by Lacey Silks
“It’s a gift, and I’m sure it will pass as soon as the baby’s born.”
“You’ll have your hands full, won’t you?”
“Yeah, I think so. It scares me a little.”
“If you need someone to take over the diaper duty, I volunteer.”
I looked at him from the side, my smile stretching as wide as possible without spitting out the hot dog.
“That’s the sweetest offer ever. I may have to take you up on that. Just when I think there’s nothing you can say to surprise me, you do.”
“I’ll consider it as practice for my future kids.”
“Aha! I knew you were using me,” I nudged him in the side. “But I didn’t know you wanted kids.”
“Of course I do. Gotta pass these good looks onto someone, right?” He stretched his arms, wrapping one of them around me.
I laughed, almost spitting the last bite out.
“Axel, you do know how much I value your friendship, right?”
“And I value yours.”
“If I ever do anything to ruin it, smack me over my head.”
“Nope, sorry. Can’t do that. I don’t hit women. Besides, there’s nothing you could do to ruin it.”
“I don’t know. I have an unusual talent for attracting jerks and assholes.”
“Are you trying to tell me something?” He squeezed my shoulder.
“No, silly. Since I met you, I’ve had nothing but goodness fill my life.”
“That’s a really good thing.”
“Yeah, it is. And now nature’s calling, so if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
“Apparently this bladder thing is supposed to get worse because your expanding uterus puts more pressure on the organ.”
“Have you been reading up on pregnancy?”
He opened the side of his jacket where he’d stuck a few pamphlets. “I picked these up at the doctor’s office.”
“You never cease to amaze me.” I shook my head and leaned down to kiss him on his cheek before leaving.
“See you soon,” he called out.
I crossed the lawn toward the public restrooms, looking back once toward the bench where I’d left Axel. He was right. I’d needed a day off more than I realized, and I made a mental note to take a few more breaks than I had been allowing myself to have. Besides, I bet the baby’s growth was stimulated when I was exposed to different surroundings, and my mind was stimulated by intelligent people like Axel.
It felt like my bladder would never empty, and the moment I pulled my jeans up, I wanted to go to the bathroom again. I washed my hands, fixed my wind-blown hair, and stepped outside.
As soon as my foot touched the pavement I wanted to crawl back into the darkest corner of the washroom. Leaning against a tree was none other than Dwayne. I whipped my body around, seeking an escape, but it was too late.
“Not so fast.” He grabbed me by my shoulder, dragging me inside the men’s bathroom. I took a deep breath of smelly piss inside my lungs, getting ready to scream, but he clasped his hand over my mouth before my vocal chords even got a chance to warm up.
The hand that was on my shoulder grabbed my hair into a clump, and he shoved me against the wall beside the urinals.
“Beat it!” he said to the two guys who I bet finished their business way before being empty and zipped up. Dwayne then turned to me, saying, “Where’s my money, bitch?”
“I’m working on it.”
He squeezed my jaw between his fingers, deforming my mouth before sliding his hand lower to my throat. My airway was constricted under the pressure of his fingers, and with each passing second, it was more difficult to breathe.
“Ten thousand isn’t easy to make.”
“It was easy enough for you to spend. And it’s fifteen now.”
Of course it was.
“The guy duped me. I had it, but he duped me. I was set up by your man, and you know it.”
I should have known that stepping inside that bar was a mistake, but I had no other choice. That night, I hoped that my luck would turn for the better – and it did when I met Axel and he stopped me from jumping – but a few hours earlier, it had sailed away on the boat to I don’t give a shit about you. I’d played a few rounds of poker while in college, even made some good money online, so I knew when someone was cheating. That didn’t change the fact that the asshole gripping my throat chose to make his own luck, and bet on the barman who worked for him.
Dwayne brought his stinky breath closer to my face. “I don’t give a fuck. You owe me.”
My vision was beginning to go black, and in my mind I begged him to let go for the baby’s sake. My arms were tingling, and the lightheadedness increased. Not my baby. Please not my baby.
“I want my—”
And then the pressure eased. I slumped against the wall down to the floor, both my hands resting on my stomach. My vision was filled with nothing but darkness and dancing hot dogs. Curse words echoed from a distance and someone lifted me up. I was pretty sure it was Axel, but the world was spinning around me and I found it difficult to concentrate. My throat ached and my lungs burned for more air. Each time I tried to breathe, all I inhaled was the smell of urine, and that did not help. As soon as we were outside, he set me down on the grass. His mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear the words. I just kept repeating, “My baby,” over and over again.
Slowly, the world was coming back to me. Axel was coming back to me.
“You’re here.”
“I am. Are you okay? Is anything hurting?”
“I… I don’t know.” I brought my hand to my throat and shifted my neck to each side. “I need water.”
“Does anyone have any water?” By that time a circle of onlookers had gathered around us. A mother holding a young boy by the hand passed me a bottle.
“Thank you,” Axel replied, opening the cap.
I never had water which tasted that good in my life.
“Better?” He asked.
I nodded, and turned to the woman with the boy, thanking them.
“Come on. I’ll take you to the hospital to get checked out.”
Axel helped me up and guided me under his arm toward the parking lot.
“Where is he?”
“Dwayne? You’ll never see him again, Chloe. I promise.”
“I owe him money.”
“Dwayne is scum, and if he values his life, he’ll stay away. I bet you were swindled out of that ten grand.”
“Apparently it’s fifteen now, and I was, but nobody would believe me.”
“When did this happen?”
“That night I met you.”
Just before I went up to that party and climbed onto the railing.
“For fuck’s sake. Dwayne is lucky he’s already gone.”
“How do you know his name? You know him?
“Yeah, you could say that. From my previous life.” I was willing to bet that Axel knew just about everyone. Or maybe everyone knew Axel. My head hurt. As we got in the car and Axel grasped the steering wheel, I noticed that his right hand was red and his knuckles looked bruised.
“You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Did you threaten him with the gun you have stashed in the back of your pants?”
“You saw that?”
I nodded.
Axel reached behind his back, removed the gun and hid it in a compartment between the seats. I wondered how comfortable it was sitting in a car seat with that piece of metal jutting into your spine. My head was still spinning, and something was off.
“Axel?”
“Yes?”
“I need to throw up.”
The hot dogs came up all at once, and all settled nicely in Axel’s lap.
Chapter 11
“I’m so sorry,” I rummaged through my purse, desperate to find a cloth or some tissues — anything to get the vomit off his lap.
Axel pulled over to a parking lot. If I were him, I’d turn on my heel
and never look back again, but he stepped out of his car and burst out in laughter. Once the laughing fit passed, he lowered his head and looked at me, “How are you feeling?”
“Awful. I’m so sorry.”
“No, I didn’t mean about me. Don’t worry about this. How are you feeling from the attack?”
“I’m okay. Still a little woozy.”
“Ok, good.” He then pulled out his phone and called Charlie, his limo driver¸ to bring a change of clothes to the hospital and for someone to come get the soiled car. He then sat back down in the half-digested hot dogs and drove to the hospital. We rolled the windows down on the way there. I covered my mouth and nose by pulling the neck of my sweater over my nose while Axel drove in the stench of my vomit. If I ever had any doubts about the depth of our friendship, they vanished that afternoon.
“Is this a new car?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s just a car.”
“But it’s expensive. I don’t think you’ll ever get the smell out.” I wasn’t a car expert, but I believed it was a Jaguar, though the only way I knew that was because of the animal statue on its hood.
“Don’t worry about it, Chloe.”
“Did I say you never cease to amaze me? Because you just did. I can’t believe you drove me, in my own vomit, to the hospital.”
“No big deal. Any friend would have done that.”
“Well, you’re the best of all the friends I have.”
“It’s because I’m the only friend you have.”
He was right. It had been almost two months since I’d left home, and Axel was in fact the only friend I had in New York. I was certain that Axel was my personal guardian angel.
“Let’s get you registered,” he said.
“Axel, if you walk in the hospital covered in vomit, they’ll just send you out.”
“Charlie’s not here yet.”
“Let me go in, and you can join me after you’re cleaned.”
“I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“I won’t be alone. There are doctors and nurses there.”
“Hold on.” He removed the phone from his pocket and typed something quickly.
“Okay, I’ll see you inside. Dr. Lee will be ready for you in five minutes.”
“Do you know everybody?”
“No, but Dr. Lee owes me a favor, so I’m just collecting on my debt.” He winked. I wondered when I’d need to pay for everything that Axel had done for me, but I had a feeling that he wasn’t exactly counting.
Once inside, Dr. Lee had a nurse take my blood, measure my blood pressure, and then went on with a full examination to ensure my baby was okay, including an ultrasound. Axel came in just as the image of the tiny baby in my uterus came into view. Its arms and legs were already visible, and my heart squeezed.
“Is that him?” I asked, awestruck. “Or her, I mean.”
“Yes, that’s the baby. The heartbeat sounds fine, and everything looks normal. I’d recommend taking a few days off to rest so that your body can recuperate from the shock. Stress is one of the greatest dangers while pregnant. I gave you some medicine to reduce the nausea, and I’ll give you a prescription as well. The first trimester is the most difficult. Your body is going through a lot of physical changes, getting used to supporting this little human. It should get better within the next few weeks, though.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Lee.”
“You’re welcome.”
Axel sat beside me, holding my hand, with his jaw wide open. As soon as the doctor cleared me and left the room, his fingers touched my neck. From the painful look on his face, I knew that the red marks from Dwayne’s squeeze were still there.
“It will heal,” I whispered. “I was more worried about the baby.”
“Okay. Let’s get you home.”
Axel drove me back to the apartments, walked me upstairs, and insisted that I sit and put my feet up. Once he was thoroughly satisfied that I was comfortable, he rolled up his sleeves and got busy in the kitchen. While I hadn’t realized that he would be staying, I felt too tired to ask him to leave. And truthfully, I didn’t want him to leave. I felt not only safe with him around, but also at peace. Soon enough, a delicious aroma drifted from the kitchen.
“Do you think you can stomach a chicken noodle soup?” he asked.
“You can cook?”
“Google does wonders.”
I was sure Axel’s cooking talent was way more than following a recipe.
“Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do.” His face was somber, and his bright mood had definitely taken a turn for the worse.
“Axel, what’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I should have never agreed to such a tight deadline on the apartments.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“Sure it is. The doctor said you need rest and to take care of your body, and here you are working from early morning until late night.”
“I love my work. I love that you believed in me and let me prove myself to you.”
“You don’t need to prove yourself to me, Chloe. You never have to. I’m an asshole. From now on, no deadlines. You only work when you feel well. If you’re nauseous, you stay in bed. If you’re tired, you call it a day. There’s no way I’m going to jeopardize your health like that, and I won’t take no for an answer.”
“Wow, way to use that whip.”
“I’m serious, Chloe. This won’t change your pay or any of the contractual obligations. I know how good you are, and you’re the only one I want.”
“What?”
“Interior designer. I can’t imagine having anyone else working for me.”
Oh, that’s what he meant.
“So please promise me that you won’t push yourself too hard.”
“Wait.” I scrunched my forehead. “Are you trying to extend the time it takes me to finish these units just so that I have a job?”
“No – believe me, when you’re done, and if you’re up for it, I have a few other buildings for you to redecorate. In fact, I already have another project for you; if you’d like it, that is. And only when you’re feeling better.”
“You do?”
“This isn’t a temporary position, Chloe. I have enough acquisitions to keep you busy for a while. Besides, if you manage to furnish and decorate them all, I have a lot of contacts who I’m sure would love to use your services. Have you thought about getting business cards? How about a website showcasing your skills?”
“Thank you, but running an official business sounds overwhelming. I’m down for business cards, but anything more will go right over my head. Besides, in a few months, I’ll have a baby to think about.”
“Let me take care of the business side of things for you, then. You just take care of that baby and yourself, and keep on decorating. When my clients see your work, they’ll never want to lease anywhere else again.”
I reached out to him and wrapped my arms around him.
“Thank you, Axel. I love” – I stopped before the words slipped out of my mouth – “that you’re my friend.”
“Me too, Chloe. Me too. Now finish that soup before it gets cold, okay? Maybe next week I can show you the new project. But only when you’re ready.”
“Sounds good.”
I’d never had chicken soup this delicious, and I was pretty sure that the sounds coming out of my mouth were enough to tell Axel just how good a cook he really was.
Axel took care of me for the remainder of the day. He pampered me with his cooking, we watched a movie, and we talked about his new multi-million dollar acquisition on Long Island. I had another nap, and when I woke up, there was a freshly baked apple crumble in the kitchen. My stomach did a happy flip flop.
“Where did you get the apples?”
“I sent Charlie to the market.”
I laughed. “Poor Charlie,
having to follow your commands.”
“Commands?”
“Charlie, pick up my fresh clothes, wash the vomit from my car, pick up Chloe, get me some apples from the market.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
“Yes.”
He seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Do you think I overwork him as well?”
“I’m not sure what Charlie’s hours are like, but from what I’ve seen, it’s possible.”
“Okay, noted.” He looked at his watch. “I wish I could stay here with you, but I do have a late evening meeting with someone.”
“You’ve done more than enough, Axel. Really. I can take care of myself. Oh! Any idea when my real apartment will be ready?” I asked.
“Yes, next week. But you can’t see it until you’re done with all the units. No pressure.”
“I can’t wait.”
I hadn’t stopped wondering about the decorations Axel would choose for me since the day he’d told me he was going to furnish it himself.
After spooning up a plate full of apple crumble and kissing me on my cheek, he left, and the suite I was temporarily staying in felt not only lonely but incomplete.
Chapter 12
Over the next week, as I decided on the final furnishings of the last handful of units, I made sure to get plenty of rest and turned in early every evening. On the last day before I was to show Axel the finished designs, I was sitting at a Starbucks, waiting for Josh to call me for a final inspection, browsing through a furniture catalogue, when I heard a woman pull in a sniffle at the table beside mine.
“Are you all right?” I whispered.
“Yes, thank you.”
But she didn’t look like she was. I took my purse and my tea and sat at her table across from her.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” I asked. The woman couldn’t have been older than me, maybe in her early twenties, but the dark circles under her eyes, greasy hair, and calloused hands aged her by a couple of decades. Adding to that was a white dressing over the left side of her face, covering most of it. It bled through a little, showing the extent of the damage to her skin underneath.
She shook her head as more tears started rolling. I reached for her hand and covered it with mine, offering some sort of comfort.