Charlie sits up, and the mask falls into her lap. “Oh yeah, Ari, you should totally come. Then you can see Batshit Crazy in action. Is it wrong I’m actually looking forward to this? I swear the shots have brought out this inner mean girl I never knew I had. Do you think that means my baby will be a mean girl?” She grabs her stomach. “God, I hope not. I don’t have the patience to raise a bitch.”
“Your baby will be fine and will not be a bitch. Why are you going the meeting?” I ask.
After taking another sip, she puts her water glass on the coffee table. “Since I was in charge of the event, Carmen wants me there to discuss expenses, what we were able to donate, et cetera. If I wasn’t there, she’s afraid they’d use those numbers as a stalling tactic. You know, claiming they needed a report or itemized list or explanation of expenditures. I’ve got all the info ready, and I’ll be on hand to answer any questions. You’re coming, right?”
I sit on the armchair and cross my legs. “I don’t think Chase should go, let alone me. If I were you, I’d just let the lawyers handle it. Create as much distance between you two as possible. And I know this sounds harsh, but by not being there, it sends a message to her that she can’t get your attention this way.”
He sits on the coffee table in front of me. “Like Charlie said, if I’m not there, she’ll use that to find reasons to postpone. I want to get this all resolved today.”
“I’ll go if you want me to, but I think it’s playing with fire. I know I don’t know her, but from her actions, she seems seriously unstable. My presence might set her off. I don’t think antagonizing her will do anything but make her feel backed into a corner. What if she lashes out? You managed to dodge her last attack, but I’m not so sure you’ll be lucky twice.”
He takes my hand. “I really want you there. I want us to start handling these sorts of things together.”
I smile. “Well, how can I say no to that?” I lean forward and kiss him.
“Oh, gag me,” Charlie groans.
Chase looks at his watch. “I’d better go home and change. If I leave now, I’ll just make it there and back. Freaking traffic.”
“Look in the bottom drawer on the right side of my closet. You’ll find some of your old stuff in there. You’ll still need to go home and put on a suit, but I think there’s a pair of jeans in there. Something you can drive home in other than your tux.”
He jumps up. “You saved it? I was sure you’d have burned it or something.”
I shrug. “What can I say? I’m sentimental.”
Chase jogs to the bedroom, and Charlie puts the mask back on her eyes and says, “I’ll stay here with you. If you’re really coming, you need to look scorching. No, better than scorching. You need to look badass and scorching.”
“I don’t need to impress anyone, least of all her. If I look like I’m trying too hard, I’ll appear desperate, which I’m not.”
“I don’t want you to impress her,” she replies. “I want you to intimidate the hell out of her so she signs the papers and her daddy writes the check and we can be done with all of this.”
Chase comes out of the bedroom. “These were my favorite jeans. I looked everywhere for them.” He kisses me. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, and we’ll drive over together.”
“Okay.” I grab his hand as he walks away. “Hurry back.”
He blows me a kiss then leaves.
“Oh. My. God. You two are obnoxious. Were you like this before when you were together?” Charlie asks.
A warm blush creeps across my cheeks as I smirk. “When things were good and we were alone. Yeah, we were pretty cute. But those times were so few and far between.”
“Then I’m glad I missed it because I’m not sure how much more of this I can stand. Seeing this side of either of you is so weird. Like seeing a cow in a tutu or Brussels sprouts on pizza. Some things are just against the laws of nature.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “Get used to it, sweetheart. I think we’re back for good this time.”
She claps. “Really? Like really really?”
I smile. “Like really really. Things are good.”
I’m not going to tell Charlie about the recent ovarian pull I’ve been feeling. She’s had such a hard time getting pregnant, and if I tell her I’m thinking about kids, she’ll feel even more pressure. From what I understand, added pressure can make a uterus very angry.
She jumps up and walks toward my bedroom. “Well, let’s get you dressed. Before you can have your happily ever after, we get to get rid of his fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée,” I say as I pad after her.
Two hours later, Chase blows through the door. “You just had to have a condo in the city. Of all the places we looked at that were closer to Stanford and thus closer to my house, why didn’t you choose one of those? It took me an hour to get home. I showered and changed in less than ten minutes, then I sat in an hour of traffic back.” He walks to the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water.
I come out of the bedroom and lean against the wall. “If memory serves, you’re the one who liked this place. I liked that little place on the water in Miramar, but you said it was too isolated. Something about not enough delivery options.”
“And it would have been much harder to explain why we were in Miramar together than the city.” He comes around the corner, and the glass of water slips through his fingers. He looks at the shattered glass then back at me. “You look…”
I look down at my navy Carolina Herrera dress. “What? What’s wrong with it?”
Charlie comes up behind me, putting one hand on each shoulder. “Guess we picked the right dress.”
He steps over the glass and puts a hand on my cheek. “It has nothing to do with the dress. I think sometimes I forget just how beautiful you are, then I see you, and it knocks me over.”
Blushing, I say, “We’d better hurry.”
I step into the bathroom and grab a few towels then crouch to mop up the water while Chase sweeps the broken glass into a dust pan. He keeps looking at me with a grin.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m just happy. Blissfully, euphorically happy.”
I lean forward and kiss him. “Good. Let’s hope it stays that way. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long afternoon.”
He carries the dust pan to the trash then dumps in the broken glass. “No matter what happens in this meeting, it’s the past. I don’t even care about the money. I just want a clean break so we can move forward. Today will finally close that chapter so we can start a new book together.” He puts the dust pan under the sink and walks back to me.
I wipe a smear of lipstick off his upper lip. “Fingers crossed.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re in a swanky office on the top floor of a high rise on California Street. He has a team of lawyers and a few accountants who all look as though they’re out for blood. To say the atmosphere is designed for intimidation would be an understatement. The long glossy granite table is set in the conference room with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city. A piece of stone this size must have cost a fortune. The expensive art on the walls and the lavish spread of pastries from b. patisserie, the best bakery in San Francisco, and the soft leather chairs all show any guest that no expense shall be spared. If a client can afford the hourly rate for this firm, they can probably buy and sell anyone without breaking a sweat. Despite the luxury, the room is designed to make you uncomfortable. It’s freezing in here, probably below sixty degrees. They don’t want anyone feeling relaxed. I swear the chairs on the opposing side are closer to the ground than on the firm’s side, giving the firm the appearance of power. They have home field advantage, and they use it.
Right at the appointed time, Jenna, her parents, and a few lawyers enter the room. Carmen and her team meet them at the door and exchanges pleasantries. They form a line that effectively cuts off Jenna’s sightline to Chase. One of Chase’s lawyers pulls out a seat for Jenna on the far end of th
e opposing side. The opposite end of the table from where Chase and I sit. I’m not sure if the firm is worth the exorbitant hourly rate Chase pays, but I’ll give them one thing: they’re excellent at managing hostile situations.
As soon as Jenna sits, she sees Chase, and her whole face lights up. I can tell by the look in her eye that everything disappears but him. “Chase, honey, you could have just told me you didn’t like the location of the wedding. We could have moved it. Pick a new place, and we’ll send out new invitations. Wherever you want.”
Dear lord, she’s further gone than I’d thought. I reach for Chase’s hand and squeeze.
“What is she doing here?” Jenna says as soon as she spots me.
Chase is about to respond when Carmen chimes in. “Ms. Carlyle, please direct all communication to me.” She sits at her chair in the center of the table. “This seems like an ideal time to begin. We’re all here to negotiate settlement terms in the matter of the dissolution of the personal and financial relationship between Ms. Carlyle and my client. The first matter of business—”
“Before we begin,” Jenna says as she reaches under the table. “I have a gift.”
“Ms. Carlyle, gifts are not appropriate at this juncture. I believe a good place to start is to get a status update on the condominium located at—”
Jenna slaps her hand on the table. “I’m going to make this very simple. After Chase opens my gift, I’ll agree to any terms he wants. If he doesn’t open it, I’m leaving, and there will be no negotiation until he does.”
“Jenna,” her lawyer starts, “this was not was we discussed.”
“No, Gary. This is my offer.”
“Jenna,” her father says, “I think we need to listen to the attorneys now.”
She places a wrapped box on the table. It about the size of a bracelet box, or maybe a pen box. “He opens the box, or I leave.”
Carmen glares at Jenna. “Well, then it looks like we’re done here. We’ll see all of you in court.”
With a huff, Chase rolls his eyes. “Oh for Christ’s sake, just give me the damn box so we can move on.”
Carmen leans closer to Chase. “I don’t recommend this. You’re simply encouraging this sort of behavior.”
“I just want to get this over with.”
Carmen looks at Jenna. “My client will open the gift, but then we’re moving forward with the agenda.” She holds out her hand to Jenna. “Pass it to me, and I’ll pass it to my client.”
Jenna looks at Carmen with a smug smile. “I’d rather give it to him myself.”
Charlie drops her head in her hands and rubs her temples. “For the love of all things holy, someone give Chase the godforsaken box.”
Carmen takes the box from Jenna’s hand and gives it to Chase. He quickly tears the silver paper away then opens a black velvet box. The moment he opens it, he lets it snap shut, then he drops it on the table.
He glares at Jenna with a venomous stare. “No fucking way.”
Jenna smiles so big my cheeks hurt looking at her. “Yes way. Isn’t it fantastic?”
Charlie leans over to me and whispers, “What was it?”
I shrug and whisper back, “I didn’t see it.”
Jenna’s father looks at her. “Jenna, what’s going on?”
Jenna smiles. “A game changer, Dad. Isn’t that right, Chase? To put it in football terms, I’d call it a turnover.”
“Nothing has changed between you and me,” Chase spits back. “Look at a calendar, Jenna. It’s not possible.”
Jenna giggles. “You seem to forget when we reconciled in December.”
“Chase?” I whisper in his ear.
Chase’s hand curls into a fist. “That is bullshit, and you know it. Stop playing games, Jenna.”
I put my hand on his arm, and he turns toward me. He’s furious, but there’s something more. Fear maybe. He pushes the box toward me. I open the soft velvet box and suddenly understand his expression. It’s a pregnancy test with two very clear pink lines.
“Jenna,” he growls. “You ly—”
I squeeze his arm. “Chase, can I see you outside for a moment?”
He looks at me, and his face softens. “What?”
“I’d like to speak with you in private, please.”
He says, “Ari, you have to—”
I gesture to the door. “Outside.”
“You may use my office,” Carmen says.
As we walk to the door, Jenna stands. “Where are you going? You can’t leave! She can’t just take him. This is my meeting!”
As soon as the door closes behind us, Chase says, “She’s lying.”
I pull on his arm. “Shhh. Wait until we’re behind closed doors.”
Once safely in the privacy of Carmen’s office, he says, “Ari, I’m so sorry. She’s lying! You have to believe me.”
I stare at him blankly. “Is it yours?”
“She’s lying,” he replies through gritted teeth.
I put my hands on my hips. “Let’s pretend for a minute she’s not. Is it yours?”
He sits on the sofa and runs his fingers through his hair. “I don’t see how it could be. But there was a night last December. I had just gotten back from seeing you and Aiden in Denver. Hearing about his condition… it just broke me. I went to my house, which was still under construction at the time, and drank myself into a stupor. I’m not sure why she showed up, but she did and offered to let me sleep at her house rather than on the floor at my place, and I said yes. The last thing I remember was puking in the elevator.”
“That’s all?”
He sheepishly looks away. “Well, I woke up naked in her bed. I know it sounds bad, but there’s no way I would have slept with her. I was too upset about everything with you and Aid.”
I scoff. “Now I know you slept with her. That was your MO. You’d get pissed at me and fuck someone to get back at me.”
He points at me. “Only at the beginning of our relationship when I was a dumb kid. I’d never do that now. And besides, I was so wasted I don’t think I could have gotten it up if I wanted to. Not that I did.”
“Do you know for certain?”
His head falls into his hands. “No.”
“So here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll go in there and set up terms.” I take a pad off Carmen’s desk and start writing. “One is a gag order. I don’t want her out there spreading uncertainties masquerading as truths. Two, as soon as a paternity test can be run, we run one. Three, you and I will be at every doctor’s appointment. Four, she needs to enroll in therapy.”
He lifts his head. “Wait. What did you say?”
I continue to jot down notes for Carmen. “Therapy. She needs therapy. Possibly inpatient by the looks of it. I’m not sure she can be trusted to take care of herself, let alone a baby. But whatever meds they give her I want checked by an OBGYN.”
“No, not that part. The part where you said, ‘You and I will be at every doctor’s appointment.’ You’re not leaving me?”
I look up from the pad. “No! Why would I?”
“Because I might have knocked up my ex-fiancée. You’ve broken up with me for far less reasons.”
I sit next to him on the sofa. “Chase, I meant what I said the other day. I love you. I’m in this with you. For all of it. If Jenna is pregnant with your baby, then I will love that baby as though it’s my own because he or she will be a part of you. We’ll find a way to co-parent with Jenna and give this baby the best life possible. With three people to love and care for it. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“If she’s pregnant with your baby, would you want to try to make it work with her?”
“God, no!” He rubs his temples. “I can’t believe this is happening. Why is it that every time you and I get back on track, something gets in the way?”
“This is not coming between us.” I put my hand on his shoulder. “A baby is always a blessing. When he or she comes, I think it’ll bring us closer together.”
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br /> “I still just don’t believe it’s possible though. There’s no way I would have slept with her that night.”
“What we have to do is get in there and let the attorneys work out a suitable plan until the paternity test can be taken. If you go in there and scream and yell that the baby is not yours and it turns out to be yours, you look like an asshole that didn’t want his child. She will use that against you for the rest of your life. If you’re proven not to be the father, she looks like the asshole. You don’t need to do the work for her. Going after her will only make you look bad.” I hold out my hand. “Let’s go in there and handle this with class and dignity. Don’t get sucked into her games.”
He puts one hand on either side of my face. “How did I get so lucky?”
He leans in to kiss me, then we hear screams from across the hall. “Just pee on the freaking stick!”
“Charlie?” we say in unison.
He puts his hand on the small of my back. “We need to get back in there.”
When we return to the conference room, Charlie’s digging through her bag, pulling out pregnancy tests. “You don’t like that brand? Fine, I’ve got more.” She slams three more packages down. “Take your pick, whichever one you like. Just pick one and pee. I’ll do one too. It’ll be fun.”
Jenna looks at her with disgust. “Who carries pregnancy tests around in their purse?”
“Women going through fertility treatments, duh. I pee on a stick two or three times a day, hoping one day I’ll see those pretty pink lines.” She pushes a test toward Jenna. “Why don’t you show them to me?”
“Mrs. Fairchild, please, let me handle this,” Carmen says with an edge that is clear she means business.
“Charlie?” Chase says. “What’s going on?”
She puts her arm around him. “Well, you’re lovely former bride-to-be—”
“Current bride-to-be, thank you,” Jenna says.
Chase groans, and Jenna’s mother puts her hand on Jenna’s back. “Jenna, dear, you’re only making things worse.”
Charlie rolls her eyes. “The governor of the state of delusion here didn’t provide you with a blood test, just a stick. I think there’s a reason for that. Here’s a little fact about stick tests: after twenty-four hours, a second line may form as the integrity of the kit deteriorates. Trust me on this—I’ve learned the hard way. Since she’s already lied about being pregnant before, I’m guessing she’s as knocked up as I am. Which I’m not, by the way. I tested this morning.” She points at the collection of tests on the table. “All I did was ask her to prove it and settle this whole thing right now. But surprise, surprise. She won’t.”
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