Have My Baby

by Stella Adeyemi

  Catching her thoughts, she looked up at her husband. Her lips widened into a bigger curve as she tightened the knot on her husband’s tie.

  “What smile?” she asked innocently.

  “You know the smile I’m talking about. The kind that says, I am absolutely happy.”

  “The last time I checked, that wasn’t a bad thing now, was it?”

  “And the last time I checked, I never said it was. I love seeing that smile on your face, my love. It tells me I’m doing something right.”

  Just because he looked so adorable and handsome that morning, she rose on her tiptoe and kissed his lips.

  “You are doing everything right. Although, there is just one thing that could be made better…”

  She settled into a pout, wanting to try her manipulation once more. Oh, but the man knew her so well. He was so in tune with her that he caught her before she even began.

  “You are nor going to Miami with me, Keisha. I don’t want you traveling with the baby. Besides, who is going to take care of the company while I’m away? Ma is gone on that vacation she’s always wanted.”

  She took the edge of the suit he had just shrugged into and snuggled closer, rubbing him with her boobs. She didn’t care. This was war, and she was going to use every ammunition she had to win.

  “It’s cold these nights, babe. With Spring settling in. Who’s gonna keep us warm at nights when we are apart from each other.”

  Kane chuckled, seeing through her antics.

  “The comforter, the heater? I’m only going to be gone for a week, babe. Just a week and Ill be back. There’s no point having you make that trip. Best believe, I am going to be thinking about you every nanosecond of the day. I’ll miss you like crazy.”

  Knowing that she had lost the fight, again, she surrendered with a sigh and lifted her lips for a kiss. He still made every part of her tingle whenever he kissed her. It was a feeling she could never get over.

  Her toes uncurled as she pulled away. “And I’ll miss you even more. Call me.”

  “Always,” he promised.

  Nothing more was said as she gave him his suitcase and they walked out of the house. Soon, she was waving at the car, rolling away from her, and the feeling she had been trying to get off her chest only grew stronger.

  Something terribly wrong was about to happen, and it scared her not knowing what it was.

  ******

  “You aren’t coming back anytime soon, are you?”

  “I don’t know, girl. I finally get to go on a vacation… I’m taking my time, you best believe it. Not to mention that the kids are so happy here and oh, Chris is the sweetest. He’s so attentive and sweet and uuugghhhh… I like that man!”

  Keisha giggled at her friend. Jordyn and Chris had been an item officially for four months now, and they were having their first vacation together in Hawaii. She had never seen her friend happier. She was glowing and Keisha knew that it wasn’t just like that was causing that glow. Only a woman in love, who knew she was loved in return, glowed that way.

  “Yeah. You sure like that man. Anyway, there’s no rush, baby. You earned this time off. You’ve been working too hard since forever and I am glad that you are having fun. Just have enough for two, and send my love to Chris and the kids.”

  “Oh, they’ll get it. How’re you holding up? How’s my little goddaughter doing?”

  The thought of the life growing inside of her made her smile, and she absentmindedly rubbed her stomach.

  “She’s being a good girl for mummy. I just hope the next pregnancy will be as easy as this one.”

  “Ooohh girl, already thinking of having another one when this one hasn’t dropped? You guys must be going at it like rabbits, eh? Oh well, I'm a tell you this, pregnancies are unpredictable, so make sure you catch your breath before trying another one out, okay?”

  “Jordyn, they are children, not shoeeess!” she cried in mock dismay.

  “Oh well…” Jordyn shrugged and left the words hanging. “How’s the daddy to be anyway, he’s still not back yet?”

  Remembering Kane, she released a deep sigh. He had been gone for two weeks now, and it didn’t seem like he was coming back anytime soon.

  “Not yet. Still a couple of things he needs to do, he says. They are getting closer to catching the criminals. People are beginning to panic. A few managers have just dropped off the radar. There’s tension. He can’t leave now. I understand. These things have a way of going beyond plans.”

  “Look at you girl, all understanding and mature. Anyway, I am certain he misses you as much as you miss him, and he’s gonna come home to you the moment he gets a chance.”

  She knew that. “I know.”

  “Good. So, let me see that frown gone and a good smile back in its place.”

  And of course, her lips, completely acting on their own, spread widely.

  “Yup. That’s my girl…”

  She lost the rest of Jordyn’s words as a knock sounded on her door.

  “Yes, who’s it?”

  “It’s Fey, Mrs. Wells. Someone just dropped off a package for you.”

  A package? That was strange, she wasn’t expecting anything.

  “Jordyn, I gotta go know. Lunch hour is almost over, anyway. Thank you for the call. I love you, kisses.”

  As soon as the call ended, she called out to Fey, her P.A.

  As Kane was away, she had taken his seat in his absence and Fey was one of the other secretaries Keisha had picked to help her until Kane’s return.

  “You may come in.”

  The door opened and the beautiful half Asian girl stepped in with a brown envelope in her hand. The moment Keisha set her eyes on it, that nagging feeling of something going wrong began to stir in the pit of stomach, once more.

  She did not like it. She did not like it, one bit.

  “Who dropped this off?” she asked as she received the envelope from her.

  “The mailman.”

  “Mailman?” she searched the envelope for a return address… “This is from Miami. That’s strange, Kane didn’t tell me he was sending anything.”

  Shrugging, she looked up the girl who was still waiting to be dismissed.

  “Thank you, Fey. I’ll see to this.”

  Nodding, the girl took her cue to leave. Fey was about three years younger than Keisha, and she reminded her of when she just started working in the company. Fey was just as enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking – qualities to be appreciated in any individual.

  As soon as the doors closed behind Fey, curiosity got the best of Keisha and she tore the envelope, too impatient to do it more carefully.

  Yet, as the contents came falling over her table, Keisha wished with all her heart that she had taken her time, or better still, not opened the envelope at all.

  ****

  She would not think about it. Nope, she wouldn’t. Not at all. If she did, she would just fall apart all over again and she could not afford to. She just couldn’t. She heard the door to her room open, but she did not even bother looking up to see who it was. She just kept on struggling with the zip of her luggage.

  “Keisha? My love?”

  What was she doing here? Oh Jordyn. Keisha never should have called her. But she had been unable to do anything else after seeing what she had seen.

  “Keisha, look at me,” Jordyn commanded, shaking her slightly. Too weak to resist or struggle, she turned slowly and raised her head to look at her friend.

  Jordyn’s eyes widened and her face bled horror. Keisha could not blame her. Her reaction had been just the same when she had seen her reflection in the mirror that morning. Her hair was no better than a horn’s nest. Her eyes were swollen red from crying, her cheeks were just as puffy. And the only reason why she had eaten anything in the past two days, was her baby. She could not afford to starve her precious little one.

  “My goodness. For how long have you been crying?”

  How did one respond to that, anyway? Saying nothing, she simp
ly welcomed her friend’s embrace, and sobbed quietly on her shoulders, as she drew in the comfort from the hug.

  Keisha did not know how long they stood there. An hour? Two? All that she knew was that Jordyn said nothing. She simply kept quiet and let her cry it all out. It was good. It felt good. And by the time she pulled away, her heart was rid of a significant ton of weight.

  “You came back, for me.” Jordyn would go to the ends of the world for her, she knew this. Yet, the wonder crept into her voice.

  “How could I not? Hawaii will always be there, so why should I miss the chance to come be with my sister? Chris sends his love, by the way.”

  Her eyes widened in panic. “Did you tell him? If you did, he will tell Kane. I’m not ready to talk to him about it just yet.”

  “No, I didn’t tell him. I only told him you were ill and I didn’t feel good, knowing you were alone.”

  Keisha nodded. “Thank you, Jordyn. How’s Justin?”

  “He’s fine. I dropped him off at grandma’s before coming here. Are you ready to leave? You can stay at my place for as long as you want.”

  The plan had been to check into a hotel until she got back on her feet. Then, she would find a place and settle in. She had not been expecting Jordyn to cut her trip short and come running back two days after she broke the news to her. Her parents wouldn’t turn her away, of course, Keisha was too embarrassed to face them. As for the company, she had put Dallas in charge, claiming an illness.

  “I don’t want to be a bother, J.D”

  “Are you for real now? Has the pain messed with your head? You, a bother? As if. You can stay as long as you want, dear, but you know you can’t put this off for too long. You’ll have to tell the truth at some point. Besides, whoever sent those photos to you is sure capable of sending them to the press.”

  “I’m not ready to talk to him yet,” she croaked.

  There was a long pause. “Can I see them? The pictures?”

  “Of course, they are there… on the table.”

  Jordyn rose and by the time she returned, she had the pictures in her hands. Keisha looked away. She didn’t want to see them. She had stared at them so hard they were imprinted in her memory, already. There was no way she could ever get them out. She knew this.

  She would live with the proof of Kane’s betrayal for the rest of her life, and it would hurt her for that long.

  “I can’t believe he would pull a stunt like this. He seemed so genuine. I mean, we all saw it, Keisha. That guy is crazy about you. No way he would hurt you like this. There’s got to be some explanation.”

  “Well, I don’t know about loving me. But I know pictures don’t lie.”

  If she had been told, if she had heard it from somewhere… she might have doubted, still held on to the trust she had for him. But how did one go against their own sight?

  It all made sense now. Why he didn’t want her to go with him. Why the trip was taking longer… he was simply fraternizing with his lover in Miami and the bitch had the guts to rub it in her face.

  It probably wouldn’t have hurt as much if it were some other woman. This was Rachel. The Bimbo who he had dated for almost a year. Four months longer than the others, and she had not been too happy after the breakup. She had come by the office a few times, but Kane had refused to grant her audience after the first two times.

  She had suddenly stopped coming. She was the last one Kane had dated and Keisha had assumed that that chapter was well closed. Apparently, she had been wrong.

  She stared hard and long at the silver band on her finger. Tearing her heart from her chest, she pulled it off and dropped it on the table. This marriage, it was over. For good.

  “Let’s go home, J.D. I can’t stay in this house, any longer.”

  There was a fond memory everywhere she looked. It was messing with her head. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

  Rising to her feet, Jordyn replied. “Alright. Let’s do that.”

  Chapter 13

  When push came to shove, it was easy to tell what really mattered and what did not. This was the thought Kane had in mind as he found himself racking up speed tickets, driving like a mad man, in a quest to get to the woman he love.

  These past weeks, he had stayed back in Miami, believing that he couldn’t leave, despite how much he missed his woman. Yet, the moment he had gotten that call… that call that had sent a cold shiver down his spine, he had dropped everything else and gotten on the next available flight to Colorado, too impatient to wait for the jet.

  And at the airport, he had told his chauffeur to take a cab home, for he couldn’t just sit still while someone else drove him. Every second was precious. Every single second.

  When Keisha had told him about her ill health two days ago, he had instantly gotten worried and offered to come back home. She had assured him that her parents would take care of her, and he didn’t have to drop anything. Nevertheless, he had began to plan to make a trip back by the weekend.

  Then today, Maria the housekeeper, had told him that Keisha had left home that morning with her friend, and she had left her ring on the bedside table. Keisha never took off her ring. She had not taken it off since the day he slipped it onto her figure. There was no way she could have dropped it mistakenly or forgotten it.

  Everything had started to come together then. Her stopping work, her coldness on phone, her leaving – all of which he had simply attributed to her illness. The bigger picture they had all come together to form, had told him this was more than just the flu.

  His house was on fire and his marriage was in danger. He could not afford that. He refused to sit and watch it burn to the ground. Losing Keisha was not an option for him. Whatever this was, they were going to fix it. Then, he could get mad at her for giving up too easily.

  She would feel guilty and apologize, then they would have hot makeup sex and everything would be fine once again. The thought made him smile. All will be well.

  He was out of the car the instant he parked in front of J.D’s house. Whether he ran or not, he wasn’t sure. All that he knew was that it took him no more than five strides to cross the lawn and get to her door.

  His heart was beating wildly as he knocked. Once. Twice. Thrice. As soon as the door came open, he demanded.

  “Where’s she?”

  Jordyn said nothing. She simply stood back, crossed her arms and stared him down.

  “You sure have a lot of guts coming down here, all demanding like you’ve got a right. Talkin' bout, ‘where is she?’” she mimicked with a croaked voice, making quote marks in the air.

  “What are you talking about? She’s my wife. I have a right to see her.”

  “Oh, your wife. You didn’t seem to remember that while you were all cozied up with that Bimbo.”

  What the hell was she talking about.

  “What Bimbo? Cozy with who? What are you going on about? I just want to see my wife and find out why she left our matrimonial home and her wedding ring.”

  Jordyn stared at him, long and hard, as though sizing him up. Finally, she let up a bit and asked,

  “You really don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”

  “Isn’t that obvious? I have no freaking idea! That’s why I’m here. I came rushing down the moment I heard she left home.” He was beyond exasperated. He simply wanted to see his woman. Yet, he knew he couldn’t risk trying to get around J.D. She was like mother hen guiding her chick. He was the hawk, and obviously, he must have done something to deserve the label.

  “Huh. Well, wait here. I’ll be right back.”

  Before he could say anything, the door was shut in his face. Unable to do anything else, he waited, hoping that he would see Keisha the next time the door opened. If he could just see her…

  The door came open right then and his heart fell when he came face to face with the mother hen once again.

  “There. That’s what you did, Mr. Playboy Sweetheart…”

  Jordyn had only ever been nice to him. If
she was acting this way… he grabbed the pictures she was holding out to him. As he started to look at them, the color drained completely from his face, leaving him as pale as sheet.

  There were about ten pictures of him in bed, and apparently, with Rachel Moore. It was his hotel room in Miami. He had been unable to get a room in Hilton last minute, and had opted for some other hotel, Visierge. In these pictures, he was topless, in bed, like he slept most nights, and very very asleep.

  Then, there was Rachel, in nothing but her underwear, curled up around him. Placing kisses all over him, and making sure to display his wedding ring. It was easy to put two and two together.

  He had been set up. Rachel. Damn Rachel! She had been trying to get back together with him since the breakup. She had even come on stronger after his marriage and of course, he had thought it best to keep it away from Keisha. He had thought he was handling it well enough on his own.

  He had no interest in her and he had never failed to make it clear. They had run into each other at the lounge in the hotel and she had asked to share a drink. He hadn’t seen any harm in doing that. They weren’t enemies, so he had obliged her. She had tried to come on to him, but once again, he had turned her down. Not wanting to cause a scene, he had simply finished up the drink she had bought for him and went up to his room.

  He had no recollection of having anyone by his side that night. But apparently, she had gotten into his room. Somehow, someway, and he would get to the bottom of it. It was also quite apparent that she had drugged him, for he was a light sleeper and there was no way he could have slept through all of that.

  Christ, thinking about it now, he felt violated, but he wouldn’t press charges. He would get evidence of the truth and issue a serious warning. That would get the message across. Of course, she would also have to apologize to Keisha.

  God, Keisha. He knew what this looked like. He could only imagine the pain and betrayal she must be going through. And to think today had started out great.

  “I know you probably don’t believe me,” he said as he finished narrating his side of the story to Jordyn. “but it’s exactly as it is. I’ll have a look into the hotel’s surveillance and fish out the incompetent staff who gave her the spare key to my room. I’m going to prove my innocence. In the meanwhile, please, just let me talk to her. I can’t imagine her state of mind at this moment, let me make it right.”