Maybe Baby Lite

by ANDREA SMITH

  I leafed through Trey’s messages. Greg Sims from Sim’s Private Investigation Services had requested a call back to update progress. There were several messages from in-house attorneys. Then, I saw the last message: Tess Flannery had called this morning at 10:30.

  What the fuck?

  Why would she call Trey? She must've heard from Landon about our “situation.” Christ, even I was referring to it now as a situation. I put Tess’s message atop Trey’s stack so he saw it first.

  At 12:50, the boxed lunches were delivered to Harmon’s wing by Josh from the mailroom. I filled another ice bucket and met Josh, who wheeled the sandwich cart. I set the ice bucket on it, grabbed the phone messages, and knocked firmly on the conference room door.

  “Come in,” one of the attorneys barked. It had to be Harmon or Richardson; I knew it wasn’t Trey. I opened the door tentatively, holding it for Josh to come through with the cart.

  “Gentlemen,” Barry Richardson said, nodding for Josh to put the boxes on the credenza, “we will take a restroom and lunch break now. We will resume our discussion in 20 minutes.”

  I helped Josh unload the cart and I restocked the credenza. I turned away from the credenza just as Mr. Littleton brushed against my backside.

  Fuck! I hope Trey didn't see that!

  When I looked over and saw the pure anger in Trey’s eyes, I knew that he'd seen it. I tried my best to flash him a “no-big-deal” look, but he was having none of it. He abruptly stood and followed Littleton to the door, taking long, angry strides. I cut him off at the pass.

  “Mr. Sinclair,” I called out, waving the pink message slips.

  “What?” he snapped, turning to me, and his face softened when he caught my intent. I knew that he hadn’t meant to snap at me.

  “Your messages, sir,” I replied, handing him the stack.

  He took them, his eyes still locked on mine. I nodded at the messages, turning as he read the one on top. I went over to Mr. Harmon, handing him his messages, then to Richardson. I departed the conference room and welcomed the sight of my desk. Leah returned about 15 minutes later and asked how everything had gone.

  “No problems at all,” I lied.

  CHAPTER 46

  I awoke with a start from my nap. I looked at the clock on the nightstand. It read 7:12 p.m. The room was dark, the sun had obviously set. I couldn’t believe that my after-work cat nap got away from me. Why wasn’t Trey home from work yet? I heard rustling and the sound of ice clinking in crystal. I looked over to the corner of the room and saw Trey in the sitting area. His left arm was draped over the back of the chair, a glass with ice and a couple of shots of amber liquor in the other. I sat up abruptly and switched on the lamp.

  “I didn’t hear you come in Trey,” I said. “I didn’t mean to take such a long nap. I wanted to start dinner for you.”

  He stood up and came over to the bed. He wore a white dress shirt with his tie loose around his neck. His five o’clock shadow looked sexy and he was in his stocking feet. He sat down on the bed beside me. “Tylar,” he sighed heavily, “I’m not sure that it’s going to work out having you working at the firm.”

  “Why?” I asked, puzzled. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, actually it’s me. You drive me to distraction. Do you know how much I wanted to throttle Littleton?” He took a long swig of his drink, slamming the empty glass on the nightstand. I pulled the quilt off me and climbed over to where he sat. I sat down next to him, taking his hand in mine.

  “Please know that I didn’t do anything to encourage Littleton.”

  “I know Tylar,” he said, circling his arms around me, rocking me back and forth. We sat in silence. He tugged on my ponytail, tilting my head back to kiss my forehead.

  “I had to tell my partners about our relationship.”

  “What? I thought you insisted we keep it quiet?”

  “Tylar, you know as well as I do that wasn’t realistic. Hell, both Richardson and Harmon knew something was amiss today in the conference room. They said I acted like a ‘rutting stag’. They were right.”

  Okay, I've no clue what a rutting stag is but it doesn’t sound as if it belongs in a law firm.

  “Why would they say that?” I pressed.

  “Jesus Christ, they know me well enough to see how I acted whenever you came around and when another man brushed against your ass!”

  “Let me ask you something Trey. Would you’ve been concerned had Littleton done the same thing to Leah or Tonya instead of me?”

  “It’s inappropriate no matter who’s at the receiving end of it. The fact that it was you enraged me.”

  “I’m really glad to hear that, Trey,” I replied, “I think that you had every right to call Littleton on it because none of your female employees deserve that type of harassment. Was anything said to him?”

  “Oh yes,” he answered, nodding his head, “Harmon saw what happened too and he called him on it. That’s why I decided to tell the rest of the senior partners about us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The partners saw what Littleton did, and they wanted Janice Landrick to talk to you and make sure you understood that it was being handled. They also saw my reaction and are aware that I called Janice on your behalf for the job. I needed to let them know the extent of our relationship.”

  “Do they know I’m pregnant, that we live together?”

  He nodded.

  “Do they want me out of there? Is it a conflict of interest?”

  “Actually our company handbook does not have a policy regarding fraternization. There are a few married couples who are associates at the firm. Given our relationship, you can never work directly for me. It's also customary for you to sign a statement indicating you won’t hold the firm liable for sexual harassment claims in the future involving me.”

  “What?”

  “It’s just a precaution, and the only way you can continue to work there.”

  “I’ve got no issue with signing that Trey, but what about everyone else knowing about us, you know?”

  “No, this is definitely not going outside the senior partners, at least for now. If our status changes, then I’ll want everyone to know you're mine. However, that’s still your call.”

  Tears of anger sprang to my eyes. I was shocked at how territorial Trey had become. I'd only worked at his firm for a day. The idea of living the rest of my life with a jealous, controlling husband infuriated me. Before I could comment, the doorman buzzed the intercom. I pressed the button to respond.

  “Yes?”

  “Gina is here for Ms. Preston.”

  “Send her up,” I replied.

  The doorbell chimed. I opened the door to Gina, who held a large plastic bag full of clothes. “Where do you want this, in your bedroom?”

  “No, Trey’s in there; just leave it here,” I replied, hurrying back to the kitchen before she noticed I was upset. “I have to stir my soup, Gina.”

  She came around to the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against it with her arms folded, watching me. “Okay, spill. What's the Hot Nazi done this time?” As usual, Gina’s timing left something to be desired. Trey turned the corner to the kitchen just as the words left her mouth. He threw her a nasty look.

  “Gina,” he nodded, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

  “Trey,” she replied, her tone borderline accusatory. Gina had balls, I gave her that. “Would you mind stirring Tylar’s soup so that I can see what the fuck she's so upset about?” she snapped. Before Trey had a chance to reply, Gina took me by the hand, pulling me down the massive hallway into the master suite. She went into the bathroom, returning with a damp washcloth.

  “Here,” she held it out, “your mascara's running.” I took it and wiped my cheeks. “So? What happened? Did the Nazi fire you on your first day?”

  I provided Gina with the ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of the day’s events.

  “So essentially what you're telling me is that Trey got his nose out of joint bec
ause some visiting lawyer brushed against your ass and he felt like kicking his? Ty, that's what boyfriends, husbands, lovers do—get it?”

  “I know,” I said, stifling a mini-sob, “but he also sort of thought I liked the attention.”

  “Well, did you?”

  “No, but—”

  “But what?”

  “I liked that it bothered Trey I guess.”

  “I see,” Gina replied, smiling.

  “It’s not funny, Gina. Now Trey and I are in a fight sort of. He had to tell the other senior partners. Eventually the whole office will find out that I’m pregnant. I’m sure I'll be regarded as some gold digger that wanted to trap the handsome, rich attorney, using the oldest trick in the book.”

  “Maybe they will think that Trey took advantage of an innocent virgin and now won’t take responsibility,” she mused.

  “How can you say that, Gina?” I jumped to Trey’s defense.

  “Well for starters, I don’t see a ring on your finger.”

  “Trey wants to be married. He said so over Thanksgiving.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me that part Tylar? So what’s the problem?”

  “Because it was more along the lines of ‘We love each other, we’re having a baby, I think we should be married,’ type of thing.”

  Gina rolled her eyes, “So you didn’t like the proposal? That’s the only reason?”

  “I don’t want to be pregnant when I get married. I set that bar a long time ago.”

  “Okay,” she said, sighing, “let me ask you these questions and you need to be totally honest with me.”

  I nodded.

  “Do you see yourself spending your life with Trey?”

  “I want to.”

  “Suppose Trey would have proposed to you prior to his knowing you were pregnant, would you have accepted?”

  I didn’t have to think long or hard before answering. “I'd have insisted on an engagement of a year or so before getting married.”

  “Then there you have it,” Gina replied, beaming, “you get engaged, then everyone will know you're with each other out of love. It's perfectly respectable to marry after the baby is born. This isn’t 1957 after all.”

  “I like it,” I said, “there’s only one problem.”

  “Which is?”

  “Trey hasn’t officially proposed since I put the kibosh on it a couple weeks ago. I’m not going to suggest it, that’s for sure.”

  “You know, Tylar,” she said looking at me seriously, “I’m not a huge fan of the Hot Nazi but I have to say that he's done his part so far. Maybe you need to do yours. You can always propose to him; show him how it’s done.”

  She squeezed me in a hug just as there was a tap on the bedroom door. Trey walked in, looking a tad sheepish. I think Gina intimidated him.

  “Gina, Ian’s in the living room. He was worried when you were gone so long.”

  “Shit! I forgot all about Ian. We gotta get to the club. Call me,” she ordered, pointing her finger at me, disappearing out into the hallway. “Later Trey,” she called over her shoulder.

  Trey sat down on the bed next to me, putting his arm around me. “Your soup's ready,” he said softly. “Come on; let’s go eat.”

  I couldn’t eat and I knew it. There was a huge lump in my throat that needed to be resolved. I turned to Trey, taking his hand in mine, looking into his sapphire blue eyes. “Trey, I love you and only you. When I see my future, I know that I want you in it every day. I know that we aren’t perfect, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t perfect for each other.” I raised his hand to my lips and kissed it.

  “Tylar,” be breathed, pulling me to him, burying his face into my neck. “I love you and only you. I wouldn’t want a future without you in it. I want you to be my wife.”

  “Then why don’t you ask me, Trey?”

  He pulled back, staring at me in sheer confusion. “I have asked you, Tylar.”

  “Not really. You have said things like ‘I think we should be married’ or ‘I want you to have my last name’ and now, ‘I want you to be my wife.’ Ask the big question counselor.”

  “Tylar Jamie Preston, will you please marry me?”

  I lunged back into his arms, hugging his neck tightly. “Yes I will, Trey!” Happy tears ran down my cheeks.

  “Come on,” Trey said, lifting me up, “let’s go eat something okay?”

  We sat at the breakfast bar, eating warmed-up Chunky soup and a salad that Trey had fixed. “What’s in the bag over there?” Trey asked, nodding toward the living room.

  “Gina brought me some of her clothes. I want to expand my wardrobe.”

  Trey frowned, “You know that I can afford to buy you clothes, Tylar. No wonder Gina thinks I’m some kind of Nazi,” he mumbled. “Saturday we're going shopping for a ring,” he announced. “While we're at it, we will shop for clothes as well. I want the future Mrs. Sinclair to continue making the fashion statements she made today. By the way, are we going to set a date for our wedding?”

  “Certainly,” I replied, smiling warmly at my fiancée, “it’s still going to be after the baby's born and I’ve lost my baby weight,” I informed him. “Weddings take time to plan.”

  “I figured as much,” he conceded, “just promise me that it’ll take place before our second child’s born?”

  “I promise, Trey.”

  Trey offered to clean up the kitchen so that I could shower before bed. I was cozy in bed by the time Trey came in. He put Monday Night Football on in our room. How flippin’ romantic I thought, especially on the night of our engagement. Trey propped some pillows behind him and sat up in bed to watch the game. I snuggled alongside him, resting my head on his flat belly. He draped one arm over my back, gently rubbing it. I lay there thinking of the day ahead and suddenly remembered that I had to fill those forms out for H.R.

  “Trey, I've some forms to fill out for H.R. due tomorrow. It’s the usual stuff but I’ll need to list my address, emergency contact stuff so Janet will know about our situation.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to her in the morning. Besides, once you get your rock, the secret will be out anyway. I want the world to know that you're mine,” he replied, grinning.

  “Trey,” I said, tracing my finger on his muscular bare chest, “there’s still one elephant in the room that we didn’t discuss.”

  He gazed down at me, frowning slightly.

  “Your phone message from Tess?’

  “I’d completely forgotten about that with my obsession over you.”

  “So, will you call her back?”

  “I didn’t plan to,” he shrugged. “Why, do you want me to?”

  “Why’d she call in the first place?”

  “I don’t know, perhaps to congratulate me on my impending fatherhood?”

  I doubted that but I didn’t say so. The child she lost may not have been Trey’s but in her rationalization she somehow blamed him or his purchase of Derringer for her accident. It wasn't rational, but then she needed someone to blame.

  “I’d prefer that you not call her back,” I said.

  “Then I won’t. Get some sleep now, Tylar.”

  I laid my head back down on his chest and drifted off.

  CHAPTER 47

  The next few weeks passed quickly. As promised, Trey went ring shopping and Gina and I went clothes shopping. It was important to me that Trey chose my ring, and I told him that I'd love anything he selected. He insisted I take his credit card to buy clothes. Gina said that was “a guy thing and not to look a gift horse in the fucking mouth.” She said Ian generally tried to hide their credit cards from her.

  Trey wanted to present my engagement ring to me on Christmas Eve when we would be with his family in Bristol. He said he wanted to share the joy with his parents. I was anxious that our engagement might appear to upstage his brothers’ visit. Trey told me not to be ridiculous.

  We were driving to Bristol on the 23rd of December and his brothers were to arrive the f
ollowing day. Susan had planned a grand Christmas Eve dinner. I called Denise to let her and Ray know that Trey and I'd be there for a week. Denise was excited with the news. She knew that I was expecting; Susan was telling everyone she ran into. I thought it might bother Trey, but he was fine with it.

  “You must think I’m as crotchety as my father,” he said, laughing. “Tylar, you and I are expecting a child and I'm happy about it."

  On the afternoon before we were set to leave for Bristol I finally met Mrs. Harris. She came to clean three days a week, always while I was at work. Trey and I had arrived home early because the firm closed early for the holiday. Mrs. Harris was just finishing up in the kitchen and Trey introduced us. We chatted and I found her to be an absolute treasure.

  “So you and Mr. Sinclair are going away for the holidays?” she asked, politely.

  “Yes, Mrs. Harris,” I replied, “we’ll be in Bristol until after the first. So no need to come in that week.”

  “Well, now that’s nice. You call me Jean now, you hear?’

  “Yes, Jean, as long as you call me Tylar.”

  “Tylar it is,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

  “I’ve got to tell you, Tylar, ever since you came here my work has been cut in half. Now that says something don’t it when I’m cleaning for two people instead of one and my workload’s cut in half?”

  I laughed, “Well then it’s worth all of the nagging I've had to do to get Trey to pick up after himself. Your work may increase some in the future, though.”

  “Oh?”

  I blushed, “Trey and I are expecting a baby in early May.”

  “Well congratulations, honey. That's great news. You two are simply a beautiful couple. I won’t mind cleaning up after a baby one little bit.”

  She reached for her scarf and prepared to leave. I handed her pay envelope to her, which included a Christmas bonus.