by Vi Keeland
Smoke billowed out of my nose as I alternated between staring out at the water and over at Gia through the window.
I’d just put my butt out with my foot and blew out the last of it when I looked up to find two men lingering around the hostess station.
An alarm went off in my head. One guy was leaning into her and being too damn aggressive for my liking while the other just looked drunk, laughing like a fool.
A few minutes later, they were practically up her ass, blocking my view of her.
That’s it.
I was done watching.
Storming inside, I charged over to where they were standing. “Can I help you with something?”
“No, we were just enjoying the company of your gorgeous hostess here.”
“Well, she’s not here for your enjoyment. She’s doing her job. Give her some goddamn space.”
Gia interjected, “Rush…it’s really okay.”
I ignored Gia’s plea, vowing not to leave until they were out of her hair.
Both men refused to move from their spots.
I took two steps closer to them, clenching my first. “Did you not hear what the fuck I just said?”
“Dude, I heard you. I’m just not listening.”
Then his friend made the mistake of getting up in my face with his beer-infused breath. “Who the fuck are you to tell him what to do?”
I completely snapped, grabbing the man by the neck and dragging him with all of my might out the door onto the street. The other guy followed us outside.
“I own this place, motherfucker, and I can do whatever I want,” I spat in his face before releasing him from my death grip.
Oak, who had been up on the rooftop when all of this went down, came running outside.
“Keep these guys out,” I spewed before brushing past him without giving any further explanation.
All eyes were on me as I walked back inside. Not the most professional decision of my career. But that was the last thing I was worried about at the moment.
Gia looked alarmed as she returned from seating some customers. “Don’t you think that was a bit of an overreaction?”
“No,” I bit out. “Now get back to work.”
I spent the rest of the night alone in my office ruminating. While I didn’t regret throwing those assholes out, it was the bigger picture of what it represented that was eating away at me.
If I was gonna stay away from Gia, I had to stop being so emotionally invested in her—so damn possessive. It was a hard habit to break.
It was just before closing. I suddenly jumped out of my seat and walked through the restaurant without making eye contact with Gia or Oak.
I ventured straight out into the parking lot, got into my car, lit a cigarette then grabbed my phone. I scrolled down to her name.
Was I really doing this?
I needed to.
I typed out a text.
Rush: You around to fuck?
Barely a few seconds passed before a response came in.
Everly: What makes you think I’m still talking to you after the shit you pulled last time, standing me up.
Rush: Is that a no?
Everly: I wish I could say no to you.
Rush: I’m heading to your place.
Everly: I’ll be here.
I must have been going ninety miles per hour the entire way to her house. It wasn’t out of excitement to see her. I knew it was because a part of me wanted to get this over with, just to prove I could move on from Gia. Because I had to.
Everly opened the door dressed in nothing but Daisy Duke denim shorts and a bra. I walked past her without so much as a greeting, heading straight toward her fridge where I helped myself to one of the beers I knew she kept fully stocked there.
“Well, hello to you, too.” She laughed, leaning over the counter, her tits on full display.
After downing half of the bottle, I walked over to where she was standing.
Everly wrapped her arms around my neck. “I’m really glad you called. It’s been too long.”
The old Rush would have been pounding her against the wall by now. I just stood there staring at her with my body rigid, unsure if I could really go through with this.
It felt like I was cheating on Gia, and I could honestly say it was the first time in my life that I’d ever given a fuck about something like that.
She stepped back. “You’re sweating bullets. What’s going on with you tonight?”
My eyes trailed down her body. There was no doubt that Everly was sexy as hell. I shouldn’t have been overthinking this so much. But I wasn’t even hard because I was so freaking stressed.
“I think I know just what you need,” she said, dropping to her knees.
She began to unzip my jeans as she licked her lips readying to give me head.
I froze.
Taking my cock into her hand, she leaned in to take me into her mouth when I yanked on the back of her hair just before her lips were able to make contact with my skin.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I let her go and zipped up my pants.
She stood up and glared at me. “What the fuck is going on with you, Rush? Seriously. You’re the one who texted me. What kind of a game are you playing?”
I knew between tonight and the last time I stood her up, if I walked out that door, I could pretty much kiss any hope of meaningless sex in the future with Everly goodbye. That fact didn’t mean shit to me…so off I went.
I just couldn’t go through with it.
This wasn’t a need for sex. This was a test. And I’d fucking failed.
Stopping in the doorway, I finally apologized. “I’m sorry.”
“Get the fuck out. And don’t even think about ever calling or texting me again.” She slammed the door in my face.
Her words didn’t faze me as I walked back out and got into my car. I didn’t start it right away, just stayed there staring out at the desolate street.
My behavior tonight blew me away.
Unlike the ride to Everly’s, I was driving back at a slower than average speed. That was probably because a part of me knew I wasn’t headed home.
After I parked, I must have sat in my car for over thirty minutes deciding whether or not to ring her doorbell.
What the fuck are you doing, Rush?
Why are you here?
My phone chimed.
Gia: Is there any reason why you’re parked outside of my house?
Rush: Stakeout?
Gia: Not buying it.
Rush: Pizza delivery?
Gia: My pizza must be awfully cold then.
Rush: I don’t know what I’m doing here.
Gia: Do you want to come in?
Rush: Yes.
Gia: But you won’t…
Rush: I don’t think I should.
Gia: Okay.
Despite my words, a few moments later, I was at the door knocking.
Gia opened, wearing a thin, white nightgown that showed off her enormous nipples. I had to pry my eyes upward because all I wanted to do was lift the material up and suck on them so badly.
It was quiet in the house as I looked around. “Where are your roommates?”
“Every one of them either is out or working. That rarely happens. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet.”
This wasn’t good. I really needed to leave.
She surprised me when she said, “Will you have some ice cream with me?”
“Ice cream…”
“Yeah.” She smiled, and I just melted at the sight of it.
Seemed innocent enough.
“Depends on the flavor,” I teased.
“Chunky Monkey…kind of like I’m gonna look in a few months?”
That thought should have turned me off, maybe, but it had the opposite effect. I loved her new curves and the idea of more. My affinity for her body only made my situation all that much harder.
“That’s my favorite flavor,” I said.
We sat in the living room, qui
etly eating out of the same container of Ben & Jerry’s.
She finally said, “Everyone was talking about your outburst earlier, how you threw those two guys out and then how you just left The Heights without saying anything to anyone.”
My mouth was full of ice cream. “Well, let them talk. I don’t care. I still stand by what I did. Those pricks had no place hovering around you like that.”
“Where did you go when you left?”
When I stopped eating and didn’t say anything, she drew her own conclusion. Maybe my guilt was obvious.
A look of worry flashed across her face. “You went to see a woman?” When I didn’t answer, she became more insistent. “Answer me.”
I still didn’t want to admit my stupidity tonight.
She continued to push, “You had sex with someone tonight?”
“No.” It came out louder than I’d intended.
“Then where were you?”
I didn’t want to lie to her.
“I tried to hook up with someone. I wanted to forget—forget about what happened at The Heights, forget about you.”
I hadn’t meant to be so blunt. But she wanted the truth. That was it.
Tears started to fall from her eyes. It fucking killed me that I was upsetting her. Why did I tell her the truth?
“But I couldn’t, Gia.”
“Why not? You might as well. It’s not like you owe me anything. You should be out having a fuckfest right now. You made your decision when it comes to me.”
“That’s not fair.”
“It’s the truth!”
“Just because I can’t be with you, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. And it doesn’t mean I’m ready to move on, as much as I wish I could. Staying away from you is the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever had to do.”
We were both silent for the longest time, just staring intensely into each other’s eyes.
“I miss you,” she whispered.
I miss you, too.
I couldn’t resist bringing her into me. She buried her face in my chest. My heart was beating out of control. It was all too much: the softness of her skin, the recognition of her scent. The need to pick up exactly where we’d left off.
My dick hardened. I couldn’t get it up for Everly, but put this gorgeous, pregnant women in my arms, and my body was fully awakened. I wished her being pregnant turned me off, but I’d never been more turned on by anything in my life.
Coming inside the house was a mistake.
I let go of her, placing my spoon on the coffee table and standing up. “I have to go.”
As I was walking out the door, her voice stopped me. “I have my first ultrasound tomorrow.”
I froze. My heart started to pound faster. Hearing her say that really made it hit home that there was an actual human being inside of her.
She continued, “I’m really scared. Like what if they find something wrong…or there’s no heartbeat…or I freak out when I see it. I know this is going to sound crazy, Rush. Besides Riley, who’s out of state this week, you’re the best friend I have here. I haven’t even mustered the courage to tell my father yet. Anyway…do you think you could come with me?”
What?
Say something.
“I don’t know, Gia.”
“Please?”
How could I say no? She was scared, and aside from all of the complicated parts to this situation, I cared deeply for this girl. If she needed me to hold her hand, then I needed to suck it up and do it.
I let out a long breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“You’re making me even more nervous.” Gia rested her hand on my knee, stopping the incessant bob up and down of my leg. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it.
“Sorry.”
Sitting side by side in the doctor’s office waiting room, I impatiently waited for her name to be called. I’d been a wreck from the time we pulled into the damn parking lot. Some help I was. I’d come because she was nervous, yet here she was having to calm me down. I had no idea why I felt so anxious, but ten minutes ago when the receptionist’s phone rang, I literally jumped right out of my chair. I’d had to cover by pretending I needed to use the bathroom. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“I was thinking about my old job last night,” Gia said. “All the greeting cards that I wrote the copy for.”
“Oh yeah? Bet you didn’t get your own bathroom stall at that job.”
She laughed. “No, I definitely didn’t. But I wasn’t comparing my old job to working for you. There’s no comparison to how much more I enjoy spending time with you at The Heights…I mean, working at The Heights. But I was thinking about the cards I used to write that were meant to congratulate people on their pregnancies. At the time, I thought they were funny. Although, right now, as I’m sitting in an actual obstetrician’s office, I’m thinking maybe some of them went a little too far, almost to the point of being insensitive without even realizing it.”
“Like what?”
“Well, this one in particular I remember writing went something like this: On the outside it said, ‘How do you fit a watermelon through a donut hole?’ And then on the inside it said, ‘You’re about to find out.’
I chuckled. “That’s funny.”
“Says the man who doesn’t have to push a watermelon through his donut hole.”
The receptionist called Gia’s name, and she looked over at me. The fear was suddenly palpable in her eyes. I took her hand and squeezed. “It’s going to be fine. This baby is going to be healthy and beautiful just like his mom.”
“His?”
“His what?”
“You said just like his mom. So you think I’m having a boy?”
I hadn’t noticed I’d given the baby a sex. “Come on. Stop stalling.” I stood and gave her hand a slight tug. “And I don’t think you’re having a boy, I know what you’re having.”
Gia stood. “You do?”
I winked. “Of course. A giant fucking watermelon.”
“It’s a little early to be able to tell the sex of the baby. But, before I start, do you want to know if I’m able to see the gender clearly?” The sonogram technician pulled gloves from a box on the counter and snapped them onto her hands.
“Umm.” Gia looked at me for an answer. “I don’t know. I didn’t think you could tell this soon, so I really haven’t given it any thought. What do you think, Rush?”
I smirked. “Up to you. I already know what it is.”
The sonogram technician obviously didn’t know that I meant she was pregnant with a watermelon. She flicked off the lights in the room and pulled up a stool next to Gia. “So Dad already thinks he knows what it is, huh? I’m guessing that means he thinks it’s a boy. Most dads do.”
Gia got flustered. “He’s not…he thinks it’s a…”
I attempted to help her. “I’m not the…uh…I don’t think…”
The technician must’ve been used to two tongue-tied people in this room. “I’ll tell you what. I won’t tell you what you’re having if I can see, but I’ll note it in your chart so that you can call the office at any time if you decide to find out.”
Gia let out a loud rush of air. “Okay. Yeah. That’s great.”
“I’m going to just untie your gown and pull it up to access your belly, and we might need to roll down your pants a little bit.”
“Okay.”
Gia squeezed my hand as the technician got her ready. I might be a sick fuck, but my cock twitched at the sight of the smooth skin on her stomach. It was apparently oblivious we were at a medical appointment and not a peep show. The technician rolled down Gia’s leggings to just above her pubic bone, and my eyes stayed glued to her tanned skin.
Fuck. I want to defile a mother.
The technician held up a tube of something. “This might be a little cold.” She then proceeded to squirt some gel shit all over Gia’s belly.
Here let me take care of that for you. My lube will be nice and warm.
I
shook my head to rid the thought.
It didn’t help one fucking bit.
The tech pulled a monitor on wheels next to the examination table and positioned it so that the three of us could see. I stayed on the opposite side, next to Gia’s head so we had the same view.
The minute she touched the wand to Gia’s belly, a loud sound came out of the machine. The technician looked at the screen and adjusted a knob. “Your baby has a nice strong heartbeat.”
Gia and I stared at the screen.
“I’ll give you a quick tour of the baby’s anatomy so that you can enjoy it while I take measurements and the pictures I need.” The technician pointed to what looked like a string of pearls. “This is your baby’s spine.” She tilted the wand a little to the left with one hand and pointed to the screen with the other. The image was grainy and black and white, but I could make out what she showed next before she even said it. “Head.” She outlined what was clearly a skull, then traced down the baby’s profile. “Nose. Lips.” Holy crap. I could actually see an outline of a baby’s face. Although it looked more like an alien swimming than a baby from where I stood. But there it was, a person—inside of Gia—one with its own heartbeat and profile already. The technician smiled and moved the wand around a lot while looking at the screen. “You have an active one. It’s turning around a lot.” Just as she said that, something very clear came into view.
“Is that a hand?” Gia said.
“Sure is.”
“Wow.”
“If you opt to have a 3D sonogram later in your pregnancy, the pictures are really clear. But you’re actually getting a pretty nice show today considering you’re only fourteen weeks.”
Mesmerized by the screen, I’d completely forgotten about Gia’s stomach, and it hit me that I was actually excited about the pregnancy for the first time. I couldn’t wait to meet the little guy.
Okay, so maybe I did think he was a boy.
I continued to stare in awe. I saw fingers move, toes, lips, a long neck and was that…