I barely get the door open before I’m retching again, although it hardly matters; there’s nothing left in my stomach to come up.
“Ok, there’s no way you’re going in to work today,” Gwen says, crawling awkwardly over the seat to squash in behind me as I lean out the door.
She brushes my hair out of my face and holds it back, in case the dry heaves turn into something more. “If your weren’t such a prude, I’d make a crack about morning sickness,” she mutters.
She rubs my back comfortingly despite the sarcastic words. And despite their sarcasm, the words set off a tumble of gears in my brain. It hits me that I’m late.
Very late.
But that can’t be, right? Stress causes all kinds of health problems, that’s probably the culprit.
After all, the last time I got laid was…
No, that’s not possible either. Even as drunk as I’d been, I clearly remember Leon and Elijah putting on condoms.
Condoms break, I find myself thinking, especially when they’re hastily applied by someone who’s hammered.
My heart pounds and my limbs go numb. It can’t be.
“Get in your seat.”
Gwen freezes for a moment, clearly startled by my tone. “What?”
“Sit down and buckle up.”
She doesn’t question it again, sliding into her seat and fastening her seatbelt as I settle back into place, shut the door, and do the same. I shift into drive and after a quick check both ways to make sure the road is clear before flipping a sharp U-turn.
Gwen yelps, reaching up and grabbing the handle above her head. “Audrey, where the hell are you going?!”
I don’t answer her. I can barely think as I fly down the road to the nearest convenience store.
When I pull into the lot, Gwen continues to try and ask me what the fuck is going through my head, but I ignore her and in a blink, I’m inside. It takes me a moment of searching to find it, but I snatch the box off the shelf.
I throw a twenty at the clerk and tell her to keep the change before locking myself in the bathroom with shaking hands. I rip open the box for the pregnancy test and read over the instructions.
Pretty simple. You pee on one end and wait two minutes to find out if your life is changing forever. No big deal or anything.
So I go though the steps and wait the longest two minutes of my life, unable to focus on anything but the ticking seconds on the clock until the moment of truth.
As I’m taking a deep breath and picking up the stick, I hear pounding on the bathroom door. “Audrey, are you in there?”
I pick up the stick, but I screw my eyes shut and it hits me that I don’t want to do this alone. I’m terrified.
I open the door and before Audrey can speak, I grab her and pull her inside, locking the door behind us both.
“What in the fuck is wrong with you?!” she yelps, “You flip a bitch and start driving like a bat out of hell, and now you’re-“
She sees what’s in my hand and is momentarily stunned speechless. She looks at my face, searching, and whatever she sees melts her anger away. “I can’t look,” I whisper, tears pooling in my eyes.
She laughs and takes the stick. “You’re crazy, Audrey, why would you think that…” she looks at the stick and her eyes go wide, “You’re pregnant.”
The words aren’t a question.
I turn her wrist so I can see, and I swear my heart stops for a second when I see that tiny pink plus sign.
“Holy fuck, you’re actually pregnant,” she repeats as I sink down on the closed toilet seat, my head spinning.
“How did this happen?”
“You’re a little old for a “birds and the bees” talk,” I mutter.
“That’s not what I meant, smart-ass,” Gwen rolls her eyes at me, “I meant, when would you even have-“
“Jessie’s bachelorette party?”
Her eyes widen once more. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah.”
“But you said you guys were safe,” she says, surprised.
“I mean, we were, but we were drunk, one of the condoms must have broken or something.”
“If they were as fucked up as you were, they might have put them on wrong,” Gwen says with a nod of agreement, sighing.
“What am I gonna do?” I bury my face in my hands and a sob rips out of my throat.
Gwen kneels in front of me, hugging me and stroking my hair. “Hey, hey, it’s gonna be ok,” she says, her voice low and soothing.
“Oh, God, I’m knocked up and I don’t even know which guy is the father,” I choke through my tears, “I don’t even know their last names!” I can feel myself starting to hyperventilate.
“Hey!” Gwen says sharply, grabbing my chin and making me look at her, “Stop that. What happened, happened. You can’t do anything about that, but there’s nothing wrong with it, either, ok?”
I press my lips together and she continues: “Whatever you want to do from here, though, I’m here for you, all right?”
My eyes well up again and I throw my arms around her. “Thanks, Gwen,” I whisper.
I don’t know what to do next. Do I hunt down the guys? My mind flits to the tiny new life blooming inside my body and I know immediately, without a doubt, that I’m keeping it.
I’d always wondered what I would do in a situation like this, an unexpected pregnancy, and I’d never been sure, but now, faced with the decision, I know my answer. This baby is mine, and I’m going to make this work. No matter what comes next.
Chapter Three
Leon
Two Weeks Later
I’m already agitated at having to fucking be here on a Friday afternoon when I have a thousand other things to do, but when the receptionist tells me that the head of HR had to step out of her office and I’m going to have to wait, my annoyance skyrockets.
Selling our company to this bigger firm and joining them as partners might have been a great career move for Elijah, but the process has been a pain in the ass.
When this is over, I need a vacation.
I look at the clock and sigh, wondering how long this will take. I haven’t met this woman yet, but if she’s so incompetent she can’t even keep a meeting that she set, I may have to talk to the other partners about a replacement.
I know I have a shitload of paperwork to fill out, and even more irritating, I have to do it all solo. Elijah’s been gone for the last few weeks, handling some of our overseas business.
Truth be told, I think he’s been using it as an excuse to avoid me. I’ve barely seen him since the night we went home with Audrey.
Finally, though, I hear the buzz of the intercom, and after a moment of muffled conversation, the receptionist calls me over. “Ms. Sinclair is ready for you, now, Mr. Shaw.”
I make my way down the hall to Ms. Sinclair’s office, hoping that this will be over with quickly and I can get back to my own work.
My knock is met with a weak “Come in!”
I swing open the door. Ms. Sinclair’s back is facing me as she drums impatient fingers on the printer behind her, which is slowly cranking out sheet after sheet. “I’m so sorry for the delay, Mr. Shaw, I’ve got most of those papers all ready for you, I’m just waiting on this last document. Go ahead and have a seat.”
I have to admit, I’m enjoying the view, and I pause for a moment in the doorway to admire. A tight black pencil skirt clings to this woman’s shapely ass, and when she bends slightly to gather the last of the papers, I feel a rush of blood between my legs.
Fuck, her ass is phenomenal. My Kryptonite. Just like that gorgeous woman Leon and I shared.
When she turns around, though, I realize that it’s more than “just like” the woman. It is her. She looks pale and shaky, like she’s sick or something, but it’s definitely the same woman.
“Holy shit, it’s you!”
Her face pales and she drops the armful of papers. “Leon?”
I’d be thrilled that she remembers me if she didn’t loo
k so horrified. She races over and yanks me into her office, shutting the door behind me. “What are you doing-holy shit, you cannot be serious, you’re one of the new partners?”
“And Elijah’s the other one.”
She scrubs a hand over her face. “Of course he is.”
“Audrey, I’ve been thinking about you, I-“
Audrey holds up a hand to silence me. “Don’t. We’ve got a lot of work to do, I can’t talk about that right now, let’s just-“ she takes a deep, shaky breath, “Let’s just go sit down, ok?”
I can’t figure out why she seems so upset. From what I remembered, we’d had a fucking amazing time. And we’re adults, it’s not a big deal. It wasn’t like we’d technically been working together when everything happened.
She gathers the papers she had dropped, and while she’s shaky and faltering, she dives fully into business mode, explaining the papers I have to fill out and pointing out the million places I need to sign.
I keep trying to interject, to say something, but every time I do, she just shoves more papers at me.
“Audrey, stop,” I say finally, putting my hand over hers as she tries to slide another stack across the desk, “Will you please just stop for a sec?”
“I have a lot to do today,” she says, her voice trembling, “I really don’t have time to socialize.”
“Technically, I’m your boss now,” I remind her.
She presses her lips together tightly, refusing to meet my gaze, and I take the opening. “Listen, Audrey, I know it was a crazy night, but it was fucking amazing. Elijah and I have never done that before, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you two. Maybe sometime the three of us could get together, and-“
“No!” Audrey pushes up from her chair suddenly and steps back, “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Shaw, but as far as I’m concerned, that night never happened.”
The words feel like a slap in the face. Just like Elijah, she wishes it had never happened. But I can’t just give up. “Ok, so we start fresh. Start over,” I offer.
She shakes her head, but I keep pressing. “We’ll take it slow, just-“
She lets out a little laugh of disbelief. “Take it slow? How am I supposed to take it slow with two guys I’ve already slept with?”
“I thought it never happened,” I counter.
She glares at me, but I rise to my feet, undeterred. “Let me take you out to dinner tonight,” I insist, moving around her desk and striding closer to her.
She backs away. “I can’t tonight.”
“Tomorrow night.”
Her back hits the wall, and she’s breathing hard. “I-“
I’m right up on her now and I tilt her chin up, leaning down so my lips are mere inches from hers. Her breath catches and I see her swallow hard. “Leon,” she breathes.
I close the distance between us, cupping the back of her neck and kissing her roughly.
She lets out a little whimper and melts into me for a moment before suddenly stiffening and shoving at my chest, tearing her lips from mine. “Stop, no, we can’t,” she shoves me off of her and stumbles away from me, cheeks flushed.
“Audrey-“
“You’re my boss, Leon, that night was…it was amazing, but that was it, ok? It was just one night, nothing else can happen,” she says.
I start to protest again and she holds up a hand to silence me. “My answer is no!” she shouts.
I hold up both of my hands in an “I surrender” gesture. “Ok, I’m sorry.”
“Please just go,” she says, and the way her voice cracks sends a wash of guilt over me.
I nod and gather the paperwork off her desk. “I’ll finish these in my new office,” I tell her quietly, “I’ll send them down when I’m done.”
“Thank you,” she says shakily, keeping her gaze averted.
I want to say a million things, and more than that, I just want to grab her and kiss her again, but I don’t want to upset her. So I leave and head up to my office.
I’ll give her a little space for now, but I’ll be damned if I’m giving up on her. I’m a patient man.
Although it’s hard to be patient, especially now that I have to do it twice over. I’ve been waiting for Elijah to come to terms with himself for almost ten years. I thought that maybe that night had broken the dam. He’d made the first move, after all.
I had been sure he was finally going to come out and admit to being a bisexual man, but instead he’d run from it. I’ve known that he was attracted to men since we met, but he claims to be straight.
We’d met in college as roommates and quickly become friends. It didn’t take long for me to develop feelings for him, and I thought they were mutual, but Elijah had always kept his distance.
And I couldn’t bring myself to push it. Everyone comes out in their own time, and just because I had been comfortable and confident in my sexuality since I was fifteen didn’t mean everyone got so lucky.
So all these years, I’d struggled with unrequited feelings, but then we’d had that night out. We’d gotten fucked up, and when we met Audrey at the bar, both of us immediately wanted her.
And to my shock, when the drunken flirting had ensued, Elijah’s banter hadn’t just been extended to Audrey. Even so, I had kept my hands off until he grabbed my cock. I had chalked it up to the liquor, but as the night went on and things escalated, it was like Elijah had pulled back the curtain and I was getting a glimpse of his real feelings for the first time.
It had only been his hands, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities. Plus, I’d tasted his cock in return, and I wanted more.
The morning after, though, that curtain was right back in place, and Elijah had been avoiding me since.
But not for long. He’s flying back from London today, and while I can give Audrey a little space to process for now, while she gets to know me, I can only be so patient. So I’m done letting him hide from me.
Chapter Four
Elijah
Landing at home is normally a welcome relief, but today, the second I’m off that plane, I’m practically choked with dread. And as I’m standing in the baggage claim, waiting, every second brings with it more anxiety.
I’ve managed to spend enough time handling out-of-town business that I’ve barely seen Leon, and the time I have spent around him has been strictly at work, with other people around.
He’s tried to catch me, to talk about what happened that night, but I’ve successfully managed to dodge the topic. But I can tell that even Leon, one of the most deeply patient people I’ve ever met, is fed up.
But even now, I have no idea what to say. I’ve been trying to process what happened that night, and it’s been driving me insane.
That girl we met, Audrey, was fucking incredible, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. I’ve been trying to hunt her down, but from another country and without her last name, I haven’t gotten far. But regardless, I’ve tried to focus on her, to try and distract myself, but to no avail: I also haven’t been able to stop thinking about what happened between Leon and I.
In the moment, it had felt only natural, giving in to the desires I’d had for so long. And even after, all I can think about is how fucking right it felt to be with both of them. I’d thought we were just going to share her, but then things had escalated and I’d touched him, and…
Leon has never been shy about his sexuality, openly dating both men and women throughout the years I’ve known him. I had never liked any of the people he dated, and I told myself for years that it was just because he’s my friend and I just want the best for him.
Over the last few weeks, though picking it apart in my head, I wonder if I’ve actually been jealous this whole time.
There have been moments over the years that made me wonder if Leon wanted me, but he’s never pushed. But then, when I made that first move, it was like I’d finally given him permission. And it had been fucking incredible.
Which is what scares me.
A su
dden collision startles me out of my thoughts and I stumble. “Sorry!” a mortified-looking teenage boy looks up at me behind thick-rimmed glasses.
The poor gangly kid had tripped over untied shoelaces and knocked into me. “No worries, man,” I tell him with a friendly smile, and I watch the relief wash over him.
It makes me sad, telling me that the kid has dealt with a lot of people that weren’t so friendly. I remember what that was like. Between my dad and the assholes at school…
The kid runs off and my bag comes up on the carousel. I snag it and head outside to catch a cab, headed to the new office to drop off some paperwork before I head home.
On the ride, I realize that I’d never turned my phone back on after the flight. I power it back on and as it comes back to life, it buzzes with a few missed alerts. I scroll through, and I’m relieved to find that it’s mostly just e-mails.
But when I see a text from Leon, my heart starts pounding, and not just from fear.
While I’ve been too chickenshit to talk to him, I’ve missed him like crazy. I don’t have many friends, and none as close as Leon, so the past few weeks have been lonely.
I open his message and my stomach drops. Call me when you get this.
Texts like that are never a good thing. And while he’s kept some distance, I know he’s getting fed up with this shit.
I groan in frustration. What can I tell him? “Hey, buddy, I loved having your cock in my mouth while we fucked that beautiful girl, but I don’t know if I like dudes?”
I know I should call, but I can’t bring myself to do it yet. I decide to put it off at least until I’m done in the office and on my way home.
It’s late enough that the office appears to be empty. I know Leon probably wouldn’t be here, he’s still shifting things over from our old office, but it’s a relief all the same.
When I arrive in my office, I see that there are stacks of paperwork waiting for me, and I’m almost tempted to get a head-start on it, but I know that’s just me trying to keep avoiding Leon. I sit at the desk anyway, even though I haven’t even turned on the light, but even if I wanted to avoid it, that “call me” text is like a flashing red alert in my brain that won’t go away. I couldn’t concentrate on work if I wanted to.
Just One Night (Just Us Series Book 4) Page 2