Souls ReAligned

by Tricia Daniels

  “Jessica?” Olivia asks curiously.

  “Yes,” Shannon confirms, there is a small amount of the child’s DNA in the mother’s blood stream during pregnancy.”

  Glancing over at Olivia, he looks for her input.

  “Well, I guess you only have two choices. Do it now or wait until the baby is born,” Olivia shrugs.

  “Fuck!” Ethan blurts out. “I don’t want to wait. I need to put this to rest, now!”

  Releasing his hand, she leans into his body, wrapping her arms around him. “Then, let’s get it over with now.”

  Hesitantly, Ethan brings his hands to her hips, trying to remind himself of where they are. Releasing her quickly, he pre-empts the thoughts that usually lead his mind to wander. The last thing he needs today is a hard cock, while she’s sitting just a few feet away.

  John swings the door open, catching them off guard.

  He smiles, pleasantly surprised to see Shannon. Making his way to her, he leans in and gives her a kiss. “Hey, Sweetheart. I thought you’d be gone by now.”

  “We’re just finishing up,” Ethan advises.

  John looks at him, with a raised eyebrow.

  Ethan sighs, “Relax, McCabe. There was no yelling or screaming.”

  “Smart move,” he says smirking, as he glances over at Shannon. “Okay, here’s the scoop. The doctor is concerned about Olivia’s low-grade fever. It’s likely a sign of an infection that’s just starting,” John says, as Ethan listens attentively.

  Shocked that this conversation is taking place between the two men, Olivia looks over at Shannon.

  “He’s prescribed an antibiotic,” he continues, reading down the list from the pharmacist. “You need to make sure she follows the instructions and finishes them all.”

  “Excuse me!” Olivia interrupts. “You do realize that I’m standing right here, and you have no business having this discussion?”

  The two men look at each other, confused by her objection. Shannon laughs, shaking her head. Olivia looks at her, making a face, “Honestly, I don’t know why we put up with these two.”

  Shannon agrees as she puts papers in her briefcase, preparing to leave. Walking over to her, John wraps his arms around her. “Because you love me?” he asks, as he presses his lips to hers.

  “For fuck’s sakes,” Ethan protests, “would you knock it off with that shit in the office?”

  Shannon pushes him away and straightens her clothes.

  “Oh, before I forget,” Shannon adds, “Jessica is pissed that she’s had to go back to work. If you want the test done, then you’ll have to meet her there during one of her shifts.”

  Ethan shakes his head, frustrated. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  Shannon heads to the door, then stops and turns. Looking at Olivia, she hesitates. Watching her expression, John starts to feel anxious; the muscles in his shoulders and chest become taut. He’s very familiar with the look on her face as she begins to speak. Nothing good will come of this, he’s sure of it. Shannon can’t hold her tongue any longer, “Ethan, you need to take my advice about the other thing we discussed.”

  Ethan looks at John, with a silent warning.

  “Shannon,” John warns.

  “He needs to tell her, John,” Shannon says feeling exasperated.

  John opens the door and tries to usher her into the hallway. “He’ll tell her when the time is right.”

  “When is the right time?” she argues. “When it’s too late?”

  “John!” Ethan says with his authoritative tone.

  John tenses, giving Shannon a look that halts her debate. Pressing his hand firmly on her back, he steers her into the hallway, closing the door behind them.

  Ethan looks down to meet Olivia’s curious expression, “Something you need to tell me?” she asks.

  “Not right now,” he insists, shrugging it off. “I thought we’d go for a drive today, see the country side. The sun is out and it’s a beautiful day.”

  Olivia glances over at the several boxes of technical specs and data on the floor. “Shouldn’t I get started on the project?”

  Taking the lid off the bottle of antibiotics, he tips it, dumping one into his hand. Passing her a bottle of water, he waits for her to take the pill. Rolling her eyes, she takes it out of his hand.

  “Mr. O’Connell,” a voice says over the intercom, “your cab is here, sir.”

  “Where are you going?” Olivia asks.

  “We are going to pick up my car. Then, we’re going for that drive. Hopefully it will help relax me, so I don’t lose my fucking mind over this paternity test.”

  It seems like a long drive out of the city, before they pull into a long, winding driveway. Pulling up in front of a huge multi car garage, the cab comes to a stop. Olivia gets out and stands, staring at the main house, her mouth open in shock. Ethan smirks as he pays the cab driver.

  “You’re parents live here?” she asks, flabbergasted.

  “Yes,” he confirms, taking her hand and leading her toward the large detached building.

  Opening the door, he reaches into the dark room, searching for the light switch. Illuminating the room, he steps in and flashes her a mischievous grin. “I want to show you something,” he says with excitement in his voice.

  Olivia quirks an eyebrow at him, “Seriously? I’ve already seen it.”

  Ethan laughs once and shakes his head, “You’re hilarious, Miss James.” Taking her hand, he walks her over to a vehicle that’s hidden beneath a protective cover.

  “Okay,” he says, starting to pull back the canvas protection. “Don’t pass judgment, until you’ve taken her for a ride.”

  Olivia is amused by his child-like excitement.

  “What have you got under there,” she says curiously, trying to peak underneath, “the Batmobile?” Snorting at her own joke, she waits anxiously as he gently pulls back the rest of the cover. Olivia feels her chin drop, and becomes speechless.

  Ethan stands watching her reaction as she walks around it, running her hand across the hood. Finally finding her voice, she looks toward him. “You own an Aston Martin Zagato?” she says in shock, “IN CARBON BLACK!”

  Ethan smirks, moving toward her.

  “Do you know that there were only a couple hundred made with this custom paint?” she asks, rhetorically.

  Ethan backs her up against the side of the car, pressing his body against her, “Do you know, how fucking hot it is that you know shit like that?” Lowering his mouth, he nips at her lip, making her jump. “Jesus, why is it that anytime you’re near me, my dick gets hard?”

  As he tries to claim another kiss, Olivia pushes him away. “Wait a minute,” she insists, “you told me that you weren’t obscenely rich.

  “I’m not,” he confirms.

  She raises her eyebrows at his answer, looking at the half a million dollars worth of car behind her.

  “It was a gift.”

  Olivia laughs, “A gift? From whom?”

  Ethan looks a little uncomfortable and it sparks her curiosity. “From whom?” she asks, again.

  “It was a gift from one of the engineers at Aston Martin. Aurora Technologies helped them resolve a compression problem.”

  Olivia knows that look; he’s hiding something. Crossing her arms in front of her, she leans her weight on one hip. Ethan scratches his head, aware that he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, “Okay, I took his niece out a few times.”

  “A few times?” she says doubtfully.

  “Or maybe we dated, for awhile.”

  Olivia catches herself starting to grin and clears her expression. Is it wrong that she loves to torment him?

  “So, you received a Zagato in exchange for dating his niece?”

  “Why is it, that when you say it, it makes me sound like a huge douche bag?” he says, defensively. “It wasn’t like that. She was a nice girl. She was just a little shy… and homely,” he says, feeling ashamed. “You think I was wrong to accept it,” he states, acknow
ledging her look of disapproval. “I’ll have it returned. I don’t ever want you to think of me like that.”

  Touched by the sincerity of his gesture, Olivia walks around the car, “Well, let’s not be too hasty,” she says as she takes in every beautiful curve. “How homely was she?” she asks, looking up at Ethan’s tortured expression, “Really homely,” he says, beginning to grin. “She had this whole… wonky eye thing going on, and warts.” He shudders, as he exaggerates. “I had to close my eyes to kiss her.”

  Laughing out loud, she puts him out of his misery.

  “Alright, Ireland, it sounds like you earned it. Can I drive?” she asks with excitement in her voice.

  “Hell NO! You’re driving scares the shit out of me, Woman!”

  They spend the afternoon, on the open country roads of Ireland, stopping occasionally in a few small villages to enjoy the culture. Standing in a small shop of antiques, Ethan watches curiously, as Olivia rummages through a basket of old pocket watches. Picking each one up, she examines it thoroughly. Hearing the text message alert, he reaches into his pocket for his phone. Sauntering up behind her, he wraps his arms around her middle, leaning his cheek against hers. Putting the last watch back into the basket, Olivia leans back, relaxing into his embrace.

  “Are you finished looking, Princess? That was Shannon. We need to head back into Dublin, now.”

  Turning in his arms, she nods her head. “Can I drive?” she asks again, batting her eyelashes and giving him an alluring smile.

  Enjoying her attempt to charm him, he gives it some consideration. When his trademark boyish grin appears on his face, she thinks she’s won.

  “Not a fucking chance,” he says, laughing when she scowls. Pouting, she stomps her way back to the car.

  Ethan pulls up in front of the hospital and parks. Holding on to the steering wheel, he sits pensively, not moving.

  Undoing her seat belt, she leans over, “Hey.” She gives him a reassuring kiss as he turns toward her. “I know this is difficult. Let’s find out for sure, and then we can figure it out. Together.”

  “Together?” he repeats, looking into her eyes, searching for that calming affect they seem to have on him.

  “Yes, Ethan. Together. The results don’t matter. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes and nods. “Stay here,” he instructs, as he gets out, closing the door.

  Taking a few steps, he stops and returns. With a strange grin on his lips, he opens the door and leans in. “Best I don’t leave you with any temptation,” he says, reaching in and grabbing the key fob.

  As he rounds the front of the car, she opens her door. “I’m going with you,” she says defiantly.

  “Stay put!” he snarls, stopping her with his expression.

  Reluctantly, she sits back down and closes the door. Feeling helpless, she watches him disappear through the doors.

  Watching the clock tick for more than half an hour, she becomes impatient. He would never admit that he needed her there for support, but she should be by his side. Irked by his dismissal, she gets out of the car. Faltering where she stands, she struggles with the decision. The first step toward the entrance is the hardest, the rest come easy. Entering the building she looks around, having no idea where to go. Wandering the hallways and walking with the crowd, she finally hears his voice.

  Following the sound down a corridor, she finds him at a small nurse’s station. The woman standing with him is partially hidden, but she can see that she’s wearing a nurse’s uniform. Ethan tries to keep his voice calm, but it strains and grows louder, as she argues with him.

  Olivia stands watching, unnoticed. It isn’t until the woman turns to walk away that Olivia notices her pregnancy. It’s undoubtedly Jessica. Ethan grabs her arm, trying to stop her, “Wait! I’m not finished talking.”

  With tears streaming down her cheeks, she looks up to see Olivia. “Can I help you?” Jessica asks her, trying to hide the distress in her voice.

  Ethan looks up to see her, aggravation flashing across his face. “I told you to wait in the car,” he says, angrily.

  Jessica looks between the two of them, figuring it out. “Oh, I see,” she says, giving Olivia the once over. “You’re this year’s model. The upgrade.” Turning to Ethan, she shrugs. “Well, O’Connell, it looks like you’d rather take a joy ride, instead of driving the family sedan.” Holding her hand on her stomach, she rubs it gently, not breaking eye contact.

  Ethan tenses, becoming angrier. “You treat her with respect, Jessica. Or I promise you, that things won’t work out the way you’re hoping.” He hands her something, trying to be inconspicuous. Looking over at Olivia, she takes it and tucks it in her bra.

  Wondering what was discussed before she got there, Olivia watches as Jessica walks away. Looking up at Ethan’s glower, she panics when he starts toward her.

  He says nothing as they walk back to the car, making her even more nervous. She sits in silence most of the way home, but questions are clawing at her from the inside.

  “Did you do the blood test?” she asks.

  “Yes,”

  “Did it hurt?”

  “No,”

  “How long will the results take?”

  “Three or four days.” Ethan focuses on driving; making her even more determined to get his attention.

  “What does Shannon think you should tell me?”

  Perturbed at the question, he snaps at her, “Nothing that I care to discuss at the moment. So, you’d be wise to drop it.”

  “Did you give Jessica money, tonight?”

  Growling, he finally glances over at her with an annoyed look.

  “Yes,”

  “Why?”

  “She said she couldn’t afford groceries,” he says, his patience growing thin.

  “And you believed her?” she asks, shaking her head.

  Pulling into a spot in front of their building, he parks and turns to her angrily, “Why would she lie about that?”

  “Um, well, Ireland. Did you notice her hands? She very recently had a French manicure. I can’t say from experience, but I would think that a woman who’s with child would buy groceries instead of spending the money to have her nails done.”

  Ethan closes his eyes and lowers his head, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, “Fucking women!

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The next day, Olivia dives in to work on the Artemis Project. Finally accepting that she’s there to help, the rest of the team gets her up to speed. By noon, she has a good handle on the technology and the issues they’re having.

  Sitting at her laptop, she takes a break and checks in with Rachel. A paper bag drops down on the desk in front of her. Looking up, she meets the smile of John McCabe.

  “Lunch,” he advises. “Ethan has something to tend to this afternoon. I figured I’d better feed you.”

  “Oh? He didn’t mention that this morning. What’s he doing?”

  Pretending to be pre-occupied with his phone, John avoids the question. “I’m all yours today. Is there anything you need for tonight?”

  She stares at him, acknowledging his deflection. “For what?”

  John looks up, “Tell me that you looked at the itinerary I emailed you.”

  Raising her eyebrows, she shows her surprise, “You sent me an itinerary?”

  John returns his attention to his phone, tapping on the screen. “It says you received it.”

  Olivia scrolls through her messages to find it, opening the attachment on her phone. John watches, amused at the myriad of expressions that spread across her face as she reads it.

  “Are you serious?” she asks, looking up in amazement.

  “Yes, Ethan thought…”

  “Oh!” she interrupts, “Ethan thought… did he?”

  “Let’s not get our knickers in a twist,” John sighs, trying to avert her annoyance, and the suspected objection that will follow.

  Getting to her feet, Olivia’s expressio
n softens a little. Mischief would be a good word to describe the look that dances in the highlights of her hazel eyes.

  “Olivia? What are you going to do?” he asks with concern.

  Grinning, she looks over her shoulder as she walks across the room. “I’m going to speak to Mr. O’Connell about my itinerary.

  John’s shoulders slouch, “You two are truly perfect for each other. You’re both giant pains in my arse!”

  Stopping at the door, Olivia turns. Taunting him, she winks and breaks into a grin.

  Shaking his head, he warns her, “I hope you know what you’re doing. He wasn’t in the best of moods the last time I saw him.”

  Ignoring him, she heads toward Ethan’s office, with her phone in her hand, scrolling through the list of activities as she walks.

  Ethan glances up when she closes the office door behind her. Closing the cover of a folder he’s holding, he obstructs her view of the document that he had been studying. Olivia watches as he slides it underneath a pile of papers on his desk, trying to hide it. Picking up the entire stack of documents, he places them in his desk drawer, and then locks it.

  There’s something unsettling in his eyes; guarded secrets. Olivia tries to ignore the mistrust lurking inside her; it tugs at her, trying to get her attention and pull her back behind its protective walls.

  “Hi,” he finally says, as she approaches his desk. “Is there something you need?”

  “You could say that.” Pushing his chair back from the desk, she gives herself some space to stand in front of him. Leaning back in his chair, Ethan folds his arms, watching as she lifts herself to sit on the edge of his desk.

  He stares at the hem of her skirt as it rides to the top of her thigh. Squirming, trying to get comfortable, her knees part slightly, before she crosses her legs. He’s certain that she did it on purpose, teasing him with a glimpse of her nylon covered panties and the treasure beneath them. The thought makes his stomach tighten.

  Wiggling her foot, Olivia draws his attention to the shiny black heels and the silky, covered legs in them. She smiles, watching his eyes skim down her legs and back up to the hem of her skirt. “Ahem,” looking down, she notices the awakening in his pants. “Do I have your full attention, Mr. O’Connell? I need to talk to you about this itinerary.”