by C. J. Thomas
Sadie’s eyes went wide and she placed her hand on her chest. “What kind of coffee shop is this?”
I pulled her away from the counter. “Sorry about that,” I said back to the girl. “We’re just trying to find someone.”
As we turned, Sadie said in a low voice, “What kind of place is called ‘Morning Perk’ that doesn’t sell coffee?”
I shrugged. “Guess everyone’s trying the clean, natural way of doing things.”
“Waking up by any means other than coffee is not natural.” Sadie was looking about as frazzled as I felt.
I took her hand. “You’re supposed to be the strong one for me this morning, remember?”
She gave me a pained look. “Sorry, let’s see if she’s here. Why anyone would want to be here this early without coffee is beyond me.” Sadie said the last part through gritted teeth and I squeezed her hand. Partially for my own comfort as well as not being rude—more than we already had been.
The place had several tall bookshelves configured as room dividers so we had to walk around the small café to see if Paisley was sitting somewhere in the back corner. Though most of the chairs and sofas were taken, Paisley wasn’t one of the patrons.
Once Sadie and I made it back outside I said, “I thought your modeling buddy said that she gets her morning coffee here sometimes.”
Sadie laughed and shook her head. “Clearly not.” She looked up and down the street. “And I was told that Paisley goes somewhere on this block. Who was I to know this was the health store from hell?”
I followed her gaze until my phone vibrated in my purse. I sighed, not wanting to take a look at it.
“How many times?” Sadie asked.
“What are you talking about?” I dug it out, and seeing that it was another text from Liam, I sighed. I had turned it on vibrate after his third voicemail yesterday. After the fifth, I wanted to shut the thing off. And after that, I felt like chucking it into the East River. “I really should just turn the thing off.”
“You do that and he won’t know that you’re intentionally ignoring him.”
I frowned and followed her across the street. “Isn’t that a bitchy thing to do?”
She started ticking off points on her fingers. “One—not telling you that he wants to marry you because he’s about to be kicked out of the country in four days. Two—he may have another girl knocked up. Both of which are so far beyond what a sweetheart of a guy should do that it’s okay to be just a touch bitchy.”
I sighed. “You’re right. It’s beyond messed up that he’s thinking about marrying me just to stay in the country while someone else is carrying his baby.”
She put her arm around me. “But really, he knows you’re okay, and if you turn your phone off now he might really have cause to worry.”
“I haven’t listened to any of his messages but I can’t keep from reading the texts.”
Sadie grabbed my phone from me. “You didn’t tell me about the texts.” She scrolled through the list as I spotted the other café on the block and guided her toward it. “Aww. He really likes you a lot.”
“The guy wants to marry me. I should hope so.”
Sadie looked up just as we were about to reach the café. “Thank god, this place has java in the name. Wait—” She held her arm across my chest as she looked inside. “I think that’s her.”
I hadn’t seen much of Paisley. No, that wasn’t accurate. I’d seen plenty of her body, starting with our introduction when she’d flung her bra off not ten-seconds after meeting me. Then the experience of naked Paisley telling me off in the steam room. There wasn’t much I hadn’t seen of her. In fact, it was more that I wasn’t sure I’d recognize her with her clothes on—a sentiment I never thought I’d have about another woman.
The glare from the morning sun off the window made it hard to see her face, but her dark, sweeping hair and pale skin seemed to fit.
I pressed my back against the brick wall of the café and pulled Sadie beside me. “I don’t know about this.”
“Are you willing to let Liam go in four days and never regret it.”
“No.” The word came from my lips without a second thought. There was no doubt in my mind that it was the truth. I closed my eyes and felt the cool brick against my back. “I can’t talk to him until I know the truth.”
Sadie nodded. “Good girl. Let’s go get it, then. And some coffee.”
CHAPTER 50
Tessa
“Make that a double.”
“Oh . . . er . . .” The boy behind the counter, who barely looked a day over twelve, had a terrified look plastered across his face. “You want to change your order?” His hands scanned the register as if it would give some indication as to what to press.
“I’ll take that one.” I glanced over my shoulder to see if Paisley still had her back to us. Then nodded to Sadie. “Give her a double.”
“You don’t drink espressos.”
“I do today.” At least to make sure we could get over to Paisley before she saw us or left.
I glanced back again and saw her turn. I could feel my eyes widen and it took me a second to realize she was only grabbing something from her purse.
Confronting Paisley didn’t have to happen. Sadie and I could just turn around and go, though at this point she’d never let me live it down.
We were here and I needed the truth.
But, apparently, coffee came first for Sadie to be on her A-game.
“Coffee, check.” Sadie nodded to me as she took a sip and exaggerated a pleasure-filled eye roll. “Next stop, confront baby-mama.”
I blew out a breath. “Let’s do this.” I rubbed my sweaty palms against my pants and walked toward the back of the café. I lagged behind just a little as Sadie and I had planned.
“Hey there, Paisley.” Sadie leaned against the side wall, very cool and collected, like she most always was once she’d had her coffee. She took another sip and I could feel the confidence radiate from her. “Anything new with you?” She had Paisley’s undivided attention, sizing her up.
Paisley set down her fashion magazine and leaned back in the metal fold-up chair. “Not really, just keeping up with the latest trends.”
“I hear Europe is beautiful this time of the year. Planning any trips?”
By Paisley’s mannerisms, I could tell she was confused. “Why should I? There’s plenty of modeling work around here. Liam is hooking me up with all sorts of contacts.”
Sadie and I exchanged a quick glance. Did she even know he was about to be deported?
“He does have all the contacts. Here. LA,” Sadie said. “Nothing overseas?”
“Why bother with that kind of travel? By the end of the week, I’ll have shoots lined up for the next few months.”
“Thanks to Liam?”
“Of course thanks to him. What the hell is this about?”
I stepped around so Paisley could clearly see me, and her jaw dropped just a little.
“Okay, now I really want to know what this is about.”
Sadie took a sip of her coffee. “They do have great drinks here. What’cha got there?” She nodded at Paisley’s cup.
“Venti cappuccino.”
Sadie glanced up to me. “That’s the large.”
“I can see that.” I wanted to remind her that just because I rarely drank coffee didn’t mean I didn’t understand its existence.
“A lot of caffeine,” said Sadie.
Paisley rolled her eyes. “Yeah, so? You’re here, too. I take it that’s not water.”
Sadie held up her cup as though in a toast, then took a sip. “I’m also not pregnant.”
Paisley nearly rolled her eyes again, then stopped herself. “I—that’s none of your business.”
She kept her gaze on me as she said it and I wanted to tell her like hell it wasn’t, but Sadie knew what she was doing. I hoped.
“I don’t usually preach to people,” Sadie said, “but since I know you and all, I want to make sure you’r
e looking out for that baby.”
Paisley narrowed her eyes. “How do you know about that, anyway?”
Sadie pulled out the other chair at the table and sat. Paisley scooted back, right into my thigh.
I didn’t budge. Sadie picked up the magazine Paisley had been thumbing through. “Fashion magazine? About those months of modeling plans . . .”
Paisley’s eyes grew big as she realized what she’d said.
“Pretty sure maternity modeling isn’t what these photographers and editors will be looking for.”
Paisley quickly composed herself, then shrugged. “I’ll make do.”
“You’re what, a few months in?”
I listened to Sadie ask Paisley questions, unsure of where she was going with them, but hoping she had a plan.
Paisley’s eyes darted around like she was doing some math. “Yeah. Like two months.”
“You know,” Sadie crossed her legs and leaned back, “most women think of their pregnancy in weeks, not months. A cousin of mine has six children, I know more about pregnancy and babies than I’d like to admit. Have you gone in to see the doctor, yet?”
“Of course. The moment I thought I was pregnant.”
Sadie covered her mouth. “Oh my god. Is something wrong with you or the baby?”
“Course not.” Paisley looked appalled.
“You may want to find another doctor,” Sadie said. “I’ve never heard of anyone having a new mother come in before she was eight weeks pregnant. At the very earliest.”
Paisley took another sip of her coffee as though she’d heard nothing.
Sadie leaned in on her elbows, like a cat ready to pounce. Paisley leaned back, realized I was still right next to her, and she tried to find some neutral place to sit. “Tell me, Paisley, are you sure the doctor wasn’t seriously concerned about you?”
“Why are you—”
“Any doctor would be if you were convinced you were pregnant when there wasn’t really a baby.”
“How dare—” Paisley stood, teeth bared. “I’m out of here.” She turned on her heel and stormed out, nearly flipping the bell above the door off its stand.
Sadie shook her head. “It’s just not as effective when she’s clothed.”
I laughed. “I’m surprised you didn’t end up with her coffee in your face.”
“Too bad, I could use another cup.”
CHAPTER 51
Liam
“You know, sir, waiting out on the street won’t make her show up any faster.”
I looked up to see Randy standing before me on the sidewalk, holding two white sacks of what could only be the homemade sandwiches I’d asked for. “Courtesy of the chef?”
“Of course.”
“Please tell me the staff doesn’t know what’s going on. I mean, when—if—I have to leave, I’ll make sure all of you are taken care of.” I took the sacks from him and pulled one of the sandwiches out. “I know it’s wrong to have kept it from everyone, but I didn’t want to cause alarm if it was all a lot of smoke.”
Randy pressed his lips together. “Sir, if I may.”
“Since when did you start asking permission to speak your mind? You’re going to anyway, so go ahead.” I reminded myself that the last thing I wanted was to be an ass to Randy after he helped me figure out what the hell ICE’s deal was.
He tried to conceal his smirk when he said, “Very good, sir. You have only a few days before you have to leave. Keeping things from those who have the right to know seems to have only complicated things for you.”
“Which is exactly why I’m standing out here.” I took a bite of the chef’s special BLT with egg and spicy mayo. Damn, that lady knew how to prepare food. I’d definitely miss her. After another couple bites, I slipped the sandwich back into the bag. “I want to do right by Tessa. She’s not exactly talking to me so I’m hoping to convince Sadie to convince her to give me the time of day. Got all that?” Randy gave his blank military stare. “Good.”
He looked past my shoulder. “Your plus-one for wandering the streets of Brooklyn has arrived.”
I turned to see Sadie walk up in a pale yellow sundress. The smile she gave me was more cordial and didn’t match her usual upbeat charm.
“Liam.”
I immediately handed her a bag. “A white flag.”
She glanced inside. “Don’t see how giving me your leftovers is going to help your cause.”
I frowned and opened the bag I still held to reveal a full sandwich. “Would the fact that I accidentally gave you mine give any sort of comic relief to this discussion?”
We switched bags. She took a bite and her eyes rolled back. “Oh, my god.” She ate half of it in ten seconds flat.
“Hungry?”
“Not really.” Bite. “But.” Bite. “This is so good.” She handed me the empty bag. “Okay, you have my attention.”
I worked to turn my brain back on after watching her down the sandwich in record time, then held up my bag. “More?”
She shrugged and took it. “We’ll call this my cheat meal.”
“Well, between bites, can you tell me if Tessa is okay? She didn’t show for dinner last night and I’m worried about her. I care about her a lot.”
Sadie pulled the sandwich away from her face for the first time since I’d given it to her. “She’s safe and just needs some time to process things.”
“I get that and I want to give her all the time she needs, it’s just that I don’t have time to give.”
“So you really do only have a few days before you have to leave the country?”
“As of right now, yes.”
“Unless you marry Tessa, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“What a real jack-ass thing of you, Liam. Do you really think it’s okay to marry her just to stay in the country?”
I sighed. “Don’t put it that way. That’s not the only reason.”
“Would you ask her right now if you didn’t have to leave?”
“Well—”
“Do you love her?”
“I—”
“What the hell do you know?”
“Would you let me finish?”
She stopped interrupting me long enough for me to explain.
“Like I said, I care about Tessa. More than I have cared for anyone else, ever. I see us growing into something that I don’t want to give up. The fact is, if I leave and she’s here . . . I don’t want to be without her.”
Sadie looked at me for a long time before saying, “I get it. The long distance thing is a relationship killer and you’d rather go all in than lose her.”
I blew out the breath I hadn’t realize I’d been holding. “You do get it. I mean, yeah. That’s exactly right.”
“About the only thing I can think of that’s harder is someone else being pregnant with your baby.”
Oh. Shit.
I ran a hand through my hair. “Tessa knows about Paisley’s pregnancy then.”
“She saw the photos, Liam.” Sadie tossed one of the bags into the trash beside her, then the other. “Walk and talk. I need to move to think here.”
“Sure,” I said as I caught up to her.
“Those photos. Tell me they were taken by Paisley and not by you.”
“What? You seriously don’t think—”
“Okay then, you’re still on my jerk list but not as far down.”
I sped up to keep up with her. “You always walk this fast?”
“Of course. We live in New York and walking is the best way to burn fat. I’m sure you wouldn’t understand.”
“Why, because I have my own personal trainer, gym, and car service?”
“Huh. Not where I was going with that.” She walked around a group of students studying the architecture of the buildings. “I was thinking because you naturally don’t have an ounce of fat on you.”
“Hah. Not quite.” Nearly colliding with a park bench I didn’t see after maneuvering around a couple of speed walkers that we w
ere motoring past, I pulled Sadie to the other side of the sidewalk. With Tessa knowing about the photos and Paisley’s pregnancy, this was all so much worse than I thought. “She’s not talking to me.”
“Because she needs time to process.”
“Yes, you said that before, but given my lack of time on this continent, could you give me a break and let me know where I can find her?”
Sadie stopped walking and a group of teens nearly collided into her. One dropped his bag. I picked it up and handed it back to him.
“Thanks, man.” The kid turned and walked off.
It surprised me for a second that the kid thanked me. I looked over to see Sadie watching me.
“Look,” she said, “you’re not half bad. I did introduce the two of you, and all. But really, all of these things, she should have heard them from you.”
“Yeah, I know. Guess I deserve to be on that jerk list.”
“You do, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”
I smiled, unsure why it pleased me to not be on her imaginary shit list except that she was Tessa’s best friend and the best way to get her to talk to me again was through Sadie.
“I’m not going to tell you where to find her until you’re both ready.”
I held my hands up, almost as a strange way to plead with her. How the hell else was I supposed to show her just how ready I was to talk things through?
“And if you think you’re ready, you’re not.”
“I—”
“Need the truth.”
I frowned. “Yes, I want to tell Tessa everything.”
“No. Good god, do I have to spell it out here? Find out the truth from Paisley. As in, I don’t think she’s pregnant.”
My jaw went slack and it took me a moment to recompose myself to talk again. “I wasn’t sure if the baby was mine, but why the hell would she make up the entire pregnancy?”
Sadie fanned out her dress as the wind caught it. “Um, blackmail. I can only imagine what she asked from you.”
With the dots connected, I wanted to kick myself. Maybe I would have figured it out if I hadn’t had the whole ICE issue hanging over me.
“I’ll talk to her and I’ll try to find another way to stay in the country. I can explain the photos. Explain everything.”