#BABYMAKER

by Cassandra Dee

  “Hey,” he murmured into my hair. “How’ve you been today?”

  I pulled back, smiling at him. Those blue eyes were genuinely interested, and I beamed happily.

  “I’m good,” was my chirp. “Nothing much happened. Just another day at the office. They want to start preparing for tax season even though it’s only fall.”

  He laughed a little, stopping to take off his jacket. Like a good wife, I took it from him and hung the handsome trench coat in the hall closet. Stop, the voice in my head spoke sternly. You’re not his wife. You’re not even his girlfriend, so don’t get carried away.

  But even the dose of caution couldn’t tamp down on my happy mood because this is just what Chase does to me. Being around him lifts my spirits and I shot him another warm smile.

  “It’s funny. I’m just a secretary but they say tax season is a team event. So I have to be prepared as well.”

  The doctor shook his head thoughtfully.

  “I can see why,” he said. “After all, during busy periods everyone at my office has to put forth maximum effort, even the janitor and my admin assistants. No one person can do it on their own.”

  I sighed a little.

  “It’s true, but I just wish they would give me a little more responsibility, you know? I really want to be an accountant and Xeroxing documents isn’t my idea of a good time. Of course, I don’t mind doing administrative work, but it feels like that’s all I’ve been doing lately. I’m parked in front of the copier for five or six hours every day.”

  Chase frowned then, taking my hand and leading me to the kitchen. I’d put out two place settings on the breakfast bar, complete with a sprig of flowers and a jar of sparkling water.

  “Five or six hours?” he rumbled, sitting down. The handsome man’s brow creased. “That’s a lot of papers that have to be copied.”

  “I know,” I said, moving over to stir the red sauce again. “It’s insane. I think some of this stuff is just made up too. They don’t have enough work for me, so they’re asking me to photograph all sorts of manuals and handbooks to keep me busy.”

  Chase leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he thought for a minute.

  “Sweetheart, I’m not sure if this is going to go over well, but it doesn’t seem like you’re been utilized in the best way. You’re talented and smart, and that accounting firm seems hell-bent on keeping you in a support staff position.”

  “Yes,” I nodded sadly, keeping my eyes on the bright orange, tangy sauce before me. “Like I said, I think the boss’s nephew is going to join the firm in a couple months, and they want to give the junior slot to him. So that’s it for me,” was my wry reply. “I’m going nowhere, I suppose.”

  Chase thought for a moment again, and I could almost see the parts whirring in his head. But then those blue eyes turned towards me, fierce yet loving at once.

  “Do you want to come work for me?” he asked. “I have a business as well, and we need an accountant.”

  The paddle clattered from my hand onto the tabletop.

  “Really?” I gasped. “You’d do that?”

  He grinned, flashing even white teeth.

  “Now I can’t promise too much,” he said, holding two palms up. “I think it’d be more of a bookkeeper position than an actual accountant, but yes, we’ve been thinking about hiring someone junior to help Marisa, my business manager. So it’s definitely a possibility.”

  I ran towards him then, uncaring if I got tomato sauce on that perfectly cut black suit.

  “Thank you,” I breathed into his ear, covering that strong jaw with kisses. “I’d appreciate it so much. Thank you for thinking of me,” I said almost tearfully.

  And the handsome doctor didn’t hesitate. He took my face between two big palms while looking deep into my eyes, his gaze serious.

  “No, thank you, Connie,” he said. “You’ve made my life so sweet, what with your home cooking and the way you take care of me,” he rumbled. “You’re the perfect package, all rolled into one.”

  So how can I resist? Words like that made my heart pound, and I’m falling in love with the man, if I haven’t already. But at the same time, it’s important to be cautious because Dr. Roman hasn’t made any promises. We’ve never had “the Talk” with a capital T where you discuss where you are as a couple and where you’re going. Heck, I’m not even sure if we’re a couple, things are that vague.

  But it feels so good to be with him despite the uncertainty, and I can only think that we’re growing closer because now I work for him, in addition to staying at his apartment. It sounds too close for comfort but actually, the situation is okay because we don’t see each other when we’re at the office.

  But one day at my new job, a co-worker asked the question I’d been dreading.

  “So are you and Dr. Roman an item?” asked Corrie. She was a bubbly blonde only a few years older than me who was training for a specialty in anesthesiology. I guess as a nurse anesthetist you can make a lot of money and still work reasonable hours.

  But how to respond? On the one hand, I wanted to scream the truth and shout it out to the world. Yes! Dr. Chase Roman and I are in love. We’re a couple, and it feels good! But on the other hand, I was definitely overthinking things. In fact, the L-word has never been mentioned aloud. It was just something that I had in my head, the musings of a woman head over heels in love with her man.

  But whenever I spoke about Dr. Roman, I couldn’t help but glow.

  “Why do you say that?” I asked mysteriously.

  Corrie giggled.

  “Because of what you’re doing right now!” she said. “Look at you. You’re blushing and there are sparkles in your eyes.”

  “There are?” I gasped, whipping out a compact to look at myself. But there was truth to Corrie’s words because the girl in the mirror was me, and yet not me. She was lit by a light from within, with warm caramel eyes and a sense of happiness and peace that radiated outwards. When had I become a happy mother goddess? It was crazy.

  But suddenly, Corrie spoke and her words made me freeze.

  “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” she asked importantly. “Trust me, I can tell from a mile away. Fertility is our business after all.”

  I couldn’t move for a moment. Oh my god. I’d been so dumb because of course that was why Chase wanted me. Sure, we hadn’t reached any type of agreement ever since that proposition a month ago, but things were certainly going according to his plan. I was sleeping in his bed night after night, having unprotected sex four five times a night sometimes. We wanted each other that bad.

  Was that the cause of my glow? They often say that pregnant women have a halo around them, and I certainly looked like I was emitting light.

  “No, no I’m not,” I said quickly. “I can’t be.”

  Corrie shot me a puzzled look.

  “You can’t as in you haven’t been having sex? Or have you been using the fertility treatments here?” she asked on a whisper. “You know, it’s okay if you have. We tell all our patients not to be embarrassed of needing a little help. Nature sometimes just needs a little push.”

  I blushed furiously again because yes, I’d been using the services of Sunset Medical, but not in the way Corrie was speaking of right now. I was having unprotected sex with Sunset Medical’s handsome lead physician non-stop, and that’s why I might be in danger.

  So many thoughts were running through my head in a blur that I tried to change the subject to take some of the focus off.

  “Oh my god, your puppy’s so cute!” I squealed with fake verve, pointing to the screen saver on Corrie’s phone. “Is that a Malti-poo or just a regular Maltese?”

  And that did the trick because dog owners can be as crazy as the parents of human babies.

  “Don’t say ‘just a regular Maltese,’” Corrie scolded playfully. “There’s no such thing as a ‘regular’ Maltese. The breed was bred to be a companion to kings, and was even the royal dog of King Louis XV. So there’s no such thin
g as ‘regular.’ Sugar is pure-bred with a heart of gold. I spend hours brushing her fur every week,” said Corrie, staring with adoration at the bundle of fur on her screen.

  I would have laughed at the ridiculousness if my heart hadn’t been pumping with a mixture of panic and happiness. Because was I pregnant? Had it happened? It’d only been a month since Chase and I took up, and yet even just once is enough right? At least that’s what they always warn you in junior high sex ed classes. You can get pregnant from just one session if you don’t use protection.

  So I was desperate to get to the drugstore to buy a pregnancy test. Oh my god. What would I say to Dr. Roman if I were pregnant? Would he be happy? Would he be elated? After all, he was the one who’d propositioned me. So he’d be on Cloud Nine right?

  But suddenly, I remembered the terms of his particular agreement, and a chill ran through my soul. Because Dr. Roman had been extremely business-like about the whole thing. He’d said that he would support me financially, yes, but that we would also be co-parents. Nothing more, nothing less. We weren’t going to be a loving family, not by a long shot. We would be parenting the baby together, but also apart, as two entities interested in the welfare of a child.

  Oh god. A lump rose in my throat and tears sprang to my eyes. Fortunately, Corrie didn’t notice because she was now scrolling through pictures of her dog on her phone.

  “Sugar,” she crooned. “Mommy misses you. Mommy will be home soon, don’t you worry.”

  I used her distraction to slip away to the women’s restroom unnoticed. And once I shut the door, I looked at myself in the mirror. Oh god, the glow was definitely there, but there was also a sense of apprehension and even fear. Because what if Chase stuck to the terms of the fertility deal? What if my handsome doctor wanted to be a babymaker and nothing else? I would be devastated … because I’ve already lost my heart to the handsome man.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Connie

  I sat in my small bathroom, absolutely dumbfounded. The pregnancy stick lay on the countertop with two blue stripes indicating that I was pregnant. In fact, it was the fifth test that I’d taken. I was definitely expecting a child.

  On the one hand, I was elated. This was what I’d wanted a month ago when I went to Sunset Medical’s information session. In fact, I’d been the one who was pushy and insistent, dragging Ashley along on my quest to learn more. So why was I so scared all of a sudden? Was it the fact that I was still essentially financially unstable? Was it the fact that the father of my child was technically my boss’s boss, and I didn’t want to be a source of company gossip?

  I sat rock still on the toilet seat, my limbs refusing to move. Because it was all of that and more. Now that Chase was getting his baby, were we over? After all, the handsome alpha had accomplished what he’d set out to do. A woman was pregnant with his child, and there was no need to cater to my whims anymore. Sure, he’d treat me well as the mother of his offspring, but any pretense of a relationship was probably over now that I was pregnant.

  My heart broke sitting there in the dingy bathroom because in my soul of souls, I knew the truth. Dr. Roman is an achievement-oriented man with multiple graduate degrees and a thriving business. He didn’t get to where he is by waffling and taking detours when a straight line was to be had. So when I waltzed into his life, he sensed the opportunity and pounced.

  And now here we were. I was pregnant with a child that he knew I’d never give up. His biological son or daughter was currently in my womb, my body nurturing the developing limbs, heart and brain. And Dr. Roman could put this down as another success because he’d achieved exactly what he’d meant to achieve. But where did that leave me?

  A horrendous pounding sounded on the front door. I didn’t even bother to get up because it was almost midnight and I hadn’t moved from my spot on the toilet seat in hours. After work, I’d run to the drugstore, buying five pregnancy tests in my haste. But when they’d all turned blue, I’d sat down limply, confused thoughts whirling through my head.

  Now it was dark outside and I looked at my phone with bleary eyes. Eleven forty-five p.m. Who could it be? It had to be my landlord who wanted to discuss something about mice in the building, or how the recycling wasn’t properly sorted. So I stayed mute, barely even breathing. Maybe if I was completely still, he’d go away. After all, it was almost midnight.

  But the pounding continued, a loud muffled banging that made my head begin to churn. So slowly, I got up, straightening my skirt. Uck, I hadn’t moved in hours and my limbs were stiff. Slowly making my way into the living room, I called out.

  “Give me just one second! It’s late, just give me a second!”

  Fortunately the banging stopped and I managed to hook my bathrobe off of the couch. The purple terry was raggedy and old, but I wrapped it around myself, cinching the waist tight. It provided full-body cover, and would hopefully give the impression that I’d been dragged out of bed. Maybe my landlord would leave me alone that much sooner if he realized how rude he was being.

  But when I opened the door, who stood there but Dr. Roman, and not the pudgy, greasy, middle-aged man I’d been expecting.

  “Chase!” I gasped, the color draining from my face. Unbidden, my hands went to my tangled curls, smoothing them as if I could tame the rat’s nest that currently lived on my head.

  But instead of being happy to see me, the alpha’s expression was ominous.

  “Where have you been?” he spat, shouldering his way into my apartment. I cringed mentally. Again, I have a cheap walk-up in Hell’s Kitchen, and the place wasn’t much to look at. A tiny bare bulb hung in the kitchen, highlighting the fact that the tub was placed right next to the sink. Also, this place hasn’t been renovated in decades. The linoleum was cheap and cracked, in addition to being a dingy yellow color.

  “Um hi,” I said hurriedly. “What’s going on? What do you mean, where have I been? This is my home.”

  But I knew what he was talking about. After all, I’d practically moved into his penthouse, so it wasn’t crazy for him to be worried about my unexpected absence.

  “I’m sorry,” I said hurriedly. “I just had some things to take care of here, and they took longer than I thought. I should have called you.”

  But Chase couldn’t hear me. He paced my tiny living room like a caged tiger, stalking back and forth. It was ridiculous in a way because the living room was a ten by fifteen space, so he’d take three steps forward, swivel, and then stride another three steps to the opposite wall before doing the same thing again.

  “Where have you been?” he asked suddenly, turning flashing blue eyes my way.

  “Right here,” I said, my tone puzzled now. “I came home and haven’t left since six.”

  He was silent for a moment, merely looking at me.

  “I talked with Corrie, you know,” he said, his voice suddenly silky smooth. “She told me you’d gone to the drugstore.”

  I cursed my co-worker in my head. Why did she tell Dr. Roman that? There was no reason to reveal my personal comings and goings. But then again, he was also her boss and impossible to deny. So when the questions started coming, Corrie probably blurted it all out.

  But I had to find a way out of this. I wasn’t ready to tell him about my pregnancy, so I dissembled, speaking fast.

  “Yes, I went to Walgreens to pick up a number of things. I realized I had no groceries at home, so I went to get some fixings. You know, like for a burrito,” I said lamely. “Shredded cheese and whatnot.”

  His brows raised, that handsome face skeptical.

  “Let me understand this better. So you went to a drugstore to buy groceries, and not a supermarket even though there are supermarkets all around?”

  Fortunately, I’ve shopped for groceries at Walgreens in the past.

  “Yes,” I said quickly. “It’s a good way to save money because things like cereal and peanut butter are actually cheaper at the drugstore if you get them on sale. Plus, I have a Smart Shopper card, so I get two perc
ent off of all purchases.”

  Chase nodded slowly, but he wasn’t convinced. Those blue eyes pinned me to the sofa where I sat, demanding the truth.

  “And that’s all?” he asked in a deceptively casual voice. “That’s all you bought at Walgreens?”

  I cursed Corrie again in my head. I was going to have word with the blonde come tomorrow for giving away my personal business. But for now, I just wanted Chase to leave so that I could contemplate my next steps.

  “Yes,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “That’s all I got. Some food for dinner. Why, is something wrong?”

  And to my horror, Chase strode over to my miniscule kitchen in two seconds, picking up my garbage bin.

  “We’ll see about that,” he said grimly, pawing through its contents. “For some reason, Connie, I don’t believe you for a second.”

  “Stop!” I shrieked, jumping up and running over. I grabbed onto the rim of the cheap plastic can, and we tussled for a moment, Chase pulling it towards him while I tried to wrest it away from his grasp. “What are you doing? Why are you looking through my garbage?”

  Suddenly, I lurched backwards because Dr. Roman had let go, already striding out of the kitchen. Evidently he hadn’t found what he was looking for, and he entered my bedroom next. One look at the messy bed and clothes scattered on the floor was enough. It was clear he wasn’t going to find anything in this pigsty.

  “Stop!” I ran after him again, my arms flailing in his direction. “What are you doing? You don’t have a search warrant! You can’t just go around and shake down my place like you’re the police!”

  But again, the physician is an alpha male, and he was determined to find what he sought. So in one second, the man spun on his heel and entered my miniscule bathroom. And that’s when he struck gold because the pregnancy tests were right there on the counter. Not one. Not two. But all five lined up, all of them with double blue stripes.

  “So you are pregnant,” he growled, eyes fixed on the plastic indicators. “This is why you went to Walgreens, isn’t it? You’re pregnant with my child.”