by Amy Brent
She groaned, but answered the phone anyway, mumbling a grumpy, “Yeah?”
“Hey, babe,” he said. “How's my favorite girl this morning?”
She glared at the ceiling, wondering what he even meant by that. Sometimes she thought that maybe he meant such things, that he really did care about her. Other times she knew she was just his whore.
“I'm really not feeling well,” she said.
“Oh. That's too bad.” There was a long pause. “Because I was hoping you'd come over today.”
Jillian stared at the clock. It was too early in the morning to deal with this. But on the other hand, she knew she needed to keep this deal going. For all she knew, a rejection would send Thomas searching for another girl. “I'd love to,” she said.
“Really? That's great.”
Jillian held back a sigh. It sounded like there was genuine excitement in his voice. “Give me a couple of hours, okay?”
“Okay, babe,” he said. “Sure thing. Whatever my girl needs.”
She hung up the phone, her thoughts lingering on the words “my girl.” She tried to banish such thoughts from her mind, but she couldn't help but wonder what kind of feelings Thomas might have been developing for her.
She got dressed slowly, fighting the sensations of nausea that wouldn't go away. She avoided the wine during the car ride this time, feeling pretty certain that it would make her vomit. The last thing she needed to do was throw up all over Thomas's expensive apartment. For all she knew, he would take the cleaning bill out of her pay.
She and Thomas had lunch together, though she had a hard time eating. He'd made a spicy meal, and after a few bites, she found that it just wasn't agreeing with her.
He seemed to notice that she was still feeling under the weather. “You sure you're okay today, babe?” he asked. “Can I get you anything?”
“I'm fine,” she said. She stretched and reached around to rub a hand against her lower back. “Just a bit sore after a long work week.”
“Here, let me take care of that. You shouldn't always have to be the one fixing other people's back problems.”
He led her over to the couch and started giving her a slow, sensual back rub. She laid face down on the sofa, letting his hands roam her body. It felt so good and started to relieve the tension in her aching muscles. Though her nausea didn't want to go away.
It wasn't long before Thomas's hands started to roam. She closed her eyes, wishing she could tell him to stop. It had felt so nice to have him touch her in a nonsexual way for once. And with the way her stomach was feeling, she wasn't really in the mood.
“Baby?” she asked, lifting her head up.
“What's up?” His hands continued rubbing her, straying now below her waist.
“Can we just relax for a while?” She twisted around a bit to look at him. “I'm really sorry to ruin the mood. I just need a little time to let lunch settle, I guess.”
“All right,” he said. “If that's what you need.”
He sat next to her on the couch. She could tell by the look on his face that he was disappointed, but he didn't say anything about it.
They ended up watching a movie on his big screen TV. Thomas had his arm around her the entire time, and she laid her head against his shoulder, pretending that this was just a normal Saturday with a normal guy. She knew what would have to come later, though she still wasn't in the mood. The obligation, the knowledge that there was only one real reason that he'd asked her here, made it hard for her to feel any arousal.
After the movie ended, Thomas started kissing her. She tried to respond, but her heart just wasn't in it. He picked up on that pretty quickly and pulled away, hanging his head and sighing.
“Listen, babe,” he said. “If you're not feeling well, we don't have to do anything today.”
“I don't want to be a let down,” she said. Tears started to well in her eyes.
He caressed her cheek and smiled at her. “It's okay. Really. We'll make up for it another time.”
He gave her a gentle kiss, then she gathered her things and got ready to leave. Though when she got to the door, he still handed her the envelope with her payment.
“But I didn't do anything,” she said.
“Yes, you did.” He smiled at her and kissed her hand. “You showed me a good time. Maybe not in the usual way, but I had a really nice time today, just spending time with you.”
She toyed with the edges of the envelope, torn between taking the money and giving it back. But he led her into the elevator before she could bring herself to return it.
“I'll see you next time, all right?” he said.
“All right.” She smiled at him, genuinely grateful for his understanding.
She went home and spent the rest of the day relaxing. The next morning, she was feeling sick again. On top of that, her breasts were sore, which confused her since she and Thomas hadn't even done anything together. Though a cold realization slowly dawned on her as she considered a possible explanation.
A home pregnancy test soon confirmed her fears. She'd been using birth control each time she'd been with Thomas, but she knew that such things were never 100%. She'd have to go to a doctor to find out for certain if the test was accurate, but as much as she wanted to deny it, she knew that it was true.
She was pregnant. And there was no way she could consider raising a child together with Thomas. She didn't know what she was going to do.
* * *
* * *
* * *
As the next couple of months passed, Jillian encouraged Thomas to call on her more frequently. She was determined to reach the end of their “business relationship,” but she couldn't do so until she'd earned enough money to get out of debt. Raising a child would be expensive, but she'd run the numbers, and found that once she was debt-free, she would be able to afford to feed and clothe the child with the money from her regular salary. She just needed to get out of debt before the baby was born.
For a while, Thomas gave no signs that he had any idea what was going on. She went to his penthouse each time he called. They ate, they danced, they enjoyed quiet evenings together, and she did her best to please him in bed. The more time they spent together, the more amazing their nights together started to feel. She found herself wanting to take her time, to linger with his touch. She even started spending the night again, in order to feel his arms around her all night long.
One Sunday morning, after a long night of passion, Thomas laid in bed and watched her get dressed. Her envelope of money was waiting for her on the nightstand, as usual. When she finished getting dressed and reached for the envelope, Thomas reached out and grabbed her wrist.
“Jillian,” he said, giving her a stern look, “when are you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Her heart hammered in her chest and her face started to feel warm.
“Don't play games with me.” He shoved her hand away from the envelope and sat up in bed.
Jillian took a few steps back. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh no?” He stood up and pulled on his pants. “You don't think I can notice the signs? You haven't had a glass of wine with dinner for months. You're in the bathroom plenty of mornings, claiming you're not feeling well. And, well...” He gestured to her body. “It's starting to show.”
Jillian looked at herself in the mirror, pressing her hands against her stomach. She had been hoping to be done with her arrangement with Thomas before the pregnancy started to show. “I...I just thought...” She sighed and shook her head.
Thomas glared at her. “Who's the father?”
Her head shot up. She stared him down, her face turning red. “What? How can you possibly ask me that?”
“Well, what am I supposed to think?” He threw his hands in the air. “You only see me once, maybe twice a month. You've got a whole life that I'm not a part of. How am I supposed to know whether there's another man?”
“You think I would do that?” she asked. “You
think I'd cheat on you?”
“Cheat?” He snorted and shook his head. “Is it cheating when I'm paying you?”
She looked at the envelope on the nightstand, then grabbed it and threw it at him. It tore open and money scattered all over the bedroom. “Well, you can stop paying me now.”
She stalked out of the room and headed for the elevator. Thomas followed her and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him.
“Don't touch me!” she shouted.
“Jillian, I'm not just letting you walk out like this.”
“Why not?” she asked. She beat a fist against his chest as tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Isn't this what you want? For your whore to leave, so that you won't have to be burdened? You wonder why I didn't tell you? Because I knew it would never work. You don't want me as part of your life!”
He pulled her against his chest. She struggled, but he was too strong. “Is that what you think?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes. “You think I don't want you in my life? Of course I do!”
“Then why...why...?” Jillian choked on her words, tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't even know what to say.
“I've been trying to find a way to talk to you about this,” he said, caressing her cheek and wiping away her tears. “To tell you the way I feel about you. I only kept offering you money because I thought that was all you wanted. That if I asked you to come see me, just for me, just to be with me, that you'd reject me.”
She shook her head, a wry laugh escaping her lips. “You really think that? That I'd reject you?”
“You did the first day we met.”
Jillian held very still, thinking back to that first fateful encounter in her office. It was true, she had rejected him. But only because he'd been a patient. Now that he wasn't...
“Jillian,” he said, running his fingers through her hair. “Babe. Please. Don't leave.”
She looked at the door, then closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest. “But what about the money? And the baby? And...”
He stroked her hair, whispering soothing noises into her ear. “Don't worry about that. About any of it. I can take care of you. I can take care of you and the baby. That's all I want to do.”
She held him tight, her tears slowly fading away. “You mean that?” she whispered. She clung to his chest, savoring his warmth. She could feel his heart beating and she held her head against it, listening to the steady rhythm of his life. “You really want me? You want...us?”
“Of course I do.” He tilted her face up towards his. “Jillian, I love you.”
He kissed her, and for the first time when she kissed him back, it was without obligation, without any baggage attached. It was simply two souls uniting in a moment together, sharing the touch, the taste of each other. She held onto him, relief swelling in her chest. Her worries slowly faded, and she knew now that everything was going to be okay. Her baby, their baby, would have a wonderful life, and they would finally be together as a real couple, as a family. And it was more than she ever could have hoped for.
* * *
Reed
He took one last drink and made his way back into office with water in hand. He knew what to say, and all he had to do was put it out there. He pushed open the door and turned to face her once more.
“Lydia!? What the hell are you doing here?” He glanced frantically around the room once more.
She stood their hands on hip scowling. “Me what am I doing here what the hell was Miss Piggy doing here? That woman had some nerve, she eluded to having sex with you on your desk can you imagine?!”
“Lydia, I have known you for a very long time and so I am not going to fire you for your mouth, or the way you talk about Tempest. I will, however tell you that this is your one and only warning about how you talk to people. Don’t ever, and I mean ever let me hear you say another cross word about her is that clear?”
She paled and stuttered slightly.” Ye..yes Reed I got it. I’m sorry ok.?”
“As for my sex life that is none of your business, not anymore. We are done Lydia, no more. If you said or did anything to run her off I swear Lydia, you will be on the unemployment line by Monday morning.” He grabbed his jacket and made his way out of the office and into the garage to get his car. I she could run off for weeks and not say a word, surely she could go away again, but there was no way he was letting her go not this time.
He found her apartment complex easily enough. It wasn’t as run down as he had feared, but it was in a rough part of town. He saw her car and he internally sighed with relief. He still had time to make thigs right. He parked his car, jumping out and knocking on her door.
She opened it and after the look of shock came one of concern.
“Reed, what are you doing here?” She crossed her arms and he knew she was upset.
“Can I come in and talk Temp, please just for a few minutes. Then I’ll go if you want.”
He saw her thinking about it and after another moment she opened the screen for him and he went inside. It was small and quaint but meticulously neat. It was seeing that that helped him relax even more. He turned to face her.
“Listen Temp, Lydia and I …we are done there isn’t anything going on there… not anymore.”
“Why are you telling me this Reed, what you do in your personal time has nothing to do with me.”
“What if I want it to?” He waited for her to say something, anything.
“What do you mean?” It was a whisper but he heard it.
“Temp you left, and I didn’t even want to come to work anymore. I don’t know how you did it but I tried to play this game with you to get you in bed, and somehow you turned it on me making me fall head over heels in love with you.”
He waited, letting it sink in. She raised her head to look at him and he saw the tears in her eyes.
“Don’t tell me you don’t feel it Temp, you have to.”
“I don’t know what to say Reed. I came to see you to tell you somethings and when she showed up it just all seemed so clear somehow. Now, your standing here telling me you love me.” She threw her hands in the air, letting the tears fall.
“Why is that bad Temp?” He pulled her close to him, framing her face with his hands. “I never wanted to settled down until I met you. I don’t ever want you out of my life again.”
“Its bad because I don’t know if we want the same things Reed.” She looked up at him.
“I don’t know whether but that’s part of it, finding out more and more about the other person.”
“Reed it’s not that simple.” She pulled away and doing it was breaking them both.
“Why not, damn Tempest your killing me here.” He stood there his heart breaking.
“Because I am pregnant Reed, that’s why.” She stood there and he felt something move inside him.
“What?!” He was unsure he had heard her correctly, and he was afraid no matter what her response.
“I am pregnant Reed. I was coming to tell you tonight. I know you don’t want kids, you made that clear so I was coming to tell you I can do this on my own you don’t have to anything at all. I won’t ask you for anything and you don’t have to…”
She was cut off when his lips met hers. The kiss was hot and searing and full of love. He nipped at her mouth gently as he searched her face then slowly he pulled back, gently placing a hand on her stomach.
“I’m going to be a dad.” He said it incredulously.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“We are a family Temp, I want all of it, you baby and hell…three more for all I care.”
He lifted her in his arms and held her close, once more reveling in the feel of her body molded to his. There was nothing more perfect than they were in that moment.
“I love you Tempest, now let’s go home.”
“I love you too Reed.” He looked down into her eyes, glistening with unshed tears, albeit this time happy ones.
“Well it’s about time you said it back.�
�� He grunted and she swatted at him playfully before he sealed their love with a kiss.
* * *
CLIMBING HIS CORPORATE LADDER
* * *
Chapter One – Megan
She paced the floor, lost in thought. She was usually very reserved; it took more than a little bump in her plan to cause her to worry. Sadly, this bump was much bigger than she expected. She paused once, turning on her heel as she paced in the opposite direction. So much had been riding on this promotion, and now she would have to start all over again. She never missed a day of work either, until today, and until she needed some time to process the blow to her ego she had received.
With a sigh, she had to wonder if it had anything to do with her appearance. It wasn’t that she was unattractive, in fact, her caramel colored skin and green eyes were what made her stand out. Her hair was simple, yet elegant, twisted copper curls, an asset she had inherited from her mother. Unfortunately, that was the only thing she had inherited. She turned once more, spinning around and catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. At 25 it was true she was thick, she wasn’t pencil thin, or perfect by model industry standards. What she did have was curves, hips and confidence. She smiled, putting her hand on her hip for emphasis.
She was more than happy with herself. Rarely did she find herself lacking for dates, in fact being a big beautiful girl was all the rage sometimes, and for a brief moment she had been very popular indeed. Now, in the corporate world, she was often looked at as though somehow she was lacking, something that she refused to let her get down.
With a shrug, she went back to pacing. Now was not the time to focus on how she looked, now was the time to figure out what had gone wrong. She had interviewed for the assistant position, and she had aced that interview. If there was anything she knew, it was how to interview for a job. Growing up in a rough neighborhood, she had been taught at a very young age that the only way to make, it was to get out of the neighborhood, as soon after high school as you could. She had seen so much negative activity around her cul-de-sac, she had needed no further prodding.
