by Jenna Reed
“Rhett,” Miriam said, “there’s no point being coy. I’m impressed with what you’ve accomplished under Joseph, but I think you have much more potential than what you’ve been allowed to do so far. We’re a bigger office. We get much larger clients. Working for me, you won’t be programming endless shopping algorithms. I want you. I’ll send you an offer letter to consider. I need a response by the end of next week.”
I was too stunned to respond right away. “I, uh, thank you, I…” stumbled out of my mouth before I got a hold of myself. “Thank you, Ms. Stein. I’ll look everything over and get back to you soon.”
She gave a cursory goodbye and ended the call. I barely had two seconds to process what had just happened before Graham barged into my office. “Dude, what the fuck is going on? Joseph is losing his shit right now.”
“Is he?” I asked, shocked by that statement.
Graham nodded. “He’s stormed into everyone’s offices demanding they speed the fuck up and get their work turned in, and keeps ranting about people abandoning him and selling out for bigger paychecks.”
“Why the fuck would he care if I leave?” I asked. “He hates me.”
Graham shrugged. “He hates everyone.” He frowned, his mouth almost falling into a pout. “Did this really start with you? Are you leaving?”
I shrugged, still too stunned by everything to formulate a clear response. “I don’t know. Joseph stormed in and told me east side wanted to offer me a job, then tossed a paper at me and walked out.”
“East side?” Graham, heaved out a breath and shook his head. “They get way better clients than we do. It’s a step up, for sure.”
“Yeah,” I said, “but it sure as hell complicates things.”
Graham frowned. “How so?”
I sank into my chair. “What if Erica goes into labor and I can’t get there in time? It’d be an extra hour commute at night, and Erica might need me there to help with the baby. It would make things harder, more complicated, and things between us are already fucked up enough.”
A laugh burst out of his mouth. “It’s only complicated because you’re fucking in love with her and don’t know how to tell her.” He sighed. “As much as I’d hate to lose my only ally here, it would be a good move for you.”
I knew he was right, but I wasn’t jumping at the opportunity as I should have been. Just like finding the hottest women to take home used to be my sole focus outside of work, climbing my way to the top of this industry used to be my sole career focus. Now…I had more important things to consider than my salary and title. Where the two intersected, I had no idea.
22
Rhett
I moved through the kitchen in a haze. My hands mixed spices and seasoned the salmon, but my mind was somewhere else. Erica coming over for dinner wasn’t normally something that would cause me so much distraction and concern. We spent several nights a week together. Her company wasn’t what had me moving on autopilot. What I had to tell her was the problem.
The promotion weighed on my mind. I had until the end of the week to make my decision. Under any other circumstance, I wouldn’t have needed more than a few seconds to accept. It was what I had been working for. Getting out from under Joseph was appealing as hell. Erica and the baby changed things. I knew she wouldn’t discourage me from taking the promotion. She’d be happy for me, despite recognizing how much more difficult it would make things for us. That almost made me feel worse.
We were less than a month from Erica’s due date. It would be a terrible time to shake things up. Maybe if things were less complicated…if Erica and I were a regular couple and didn’t have to split our time between two apartments. I could accept the promotion and we could find a new place close to the east side office. Erica could either take time off teaching, or apply for a school that would treat her better. We would make those decisions together.
As things were now, I knew Erica wouldn’t try to steer my decision, and would tell me it was mine to make and I shouldn’t let her stand in my way. How did I explain to her that I wanted her input? Dating or not, she was part of my life. I cared about her opinion and how a big change like this would affect her.
I heard the front door open and looked up. Erica smiled as she slowly moved across the entryway. She rubbed her stomach, looking tired and ready to drop. Abandoning the vegetables I was chopping, I moved to help her. She reached for my hand gratefully and leaned against my chest. My arms wrapped around her on instinct.
“Long day?” I asked.
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. “Just an exhausting day. Field trip. I think I could sleep for two days straight after chasing down fifth graders all day.”
“Why don’t you sit down for a while,” I suggested. “Dinner will be a few minutes still.”
Her head bobbed against my chest, but she didn’t make any move to leave my embrace. Since meeting her family, these moments had occurred much more frequently. I didn’t always know how to interpret her closeness, but I made sure not to discourage her. Tightening my hold on her slightly, I nestled my mouth against her hair and kissed her lightly. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she pulled closer against me and sighed contentedly.
It was several sweet moments later before Erica mumbled, “My feet are killing me.”
Chuckling, I pulled back and smiled down at her. “Sit down and rest. I’ll massage your feet after we eat.”
A slow, sexy smile teased the corners of her mouth. “That’s a dangerous proposition. Remember what happened last time?”
Heat swelled in my core, my cock hardening just at the memory. “How could I forget?”
Her smile widened, but she didn’t say anything else. I helped her sit on the couch, and her fingers trailed down mine as I moved away. As I turned back toward the kitchen, I could feel her gaze on me. Any hint of interest from Erica instantly made me hard. Even at eight months pregnant, I found her more attractive than ever. She was not only a beautiful woman, but also a kind and compassionate woman with strength and a great sense of humor mixed in.
Sexual attraction was a small part of what I felt for Erica now. Jackson thought I was in love with her. His comments had caught me off guard in the moment. I hadn’t allowed myself to even consider something more than friendship or sex with Erica. I’d been able to think of little else since going out with her brothers. While I might not be ready to admit I was in love with Erica, I knew I was falling hard. It scared me, because I didn’t know if she felt the same. That was a new problem for me, one I didn’t know how to deal with.
“Are you making that salad I like?” Erica called out from the couch. “The one with the gorgonzola and walnuts?”
“Of course,” I replied.
Erica made a happy sound. “You spoil me too much.”
“I’d spoil you more if you’d let me.”
I said it without thinking. As soon as the words left my mouth, I worried Erica would become annoyed or upset. She didn’t like me overstepping my role. Offering to do more than pay for baby-related expenses usually resulted in her pulling away.
“This kind of spoiling I don’t mind,” Erica said. She leaned her head back against the cushions and smiled. “You can cook for me anytime you want. I’m too tired at the end of the day to do much more than heat something up in the microwave.”
Excitement pricked at me. “I’ll cook for you every night then. Can’t have the mother of my child going hungry or eating shitty food out of exhaustion.”
Erica chuckled. “You’d become my personal chef?”
“I’d love to.”
Pushing herself up so she could turn and see over the back of the couch, her curious eyes searched me. “Would you really?”
“Of course,” I said without hesitation.
Surprise and delight sparkled in her eyes. I found myself holding my breath, waiting for her response. The smile on her lips grew just enough to be noticeable. “Okay,” she said quietly.
I blinked in surprise. “Okay?”
Erica was going to let me cook for her every night? She would come over here every night? Lately, she tended to fall asleep on my couch after dinner as we watched TV. Being so close to having the baby, her energy was dwindling. I had no problem at all with her staying over on those nights. It had only been once a week or so, though. Every night? Heat coursed through me.
“You’re a wonderful cook, and you don’t seem to mind when I fall asleep on you,” she said with a laugh. In deed, I didn’t mind her falling asleep next to me on the couch at all. I might have nudged her closer so she would fall on top of me. I liked having her close. No, I loved having her close.
“Plus,” she continued, “I’d feel better staying together these last few weeks. In case something happens in the middle of the night.”
I nodded. I’d been worried about that, especially with the promotion offer and the possibility of being further away from her. “I’d feel better being together, too.”
Then I considered the guest bedroom and the fact that it was currently being used to store extra baby gear Erica didn’t have room for at her place. It was a mess.
Frowning, I said, “I can get the guest room cleared out…if you want.”
Erica shrugged. “You don’t need to go through all that trouble.”
She didn’t continue and say out loud that she preferred to sleep in my bed. We both knew that was the only other option. I could take the couch if she wanted me too, but in that moment, I doubted she would ask me to. Worry may have been part of her motivation. It wasn’t all of it. It sure as hell wasn’t my whole motivation, either.
My plan to tell her about the promotion fizzled. I knew it would complicate things, make her pull away from me. I didn’t want that. I needed her close. Yes, I worried about her going into labor in the middle of the night and not having anyone nearby to help. Even more than that, I simply wanted her near me. Did she feel the same?
23
Erica
I stood at the whiteboard, writing out instructions for the assignment my class was about to start. The ache I’d been battling all morning intensified and I paused. Drawing in a slow breath, I exhaled as the pain subsided. I still had three and a half weeks until my due date. I’d read about Braxton Hicks contractions. I just hadn’t realized they would be this bad. I desperately hoped they didn’t continue until I went into labor. I was miserable enough being so big and constantly exhausted.
When I finished writing the instructions, I turned to my class. “Does anyone have any questions?”
Several hands shot up. I sighed and gestured for the nearest student to go ahead. “Are you going to have your baby soon?”
I shook my head. “Not for a few weeks still.”
The boy frowned. “Are you sure? You don’t look like you feel so good. Should I get the principal?”
“No,” I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was my boss being dragged down to check on me for no reason. He’d let me have it for interrupting his important work with my personal issues. I smiled at the kid’s concern. “I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.”
He didn’t look convinced, but his gaze dropped to his paper. The other two hands that had shot up were still waving at me. I called on another student, hoping their question was actually about the assignment.
“When my mom had my little brother, she kept rubbing her belly a lot and breathing weird like you’re doing.” She gave me a pointed look that seemed to dare me to contradict her.
I forced a smile onto my lips. “It’s common to have some pain for a few weeks before the baby is born. It only hurts a little, I promise.”
Pointing at the last raised hand, I was relieved when he actually had a question about the assignment. I answered it to his satisfaction and asked the class to get started. As soon as they were all focused, I waddled back to my desk and lowered myself into the chair. As soon as I relaxed, another wave of pain rolled over my abdomen. I placed my hands on my stomach, rubbing and willing the pain to lessen. Startled by how hard my stomach felt, I placed both hands on my belly and forced myself not to hold my breath.
The child birthing class Rhett and I had taken after the parenting class had emphasized the need to breathe so many times, I’d been ready to throw something at the instructor if she said it again. Now, I understood why she’d harped about breathing so much. Keeping a steady flow of breath eased enough of the pain to keep it from consuming me. Holding my breath definitely made it worse.
As my students worked, I focused on breathing. I had a million other things I needed to do while they were working quietly, but I couldn’t deal with anything else right now. After the third round of pain and breathing in less than thirty minutes, I began to worry that maybe these weren’t Braxton Hicks contractions. Madeline would know. It was only twenty minutes until lunch. Neither of us had lunch duty this week. I could slip into her classroom after I sent my students off to eat and get her opinion. I supposed I could call my doctor to ask, but I didn’t want to bother him if it were really nothing.
I had to wait out one more contraction before the lunch bell finally rang and my students scrambled to put away their assignment and line up at the door. It took considerable effort to push myself up out of the chair. When I managed to get to standing, my belly felt heavier than ever. I was tempted to sit back down and take a nap. Instead, I gestured for the kids to get going and slowly made my way across the hall to Madeline’s room.
Dodging a straggler bolting out of her classroom, I stepped into her room and immediately caught her attention. Madeline jumped up from her chair and rushed over to me. “Are you okay? You look terrible.”
Just what I wanted to hear. I knew she was right, though. I hadn’t been sleeping well, even with Rhett cradling me against his chest every night. “Do Braxton Hicks contractions usually hurt this much, or come this often?” I asked.
Madeline’s eyes widened. “How much is it hurting and how often are they coming?”
“They hurt enough to make me start breathing hard, and I’ve had four in the last hour.”
“How long do they last?” she questioned.
“A few minutes,” I said with a shrug.
My answer seemed to alarm her even more. She reached forward and pressed her hands to my belly. She felt around for several minutes before looking up at me with a worried expression. “Oh honey, those aren’t Braxton Hicks contractions. I think you’re in labor.”
I shook my head immediately, fighting off panic. “I still have three weeks!”
“No, you don’t,” she said, trying to make her voice sound soothing. It didn’t work. “Where’s your phone? We need to call Rhett.”
“No,” I argued. “I’m fine. I’m not in labor yet. I’ll be okay until after school. I don’t want to panic the kids.”
Madeline scoffed and began pushing me back toward my classroom to find my phone. “They would be a hell of a lot more panicked if you deliver your baby at the school because you’re too stubborn to go to the hospital.”
“I’ll go by my OB’s office after school,” I begged. “I don’t need to leave.”
I made it two more steps before something changed. Warm liquid trickled down the inside of my leg, making me gasp and grab the door frame. Then the pain hit. I doubled over and whimpered. Madeline was back at my side a moment later. I think she was saying something, trying to keep me clam, but panic overwhelmed me and my ears stopped working.
Slowly, the pain began to recede and I heard Madeline’s voice again. “That’s good. Keep breathing. Keep your eyes open and try not to panic. I called for an ambulance. It’s on its way.”
“Ambulance?” I squeaked.
“You can’t drive,” she said, “and I don’t think we have time to wait for Rhett to get here. I’ll call him and tell him to meet you at the hospital, okay?”
I didn’t have time to respond before another contraction hit me. I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t pull the air into my lungs. This couldn’t be happening yet. We weren’t ready
. I’d stayed with Rhett last night. I didn’t have my hospital bag. The bassinet was still sitting in the middle of my living room. I wasn’t ready for this!
“Erica, look at me,” Madeline commanded. She pressed her hands to my face and forced my gaze up to hers. “You can do this. Everything is going to be fine.”
“It’s too soon!” Tears began running my down cheeks as fear set in. What if something was wrong?
“Shh, shh,” Madeline whispered. “It’s not that soon. Your little girl is just ready to meet you. It’s going to be okay.”
“Maybe there’s something wrong,” I cried. “My doctor said she is small! He thought I might go a little overdue, not have her early!”
Madeline shook her head. “No one can predict these things. It’s going to be okay.”
I wanted to believe her so badly, but I had read those books, watched documentaries. So many things could go wrong and having the baby early was not good, no matter which way you looked at it. My heart raced, pumping my blood through my veins so fast, I could hear it swooshing inside my ears.
Everything was too overwhelming. The pain, the panic, the fear…everything crashed into me all at once. I wanted Rhett. I needed him with me. I couldn’t do this without him. “Please, call Rhett,” I begged. I didn’t want to face this alone.
That realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t want to do this on my own. None of it. On my own I was scared and had no idea what to do. I wanted…needed Rhett with me. Everything seemed easier when he was there. I didn’t want to admit to myself how much I leaned on him these past few weeks and I didn’t think it was going to change any time soon, maybe not ever. I needed Rhett, even if I was terrified of what that meant.