by J. P. Comeau
“Yes, we definitely were.”
Guadalupe leaned closer to me on the bed. “You feel guilty about something, Margo. Tell me.”
It was unbelievable how Guadalupe could instantly know what I was thinking.
I let out a big sigh before looking her right in the eyes. “I feel guilty for missing Chase. There, I said it. I hate that I miss him so much, but I do. I think about him all the time, and I hate the position Ginger’s feelings have put all three of us in.”
“Margo, you know that Yuslan and I have been married for a long time. I’ve had to give him multiple second chances over the years because that’s what you do in a relationship. People have this thwarted idea that relationships and marriage are supposed to be perfect, that the less you fight, the more compatible you are. That’s hogwash.”
Seeing her get so worked up made me giggle. “Really? You two have had problems?”
Guadalupe rolled her eyes while placing the back of her palm on her forehead. “During the first few years of our marriage, Yuslan repeatedly forgot both our wedding anniversary and my birthday. Even though I never forgot his. My mother kept telling me to divorce him, because if he really loved me, then he wouldn’t have forgotten. Well, I knew better. So I decided to forget his birthday one year. Now keep in mind that I always baked him a cake and threw an elaborate party.”
“How did he respond?”
“Yuslan never forgot another one of my birthdays or our wedding anniversary. What I'm about to say might come as a shock to you, Margo. While neither one of us has never cheated, we have flirted with the opposite sex.”
I chuckled while nodding, thinking about how she flirted with younger men who were tall, dark, and handsome.
“Anyway,” she continued, “it’s a form of respect not to do it in front of your spouse. One night, Yuslan and I were out to dinner, and he kept flirting with the waitress. He didn’t mean anything by it, but it was still inappropriate, and it hurt my feelings.”
“What did you do?”
“I flirted with a man at the salon right in front of him the next day! And guess what? He hasn’t done it since. Now, I should also point out that he apologized profusely after each of these instances. But my point is that you have to give people second chances, Margo. And sometimes third, fourth, fifth—you see where I’m going, right?”
I nodded while eating the rest of my pastry.
“Remember, Margo: it's not about the number of chances you give, it's about the number of times you reach for each other and strive to do better.”
“I see what you’re saying,” I said. “And I think it’s time that I finally call Chase.”
“Before you do that, dear, come with me.”
I slipped out of bed and took her hand. We walked into the kitchen, and as soon as I rounded the corner, I saw Chase standing next to Yuslan.
The look on his face was of genuine concern, and suddenly, I felt terrible for ignoring him for so long. I had plenty of things I wanted to say to him, but all I could do was run and leap into his arms. He wrapped them around me so tightly as we embraced, and once again, his intoxicating scent transfixed me.
We stood like that in the kitchen for several minutes, and I finally came to terms with the fact that I was pregnant with Chase’s child.
18
Chase
Feeling Margo in my arms again brought me so much joy. All I wanted to do was hold onto her, terrified that I’d lose her all over again. I kept thinking about all the times I banged on her door, begging and pleading for her to open up. All of the unread text messages, unanswered phone calls, and unreturned voicemails were finally a thing of the past. Margo was back in my arms, and as I kept rocking her back and forth, I told myself that I would never let her go.
But we also had a lot of catching up to do.
Guadalupe and Yuslan left the kitchen, allowing Margo and I to chat for a bit. As she took the seat next to me at the table, I continued to hold her hand and stroke her hair.
She looked up at me and smiled, once again revealing those gorgeous eyes of hers. “I have a ridiculous question to ask you, Chase.”
“There’s no such thing as a silly question, Margo. Shoot.”
“What, exactly, do you do for a living? I mean, I know you’re considered a tech titan, but what does that even really mean?”
I chuckled while nodding, understanding why she’d be confused. “Well, I guess tech titan would be a good term. I own a company that sells electronic products—laptops, televisions, home security systems. I travel a lot because we sell our products all over the world.”
“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize your job was that involved.”
I shrugged and kissed the top of her head. “It can be stressful at times, but I truly enjoy what I do. In fact, right before we met, a neighbor reached out and thanked me for my security system. It helped stop an intruder from breaking into his home.”
Margo nodded while leaning her head onto my shoulder.
“Enough about me, though, Margo. Tell me more about your job.”
“Well,” she replied, “I’m a beautician. I do everything from cutting and coloring hair, makeup, facial waxing, and whatever people need to look their best. It’s not as exciting as your job sounds, though.”
I laughed while stroking her hair. “Believe me, I’ve nearly fallen asleep on several conference calls. Running a big company isn’t as glamorous as people think.”
“I know you make electronic products but tell me more about it.”
Women had always been more interested in how much I made than what I actually did, once again proving why I was so attracted to Margo.
“Our bestseller is the laptop. It’s built so well that it’d be almost impossible to hack, and we’ve had very few complaints about it. I am a bit concerned about our line of televisions, though. They’re not doing quite as well in the market, but with some new features coming out soon, we hope to regain more of the market share.”
Margo became disturbingly quiet, almost as though she were pulling away from me again.
“I see,” she whispered.
“So, uh, as I was saying, that’s pretty much what I do. And yes, it does pay—”
Margo was now crying, which completely threw me for a loop.
Why is she upset about what I do for a living? That doesn’t make any sense!
I simply held her hand for several minutes, realizing that it had nothing to do with my work line. Whatever had her upset, was directly related to being absent from work.
“What’s wrong, Margo? I hate seeing you so upset.” I stroked her hair and kissed her temple, hoping she’d open up. “Please tell me! Just be open and honest with me…”
“I can’t believe I didn’t even know what you did for work, Chase.”
If I ended up being one of her biggest regrets, it would be an emotional burden that I’d carry with me for the rest of my life. “Margo, please tell me what’s wrong.”
She just continued to shake her head, crying into her palms. I kept thinking back to the first time we had made love, out on the beach, as the waves crashed against that giant rock and underneath a full moon. Was it possible that she regretted having her first time be with me? Or maybe she regretted everything she’d done with me and the upheaval it had caused in her life.
I ran my hands through my hair, thinking that could very well be the case. After all, Margo had been saving her virginity and was in her early twenties. And the first guy she had slept with was forbidden to date her because of her best friend, no less. If I were a woman, I could see why that would be upsetting.
I held her close, but she pulled away, got up and sat across the table from me. Feeling her remove herself killed me inside, but I thought about what Yuslan had said back at her apartment.
Sometimes, all you need to do is give a woman a bit of time, even if that does grind your gears.
It wasn’t easy, but I stopped myself from moving and sitting right next to her. If space was what s
he needed, then I had to respect her decision.
I wouldn’t stop asking her to tell me what was wrong, though. “Margo, I promise that whatever is wrong—be it between us or something else—there’s nothing you can say or do that would push me away. So please, just tell me what’s going on so we can fix it. I’m here for you, and I’ll always be here for you!”
“It’s nothing, Chase. It’s just been a long week for me.”
“I can tell something else is going on, Margo. Whatever Ginger has said to you about me isn’t true! I’m a good, honest, hard-working man you can trust.”
“No, Chase, I—”
“Margo, please! You’re killing me.”
She finally looked up, directly into my eyes, and I realized that I was wrong. She wasn’t upset about her giving me her virginity or my sister or any other petty thought that might have crossed my mind. Whatever was bothering her was the same reason she hadn’t been at work all week.
Margo took a long, deep breath, and finally, spat it out. “I’m pregnant, Chase.”
Everything around me came to a grinding halt. I was no longer even remotely concerned about work, couldn’t care less about gaining a more significant market share with our televisions, and had nearly forgotten that I was still mad at Ginger.
Complete and utter joy filled my cup to overflowing.
Going forward, I would no longer be upset about coming home to a big, empty house. Margo and I would be together with a baby on the way. Sure, we still had to work out the living arrangements since it was still so early in our relationship, but I had never experienced true happiness until that moment. Images of her waiting for me on the other side of the door, right as I opened it while carrying luggage, and holding our baby—there was nothing about that scenario that didn’t make my heart soar.
This was what I had been missing in my life.
I ran over and sat down next to her, cradling her hand with mine, wanting to do everything in my power to make her feel better about our unexpected situation. But just as I was about to smile and tell Margo how excited I was, she went back to being an emotional wreck.
“I didn’t know how to tell you, Chase.” She swallowed hard, dropped her eyes for a moment, and then once again met my gaze. “And there’s something else I need to tell you. I overheard your entire conversation with Ginger that day you left my apartment. Remember when you yelled, ‘Fine! You want me to stop seeing Margo? Is that what you want?’ And then I’ll never forget her tone when she replied, ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I want.’”
Why didn’t she hear the rest of our conversation?
“Margo, you didn’t hear what I said to Ginger right—”
In between crying hysterically, she kept on talking. “I don’t need your money, Chase, and I completely understand if you’re not ready to be a father. I can’t even imagine what you’re thinking right now,” she blubbered, and her eyes turned red. “You came over here expecting use to work things out, and then—surprise! You’re going to be a father!” She tossed her hands into the air and then slumped her shoulders when her hands landed in her lap.
“Margo, you have it all—”
“I’m so sorry, Chase, but I can’t do this anymore. I am emotionally drained and can’t even think straight!”
And just like that, Margo ran out of the kitchen and slammed the door to the guest bedroom.
I stood up and waited for a few moments, wondering what I should do. On the one hand, Yuslan’s words had gotten through to me, and I finally understood that sometimes you have to let women be alone. But on the other hand, Margo was utterly wrong about how I’d handle the situation.
I walked around the table and tried to run after her. Instead, I nearly ran into Yuslan. I knew he wanted me to let Margo be, but it tore me up inside, just knowing what was going through her mind. I could already foresee several more weeks of unopened text messages, unanswered phone calls, and unreturned voicemails. I pictured myself pounding on her door, whether at their house or her apartment, begging to be let inside. All of my upcoming business trips would, once again, end with me coming back to an empty house.
I refuse to let that happen.
I stared down at Yuslan, who was several inches shorter than me. I had never been one to be disrespectful to my elders, but he was standing in my way.
“You’re not going to prevent me from going after her!”
Yuslan didn’t say a word back to me, though. Instead, he pounded on his chest with a closed fist and led me out the front door. I had no choice but to follow him, seeing as how it was his house.
By the time I got outside, rage consumed me, but I no longer knew who I was angry with.
19
Margo
After taking a colder shower than usual that morning—which somehow helped with my morning sickness—I forced myself to get ready for work. My baby bump wasn’t obvious yet, so thankfully I could still fit into my favorite white crochet dress. Although when I looked at myself from the side, a small bump was starting to show. To my knowledge, Guadalupe and Yuslan were the only ones at the spa who knew I was pregnant.
And I intended to keep it that way until I had no other choice than to make an announcement.
My silk panties were starting to feel a little too tight, so I made a mental note to pick up some new ones after work that evening.
There’s another expense I hadn’t planned for.
I always knew that being pregnant wasn’t a walk in the park, but my body was going through so many changes that I had a hard time keeping up. Sometimes I would burst out crying for no reason, like the night before at dinner. Guadalupe had prepared a delicious grilled chicken dinner, and about halfway into my second helping of mashed potatoes, the tears started flowing. Yuslan gave me a sympathetic, knowing look while Guadalupe rubbed my shoulders.
And all I could do was repeatedly ask why I was crying. That’s when Guadalupe reminded me that it was hormones, plain and simple. In other words, I’d better get used to these mood swings because they’ll come and go until the baby is born.
That’ll be fun to experience while working on clients.
As I looked at myself from the side once more, I couldn’t help but smile a little bit. Even though my life had turned upside down, growing a baby inside my body humbled me. Guadalupe said that before I knew it, I’d be feeling it kick and talking to it whenever I had a chance. It pained me to know that she and Yuslan had never been able to have children.
She would always be a mother to me, though.
Right as I sat down to do my makeup, Guadalupe poked her head into the room.
“What are you doing, Margo? Why aren’t you back in pajamas? I heard the shower running and thought it was odd that you were up so early.”
I sprawled out my makeup and tried to decide on a look for that day. “Getting ready for work. I should have been back at the spa a while ago. It’s selfish of me to ask others to pick up my clients.”
She came in and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching me in the mirror on her antique vanity. “You shouldn’t be worried about work right now, dear. You can have as much time as you’d like just to stay here and collect your thoughts. We have plenty of ladies who are more than willing to help out right now.”
I pressed the nude lip liner along my bottom lip, wondering if it was a dark enough shade for the dress I was wearing. “I appreciate that, but I need something to do. There’s no point in me sitting around and feeling sorry for myself, plus I need to make money.” I looked down at my belly, then back up at Guadalupe. “I have to find some way to provide for the child growing inside of me.”
She continued to watch me apply my makeup, and within a few minutes, both of us turned around upon hearing Ginger’s voice.
“Margo? Margo, where are you?”
The sound of Ginger’s voice made me suddenly very nauseous. Guadalupe and I shot each other a look. Once I was able to suppress the urge to vomit all over her gorgeous rug, I could speak again.
> “Wait. What? Is that really, Ginger?”
What the hell is she doing here?
The bedroom door flung open, and there was Ginger, staring back at both of us. Guadalupe shot her a nasty look, and I actually pictured daggers shooting out of her eyes toward Ginger. Before that look, Ginger sounded a bit too excited to be seeing me that morning. I kept thinking about the nasty way she had told Chase to stay away from me and how much I missed our friendship.
Ginger started to say something, but Guadalupe’s glare froze her right in her tracks.
For several long, uncomfortable moments, the three of us just stared at each other. Guadalupe was livid, Ginger was excited, and I just wanted to hide under the covers.
“I’ll be just down the hallway if anyone needs anything,” Guadalupe said while leaving the room. But before she made it to the door, she stared hard enough into Ginger’s eyes to get her point across.
As soon as Guadalupe shut the door, Ginger walked closer to me and raked me over with her eyes, squinting them hard as if she were piercing into my soul. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you, Margo?”
All I could do was nod.
“It’s with my brother, isn’t it?”
Once again, the only thing I was able to do was nod.
Tears formed in Ginger’s eyes, and that’s when I stood up. For quite some time, I had been preparing for that moment, fully aware that Ginger would lose her mind upon realizing what had happened. It was bad enough that she went off the rails that I had given her big brother, my virginity, but now I was pregnant with his child.
“Ginger, I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now. The looks you shot Chase and me at the wedding reception, followed by you storming out when I told you that I gave him my virginity, and then finally, your big, massive blowout right outside of my apartment. You’ve made it clear as day that you don’t want us seeing each other. But what you need—”
She held up her hands, refusing to let me say another word.
