Alice sat down, her back straight, her hands folded neatly in her lap, but Marcus chose not to use the other chair, instead standing uncomfortably against the closed door as if he might make a run for it at any moment. 'What did you want to see me for, Marcus? I thought you'd said all you wanted to.' Her voice, to Alice's amazement, was cool and calm.
'There's no easy way to say this, Alice. I've met someone else and we're getting married shortly.'
Alice didn't need to worry about Marcus noticing her stunned expression. His eyes were looking everywhere but at her. Again she was amazed at her ability to keep her emotions in check. 'Well, what has that got to do with me? It's not as if you need my permission or anything.'
'I know that,' he answered irritably.
'Have you told her about me? About our baby, I mean.'
'Some of it.'
Alice stood up. She was sick of having to drag out information from him—after all, it had been Marcus that had instigated the meeting. 'Which part, Marcus? That we were together for two years and you dumped me as soon as you found out I was pregnant? Or the part where you begged me to have an abortion? Does she or does she not know that you're going to become a father in seven weeks' time? Because if the answer is no, I suggest you get a move on. Don't worry, I'm not going to come begging for maintenance, and heaven knows why I should care about how you handle yourself, but don't you think a bit of honesty might go down well at the start of a marriage?'
'I've told her all right,' he snapped. 'And Yvonne took it very well. But she is a bit worried that you might start asking for money once the baby's born. She knows firsthand how messy it can all get. She's a kindergarten teacher.'
'Which makes her an expert, does it?'
Marcus sighed. 'You have to see it from her point of view. It's hardly the ideal way to start a marriage.'
Alice was as stunned as she was sickened by his insensitivity. So stunned, in fact, it took a moment or two for his next damning sentence to sink in.
'Anyway, I've told Yvonne that if you suddenly start asking for support I'm going to insist on a DNA test, just to be sure.'
Alice grabbed at the chair -aims. 'To be sure of what?' she asked through white lips. Surely she must be mistaken? Marcus, the man she had loved, couldn't be saying this— not now, not ever!
'To be sure the baby's mine.'
Bile rose in her throat. The taste was as foul as the words she was hearing.
'Is that what you've let her think? That I was sleeping around on you?' Her voice was rising and she could feel her blood pressure hitting the roof. Stay calm, she begged herself inwardly, you've got the baby to think of. Suddenly it was all too much. 'Get out,' she shouted. 'Go on, get out.'
But Marcus made no attempt to leave. Sobbing, she rushed past him. Lunging at the door, she pulled it open, and practically ran out into the hallway—straight into the arms of Jeremy.
'Alice.' His concerned voice reached her. 'Alice, what on earth's happened?'
Shaking, sobbing, she leant against him. 'Please,' she begged. 'Tell him to go.' Jeremy's eyes travelled over her head, coming to rest on Marcus as he walked out of the room.
'Alice, we need to talk—we need to clear things up.'
'I don't think now is the time, do you?' Jeremy's voice was scathing, and if Alice had looked up she would of seen a look of pure hatred in his eyes as he distastefully eyed the other man. 'Perhaps you should do as Alice asks and go.'
For a moment it looked as if Marcus was about to argue, but something in Jeremy's stance made him think twice.
'OK, OK, I only came here to talk.' Without a backward glance he marched along the corridor and, Alice swore to herself, out of her life for good.
'I assume that was Marcus?' Jeremy said dryly, leading her back to the interview room and dragging the chair behind her. As he guided her to sit down he only just stopped himself adding that he hoped Marcus's personality wasn't heritable—now wasn't the time to lighten the mood. He pulled up another chair, sat down and put his arm back around Alice.
'Did he want to try to patch things up?' She was too overcome to hear the slight unease in Jeremy's questioning tone.
'Not exactly,' she said. 'He came to warn me off. He's getting married.'
'I'm sorry.'
Alice squinted up at him through her tears. 'That's not the problem,' she gulped. 'We've been finished for months. I never expected him to spend a year in black or anything.'
'Still, it must hurt a bit,' Jeremy ventured, but Alice shook her head resolutely.
'Surprisingly, no. Well, not much,' she admitted reluctantly. 'He said if I ask for any money he's going to insist on a DNA test.'
'Ah,' Jeremy said, his grip on her tightening somewhat. 'Someone's been talking to a solicitor.'
'Why do you say that?'
'Because that's just the sort of tactic they use, dragging things out, making everything terribly complicated when the whole world knows it's really quite straightforward.'
'But I was never even going to ask him for money. I want to support my baby myself,' Alice wailed.
'Marcus probably knows that deep down, but I'll bet it made it a hell of a lot easier telling his girlfriend there was some doubt as to whether the child was his or not than the plain truth—that he simply doesn't want to know.'
His words made sense—at least enough to stop Alice crying—and once she had calmed down it suddenly dawned on her whose arms she was in.
'How come you were here?' she , asked, attempting to pull herself away, but Jeremy only held her tighter.
'Because I was concerned about you. I asked the receptionist where you had gone.'
'But why?'
'Because I was hoping she'd know and as it turned out I was right.'
This time she managed to wriggle from his arms enough to look up at him. She stared at him, nonplussed, for a second. 'I didn't mean that.'
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 'I know you didn't. All right, then, I was concerned about you because I care.'
Alice was caught completely off guard by his revelation, so much so that she sat there, open-mouthed, as he tentatively continued, 'I care a lot about you, Alice.' His face moved slowly but surely towards hers. She had every chance to move, to duck out of the way, but instead she held still. Allowing his lips to rest on hers, moving her mouth slowly against his, her hands gradually worked their way up until she could feel his silken blond hair between her fingers. The millennium fireworks were nothing on the eruptions exploding in her head as she responded to his touch.
Stunned, embarrassed, yet dizzy with desire, she sat there motionless when he finally broke away. 'Surely you've noticed?' he asked gently.
She gave the faintest shake of her head. 'No. Well, maybe the night we went out, but I thought you were just being nice...' Her voice trailed off. She was trying to look him in the eye but she couldn't tear her gaze away from his full, sensual lips. Lips that had only seconds before been on hers!
'Nice! And there I was, pulling out all the stops! What's a guy got to do to impress you, Alice?'
She could hear the humour in his words, and Alice looked up shyly. 'It never entered my head you could possibly be interested in me.'
'Why ever not?'
His question was so impossibly ludicrous that Alice gave an incredulous laugh as she spoke. 'Because I'm pregnant, Jeremy. Very pregnant, with another man's baby. It hardly puts me up there on the list of Australia's most desirable women.'
'Thank God for that,' Jeremy quipped. 'Most of them are as boring as anything and I should know—I've been out with a couple.'
The fact that she was pregnant honestly didn't seem to bother him a bit, and Alice found herself shaking her head in bemused wonder that they were even having this conversation.
'I'm sorry for losing it like that, it was just all a bit of a shock. Marcus was the last person I was expecting to see.' She was trying to make an excuse for her actions to offer him an out if that was what he wanted.
/> But Jeremy was having none of it. 'Don't apologise, you had every right to be upset. And I was only too happy to console you. I've got a thing for damsels in distress, in case you hadn't noticed.'
And every other female with a pulse, Alice thought cynically, trying to bring herself back to earth.
'What are you doing this weekend?'
'Nothing,' she answered without thinking, then quickly added, 'But that's deliberate on my part. I've got to see my obstetrician on Monday evening and he's told me if my blood pressure is up even a smidgen then it's maternity leave for me. I'm going to take it very easy.'
'Is there any chance Marcus might come round, hoping to resume talks?'
She hadn't thought of that!
'And even if he doesn't,' Jeremy continued, not waiting for an answer, 'you're going to spend the whole time on tenterhooks or at the very least churning yourself up by going over what he said.'
'Probably,' Alice admitted.
'Well, instead of playing Russian roulette with your blood pressure, why not come with me to Sorrento? I've got a holiday home there, on the beach. It's only about an hour or so from here, and it would be really relaxing for you. There's a nice pool and you could go for long walks on the beach.'
'No, Jeremy,' Alice said straight away. 'I really don't think it would be appropriate.' She hadn't meant to sound quite so prudish, and when Jeremy roared with laughter even Alice managed a small grin.
'On the contrary, given the fact we've finally admitted we like each other, I think it would be entirely appropriate to spend some time together.'
Alice shook her head. How could she tell him that nothing sounded more tempting than what he was suggesting, but that she felt as fat and un-sexy as she had ever felt in her life? And the thought of a weekend in close proximity with Jeremy Foster would be even worse for her blood pressure than ten visits from Marcus.
'Come on, Alice,' Jeremy insisted. 'It will do you good. I'm not asking you there so I can have my wicked way. I honestly think it will do you some good and I think it will be nice for us to get to know each other a bit better away from work. And let's face it,' he added with a wink, 'with my bad back and your huge belly I doubt we'll be rewriting the Kama Sutra!'
Once she had finally agreed to go, Jeremy seemed hell-bent on getting there. So much so he didn't even want to stop by Alice's apartment for her to pack.
'You only need a few bits and pieces—we can get them there.'
Again he just assumed either she could afford it or he would pay for her. She wasn't sure which was more annoying.
'We're stopping at my place,' she said firmly, as again Jeremy battled with her seat belt.
'Surely there must be a design fault. I'm not that big,' she muttered, mortified at the thought of having to go through this every time she got in his car.
Tact obviously wasn't one of Jeremy's strong points. 'You're huge, Alice,' he said without thinking, then, catching sight of her shocked expression, he quickly backtracked. 'But it's all baby,' he said hurriedly. 'From behind you wouldn't even know that you're pregnant.'
When they got to her bedsit, Jeremy stood over her as she attempted to pack.
'What do you need that for?' he asked for the hundredth time, as Alice folded the flex on her hair-dryer.
'In case I want to do some cooking! What on earth do you think I need it for?'
'Alice, we're going to Sorrento, for heaven's sake, not Outer Mongolia! I'm sure I can rustle up a few mod cons for you. I think I can even stretch to a towel,' he said, retrieving the towel she was neatly folding and tossing it onto the bed. 'Just grab some bathers, a toothbrush and a change of clothes, and we'll be on our way.'
'Bathers? You're not serious.' She held up a stringy little bikini from her drawer. 'This is all I possess in that field and I'd probably be arrested for indecency if I wore it.' She looked at the thin straps and tiny triangles and let out a wistful sigh. 'I wonder if I'll ever be that thin again?' she said, more to herself, stuffing the bikini back into her top drawer. .
But Jeremy immediately retrieved it. 'That will be fine. Who knows, you might even come back with a tan on your stomach. You'll be the talk of the maternity ward, you scarlet woman you.'
He had this incredible ability to put her at ease, to make even the most embarrassing situation somehow amusing. He was also far too used to women jumping to his tune, Alice thought to herself as Jeremy tapped his well-shod foot impatiently. Well, he would just have to wait for her, she decided, pointedly refusing to rush as she sorted out her make-up bag. 'Before you ask what the hell I need makeup for,' she said without looking up, 'I might be the size of a house with the whitest stomach in living memory but no one, and I mean no one, is ever going to see me without mascara. Not even in labour.'
'You should get your eyelashes dyed; it's supposed to be marvellous. Sorry,' he added as Alice shot him a withering look. 'An ex-girlfriend of mine swore by it, and I've picked up a few tips in my time.
'So much for spontaneity,' Jeremy teased as he loaded her case into the boot a short time later and Alice made a quick dash to check for the second time that she had locked the front door. As she lowered herself into the seat, and the battle with the beastly seat belt recommenced, Jeremy caught her eye and gave her a tiny wink. 'Perhaps you should have brought that towel. You know I'd never forgive you if your waters broke on my leather seats.'
It was a point she didn't care to dwell on, but for now Alice was rather more concerned with the weekend ahead. She was having serious trouble keeping her breathing even as Jeremy slid the car into gear.
He took the beach road, the Melbourne skyline glittering orange in the rear-view mirror as they followed the long road along the bay. The views were stunning and Alice craned her neck, taking it all in.
'There's a lookout point on Oliver's Hill,' Jeremy said, glancing over. 'We'll stop there.'
Pulling in, he came round to the passenger side and helped her out. Taking her hand, he led her to the lookout point nearby. Alice caught her breath in wonder. Oliver's Hill stood behind them, the houses precariously set on its jagged slopes, their windows, designed to catch every glimpse of the magnificent bay view, sparkling in the sunset. The bay glittered before her, a magnificent horseshoe of sand and sea, with the city standing tall and resplendent on the tip, the low orange sun turning the buildings into a sparkling mass of liquid gold. She followed the curve of the beach slowly, taking in all the landmarks—Brighton, Rickets Point, Frankston Pier—right along to where they were now.
'Magical, isn't it?' Jeremy said in a low, husky voice. 'I never get tired of it.'
Alice was about to agree with him, but as he continued talking she swallowed her words, listening intently as he continued.
'After the accident, when I was discharged, my mum brought me straight to Sorrento from the rehab unit to recuperate. I don't really remember much about that time, but one thing I can recall is asking her to stop here. She didn't want to, said it would be better to head straight for the beach house, but I was adamant.' He paused for a moment. 'I can remember getting out of the car and standing right here on this exact spot, just staring, drinking it all in. It was like I was seeing it for the first time.' He turned and looked at Alice. 'I've never felt so grateful to be alive.'
The wind was whipping up around them and Alice could have, if she'd wanted to, blamed her watery eyes on that, but instead she stood there silently surveying the view, imagining Jeremy, battered and confused, and how it must have felt for him that day. How it must feel for him now. She felt privileged to be standing with him, sharing a small part of his life, the tapestry that was Jeremy. With a jolt she realised it was the first glimpse he had permitted her of his deeper side. The first time he had knowingly let the facade slip for an instant. And now she'd had a glimpse, Alice knew without a shadow of a doubt she wanted to see more.
The same way that Alice had envisaged her first child would be welcomed into the world by two loving parents, part of her had also had a vague blu
eprint of what pregnancy would be like. Oh, not a definite plan or a set of standards that had to be adhered to—more an assumption she would have time to focus on her child within, to revel in the changes in her body. And perhaps, more poignantly, to share the tiny yet monumental landmarks with someone who found the whole process as fascinating and wondrous as she. To date, her pregnancy had been sadly lacking in all of these. But if ever there was a time in her pregnancy when she truly felt happy, a time where her dreams were met and surpassed, it was during those precious hot summer days in Sorrento.
Jeremy had more than a few mod cons; the place was absolutely dripping with luxuries. The huge lounge with vast white walls and dark blue leather couches was so superbly designed it was like an extension of the glittering ocean that filled the massive floor-to-ceiling windows that opened onto a huge decked area. He showed her round briefly, modestly, his only intention to ensure she felt at home. Alice didn't say anything. It was all too surreal, being here with him. But as he flicked on the light to the bathroom Alice let out an involuntary groan. It was all white, with the deepest of spas, the only splashes of colour from handpainted starfish and brightly coloured shells ingrained into the tiles, and hand-blown glass bottles.
'It's divine,' she breathed.
'Why don't you have a nice bath, then?' Jeremy suggested. 'I'm sure I can rustle up a towel from somewhere.'
Alice shot him a look as he opened one of the discreet doors, and the thickest, most luxurious towels beckoned her.
'Take your time. I'll sort out some dinner.'
There was something incredibly decadent about lying in a deep bath with bubbles up to your neck, listening to a man prepare food. Judging by the occasional crash and expletive, it wasn't something Jeremy did too often, but Alice refused her initial instinct to rush out and offer help, instead lying back and watching as the warm water lapped against her huge stomach. The baby was enjoying the sensation as much as she was and Alice gazed, fascinated, as her stomach contorted, bulging and dipping as her unborn child stretched and swooped safe within its dark, warm world. Finally, when her toes and fingers were as wrinkled as the starfish on the wall and a gorgeous scent wafted through from the kitchen, she pulled the plug and wrapped herself in a huge bathrobe.
The Pregnant Intern Page 7