by Lia Lee
The biggest questions were more: Was the baby healthy? and What do I tell Brent?
The doctor kept her smile in place as Dana and Ashley each held one of her hands. The wand moved over her stomach, and then her heart sank. The doctor’s mouth set into a grim line as she squinted more closely at the monitor. She, like her friends, looked closer, too, but it was all a blur to her. Then she saw some movement, but it seemed like… Wait, was there more than one heartbeat?
The doctor turned and was calm and kind when she spoke. “Miss Billings, you’re definitely pregnant and with two healthy twins so far. The heartbeats are strong. It’s too early to tell the sex yet, but for right now they look to be in excellent condition.”
“Twins?” Ashley asked.
“Oh, wow,” Dana said, her expression more neutral. Made sense. Her friend had worked in a clinic before and probably knew more about how to stay calm in hairy situations. “Thank you so much for the appointment on short notice.”
The doctor nodded. “I’ll let you get cleaned up and come back with information about options and…”
“I’m keeping them,” Jessica said. “I just need to know about keeping appointments and payment plans and vitamins. I don’t know much about all the prenatal stuff.”
“That’s what we’re here for, dear,” the doctor replied. “You get ready, and we’ll come back to talk appointments. Congratulations.”
After the door shut, Jessica mopped up the ultrasound jelly on her stomach, and then slipped the T-shirt over her body. Dana squeezed her hand tighter, but Ashley was pacing.
“What?” Jess asked.
“You don’t have to do this,” Ashley said. “I know you want to do the right thing but twins? Are you maybe at least going to think about adoption? I know you want to be a scientist and with twins—”
“It’ll be hard, but I can do it.”
Dana frowned. “Are you going to tell Brent?”
“And have his father disown him, break Cara’s heart, and lead my father to murder him? Honestly, guys, I have no idea what I’m doing. All I can trust now is my gut. And that says that these children are the best thing I’ve ever made,” Jessica said, gesturing to her stomach. “But it’s less clear on if telling Brent is a good idea. He might hate me forever since I was the one assuring him I was on the pill.”
“You were,” Dana offered, still patting her hand. “You were just unaware that there’s some weird medical bullshit that complicated things. None of this is your fault.”
“You’re my friends. Of course you see it that way. I just don’t know how telling Brent can bring him and me anything but heartache.”
Ashley sighed, stopped pacing, and hugged her. “Well, right now, you finish this up, and we’ll go home and do a movie day. No thinking – just whatever food you can keep down and Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise as the drop-dead undead.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jessica said.
It was, so far, the only one she had.
Chapter Thirteen
Jessica
Jessica spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, thinking over all her bountiful lack of options. It would be cruel to hide it from Brent, and she’d have to quit in a couple months anyway. She’d wanted to by the time school started, but Cara had begged her to help her adjust through middle school starting up, a new whole wing of her academy, and Jessica couldn’t say no. But by five months with twins, it’d be obvious what was going on with her. To everyone. She wasn’t sure which she hated more – the chance of a snide comment from Donald Sanderson when he figured it out or her dad’s disappointment. It was a close. Her dad would eventually forgive her, no matter what, but Donald Sanderson was a snake with a total talent for making her feel two feet tall.
The next day, she’d tried to make due with a caffeine-free tea and make it through her class before heading over to Brent’s estate. She was blinking pretty hard and realizing that going at least six months without coffee was probably going to drive her insane.
No, scratch that.
It would definitely drive her insane.
However, once she and Cara started going over her new homework assignment for earth science class, things fell into the right rhythm. She wasn’t sure she’d feel that way when Brent arrived, as if she were somehow putting out pregnant vibes now and he’d know on sight that she was with child. Correction. Children, his children.
“I had a good day today, actually,” Cara said.
“Did you?”
“Yes, Dad and the senator talked last year, but I think Grandpa might have said something too.”
“How can you tell?” Jessica asked, reading through Cara’s answers.
“His fundraising for his re-election is way down. I Googled lately, and it seems like really big donors are avoiding him. Also, now that we’re on the middle school side, I don’t have classes with all of those girls. They’re not that smart, so I have at least one girl in my class who’s really nice to me and likes marine biology, too.”
Jessica blinked. It was a cold reminder that Donald Sanderson went the extra mile to make people who crossed him or his family extra sorry. “What? You’re kidding about the senator, right?”
“I don’t think so. Everyone says her dad’s gonna lose.” Care shrugged. After four months, her bob had grown out to be shoulder length. Today she had it pulled back with a headband colored black and white like soccer balls. “I’m not really mad Grandpa did that.”
Jessica sighed. “It’s a little scary, but I’ll let you in on a secret.”
“What?”
“I’m glad those girls are leaving you alone, too. As long as you don’t, uh, have your grandfather threaten everyone. That’s probably a bad habit to get into.”
Cara took her worksheet back and started making any corrections Jess had pointed out. “I know, but those girls were awful.”
“Yeah, they were. If they find a way to give you trouble again, you need to tell me or your dad first, you know? We’re here for you, too.”
“Okay!” Cara said, finishing her work and putting it away in her binder. “So, do you want to go outside? I have a new soccer net out back, and we could kick around some.”
“Great, and I found a new killer whale documentary on Netflix we can watch till your dad gets back.” She stood up and grabbed her jacket. There was an unseasonable cold spell today. It was almost sixty, and to a “So Cal” girl like her, that was just too low. “Hey. Cara,” she started as they headed down the rat’s maze of hallways to the backyard. “Did you ever want any brothers or sisters?”
She had no idea why she’d started this suicidal line of conversation. After all, she wasn’t even sure that she could tell Brent. But maybe this was part of figuring everything out. If this were going to hurt Cara in any way, after all the poor girl had been through, the last thing Jessica would do then would reveal it.
Her whole point in being hired was to help Cara. Besides, she’d come to love Cara too much to put her through extra pain, if she could avoid it.
If only she hadn’t been so dumb about birth control…
Cara quirked her head at her as they kept walking. “I really always wanted a brother or a sister. Maybe both. I just… I think if Mom hadn’t died, eventually I would have had tons. Mom was such a good mom – what I can remember. Dad’s pretty awesome, and I know he works hard, but he makes time for zoo trips and the aquarium and everything else. He really is good.”
“I know, and if he didn’t care about you, he wouldn’t have hired you the best babysitter ever.”
Cara winked. “I could just say ‘And who’s that again,’ but you’ve been super fun all summer, and I’m glad you’re here. I did always want tons of siblings, but then Dad was so sad after Mom died. We just… How can you expect anything like that? Now he’s kind of old, so I’m used to being an only child. Why?”
Ooh, caught.
Jessica sighed and shrugged as they reached the backyard (which was as big as three or four lots put together
). “Just curious. My mom and dad… I think my mom grew apart from my dad pretty fast after I was born. There was this guy, and she cheated.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” Jessica said, setting the ball on the ground and kicking it a bit. “But I was always an only child, and it was pretty obvious it was going to be that way. I wish I had a sister, you know? Someone I could always tell my secrets too. I have good friends, but I thought… you know, slumber parties and braiding our hair… that sort of stuff would have been really fun.”
“Yeah, but we have soccer!” Cara said, running after the ball.
Jessica laughed and ran after her.
***
“She’s all tuckered out,” Brent said after checking on Cara in her room.
“Yeah, Cecile made sure she ate, and you were running late, so Cara passed out. We played soccer pretty hard outside till sunset.”
Brent sat down beside her on the sofa and ran his thumb over her cheek. “I can tell. You have a bit of a grass stain there.”
She sighed and wanted to lean up and kiss him. But she had other stuff she needed to say. He had to know about the babies, and he needed to know now. Maybe there was a shot this could be okay… somehow… if Cara at least was open to the idea of brothers or sisters.
“Not when Cara’s here,” she said quietly, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I think we need to talk.”
His smile brightened, and he rushed off the couch before she could continue and went back toward the entranceway to the salon before she could stop him. Reaching beyond her line of sight, he pulled out a box wrapped brightly in gold, green, and vibrant violet paper.
“The reason I ran late wasn’t a meeting. I had to pick something up for you.”
Frowning, Jessica let him set the package on her lap. She could always get to the earth-shaking news after the present. He seemed so pleased with whatever he’d come up with. She wanted to give him one last happy moment before she maybe drove him off forever. It was all so hard to tell.
“Wait, so what is it?”
“Part of the surprise,” Brent said, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously at her. “Go on, take a peek.”
Curious, she opened the box and sent the paper scattering everywhere as she tore through it. “Oh wow!”
The mask before her was one that would cover most of her face, fine porcelain like something out of The Phantom of the Opera, but also hand painted with bright gold and purple harlequin diamonds. Huge feathers were mounted to the top, creating a wild look for anyone. “What’s all this for?”
“There’s a ball. My father insisted on a masked charity bazaar this Friday for the charity we have that funnels research money into new antibiotics test trials. I want you to be my date.”
She set the mask down gently in the box and then placed it all beside her on the sofa. “Brent, this is an incredibly sweet gesture, but you know I can’t. We’ve worked so hard to keep what’s between us a secret. How can I go to a ball?”
“It’s a masquerade. I have an outfit for you, and I’ll send a makeup and hair stylist from one of our production teams out to see you – get the right wig for the look. No one will even know.”
It was tempting. All their dates had to be out of the city of San Diego or completely clandestine at his separate high-rise by the bay. It was always sneaking and never a public moment between them. She knew the kind of wizardry the hair and makeup department could do for her dad’s movies. If they made her up, no one would recognize her. Not Donald Sanderson, not even her own father.
Well, probably.
She frowned and shook her head. “Dad would know me if I had a bedsheet over my head. There’s no way I can fool him.”
“You don’t have to,” Brent replied. “I’ve been thinking about this a long time. I want to show you off as best as I can, while still respecting your wishes. Allen will be in New York scouting locations, and we’ll be three thousand miles away. You’ll be the mystery girl on my arm, and once the makeup queen is done with you, no one will know who you are.”
Jessica’s heart fluttered. It was like Cinderella, like a chance to finally be with him and let people see where her heart lay. Her hand fell unbidden to her stomach, and she cupped her belly, as if trying to get even closer to her children. Their children. If everything blew up, then it could blow up on Saturday. She was going to tell him on the long weekend after the ball. Maybe he’d be happy; she just couldn’t be sure. Maybe she was presuming too much to think he’d ever be able to get over his late wife and her tragic loss.
Maybe a million things.
But she could have Friday, and if that – the necklace and her twins – were all she ever had left of Brent, then she’d have to make it last a lifetime’s worth.
Smiling up at him, Jessica nodded. “I’d love to.”
Brent kissed her, his tongue teasing her with everything they’d have this Friday and, of course, with everything she might never have again after that.
Chapter Fourteen
Jessica
“This is so cool!” Ashley said as Rafaella from the production studio worked her magic on Jessica’s hair. “I mean, this is like a clandestine date, a secret love affair, and a ball everyone who’s anyone in San Diego and all the way from Hollywood will be at. I need to get a life STAT, but living through you has its perks.”
Jessica laughed as Rafaella worked at pulling her real hair back under a bald cap. It would make it far easier to place the dark, raven black wig over her head. She’d also be doing up her eyes in a most dramatic fashion, so they were smoky even underneath the mask and complimented by bright emerald contacts lenses. It was a disguise on top of a disguise to make sure no one would dare know who she was.
It would be a perfect night.
That one last chance before reality could shatter everything. At least she hoped so.
Dana sat close to Rafaella and watched her technique setting out all her makeup brushes and tools of the trade. It was a different medium than still life and oils, but her other friend loved to learn about art and to observe any master of their craft. She only diverted her attention to Ashley for just a moment.
“You know,” Dana said, “you can bring the enthusiasm down a notch. Don’t want to overwhelm her.”
“It’s magical though!” Ashley said. “I’d have daydreamed of something like this my whole life.”
“I never exactly did,” Jessica said. “It’s really cool, but I think I imagined this night with less, well, passengers along for the ride.” She didn’t say more in front of Rafaella, but the girls knew what she meant.
“Are you going to say anything tonight?” Dana said. “Let him know everything that’s on your mind.”
She sighed as the cap for her hair was placed over her natural look. The wig was slid down next, and it was a trip to see her hair go from brown to dark black like a vampiric vixen or something. It was so not her. She couldn’t wait for the effect of the contacts and mask either. Besides, there was something about the new, even darker look for her hair that brought out the golden dolphin nestled on her chest. The gold twinkled brighter, and the diamonds shone bolder.
Good.
It was also such a symbol of Brent’s affection that she couldn’t resist wearing it with everything else.
“I actually am going to let it be that great night, you know? No need to talk about future plans right now,” she admitted. Jessica smiled wider. “Besides, Ashley is right. It’s a magical evening; I can feel it.”
Dana smiled and nodded. “I think so, too.”
***
The Westin downtown was huge and overlooked the harbor. She peered nervously out of the window of the Rolls that had been sent for her. Brent was busy all day coordinating last-minute preparations with his father and staff, but he’d made sure from Rafaella caring for her to the usual limo ride, that she was as pampered and cared for as she could be until they met again at the venue. Taking a deep breath, she made sure the harlequin mask w
as attached tightly to her face and slid out of the limo.
The flashes of the light bulbs almost blinded her as she started on the red carpet. With this much of the Hollywood fancy set and the cream of San Diego society there, the event was teeming with paparazzi. She’d been to carpets before to cheer her dad on, but no one had ever taken pictures of her. She’d always stood off to the side and watched. Now a million photos were being taken of her, and she both felt dazed and a bit lightheaded. One reporter from the local station put a microphone near her lips.
“Susan Rodriguez, San Diego This Morning. Who are you? Who are you with?”
She froze. It never occurred to her that she’d be an object of fascination. That anyone would ever want to know her story. It also completely caught her in the headlights, like a frozen deer. There was no way she would have a good answer to this.
Jessica stilled, blinking back at the reporter and completely unsure of what to say. “I…I…”
Like a hero riding his steed out of the mists of battle, Brent appeared before her and linked his arm through hers. “Hello, Susan, lovely to see you this evening. This is my date, Ella Summers.”
Jessica would have laughed at the whole thing. Before all this, she was used to dimly lit library stacks and research labs. She was the girl helping her dad at work with his gofer errands. She certainly wasn’t someone with a secret identity and, apparently, the talk so far of a charity ball. All of it felt like a dream, which was okay if tomorrow turned out to be a nightmare.
Susan smiled and nodded. “And wherever did you find her? You know that you’ve been San Diego’s hottest bachelor for over a decade, Mr. Sanderson.”
Brent winked and took the questions in stride like the pro he was. “Oh, you know me, Susan. I’m a man of many secrets. I’m just happy to have Ella here,” he said, winking at her again. “I can’t thank all the donors for coming out. We’re optimistic this will be our biggest fundraiser yet. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”