by Amy Brent
I did set them straight, but I also explained to them the part the media liked to play. I made mention of that because of my position and expressed the truth that I was a target, and an easy one at that. I was strong in my composure and didn't let their scare tactics get to me. I basically told them if they liked the company, they should stay, because regardless of anything, the media would always try to bring successful people down. I went on to say the company was as rock solid as it had ever been, and the fact that Tommy Chan was on board spoke volumes.
Getting home felt like a miracle. I'd gotten through it all pretty much unscathed, and Karly had watched every word I'd said on TV. It had been broadcasted live and uninterrupted on the morning news. When I got through the door, she was dishing up dinner, and we all sat and ate together.
She seemed warmer toward me and told me I had looked great on TV. Alexis left the table early and went to play a dragon and doll game with Clara. It was something she and Riley had made up at kindergarten today.
"What you said was absolutely…beautiful," said Karly, shocked by my honesty with the public.
"I hope you feel the same. I mean, I know you do. It's just been a big past week and then the conference too."
She smiled. "Yeah. Exactly."
Karly excused herself from the table to go to the bathroom. I was eager to hear more about what she thought of the press conference.
She came back after a few minutes and looked at me a little strangely. She wasn't the happy Karly she'd been just a few minutes before. I was confused about the change.
"You've got everything covered here with Alexis tonight and, um, tomorrow, right?" she asked. "I need some time to sort out my apartment a little. I haven't been back there since it was cleaned up."
"Yes. I can cope, no problem. Mom can have Alexis tomorrow. I'm sure she won't mind."
"Great. I have to run. I need to go to my place and sort a few things out. I'll see you later, the day after tomorrow."
Her words went through me like a blade. She was acting like a deer in headlights, stopping dramatically and then running away as fast as she possibly could. The pressure of everything must've been weighing down on her, but I wanted my normal Karly back, the one who was naive and shared everything with me. I knew something was up. I didn't know how to feel, but I let her exit as though lightning were underneath her feet.
I closed the door as she hurried down the hallway and into the elevator. Had I maybe said something wrong at the press conference? Was she mad that I'd asserted myself and made headway with Keith with a restraining order? Maybe she just wasn't completely ready for the profession of my love for her on a public platform. In hindsight, I probably should've done or said more to her first, but I hadn't really had much opportunity. She'd disconnected herself because of the whirlwind of the week we'd shared.
I tried to let it go but kept mulling over thoughts about it like crazy. I wasn't sure if I was going to get any sleep. I rang my mother, and she was happy to take Alexis in the morning. I would drop her off early so I could deal with whatever this was.
It took me two hours longer than usual to get to sleep, mostly because I kept seeing that look on Karly’s face, the worried look like she had to get away. I didn’t like that she’d felt that way, and I wanted to take it away from her. I wanted to hold her close and make her feel safe. Damn those fucking reporters and her idiotic ex. Fuck them all!
Chapter 24
Karly
I stayed at my place. I needed some space to cool off, so I took the time to just do me. The cleaners had done a great job cleaning it, hygienically speaking, but there were still things that needed to go back to their original places. There was a vase my mother had given me and a whole heap of clothes that needed to find their rightful places back inside the closet and drawers.
I needed to keep busy and find a little bit of normality in my life again. I wasn't used to being a front-page headline in the newspaper, and I certainly wasn't a woman who dealt with exes like Keith very well, either. Although, thankfully, he had stayed away, which was probably due to the restraining order Damon had arranged. Damon must have had many so-called friends, the kind of people who had a ridiculous amount of power and money, to get one so quickly.
Damon's world at work was so different than my own. I was a simple and low-key person. He was the same at home, it seemed, but day-to-day, he rubbed shoulders with billion-dollar investors and people who were famous in investment circles. It was so farfetched, it seemed unreal to me. My name had actually been printed in a newspaper. Karly Ann Lewis. It was there for the whole world to see, as if my life was on show for everyone to peruse at their leisure. The flamboyant story had been written at my, Alexis’s, and Damon’s expense.
I was nearly done putting things away and was just topping up the water on my fuchsia plants. They didn't need much water, but no water would definitely deliver an untimely death. I had the purple ones.
There was a knock at the door. I looked through the peephole with my right eye to make sure it wasn’t Keith, though I doubted he would show up again. It was Damon. He was dressed for work in a mauve shirt and a crisp Armani jacket. He looked gorgeous, as he always did. My heart skipped a beat as I opened the door. Never in my life had any other man affected me like he did. I felt extremely lucky to have him care about me.
"Hey, Damon!" I said, hoping I looked all right.
He gave his perfect smile, and his eyes looked more beautiful than usual. "Karly, hi. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Was something wrong last night? You left in a real hurry."
I tried not to let on that anything was wrong, so I smiled awkwardly. "No. Everything's just fine. I thought I'd better come and check on my place. I still hadn't been here since Keith was here. I also needed to check the mail." I gave another awkward smile. "Um, also, with everything that happened, I got a little stressed. Cleaning kinda helps make me feel more grounded."
I hoped he bought it all. I sounded a little flaky, and I couldn't believe I'd said cleaning made me feel grounded. I sounded like a woman who got her kicks from scrubbing floors till they shone like diamonds. But I couldn't say anything else yet. I was just too exhausted from everything.
I wasn't sure Damon was totally convinced of my cleaning story, but he accepted it as the truth and was kind to me like he always was. He gave me my personal space and didn't try to hold me or kiss me.
"I have a conference at ten, so I need to get going. Will you be able to pick up Alexis from kindergarten today and stay over again?"
I answered quickly, not wanting to let my emotions show. "Sure. I'll pick up Alexis like usual." I didn't say whether I was staying over. I wasn't sure of that myself.
He gave his kind smile and held my arm like a friend would. "I'll see you tonight. Thank you."
"Sure," I said, feeling like I owed him more than what I’d given him.
He turned and left for work, and I felt like a bit of a cold bitch. He'd always been kind to me, and here I was being cold, weird, and elusive. He didn't deserve it, and I began to feel bad about it. I should've at least kissed him or offered him a friendly hug. I was angry at myself for being so standoffish.
I had to call Sarah. She was off today, at least until four. Sometimes she did a catalog shoot with Darcy then. The photographer was a work-late type of guy according to Sarah. He was overly artistic and hippy and never started work before four in the afternoon.
Like magic, she arrived in moments, as if she'd seen me send out imaginary smoke signals or somehow telepathically knew I needed her help. I was so grateful when she bounced through my apartment door wearing her usual red-lipstick smile. She was always so positive and ready to pounce on life. That was how I needed to be, but I had something I desperately needed to tell her first.
Sarah had gotten us coffee, and we sat down together. She'd brought doughnuts as well, knowing I probably needed something naughty. She could always tell when something was up with me. I took my first bite and hummed my appreci
ation for it as I sipped my coffee to wash it down. Somehow, doughnuts made everything seem better.
"So, come on, spill the beans," she said, waiting for me to tell her what was up.
I swallowed more doughnut and took a huge gulp of coffee down with it. "Well, you know about the scandal already. Damon did a great job of fixing that."
"Yep. I saw him swooning over you on the news. God, he answered those questions like a pro. He's a freaking legend."
"Yes, well, we haven't even said any 'I love you' words yet, and I was so impressed and felt so happy listening to him profess our entire relationship." I paused, and Sarah could see I was beginning to get worked up.
"Karly, it's me. Just say whatever it is. I already know you love each other. That much is clear."
"Okay, so I felt good when he got home, but during the day, I felt a little off, and so I…"
"Yes?" she asked, hating long and drawn-out explanations.
"I took a pregnancy test, and I'm pregnant."
"Oh, shit!"
"Shit is right. So now the scandal that became a love story is now a scandal again. The press is gonna absolutely have a field day with this. And, oh my god, I'm expecting Damon Jacobs's baby!" My eyes grew wider.
Sarah looked at me with wide, owl eyes. The circumstances were even over her head; she was shocked by the revelation. She looked nearly as gobsmacked as I’d been when the test had come back positive. I was in a whole world of trouble. A man I'd only just met had fucked my brains out, and I’d told him we were safe because I was on the pill. Only apparently we weren’t.
Sarah started bouncing her leg, which was a thing she did when she was thinking about something properly. "You used protection, right?"
"I'm on the pill. You know that."
"Were you unwell, vomiting or diarrhea? The effectiveness can change if that happens. It can become not ideal."
I gave her a sarcastic look. "Yeah, well, I think the not-ideal part already happened. No, I haven't been unwell with either of those."
"Maybe you forgot to take one," she said, making me feel even worse.
"Sarah! I'm already with child, so does it really matter now?" I asked, raising my voice.
"I just don't see—" She finally realized her questioning didn't matter now that the consequences were already set in motion. "Hmm, well, you both love one another, and you both love Alexis. This could be a wonderful thing."
I looked at her and picked up another naughty doughnut. I wasn't one to overindulge, but today seemed like a fitting day for it if I had to pick one.
I spoke with my mouth full of doughnut. "I'm gonna quit. It solves everything. Then the press is out of it and Alexis is out of it."
Sarah hit my cheek with a mock slap. "You will absolutely not do anything like that. Fuck the press. It's your life, and it's a beautiful love story. Damon's got contacts. Surely a wonderful, happy take on things can get presented to the public, especially if you find the right reporter."
"I wish I had your positivity. You’re forgetting that Damon might not want more children. He's a big CEO with a huge, successful company, and he, like me, thought we were protected. I told him I was on the pill and we were safe."
Sarah smiled at me as if I were blowing it all out of proportion and then set me straight with her version. "Okay, you and Damon had an attraction, so you both tiptoed around that attraction to make sure Alexis wasn't affected. Then, you both slipped into love, wanting and needing to be with one another. Then, you got pregnant. It happens. If there was no press around, that's how every normal person would translate this story. Boy meets girl. Girl loves boy. They fall in love. What's the problem?" She gave me a raised eyebrow. "You absolutely must tell him, and then you can begin a life together with Alexis and the new baby. It's picture perfect."
Her words resonated with me, and I realized I needed to spend more time with her. "Will you stay here tonight? I think you're the best thing for me right now."
"Of course. You’d better get ready to pick up Alexis. You don't want to be late. I'll get here by eight."
I hugged her and was grateful she always put me first. She had this amazing way of allowing everything to flow and make sense. I needed that strength.
***
When Damon got home, I tried to behave as normally as possible. His eyes were on me fully when Alexis wasn't around, and it felt good to be near him. The space I needed right now was also important, though. I wanted to do everything right from here on out, and Sarah would help me get the clarity I needed.
He looked gorgeous in his turquoise sweater, freshly showered and with those sparkling, magnetized eyes. I loved him. We were meant for each other. No other man had ever looked at me like he did, and it made me feel wanted and loved. He was the purest, kindest gentleman and a total bad boy in the bedroom. I’d been hooked the moment he'd first kissed me, and I would tell him soon about the baby.
"Sarah's staying at my place tonight. I'll be here in the morning like clockwork."
"Okay. I understand," he said, giving me the space he knew I needed.
Alexis went to bed easily after a short story about a fish who tricked a fisherman. She held Clara as she drifted off, and she was the happiest I'd ever seen her. Her time at kindergarten had been a huge part of that growth. Meeting Riley had also been a lot of fun for her.
"Good night, sweetie," Damon said, tucking her in. But she was already asleep when he said the words.
Damon walked me to the door and pulled me in close. His lips pressed into mine like we were in a beautiful, old-fashioned movie. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach danced with butterflies like it always did.
"Good night. See you in the morning," I said with a wide smile. He could tell something was up, but he stayed strong regardless. I guessed he knew it would come out sooner or later.
"See you tomorrow, beautiful woman," he said, letting me go off into the night. The security guard would walk me to my car because Damon had already prearranged it.
Chapter 25
Damon
Karly showed up fifteen minutes early. It was a relief for me because I’d thought she might end up packing it in like the last nanny had. Although this time it would have hurt way more because I was definitely in love with Karly.
I struggled with my anger about the way she'd been acting. I’d always showed my true feelings the whole way through our relationship. I'd been strong with the press and completely honest, demonstrating my integrity. I didn't know what it could be now. I mean, Keith was taken care of and had lost his might. The press was happily looking for other stories to chase. Everything should have been running smoothly. I needed to find out what the fuck was going on. I hated being distant, and it wasn't fair that she was holding her feelings inside. All relationships involved communication, and I needed her to tell me what the fuck was going on. If I didn't know what was wrong, I couldn't help her or us or whatever the fuck this was.
As Alexis ran off to brush her teeth with Clara, I used the time alone with Karly as an opportunity to make some headway. "I want us to go to dinner tonight. I've already asked Mom to babysit for me."
She looked into my eyes, and there was something hidden behind hers this time. I couldn't make sense of what it might have been.
"I can't. I need to see Sarah tonight."
My aner rose. I wasn't an angry man, but I knew when something was off. It’d been a skill I’d mastered well, something I'd been able to feel, especially in my business life.
"Bullshit," I said. "You need to speak to me. I know something's going on." I didn't raise my voice, but I did use an assertive tone.
Alexis walked out with a happy smile. She sat in front of the TV to watch cartoons while her curling iron heated up. "Okay, I'll meet you tonight. What time?" Karly asked.
"Chelsea's at seven. I'll pick up Alexis today. I’m only working this morning."
"Okay."
I felt like she only agreed because Alexis had come down and interrupted our talk. I hoped
she would actually meet me. I needed to get this sorted out.
I left, giving a big kiss to Alexis. I had been more than forward, but I needed clarity now. I was sick of wondering what the fuck was going on. I didn't want to play guessing games, and I didn't want to feel the distance that had hung around since the damned press conference either.
The drive to work was short and uneventful. Nothing major occurred, just cabbies driving their own kind of crazy. My mind was on Karly. I'd spent enough time on my own, and I wanted to make it right between us. I didn't care what it was as long as she just told me. I could cope with anything she threw my way except for a breakup. That would be a bitter pill to swallow. I hoped it wasn't going to be that. Fuck, that would really suck.
My mind buzzed like a cyclone pressing down in a whirlwind of unrelenting chaos. I couldn't concentrate on work, and I got a few sighs when I called Rhonda by the nickname Ronnie. She hated that.
Eric rang and wanted to tell me all about a new investment venture, but my mind wasn't on the conversation and the multitude of questions he shot my way. He asked me if I was still angry at him for the press slipup, and I told him I was well and truly over that ridiculous debacle.
I cut our conversation short so I could stay alone with my thoughts. It wasn't healthy to let it go over and over the situation in my mind, but I wanted to place my finger on what was wrong. It wasn't the sex. That was more than great. It wasn't that she was on her period. It seemed like more than that. It could have been because I never told her I loved her in person, at least not before the stupid press was told. It could've been the whole Keith thing or that I got a restraining order without asking her first.
Fuck! This was driving me absolutely nuts.
The phone buzzed. "Mr. Jacobs, call on line one."