by S. E. Law
I’m still puzzled though.
“But anyone could go onto Wikipedia and find out what I just read myself.”
Reed grins at me and takes my hand.
“That’s because you’re smart, Cat. You like to educate yourself about interesting topics. But most of our buyers aren’t like that. For one, the Asian market is now the biggest market for luxury goods, and those folks likely aren’t reading Wiki in English. Second, we try to control the narrative somewhat. We can’t dictate what goes on Wikipedia, obviously, but we try to minimize Coco’s ugly backstory as much as possible. For example, there are multiple coffee table books on the House of Permian, but we always make sure to keep our founder’s legacy clean.”
I sigh and squeeze his hand encouragingly.
“It must be heart-wrenching. She tried to steal from your grandfather, and now you’re protecting her reputation.”
Reed looks at me seriously.
“Yes, and sometimes I wonder if it’s the right thing to do too. On occasion, I consider revealing how ugly Coco Permian was on the inside, and as a person. But we, as a company, have decided against it because in terms of dollars and cents, it’s not the smart choice.”
I nod slowly.
“I agree. And I suppose your family won in the long term because she’s long gone, and you have control of the business.”
He nods seriously.
“I do, and I take my responsibilities very seriously.”
I smiled at my boyfriend, in awe of his intellect and good judgment. After all, Rev always talked himself up as a powerful CEO, but now I see that Rev was all smoke and mirrors. It’s Reed who’s the real thing. Reed leads with a firm hand, and has the ability to navigate choppy waters without retreating into a cave. He’s a model for his employees and someone that I’m proud to be seen with.
“You’re amazing,” I said, staring up at him with adoration.
Reed merely leaned forward and kissed my pouty lips.
“So are you,” he growled. “You are the light of my life, Cat, and I thank my lucky stars that I met you when I did.”
My heart thrilled to hear these words because my life has expanded exponentially ever since I met Reed. Before, I thought it was exciting to go to Aspen or Bear Mountain with Rev. But Reed is about international travel, and not just domestic. As a result, we’ve been to France, Italy, and he’s hinted about a potential vacation to Shanghai. I love exploring all these places I’ve never been, and it’s even more exciting because I have Reed at my side.
But now, I’m in my tiny bathroom at my apartment, sitting on the toilet seat with disbelief. Holy hell. This cannot be happening. I can’t be pregnant, yet the indicator has a pink plus sign on it, telling me that I am, indeed, expecting.
My hands scrabble to open a second pregnancy test to be sure. I got two at the pharmacy because my period hasn’t come in a few months. I didn’t even notice at first because of the drama in my life, but this morning, I woke up, blinked, and my mouth went dry. Oh my god. Reed was sleeping next to me, peacefully unaware. I looked at his bronzed back with its hard, heavy muscles and went warm inside. It would be wonderful to be pregnant with his baby!
But I didn’t really expect it to be true. It was more of a theoretical possibility more than anything. Now, however, theory has become reality. I pee on the second stick and wait impatiently. Minutes seem to slow to hours and I stare at the wall, trying to get my mind in gear. At long last, something shows on the second indicator, and it’s two straight lines. That means I’m pregnant, for sure.
But then I jump up, my cheeks flushing. When was my last period? I haven’t been tracking very closely, but I probably haven’t gotten one in months. Yet, I’ve only been with Reed for three months which means … oh shit. Could the baby be Rev’s? Or is it Reed’s?
Although I should be ashamed, I’ve slept with both twins unprotected many times. I know, I know. What girl does this, when she’s not on the pill? But sometimes it just happens in the heat of the moment, and I let both twins come in me without using anything. That means that I’m pregnant, but I don’t know who the father is.
I sink back onto the toilet seat with the indicator hanging limply from my hand. Oh my god. I’m pregnant with a Randler child, but which twin is my babydaddy?
89
Catherine
My mind races but I can’t move a muscle in my body. This can’t be happening. This can’t. This can’t.
I’m still sitting on the toilet seat with my mouth agape when suddenly there’s a knock at the door.
“Cat?” comes a concerned voice on the other side. “You okay in there? You’ve been in there for a while, and I need to get ready for my date with Kirby. Can I use the bathroom?”
Hurriedly I get up and flush the toilet. What do I do with these pregnancy tests? I stash them beneath the bathroom counter and then fling the door open with a bright smile on my face.
“Oh sorry,” I say. “Um, I wouldn’t go in there for a while. The Indian food from last night had my stomach acting up.”
Alexandra makes a disgusted face.
“Oh gross, Cat. That’s really disgusting.”
I shrug before plopping on my couch.
“Sorry, I just wanted to warn you.”
Can my friend tell that I’m lying? After all, my cheeks feel overheated and my eyes are overly bright. I feel like there’s nervous energy radiating in the air of the living room, but maybe Alex doesn’t notice.
Unfortunately, my friend has known me for too long and she plops down on the sofa next to me.
“So what’s up, girlfriend? I’m going out with Kirby tonight, but I guess getting ready will have to wait because of the bathroom situation.”
I gesture towards my room.
“Do you need a mirror? You can use the one in my room. Plus, help yourself to any of my make-up and feel free to ransack my closet too if you’re looking for an outfit.”
Alex peers at me.
“Catherine, are you okay? You’re acting super weird. I mean, I haven’t seen you in ages, ever since you went to the Valentine’s Day party. I know you broke up with Rev and started dating his twin brother, but we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it. Is everything okay?”
I stare at her. Where to start? The details are so gory, but I have to say something because Alex isn’t going to go away. Plus, she’s my best friend and cares about me, so I should feel secure in revealing at least something.
“Well, I told you what happened at the party, right?”
She nods seriously.
“Yeah, that Rev was part of some sex group where they film themselves doing the deed and then screen the movies. That’s gross.”
I nod.
“I know, and I caught him doing it with some junkie blonde too. But that’s not the bad part.”
Alex cuts me off with a wry smile.
“That’s not bad?”
I nod seriously.
“No, because I found out who Rev really is. He’s a disgusting, amoral bastard who doesn’t give two shits about me. Plus, through him I met Reed, who’s charming, handsome, and a real leader. He’s not like his brother at all.”
Alex nods.
“Okay, but isn’t it weird dating your ex’s twin?”
I take a moment to think.
“Yes, but there are weirder things in life. For example, I could be dating two men simultaneously who are also twins. Or I could be dating twins who were separated at birth. Those are some strange scenarios. Besides, Reed and Rev aren’t alike at all. They’re as different as night and day, so in that sense, it feels like a fresh start.”
Alex listens and nods slowly.
“Okay. I get it. But what’s got you so jumpy? You look like you just swallowed a cat, Cat. Excuse the pun,” she says with a wry smile.
I smile tentatively back at her and then take a deep breath. This is going to be the hard part.
“Well, so much has happened recently that I don’t know … I guess
I just haven’t kept up with a lot of things. Our friendship, for instance. But it’s more than that. There’s been so much drama that I wasn’t tracking my periods, and well … I think I’m pregnant, Alex.”
My redheaded friend stares at me.
“Are you serious? Is that what you were doing in the bathroom? Taking home pregnancy tests?”
I nod with a wry smile.
“Yeah. I took two of them just to be sure, and I’m definitely pregnant.”
Alex smiles joyously.
“Oh my god, I’m going to be an aunt! Aunt Alex! This is amazing! But wait, this is what you want, right? You’re ready to be a mommy, aren’t you Cat? I swear, I can remember you saying how much you were looking forward to having a baby.”
I smile again.
“Yeah, I’ve always seen myself as a mom with a brood of kids. This pregnancy is unexpected, but I can deal. No, my problem is more than that.”
“Oh my god, the child has Down’s syndrome, or Fragile X. Or autism? Is that it?” my buddy says in a hushed voice.
I shake my head and roll my eyes.
“Alex, I just took the tests fifteen minutes ago, and you know that home pregnancy tests can’t track that kind of stuff. You have to go to the doctor in order to find out those details.”
Alex takes my hand.
“You’re having triplets,” she says somberly.
I smile again, shaking my head.
“Nope. Home pregnancy tests can’t tell you that either. My problem is … a little more unusual, shall we say?”
Alex shoots me a puzzled look.
“But what would be so unusual about your pregnancy Cat? You’re happy, healthy and relatively young for a mom at age twenty-five. Why would yours be any different from any other pregnant woman? I mean, not to say that you’re not a special snowflake. You are,” my friend says hurriedly. “I just want to make sure everything’s okay.”
I sigh and smile at her again.
“No, my problem is that I don’t know who the father is.”
Alex shoots me another puzzled look.
“But it has to be Reed, right? I mean, you’re not stepping out on him or anything.”
I sigh again.
“Of course not. It’s just that … well, I basically started dating Reed right after I broke up with Rev. I mean, I literally broke up with Rev on Valentine’s Day, and then hooked up with Reed right after. Within hours. Possibly within the hour, if you get what I mean.”
Alex stares at me with huge eyes and her mouth opens with shock.
“Seriously? Wow, you’re such a bad girl, Cat. I had no idea. But it’s not like you broke any rules. You ended the relationship with Rev, and then took up with Reed. There was no overlap.”
“There was no overlap,” I confirm. “But still, that doesn’t solve the problem because I think I’m a few months along already, Alex. And because I didn’t have a break between Reed and Rev, either of them could be the father.”
My friend stares at me again, her face going white.
“Oh my god, you’re pregnant and you don’t know which twin is the baby daddy.”
I nod while wincing.
“Yeah, pretty much. It’s an awful situation, and it only just came crashing down on me. I have no idea what to do.”
My friend sits up straight.
“Okay, but if the baby is only one month along, then it means it’s definitely Rev’s. Or Reed’s. Sorry, I get their names mixed up,” she apologizes.
I sigh.
“No worries, I totally understand the mix-up. But I don’t think I’m only a month along. I think I’m a few months along because I haven’t gotten my period for a long time now. I just didn’t notice because of all the drama in my life. I also didn’t realize that I might be pregnant because I’m a curvy girl, and a little pooch to my tummy is normal. Hell, pooches usually mean food baby for me, and it’s not like I’ve put on significant weight.”
Alex nods slowly.
“So how do we figure out who the dad is, and what are you going to do? Oh my god, this is straight out of a soap opera.”
I sigh.
“I know, right? This isn’t what I want at all, but it’s the situation I find myself in.”
My friend shakes her head at me, clucking.
“Well, you have to tell the potential dads at least. Maybe Reed and Rev have some ideas on what to do? I’m not sure.”
I sigh again, my shoulders slumping.
“I know I have to tell them, but can I just say that I’m not looking forward to it? I mean, imagine the conversation: I’m pregnant, but the baby might not be yours. It might be your twin brother’s. And besides, I don’t want to have Rev’s baby! He’s such a mess these days, Alex. I heard he’s left his company and is just sitting at home playing video games while getting drunk. It’s really sad for a thirty-five year old man to be in such a state.”
Alex clucks sympathetically again.
“Would you get rid of it if the baby was Rev’s?”
At that, I jolt forwards.
“No of course not. A baby is a blessing, and I want to keep him or her no matter who the father is. I just don’t know how to have this conversation, and to be honest, Alexandra, I’m petrified. What if Reed says he doesn’t want me anymore? What if he says I’m a major slut to be even be in this situation? What if he breaks up with me?”
Alex looks thoughtful for a moment, before pulling her knees up to her chin on the couch.
“I don’t know, Cat. I mean, that could happen, but if he does that, then it means he’s not a worthy father, and you’re better off without him. I mean, you didn’t get pregnant on your own. A man had to be part of the equation.”
I nod.
“Yeah, but I’m just so afraid because the world tends to have double-standards. A guy sleeping around is no big deal, but if a woman does it? Then she’s a whore who deserves to be run out of town. I mean, wasn’t there that Congresswoman recently who had to resign because she had an alleged affair with a staffer? There are so many Congressmen who have affairs, yet it doesn’t seem to hurt their careers even half as much.”
Alex nods knowingly.
“Yeah, there’s definitely a double standard out there, and it’s not fair. But this is just the world we live in, and you have to work with what you have Cat. You’ve got to come clean to the fathers about your dilemma and then go from there. Otherwise, what are you going to do? Just keep your big secret all to yourself, and have the baby while you’re in hiding? How would that even work?”
I nod even as my eyes begin to water, and tears roll down my face. Finally, the weight of my situation is hitting me and I feel uncertain and unsure. Reed might break up with me. Rev will definitely thumb his nose at me, and then what would I have? I might be all alone, with a baby to raise and no father on the horizon.
“I’m sorry,” cries Alex, jumping up to give me a hug. “I know this is tough for you, and I didn’t mean to make you to feel worse.”
I sniffle and wipe at my nose with a tissue.
“No, it’s okay. I know you care about me, Alex, and that’s why you’re pushing me to tell the dads. I’m just scared, that’s all. I’m nervous that they’ll hate me and brand me a slut. Then, I’ll be out in the cold with a newborn in my arms, with nowhere to turn.”
“I’ll help you,” Alex says stoutly. “You always have me.”
I embrace my friend again, grateful for her support.
“Thank you,” is my muffled whisper. “But you’re right. I have to do this. I have to come clean to Rev and Reed, and although the outcome might be ugly, it is what it is.”
But even as my friend pats my shoulder comfortingly, I want to burst into wails of despair because how can this be happening? My life had been going so well, but now, there’s an impossible hurdle to mount and my life will never be the same again.
90
Reed
There’s a soft knock at my door and I call out, “It’s open!”
Ca
t steps inside and I smile at the curvy girl. She’s as beautiful as ever with her blonde hair in a long cascade down her back, and a soft sweater that highlights her generous chest. I can’t get enough of those heaving, creamy mounds. In fact, I can’t get enough of her full stop and constantly have to remind myself to stop day-dreaming about her.
Daydreaming? Me, the alpha CEO?
Hell yes.
Catherine’s been on my mind morning, noon, and night, and it feels like I’ve been walking in a fantasy filled with lots of laughter, steamy sessions in the sack, and intelligent conversation. She’s let me hit all her holes so many times now, that if you look closely, my girl is often limping a bit. What more could a man ask for? She’s sweet, intelligent, dirty, and absolutely right for me.
“Come in,” I say from the couch where I’m sitting. “Did you get what you needed from your apartment?”
My girlfriend doesn’t appear to have anything with her but her purse, but she smiles and nods.
“Yes. Got everything. All is well.”
I nod and gesture to the couch again.
“Take a seat, honey. You were gone all afternoon. Do you want to order some take-out? I could use some lo mein from down the street, and I know you like their broccoli beef.”
She nods, a little uncertain, but then smiles again.
“Sure, that sounds good. Thanks.”
I whip out my cell and immediately have Imperial Dragon on the line.
“A large lo mein, a broccoli beef, steamed rice, and plus some of those pot stickers. Two orders of those actually. Yes, same credit card. Thanks. You have the address? Perfect, we’ll see you in thirty.”
As I hang up, I see Cat looking at me again, a little warily. This time, a warning bell goes off in my head and I decide not to ignore it.
“Okay sweetheart. Spit it out. What’s on your mind?”
She smiles at me a little sheepishly then.
“You know me too well, Reed.”
I nod.
“I do. Now tell Daddy your problems, honey. I’m sure we can solve them together.”