by CY Jones
When we come up for air, we take a long hot shower together, which was made extra steamy from him pushing me on my knees and having me suck him off. With Grayson, he loves my large tits, but Tyson loves my mouth. It’s the inner teenager in him that gets off seeing a girl’s lips wrapped around their dick, while shooting their seed down her throat. After we’re both dressed, he treats me to lunch and then takes me to the mall to buy me a bunch of maternity clothes. Most men hate going shopping, but Tyson doesn’t seem to mind. By the time we get back to the house, I’m exhausted and he makes me a nice dinner before I’m passing out alone in the bed while he catches up on work in his study. The day was so natural, so perfect, but I hate that I still had thoughts that although it was perfect, it still wasn’t enough. I needed my fire and my rock to make it complete.
Mondays suck. Monday mornings without coffee really suck. Do you know what’s worse? A Monday sitting in the doctor’s office holding your boyfriend’s hand while your baby daddy sits across from you with his wife. Can you say awkward? Today is my ultrasound where we’ll find out if I’m having a boy or girl, so of course Nichole is here. After finding out McHottie was going to the appointment, Tyson decided to go along as well for moral support, or to stop me from killing McHottie, who knows.
“It’s been a while, Jade. How’s work?” Nichole asks, trying to make small talk. She looks a little better from the last time I saw her, just not as shiny. Something is seriously going on with her.
“It’s been okay,” I answer.
“Just okay? I heard Garfield took you under his wing.”
“He has.” My answers are short, I know. This is just so fucking uncomfortable.
“Have you been feeling well? I hope you’re not taking on too much at the firm,” she prods.
“It’s fine, everything is fine. Just ask your husband,” I spit out and immediately close my trap. Tyson gives me a funny look before squeezing my hand, letting me know he’s here for me. I know if I say the word he’ll sweep me right out of here, appointment be damned.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” McHottie growls.
“Well, I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with you hiring my enemy as your secretary, where she takes great pleasure in harassing me every chance she gets. Because of you, I have no choice but to deal with her on a day to day basis when before I barely saw her. I find it all ironic since you offered me the job there in the first place so I wouldn’t be stressed, when you’re the main reason behind why I’m so damn stressed there.” Folding my arms across my chest, I look away because yeah, I’m mature like that.
“Is that true?” Nichole asks her husband. Huh, I guess he doesn’t tell his wife everything after all.
“It is,” he grunts out.
“Grayson, why would you do that if you knew the girl would cause problems for Jade? We agreed to do everything we can so that Jade delivers a healthy baby. Stressing her out won’t help our cause,” Nichole chides him and McHottie actually looks contrite.
“I doubt she even notices Nancy. She’s too busy fucking Tyson all over the office to be doing her job.”
“You sound jealous there, Grayson. Are you pissy she’s not fucking you in the office anymore?” I know Ty said it as a jab to Grayson, but I couldn’t help feeling like it was a jab to me as well. Making me feel like maybe he’s not as okay with me fucking McHottie as I thought he was.
“I’m not even going to comment on that. Anything I did with Jade was for the result we are now sitting here for.”
“Keep lying to yourself; you’re the only one you’re fooling.”
“That’s enough,” I interrupt him before he says anything else. I really don’t want to get in a verbal match airing out our ugly business right here in the OBGYN’s fancy waiting room.
“I agree. You two are stressing Jade out and me too,” Nichole comments and I turn away from all of them.
After a moment of thick silence, I say, “I don’t care who you hire as your secretary. People worse than Nancy have tried to put me down and failed.”
I’m happy when I don’t hear their reply because we’re called to the back. After they steal my blood and take my weight and blood pressure, we’re all ushered into the ultrasound room. I only have to undress from the waist down this time, but both Tyson and McHottie wait outside the room until Nichole tells them I’m ready. When the ultrasound tech comes in, she’s not surprised to see us all crammed into the room and gives us all a bright smile.
“Hello, Jade, I’m Laura. How are you feeling today?” she asks.
“Today could be going better,” I answer honestly.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you in any pain?” she questions as she readies her supplies.
“I have a slight headache and I’m cramping a bit,” I admit and McHottie looks me over with a worried gaze. Tyson grabs my hand and holds it as Nichole stands there, taking us all in like she’s trying to figure out a solution to all our problems. I hope not. Nichole’s solutions are always complicated as fuck.
“On a scale of one to ten, with one being the lowest and ten the highest, what is your pain level?
“A five,” I reply.
“I’ll let your doctor know. The headache could be because you’re dehydrated or stressed. At six months, you should be taking it easier and lessening your workload.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I mumble and both McHottie and Tyson growls. Stupid alpha males.
Nodding, she puts on her gloves and uncovers my belly as I stare down at my round bowling ball in wonder. I didn’t even mind the baby was stretching out my ink. After I lose this baby weight, I’m going to have to get a lot of them touched up anyways, plus I want some more. It’s true what they say. Tattoos are addictive.
“This will be cold,” the tech warns before squeezing a clear jelly substance on my belly and spreading it around with a probe. It feels funny at first, like something using my belly as a slip and slide and I watch the monitor transfixed. All I see is a dark canal and a lot of grey before a baby starts to take shape and I gasp. The details are amazing, but what did I expect? The Hastings always make sure I have the best money can buy when it comes to this baby. The baby has Grayson’s same shaped nose and what looks like my lips. When the baby’s heartbeat echoes around the room, a lone tear trails down my cheek and Tyson wipes it away, whispering reassurances in my ear.
“Do you want to know what the sex is?” the tech asks.
I look over at Nichole and Grayson, who nods and I answer, “Yes.”
“Congratulations, it’s a boy,” she gushes. Look at that. Another mini Grayson will be entering the world. Hopefully, he just inherits his looks and not his father’s attitude problems.
After the tech takes more measurements using the computer, she prints out a bunch of photos and places them in an envelope before handing it to me. I wipe the gel off my belly and hop down, changing quickly as soon as she leaves. Washing my hands at the sink, I hand the photos over to Nichole. After the ultrasound, I saw my doctor who prescribed me some meds for my headache, pretty much saying the same thing as the ultrasound tech as of the cause of my pain. I’m not dehydrated, but I’m sure stress is the source of my pain. Nancy isn’t the only cause. I have a lot going on, and I’m keeping something major from a guy I’m falling for. It took today with Tyson being there for me, for me to realize that I never want to give him up. If that isn’t the makings of love, I don’t know what is.
“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? You need rest so you’ll feel better. I’ll let my father know,” Tyson suggests as soon as the doctor is done.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, shrugging off his suggestion. The last thing I need is to be alone with my thoughts.
“You heard them in there. You should be taking it easy,” Tyson continues.
“For once I agree with your boyfriend. You should rest,” Grayson says and I look over at him, shocked. Since when does he care about my well-being? Or agree with anything Tyson says
? But then I realize it’s not me he cares about, but his kid.
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to your investment,” I snark.
“Jade,” McHottie starts, but I’m already walking away. When I hear the beep to Tyson’s car from him unlocking it, I jump in, strap on my seatbelt, and cross my arms, facing forward. Maybe I should go home. My headache will only get worse if I have to deal with Nancy. No matter how good my lawyer is, I doubt pregnancy is a reasonable excuse to get out of murder.
The drive home is silent. It’s not like I’m mad with Tyson, I’m just ready to be done with all this. I want this baby out so I can start my plans for my better future. I’m so sick of McHottie’s mood swings or always having to explain myself. I’m tired of being poked and prodded over or treated like glass. I won’t break. I can’t.
22
Tyson
I’m glad Jade decided to stay home with little argument. I’m furious with her for not letting me know she was in pain, but it’s not like Jade is a stranger to keeping things from me. Taking care of herself is part of Jade’s persona. She just can’t help herself. I hate the secrets. I want her to see that I’m here for her for the long run and to trust me. I’ve never met anyone who could grab my attention like her and actually hold onto it. I’m putty in her slender fingers, she just doesn’t know it. Crazy of a thought as it is, but Jade is it for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find a woman that completes me like her. I love her. I fell hard in her solar system and now I’m just hoping she sees me. I’m vulnerable, in uncharted territory, a place I’ve never been before. If someone were to tell me I’d fall in love one day with a complicated pregnant woman with more problems than that Jay Z song, I’d hit them upside their head to knock some sense in them, but here I am.
When I get to the office, I’m not surprised to see Grayson waiting on me. “If you came for another shouting match, I’m not in the mood, especially since you don’t even have a cup of fresh brewed coffee with you,” I drawl in greeting.
“Why didn’t you let me know Jade was in pain? Don’t you think that’s something I should know?”
“Well, seeing as I didn’t even know, telling you would have been impossible. That’s even if I wanted to tell you. It’s your damn fault she’s stressed out in the first place,” I accuse and his eyes narrow in anger.
“I’m sure Jade doesn’t give a crap about Nancy working up here. Not enough to bother her, that is.”
“Are you sure? Because if that was the case, she wouldn’t have bothered mentioning it in the first place. Despite what your narrow mind wants to believe, you’re the stressor here, not me. If anything, I’m the stress relief.” I throw that jab in, knowing he’s smart enough to know exactly what I’m talking about. “If that’s all you wanted, you can get out of my office. I have a lot of work to catch up on.”
He’s pissed when he leaves, slamming my door behind him and I really can't give a flying fuck. When the door opens mere seconds later, I think it’s him again, but it’s my father who sticks his grey head inside. Despite his age, he still looks good. He’s still rounds up the ladies like he did when he was younger, just not as public, at least that was the days before Jade entered my life.
“Do I need to ask what that’s about?” he says, walking in.
“Nope, I’m sure you can guess,” I reply and I mean that. He may be old, but my dad is as sharp as ever. His skills refined over the years, which makes me wonder exactly how much he knows about Grayson’s agreement with her.
“Is he the reason why Jade isn’t here? I believe I already warned her about distractions.”
“No, I told her to take the day off. At the ultrasound, she told the technician she was in pain, so I thought it would be best for her to get some rest.”
“You really like this girl, don’t you?”
I don’t hesitate when I answer, “Yes.”
Humming to himself, he stands up and leaves, making me wonder if he thinks that’s a good or bad thing. Shrugging off my thoughts of Jade and my father, I get my case files together. I can’t slack off. Soon I’ll be running this place and I want people to know that my position here in this company was earned, not given.
23
Jade
As soon as Tyson drops me off, I lie down, intending to just get a nap in. I must have been more tired than I thought. I’m surprised I slept for hours and it’s Tyson who wakes me when he gets home from work. He didn’t look happy, and I didn’t feel like trying to pry the information from him. I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow when I go to work.
“I bought Chinese takeout for dinner,” he says, giving me a light kiss.
“Did you order me orange chicken?” I ask, beaming over the thought of food.
“Of course,” he answers.
“God, I love you,” I blurt out until I realize what I’ve said and he suddenly goes still. “I...I mean..you...”
“I know what you meant, jewel, and don’t worry. One day, you’ll be telling me those words for real and it won’t be about food.” With that, he leans in and kisses me deeply. Before I know it, we’re both undressed, and when we finally do get to dinner, it has to be reheated, but the distraction was totally worth it.
Arriving to work the next morning, I spy McHottie waiting for me at my desk. Curious and wary of his presence at the same time, I take my time walking over. It’s too early for me to have done something, so I’m wondering what he wanted. I hope it isn’t because of why Tyson seemed upset when he came home last night.
“Here, Nichole asked me to give you these,” he grunts, handing over a familiar envelope. When I look inside it, I see the ultrasound pictures from yesterday.
“Why is she giving me these? They’re yours,” I tell him, trying to hand them back.
“Just take them. Nichole already picked out the ones she wanted and she wanted you to have the rest.” Not wanting to start another unnecessary argument, I put the envelope away in my gym bag. I missed my session yesterday, so I was going to hit the gym today for a makeup session.
“If Nancy is that big of a deal, I can have HR find me another secretary,” he says suddenly and I tilt my head regarding him. I wonder if this kind offer is McHottie’s or his wife’s doing.
“Like I told you yesterday, I don’t care who you have working for you.” I didn’t mean to sound like I had an attitude, it just came out that way.
“I’m trying to be nice here, Jade.”
“And I appreciate that, but do you really think replacing Nancy will make things better? She will come to her own conclusion as to why, with me being on the top of her list and be worse of a she-devil than she already is. You caused the problem, now deal with it. Just don’t put me in the middle of it or use me as an excuse.”
“I wasn’t trying to cause you problems. I needed help with my larger than normal workload and she was the only one besides you available, and we weren’t exactly on speaking terms.”
“Is that your excuse? We weren’t talking to one another? Whose fault is that? You’ve had ample opportunity to clear the air, but you didn’t. You took the coward’s way out and caused a bigger problem for all of us. Sure, having Nancy up here sucks, but she’s not the only one stressing me out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do,” I say, dismissing him.
He leaves without another word and I am grateful, jumping right into my work. Both Garfield and Tyson are out today for court so I occupy myself with the work I missed from yesterday and studying a book of law Garfield gave me. When a styrofoam plate of what smells like my favorite philly cheese sandwich appears in front of me, my stomach grumbles.
“I got you your lunch. I remember you saying you loved the phillies from Franks,” McHottie says, surprising me.
“You got this for me?” I ask, shocked.
“I’m using food to buy your forgiveness,” he says smiling and I almost trip over myself seeing it. He has a brilliant smile. That thing should be licensed or come with a warning.
&
nbsp; “Food is my weakness,” I admit.
“I know,” he chuckles.
“If you want, you can eat in my office and keep me company.” I think about it until I remember whose desk we will have to pass to get to his office and I change my mind. Besides, him and me alone in the same room isn’t a good idea. Not now when I have no control over my hormones. Just seeing him in the suit he has on right now makes me want to jump him, and I’m trying to be a better girlfriend to Tyson. I can think all the crazy sex filled thoughts I want, I just can’t act on them.
“I think it’s best if I stay at my desk, but thanks for lunch,” I tell him. He looks a tad bit disappointed before he schools his face back to normal, hiding his emotions. I’m disappointed too, and also curious. What exactly did he think was going to happen in his office?
“Alright, you know where to find me if you need me,” he replies before sauntering off.
For the rest of the day, I think about McHottie, even when I know I shouldn’t. I had a lot of free time to do so since I got done with most of my work early and Grayson was the only partner in the office today. I didn’t even see Nancy prowling around like usual, which had me believe McHottie must have had a talk with her or ordered her to stay at her desk and not bother me. When it’s time to leave, I do so quickly. As I’m putting on my coat, he stops at my desk and asks to walk me to my car. I let him only because I’m surprised at his change. Before he treated me like I had the plague or was his greatest enemy, now he was finding reasons to speak to me, buying me lunch, and walking me to my car. I wonder if Nichole told him to be nice to me or if this is another one of his mood swings. Tomorrow Jekyll could be back, ready to make up his day of lost time.
At my car, he leans forward, giving me a small kiss on the corner of my mouth, leaving me even more confused. Seriously, what is going on with him? Didn’t he just hate me? Now he’s macking on me instead of giving me dirty looks. Then I kick myself for reading too much into a small kiss. The French do more than that in the standard greeting, as well as the uppity folks around here. It was nothing, just McHottie being nice. I tell myself this all the way to the gym. Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll finally start believing it.
