesus! How long is your commute?’
She shrugs. ‘Door to door about an hour and a half. Not bad really.’
God, if I lived there I’d just be travelling home to sleep and back again. At least I’m lucky enough to live nearby.
‘Well, if you’re ever working late and tired, you’re more than welcome to crash at mine.’ She looks up at me quizzically. ‘As friends of course,’ I add.
She smiles sadly, shaking her head. ‘That’s really generous of you, but I wouldn’t impose.’
I laugh. ‘I’ve told you how much I’m home. My flat just sits there empty most of the time. It would be nice for someone to use it.’
‘Still.’ She fidgets, biting her lip. It makes me remember when she bit mine, just the memory has my dick twitching. ‘I’m just a stranger to you.’
I grin at her as memories of her naked flash through my head. Those pert breasts, peachy bottom.
‘You’re far more than a stranger to me.’
We stare back at each other with secret smiles. I think it’s possible she’s remembering us naked too. From the screams I know she enjoyed herself.
‘Besides, you’ve been there alone before and I didn’t notice anything missing.’ I try to hide my grin.
‘Charming!’ She pouts but her eyes crinkle.
I take the key off my keyring. ‘Here, take the key. I’ll use the spare.’
She frowns at me, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. ‘You’re serious about this?’
‘Yes.’
She chews on her lip again. ‘And you do understand that this doesn’t mean you can sleep with me?’
I bark a laugh. ‘Jesus, Charlotte. What kind of arsehole do you take me for?’
She straightens her shoulders. ‘I just want to be clear from the beginning.’
‘Well, that’s understood. I’m just trying to be a nice human here.’
‘Not used to it, are you?’ She laughs. ‘Don’t worry I’m only joking. I really appreciate it. Thanks.’
But something deep within me tells me she’ll never take me up on my offer. She’s too damn proud. She’s going to be a tough nut to crack.
Thursday 3rd September
Charlotte
I really wish he hadn’t been so charming. It must be the baby hormones, but I found myself lusting over him when I should have just been digging for information. Both sets of his grandparents being dead worries me. What if it’s from a hereditary disease that I’m now passing onto my baby? Surely I should know about that.
Roger has had me working non-stop all day. Thankfully Eloise dropped a sandwich off to me. I’m bone crushingly tired by the time I log off my computer at seven p.m.
God, the idea of commuting home on the sweaty trains just to get home and pass out in bed exhausts me even more. I could always take Arthur up on his offer. Crash at his. What if he’s home though?
Well maybe I’ll walk there and if it’s empty I’ll have a quick nap. Give myself the energy to travel home. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll be gone before he’s back. He’ll never know.
I let myself in, calling out for him. Thankfully he’s not back yet. Knowing him he could be gone for hours yet. I open up the fridge needing to eat something. There’s another pack of Malteser’s in here with a post it on it that says, Charlotte. Shit, he knew I’d come. I hate being predictable. Still, its sweet he remembers I like them.
I take the bag, regardless, and demolish them within minutes. I rest my head back against his ridiculously comfortable sofa and feel my eyelids grow heavy. I should set an alarm for an hour’s time, but I’ve had such broken sleep lately, what with me constantly peeing. I’m sure I’ll wake myself up. And right now if someone offered me a million pounds to raise just my pinkie I’d still ignore them.
I breathe in Arthur’s aftershave, the citrus notes bringing me back to Spain, the thought of the crashing waves soothing me further. It helps drift me off to the land of nod.
Arthur
I’m quite upset that Charlotte hasn’t taken me up on my offer. I keep stealing glances around work and she looks so tired, permanent purple bags under her eyes. I’m not sure she’s cut out for t
his job and these mad hours, but I’m quickly realising she’s stubborn.
I put the key in the door at nine p.m., dropping my satchel to the floor. When I find she’s curled up asleep on the sofa, I freeze, my mouth falling open. Relief blooms in my chest. She came.
I tiptoe over, taking my chance to look at her unashamedly.
God, she’s beautiful. A natural beauty that you don’t see much of these days. Her dark lashes are such a contrast against her perfect olive skin. Her lips are parted ever so slightly, the tiniest little snore coming from her perfect cupid bow lips.
I can’t let her sleep out here. She’ll wake up with a cricked neck. Before I attempt to reason with myself, I scoop my arms under her neck and knees and walk her to my bedroom. She smells amazing, like sweet flowers. I can imagine the advertising hook for the perfume she wears is something about ‘a whirlwind of happiness and fantasy.’ So Charlotte. Head in the clouds daydreamer that she is.
I pull the covers back and place her in my bed. Damn, she looks good in here. I could get used to the view if she’d be willing to attempt a shit relationship with me. A workaholic with commitment issues.
I strip off to my boxers, grabbing a t-shirt from my drawers, and slipping it over my head. I crawl into bed with her, careful not to touch. Only, I’m such a big bastard the bed ends up dipping. She stirs, moaning out. I freeze, listening to her groan.
She turns to face me, eyes still shut and then snuggles right into my chest. The heat of her is so soothing. So soothing that I can’t stop myself from wrapping my arms around her, letting the sound of her relaxed breath drift me off to sleep.
Friday 4th September
Charlotte
I wake up feeling unbearably hot. It takes a second for me to realise that I’m stuffed against a chest. Oh no. I look up and see Arthur asleep and that I’m in his bedroom. What the hell?
I feel around under the covers, relieved to find I’m fully dressed. God, did I sleepwalk into bed with him? I must have. Or he found me asleep on the sofa and he carried me in here? I smile, my heart soaring. See things like this make me believe he’s a good person. That he could be a good dad. And I know it’s ridiculous, but a tiny glimmer of hope that he might like me for more than a quick shag blooms in my heart. Or maybe I’m getting confused with a hungry belly.
Whitehall Baby: A Surprise Pregnancy, Fake Relationship Romantic Comedy Perfect for Chick Lit Fans Page 4
