With a huge fake smile plastered on my face, I tried to direct the topic of conversation toward something happy to put him in a good mood.
"So Becca's doing great in the office," I announced. "She's a natural in a corporate environment. Takes to it like a duck to water."
Bob smiled and set his fork down as he reached for the hot sauce. "She gets that from her mom. She was a real brainy girl. Not like me at all. I can barely spell let alone do all that fancy corporate stuff. That shit would fry my brain."
He threw a worryingly large amount of hot sauce onto his place and scooped it up with a French fry.
"But I'm real happy," he said as he chewed. "You wouldn't even believe how glad I am to have her working for you. Not only is her first job outta college a good one, but it's with my best buddy. I mean, how much better can it get?"
Becca began laughing nervously, and I couldn't help but join in, the two of us giggling like idiots.
"Besides," Bob continued, unconcerned with our strange laughter. "I'm just so happy Becca's with someone I can trust. Someone who I know will treat her with respect. I mean, guys are freakin' creeps, right? I know how women get treated in the workplace. Like they're just there for eye candy. At least it's not like that with you, eh Matthew?"
"No, of course not!" I spat out with a bit too much enthusiasm. "It's not like that at all." I shot Becca a worried glance and noticed she was holding her breath. "Sorry, I just have to go to the bathroom," I blurted, screeching my chair back from the table.
"Get us another beer on the way back?" Bob asked.
"Sure."
I edged around him feeling as though my insides were melting, and the very second I entered the hallway, I let out a huge, exasperated sigh. Hurrying to the bathroom, I locked the door behind me and stared into the mirror.
"Fuck," was all I could say.
Running the taps, I splashed my face with cold water and tried to calm down.
You can't tell him.
Unless Becca's telling him right now.
Oh, God what if I get back in the kitchen and she's told him everything?
Reaching for the towel, I dried my face. A gentle, timid knock sounded from the door and I lowered the towel from my face.
"Hello?"
"It's me," Becca said.
I opened the door a crack and she barged right in, slamming the door behind her.
"What are you doing?" I whispered angrily. "What if your dad catches us in here together?"
"Chill! He went into the garage to get the ice cream. We'll be safe for the next two minutes."
I didn't feel safe at all.
"We can't tell him," she said. "Not now. Not after what he just said."
"Agreed. It's literally the worst possible time. But how long can we keep this a secret?"
She smiled and wrapped one arm around my neck, lowering the other hand to my crotch. I instantly hardened in her grasp.
"You are out of your fucking mind," I said, shoving her hand away. "Are you trying to get us in trouble?"
"Hey guys! Where did you go? I got ice cream!" Bob yelled from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Becca called. She kissed me hard, rubbing her hand up my erect cock, then slipped out the door and to the kitchen.
"Mint chocolate chip. Yum!" I heard her say.
That girl is going to give me a heart attack, I thought as I leaned against the door. She's nothing but trouble.
Becca
I woke up to my phone's alarm mingling with the sound of freezing rain lashing the windows. It was one of those perfect Sunday mornings where the weather roared like a hurricane outside and the trees sounded as though they were ready to snap in the wind. But I could stay in bed for as long as I wanted.
Turning off the alarm, I luxuriated beneath my warm comforter and let out a satisfied sigh. I'd been working like a dog all week, and there was nothing I wanted more than to just chill and take it easy.
My only plans for the day was a girly brunch booked in a cute little French place in town with Janey, but that wasn't for at least another three hours. Until then, I could lie on my ass and dream away the morning. Hell, I might even have to run a hot bath and light a few candles. Was there a better way to spend a Sunday morning?
I closed my eyes again, but just as I started to drift off to sleep, my phone buzzed with a message from Janey.
Still on for brunch today?
I texted back. Wouldn't miss it for the world.
As I moved to lock my phone screen, I noticed the date. The day usually sprung upon me, leaving me with a feeling of dread, and it had done so since I was at least twelve years old. Unlike most girls, my period ran like freakin' clockwork. You could almost set your watch to it. And it always started on the morning of the twenty eighth day of my cycle with killer stomach cramps and an insatiable appetite for anything with chocolate in it.
But I wasn't feeling like that this morning, and there wasn't a single hint of a cramp.
Weird... Could I have really struck it lucky and stopped getting cramps?
I doubted it. They were a curse and I didn't think they'd suddenly take off this month when they'd plagued me for most of my life.
Checking the date again, I confirmed it was definitely the twenty eighth day. So where the hell was my period? I couldn't believe that for the first time ever, I was actually wishing my period would hurry up. It just felt so wrong to not feel my usual symptoms that told me everything was working perfectly down there.
Trying to not worry about it, I shoved my thoughts to the back of my mind and got up to enter the bathroom where I ran the bath.
You need to chill. All this hard work and long hours has probably done a number on your body. Stress can wreak havoc with your cycle. Yeah, that's it. It's just stress. Nothing else. Just chill.
As I sank into the hot water and stared up at the ceiling, watching wisps of steam drift up over the tiles, I took a deep breath and tried to relax.
"Just stress," I said out loud, sinking into the tub and putting it out of my mind. I’d probably start tomorrow.
* * *
"Hiyeee!"
Janey was waiting at the table sipping on a White Russian when I blustered in through the door with my inside out umbrella and my scarf wrapped around my face.
"You're late!" she moaned as she stood up to hug me.
"Took me about ten years to find a parking space and the weather's a nightmare." I sat down and smoothed the rain from my hair. "It's good to see you started early," I said, pointing at her drink. "Where's mine?"
"On its way," she said, and right on cue, the waiter appeared with a Mimosa on a silver tray.
"Oh, Janey, you read my mind." I took it from the tray and didn't let it hit the table. I took a long sip and closed my eyes to savor the taste. "I've needed this. This week's been a real bitch."
"Really? Matthew not the dream boss you thought he was?"
"Actually, he's great. It's just the work load's a bit crazy. That's all."
"Already? You've only been there like a month? How much responsibility can he have given you?"
"A lot," I replied with a laugh. "He seems to think I'm capable of doing more than your average new girl."
"Well, that's a good thing, right? It means you're obviously capable of doing it all. Maybe you'll even get a promotion soon."
"Hopefully," I thought out loud. "But right now, we're just focusing on this meeting we have coming up. You know Matthew's got his heart set on expanding the company?"
Janey nodded as she sucked on her straw. "What did you say his plan was? Open a new gym a month for the next two years?"
"Yeah, that's the plan. The only problem is that he needs capital to expand. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we've got a meeting next week with potential investors, two billionaires from New York who are like royalty in the fitness world. If he can win them over, he'll be sorted for life."
"And so will you," Janey added with a wink. "The money will trickle down hopefully. Anyway, I'm
sure you'll do great. Matthew's already a big name. It's not as if he's some nobody going on Shark Tank to claw some crumbs off the table."
"That's what I thought. I think he'll ace the meeting, but you know what he's like. He's a perfectionist. So he's freaking out right now. Trying to make sure every tiny detail is accounted for. It's driving me nuts. You'd think we were going to war, not having a business meeting."
She was listening, but I could tell she was distracted. Her eyes were sadly looking into her glass and her shoulders were slumped forward as though she was ready to fall asleep on the table.
"You okay?" I asked her, leaning over to pat her arm.
"I'm fine. Why?"
"You look tired."
"Tired of Harry's bullshit."
Shocked, I breathed, "Whoa, where did that come from? I thought everything was great with you two."
She shot me an angry look that dissolved into sadness. "We were," she replied. "But…shit, I still love him more than anything. It's just that, I dunno, as we've gotten older and moved in together it's not quite what I hoped it would be. I spend most of my time being more like his mother than a girlfriend, and he spends most of his time out drinking with his buddies. It's like he's..."
"Taking you for granted?" I suggested.
She nodded and took a long sip of her drink. "That's exactly it."
"Get rid of him," I told her.
There was nothing else to say. If my best girl was unhappy because of that douche bag, then I wanted him out her life.
"I can't just leave him!" she squealed.
"Sure, you can."
"No, I can't! We've been together for years!"
"So? Just because you hooked up in high school doesn't mean you're destined to be together forever."
Her face crumpled as she looked into her glass. It was empty now, and she sighed heavily. "I always thought it would be forever."
A waiter arrived and, sensing the atmosphere at the table, hung back for a second. "Shall I give you two a few minutes?"
"No, it's okay," Janey said. "I'll have the French toast with the blueberries."
"Sounds great. I'll have the same."
He gave us both a polite smile and a curt nod then disappeared into the kitchen. As I watched him leave, I was acutely aware of Janey staring into the side of my face. As I turned to meet her gaze, she glanced away.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were looking at me weird."
"I was just thinking you look really pretty today," she said.
"Aw, really?"
"Sure. You're all glowy," she replied, waving her hands over her cheeks. "Like you've been on vacation. Either that or..."
"What?"
"You've been getting it good from someone."
I blushed and looked down at the table.
"There is someone, isn't there?" she squeaked, forgetting her sadness in her excitement.
"No..."
"Cut the crap, Becca. I know there is. Over the last few weeks your head's been up your ass. Like you've got your mind on that good dick."
"Janey!"
"Who is he?"
"No one!"
"Shut up. Just tell me who it is."
"No!"
"So there is someone!"
"I didn't say that."
"Shit, is it someone from the office?" she asked, excitedly. "Some super hot gym hunk?"
I didn't reply, but the look in my eyes answered for me.
"It is!" she laughed, her eyes widening. "I can't believe you've been seeing someone and haven’t told me."
"I haven't really been seeing him," I said, my mind drifting to Matthew. Images of his naked body came to mind along with the feel of his arms around me and the sensation of his lips on my neck, my breasts. "It's just a casual thing," I told her. "Nothing to write home about."
"By the look on your face you've got a lot to write home about. Why didn't you tell me about him?"
"Like I said. It was just a casual thing."
"Just an office fling?"
"Yeah, something like that." That wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but that’s what I was going with.
"Do you think something more will happen between you?" she asked. She'd perked up and had forgotten all about Harry for the moment.
"I don't think so," I said. "It's complicated."
"Oh no! Don't tell me he's with someone else. Shit, he's not married, is he?"
"No! No, he's definitely single."
"Aw, Becca. I'm so happy for you. I can really see you like him a lot. Even if you are just trying to play it cool."
"Shit, is my poker face really that bad?"
"It's freakin' terrible."
We both laughed, and a moment later the waiter returned with our food. "Bon Appetit," he said as he placed down my plate.
I was hit by the smell of warm cream, melted butter, and horribly unhealthy fried goodness. "I really shouldn't be eating this," I said. "I've been treating myself a bit too much recently."
"You only live once. Go nuts."
As I stared at the plate, I felt overwhelmed with hunger and began stabbing violently into my French toast and devouring it like it was the last meal on Earth.
"Wow, what's got into you?" Janey laughed as she watched me shoveling my food into my mouth. "It looks like you haven’t eaten for a week."
Realizing my plate was already half empty, I slowed down and began nibbling on the blueberries.
"It's awesome to see you with such an appetite," Janey said, licking whipped cream off her fork. "Remember when you were in college and you were all hung up about your weight? And you'd have a meltdown if you put on a single pound."
"I still feel like that sometimes."
"Yeah, well, you shouldn't because you look incredible. Honestly, your skin is like an angel's today. What foundation are you wearing?"
"Just the usual."
"Shut up. Is it a new serum, then?"
"Nope. Seriously, I've done nothing to my skin."
"If I didn't know you better, I'd assume you'd got some fancy thing done to your face. Like that crazy one they do with all the needles, or when they scrape your face with a scalpel."
"You're nuts," I laughed. "I haven’t done a thing to my skin."
"Then you must be pregnant," she joked. "I remember when my sister had her first baby her skin glowed like she was a supermodel or something."
"Well, I can happily rule that out. There's no way I could be pregna...."
But as the words came out of my mouth, it felt like a lead weight had been dropped into my stomach.
"Hey, you okay?" Janey asked, staring at me.
For a second, I felt as though I couldn't speak, and I just stared into the distance with my jaw dropped open.
“Becca. You're scaring me.”
“I'm...okay,” I managed to say.
“Really? Because you look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“No, this can’t be happening. I can’t be pregnant.”
Reaching across the table, she grabbed my arms and pulled me toward her, her eyes wide. “Did you use protection?” The look in my eyes said it all. “Shit, Becca! Are you kidding me? You're not on the pill?” I shook my head. “And he didn't use a condom?”
“No but, um…”
“But what?”
“Shit. What have I done? What do I do?”
“You take a test is what you do. Right now.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. Right now.”
* * *
We sat on the edge of my bath staring at the unopened pregnancy test in my hand.
“Just hurry up and do it,” Janey urged.
“I'm getting to it. I'm just thinking.”
“There's nothing to think about. Just whip it out and pee.”
“There's a lot to think about,” I replied. “What if it's positive?”
“If it is, the sooner you find out the better.”
I sighed and shook my head. “You'r
e right.”
I tore the cellophane off the box and let the test slide out into my hand.
“Are you going to give me some privacy?” I asked. “Or do you fancy being my audience?”
“Sorry,” she smiled apologetically and stood up. “I'll go make some tea.”
She slipped out of the room, leaving me alone. Except I didn't feel alone because the test felt so huge and important it almost had its own presence.
“Okay, just do it,” I told myself, pulling down my pants. “You have to know.”
After peeing on the stick, I sat for a moment, staring as though the harder I squinted, the faster the test would work.
“You okay in there?” Janey asked with a knock on the door.
“I feel like I'm having a heart attack.”
“Have you done it yet?”
I reached over and unlocked the door. “Yeah. Just have the dreaded two minutes to wait.”
With the test clenched in my hand, I walked to the living room and sat on the couch. The same couch Matthew had taken my virginity on. It seemed like a fitting place to discover the news. I looked at my Christmas tree and wondered if I was about to get one hell of a Christmas surprise.
“So are you going to tell me who it is?” Janey asked, setting cups of tea down on the coffee table.
I said nothing, my eyes glued to the test. How long had passed? A minute? A year? It felt like a lifetime.
“Take that as a no then,” she said and sat beside me. “Do you think the father will want to know? Do you think he’ll step up and take responsibility?”
Father. The word sounded so adult and formal. What would Matthew think of being called a father? Did he even want to be one? I supposed he didn't. After all, if he wanted to have children, wouldn't he have had them with Olivia? At his age he could have started a family over twenty years ago.
I looked back down at the test and saw a hint of pink appear in a faint line.
Oh, God it's happening. Any second now I'm going to know if I'm going to be a mother.
And in that second, between dreading and knowing, I suddenly found a voice at the back of my brain asking, Would it be so bad if it was positive? Haven't you always wanted to be a mother?
Knocked Up by Daddy’s Best Friend Page 14