Imperfections Come To Light (The Imperfection Series Book 2)

by Shaniel Watson

  The charity banquet Nick’s firm is throwing for Feed the Hungry is days away. I already have my dress picked out, I hope it still fits me by then. I like being pregnant but I can’t wait to get my body back to feel like myself again. I spent the day with Isabelle and her son today. That little boy has more energy than half of my kindergarten class did. We made lunch at her house and she was excited about the baby and talking up a storm about our kids being playmates and wouldn’t it be exciting if I had a girl and they got married. I told her to slow down and let me have the baby first before she sends out save the date invites. On my way out Ava called to tell me she sent the shower invitations out and she sent one to my mother. I didn’t know how to feel about that. So I decided to surprise Nick at his office to tell him. Karen looks up from her desk and smiles when she sees all of me.

  “Hi, Karen.” I talk to Karen at least once a month since I’ve been pregnant. I let her know when my prenatal visits are so she can put them on Nick’s schedule and we end up talking. She’s nice.

  “Catherine, hi.” She stops writing and puts her pen down.

  “Karen, I told you to call me Cat. I’m going to have to make a complaint to your boss.”

  “You do and I’m going to deny it, Cat.”

  I smile and put my hand on my expanding stomach.

  “You look good.”

  “Thank you. Don’t lie to me.”

  “You do. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired. But good. He isn’t expecting me, much like the first time I came to this office.” I smile, thinking about that day in his office, which set a lot of things in motion. It changed everything. “Is he busy?”

  “If he is he’ll stop what he’s doing to see you.”

  “Don’t tell him I’m here. I want to surprise him.”

  She smiles and puts her head down, waving me over to his door. “I don’t know you’re here.”

  Opening his office door, I see he’s on the phone, standing in front of the window his back turned to me. I close the door quietly, standing behind it and wait for him to turn around. He’s in an intense conversation. He tells the person he’ll be in contact with them soon, when he gets what he needs. He turns to hang up the phone and sees me. The angry intense look fades into a smile. I smile back with relief he’s not mad at me for listening in on his call and not announcing myself.

  “Just what I need. A beautiful woman to brighten up my day.”

  “You’re sweet.” He walks over, puts one hand above my head on the door, and kisses me deeply, leaving me sighing, my eyes closed when he pulls away. “I was feeling tired. Now your lips are stirring up renewed energy in me.”

  He takes my hand and sits me down in his chair behind his desk then sits in front of me on the desk. “What brings you back to the den?” His smile is warm and the sun is shining in his eyes through the window, making him look otherworldly. I can’t help but touch him. I put my hands on his thigh and smile back. He looks at my hand one black eyebrow raised.

  “Down, boy. I didn’t come here for that.”

  “That’s a damn shame. If you change your mind—”

  “I came to talk about my mother.”

  “That killed it. Like taking an ice-cold shower negative thirty below. Why?”

  “Ava sent her an invitation to the shower. If you don’t want her there I’ll tell Ava to tell her not to come.”

  “I’m fine with it if you want her there, as long as you don’t go over there by yourself and she doesn’t say anything to upset you.”

  “Really? I thought you would be more…” I hold my fingers up and spread them out like an explosion. He grabs my hand grinning.

  “She won’t be in our house. She’ll be in a room full of people if she comes, not alone with you. For appearance sake she’ll behave herself and act like the grandmother-to-be.”

  “I wish she didn’t have to act.” He sees the frown on my face and kisses my hand.

  “We’ve talked about your mother enough. How was your day?”

  “It was good. I went to see Isabelle and Conner. Her entire house is baby proof but he still manages to get around all of her proofing. I was tired watching her chase him around.”

  “You got a look at what your life is going to be like in two months.”

  “Yes, I’m sure when this little one is out I’ll be up for the challenge. With a little assistance from you.”

  He turns his lip down, shaking his head. “Not me. That there’s woman’s work.”

  “Well that there better become man’s work or I’m going to pull out my big ole clown shoes and land a swift kick to your ass.”

  He laughs and I can’t hold a straight face with my threat. There’s a knock on the door. Nick says come in and Karen pops her head in.

  “Your father wants to see you in his office.”

  “Tell him I’ll call him back.”

  Her eyebrows raise a bit and her lips pucker together. “It wasn’t a request. I don’t want to be the one to deny his demand. It’s about the case you refused to take.”

  “What did he say?”

  “I don’t want to repeat what he so eloquently said. He’s not happy.”

  “Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “I’ll tell him.” She closes the door behind her.

  “Why don’t you want to take the case?” I put my hands on his desk and pull up to his desk.

  “The both of you are making me rethink the choices I make professionally. This falls into the category of can I sleep at night knowing I helped this person who I wouldn’t leave you alone with for a second?”

  “Ah, I see. It’s good to know we are having such a positive effect on you. I’m sure your father won’t think so.”

  “Don’t worry about my father.” He gets off the desk. “I’ll be back.”

  “Take your time, I’ll go talk to Karen or look around.”

  “Stay in here. I don’t want you wondering around by yourself.”

  I jokingly say, “Is a crazed well-dressed lawyer in a thousand-dollar suit going to jump out at me? It’s that dangerous I need an escort, ah?”

  He looks at me with all seriousness before he opens the door. “You have no idea. I mean it, stay in this room. If you need something, pick up the phone and Karen will get it for you. You know the bathroom is in this room. Don’t leave.”

  I smile to myself when he closes the door. So overprotective, borderline controlling. What can happen to me in a building full of lawyers?

  Thirty minutes later I’m still sitting behind his desk waiting. His father is not going to like me if he keeps refusing cases. The door opens and I look up thinking it’s Nick. Imagine my surprise when I see the bombshell that can only be described as a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Scarlet Johansen standing in the doorway, Karen frowning behind her. Then I’m shocked back into reality when recognition hits me. This is the woman in the picture. Paige. What is she doing here? She looks at me and turns back around whispering to Karen. I see Karen make a face that says she doesn’t like her. She looks at me over Paige’s shoulder and says sorry then she picks up the phone to make a call.

  Paige turns back to me with a brilliant smile. I’m not into women but I would switch over for her, that’s how gorgeous she is. She stands in front of the desk I’m sitting behind and holds out her hand to me.

  “Hello, I’m Paige Sinclair. An associate here at Alexander and Alexander. And you are?” Associate? She works here with Nick? He didn’t tell me that. I realize I’m being rude and take her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Catherine, Catherine Reed.” I see her smile fall but put back on her face faster than I can get up from my chair. It momentarily slips again when I stand and she sees my stomach, pulling away her hand from me like I slapped it away. She must know who I am. I don’t think she’s thrilled to meet me.

  “You are huge.”

  Really! I don’t like her.

  “Who are you to Nick if you don’t mind me asking? And
how far along are you?”

  “Seven months. I’m his girlfriend.”

  “Nick didn’t tell me you were pregnant. Is it his?”

  What the hell! Taken aback I say, “Yes, it’s his baby.” You, bitch.

  “He mentioned he was dating a girl named Catherine but he didn’t tell me you were pregnant. It was almost two months ago though and we were working hard together. You don’t know how much I appreciated him letting me share his hotel room with him in L.A.”

  “You must be mistaken. Nick was by himself.”

  “No, you’re mistaken. I was there with him. He didn’t tell you? Then again, why would he. Don’t feel bad. We have history, we may drift apart for a while but when we get together we pick up right where we left off.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Why would I lie?”

  “Because you’re jealous, and you’re still hung up on him.”

  “Honey, please, look at me, what do I have to be jealous of? You have eyes, you can see what’s in front of you.”

  A nasty piece of work. I can’t believe this shit. This can’t be true. He wouldn’t lie to me. Make me look like a fucking first-class fool.

  “I see the knowledge of truth is dawning on you. Did you think he was going to be faithful to you because you’re pregnant? You shouldn’t be mad, we have an intense sensual connection. It’s like two caged animals raw and untamed. When his lips touched mine it was exactly how I remember it from when we were together in January, it was insatiable, impulsive, and climactic.”

  “It was you,” I say, thinking back to the night we made love, I told him I loved him, and he asked me to move in with him.

  I can’t believe this. My head feels like it’s spinning out of control. She was the woman he hooked up with in our bed. His bed. I’m going to be sick! The first impulse I have is to cover my mouth and run to the bathroom. My feet won’t move. I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart.

  “I see he told you about that. It was so good he had to tell someone, I guess. His dick is like Houdini it does all sorts of tricks. Except the disappearing act, of course, it makes you feel real good. You, of any one of his girls, should know. It’s showing all over you literally.”

  “Shut the hell up.” I manage to fight the rising bile in my throat.

  “Ooh temper, you should calm down, wouldn’t want you to bust something and go into labor. It would ruin the carpet. You know his bed is my favorite spot in his entire apartment, the kitchen table comes in a close second. They must have known all the heavy and hard work that was going to be put on it, sturdiest piece of furniture he owns.”

  My throat is constricting, it feels like it’s closing up. I can’t swallow my own spit. I can’t stand to look at her; my hand goes to my stomach and I have to lower myself into his chair carefully. I can hardly breathe. Calm down, Cat, calm, down. I look down slowly taking controlled breaths through my nose. I don’t even notice when Paige says something and the door closes.

  I’m sitting like this with unshed tears in my eyes that refuse to fall when the door opens again. This time it’s the person who should have opened the door the first time. With all the strength and rage I have in me, I will the tears back up in my eyeballs. I’m not going to do this, this motherfucker. I lift up my head, clench my teeth together to keep from screaming and look straight into those wretched lying eyes and state the truth as I know it.

  “You’re a liar.”

  He freezes, pulling up short in the doorway. “Listen to me, Cat. Don’t make up your mind, or come to any conclusions until you hear what I have to say.”

  He wants me to listen to him, listen to more lies rolling out of his lips like a leaky ass faucet. “I’m not listening to any more lies but I do have a question.” My eyes roam up and down his well-formed, attired body, cutting him off when he says my name.

  “Why do the women that sleep with you find the need to tell me how good it was? I don’t need a recap, I know what it’s like to have your dick inside of me first hand.” Holding my head back, I tilt it to the side lips pressed together. “I’m starting to regret that decision.”

  “Cat—”

  Hearing him say my name makes my skin feel like it’s on fire. How dare him, I know what he’s going to try to do. “I don’t want to hear it, there is no excuse for what you did.”

  “I didn’t do anything. Nothing happened. I didn’t touch her.”

  That’s it. I feel a surge of anger course through my body when I fly out of my chair with more agility and speed than I’ve had in months and I explode.

  “You’re a liar!”

  Like a clap of thunder the words come out of my mouth with such power I know everyone on this floor must have heard them. I know my word hits its target. His eyes flash back at me like gray sparks of lightning as he slams the door closed with his hand on it.

  “I don’t know what Paige said to you but I guarantee it was all lies.”

  Coming toward me in front of the desk I hold my hand up, shaking my head at him to stop. I don’t want him near me. “Don’t touch me,” I say with anger boiling up inside me. “Was it a lie that you were sharing a hotel room with her for days? Doing God knows what? I hope to God you were as safe with her as you were in January.” For a second he doesn’t know what I’m talking about but he quickly regains his memory. “Yeah, she told me all the dirty details. She loves your bed, it’s her favorite place to fuck you; and the table we eat on every morning comes in a close second.”

  The thought of her nasty ass spread out all over the table I sit and eat at, both of them together sweating and going at it, makes me physically ill. I look away from him and put my hand against my forehead.

  “It was strictly a business trip, we didn’t have sex. My assistant messed up and put us in the same room. He didn’t know we weren’t together anymore.”

  “How is that, Nick? We’ve been living together for months and I’m very pregnant, you can’t miss me and your personal assistant doesn’t know? Paige didn’t know either, are we a fucking secret or a part of your life?” I put my hands on the side of my stomach and look down as the baby lands a sharp kick. I’m not the only one who’s pissed off, I don’t think she likes it when I’m yelling and angry. He stands in front of me having the nerve to look angry when I’m the one who’s been wronged with his lies and that slut making me feel like an idiot. My eyes narrow to slits when he tries to touch me. With the look of disgust and anger running through my body, he pulls back the muscle in his jaw ticking away.

  “You need to sit down, Cat.”

  “Don’t tell me what I need. You obviously don’t know what I need.”

  “You’re upset and you’re upsetting the baby.” He puts his hand out to me trying to control his voice and doing a terrible job at it for once. “Fine, don’t sit, but you need to calm down. I didn’t lie to you. I went on a business trip expecting to be by myself in my own suite. When I got there she was already there, and there were no other rooms available. She stayed in the room and I slept on the couch, nothing happened. That’s the truth.”

  “Not in her version of the story.” I stare at him.

  “Cat, Paige is lying if—”

  “So are you. You expect me to be honest with you at all times but you’re not honest with me, you’re lying. I expect to hear from you the bullshit she told me…you spent the night with her in a hotel room, you fucked her, didn’t you?”

  “Nothing happened! What did you want me to do? She had nowhere else to stay.”

  “Please!” I throw my hands in the air. “She looks like a fucking survivor I’m sure she would have worked it out.”

  He walks away from me frustrated, hands in his pocket. Good, I want him to be as frustrated and angry as I am.

  “She kissed me and I pushed her away and told her I was with you. That’s it—what else did you want me to do?”

  “You’re an intelligent man with lots of game but I’m going to humor you, I’m going t
o tell you what you should have done. You should have put her ass out and left her down in the lobby. You should have told her skanky ass ‘I am happily living with my pregnant girlfriend and she wouldn’t go for this shit.’ If you didn’t know, now you do. That’s what you do the next time when posed with a situation like that! Maybe I should have listened to my damn mother.”

  That last comment gets his attention more than anything else I’ve said. His trigger word being my mother. He grabs my arm when I try to walk past him to the door, firmly applying pressure, but not enough to hurt me.

  “Where are you going?” he says between clenched teeth.

  “I’m leaving. I’ve had enough of this shit.”

  “You’re not leaving out of here like this. I’m going to get you a cab and we’ll talk about this when I get home. Cat, make sure you’re at home when I get there. Our home.”

  He should know me well enough to know I’m not going to be there. “I don’t take orders from a man who would put his lying lips to that woman while with me.”

  “I’ve put my lips to many women including your sister and you didn’t have a problem with me before.”

  “What! Fuck you!” I yank my arm free and back up. “I can’t believe you would throw that in my face.” The tears I was doing so well at holding in break free. I wipe my hand across my face and practically spit at him. “After everything, you’re a wretched man.”

  He closes his eyes with a look of regret and grits his teeth, pulling me to him tears streaming down my face. I’m so weak I just stand there in his arms my head throbbing. He brushes my hair back and searches my eye.

  “Cat, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, I was angry and it was uncalled for. You have to believe me, it happened like I said. She kissed me, I pushed her away. That is all that happened. I told her I loved you and I was committed to you. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want this to happen. You and I fighting over something that’s a non-issue. You and this baby are my life and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize what we have, what we’re building. Please, Cat, you have to believe me.”