“Mr. Kerrigan?”
“Yeah?”
“I have a delivery that needs your signature.”
“Sure, man, no problem.”
He signed with a flourish, took the large manila envelope, and closed the door. Noticing the return address, Brett ripped open the package, flipping through the advance copy of Men in the Raw until he reached his own feature, pleased with the pictorial. Damn, I look good! I think most people will agree these aren’t as ‘dirty’ as other stuff in the magazine.
Men in the Raw only used one shot of Brett in the nude from behind, but it was the seductive stare picture, his favorite. I got to scan this shit and email it to Karen. She‘ll dig them.
“Hey, man, what’s happening?” The voice caused Brett to jump.
“Patrick, there’s a specific reason the doorbell is put in a certain place. Try ringing it.”
“You have a lock on your door for a reason too.”
“Beside the point. What brings you down?”
“I saw a courier come to your door while I was coming back up from the lobby. Everything okay?”
“Never better.”
Patrick picked up the Men in the Raw copy. “Whoa!”
“It’s the one with my feature. Page twelve.”
“Damn, only one naked shot and it’s your ass? What a rip off.”
“If you must know, it was my idea to do the spread that way. There’s only one woman I want to see my dick, and she’s in Pennsylvania.”
“How’s Karen, by the way?”
“Seemed to be okay the last time I talked to her.”
“I still say you need a side piece close to home and your own age.”
“And I say you need to stay out of my love life. I’m happy with things the way they are. Which reminds me, I need to borrow your scanner. Mine took a shit again.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to send her those dirty pictures.”
“What’s so bad about a guy in a G-string? I already promised her a framed, autographed copy. This is just a preview of what she can expect.”
“You’re one weird little man, but okay. Come on up and we can watch a movie I got in the mail today.”
“Sorry, Pat, but I’m not exactly up on the latest porn releases.”
“It isn’t porn, dumb ass, but the straight-to-video movie I did..”
“Cool, you found a copy? I’ve been wanting to see it, man.”
“Yeah, it took awhile, but I came across one when I was checking out an online rental thing. I had that movie on back order forever.”
“Bet it’ll be worth the wait. Okay, I’ll come and watch with you. Maybe while I’m there I can burn a DVD of your movie to send Karen after I scan my pictures so she can check it out too.”
“Yeah, she might enjoy it if she doesn’t die from laughing at you in a G-string.”
“Let’s go, smart shit. Pizza’s on me.”
*****
“What‘s this?” Eddie asked the next morning, snatching magazine scans off of Karen’s desk. He flipped through the pages, turned white, and then put the stack of photos down. “On second thought, I don‘t want to know.”
“Brett‘s feature from Men in the Raw. He emailed them to me earlier. Pretty hot, yes?”
“For someone into dudes. No offense, but he isn’t my type.”
“I‘ll tell him you enjoyed it.”
“Ha, ha, ha. I think I’m going to be scarred for life. I just saw your boyfriend’s bare ass. Fucking hell, K, that shit needs to come with a warning label.”
“Your own fault for being nosy. The ass one is my favorite.”
“Thanks, I think my morning coffee is ruined.”
“Better than full frontal pictures, which there aren’t any.”
“If I wanted to see a dick, I have one of my own. Jesus.”
“Can’t be any worse than those airbrushed girls you drool over in Private Privilege. Don’t tell me otherwise, because Phoebe saw a copy in your desk drawer.”
“Snooping bitch. I happen to like the articles.”
“Sure you do, that’s why Sex Kitten of the Month has coffee stains on her page.”
“I’m going to wring Pheeb’s neck! She needs to stay the hell out of my desk, which reminds me, she has my damn stapler.”
“Good luck getting it back. She’s holding your stapler hostage until you pay back the ten dollars you owe her.”
Their banter had almost made Karen miss the phone ringing. "This is Dr. Saks,” a voice said when she picked up. “May I speak to Karen Montgomery?”
“This is she. What can I do for you?”
“I just reviewed the results from your blood test on Monday.”
“Isn’t that the usual job for one of the nurses to call?”
“Yes, but I wanted to be the one to inform you, given the present situation.”
She was alarmed. Oh no, it isn’t some strange flu after all, it’s much worse! “What…present situation? My thyroid?”
“No, your thyroid is normal. But I did want to be the first to offer my congratulations.”
“On what?”
“The reason for your nausea and fatigue is that you’re pregnant. Now I have a friend of mine who is an excellent obstetrician…” She didn’t hear the rest of the conversation as the color drained from her face. She managed to choke out a few words before she hung up the phone, her arm feeling heavier than normal.
Oh God…now what am I going to do? How will I tell Brett that he’s going to be a father sooner than planned?
Eddie looked up from his desk. “Everything okay?”
“Any chance that you and Phoebe are free for lunch? I just got some news and need to talk.”
“Sure. Let me go find her. From the look on your face, I’m guessing it’s important.”
“Yeah, something I never considered happening in my entire life.”
CHAPTER 30
"Oh! This is so exciting!" Phoebe squealed when Karen broke the news to her two closest friends. "Can you imagine if it’s a girl? I bet she’ll look just like you. You can dress her in dotted frilly dresses, little Mary Janes, and put her hair in pigtails. I can’t wait for us to go shopping!"
"Pheebs, what if it’s a boy?” Eddie asked. “He’ll probably look like Brett with that funny nose and blond curls all over the place. We can put a miniature Speedo and one of those crazy jackets on him Every guy loves a son who‘s his mirror image.”
“Guys, I‘m still digesting the news and don’t even know how to proceed from this point,” Karen said. “I’m not up to making any long-term plans just yet.”
“But you‘ll be a great mom, and Brett loves kids,” Phoebe replied.
“He may love them, but there’s a problem.”
“What? Did you call him?”
“No. I’m not sure how to break the news to him right now. I’m afraid if I tell Brett about the baby, he’s going to think that I turned out to be another groupie who’s trying to trap him.”
Eddie shook his head. “Nothing’s further from the truth, K. That man loves you. I can tell.”
“Maybe, but I also discovered not long ago Brett told both his sister and Patrick that he wasn’t planning on kids until he was altogether finished with wrestling. God, I wish I’d gone on something when we started dating.”
“People change their minds. How will you know what he thinks if you don’t talk to him?”
“You should call him,” Phoebe added. “He’s responsible for the baby too.”
“I don’t want anything from Brett, and if he makes it clear he doesn’t want any part of raising this child, I’ll understand. I need time to figure out everything.”
“K, I’m not an expert on women or anything, but I don’t think that’s something you’re going to hide forever,” Eddie said.
“I know, but I’m still dealing with the shock.”
“We’re guessing you’re going to have it?”
“I plan on carrying the baby to term, yes.”
“If you and Brett see each other again, how are you going to explain having a bigger belly?” Phoebe asked.
“We don’t see each other that often, so I’m not very concerned.”
“Any idea when you conceived?”
“It was either Los Angeles or when I covered the Chicago Dragonfly show on Labor Day weekend. Those were the only times Brett and I slept together.”
“It was Labor Day, all right,” Eddie said with a grin.
Phoebe shot him a dirty look. “Eddie, this isn’t the time for your jokes.”
“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”
“In any case, Brett’s going to find out about the baby one way or another. You two should talk as soon as possible, Karen.”
“When the timing is right, I‘ll discuss it with him. First, I need some time to adjust to the changes I’m facing.”
“Are you going to continue working?”
“Of course. I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”
“The boss is going to love this,” Eddie replied. “Which reminds me, he wants to know how you are.”
“I’ll give him the news on Monday. My pregnancy won’t be as easy to hide from Mr. Sullivan.”
CHAPTER 31
“I don’t believe it,” Sullivan said when Karen revealed the news. “Are you sure?”
“The doctor confirmed I was pregnant.”
“No wonder you’ve been quieter than normal. You’re okay?”
“Yes. Other than Phoebe and Eddie, I don’t want anyone else to know, at least not yet.”
“I’m not an expert on women or anything, but I don’t think that’s something you’re going to hide forever. I’m guessing you’re going to have it?”
“I plan on carrying the baby to term, yes.”
“Have you told Brett?”
“What? No.”
“Why?”
“He has enough on his mind without the news of being an expectant father being dumped on him.”
“You’re going to have to tell him one way or another.”
“I was considering raising the baby alone,” Karen said. “I don’t even know if Brett’s ready for parenthood, and now that he signed a TV contract for Orlando Wrestling, I’m even less sure.”
Sullivan‘s voice filled with concern. “Could you handle being a mother and still work?”
“I would like to think I’m mature enough to do both. I thought it through over the weekend, and raising my son or daughter alone right now would be the best decision. I’m earning enough to support both of us, and even Dr. Saks said there’s no real medical reason why I wouldn’t be able to have the baby.”
“Your age, Ms. Montgomery…”
“A lot of women are starting families later in life these days. Dr. Saks has referred me to an obstetrician who has a stellar reputation of treating older mothers. I have my first appointment on Friday.”
Sullivan leaned back in his chair. “I guess there’s no point in discussing your situation further. I’m going to cut back some of your field assignments, at least until after you have the baby.”
“Is that necessary? I’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure you will, but we don’t want our mother-to-be put in the line of fire with how some people tend to carry on at live wrestling shows. I can’t risk you getting hurt. You do the general news pieces for now and I’ll send Romano out for live coverage stories. He’s been pestering my ass to get away from cartooning and do some real news pieces, and I think he’s ready.”
“I suppose this means my going to Orlando next week is scrapped?”
“No, I’ve arranged things with their press office. It’s going to be your last field assignment, so make your Orlando Wrestling story a good one.”
“I won’t bring back anything less,” she said. And there will be no better time to go than the present while I’m not showing.
*****
The move to Orlando was both exciting and stressful for Brett. He had lived there several years before moving to Los Angeles, and it felt good to be back on familiar territory. When Orlando Wrestling president Stephanie Cross had contacted him with a contract offer, Brett leaped at the chance. It was also pleasant seeing old friends again from both his previous television wrestling federation as well as the independent circuit.
Stephanie did everything to make sure Brett fit in with the rest of the roster, even making him the surprise opponent for OW’s next pay-per-view.
He was elated. “Are you serious?”
“I can’t think of a better way for your debut. How does having a chance for the Florida Middleweight Title against Red Rodent sound?”
“Like you waste little time making your new talent feel welcome.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased.” Stephanie pushed a sheet of paper across the desk. “Here’s your schedule for the next two weeks.”
“Uh, yeah, I meant to ask about that. Is there any possibility I could finish my independent commitments?”
“How many dates do you have left?”
“I have a Dragonfly event in Chicago next week, a date in Los Angeles the following week, and another in New York in early February. Since the promoters are all old friends—”
Stephanie stopped him, nodding. “It won’t be a problem. We’ll put you in one television taping this week, and find something for you in between. But try not to book anything else until you check with the creative team after those shows.”
“Thanks, Miss Cross. I appreciate it.”
“Please call me Stephanie. You and I are going to be working together, after all.”
“Sure…Stephanie. I’ll see you early on Sunday.”
Brett walked out of her office, appearing nonchalant as he passed several of his soon-to-be co-workers. When he made it to his car in the parking lot, he looked around to make sure no one could see him.
“YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” he shouted, pumping both fists in the air. “Brett Kerrigan has come back to television, baby!”
I just wish I could call Karen with the news, but I’m sworn to secrecy until the PPV in case there’s a leak to the media. Wouldn’t want to spoil anything before my first match, would I?
CHAPTER 32
Patrick had come to visit Brett in Orlando and the two had agreed to watch a movie that evening when Brett came back from his meeting with Stephanie. What he hadn‘t counted on was the film Patrick chose was the same one he‘d often used to heckle his best friend.
“I don't know what makes me like this so much,” he said between gasps of laughter while they watched Headlocked. “A B movie that stinks, but I kind of dig the action scenes.”
Brett gave him a dirty look. “Do you enjoy torturing me? It’s the fifth time you‘ve watched this movie. Face it, my acting sucked.”
“Come on, you did pretty good in the opening scene, man. And that Bobby Berger guy was okay as a wrestler. Crappy movie, but it’s entertaining.”
“My moves looked like shit.”
“I’ve seen people in the ring these days who perform worse than you did back when the movie was made.”
“Show that piece of garbage to anyone else and you’ll be lucky if I let you live.”
“Damn, Kerrigan, it isn’t like you’re performing the male lead in a porn. It’s a B movie about a bunch of dudes who want to be wrestlers on the local circuit. You made a quick five grand from that opening scene. You could’ve done worse earning ten grand making gay porn.”
“Hilarious, Pat. Easy for you to joke around; you had Daddy paying the bills when you started out.” Brett got up. “I need a beer. Want me to get you one while I‘m up?”
“Sounds good. How was your meeting with Orlando Wrestling?“
“Went good, but if you’re trying to fish for details, don’t waste your time. I can’t say anything to anyone until Sunday. You’ll just have to order the pay-per-view like everyone else, buddy.”
“You suck.”
“Not my choice to keep quiet. If it was up to me, I�
�d shout details to every person I saw. I can’t even say a word to Karen.”
“Must be something big if you can’t even tell me or your own woman.”
Brett gave a knowing smile. “You could say that.”
“By the way, how’s the little lady?”
“I haven’t talked to her for the last few weeks or so, but as far as I know, she’s okay.”
“Think Karen will order the PPV?”
“She reviews them as part of her job, dude. Kind of hard for her to write an analysis without ordering one.”
“Good point. Good luck in your dark match.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Brett turned away so Patrick couldn’t see him grin. Dark match, my ass. Those days are over.
*****
One hundred thousand words. Karen was delighted how well her book had progressed since she started the project a year earlier. Through writing, rewriting, editing and re-editing, the outcome had arrived. Developing a novel didn‘t happen overnight, but she knew the finished product was going to be worth every effort she’d put into it.
Editing helped keep her mind off her pregnancy and how life was about to change the following summer with impending motherhood. At least when she went to Orlando, she wouldn’t have to worry about running into Brett. Karen still agonized over whether or not to contact him about the baby, but things had progressed so well in his career, she presumed it wasn’t the ideal time to lay such news on him.
On the off chance I do see him, I won’t be showing yet, so the news can be delayed a little longer.
At six o’clock, Karen took a break to make a latte before noticing she was low on milk. She walked to the store located a few blocks away and returned a short time later to find Phoebe waiting.
“What are you doing?” She took the bag. “You should be resting, not carrying heavy things!”
“Exercise is good for pregnant women. What brings you over?”
“Wanted to check to see how you were. Anyway, when’s your first appointment with the obstetrician?”
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