“I could have used some hip-hop,” Curtis replied. “I’m not really into old-school music like my pops.”
Everyone laughed.
“Well, don’t you worry, Curtis,” Roman responded. “I’ve got a guys’ night out with a concert tomorrow night.”
“Oh, snap.” Curtis gave Roman a one-armed hug. “Appreciate that, man.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you both tomorrow, sometime after a late breakfast?”
“Oh, most def,” Curtis said. “I have some jet lag so I intend to sleep in before I test out that stadium of yours.”
“Look forward to it,” Roman answered.
Once they were back in the car, Shantel was buckling her seat belt when Roman grasped both sides of her face and planted a hot and hungry kiss on her lips. When they finally separated, Shantel asked, “What was that for?”
“That was for making me think outside the box. You were my secret weapon tonight.”
Shantel beamed with pride. “Glad I could help.”
“You more than helped. You showed Tim I’m not some stuck-up rich kid. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“When we get to your place, I intend to show you just how thankful I am.”
Eighteen
“So, what do you think?” Roman asked after he, Giana and Julian had shown Tim Jackson around the billion-dollar custom complex. They’d returned to Roman’s office while Curtis threw a couple of footballs on the practice field with the coaches he’d work with if he signed with the Atlanta Cougars.
“You’ve built quite the operation here,” Tim said. “I’m impressed, but you are the Atlanta Cougars, after all.”
“But it’s about the people,” Julian chimed in. “Your son would be in excellent hands. You saw the cutting-edge gym and weight room as well as the physical therapy and recovery areas, which I oversee. Curtis’s health would be closely monitored by a team of professionals.”
“I do like a family business.”
“And I would work with Curtis and his agent to ensure the best deals come his way.” Giana continued where Julian left off, tag-teaming the father. “We help our players build a brand because we want them to have a long, industrious career.”
“Is all your family as eloquent as you and your wife?” Tim asked, looking at Roman. “Oh, my apologies, your fiancée.”
Roman grinned. “No worries. She’ll be my wife by next week.”
“I really enjoyed her company,” Tim said. “Will she be joining us this evening at your parents’?”
“Absolutely.”
“All right, well, I’d like to go to the field with Curtis if you don’t mind.”
“Of course,” Julian replied first. “I’ll show you the way. I’m headed in that direction.” He nodded at Roman as he led Tim out.
Once the door was shut, Roman couldn’t resist kicking up a leg. “We have him on the ropes, Gigi. All we have to do is seal the deal tonight.”
“What did Shantel do?” Giana asked, her eyes alight with joy. “You seem invigorated. I’ve never seen you so on top of your game like you were today.”
“Giana, I can’t explain it,” Roman said. His head was still spinning from the experience. “Somehow she gave me new life with Tim. Made him see us with fresh eyes.”
“I’m glad for you, Roman. Daddy is going to be thrilled.”
“Don’t jinx me. We’re not there yet.” Roman prayed tonight went off without a hitch because if it did, he was going to make some demands of his own to dear ole Dad.
*
After last night, Shantel should have been on cloud nine, but she wasn’t. Alma’s text concerned her, which was why she’d agreed to office hours on a Saturday afternoon when she had a million other things to do for the wedding, not to mention packing to move.
Shantel had no idea what Alma wanted to talk about. She and her husband were already sleeping in separate rooms and Shantel feared it had only gotten worse. The young woman was still struggling with her infertility. Shantel was certain their marriage could be salvaged if Alma accepted other alternatives like adoption or surrogacy.
Shantel clutched her stomach as it began whirling in the familiar pattern, which meant she might not hold down her lunch. She rushed to her en-suite bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. When that was over, Shantel brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. After wiping her mouth, she returned to her office. She didn’t realize she’d left her office door open until she walked out of the bathroom and saw Alma’s dejected expression.
“Alma?”
“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Alma asked, her eyes brimming with tears. “I know because I’ve lived through four pregnancies. Morning sickness, right?”
Shantel couldn’t lie to her. If she did, it would be a breach of trust, but she knew hearing the news would devastate her patient. “Yes, I am.”
Tears slid down Alma’s pale skin. “How far along?”
“Seven weeks.”
“Were you trying?”
“Alma…”
“I know you don’t have to answer and I have no right to ask, but during our sessions I always got the distinct impression children weren’t on your to-do list, Dr. Wilson. I mean, you’re not even married.” Her blue-gray eyes went to Shantel’s left hand and she saw the engagement ring. “You’re engaged!”
“I am. Alma, please sit down.”
But her patient shook her head and remained standing. This was going from bad to worse. Why, oh why didn’t I close the door and lock my office before Alma’s arrival? Her stomach churned with anxiety.
“No. I want to know when you got engaged. Was it this past weekend?”
“No, it’s been a couple of weeks.”
“But you haven’t been wearing a ring.” Alma was quiet as she listened to Shantel’s answers. “So if you weren’t engaged before and you’re only seven weeks, that means this pregnancy wasn’t planned, was it, Dr. Wilson? You got pregnant by accident?”
“Yes, it was a surprise.”
“Ohmigod!” Alma’s hands flew to her face. “It’s so unfair. I try to have a baby by putting my eggs and Brian’s sperm in a petri dish and hope for a baby. But you, you get pregnant like that?” She snapped her fingers. “You didn’t even want a baby, while I want one so badly.”
Alma fell to her knees and wept, rocking back and forth. Shantel approached her, but Alma put up her hand to stop her. “Don’t try to comfort me.”
“Alma, I’m so sorry. I know how much this must hurt you.”
Her patient glanced up at her and brushed away her tears. “You have no idea how I feel. To live in my shoes when you didn’t even have to try and are blessed with a baby. Do you have any clue how lucky you are? That there are women like me, barren and unfulfilled?”
“Alma, please…” Shantel could feel her throat closing up as tears threatened to choke her because Alma’s fragile control had finally snapped.
“I have to go.” Slowly Alma got to her feet, ignoring Shantel’s outstretched helping hand. “I don’t want to see you again, Dr. Wilson. I can’t. It would be too much.” She started toward the door.
“I understand.” Shantel swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d always known it was a possibility but she’d hoped it wouldn’t turn out this way. “If you won’t see me, please do get help. I’m worried about you.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Alma said, turning her head. “You should focus on your baby and staying happy and healthy.”
Seconds later, she was gone, leaving Shantel racked with guilt. She had the one thing Alma wanted most in the world—to be pregnant—and it had happened completely by accident. She should be able to cope with Alma’s anger, but her client’s mental health struck a chord with Shantel. She supposed it had to do with losing her mother. Alma reminded Shantel of her mother. Shantel feared it wouldn’t take much to push Alma to do something drastic and Shantel would never want to be the cause, direct or indirect, of Alma har
ming herself. Taking a deep breath, Shantel tried to calm herself, but she couldn’t prevent the trickle of tears that escaped down her cheeks.
*
Roman was worried. He’d been calling Shantel for hours and she hadn’t picked up. He hoped she and the baby were okay. He dropped the Jacksons off at the hotel to freshen up and told them a car would pick them up while he went to fetch Shantel. Tim was onboard with him taking care of his woman and agreed to see him at the Lockett estate.
As soon as he was able, Roman rushed over to Shantel’s cottage. He didn’t bother ringing the doorbell. He used the key Shantel had given him and opened the door.
“Shantel? Sweetheart, where are you?” Roman called out. He rushed down the small corridor and found Shantel sitting on the bed. She was dressed, but her face was contorted with grief. Fear struck through Roman like a blade. “What is it? You’re scaring me. Is it the baby?”
Shantel shook her head as she stared into space. “The baby’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“Then what? What’s happened?”
Shantel looked at him and tears stained her cheeks. “One of my patients who’s having trouble conceiving found out I was pregnant. It was terrible, Roman. She had a complete meltdown. I’d kept my condition from her because I didn’t want to h-hurt her… God, I don’t know why I’m being so emotional about this.” Shantel sniffed into the Kleenex in her hand. “I—I never meant to cause her pain.”
“Of course you didn’t.” Roman took both her hands in his. “It was a reflexive reaction. Deep down your patient has to know you only want what’s best for her.”
Shantel shook her head. “It sure didn’t feel that way.” She turned to him. “If you could have seen the despair and hopelessness in her eyes… It makes me remember my mom and how despondent she could be. I don’t want anything to happen to my patient.” She lowered her head.
“It’s okay.” Roman wrapped her in his arms. He was just thankful she was all right. When he hadn’t been able to reach her, he’d panicked, imagining the worst. “What can I do?”
“Nothing,” Shantel said dejectedly. “And now neither can I. She fired me.”
“No!”
“Told me she can’t see me anymore. She doesn’t want to watch me getting bigger and bigger each day while the hope of her having her own child dies with each passing day. And I don’t understand it, Roman, I don’t. I thought that after all these months I was getting through to her.”
“I’m sorry this isn’t the outcome you hoped for.”
Shantel sighed. “Me too.” She slid out of his embrace and rose to her feet. “I should get ready. Repair the damage to my face, if that’s possible.”
Roman grabbed her hand. “Are you sure you’re up for dinner with my family tonight?” He searched her face. “You’ve had a rough day. Maybe you want to stay home and decompress?”
“I can’t.” Shantel shook her head. “I’m your wingman, or wing woman.” She attempted a laugh. “We made such progress with the Jacksons. I don’t want to lose that momentum. I’ll get myself together. I promise. Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded, but Roman wasn’t buying it. He’d read women were more emotional during pregnancy and today had been tough. Should he really put Shantel through tonight when his father wasn’t her biggest fan? On the other hand, it would help to have someone in his corner and with whom Tim hit it off so spectacularly.
Roman didn’t have to decide because right on the dot, Shantel emerged from the bathroom with her face and makeup intact. Roman’s heart did a cartwheel in his chest—she looked beautiful, and the emotion he’d known was growing revealed itself. In that moment, Roman wanted to share it with her. To shout it from the rooftops.
“Are you ready?” Roman asked, holding out his arm.
“Indeed I am,” Shantel said. “Let’s go close the deal.”
But Roman had another in mind right now—a deal that was a lifetime. Their marriage. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.
Nineteen
The dinner party was already underway when Shantel and Roman arrived at the Lockett estate an hour later. She felt terrible that she was the cause of their tardiness, but it had been unavoidable.
She was trying to put the events of the afternoon behind her and focus on the present. Roman needed her to be her sparkling self when she felt the exact opposite.
A uniformed butler greeted them when they walked in and led them down the hall to a salon where Roman’s parents were holding court with Curtis, Tim, Julian and Giana.
“There you dears are.” Mrs. Lockett came toward them when they entered. “I was starting to worry.” She hugged Roman and Shantel.
“Sorry, Mama. We had a slight hiccup.”
“I hope everything’s all right.” She looked between Roman and Shantel.
“Everything is fine, Mrs. Lockett,” Shantel stated.
“Ah, there’s the lady of the hour.” Shantel heard a tenor voice behind her and spun around to find herself wrapped in a bear hug from Tim.
“Good to see you, Tim.” Shantel put forth her best smile.
“You, as well,” Tim said. “I was sharing with Josiah, here—” he motioned the patriarch of the family over “—how you and Roman took me to the best blues joint I’d been to in a long time, and the soul food was on point.”
“I’m so glad you enjoyed it,” Shantel replied.
“Immensely,” Tim said. “Come talk to me about what else there is to do in town, should Curtis choose to sign with the Atlanta Cougars.”
“Son, if I could have a word,” Mr. Lockett said from behind her. Shantel turned around and didn’t like the look that passed between him and Roman, but she allowed Tim to lead her away. Is it my imagination or did Mr. Lockett seem angry with Roman? And am I the cause?
*
“Why on God’s green earth would you take one of the top draft picks and his father out to some seedy blues joint when I specifically asked you to take them someplace expensive?”
Roman resented the implication he’d done something wrong. “The spot wasn’t seedy. Furthermore, Tim had a great time.”
“Oh, did he? He’s probably telling you that to your face while he tells his friends back home that the Locketts can’t even afford to buy him a good meal.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Like hell I am,” his father roared. “You deliberately disobeyed me.”
“Listen,” Roman said, coming to stand in front of his father and looking him square in the eye. “This is my deal, not yours. I’m in charge of player personnel and if you don’t like it, fire me. Tim had a ball last night and as for Curtis, I have him covered with a backstage pass at the Drake concert tonight. Tim was fine with it so long as we weren’t hitting the clubs later.”
“You think you know it all?” his father said, circling him. “You, who were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, while all my life I’ve had to work and scrape for everything I’ve ever achieved? Sometimes life isn’t easy and this deal is far from closed.”
“Is that why you don’t respect me?” Roman asked, his eyes narrowing to really look at his father. Maybe he’d finally hit the nail on the head in terms of his father’s issues with him. “Because I have done anything and everything you’ve ever asked of me. But it’s never good enough, is it? I don’t know why I even bother.”
Roman turned on his heel to leave, but his father wouldn’t let him have the last word.
“You’ve let a nobody, a backwoods country girl, come in here and get your nose wide open. The sex must be good because she got knocked up quick. Let me ask you something. Has she signed a prenup?”
Roman’s nose flared and he spun around to face his father. “How dare you?”
“How dare I?” His father stormed toward him. “I dare because I built the Atlanta Cougars while your mama was still wiping your ass. It’s my company, my legacy, and I won’t have some nobody come in and ta
ke what’s mine. So I suggest you find some courage to make her sign those papers before your wedding. Otherwise, you will be cut out of my will. My company won’t be divided and given to interlopers.”
“This conversation is over.”
Roman had heard enough. He was done trying to live up to the great Josiah Lockett’s expectations. He was striking out on his own. He was more than ready. He had the business knowledge and acumen to lead any Fortune 500 company just as he led the Atlanta Cougars. If his father didn’t realize his potential, he was missing out.
*
Prenup?
Roman had a prenup prepared? Shantel rushed away from the study door. After extricating herself from Tim, Shantel had gone in search of her fiancé. She suspected a showdown was occurring between father and son and hoped to do damage control, but now Shantel doubted the relationship between father and son could be repaired.
But what hurt most of all was that Roman hadn’t stood up for her. Josiah Lockett had said terrible things about Shantel and Roman hadn’t said a word. Hadn’t defended her. Shantel covered her mouth and ran down the hall. She was nearly to the front door when she ran smack-dab into Julian.
“Shantel, what’s wrong?” he asked, searching her face.
“I can’t,” she cried. “I need to go. Will you help me?”
Julian glanced down the hall and she could see fury rising in him. “What did Roman do?”
“Nothing! I have to get out of here, okay? Before Roman sees me. Is there a side entrance I can use?”
“Yes, follow me.” Julian led Shantel through the kitchen, where the staff was busy preparing dinner, to the massive garage that housed all the family cars. When he flicked on the switch, there was a Rolls Royce, a Benz, a Porsche and a Ferrari. “Pick your poison.”
“I’ll take that one.” She pointed to the Porsche. She felt like she could handle it without wrecking it. She would return it as soon as she could.
“Sure thing.” Julian opened up the key box hanging on the wall and after rifling through several keys produced a set. “Here you go.” He tossed them to her. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? Perhaps I should take you. You seem really upset.”
Consequences of Passion--A sensual pregnancy romance Page 14
