Luke reached out and grabbed her hand before she spiraled. “Sweetheart it’s going beyond well. This is the best relationship I’ve ever been in and it’s only been two weeks. I know we haven’t talked a lot about my past relationships and truthfully there isn’t much to talk about. I think it’s perfectly normal to be scared, god knows it kept me from confessing my love to you for years. I also think things have progressed so well for us because we are best friends. We have an established relationship of trust and mutual respect, we have clearly found each other insanely attractive for years and we have been emotionally invested in one another’s lives for years…just do me a favor Bridge. Just love me and enjoy what we have, you deserve to be happy.’
She sighed and squeezed his hand, “Gladly. So should we talk about that blind date Harper’s setting me up on.” They both laughed as they talked about their night out with Grant and Harper. “I don’t know why Harper is so insistent I get back out there so soon. If I can’t shake this I may have to just tell her I’m sleeping with my best friend.” She gave him a little wink.
“So speaking of awkward questions, when are we going to break the news to my parents?” Bridgette felt a bit of panic stir up in her chest.
“Break the news? That we’re dating?” She could hear her voice getting a little high pitched.
“Yes, unless you’re pregnant?” Luke was teasing but it caused her to spit her drink out of her mouth.
“No, no. No most definitely not pregnant!”
Luke cocked his head a little, “Would it be that bad if you were? Seems like a pretty severe reaction.”
“A severe reaction to being pregnant? Yeah it would be a HUGE deal if I got pregnant. I’m not looking to completely mess up my life right now.” The words were out of her mouth before she could see the disappointment registering on his face.
“So where do you see this going then? Do you not want a family?”
Bridgette did not expect lunch time conversations to take this turn. “Yes, I want a family. I just would prefer to be married and have it planned out rather than an unexpected surprise at this time in my life. I don’t have a specific timeline as to when I see myself having children I just know it’s not right now.”
“Well I want you to know that you’re the woman I want a family with. You’re the person that I see as the mother of my children. I don’t have it all planned out yet either but just know that that is my endgame. I also want you to not feel like you have to hide us from anyone. If Harper is pressuring you about this other guy just tell her, she loves you Bridge she’d be ecstatic for you.”
“I know she would Luke but that’s not the point. I just want to bask in this bubble of course for just a while longer. I don’t want it ruined by everyone knowing and asking us 15 million questions.” The truth was she was terrified that somehow it would all come tumbling down. That if everyone knew then the illusion would be shattered.
She could see the tinge of frustration on Luke’s face as he glanced at his face. “We should probably get going, I have a meeting in about 15 minutes that I need to be prepared for.” He walked her outside and they strolled the two blocks to her office building. “Look Bridge, I’m not trying to pressure you to tell your friends or even my parents but just remember that this relationship has two people in it. You may have your reasons for not wanting to tell them but don’t let your fear isolate yourself from me. I love you more than anything and I have faith in us. Just give us a chance ok?” He reached down and poked her gently on the nose causing a smile to spread across her face.
“Thank you babe and thank you for lunch. It really was a lovely surprise.” She gave him a kiss and wished him well on the rest of his day. She had plans to meet Harper for kickboxing after work and then head to his place after. She’d give his comments some thought, she needed to stop fearing that Luke was going to be like every other guy she ever dated…getting her hopes up only to break her heart a few weeks later. He was the one she had always wanted, she had waited TEN years to finally have a chance with him and now that she had him she didn’t have the first clue how to handle it.
❖
“Lets go Windy City!!!” The girls cheered on the guys as they played their championship softball game. They had a two run lead going into the bottom of the 8th inning. It had been a very close game, it seemed like every time they scored one run the other team would score two. They had been neck and neck until the bases were loaded and Luke got up to bat, knocking it out of the park and securing their lead.
“Oh hey I may have taken the liberty to invite Chad to the bar tonight. Please don’t hate me!” She put her hands on her cheeks as she flashed a huge cheesy grin. Just then the guys got another run and the crowd burst into a loud cheer. She couldn’t register what exactly what happening but she grabbed her friends hand and pulled her back down on the bleacher while the rest of the fans continued yelling.
“Who is Chad, Harper?”
Harper looked confused, “He’s the trainer at my gym I’ve been telling you about. I thought this would a neutral environment since it’s not a one on one date. With everyone here it just seems like a casual hangout. I told him to just meet us at the bar.”
“What the hell Harper?! I never agreed to meet him! I told you I’m fine. I don’t need a a rebound or a distraction.” She was frustrated, she wanted to just be happy in her relationship but she felt petrified by fear. The last inning went by in a blur, the Windy City Mavericks clenched the championship title. Bridgette and Harper were standing up with the rest of the crowd now clapping. The guys were still out on the field, talking to the other team and celebrating with chest bumps and spraying one another with champagne. The girls couldn’t help but laugh at them living out their glory days like they just wont he world series.
Harper turned toward her friend and placed her hand on hers and pulled her back down on the bench. “Bridge I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought it might be the push you need is all. I’ll stop meddling I promise. I just want you to be happy…I hate how many guys have broken your heart, I just want you to meet that one guy who changes it all for you. Who sweeps you off your feet and treats you like the amazing woman you are.”
Bridgette couldn’t help but get misty, she put her hand on top of Harper’s, “I have.” It’s all she said before slipping through the remaining crowd and running out on the field. Luke saw her coming and a huge grin spread across his face. He opened his arms as she ran right into them and wrapped her legs around his waist. She threw her arms around her neck and pulled his lips to his. She was too busy kissing and congratulating him to notice Grant and Harper standing behind them.
Bridgette slid down Luke’s body and grabbed his hand, turning to see her friends standing there with smiles on their faces. Harper ran over to her friend and pulled her in for a long tight hug. “It’s about time.” The girls giggled as Bridgette wiped away a stray tear. “We have a LOT of catching up to do…at the bar?” Bridgette just smiled and hugged her friend again.
The group walked off the field together making their way over to their cars to head for a celebratory drink. “WAIT! Harper!” Bridgette stopped suddenly in the parking lot remembering that Chad was supposed to be waiting for her at the bar!
Harper didn’t even stop, she knew what Bridgette was freaking out about. “Oh he’s not coming, I just said that to get you to admit to me that you were in love with Luke.” She winked at her friend as she slipped into Grant’s car leaving Bridgette standing there with her mouth hanging open.
Chapter 16
“So…how do you feel now that our friends know?” Luke ran his hands over Bridgette’s hair and exposed back as she snuggled into his chest.
“Relieved, happy…content.” She let out a small coo as she leaned in and nuzzled his neck. Then remembering just how Grant and Harper had discovered that she and Luke were a couple came back to mind. “Oh god…I keep forgetting that they saw us basically hooking up in a bar!”
“I li
ke that memory! In fact…I think we should try to recreate that memory right now.” He rolled Bridgette onto her back and pinned her hands above her head as he leaned in to plant kisses between words. “I think,” kiss “you secretly” kiss “like” kiss “getting caught.” She couldn’t help but squirm and giggle as the kissing assault continued. The lower the kisses trailed down her body the more the giggles turned into moans and gasps. Luke was relentless in his assault on her body. He released her hands and instead planted them on her hips as he spread her thighs with his shoulders.
Bridgette had never experienced a relationship with a man that enjoyed pleasuring her so thoroughly. The way he showed her body attention was unreal. She ran her hands through his thick blonde locks as she watched him make love to her most intimate place with his mouth. Even through orgasm he didn’t stop, instead he spread her thighs apart further and lapped at her furiously. Her legs felt like jell-o by the time he had finished exploring her and her abs hurt from the intense flexing through all of the orgasms…so completely and utterly worth it.
She pushed Luke back on the bed and crawled up his body, “Now it’s my turn.” She set about dragging her nails down his chest and abs as she took him deep in her mouth. She didn’t exactly love giving blow jobs in the past but there was something about the sounds Luke made when she did that made her have a whole new attitude toward the task. She loved watching his eyes roll back as his head lulled back and his breathing quickened, completely blissed out.
They had both been tested and since Bridgette was on birth control they had discussed the lack of need for using other protection. They trusted one another and were in a committed and loving relationship and didn’t want any other barriers between them. The rest of the night was spent entangled in one another’s arms, exploring each other and pushing each other to new heights of pleasure.
It was hard to believe six months had flown by, it felt like a dream. Work had been great, Bridgette had established some excellent connections and found what she felt would be best selling manuscripts…or books rather. Luke had finally found a balance at work as well, he had a team of jr. engineers under him that helped off load a lot of his workload and helped him establish a solid name for himself in front of some very important executives.
The Summer had definitely come and gone and they were in the heart of another blustery, Chicago winter. They had spent the holidays at Luke’s parents house and had even all worn goofy matching sweaters with gaudy details on them and posed for some very classic family photos. It wasn’t long after they initially started dating that they had taken a trip down to his parents house to break the news in person. His mother burst into tears immediately, grabbing Bridgette and pulling her into a hug so tight she had to pry her off of her to breathe again. Apparently his parents had been hoping, wishing and pray for this day for about as long as Bridgette had.
She couldn’t remember a time she was happier. Her life felt complete. She no longer wondered what took things so long to fall into place, she was a firm believer in timing and more than anything she was just thankful that she was surrounded by so much love. She couldn’t be happier…it wasn’t possible.
She was due to meet Harper soon for her kickboxing class but she was still holding on to the bug she had from the other day. “Ugh.” She groaned as she rolled over and pulled her almost lifeless body out of bed. Luke moaned and reached for her but she had already left the warmth and comfort of the blankets.
“You ok baby?” Luke pulled himself up on his elbows as Bridgette took a couple deep breaths. “Still feeling sick? Don’t push it babe, come back to bed Harper will understand.”
“No I’ll be ok. Just need some coffee.” She said with a yawn as she schlepped off to the kitchen. She prepared the pot and drank some water as she waited for it to brew. She didn’t even let it finish brewing before filling her cup and lifting to her lips for a sip. She dry heaved a little and set the cup down. “Ugh gross. Guess that’s not happening.” She finished her water and headed to her room to get dressed and head out to meet Harper, giving Luke a kiss on her way out and told him she’d be back in a bit.
She limbered up in her usual spot in the back of the room and prepared to launch into a series of punches and jabs. Today’s class was focused on kickboxing and self defense moves which were her favorite. She had noticed a complete overhaul in her body since taking Harper’s classes. She had more energy, she was leaner and tighter and felt so much stronger. Although lately she felt a little less than lean and a little more tired. She yawned again and took one more deep stretch just as the class started.
The first 10 minutes of the class felt like an eternity and it was just the warmup. She took a minute to catch her breath and bent over to grab her water bottle. When she stood back up to take a drink she felt a sudden wave of nausea come over her. She bolted for the door and just made it to the restroom in time before throwing up the rest of last night’s dinner and this morning’s water consumption. She splashed some cold water on her face and back of her neck as she leaned over the sink. She grabbed a towel from the rack and laid it out on one of the benches in the locker room, she decided she would lay down for the rest of the class and let het stomach settle down. She should have listened to Luke and let her body recover.
“Hey, Bridge. Bridgette!” Bridgette blinked her eyes open not realizing she had fallen asleep on the bench in the locker room. “What happened? I saw you take off and then I couldn’t find you after class. You ok?”
Harper sat up slowly, she did not want a repeat of earlier and she was still half asleep anyway. “Yeah I’m ok, I’ve been feeling gross the last few days. I caught a bug and I thought I was over it but clearly I’m not. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disrupt your class.”
Harper laughed as she rubbed her friend’s back, “Don’t apologize sweetie. You’re crazy you should have told me you were sick. You need rest. I’m surprised Luke let you leave the house.”
“Well he tried to tell me to get back in bed but I went to bed so early I thought I’d be fine.” She let out another long yawn, “I’ve just been so tired lately. I can’t seem to get enough sleep. This bug is kicking my ass.” She rubbed her eyes and shook her head a little trying to wake up enough to stand up.
Harper stayed seated on the bench, “Uh Bridge…I think this ‘bug’ might be sticking around a little longer.”
Bridgette turned to her friend mid stretch with a look of confusion, “You mean like the flu?! No way I got my flu shot this year! I cannot be sick right now, I finally have a nice schedule going with work and Luke and I are planning a little getaway soon. It’s our first vacation as a couple.”
“No Bridge I’m saying this bug miiiight be growing into a much bigger bug over the next nine months?” She held out her hands in a questioning gesture.
“Pregnant?! You think I’m pregnant!” Her voice was so high pitched Harper winced.
“I’m not saying for sure I’m just saying maybe take a test. You have some pretty convincing symptoms but it could easily be the flu. Just take it to put your mind at ease.”
Bridgette was now pacing the floor, “My mind was at east until you said that! Wait let me do some period math for a minute”…She counted on her fingers while pacing and staring at the ceiling before stopping dead in her tracks. “SHIT! I’m late!” Before she could fully spiral into panic mode Harper grabbed her hand and her gym bag.
“No need to panic Bridge let’s just go to Walgreens across the street and figure this out.” The girls walked arm in arm to the drugstore and picked up the necessary pregnancy test and ran back over to the gym as fast as possible. Bridgette took a deep breath and pushed open the stall door. “Bridge you can do this, I’m here for you ok?” She nodded to her friend before closing the door.
She sat on the toilette with the test in hand as she took in a few shaky breaths…how was this happening? Just when everything was going well she did exactly what she knew she would. She screwed it all up. Waiting the two minutes
felt like an eternity…was it possible for time to slow down in these types of situations? She watched the final few seconds tic by before one last big breath, she grabbed the test off of the toilette paper dispenser and flipped it over.
Chapter 17
Bridgette stared at the plus sign staring back at her. She could hear Harper’s muffled voice on the other side of the stall door but couldn’t make out what her friend was saying. She felt like the walls were closing in on her, she took several deep breaths before trying to stand. She had no idea how long she had been sitting there staring at the positive pregnancy test but the sound of Harper’s concerned voice and banging on the door brought her back to reality.
She stood up and opened the door, Harper stood there with huge eyes and a questioning look on her face. “It’s pos…” Brigette couldn’t even get the words out before she burst into tears and fell into her friend’s arms.
Harper wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rubbed her back. “Oh sweetie it’s going to be okay! I’m here for you, we’re going to figure this out.” Harper wasn’t sure what else to say to comfort her friend. In truth she didn’t even know if Bridgette was sad, scared or happy at the moment. Whatever her friend was feeling she was going to be there for her. Bridgette’s sniffles were calming and her tears were drying up, “Bridge let’s go somewhere some place you can be more comfortable ok?”
Bridgette nodded her head and removed herself from Harper’s arms. The girls gathered their things and headed out of the locker room. Bridgette climbed into the passenger seat of the car and leaned her had back with a loud sigh. “I just don’t understand how this happened. I’m on birth control and I’m always responsible!”
Always You: A Friends to Lovers Romance-Book 1 Page 9
