I let him envelop me in his arms and sigh with contentment. My happy place. My home is right here. No matter where we live. As someone who used to be homeless, I never realized my home was going to be a person rather than a place. From my pocket to his, I slip my future.
“Will you still love me when I’m fat?” I ask suddenly. He looks down at me, looking both slightly panicked and slightly bewildered. His eyes are tender under the panic, and I fall more in love with him in that moment.
“Is this a trick question?”
“No. It’s a genuine question.”
“Of course I’ll love you if you’re fat, old, gray, bald, skinny, whatever. I love you for the person you are inside. I love your mind, and your spirit. Your body, whatever shape it is, is only a plus,” he tells me, and I really believe him.
“Good, check your pocket,” I reply as the elevator slides open when I use my master key. Collin pulls the pregnancy test out of his pocket and looks at it. His shocked eyes shoot up to mine as I stand on the other side of the elevator in his foyer.
“Did you steal this?” I shake my head and smirk. “Are you preg—” The elevator doors slide closed. I wait a few beats and they slide open again to his still shocked face.
“Are you pregnant, baby?”
I nod with a watery smile. “Surprise. I guess the spray and pray method didn’t work.” I laugh and burst into tears.
“Spray and pra— never mind. Amber, of course. Baby, why are you crying? Are you upset?” I shake my head and he laughs, rushing off the elevator before the doors can close again.
“I’m happy, I’m just scared. And I was afraid you wouldn’t be happy. I know this is really soon and we just moved in together. I love you and I want this baby so much. I just—”
He shushes me. “Zaydra. Check your pocket.” With a suspicious glance at him, I put my hand in my pocket and feel something round and bumpy. I pull out the biggest diamond ring I’ve ever seen in my life. “You stole my idea, and my thunder. But I still win because I stole your heart. Will you be my pickpocket forever and become my wife?”
He runs his thumb across my bottom lip, and I burst into tears again. “Please tell me that’s not a no.”
“No, that’s a hell yes. I’m sorry, it’s just pregnancy hormones. I love you, Collin. Oodles of noodles.” His smile and exuberance nearly blind me as he picks me up and twirls me around. I laugh through my tears.
“Does this mean we’re doing butt stuff tonight?” he asks with a wink.
“Hell yes, it means we’re doing butt stuff tonight.”
Bonus Bonus Chapter Amber: Three Years Earlier
I swear, if I find the person who put the dildo on my desk, I’m going to skin them alive. I know exactly who told my coworkers I collect them. I march into the break room and see the culprit. He’s leaning lazily against the counter, sipping coffee.
“Moose, you godforsaken asshole. I can’t believe you told everybody about the dildos,” I hiss at my partner. He doubles over laughing, like it’s the most hilarious thing in the world.
“Bella, it’s not my fault. Somebody asked me what to get you for your birthday, maybe something you collect. It just slipped out. You can’t hold it against me,” he says mockingly.
“The hell I can’t when these keep showing up on my desk every day.” I shove the blue dildo at him and he unknowingly grabs it. When he realizes what’s in his hand, he shakes it at me and starts chasing me around, bonking me on the head with it.
“You better stop before I tell your fiancée that you watch midget porn and whack it to the Looney Tunes,” I hiss at him and he stops cold.
“I don’t do either of those things.” He glares.
“I know that and you know that, but she doesn’t. She thinks I know you best in the world.” He points the dildo at me angrily just as Michael walks in. His eyes zero in on Danny’s hands. He looks down and sees what our boss is staring at, and drops it like a hot potato.
“Evers, Jennings, in my office now.” Michael’s voice is clipped.
We slump single file, slowly to Michael’s office, like naughty children sent to the principal’s office. Michael opens the door and rushes us in where we see Director Jared Magen, Michael’s boss. My eyes grow round and I just know we’re fired. They both indicate for Danny and I have a seat.
“We called you both in here because it’s come to our attention that there is an increase in overdoses and drug-related deaths in St. Louis. So much so that the mayor contacted us. The purity of the heroin that we’ve been notified about makes it seem like there is a kingpin in the St. Louis area. We don’t know why. All we know is that it is related to the sex trade. Prostitutes, strippers, and porn stars, and that lot. Their pimps, all that. We’ve arrested plenty of people, but nobody will talk. We’re looking for ghosts at this point,” Director Magen tells us. Danny and I glance at each other before nodding.
“Look, you two are the best we have. We need one of you to go undercover in a sex trade in St. Louis to root these people out,” Michael cuts in.
“I’ll do it,” I volunteer, before Danny can say anything.
“Like hell. I’ll do it,” Danny interjects. I glare at him.
“No, you just got engaged. I don’t think now is a good time to go under as a sex trade worker. Delilah would cut your favorite parts off,” I argue.
“Children, if you’re done arguing amongst yourselves. Isabella, I’m glad you are on board because your new identity is waiting for you,” Michael tells me as he holds out my new ID cards.
“What the hell, Michael? You never had any intention of letting me go!” Danny says accusingly.
“No, no, I didn’t, because we needed a female. The females in the sex trade there are the only ones who seem to have information, and Isabella is the best we have at getting people to talk. She goes,” Michael states firmly.
“Amber Renee James? Am I going to be a porn star or something?” I ask accusingly.
“No, Bella, you’re going to be a stripper. That name is the closest to your name as possible, and you’re intelligent enough to find an in once you’re there. Your plane leaves in three hours. Make arrangements.” I’m opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water.
“Dismissed,” Director Magen says, and we both file out of the office.
I head to my own office with Danny hot on my heels. Once inside, Danny slams the door. I roll my eyes where he can’t see.
“You don’t have to do this, Bella Bear. They can find somebody else,” he tells me fiercely.
“Of course I have to do this, Moose. You heard them, I’m the best. Anyway, I volunteered. Besides, maybe I’ll meet my Prince Charming, and maybe he’ll have a thing for mouthy strippers.” I shrug my shoulders and he stares at me.
“You’re going to have to become a completely different person,” he says sadly, and I smile at him.
“No, I won’t. This just finally gives me a chance to let my freak flag fly.”
About the Author
Christa DeClue grew up in small town Missouri. She went to Truman State University to study Journalism. She freelanced for a few newspapers, before she settled in the panhandle of Florida. Christa is a wine drinker that says exactly what comes to her mind. She’s awkward but funny. Her love affair with the written word started when she was six and could actually read. She fell in love with romance novels at age thirteen when she stole her mother’s Christine Feehan and Johanna Lindsey books for the first time. She vowed to write until she didn’t want to write anymore, and so far that hasn’t happened yet. A severe introvert, she’s funny on paper but would be voted most likely to hide from you in real life. Wannabe is her second novel.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One: Present Day Ryan
Chapter Two: Amber
Chapter Three: Amber
Chapter Four: Ryan
Chapter Five: Amber
Chapter Six: Amber
Chapter Seven: Ryan
Chapter Eight: Amber
Chapter Nine: Amber
Chapter Ten: Ryan
Chapter Eleven: Amber
Chapter Twelve: Ryan
Chapter Thirteen: Amber
Chapter Fourteen: Ryan
Chapter Fifteen: Amber
Chapter Sixteen: Amber
Chapter Seventeen: Ryan
Chapter Eighteen: Amber
Chapter Nineteen: Amber
Chapter Twenty: Ryan
Chapter Twenty-One: Amber
Chapter Twenty-Two: Ryan
Chapter Twenty-Three: Amber
Chapter Twenty-Four: Ryan
Chapter Twenty-Five: Amber
Chapter Twenty-Six: Ryan
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Amber
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ryan
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Amber
Chapter Thirty: Ryan
Chapter Thirty-One: Amber
Chapter Thirty-Two: Ryan
Chapter Thirty-Three: Amber
Chapter Thirty-Four: Ryan
Chapter Thirty-Five: Amber
Chapter Thirty-Six: Ryan
Bonus Bonus Chapter Amber: Three Years Earlier
Wannabe: An Against The Odds Novel Page 20