Have My Baby: Baby and Pregnancy Romance Collection

by Jamie Knight

  “Whoa.”

  “Yeah, and it gets worse. The government there is doing organ harvesting. Mainly to political dissents, but with the virus, they don’t have a reason to keep those people alive. I’m having nightmares over this.”

  “Well, nothing like that will ever happen in America,” I assured him. “But I share your wariness about the Communists. I’m not sure if we can do much.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that if the virus comes here, I’m wearing a mask. And if there’s any chance of it, I’m working at home,” he explained.

  “That’s fine,” I agreed. “As long as we’re getting the work done, who cares, right?”

  Sanjay got up to leave. I couldn’t tell if he felt any better, so I called out to him.

  “Sanj,” I said.

  He stopped and turned around.

  “It’s going to be all right, buddy,” I promised. “We’ll get through this, okay?”

  “Yeah. Thanks, Jack.”

  Sanjay went back to his office, and I started to think. Maybe I would encourage people to wear masks. I mean, we all had our own offices here, but out on the street, you never know who’d you run into.

  The rest of the morning went fine, but by lunch, the news had turned dark. They were going to close down the country. Now I had to get people working from home. Good thing we laid the groundwork. Once again, Kelton was ahead of the curve. We had a lunchtime meeting, but everyone was afraid to order anything. The risk of infection was suddenly too high in everyone’s minds.

  It was then that I came up with a brilliant idea. I would need someone to help me slog through all the paperwork at home. And since I couldn’t get temp workers who were secretaries to follow me, why not Sandra? She was the best person for the job, and it would give me a chance to feel her out. Maybe we could start something or at least find out it wasn’t going to happen. I broached the subject at lunch.

  “Okay, folks, as predicted, we’re going to be working from home after today,” I explained. “I already had all the paperwork being copied and sent to my place.”

  “This is a massive merger,” objected Peter. “How are we going to be able to go through the files from home?”

  “You have access to the network, Pete,” I reminded him. “There are still hundreds of files to go through. You can do it at home via your computer.”

  “I guess,” he said skeptically. “We can’t come into the office at all?”

  “Nah, not now,” I relayed. “Oh, and Sandra, I’m going to need some help to sort all the documents. You can work from my home office with me.”

  “Uh, really? Couldn’t I just Skype in?” she suggested, looking a little pale.

  “No, I need someone to go through this mountain of paper,” I explained. “The AI didn’t get everything inputted into it yet. C’mon, are you game?”

  “Yes, I suppose,” she reluctantly agreed. “Not sure how I’m going to bill this.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” I assured her. “If I have to, I’ll compensate you out of my bonus. It’ll be like a little weekly bonus for you.”

  I wrote my address on a card and slid it over to her.

  “Here’s my address. The doorman will be apprised of your arrival, but call me first, okay? I don’t want you waiting on the street.”

  “You live here?” she said in surprise, noting the address.

  “Yep, and yes, it is very fancy.”

  Sandra seemed to hesitate again, as if searching her mind for some excuse to say, “No.” But she couldn’t. The clients wanted this merger to move forward, and if one the lawyers had to be inconvenienced for a bit, so be it. I wasn’t sure how her cousins were going to react, but maybe she’d do the smart thing and not even mention it to them. Then, later when they looked at the bill, if they realized Sandra had been working out of my place, it wouldn’t matter because the merger would be over.

  “All right then,” she agreed. “Normal time?”

  “Well, I think we all could use a day,” I suggested. “Wrap up whatever you’re doing, go home, and try to relax. Make sure you can get access to the network from home, and it’s probably a good idea to restock your food supplies if you haven’t already.”

  “I don’t think I could go into a store right now,” said Sanjay shaking a little. “This is really freaking me out.”

  “Hey, buddy, it’s just as bad as the flu,” assured Pete. “I read that on Slate or Buzzfeed or something.”

  “Look, if you’re uncomfortable going to a store, I understand,” I said sympathetically. “You can try ordering your food off of Amazon. Might take a few days to get, but I assume you have something at home, right?”

  “Screw that, I’m going to the store,” insisted Pete. “Look, I get that it’s bad, but it can’t be that bad. If it were, the hospitals would be filling up. I think this will probably blow over by the weekend.”

  “I doubt it,” I countered. “This virus has a two-week incubation period. We could all have the virus and not even know it. Worse yet, we could be spreading it to other people and not even know it.”

  “Well, should we all work out of your penthouse?” suggested Pete. “I’m just an Uber ride away.”

  “I don’t think you’re going to see too many Uber drivers, unfortunately,” I stated. “You’re better off staying at home. Besides, Sandra knows the case pretty well. I really only need one of you.”

  “If I get sick, you’ll be the first one I call,” suggested Sandra.

  We all got busy shutting down the office. It was a bit surreal. We had barely even started working there. Things were just starting to click, and now here we were, closing for who knows how long? I couldn’t imagine this being a permanent thing.

  I had to give the same speech for the lower-level staff. Those poor guys were mostly temp workers. I didn’t know how long they were going to be able to survive if this pandemic lasted longer than a few weeks. I mean, jeez, New York can be pretty damned expensive.

  Sometime around three, the last employee left, and I locked the doors behind us. I wondered when the next time we’d see the office.

  Chapter Five - Sandra

  “Hey, Jack, what’s up?” I asked, answering my phone in the Uber home.

  “Change of plan,” he explained. “This virus is a lot more serious than we thought. I think it would be best to get out of the city. I’m having all the paperwork sent to my house in the Hamptons.”

  “Hamptons? But I don’t have a car, and that’s kind of a —”

  “Not to worry. Pack a bag. You can stay over. Consider it an extra bonus since you won’t have to pay for the food,” he assured me. “Trust me, it’ll be a lot safer out there.”

  My heart started to flutter. Alone with Jack? Would I be able to handle that? Was this even a good idea? I had fantasized about the man, but he also made me very nervous. I was a virgin. There were a lot of guys interested in the past, but none of them seemed good enough to lose my innocence to. Jack was so sexy. I didn’t know if I could resist him. I also didn’t know if I wanted to.

  “Are you… Are you inviting me out there for reasons other than work?” I asked carefully.

  “Now why would you say that?” he asked incredulously. “Your cousins would throw a fit if I laid a hand on you. Not to mention the lawsuit that would come out of it. I’m strictly business…if you are.”

  “Riiiight,” I said, unsure. “I mean, I was sensing a vibe…”

  “Really? What vibe?” he asked innocently.

  “I think you know.”

  “Do I?”

  “Yeah, but okay,” I agreed with a sigh. “I’ll pack a bag. Keep your secrets.”

  I walked into my apartment. Isabella, my roommate, was already there freaking out at the TV. “Sandra! Oh, my God! Where is your mask?!” she squealed. “We have to get masks!”

  “Relax, Bella, relax,” I said. “You okay?”

  “No. I’m freaking out about this,
” she said. “Wait, what is going on with you?”

  “Hmm? Nothing.”

  Isabella was a bit of a scatterbrain at times, but the one thing she was good at was she could immediately sense when I had a new beau. Or, in this case, a new crush? I couldn’t really tell what Mr. Harris’ intentions were. Bella suddenly dropped all her worry and hopped over to me.

  “Wait-wait-wait, who is he?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Who is who? What?” I countered, trying to avoid her and going into the hall.

  I went into my bedroom and started packing for the trip. Bella followed.

  “Oh, my God, you’re going away with him? Who is he?”

  “Ten seconds ago, you were having a meltdown, and now you’re prying into my business,” I pointed out.

  “You know I have no life,” she retorted, as she plopped down on my bed. “I live vicariously through you. Now spill.”

  “Jack Harris has invited me up to his house in the Hamptons to stay with him while we’re quarantined. We will be working.”

  “Wow!” Bella said, wide-eyed. She looked me up and down. “Did you shave everything?”

  “Work, Bella. It’s for work,” I repeated. The lie was apparent to both of us. Jack had me nervous. Pulling my hair out of the bun I had it in, I ran my fingers through the strands.

  “Yeah, I’d like to work on him,” my roommate teased. “Seriously, has he made a move on you?”

  “What? No!”

  “Oh, he’s going to, and you’ll be on your back before you know it,” she joked. “I can see it. It’s all over you. You reek of desire.”

  I found myself putting my palms over my cheeks. If I was blushing, I didn’t want Bella to see it. “You’re nuts,” I stammered out.

  “I’m not. Tell me you don’t want him. Go ahead. Deny it.”

  “He’s very handsome,” I confessed. “But we’re coworkers. I can’t do that. My cousins own the firm, and they will fire Jack if he even looks at me funny.”

  She shrugged. “You’ll be out all the way in the Hamptons! Who cares?!”

  “You understand,” I reminded her. “That you’ll be here all by yourself going crazy from watching the news, right?”

  “Yes, but knowing that you’re getting plowed for the first time by a guy that hot will give me hope,” she assured me. “Plus, I assume you’ll call with regular updates?”

  “No!”

  “Text me a pic of his dick while he’s asleep!”

  “You are crazy.”

  Bella cackled. “I’ll bet you twenty bucks Jack Harris will be balls deep in you before the weekend’s done,” she offered, putting out her hand.

  I didn’t shake it. Deep down, I knew Bella was right. Whatever was going to happen in the Hamptons, it probably wasn’t work-related. My head was swimming at the thought of seeing Jack. Getting him alone? I probably would have a lot of trouble controlling myself.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t go,” I said, getting nervous and dropping down to sit on the carpet. “If I end up sleeping with him, this could derail my whole career.”

  “Who needs a career when you got a slab of man like that?” Isabella pointed out. “The guy’s gorgeous, rich, successful, brilliant, I mean, where’s the downside? I’m not seeing it. Either you go for it or let me go to the Hamptons.”

  I laughed and threw a pillow at her.

  The next morning, I texted Jack. I needed his address in the Hamptons, but he texted back, “Don’t bother. Should be outside in a few.”

  I was even more hesitant by this arrangement. Now I’d be all the way out into the Hamptons with no idea where I was. Just me and Jack, I started to talk myself out of it, but Isabella pushed for me to go.

  “If you don’t do this, you’ll regret it,” she insisted. “Who cares if he wants to hook up with you? He’s a catch!”

  “Won’t people look down on me if something does happen?” I asked, unsure.

  “Are you kidding? If I was in your position, not only would I go, I wouldn’t pack any underwear. Believe me, you’ll have a good time,” she insisted. “Now go, or I swear to God, I’ll jump in his car and leave with him.”

  I met Jack downstairs with my bags. He was driving a vintage convertible Porsha, and he was looking suave as hell. He hopped out to help me with my bags.

  “We need to get out of the city,” he commented. “I’ve heard rumors that they may close the bridges.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “Apparently, there’s already been some cases of the virus. They don’t want people spreading it around,” he informed me. “That’s the last thing we need to get trapped in Manhattan when the city goes to hell.”

  I looked back at Isabella up in the window. Should I ask if she could come? Nah, she’d probably be fine. Her mother lived in Jersey, and she’d likely crash at her place for a few days. I texted her encouraging her to do so as I left with Jack.

  The ride to the Hamptons took forever. Everyone was trying to get out of the city. Fortunately, the unseasonably hot March weather made for a beautiful drive. Just before we got onto the highway, Jack put the top back up, so I wouldn’t be completely windswept, and so we could have a conversation without yelling back and forth.

  “You’ve been to the Hamptons?” he asked.

  “Once or twice with my folks,” I said. “Mainly just to shop and look around. Never actually stayed out here. A bit too rich for my blood.”

  “Ah, it’s not so bad,” Jack assured me. “There are actually some pretty affordable places if you look.”

  “Is your place affordable?”

  “Not really. I mean, I can. Obviously, but…”

  We pulled up to the front of his house, and it was just gorgeous. It was a white, Cape Cod with a meticulous landscaped front lawn. There were shrub sculptures and little pathways. You could’ve placed it in Ireland, the grass was so green.

  “Impressive,” I commented.

  “Yeah, it looks nice,” agreed Jack. “I think my landscape guy must’ve just come out. The last guy I hired, what a disaster! His guys didn’t want to use the bathroom inside, even though I said they could, well, you can pretty much imagine the rest.”

  “Ewww.”

  “Right? I mean, some of my neighbors, rich snobby types, they won’t let people in to use the bathroom, but I didn’t care!” laughed Jack. “Go inside. Don’t pee on the shrubs for God’s sake!”

  “You got any famous neighbors?”

  “Hmm. I saw Chris Cuomo’s wife in the Walgreens, but I’m not sure where they live,” he admitted. “Quite frankly, can’t watch CNN anymore.”

  The interior of the house was just as perfect — spotless, well designed, and full of old American furniture, real classic stuff from the 50’s and all fine woods. It was like he owned his own little bed and breakfast, and the staff really maintained it.

  “Gosh, this looks like you live here,” I commented. “I mean, it’s super clean, and it feels like someone is always here.”

  “Yeah, I have a great cleaning service,” Jack admitted. “They’re just awesome.”

  The hallway had pictures of what I assumed were Jack’s family. It looked as if they had a lot of fun times in the house. This led to the bedrooms, and he guided me into a guest room that looked as if it had been set up brand new just for me.

  There was a four-poster bed with a giant lace doily over the deep green comforter. The dressers looked to be handmade, again late ’50s, and meticulously kept. There were cute little knick-knacks of figurines representing people doing things on vacation: fishing, swimming, hiking, etc. There was an old-style writing desk and a wooden chair that matched. The throw rug had patterns of flowers, and the air of the room smelled fresh. It was almost like stepping back in time, but it felt like the room was new.

  “I’m so impressed at the way everything in this house is so well kept!” I commented. “It’s like, nothing here ever ages or something.”

&
nbsp; “Well, you know, it’s a vacation home. Been in my family for a while, and we were only here seasonally,” Jack explained as we lounged on the crisp, white couches.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why’d you bring me out here, Jack? You could’ve set up something over the Internet like everyone else,” I pressed. “Why drag me out here? If you wanted to make a move, why not just make it?”

  “I promised your cousins I wouldn’t,” he admitted. “But you’re easy on the eyes. Besides, it gets lonely out here by myself.” He grinned at me. “I wanted some company, and you seem like good company.”

  “Fair enough. I appreciate an honest answer.”

  “I appreciate your directness,” he complimented. “It’s probably what got you to associate so fast. And why I would ask you over Sanjay and Pete. Pete’s kind of a bootlicker and Sanjay, nice guy, but a little too nice for his own good, if you know what I mean.”

  “I guess.”

  “Let’s keep this conversation just between us, huh?”

  “Oh, of course,” I assured him. “I wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings or get you in any trouble.”

  “Well, feel free to get settled in. I’m going to check on the house and make sure everything’s working, and everything’s where I left it,” he explained.

  Jack exited, and I would hear him over the next hours walking around the house. He turned on the water to some of the areas and turned on the electricity in others. Having a resort property, you didn’t always need to keep everything running.

  I put my clothes in the dresser. This was something I did even at a hotel. It always felt weird to me to live out of a suitcase, and hey, if the place you were staying in was going to provide you with furniture, you might as well use it.

  Getting set up on Jack’s Wi-Fi, I looked over my email and checked in with Bella. I texted her a picture of the room, and she responded with, “Cute!” The bathroom was a little cramped, but it was very old school. It had copper fixtures and a tub that was lifted off the floor by short legs and an old-fashioned shower curtain that wrapped all the way around while a large shower head dumped water on you from above. It was designed at a time when people were generally shorter, but that worked for me, being a petite 5’ 4”.