Played

by Tasha Fawkes

I wasn't quite so sure. Gesturing for him to finish my drink, I scooted out of the booth. "I need to get back to the office. Coming?"

  Eric nodded, reached for my glass of scotch, and downed it in one gulp. He pulled a twenty out of his wallet and placed it on the table. As we left the bar and grill, he offered a wave and a wink to Cindy.

  Back at my office, I settled behind my desk, Eric comfortably ensconced in one of the chairs in front of it.

  I felt a little better. Sharing my news with someone had eased some of the tension, and I knew I could count on Eric to provide some balance. I leaned back in my chair and gestured to the paperwork surrounding me, about to speak when he beat me to it.

  "I'll tell you something," Eric said without preamble. "It may be stressful at first, and more than a little confusing, but I have confidence that everything is going to work out just fine. Let this nanny take care of the kid for now. You said you trust her and she's good with him, right?"

  "Very good with him," I agreed. "She has a unique ability to know what he needs before he needs it. When she's around, he never even cries."

  “Good." Eric nodded. "That's one worry taken care of. I don't have to tell you how important all this is." He gestured to the paperwork. "It's going to need your full focus and attention."

  A knock on the door interrupted my response. I glanced up, stunned speechless as Kelli entered. What was she doing here?

  My heart skipped a beat, not only because of her unexpected presence, but how great she looked. As lithe as ever, she displayed no signs of the aftermath of childbearing. She was one of those fortunate women who had bounced back and regained her figure, and what a figure! I felt my dick come to life even as I frowned at her unannounced appearance. Her ample breasts were accented by the hot pink cashmere sweater, just a touch of nipple showing. Gray hip-hugging leggings showed off her toned legs, which I recall wrapping around my waist more than once during hot sex. My cock woke completely. The ensemble was completed with expensive-looking black ankle boots with silver buckles.

  Hey, Joel," she said, slowly approaching. She paused to glance at Eric with a smile.

  Eric smiled back, not appearing to be the least bit surprised.

  I frowned at her. "I was just in a meeting—"

  "Your secretary told me it was Eric in here," she interrupted with a shrug. "You can come back in a few minutes, can't you, Eric?"

  He glanced at me and then nodded, slowly rising from his chair.

  I’d barely been able to take my eyes from her, my heart thudding in my chest. She looked good. Damn good. It was hard not to remember the good times we'd had, in bed and out.

  "Well, I'll be going," Eric said, turning toward the door. "You just keep in mind what I said, okay?"

  I nodded as Eric gave Kelli a grin and then left my office, closing the door softly.

  Kelli slid into the chair he’d just vacated. "Joel, I know you're surprised to see me, and I'm sorry for coming unannounced, but I thought… I hoped it would give me the chance I need to tell you that I made a big mistake hurting you the way I did. Something that will never happen again." She paused, blinking her thick black eyelashes. "If you can see it in your heart to give me another chance, that is." She rushed on. "The thing is, the pregnancy changed my perspective on life. I—"

  "Why didn't you tell me?" I interrupted, still admiring the way she filled out that sweater. She had chosen her wardrobe carefully before coming to see me. I knew that, and it worked.

  "I didn't know how to tell you, especially following my behavior… the… indiscretion. I couldn't bring myself to tell you before, but over the past few weeks, as… as Ethan got bigger, I realized it was unfair. It was wrong of me to keep him from you. He needs a father, Joel." She paused again. "I want to try. To start over. With you."

  I said nothing for several moments, still stunned by her sudden appearance in my office and her waltzing back into my life. Would things be different this time? Would a child make things better?

  "All of this has been quite sudden," I admitted. I stood, gesturing for her to also stand.

  "I understand that this is all sudden and you haven't even had time to process Ethan, let alone a decision to restore our relationship," she said. "But I have. I've been thinking about it for the past year."

  Restore our relationship? One way to put it. And apropos. "I need time to think, to work things through in my head. I'll call you, okay?"

  She nodded.

  "Do you want to pick up Ethan, take him home with you, or do you want him to stay with me?"

  "No, no, no," she said. "Let him stay with you for the time being. Give you a chance to get to know him better. To bond. Besides, Sarah's great with him, isn't she?"

  I didn't give it a second thought. "Yes, she is." I moved toward the door and opened it.

  She slinked toward it, pausing in front of me. I got the impression that she wanted to reach out and touch me, but I turned my shoulder slightly and took a half step back. I wasn't ready for physical contact yet.

  Her bottom lip puckered out just slightly. "I'll call you tomorrow, all right?"

  I nodded. "Sure."

  When she was gone, I was confused and desperately needed to clarify my thoughts. I decided I would go home, my conversation with Eric forgotten for the moment. Maybe Sarah would join me for a walk in Griffith Park.

  The thought startled me. I wasn't quite sure why the idea popped into my head, but I had already become convinced that Sarah was a levelheaded, down-to-earth, kind and stable individual.

  Maybe I would even mention my situation with Kelli. After all, she worked for Kelli. She would know where Kelli was emotionally, especially with a new baby in the picture.

  Five

  Sarah

  Holding Ethan in my arms and rocking slowly back and forth, I stood in the living room of the mansion, looking out over the lanai and pool. Once again, I counted my blessings. Not without a little bit of guilt, but blessings nevertheless. Joel had gone back to work today for the first time since I had arrived. I guess that meant that he was learning to trust me.

  Trust. If he only knew.

  I glanced down at my boy, sleeping contentedly, wishing that, just for a little while, I could know such contentment. For now, I had a roof over my head and plenty of food to eat, so I couldn't ask for more, could I? Not for myself and not for Ethan. Joel, even if Kelli said he was a jerk, was a good provider.

  In the time that I had been here, I’d seen the way Joel looked at Ethan. With affection and… something else. Was he looking for similarities? Last night, just before I put Ethan to bed, I saw him watching the both of us, gazing first at Ethan in my arms, then at me. Did he see the resemblance between us? Or was he just curious?

  In the few days he'd been around Ethan, I felt he was adapting pretty darn good. Not a lot of guys would so readily accept a child into their home, let alone the child's nanny. Joel had done so. He seemed distracted, which was certainly understandable. He’d sequestered himself in his office with the door closed much of the time. When he did come out, he was polite and friendly with me. Every time he reached for Ethan, his features softened.

  That worried me. What would he do when he found out Ethan wasn't his? Would he? Would Kelli ever tell him? I certainly didn't want to.

  I wondered how all of this would come to an end. It had to, at some point.

  I tried not to think too much about the past issues that had divided the two of them, because it was really none of my business. I was just playing a part.

  "Just playing a part…" I cooed to Ethan.

  "What did you say?"

  My heart leapt into my throat and I clutched Ethan close to me, so close and tight that he fussed for a moment as I spun around, staring at Joel standing in the foyer, keys in hand. I hadn't even heard him arrive.

  "I'm so sorry," he said, closing the door softly behind him. "I didn't mean to startle you. I didn't wake Ethan, did I?"

  My heart pounded so hard I felt the pulse in my thr
oat. I smiled, covering my dismay, and glanced down at my son. He'd already settled down, his lips making the little sucking motion that tugged at my heartstrings.

  There was a heart palpitation in my chest for another reason, a troubling reaction to his presence that started the minute he’d opened the door the first time. I shook my head slightly, to force myself to push such thoughts out of my head, but to also answer his question.

  "I didn't even think about…" He grimaced. "I'll have to be a bit more careful about just barging in, won't I?"

  "He's used to a lot of activity," I blurted, then regretted my comment. While it was true that Ethan was used to quite a bit of noise at the shelter, the coming and going, the loud voices, and conversations going on at all times of the day or night, I couldn't let Joel know that. "Anyway, I wasn't expecting you for a few hours. I haven't even thought about what to make for dinner." I’d taken on preparing meals, mostly out of guilt, but also because Joel had seemed so stressed about work.

  "I've got a few things on my mind, so I decided to come home. Actually, I came to ask you if you and Ethan would like to go for a walk with me in Griffith Park. I find it's a good place to think."

  For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. I couldn't exactly say no, could I? Not without offering an explanation.

  I nodded. "The stroller’s in the garage."

  The day after I arrived, Joel had gone shopping. In no time at all, Ethan had a proper nursery, complete with everything a baby could need. Joel had also purchased a stroller and a high chair. I’d smiled, teasing that Ethan wouldn't be needing the high chair for quite some time, but he'd merely shrugged, saying that he could store it in the garage until then. His generosity had prompted more feelings of guilt and highlighted the dishonesty on my end. How long was this masquerade going to go on? If Kelli achieved her wish and managed to move back in and restore her relationship with Joel, what then?

  As Joel headed for the garage, I contemplated that question. I decided that what happened after Kelli got back into the house and settled back with Joel wasn’t my business. I would disappear. I would literally take the money and run. Maybe even go to a different state, start a new life, just me and Ethan. That was extreme, and made me look guilty of something illegal, which maybe I was. Was what I was doing illegal? I swallowed hard, hoping somehow this would have a better ending than I could imagine. For now, I was stuck.

  Thinking about leaving here, I realized I would miss Joel. He was a nice guy–to me at least–and to say that I wasn't happy living here in his house would be a lie. My feelings went deeper than that, though. He was the kind of guy I had always wanted—good looking, smart, generous, and good with Ethan. What bigger test of a man's character than leaving a baby on his doorstep and waiting to see what he would do?

  Don't go there.

  As Joel returned, pushing the stroller through the short hallway with one hand and grasping the brand-new car seat he had purchased with the other, I couldn't help the regret that welled in my chest as he gazed at Ethan with a grin.

  "Can he go like that or do we need any supplies?"

  I chuckled. "You never go anywhere with a baby without the baby bag," I said. "Diapers, baby wipes, pacifier, and a bottle of milk. He doesn't particularly care for it cold, but in a pinch, and if he's hungry enough, it will do until we get back." I gave him a look. "We aren't going to be gone that long, are we?"

  "No, maybe an hour. I've got some work to catch up on in the office later."

  Without further conversation, he collapsed the stroller, lifted it in one hand, and gestured for me to exit the house. Holding Ethan, I walked toward Joel’s black Mercedes parked in the driveway, and waited patiently while he fastened the car seat into the rear of the vehicle. I was impressed that he secured it correctly on the first try, as if he'd been doing it forever. As I settled Ethan in and got him buckled, Joel popped open the trunk and placed the stroller inside. Ethan slept through it all. I gazed at him a moment, then at Joel as I moved to the front passenger door.

  I've never been inside a Mercedes. I had no idea what model this was, but it was luxurious. The cabin was plush, with touch control buttons, comfortable seats, trimmed with mahogany on the door handles and steering wheel. The dash glistened sleek black and digital.

  He climbed in, gestured to the seatbelts, and I fastened mine as he fastened his own. When he pushed the start button, it literally purred.

  He pulled out of the driveway, slowing down to navigate the small bump between the drive and the edge of the curb, glancing in his rearview mirror at Ethan's car seat as he did so. He couldn't see Ethan, but he was obviously hyper-aware of his presence in the backseat. Again, I was impressed by his courtesy.

  Joel knew the area well, taking turns confidently and, unbelievably, driving past the homeless shelter where I had lived just a week ago, off Los Feliz Boulevard.

  He entered the park in the southeast corner. Griffith Park was massive, encompassing over four thousand acres of terrain covered with chaparral. I loved it here, and some day wanted to explore the entire park. When I’d come here before, I enjoyed the smell of the sage scrub and oak and lilacs.

  One of my favorite places in the park was the observatory. It was a nice, safe place to people watch and push Ethan in his stroller. Another reason I liked the observatory was because it offered free admission to a number of interactive exhibits, public telescopes, and a planetarium show, which I wanted to see but felt that Ethan was too young. I didn't want him to start crying in the middle of it, so that was on the back burner.

  "I come here quite often," Joel said.

  "Me too," I replied. "I promised myself that one of these day I would explore every portion of the park."

  "Ever been to the Bronson Caves?"

  "No," I said, laughing. "I think I read somewhere that the park has a network of trails that spans over fifty miles. I can't do that with Ethan."

  "Actually, it's closer to seventy, counting the horse trails, the fire roads, and the hiking trails. Maybe when Ethan gets a little older, he can go on the merry-go-round and ride the ponies or take the train ride."

  I nodded, noncommittal. I had to force myself to remember that Joel thought Ethan was his son. I would have no say-so if he decided he wanted to take Ethan somewhere. The thought caused a wave of fear to surge through me.

  He parked the car and turned it off, oblivious to my panic, then popped the trunk. I took my cue and stepped out, opening the rear door and unbuckling Ethan from his car seat while Joel retrieved the stroller.

  In a matter of moments, he was settled in. I reached for the stroller handle, but Joel grasped it first. I had to shove my hands in my pockets and allow him to do so.

  We began to walk along a sidewalk crowded with oak and walnut trees, strolling past the statue of Colonel Griffith, taking in the afternoon pedestrians, keeping a careful watch on bicycle riders and skateboarders. On a warm day like this in the middle of the week, the park was usually pretty crowded, but at the moment it wasn't too busy. We walked for several minutes before Joel spoke.

  "Sarah, I hope you don't find this too forward, but I would like to ask your opinion about something."

  I glanced up at him, then down at Ethan, smiling that he still slept. "Sure."

  "It's about Kelli."

  Uh-oh. "What do you want to know?"

  “I'm not sure how much Kelli has told you, but we had a rather bad falling out about a year ago. In fact, I didn't even know she was pregnant. Didn't know I was the father until just a few days ago." He paused as we continued along the sidewalk. "You're good with Ethan, and I can tell that you have a great deal of affection for him. He's a very mellow baby, but I don't recall Kelli ever being that mellow. I know I may be breaching privacy, but can you tell me… does she still go out and party like she used to? Is she home with Ethan or do you spend most of the time with him?"

  I wasn't sure how to answer, so I stuck to a middle ground. "I know her schedule keeps her busy sometimes… but as wi
th anything, it's a balancing act." I paused as if thinking. "Partying? I'm not sure. She doesn't confide in me."

  He said nothing for several moments. The silence wore on me until I felt conflicted and looked away, afraid he would see the truth on my face. My stomach tightened with the unpleasant knowledge I didn’t want to dwell on. What Kelli and I were doing to him was wrong, even if he was the jerk she said he was.

  I slowed my steps, prompting him to also slow, but then I glanced down at Ethan. Come hell or high water, I had to keep going. I would save every penny I earned from this farce. This was for Ethan and I to have a fresh start in life. The only way that would happen was if I could somehow encourage Joel that being with Kelli would be a good thing.

  "We all make mistakes, right?" In my peripheral vision, I saw him nod. "Heaven knows, I've made my fair share." That was the truth. He said nothing, and I continued. "People can change. Having a baby… well, that changes a lot of things. Makes you grow up real fast and realize what's most important in life." I wasn't lying about that.

  "Thanks, Sarah," he said. "But what about you? What's your story?"

  "My story?" I asked, glancing up at him. How much to tell? Best to stick to the truth. "Well, I grew up in the valley. My parents immigrated from Russia after they got married—"

  "Russia?" he exclaimed, an eyebrow lifted. "I don't hear any trace of an accent in your speech."

  I smiled. "By the time I was born, they were both exceptionally fluent and worked hard to erase their accents."

  "And Taylor? That's not a very Russian name."

  Again I laughed. "You don't want to know what it was before they Americanized it." He chuckled, a sound that emitted from deep in his chest and caused goose bumps to rise up on my skin. "I lost both my parents in the past couple of years, first my mom to cancer, and then my dad in an accident. I've been on my own ever since."

  "I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he said. "Must be tough."

  That was an understatement. No way in hell was I going to tell him how rough my life had been this past year, moving between shelters. Wanting to go back to school but with no way to do it. Eventually, the conversation turned to Ethan, and then to small talk. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and Ethan woke up from his nap as we were headed for the parking lot.