by Pamela Yaye
“We can check out the exhibit another time. I want us to stay here and discuss our future.” His eyes filled with warmth as a soft smile lit the corners of his lips. “I know how to make things right for you and the baby.”
“You do?” Lines of confusion creased her forehead. “How? I don’t understand.”
Marcel took her hand, drawing her close. “Dominique, will you marry me?”
Chapter 15
A minute went by. Then another. Marcel felt as if there was a dark cloud hovering over them, and when Dominique moved away he felt the rebuke deeply. After their first date, he started thinking they could have something special, and knowing she was carrying his child made him want her even more.
“Listen, I know my proposal’s taken you by surprise, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I want to build a life with you and the baby.”
“Marcel, this is ludicrous. I can’t marry you. We only met a few months ago and—”
“And it doesn’t matter. You’re pregnant with my child, and as the father it’s my responsibility to take care of you.”
His words stunned her. Thirty-three-years ago, her mother had gotten pregnant with her, and to appease their irate families, her father had proposed. Now, she was in the same god-awful predicament. Only she wasn’t going to marry Marcel. “Let’s make one thing absolutely clear. I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m fully capable of taking care of myself and my child.”
“I never said you couldn’t.”
“Good.” The word shot out of her mouth like a ball from a cannon. “Because I’ve never had to depend on a man for anything, and I’m not about to start now.”
Marcel’s lips curled into a frown. He was hopeful for their future together. Why wasn’t she? Was it because she didn’t think he could take care of her? Or because there was someone else. Someone rich and successful waiting in the wings? Marcel thought of telling Dominique that he owned his condo. He thought of telling her that he had savings and investments, but he changed his mind. “I don’t get you,” he said, through clenched teeth. “You complain that there are no good men around, but here I am, trying to do right by you, and you’re pushing me away. Most women in your condition would be glad to have—”
“My condition?” Her eyebrows shot up. “I’m not running from the law, Marcel. I’m pregnant. It’s not the end of the world. And like I told you before, I can handle it.”
“Would you stop thinking about yourself for one minute and think about the baby? Our child is the product of a one-night stand. How do you think our son or daughter will feel when they discover that they were conceived in the back room of a spa?”
Silence fell between them. Rain beat violently against the bay windows, and lightning streaked across the sky.
“Love is not a decision, Marcel. It’s a feeling. We don’t love each other, so why in the world would we get married?”
“Because we’re having a child.” Marcel stepped forward. “Because there is something real and powerful between us that’s more than just physical.” He cupped her face in his palms. “And because I want my child to be raised in a loving, stable home.”
“Which is something we don’t have.”
He stayed the course. “Not yet, but we can. All I’m asking for is the opportunity to be a good father to our child—to be the kind of father my dad was to me.”
Dominique stared down at the carpet. Her heart was in turmoil, her thoughts scattered and as out of control as the storm raging outside. She’d underestimated his feelings for her, but that didn’t mean she believed his proposal was real. Men didn’t willingly relinquish their freedom. Not even modest, upstanding guys like Marcel Benoit. “I appreciate you wanting to do the right thing, but come on. Even you have to admit how crazy this sounds. Getting married after knowing each other for a couple of months is insane.”
“Sometimes circumstances force our hand and we’re required to make tough decisions. Where I come from, women don’t have babies out of wedlock. Men step up and take responsibilities for their actions, no matter how difficult it might be.”
“Marcel, this is not the 1950s. The days of men marrying women because they’re pregnant are over. In this country, plenty of single women have children and I’m fully prepared to have this child alone. I’d appreciate your help, and I’m open to sharing custody, but I’m not going to marry you. I married impetuously once, and I’m still trying to pick up the pieces. I won’t do it again. So, please don’t pressure me to.”
Marcel let her talk. It was obvious that she had a lot to get off her chest. Moisture gleamed across her forehead, and her hands shook as she spoke about her divorce. He wanted to hold her, wanted to brush the tears from her cheeks but feared she’d push him away. “Would you at least think about it?” he asked, when she paused to take a breath. “Dominique, I feel very strongly about this, and I want you to give it some more thought. Think about what’s best for the baby. Studies show that children raised with both parents do better in school, and excel in—”
“Just because we’re having a baby doesn’t mean we’re going to live happily ever after. We agreed to keep things casual, and that’s how it’s going to stay.”
His chest deflated. “Oh, I get it. I’m good enough to screw but not to marry.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. The fact that you won’t even consider my proposal speaks volumes. You’re not interested in being in a committed relationship, you want to have sex with whoever, whenever, as long as it’s on your terms.”
Dominique swallowed her retort. All right, he had her there. She liked sex—a lot—but so did he. Enjoying sex wasn’t a crime, so why did he make her sound so coldhearted? So unfeeling? Just because she wasn’t itching to tie the knot didn’t mean she was immoral, and she resented him implying that she was. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”
“I agree.” Marcel strode into the foyer, yanked open the door and stalked outside.
Her gaze slid over to the window. Unable to turn away, she watched him get into his car. As he drove off, Dominique wondered if and when she was going to see him again.
“What is the function of irreversible inhibitors?”
“Hell if I know,” said a male voice at the end of the elongated wood table. “I smuggled in a cheat sheet to the last exam, and I still failed!”
At the sound of his classmates’ raucous laughter, Marcel snapped back to reality. Staring down at his textbook, he scanned the introductory page of chapter seventeen for the correct answer. Nothing he read made sense. He’d been preoccupied all week, and if he didn’t get his act together he was going to flunk his certification exam.
Marcel closed his eyes. Lifting his head, he allowed the sunshine streaming through the windows in the student lounge to melt away his stress. I’m four weeks pregnant. There’s no mistake. It’s your child. The words reverberated in his head, and try as he might, he couldn’t get them out. Thoughts of Dominique kept creeping in. He pictured her now, sitting behind her desk at First Centennial Trust, looking sleek and sophisticated in one of her cashmere designer suits. It wasn’t her model-pretty looks or tantalizing shape that captivated him; it was her personality. She was passionate about life, loved mingling and meeting people and was the most energetic woman he had ever met. He had a high opinion of Dominique King, and nothing—not even an unplanned pregnancy—was going to change how he felt about her. If anything, it made him admire her even more.
His thoughts raced, and when he remembered what Dominique said last Saturday in her living room, his fingers clenched into a fist. Just because we’re having a baby doesn’t mean we’re going to live happily ever after. We agreed to keep things casual, and that’s how they’re going to stay.
Marcel slammed his textbook closed. Now was not the time for them to “keep things casual.” Dominique was carrying his child—his first born. And that meant the world to him. It mean more to him than she would ever know.
When he got outside of the Banan Engineering Building, he flipped open his cell phone and punched in Will’s number. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”
“I can’t complain.” As usual, his best friend sounded jovial. “What’s with the somber tone? The mafia’s not after you, are they?”
Marcel didn’t laugh. “It’s not something I want to discuss over the phone. Can you meet me at Fuel Pub in an hour?”
“I have a better idea. Be at Qwest Field at 6:00 p.m. Thalia’s father has a luxury suite box and invited all the groomsmen to watch the game.”
“I don’t think I should. I have a lot going on right now, and I’d be horrible company.”
“You’ve gotta come. The whole gang will be there.” His voice deepened to a conspiratorial whisper. “Did I mention that all of the food and drinks are free? You can have as many beers and steak burgers as you want, and it won’t cost you a thing.”
Marcel’s ears perked up. He’d only ever been to one football game, but he still remembered how delicious the food tasted. And besides, going to the football game was a good idea. For the past week, he’d been consumed with thoughts of Dominique, and it was time he got out of this funk and came up with a plan. “All right. Quit twisting my arm. I’m on my way.”
An hour later, Marcel sank into one of the plush leather seats in luxury suite B.
Comfortable, he popped the tab on his beer and took a long gulp. “This is just what the doctor ordered. It’s been a long time since I had an ice-cold beer. And I needed one bad.”
“It’s obvious,” Will said, frowning at him. “You look like you haven’t slept for days.”
“I haven’t.”
“Are you still stressing out about that certification exam?”
Cheers erupted in the box. Marcel glanced out to the field just in time to see the team jog out of the tunnel. Being in the skybox provided an amazing view, and the energy in the stadium was electric. Marcel wasn’t much of a football fan, but since this was the venue Will had chosen and he needed some advice, he said, “I’m not stressing about the exam. I’m dealing with something real personal, something that’s going to change my life forever.”
“Whatever it is it can’t be that bad. You don’t have an incurable disease, and you don’t have any baby mama drama, so take it easy.”
Marcel’s throat burned when he coughed in response to his best friend’s statement.
“Could you hurry up and get to whatever’s bothering you?” Will asked, stuffing a cheese ball into his mouth. “Halftime’s almost over, and I promised Thalia I’d call her at—”
“Dominique’s pregnant.” The words came out of his mouth with a gush. Silence fell across the room, and everything came to a halt. Marcel glanced up from his beer and noticed that everyone was staring at him. Will’s eyes were wide, his mouth wide open and his shoulders were hunched. His best friend looked genuinely surprised and so did all the other groomsmen. “She told me last week when I was at her house.”
“You knocked up that fine-ass masseuse?” Tobias asked, shuffling over from the bar. “The one who works at Destination Wellness? Damn, I’ve been sweating her for weeks. I didn’t know she was your girl.”
“That makes two of us.” Caesar chuckled. “Dude, are you sure the kid is yours? I watch Maury every day, and I’ve seen some real grimy chicks pull stunts on nice guys.”
All of the groomsmen nodded fervently.
“I hate to agree with the kid, but he’s right. This chick could be running a game on you. You know, pawning her kid off on you because you’re a better catch than the biological father. Be careful, Marcel. As a lawyer, I see these kinds of cases on a daily basis.”
“It’s my baby,” he said, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “Dominique has no reason to lie about me being the father. She’s a successful career woman who doesn’t need a dime from me. In fact, she turned down my proposal and—”
“Proposal!” The men erupted in groans and curses.
“What did you do that for? Haven’t you learned anything from hanging out with us?” Tobias turned toward the group. “Fellas, what do you do when a woman tells you she’s pregnant?”
“Deny, deny, deny!” they chanted, their voices loud and strong.
Tobias beamed with pride. “See, you’re supposed to demand a DNA test. Not get down on bended knee and pledge your everlasting love.”
“You know what your problem is?” Kevin asked, from his position at the bar. “You’re a nice guy whose always been a sucker for a sob story.”
Marcel was quick to respond. “I was raised in poverty, so I know what it feels like to be in need. If I can give someone in trouble a helping hand, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“You wear your heart on your sleeve, and that makes you easy prey for gold diggers. And this Dominique chick is no different.”
“She’s not that kind of girl.”
“That’s what you said about Sarita and all the other girls you’ve spent money on over the years. If you don’t want to be taken to the cleaners again then you better toughen up.”
“Kevin, stay out of my business. I don’t need your advice.”
“Aiight! But don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
“Can we get back to the game?” Tobias asked, cutting in. “All this talk about pregnancy and babies is killing my buzz!”
The play clock blared. Action resumed on the football field, and everyone returned to the game. Marcel shook his head. How could Will be friends with a bunch of such heartless guys?
“I know you’re hurting, but you really dropped the ball on this one, man.”
“Will, I could do without the lecture. I know what I’m doing.”
“Really? It sure doesn’t look like it.” He put down his beer. “Do you know why I encouraged you to get with Dominique? Because I thought dating her would boost your confidence. Jumping into another serious relationship is a huge mistake.”
“I’m not jumping into anything.” He thought for a moment, then said, “I know I’ve been with a lot of women over the years, but the feelings I have for Dominique are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. This is the real thing, man.”
“Do you love her?”
For the first time since arriving at the skybox, Marcel smiled. “I can’t even put my feelings for her into words. This is beyond love. I feel like fate brought us together, and I want her to be my wife more than anything.”
“Man, now you’re talking crazy.”
“I’m trying to take responsibility for my actions, and I won’t let you or anyone else discourage me from doing what I know in my heart is right.”
“And you’re sure the baby’s yours?”
Marcel ignored the question. He wasn’t surprised the groomsmen had come down hard on him, but it bothered him that Will—the one person he thought he could trust—wasn’t in his corner. “What would you have done if Thalia got pregnant while you were dating?”
Will stood. “I’m going to go grab another beer. You want one?”
“Come on. Be straight up with me. What would you have done?”
“I would have done the right thing and married her,” he confessed, shifting in his seat. “But don’t tell the guys. I have an image to uphold. You know how it is.”
Both men chuckled.
“I can always count on you for a good laugh.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
“Thanks for listening, man. You give terrible advice, but your heart’s in the right place.”
Will leaned over and clapped a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “I’m going to give you the same advice my pops gave me when Thalia left me last year.” His face hardened with determination. “If you want that girl then go get her!”
Chapter 16
The hands on the grandfather clock were moving so slow that Dominique was sure the stupid thing was broken. It was Thanksgiving evening, and after spending the past six hours at her mother’s house Dominique was anxious to go home. She was tired of listening to her cousins yap and could think of a hundred things she’d rather do than talk about how trifling black men were.
Straightening in her seat at the dining-room table, she searched the main floor for her mom. Dominique hated feigning sickness, but she knew an upset stomach would buy her a one-way ticket home. It wasn’t a complete lie. Every time her uncle Lloyd pounded out “Over the River and Through the Woods” on the piano, she did feel sick.
“Hello? Hello? Anyone home?” Val waved her hands in front of Dominique’s face.
Surfacing from her thoughts, Dominique turned toward her first cousin. When she last tuned out, the single mother was describing the perfect ebony male in scrupulous detail. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Are you still planning to go to Florida for Christmas?”
“It depends on how busy things are at the spa,” she said. “I really need to get away, so I’m going to try hard to make it happen.”
Nina sighed. “What I wouldn’t do to be single again. Don’t get me wrong. I love my kids and I wouldn’t trade being a mom for anything, but it’s a tough, thankless job. And shouldering the financial burden isn’t easy either.”
“You have beautiful children and a nice house. That’s more than I’ve got,” Aubrey grumbled, putting more pumpkin pie into her mouth. “I’ve been with Roderick for years, but he still hasn’t popped the question. I’ll be forty soon and—”
Dominique felt sorry for her cousins. She was shocked to hear how callously their boyfriends treated them. The conversation turned to celebrity gossip, but her thoughts were still on Marcel and the baby. He was thrilled about becoming a father and was so desperate for them to be a family that he’d proposed on the spot. She enjoyed his company and loved spending time with him, but marriage was out of the question.