by Krista Lakes
Especially when she watched it later and saw how happy she was. She’d grinned like an idiot through the whole thing. It was when she watched it alone that she caught his smile in the hallway mirror. He hadn’t meant to catch himself smiling, but she saw his reflection in the hallway mirror as he recorded her. The way he smiled at her made her heart pitter-patter, even if it was a show for others. His smile made her feel like it wasn’t all fake.
Her phone buzzed from her robe pocket with a notification. Emma pulled out her phone and saw that she needed to turn in her monthly work hours requests. She chuckled and turned the notification off. She’d forgotten to do it when she quit her job just over a month ago. There was no need to submit her schedule now.
She sipped her coffee, enjoying the sunshine for a moment.
And then she nearly spit it out.
She was late.
She hastily pulled up her calendar and did the mental math. Her last period was six weeks ago. She’d been living with Jackson for almost a month. She was officially two weeks late.
Could she be pregnant already?
Her hands shook as she set down the phone and pushed her coffee away.
Without meaning to, her hands went to her belly. Was there life in there now? New, tiny life? Her stomach felt the same, but she’d known something was different when she woke up this morning.
She knew something had changed.
Emma swallowed hard. There was only one way to be certain.
She put on a pair of jean shorts and a comfortable t-shirt, threw her hair up in a ponytail, and grabbed her purse. On a last minute decision, she put on a ball cap and some reflective sunglasses. There was a corner store just a couple of blocks away that would have pregnancy tests.
She thought about just calling for someone to get her one. It would be easy in this apartment, and Jackson had told her she could ask for anything to be delivered. She thought about it, and then decided against it.
First, she’d have to find something to do while she waited for them. If she went to the store herself, she would have something to keep her busy. Second, she didn’t want Jackson to know yet. If it was just a false alarm, she didn’t want him to ask about it.
If it wasn’t a false alarm...
She wasn’t sure what to do.
“He wants the baby,” she said under her breath as she waved to the doorman and headed out into the summer sunshine. It was still early, so the heat was comfortable without being oppressive.
This was the contract. This was what was supposed to happen. Jackson would be thrilled that she was pregnant so easily.
So why was she nervous?
She stood at a streetlight and waited for her turn to cross the street. Why was her stomach in knots and her palms sweating?
She nearly missed the light change as it dawned on her.
She was terrified because it was real now. She really cared about him, and if she was pregnant, then they would be tied together forever. She knew she would always love him. She’d loved him from the moment he’d walked into her coffee shop years ago.
She hurried across the street, ignoring the blare of horns as the light changed. She needed to get to the store as soon as possible. She needed to know for sure.
She felt like sprinting to the store, but that wouldn’t work. For starters, she was still tired, and the other reason was that she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She was the girlfriend of a billionaire about to buy a pregnancy test.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing if it got out, since the baby was part of the master plan, but she wanted to be the one to tell him. She didn’t want him finding out because of some trashy gossip column. She wanted to stick to the plan as much as she could for the moment.
The corner store was quiet. The clerk barely glanced up as Emma walked in. She wandered around the store for a moment, trying to get her hands to stop shaking. She picked up the test, a bottle of water, and a pack of gum. It felt strange to just buy the test.
“This all?” The clerk didn’t even look at her. He just stared at his computer screen, looking incredibly bored.
“Yeah.” She glanced around and saw her face on at least three magazines. They were all the trashy tabloids, but there she was, standing next to Jackson. “And these,” she added.
The clerk shrugged and added on the magazines. Emma knew it was a bad idea to read them. They wouldn’t say anything she didn’t already know, but she couldn’t help herself.
She tugged her hat down lower when the clerk gave her the total. She flipped the magazines over so she wasn’t visible as soon as she could.
“Thank you. Come again.” The clerk sounded like a recording. Emma nodded and gathered her things together and hurried out of the store.
Back out in the sunlight, Emma felt like she’d just pulled off the biggest heist in history. The clerk hadn’t recognized her or even commented on the test. Her hands shook with relief. Step one was done.
Now it was time to take the test.
Emma paused. She didn’t want to take it at his apartment. The maids would see it when they cleaned up. She thought about using her apartment, but the maids cleaned that one too. She didn’t even know where the dumpster was in the building.
Emma stood on the sidewalk and chewed on her cheek.
With a deep breath she turned around and went back inside the shop.
“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked the clerk.
He sighed and pointed toward the back corner. She nodded and headed back there, really hoping that he was still disinterested.
The bathroom was tiny, but at least it looked clean. Emma took the test out of the box and read the directions three times before feeling semi-confident that she could do this properly. It didn’t seem hard- just pee on a stick- but the last thing she wanted to do was mess it up and have to buy another test.
She took a deep breath, prepped the stick and did her best.
Peeing on a stick is not an easy feat. It seems like it should be, but it does require a unique hand-eye-pee coordination that not every woman has practiced.
Emma made sure the applicator had enough before carefully balancing the precious test on the sink while she cleaned up. She had to wait a few minutes for the test results anyway, so she was glad she had something to do.
She checked her watch every five seconds. The test said it could take up to three minutes for a result with a possible positive marker at the minute mark.
Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six....
The seconds took hours.
At the one minute mark, Emma picked up the test. It was early, but she couldn’t wait any longer.
Her breath caught and she wasn’t sure if she was going to laugh or cry.
Two pink lines.
She was pregnant.
Chapter 21
Emma
* * *
“Are you okay?”
“What?” Emma stuttered, turning from the limo window and looking blankly at Jackson.
“You’re distracted,” he told her. “I’ve asked you the same question three times and you haven’t said a word. You just sat there. Are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Emma replied. She reached for his hand. “I’m just tired.”
“Are you sick?” Jackson asked. “You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” Emma told him. “It’s probably just a little bug. I’ll be fine.”
A baby bug, she thought to herself. And I’ll be fine in about nine months.
Emma thought about telling him about the positive pregnancy test, but decided to wait until she had it confirmed by a doctor. Her appointment was in a couple of days. She was still so early in her pregnancy that she didn’t want to get his hopes up yet.
She didn’t want him to think about his business troubles tonight, either, so, she was waiting until the doctor confirmed what the pregnancy test told her. It was better for everyone that way.
“Oh look, we’re here,” Emma announced, pointing to the
stadium. She was glad for the distraction. The way Jackson was looking at her made her nervous. She was going to have to focus on him tonight.
The limo pulled up to the front gate of Stingray Baseball Stadium. Tonight was going to be a great game against the hated Redbirds. The stands were already nearing capacity, yet more and more people in Stingray blue and gold kept coming in.
The limo door opened and Emma stepped out. The smells of peanuts, beer, and popcorn filled her nose. Thank god she wasn’t having morning sickness yet, or it would have been terrible. She sighed with relief.
“This way,” Jackson said, taking her hand. He guided her to a private entrance and then over to a hidden elevator. Two security guards checked them out before allowing them inside. From there, they went straight up and to the best seats in the entire stadium.
She followed Jackson as he led her to the tunnel that the players used to access the field, but instead of heading out onto the field he made a right hand turn at a doorway. Inside was the most impressive seats she’d ever seen for a sporting event.
Four leather recliners sat in a beautiful room looking out at the field. Except, she was so close to the field that she could almost touch the players. The umpire squatted only three feet away from her and she was close enough to see the stitching on the balls when he set them down.
It was as close to being a major league baseball player as she was ever going to get.
“Wow,” Emma whispered, standing next to the window and looking out at the field. Any closer and she’d need to wear cleats. “I didn’t even know there were seats like this.”
“You said you liked baseball games,” Jackson replied, settling into one of the recliner chairs.
“Yeah, but I usually get the nosebleed seats,” Emma said, turning to smile at him. “You know, the ones the grocery stores say you ‘won’ for buying enough groceries that month?”
“I can get you one of those seats.” Jackson moved like he was getting up.
“No, nope. This is good, I’m happy,” she assured him. He grinned and relaxed back in his seat.
Jackson pressed a button on the side of the chair. Within seconds, there was a polite knock on the door and a man in a blue and gold polo shirt opened the door.
“How can I help you?” the man asked. “My name is Joe, and I’ll be your private service tonight.”
“Hello Joe,” Jackson greeted him. “I’ll have my usual.”
“Of course, Mr. Weathers. It’s always a pleasure to have you here,” Joe replied warmly. He turned to Emma. “And for you, miss?”
“Um, what do you have?” Emma asked. She was used to shelling out ten bucks for a single foamy cup of beer at these games, but beer wasn’t something she should be drinking today.
Joe quickly handed her a menu that was four pages thick. Every beer Emma could think of was listed, along with wine, mixed drinks, sodas, and every food she’d ever seen offered in the stadium and then some.
“I’ll have a ginger ale and some of the Stingray Special fries,” she said after a moment.
“Excellent choice,” Joe replied. “I’ll have those right down.”
“Joe’s the best,” Jackson told Emma as the door swung shut behind their server. “I always request him for these games.”
Before Emma had a chance to respond, Joe was back with a large beer and hot dog for Jackson and the soda and fries for Emma. She wasn’t sure how he’d gotten them so fast. He wasn’t even out of breath.
“Can I get you anything else?” Joe asked, smiling at the two of them.
“No,” Jackson replied. He held the hot dog and smiled as he took a bite. “Perfect as always, Joe.”
“Please let me know if you need anything,” Joe told them. He nodded politely and disappeared behind the door again.
“Does he just wait out there for us to call him?” Emma asked, looking at the door.
“I’m not sure what he does,” Jackson replied, his mouth full of food. “Come sit down. The game’s about to start.”
Emma took her food and drink and sat down in the comfortable chairs. She could see everything. It made the baseball game so much more fun when she was in the same position as the umpire to call strike or ball. In just a couple of innings she was yelling at the glass when she disagreed with the umpire.
“You should slow down on those drinks,” Jackson teased. “I think they’re going to your head.”
“It’s just ginger ale,” she scoffed. Then she blushed. “I’m getting a little animated, aren’t I?”
Jackson chuckled. “You’re having fun.”
She grinned at him and sat back down. “Thank you for this. I’m having a lot of fun.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“Well, as long as you’re having a good time, you should check out the mega-tron,” Jackson told her, pointing to the giant TV for the stadium.
Emma frowned slightly, but looked to where he pointed. In big letters she slowly read the words that she knew she’d never forget.
EMMA SHERIDAN, WILL YOU MARRY ME?
“Jackson?” Emma turned from the TV to find Jackson down on one knee. He had a small black box open to her with the biggest diamond Emma had ever seen in her life.
“Emma Sheridan, will you marry me?” he asked, a confident grin on his face.
Emma stood there for a moment in shock. She hadn’t seen this coming. Jackson had been so comfortable and completely at ease all evening. He hadn’t looked even the slightest bit nervous about proposing.
He wasn’t nervous because she was contractually obligated to say yes.
There was no doubt of her answer, so there were no nerves. This was a business transaction, albeit a pleasant one.
She’d known from the moment she signed that contract what was coming. They’d never agreed to love. This was all about appearances and saving his diaper company.
So why did the fact that this wasn’t real hurt so much?
Why did she want it to be real?
“Emma?” Jackson prompted. He held up the ring a little higher to catch the sparkle. It was then that she realized they were on the mega-tron. She was glad she’d worn something cute.
“Yes,” she said, putting on a big, bright smile. “Oh my god, YES!”
She could play her part just like him. She could pretend that this proposal was a total surprise and that she was over the moon.
It was why she was getting paid. She could keep her feelings to herself. Just because she was falling for Jackson, just because she wished that he could have been a little nervous, didn’t mean she couldn’t smile.
Outside, the crowd went wild. Players came and banged on the glass and the crowd screamed their approval. Jackson carefully slid the ring onto her finger, kissed her, and then held her in his arms.
The tears in her eyes were happy tears, at least according to the people watching. No one would ever know that this was fake, and that was why she was crying.
“You’re doing great,” he whispered in her ear. “Everyone totally believes us.”
“Yeah, great.” Emma sniffled and was glad she didn’t have to look him in the eyes right now. She just tucked her head into his shoulder like she was overwhelmed with emotion. At least that wasn’t far from the truth.
Outside, the crowd finally calmed down and the game continued into the next inning. Jackson released her from his hug and grinned.
“I think I surprised you,” he said with a chuckle.
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Yeah. You sure did.”
“Do you like the ring?” Now he sounded a little nervous. This was something that wasn’t in the contract.
“It’s beautiful,” she replied, finally taking a good look at it. The band appeared to be white gold with a single princess cut diamond sparkling in a delicate setting. The diamond looked like it belonged in a museum with a full time guard, it was so big. She had no doubt it was real. Jackson was a billionaire after all.
Jackson grinned and his shoulders relaxed. She leaned i
nto him and he wrapped his arm around her. It felt nice. For a moment, she could almost believe this was real. She could almost believe that he wanted to marry her.
Almost.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jackson asked, looking concerned.
“Of course. Why?” Emma replied. She put on her best smile.
“Because you’re still crying.” Jackson frowned. Tears obviously weren’t his thing.
Emma chuckled. “They’re happy tears. It’s an emotional moment. I just had a billionaire propose to me. Life is good.”
Jackson’s concerned look slowly faded. “Okay. I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Definitely,” she assured him, snuggling into his shoulder a little more. His arm felt good wrapped around her. Even though their relationship wasn’t real, she could pretend it was. For this moment, she could pretend she was happily in love and that nothing was wrong in the world.
At the end of the ninth inning, the Stingrays were winning. It was the perfect way to end the day, Emma decided. She was engaged and her favorite team was going to win.
The game ended and the players all came out on the field to shake hands. It surprised Emma that the stands were still mostly full. No one appeared to have left, despite the fact that the game was over. That was when the fireworks started.
Big blossoms of color lit up the stadium followed by thunderous booms. Emma gasped with delight and stood from her chair, pushing her nose into the glass and watching the sky. Blue, gold, green, purple, and streaks of silver all sparkled against the dark night.
But there was more. Two red streaks flew across the sky and exploded into heart shapes. A third heart appeared, followed by what was clearly the letters J and E written in fireworks. Then the letter W and more hearts.
Emma turned and looked back at Jackson. He was grinning at her, obviously enjoying her childlike delight at the fireworks.
“Did you have them do that?” Emma asked, turning back to watch the colors lighting the sky. She’d never seen fireworks this good, even on the Fourth of July.