Hungry Boss

by Charlize Starr

  “Sounds good,” David said, and Heidi rolled her eyes.

  “Nothing too extreme, boys,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Declan and David laughed.

  “No, I’m serious. What makes you experts in women’s fashion, anyway? Maybe I should be allowed to control this makeover,” she said, looking from one to the other. She was absolutely serious, even if they weren’t taking her seriously.

  “We might not be experts, but we’ll do a better job than you, sis,” David said, and Declan came over to exchange a high-five with him.

  “How dare you?!” Heidi screeched and jumped off the table. She lunged towards her brother to wrestle with him, until Declan came and broke them up.

  “Like kids,” Declan said, holding them both apart. Heidi and David were laughing. For a few minutes, she had managed to forget the growing exasperations of her life.

  “You know I’m only kidding, sis. You’re good at baking, I’m good at creating public personalities. We both have our strengths,” David said, pulling his sister close to him. Heidi smiled and nestled into her brother’s arms. He didn’t know it, but she definitely needed a hug. What she wanted was to be in Declan’s arms, but he only stood by watching the siblings with a pleased smile on his face.

  Heidi caught his gaze and his smile slowly dropped, and then he looked away from her. He didn’t want to be reminded.

  Chapter Seven

  Heidi pushed the dark, bumble-bee glasses up the bridge of her nose. She hadn’t seen them yet, but there was no denying that the paparazzi would crop up soon enough. It had been three weeks of constant media attention and she had gotten used to it by now. She almost enjoyed it sometimes, but not today. Today she wanted to be left alone.

  Despite her own misgivings, she knew the part she had to play. It was business, after all, as David and Declan kept reminding her, and she was going to have to carry it through until the end. They’d sold it to the media successfully and the fans had gobbled it up. Sweet girl next door Heidi Scott, Declan Xavier’s best friend’s sister. They were introduced at a party and quickly fell in love. Heidi was the girl who tamed Declan Xavier, the rock star who lived a life governed by no rules.

  The paparazzi loved her because she posed for photos for them, and the fans appreciated her because she was always there by Declan’s side. They smiled, kissed and held hands in front of the camera. They were seen in public strolling in Central Park, going to the grocery store or sharing an ice cream cone. The public wanted to know everything about their relationship and David’s meticulously-planned PR skills were so far working out great. Heidi was living the fairytale celebrity romance that girls all over the country wanted to live.

  They’d cut her hair shorter than usual, into a sassy, wavy bob. She was wearing a pair of frayed denim shorts that showed off her carefully tanned long legs, and a thin cotton t-shirt that clung to her body and accentuated her curves. Heidi had her own fan base now, and they all wanted to know what she ate and where she worked out.

  Heidi never left the house without makeup anymore. Even today, on her short walk to the drugstore, she had remembered to put on a pale coral lipstick and brighten her eyes with dark eyeliner.

  She ignored the thoughts rolling around in her head, the panic that was starting to erupt. She had been getting sick every morning for the last few days. Declan always woke up early and left the room, which meant that he hadn’t yet caught her throwing up in the bathroom, but she was certain by now that this had not been caused by anything she had eaten.

  Heidi pushed open the drugstore doors and rushed in. She saw what she needed. Two pregnancy tests, no, four for good measure. She kept the glasses on her face as she walked up to the counter. She paid in cash and shoved the tests into her large basket bag.

  When she opened the door, the cameras were there.

  “Are you sick, Heidi?” a reporter yelled at her, as cameras flashed.

  “Heidi. Do you have a cold?” another paparazzi asked her, following her close on her heels. She could feel the sweat on her forehead. She was beginning to panic now. David didn’t know. Nobody knew. Everyone would lose their minds if they got the slightest hint.

  “It’s just sunscreen lotion. See?” Heidi pulled a spare tube out from her bag and held it up for the reporters. She maintained the smile on her face, the sweet, delightful smile that the entertainment newspapers loved to write about. The paparazzi seemed to be happy with that response. They asked her to pose for a few shots, which she obliged them with, and then she waved at them as she walked away, back towards the house.

  “Miss, Mr. David has been looking for you,” Maud greeted her at the door when Heidi returned.

  “Thanks, Maud. Is he here?” she asked, dragging the glasses off her face. Maud reached for her bag, but she clung on to it. She’d even broken Maud, as Declan had predicted. Maud worshiped her now, happy that her beloved Mr. Declan had finally found a woman who could control him.

  “No, but he said he’ll be back in a few hours,” Maud said, and Heidi walked towards the stairs.

  “Let me know when he’s here. I’ll be in my room,” she said, as she headed towards the bedroom. She needed to be alone.

  All four tests were positive. Heidi was pregnant, with Declan’s child. She put her head in her hands and tried to steady her breathing. That one night of weakness with him was now going to change their lives forever. How was she going to deal with this? Who could she tell? This had not been the plan, and David would lose his mind if and when he found out.

  Heidi paced the bathroom floor, sweat trickling down her temples. Her hand went instinctively to stroke her belly. She was going to be a mother. Declan was going to be responsible not only for her bakery but also for giving her a child. She could never tell him. Panic rose in her chest. He would detest her all his life if he found out.

  Heidi came out of the bathroom in a panic. She’d spent more than an hour locked up in there. Hurrying down the stairs from the bedroom, she ran into the kitchen. She was opening and closing closets, banging cutlery and plates, when Maud came in to find her covered in a cold sweat.

  “What’s wrong?” Maud asked, concern coloring her voice.

  “Where’s the flour? The eggs? Do you have some baking soda?” Heidi was in a daze. She was fumbling with her words.

  “Calm down, miss. Why do you need those things?” Maud had walked up to her and was now patting her shoulder.

  “I want to bake a cake,” Heidi said, looking at her with crazed eyes.

  “Alright. We’ll bake something. Just calm down.” Maud was smiling at her with kind eyes. She could see that Heidi was having a panic attack.

  The house smelt of key lime pie when Declan walked into the kitchen.

  “What is that smell? Is that Heidi’s baking I detect?” He entered the room, rolling a set of keys around his forefinger. Maud smiled as she helped Heidi cut the pie into several pieces. Heidi looked up into Declan’s eyes and then immediately looked away.

  “When can I sample some of that?” he asked and came over to stand beside her. When they were not in public, he didn’t touch her. He was careful to behave normally with her, and they had long conversations in bed together, spoke about life and their childhoods and aspirations, but they never touched. She saw a look of sadness in his eyes sometimes, but he was quick to mask it.

  “It needs to cool down,” Maud answered for Heidi, who was refusing to look at him.

  “Give it to me in minutes. I’m drooling here,” he said and dug a finger right into the middle of the pie. Heidi screeched loudly and both Declan and Maud looked at her in horror. There had been no need for that reaction.

  “What’s wrong, Heidi?” Declan asked, concerned and worried. She had managed to calm herself down a little with the baking, but now seeing him had thrown her over the edge again.

  “Can we talk, Declan?” she asked, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Sure thing,” Declan said, still frowning.

  “I’ll go a
nd see if the rose bushes need to be trimmed,” Maud said, and quickly walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

  “What’s going on?” Declan turned to her again, crossing his arms over his chest. “That scream wasn’t just about the pie, was it? You’ve been on edge for the last few days.”

  Heidi sighed, slowly taking the apron off her body and laying it on the kitchen island. It was hard to look at him and not melt instantly. Even now, after several weeks of living in the same house, she hadn’t got over how connected she felt to Declan. It had only grown stronger. She still couldn’t stop thinking about how good he looked naked, how gently he had held her that night.

  “I’m just tired. And bored,” she said, forcing the words out of her mouth. He had tied his hair into a small ponytail at his nape. He was a tall figure, hovering over her as he stood close to her. He licked his lips and his blue eyes bored into her face. Declan was thinking, assessing the situation.

  “Bored?” he repeated.

  “I have nothing to do other than walk the streets of NYC and pose for pictures. I think we should talk to David about ending this.” She tried to whisper, aware that there could be someone listening. Declan frowned.

  “You want this to end? It’s only been a couple of weeks.” He wasn’t speaking in whispers, and it was clear to see that the suggestion had surprised him.

  “I know. But I miss my normal life.”

  “But I thought you were happy here. What do you need?”

  “I am happy here. But I’d be happier if I got back to my usual things.”

  “Like waitressing?”

  “No, like sleeping on my own bed, in my own apartment.” Heidi’s voice was a little raised now, and Declan had taken a few steps towards her. His face was twisted in frustration and surprise.

  “But three weeks isn’t enough. That isn’t a solid relationship. That doesn’t prove anything. They’ll only hate me more.” Declan breathed out loudly and ran his hands through his hair.

  “What do you want? This to go on for years?” she asked, and Declan shook his head.

  “A few months? I don’t know. I thought this was working well.” He raised his voice and Heidi whipped away from him.

  “I just want to return to my normal life now. That’s it. If you don’t want to pay the whole amount like we discussed, I’ll accept a partial payment.”

  She heard him sighing and then pulling out a chair to sit down.

  “This isn’t about the money or a business deal, Heidi. I thought we were having fun. I thought I’d made a genuinely good friend,” Declan said, and Heidi whipped around to face him.

  “Of course this is a business deal. You’ve said it a hundred times to remind me.” She could feel tears stinging her eyelids. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him.

  “I said it because that’s what you said. The first evening when we met, remember? This stopped being a business deal for me when you walked into my house and told Maud off. I knew then that there was a friendship growing.” Declan stood up from his chair and walked towards her.

  “I just want to go home.” Heidi pushed past him, afraid of what might happen if he came any closer than that.

  The door of the kitchen flew open and David walked in. His face was as red and furious as Heidi’s was, and they both looked at him in surprise.

  “What the hell, David? What’s happened to you?” Declan asked, his voice dying a little at the sight of David.

  “David?” Heidi asked her brother, after he had been silent for a while, glaring at Heidi first and then at Declan.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Declan asked, and David turned to Heidi again.

  “What?” she asked, afraid of the way her brother looked at that moment. What had happened to cause this reaction?

  “Do you want to explain to me why you were buying pregnancy tests at the drug store today?” David asked, in a slow, grueling voice, stepping towards Heidi, who was now retreating into a corner of the kitchen.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Declan asked, in a thundering voice.

  “Just what I said. Why do you need pregnancy tests, Heidi?” David repeated himself, not taking his eyes off his sister. Heidi felt at that moment like she was about to burst at the seams.

  Chapter Eight

  “Pregnancy tests?” Declan was the one who broke the silence in the room.

  “How do you know about that?” Heidi had the courage to ask her brother. She held her chin up in a stubborn show of confidence, even though she could feel herself crumbling inside.

  “Because one of the reporters who was chasing you spoke to the sales person at the drugstore and she told him. He called me to ask for an official statement.” David’s eyes were still wide, and he was looking at Heidi like he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “So this is true? You were buying pregnancy tests?” Declan spoke up from behind David.

  “Yes, I was,” Heidi said, and David huffed and turned away from his sister.

  “You did this, didn’t you? You bastard.” David screamed and lunged at Declan. Declan grabbed David’s arm and wrestled it back behind him, pinning it lightly in place.

  “Just calm down, David,” Declan said, in a smooth, even voice. Heidi had retreated further. She wanted to get out of there.

  “How can I be calm, knowing what I know now? You had sex with my sister!” David was screaming still. His face had grown very red.

  “Heidi. Are you pregnant?” Declan ignored his friend and turned to her. She looked away from him, the tears really threatening to burst out now. “Heidi?” Declan urged her again, and she turned to look at him. They stared into each other’s eyes and she didn’t have to say anything. He knew the answer.

  He let David go and rushed towards her.

  “Was that why you said you wanted to go back to your normal life?” Declan asked, standing directly in front of her now. Heidi couldn’t look at him. She knew what he was going to say. He was going to apologize and then ask her to have an abortion. That was what she expected from Declan Xavier, what he must have said to countless other women before herself.

  “I wanted to end this because I want to keep the baby,” Heidi blurted out before she could stop herself. She still had her chin up, and she was challenging him with her eyes.

  “Heidi! Are you insane?” David appeared behind Declan, coming towards her now. His rage had turned to helplessness.

  “David. Stay out of this,” Declan said harshly, and David turned to him.

  “Stay out of this? Just like you’re planning to?” David threw the words at him and Declan looked away from him.

  “Heidi is an adult. She may be your sister, but she can make her own decisions. So if she wants to keep the baby, you have no right to say otherwise,” he continued. Heidi’s jaw dropped slightly.

  “You want me to keep it?” she asked. Declan turned to her with a look of confusion.

  “Of course I do. Why would I not?” he said, and he took a few more steps towards her.

  “I can’t believe this. I can’t watch this,” David said, and Declan turned to him again.

  “Go away then, David,” he snapped, and David turned around and left the room. Heidi and Declan stood staring at each other. “Were you planning to just leave and not tell me?” he asked her. His voice had dropped several decibels, and he was close to her now.

  “Of course. I didn’t think you’d want to have a baby with your fake girlfriend,” she said, her voice shaky. She could hardly believe that any of this was happening. A part of her still believed that it was a joke.

  “For all intents and purposes, Heidi, you’re the only real girlfriend I’ve ever had,” Declan said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close to him. She landed on his chest, placing her hands on his shoulders for support.

  She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face.

  “I'm sorry if I pushed you away earlier, Heidi. I didn’t think it was right,” h
e whispered in her ear and then nibbled her earlobe. Heidi smiled and looked into his eyes.

  “I was pushing you away too, without realizing it,” she said, and they kissed softly.

  “Can we just make this official now, so I can kiss you in private too?” Declan was smiling as he covered her face in kisses.

  “We already made it official, remember?” Heidi laughed.

  “To David, I mean,” Declan said, gently biting her chin. Heidi wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded.

  ***

  When Heidi got out of bed, the curtains had already been pulled and the sun was pouring into the room. She stretched her arms and noticed that Maud had left a tray of her usual breakfast beside her.

  Her hand went to her belly. She had begun to show. There was no hiding it from the media anymore. David had planned an exclusive interview with one of the big entertainment channels that morning. Heidi remembered this and quickly stepped out of bed.

  Declan, as usual, was nowhere in sight. A quick shower later, Heidi ate her breakfast while putting her makeup on. She went for a fresh, minimal look, her trademark style, much to the disappointment of David, who had initially insisted that Declan Xavier’s girlfriend should wear dark, Goth eyeshadow and sparkly lipstick. Heidi couldn’t stand it. She wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone else. The truth was that Declan Xavier wanted to be with her. It wasn’t a pretense anymore. He had picked her, Heidi Scott, with her plain taste in clothes and lack of interest in makeup.

  She had decided to grow her hair again, and it had already started grazing her shoulders, falling in tight curls.

  Heidi picked out a turquoise Lycra dress. It accentuated her baby bump and she examined herself in the mirror sideways. Her hand stroking her belly, feeling for the child she was carrying. Declan’s child.

  Sandals and small turquoise earrings completed the look, and she was ready.