by J. P. Comeau
I pulled her onto my lap and held her tightly while slowly rocking back and forth. “You didn’t ruin our breakfast, Margo. You could never ruin anything for me.”
She smiled at me, and once again, I was mesmerized by her gorgeous eyes. “You’re just saying that because I’m pregnant with your baby.”
“Nah,” I said with a gentle squeeze. “I’ve felt this way for a long time now, and I mean it, Margo. You’re everything to me.” After kissing the top of her head, I stood up, sat her down in my place, and went to the door. “I’ll be right back with some water for you.”
After bringing her a bottle of water, I took the entire pan of frying bacon and chucked it into the ocean. I chuckled as a few seagulls took off toward it, pulling out the bacon pieces since the pan had landed pretty close to shore. A few of them even ate the bacon grease, which made me nauseous.
I was about to go and throw it farther into the ocean, but after the birds took all of the bacon, a massive wave came and washed the frying pan away, bacon grease, and all.
I then went back inside, threw all of the remaining bacon in the refrigerator right into the garbage, and took the half-empty garbage bag out to the can. I even lit an odor-neutralizing candle to get rid of the bacon smell, which tended to linger long after you fried it. Before getting back to the rest of the breakfast, I wiped down the stove and counters to get rid of any bacon grease that had splattered too.
If the smell of bacon made Margo sick, then I wouldn’t have it anywhere near the house.
I went back into the kitchen and found Margo sitting on a stool, slowly drinking her bottled water.
“Are you still up for eating pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, and some savory sausage links? Because if not, then I’ll throw all of this out and make you anything you want. Or we can have food delivered. Or, if you prefer, I can take you out to breakfast.”
Margo started laughing at me, which always made me feel better. “The pancakes, eggs, and sausage sound delicious. Thank you.” Her stomach growled as I resumed cooking.
“Coming right up, and I definitely want to get some food into you. You’re eating for two now.”
“You know, I’ll probably put on some weight with this pregnancy. And just a heads up, anytime I do gain weight, it goes right to my hips and ass.”
“I’ve always loved curvy women, so I’ll be sure to make you plenty of food.”
Margo watched me cook in between scrolling on her phone. I didn’t ask what she was doing, either. Not once had she given me any reason to be suspicious of her, and I loved that we were opening up to each other so quickly. The longer I watched her sitting at the counter, the more I realized that I would do whatever it took to make her feel comfortable in my home. Because before this pregnancy was over, it would no longer be just my house.
It would be our home.
23
Margo
Ginger joined me in the break room just a few minutes after I sat down. She eyed my double cheeseburger value meal with envy while opening up the top of her salad. I probably should have gone with a healthier option, even if it meant eating two large salads since I was always hungry, but my cravings always got the best of me. And just as I had expected, my hips and butt were starting to spread out.
“I cannot wait until I'm pregnant, Margo. I'm going to eat everything in sight. Do you know how long it’s been since I had a cheeseburger?”
I savored every bite of my juicy burger and cheese fries, before washing it all down with a strawberry milkshake. “Believe me, Ginger, this barely makes up for all of the aches and pains that come along with being pregnant. The week I took the pregnancy test had been a living hell. Nothing but headaches and stomach cramps. And while I do take full advantage of being able to eat for two, I’d give it up in a heartbeat just to be able to drink coffee again.”
“That’s a good point,” she said while pouring fat-free Italian dressing onto her salad. “Although I must say, you have that perfect pregnancy glow.”
“Even as I’m shoveling greasy fast food into my mouth?”
Ginger laughed while taking a bite of her salad. “Yep, it comes naturally to you, Margo. How are things going with Chase, by the way?”
Just hearing his name instantly lifted my mood. “You wouldn’t believe how courteous he’s been to me. Whatever I want, he gets for me. For example, the other night, I had this massive craving for fried chicken and mashed potatoes at one o’clock in the morning. I kept trying to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than fried chicken and mashed potatoes. So I went downstairs, and Chase came down a few minutes later. Apparently, I was quite noisy.”
Ginger giggled.
“What did he say?”
“He told me to relax on the couch, and he’d go pick some up. It was too late to have food delivered, but he knows of a place in downtown Miami Beach that’s open all the time. And let me tell you, that was the best fried chicken and mashed potatoes I’ve ever had!”
“That’s so funny!”
“Which reminds me, I completely forgot to tell you about the bacon incident. Apparently, I can’t stand the smell of bacon, so one morning as he was frying some, I got violently sick in the bathroom. After making sure I was okay, he chucked the frying pan along with the bacon right into the ocean!”
“Oh my God,” Ginger gasped.
“He said a bunch of seagulls got to the bacon before the pan got swept away by a huge wave.”
Both of us burst out laughing as we pictured him throwing the pan.
“Well, I’m just so thrilled that you two are happy.”
I poked around the bottom of my French fry container, looking for any last crumbs.
“By the way, have you heard anything else from Jorge? I remember you saying that Chase gave you his number.”
“Oh yeah,” Ginger replied. “But he’s still in Antwerp, so he’s a great person to chat with without worrying about getting too attached. He’s also involved with a woman, so needless to say, we’re just friends. Oh, and he’s having some issues with his business partner. A lot of drama on his end, which makes for some interesting conversations.”
“That’s great,” I said as a few more people walked into the break room. “You can never have enough friends. And between you and me, I’ve seen pictures of Jorge, and he’s alto, oscuro y guapo!”
Ginger laughed so hard that a few of the other employees looked over at us. “I knew you were going to say that. Guadalupe has planted a bug in your ear. But he’s definitely just a friend. Plus, he’s super supportive of me finishing my degree.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said while eyeing some of the other employees in the break room. It was a great place to work, but I also didn’t want to feed the rumor mill. Every place of employment has people who tend to gossip, and the spa was no different.
“Yeah, and I can’t wait to finish my degree too. I am just so sick and tired of doing homework. It feels like an extension of high school, only this time I’m paying thousands of dollars to do all of this work. At least my job here isn’t too stressful.”
I nodded while thinking about a client from earlier that day. “Ugh, that one woman who wanted her entire face waxed. She knew damn well that it would hurt, and not even halfway through the procedure, she kept threatening to have me fired.”
“What an idiot! Who requests their hair be waxed off and then threatens to complain because it hurt?”
I shrugged while drinking the rest of my milkshake, letting it flow all the way down to my stomach. Then I patted my belly, a subtle form of letting the baby know that I had devoured all of that delicious food for both of us.
“I’ve meant to ask you,” Ginger said. “I hope that I’m not stepping on any toes, but what are you and Chase going to do after the baby arrives?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you live kind of far away from each other. How will it work? Are you going to bounce the baby back and forth? Because if you are, that means y
ou’ll have to do two nurseries.”
I nodded while slowly processing that information.
“Have you and Chase discussed any of this stuff?”
“Well, we probably should have by now, but of course we haven’t. Oh God, Ginger. There’s so much for us to do. We’ve only talked about things to reassure me that he’s going to be by my side. I mean, he keeps saying he’ll be there no matter what, and I do believe him. But I’m always looking for reassurance. What if he’s only here because I’m pregnant and not because he cares about me?”
Ginger took a long sip of her water before responding, “Well, what have you two been doing lately?”
“Most of the time, we just hang out at his place. It’s easier that way instead of going to a restaurant, where I won’t have to worry about anyone ordering bacon and then me hurling all over the table. He cooks food that’s easy on my stomach, too. For example, pancakes and fried chicken.”
Ginger tilted her head at me. “That’s easy on your stomach, girl?”
I shrugged while smiling at her. “Hey, I keep it down, and it tastes great! But we only talk about light stuff, never anything too involved. Honestly, I’m kind of scared to bring it up. Everything’s been going so well for us lately, and I don’t want to rock the boat too much while we are getting to know each other better.”
A few other employees were looking in our direction by that time, so we lowered our voices a little bit.
“Well, it’s something the two of you should probably discuss. You seem happy with each other, so I say just rip off the bandage.”
I leaned back in my chair and thought about what she was saying. Ginger was right. It’s a conversation that we’d have to have at some point, so we might as well get it out of the way now. I just dreaded having to be the one who mentions it first.
Realizing that I was starting to freak out, Ginger reached across the table and rubbed my hand. “It’s an essential conversation, Margo. But it doesn’t have to be scary. For example, maybe you can get an apartment that’s much closer to Chase’s house.”
I shook my head while sliding deeper into my chair. “I have a one-year lease on my apartment, and I can’t afford to break it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Margo. You know damn well that Chase wouldn’t even hesitate to take care of that bill. Even if you don’t want to get an apartment, then why not move into Chase’s guest house?”
I wrinkled my nose at her. “But Chase doesn’t have a guest house, silly. Which rich guy are you talking about?”
Ginger waved her hand in the air. “Just like he wouldn’t hesitate to pay off breaking your lease, he can get a guest house built at the drop of a hat. That’s not even an issue. The only issue is how you two will raise this baby when you live so far away from each other. Plus, wouldn’t you want to be closer to Chase?”
“Of course I do, Ginger, but isn’t it too soon?”
“Pfft, I don’t think so. You two are so obviously made for each other. I see the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. I think you should seriously consider having him build a guest house. It’ll give you space as you continue getting to know each other while building your relationship, yet it’ll be close enough to help out whenever you need it.”
I just shook my head as we stood up and went back to work. But deep inside, I realized Ginger made a lot of sense. It would be a hell of a lot easier if I lived closer to Chase, and if he had the money to build a guest house, then why not build one? I could pay him to rent it so I didn’t feel like I was mooching off of him, and we could raise the baby together while each having our own space.
I went back to my station and got ready for my next client, but all I could think about was my situation with Chase. Ginger had brought up several good points, but Chase and I had just started dating. Sure, our pregnancy situation wasn’t ideal, but that didn’t mean we should rush things between us.
My next client sat down in my chair, but even as she told me what she wanted done to her hair, all I could think about was what life would be like for our son or daughter. I’d have to hire a nanny to take care of him or her whenever I was at work, not to mention Chase worked upward of sixteen hours a day most of the time. I wanted him to be a part of the child’s life, but something would have to change in the near future.
“So,” my client said, “if you could take a little bit off the ends so that it rests directly on my shoulders, that would be great.”
I nodded while proceeding to wash her hair, hoping she didn’t want anything else because I sure as hell wasn’t listening. She started talking about her daughter, saying that she had just found out that she was pregnant.
“That’s wonderful,” I said while scrubbing her scalp.
“She and her husband have been trying for a long time too. It’s a blessing. I’m just thankful she’s not having a baby out of wedlock, if you know what I mean.”
“Well, yes, I know what that means.”
My client smiled, realizing that she may have crossed a line, even though my stomach wasn’t showing too much yet.
“All that matters is that the parents show the baby plenty of love, but at the end of the day, it’s best to have both of them in the same household. You know?”
I smiled and nodded, thinking about the timing of me getting this woman as a client. Part of me wanted to rip her a part and tell her that just because two people aren’t married doesn’t mean they can’t have a baby together. But I also understood what she was saying.
Just how healthy is it to bounce a baby back and forth between homes?
24
Chase
One Month Later
Margo and I had a date at her apartment. She wanted to cook for me as a way to make up for all of the times I had cooked for her. Even though I protested and said it was the least I could do while she was pregnant, she insisted on cooking us an Italian feast: lasagna, a tossed salad, and blueberry pie. She had wanted to serve tiramisu but couldn’t since it contained espresso.
She spoke relentlessly about how much she missed coffee, and I couldn’t blame her.
Over dinner, in between talking about our jobs and the weather, I kept looking around her tiny apartment. It wasn’t suitable to raise a baby in. There wasn’t anything blatantly wrong with it, of course. It had modern appliances and a beautiful bathroom, but it was far too small. There wasn’t even room for a nursery, which meant Margo would have to put a crib in her bedroom.
“This lasagna is delicious,” I said while trying to make small talk. Both of us had been light on words that evening, and the air was a little bit tense. Not in an angry way, per se, but it was apparent that both of us had something on our minds. And neither one of us wanted to be the first one to bring it up.
“It’s Guadalupe’s recipe. The secret is fresh Italian herbs.”
I nodded while taking another bite and casually looking around.
It was your typical one-bedroom apartment. As soon as you opened the door, you walked into a hallway with a closet on the right. A few feet down and to the right was the kitchen, which was a decent size for one person. The bedroom was next to that, and the living room was on the opposite side. For a single person who just needed a place to sleep at night, it was perfect.
But for a woman about to give birth to a baby who’d need plenty of room to roam around and play, it wouldn’t be nearly big enough.
“Did you make the salad dressing from scratch, too?”
Margo proudly nodded while winking at me.
I tried to think about how she would even fit a crib in her bedroom. It wasn’t that big to begin with, and the only place would be directly next to the window.
Nope. That’s not safe enough for my baby.
If she moved her vanity to the other side of the room, there might be a slight chance of a crib fitting, but it’d be right up against her closet door. That meant that every time she opened the door, she ran the risk of hitting the crib and waking the baby if it were sleep
ing. Or worse, if the baby was nursing on a bottle and started choking because the crib had accidentally gotten struck.
There’s no way that a crib can fit in her bedroom.
“Guadalupe showed me how to chop rosemary so that you release the oils. If you don’t do it a certain way, then there’s no point in even using it in your dish.”
“It’d be just like eating a pine needle,” I said while smiling at her.
There was always the possibility that Margo would put the crib in the living room, and then use a baby monitor to keep an eye on our child. I wouldn’t mind the baby being in a different room—this apartment complex seemed pretty safe, but not nearly as safe as my mansion. Nobody would be able to get within an inch of her or the baby without going through me and the security system.
Maybe she’ll put the crib in the hallway.
As we continued eating dinner, I couldn’t help but notice how noisy her upstairs neighbors were. Margo saw me staring at the ceiling, too.
“Yeah, they’re nice people, but they throw a lot of parties.”
“How late do they stay up?”
“It’s Miami Beach, so pretty late. Granted, this complex is primarily working professionals, but some younger college students constantly throw parties. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been woken up by them blasting loud music.”
I bit my tongue so hard that it nearly fell off. There was simply no way in hell that our child was going to be raised in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment with college kids throwing around-the-clock parties. She would be raised in a home, with both of her parents, with plenty of peace and quiet.
Margo could tell that something was on my mind. “Are you all right, Chase?”
“I’m fine,” I lied while giving her a reassuring smile.
I wanted to ask Margo to move in with me, but I also didn’t want to corner her. Margo had proven that she didn’t respond well to pressure, and why should she? She should do things at her own pace, which included how we progressed in our relationship.
