Persuading Perfection

by TC Matson

Going away to college nearly killed me. I was hours away from her, going from a daily dose to seeing her once a month if I was lucky. I had to watch from a distance as her relationship with a douchebag blossomed, pissed that it wasn’t me.

  Fast forward years later…she told me she was pregnant and although I was so fucking happy it was mine, it wasn’t the way I pictured getting her into my life. I wanted to win her over with my charm, sex, good looks, and love. But even so, this pregnancy has reignited everything so fiercely that it’s given me so much hope that one day I’ll have her as mine. All mine. That same girl who I watched grow into a woman with her stunning personality and twice as gorgeous tits that I fell so hard for all those years ago is now just out of reach.

  I’m determined to prove how much I feel for her and that I will never, ever hurt her, ever again. I’m not the stupid teenager. I’m a grown man with a grown dick with grown pockets and a grown heart that still holds all this love for her. Although she denies her feelings for me, fighting it with every ounce of her stubbornness, I know she loves me. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have given me all these years, or showed up on my doorstep—invited. If she didn’t have a sliver of love for me, she wouldn’t keep giving me the glimpses.

  I’m not afraid of showing her how I feel. I’m not afraid of the hurt she keeps handing over every time she shuts down. I’m afraid of being without her.

  All I want is a chance.

  I drop my butt onto the bed, staring at the blurry letter with tears spilling onto my cheeks.

  A chance.

  One chance.

  With the man I love so very much.

  The same one who has caused so much heartache and heart break.

  One chance…

  Without a known outcome.

  Zach

  I’m sitting on the couch when my phone rings. Pulling it out of my pocket, I’m staring at the name I least want to face. He’s handed me some serious reprimandings before, but this…this takes the cake of anything I’ve ever done growing up.

  “Hey, Keith,” I answer and then take a swallow of my drink.

  “Zachary, what have you done?” Jade’s dad barks through the receiver. “How could you? To us? To Max? What the hell were you thinking?”

  It’s been a long time since he’s berated me and the sinking feeling of disappointing him settles like a heavy weight on my chest. I can picture him standing before me, shoulders wide and arms crossed over his chest, his brows deeply furrowed and his lips in a hard straight line.

  After my mother lost her damn mind and ran off with some truck driver she met while out drinking her fancy fucking tea with her fancy fucking friends, my dad immersed himself into work to alleviate some of the heart ache. My mother was Dad’s shining star. He gave her everything she wanted—a large house, a nice fancy car, a daily life fit for a reality show—and in return, she gave him a child, a broken heart, and a mess to clean up. Mom played peek-a-boo and never came back. In my three-year-old mind, I thought for sure Dad was the next to disappear. But he didn’t. When I tried out tee-ball and hated it, he was there. When I tried soccer but couldn’t run while dribbling the ball without face planting, he was there. When I started high school, he was there. When I graduated, he was the loudest. Dad allowed me to feel the pain of a motherless life, but he never let me feel alone.

  My freshman year, Calloway Developers blew up after Dad landed a massive job that got his name out there. He spent more time focused on work, but I was old enough to understand why. He was still there when I needed him, but when I met Easton and Max, they instantly became my brothers. I spent a lot of time at Max’s and grew close to his parents.

  “It wasn’t planned. We—”

  “If you kept yourself in your pants, it wouldn’t have even happened. We treat you like one of our own and this is the thanks? You’ve disrespected us. And to find out you two have been sneaking around for years is a slap to my damn face.”

  “It kind of just happened,” I say.

  “Kind of just happened? That sort of activity doesn’t just happen. You and I both know it.”

  I don’t know how to answer him. I feel like I’m seventeen again, except this time, I didn’t just skip class to drive out of state for a concert. This time, in his eyes, I really screwed up.

  “How much of this mess happened under my roof?”

  “Sir—”

  “Sir? Now suddenly you have respect?” he scoffs. “With one violent whirl of stupidity, you’ve managed to break my son and get my daughter pregnant. Your capriciousness has caused chaos within my family and you know how I feel about that.”

  “Keith, I’ll be there for Jade every single step of the way. She’s not going to do this alone.”

  He grunts, his telltale sign he’s furious but trying to keep it together. “You’re damn right she won’t have to do this alone. This baby is your responsibility just as much as it is hers. You two are old enough to know the consequences and now you’ll be dealing with them.” He lets out a long sigh. “Dammit, Zachary.”

  There’s a scuffling noise and then Susan, Jade’s mom and the woman who took me under her wing and loved me like she does her own, comes over the phone.

  “Zachary Calloway, how dare you?”

  The pit in my stomach tightens. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “Are you?” she reprimands.

  “No,” I answer truthfully.

  “How could you do this to us?” her voice softens and I hear the letdown.

  “Her getting pregnant was an accident, but I promise you, I’m going to be right beside her. I’m not going to let her do it by herself.”

  She lets out a small sigh. “I know you won’t. I know you’ve always had a thing for her…” she trails off and I can picture her pinching the bridge of her nose like she’s done for all the years I’ve known her. “Do you love her, Zachary?”

  I swallow, nervous as fuck about admitting it to her mother, but confident as ever that I do. “Yes. Very much.”

  “I can assure you it’s going to be awkward. You’ve managed to upset a lot of people.”

  “I know.” The guilt rides out in my tone.

  “I’ll try to work on Keith, but you have a mountain to move with Max. I don’t know how you could ever make it right with him. You really hurt him.”

  “It may take a while, but I’ll figure it out.”

  “We’re going to finish our anniversary trip and then we’ll be home. Be good to her, Zachary. She’s pregnant with my grandchild. Don’t break her heart again.”

  Again? How does she know…

  “Momma’s intuition,” she replies reading my thoughts.

  Of course. She’s always had a superpower intuition. Knew things when we thought she didn’t.

  “Have you told your father?” she asks.

  “Not yet, no.”

  “Seems like you two enjoy keeping everyone in the dark. That’s not fair to any of us.”

  I don’t respond to the Mom punch in the gut. What’s there to say? She’s right.

  “Make her keep us updated. I’m going to go and try to calm my husband before he has a stress induced heart attack. Love you.”

  “Love you too,” I say and then hang up.

  I drop my head to the back of the couch and breathe a huge sigh of relief. That could’ve been worse, especially with Jade’s dad. I close my eyes.

  After my father signed the company over to me and saw that I could keep it running, he moved. I think the days of remembering what my mother did to him had taken their toll and he was ready for new scenery. I can’t say that I blame him. Shortly after moving to Florida, he met a lady who thawed his heart and made him smile. I hate that it took him that long, but I’m glad he found someone.

  Susan was right. I need to tell my dad, but I’m not as nervous. Out of all the people in the world who knew nothing about Jade and me, my dad was my go-to guy. He knew. He knows. And he always warned me that one day the entire thing could backfire in my face.


  Dad knew best, huh?

  “Hey, bud. How’s it going?” Dad answers cheerfully.

  “Great. How’s the warmth of the Florida sun? Baking you into a crisp yet?”

  “It’s hotter than Satan’s asshole here today.”

  The statement makes me laugh. Dad has gotten more brazen as he ripens.

  “The weather is changing there, right? Bringing in the cool morning air.” He inhales. “I’d love to feel the snow in my lungs again.”

  “Well, I might give you a reason to come back soon.” I edge into the conversation.

  “Oh really? And why’s that? Last month’s financials look incredible.”

  One of Dad’s conditions when signing over the company was for him to continue to watch from the sidelines and he’d only interfere if we were in danger. Of course, I was happy to oblige. Hell, he built the company. I completely agreed.

  “They did, didn’t they?” I boast with a chuckle. “Actually, it isn’t about work this time.”

  “Oh. Well, alright. I’m all ears. Karen left for the pool.”

  “This isn’t the way I wanted to tell you, but Susan tweaked my guilt. You’re going to be a grandfather.”

  “And my grandbaby’s mother is Jade, isn’t it?” he says, his tone suggesting he knows.

  “Yes,” I answer.

  “There’s no doubt in my mind you two will make great parents. Will you be doing it as a couple or co-parenting?”

  I know exactly what he’s asking. “I’m working on it.”

  “Are you all in this time?”

  “Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck. “And she’s half hot and cold.”

  He chuckles. “I told you years ago what you two had going on was going to bite you in the ass. No offense, son, but she’s got all the right in the world to be a little muddled in the brain. You two have a history, one with heartache and pain, and happiness. Add that with those crazy pregnancy hormones, and she’s sure to be a true spitfire.”

  I laugh at his description. “I’m being patient.”

  “Good.” I can hear his smile. “Looks like I need to make some plans to visit in the near future. I’ll talk to Karen. I know she’d love you meet you.”

  “I’d like to meet the woman who can put up with you,” I jest.

  “She does it with finesse.” His laugh is deep. “Keep me updated, bud. Congratulations. Love ya.”

  “Thanks. Love ya too.”

  After we hang up, I rest back into the couch feeling a hundred tons lighter and smiling like an idiot. I knew my dad wouldn’t be difficult. Even in my rebellious days, he handled me like a champ without even having to raise his voice…often. Normally a one-time was all it took. He’s got a vein in his forehead, and if I saw it, I knew I was in some deep shit. I saw it once. Learned my lesson. Never again.

  Jade

  I haven’t spoken to Zach much in days despite all the times he’s tried to reach out. Not wanting to hear his voice, I keep it to texts, really short texts. If given the chance, I know he’ll somehow trick me into a phone call. He’s a smooth charming talker that way. Every time he calls, I don’t answer, but out of politeness, I do send him a message saying I’m busy, or tired, or whatever half-lie I come up with. I know in my heart, I need to slow down, step away and regroup. So it’s exactly what I’m doing.

  The moment I walk through the glass door into work, something feels off. The atmosphere is tense. I smile at Jennifer, one of the other tellers, as I unlock the employee entrance and step through. The moment it clicks behind me, Melissa’s office door lurches open and she sticks her head out.

  “I need to speak with you, please.” She sounds more like a boss today than she did the day she hired me.

  She’s sitting in her chair with a red folder used for employees in her hand and points to the seat across her desk. Slowly, I sit with perturbation icing my blood.

  Melissa exhales as she laces her fingers together and rests her forearms on the edge of the desk. “Some changes have gone into effect companywide this morning. Corporate is laying off most, if not all, of the part-time tellers and restructuring the schedule so the full-time tellers are able to cover it. As of this morning, you’re no longer employed here.”

  I feel the color drain from my face with fire spreading in its wake. The slow blistering burn scatters over my skin, down my neck, through my spine, and into my toes. “We’ve operated like this since I was hired.” I know I’m grasping at straws, but, “I’m pregnant. I need this job.” My voice falters as I fight the tightness in my throat.

  “I’m sorry,” she says somberly. “I fought for you. Even said I’d hire you full time, but they denied the request. They’re not hiring anyone, hence the layoff.”

  I swallow my tears.

  “I’ll be accompanying you while you remove your things.”

  “I have none,” I hear myself say.

  “I’ll need your key card.” That pained her to say.

  Unclipping it, I hand it to her and stand to leave while I still have a bit of dignity. I don’t say anything as I nod and exit her office, feeling a hundred pounds heavier. My tears are pooling up as I push through the door, but I hold on for a few more long seconds that feel like hours until I get to my car before I burst. Dropping my face into my hands, I cry.

  I’m pregnant without a job…

  Every ounce of anger is forced through my arms and out of my hands slamming the front door behind me. I throw my keys across the room with my purse right behind it. Driving home, my defeat turned into rage. How the hell could they not even give me a warning? I’m fucking pregnant. I needed a warning so I could prepare.

  “What the hell is going on?” Freya comes sliding into the living room with wide eyes.

  “They fucking laid me off.” I barrel out and then burst into tears. “They laid me off…”

  “Oh my god.” The disbelief strangles her voice. “Why?”

  “Corporate move,” I mumble into my hands. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  She starts to put her arm around me, but I move. “Just let me be, please.”

  I collapse onto my bed and curl up into a ball allowing my emotions to run their course. My tears are full of wrath, desolation, worry, but most of all, failure. I have a baby on the way to make a grand entrance and now I have no way to support him or her. I’m already failing as a mother. The thought alone is devastating and causes my tears burn harder.

  After an hour of feeling downright worthless, Freya knocks on the door and doesn’t wait for me to call her in. Her hair is down in its gloriousness of natural kinky tight curls and they spring when she sits beside me.

  She flashes a small smile. “Hear me out.” Great. One of her grand plans. “I think maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Like the universe is lining you up for success. Max has been offering you a job for years with phenomenal pay and better insurance. What if the universe is trying to tell you something but you’re not hearing it?”

  “With that drive, I’d be making pennies.”

  Another small smile. “Then move. Another whisper from the universe. You have a key to Max’s house. You’d be closer to him and the baby daddy.”

  My brows knit together. “Are you kicking me out?”

  She titters. “No. But as an outsider looking in and someone who loves you dearly, you’d be an idiot not to do it. It’s the smartest thing for you to do.”

  I’m chewing on my lip, pondering. Could I do it? Take a job I am incredibly inexperienced at, move in with my brother and interrupt his life?

  “Have you called Zach and told him?” she asks.

  I shake my head. “No. I wanted to, but I’m not ready to hear him save the day…or have him know that the woman who is mothering his child is a disappointment.”

  “Which is precisely why you should call Zach or at least your brother.”

  “I’m not exactly excited about having to tuck tail and call my brother for help either,” I admit.

  “Max would be t
hrilled you came to him and you know it.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh, and then sit up. “After the way I left things with Zach, I don’t care to talk to him right now. But I think I’ll go talk to Max in person. Applying for a position over the phone doesn’t seem so professional,” I resort to my sarcasm.

  “Pfffttt…you could do it in pajamas with your hair in curlers and he’d not give a damn. I have to head out but let me know how it goes.” She hugs me. “Be careful.”

  The entire ride to the winery, I was alternating between hyping myself up about asking Max for help and fighting the urge to call Zach for the comfort I know he’d give me. It was a brutal struggle, but I know if I want to stay at a distance, I need to learn not run to him with all my problems…regardless of how good it feels when he wipes my tears.

  I take a deep breath before pulling open the doors and feeling the cool burst of air conditioning hit me in the face.

  Isabella smiles when she sees me. “It’s so good to see you, Miss Lauder.”

  “It’s Jade. Jaaaadddeee,” I laugh and she does too.

  “Sorry. Force of habit.”

  “Is Max here?”

  “He is. Would you like for me to call him up?”

  “No. He doesn’t know I’m coming. I wanted to surprise him.” I flash a fake happy smile and head to his office.

  The closer to his door, the harder my heartbeat bashes against my chest. His door is open and he’s reading over some papers when I stroll in like I own the place.

  “You’ve always been good at pretending to work. I swear it’s why Mom and Dad like you more.”

  His head jerks up at the sound of my voice and a cheesy grin spreads from ear to ear. He springs to his feet. “They like you more and you know it,” he says, rounding the desk, and pulls me into a tight hug. “What brings you by? Is everything okay?”

  The scratchy burn trickles at the bottom of my throat and I force it away with a smile. “Yes. I just got into town and figured I’d stop in and see my annoying brother.”

  He sits back into his chair behind his big fancy ass desk as I take the little chair across from his.