by ANDREA SMITH
That most likely had been during her efforts to arrange for my untimely “accident.” The records also showed that she'd accepted a couple of collect calls from an inmate at the state prison where Charlie had been incarcerated. The prison authorities were to question Charlie.
There were two phone calls made to another party in Atlanta. The number tied back to a track phone which essentially was a dead end. My guess was that it was the person that had worked as a doorman at our apartment building that had been supplied by the questionable temp agency. He somehow was connected to Maggie or Matthew. At this point, we were no longer certain whose plan it was. I still suspected it was Maggie’s plan that somehow went awry and Matthew got involved for his own personal gain.
My father inquired as to how Preston liked the gift he'd sent. It was a beautiful antique porcelain doll that resembled her. “I’m sure she'll love it, Dad. For now, it's placed carefully away until she understands she can’t drag it around like the rest of her toys.”
“I suppose it's a bit old for her. That just shows you how clueless I am with children, I guess.”
“I don’t know about that,” I replied, “You do pretty well with me and I’m your child.”
“Thanks, daughter,” he said softly.
He asked me what was new with us. I told him that we would be in Bristol for the New Year holiday; and then moving to our new home. I asked him when he thought he might be able to pay us a visit since we would have ample room.
“My court schedule is fairly full for the next few weeks and then I'm also interviewing for the staff position at my estate.”
“What staff position?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Ms. Deeny left my employ right before Christmas.”
“Really?”
“Yes, she handed me a typed up letter of resignation on December 21st stating it was effective immediately and left.”
“Don’t you find that odd, Dad?”
“To be honest everything about her was odd. I never took to her very well. It was Olivia that was so fond of her.”
“Anyway, Dad, please find time to visit when us soon, okay?" He promised he'd check his schedule and get back with me.
I told Trey about Ms. Deeny's departure. “Don't you find it strange that she left so suddenly after I showed up in the picture?”
“Oh, I don’t know; I think she's just a weird bird. Maybe she thought she'd get into your father’s good graces by trying to get in his pants."
“Ewww, Trey. That's gross!”
“What’s gross?”
“To think that my dad would ever, you know, do her? She’s practically old enough to be his mother!
CHAPTER 49
The next morning I was surprised to see that Gina was still at the apartment. Tristan and she usually left before 10:00 a.m. to go to the club to take care of business. She was coming out of the kitchen with a glass of ginger ale looking tired and pale.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like shit.”
“Thank you, Tylar. I appreciate your assessment.”
“I’m sorry,” I chuckled. “Hangover?”
“I wish,” she said heading toward her room.
I followed her into the bedroom as she crawled up onto the bed and unceremoniously flopped back onto her pillow.
“I’ve been puking all morning.”
Holy shit! I don't want what she has right before New Year’s.
Gina noticed I'd backed away from her to keep my distance. “No worries. I’m not contagious,” she said.
“How do you know?”
“Cause this little thing told me,” she said, reaching over to the nightstand and picking up an EPT stick. I came closer looking at it and seeing the dark blue + sign in the results window. I quickly looked up at her in shock.
“Oh, my God, Gina! Please tell me you’re happy about this.”
“I might be,” she answered.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘might be’?”
“I mean, I definitely will be provided the baby's Tristan’s.”
“What?"
“Don’t go all East coast on me! There's a perfectly reasonable explanation.”
“I’d like to hear it,” I hissed. I was angry with her.
“Okay,” she said sitting up on the bed. She pulled her legs up wrapping her arms around them. “First of all, if you're truly my BFF then lose the accusatory attitude! Have I ever done that with you? Well, except for the brief thirty seconds you had me believing that you'd cheated on Trey, but that was it.”
“I’m sorry, Gina,” I conceded, “Tell me what happened.”
“Remember that day Tristan and I were supposed to meet at my accountant’s office and he was late because of all that Libby shit?"
“Yes.”
“That was the same day I was late getting over here to stay with Preston while you went with Trey to Baton Rouge.”
I nodded.
“You questioned me about being late and I kind of blew it off with some excuse that about having to pack before I got here. It was the truth except for one thing. When I got back to my condo, Ian was there. He still had his key and he was inside. He looked like hell. Just like Tristan did at our meeting.”
She took a sip of her ginger ale before continuing. “He told me he needed to pick up his mail because he hadn’t put his address change in since he was getting the condo in the divorce. He followed me into the kitchen where I had his mail. The next thing I knew, he was right behind me and when I turned around he was there. We were so close I could smell his aftershave.”
Gina started tearing up which was so unusual for her. She was definitely in hormone hell. I handed her a tissue from the nightstand.
“Go ahead, Gina. It’s alright. Tell me.”
“I looked up into his eyes and they were warm and loving. They were like the Ian I knew before he'd cheated. He looked at me and said, ‘Damn.’ He dropped his mail and picked me up into his arms and carried me to the bedroom and made love to me. I knew it was the last time. I wanted closure on it," she sniffled.
"I know it sounds sick since he was the cheater, but legally he was still my husband. I’m sorry, but I liked the idea he was cheating on the skank with his wife for Chrissake. After it was over, he told me it hadn’t changed anything; he still wanted to be with Shelly. I said ‘no worries’; I thanked him for the fuck. That was that.”
I took a few moments to digest what she'd just told me. “Gina,” I said leaning forward, choosing my words carefully, “did you not use a condom?”
“Well, fucking pardon me that I wasn’t prepared! After all, Ian and I'd been trying to get pregnant so I wasn't exactly stocked up on them. Besides, I figured he was shooting blanks and he very well might be.”
“I know that Gina, but come on. He was fucking someone you named ‘the skank’. Certainly you must've been worried about sexually transmitted diseases, if nothing else.”
“Don’t go there with me, Tylar. Were you worried about STD’s when Trey fucked you in the horse barn with no protection?”
“That's different,” I hissed.
“How's that different? At that point you were certain he'd fucked Charlotte!”
I looked away from her. Of course, she was right. “Okay, Gina, let’s get past all of that. So, you and Ian used no birth control. Then you had sex with Tristan. How many days after that were you sexual with Tristan?”
“I don’t know; maybe four or five days later.”
“Didn’t you tell me that you two used condoms?”
“Of course we did. I am responsible!”
“Well, there you go. The baby has to be Ian’s then.”
“Well, that’s where there could be an issue.”
I breathed a heavy sigh. She just needed to spill it. These questions were starting to bear a resemblance to pulling teeth.
“Please, Gina, just give it to me straight.”
“I've told you before how limber I am, right?” she asked.
I nodde
d.
“Well, picture that and then add to it the fact that Tristan's practically a fucking contortionist. We did it every which way we could; over, under, sideways and down.”
“I get the picture, Gina,” I replied, waving my hand for her to get to the freaking point.
“I’m just saying that there was a time or two that the condom - well, let’s just say he had to dig it out of me afterwards.”
“You mean it came off?” I asked horrified.
“Yes, Ty,” she replied, rolling her eyes, “it came off.”
“How many times is a ‘time or two’?” I asked.
“I dunno. Maybe five?”
“Oh for God sakes!”
“Don’t yell at me,” she sobbed emotionally. “I can take everyone else being pissed at me except for you.”
Gina was in full-fledged bawling by this time. I leaned over and hugged her tightly. “I’m here for you; tell me how I can help?”
“For now this has to be our BFF secret. I need to get through this whole holiday thing with Tristan’s family, please? You can't say anything to Trey, promise?”
“Of course, I promise! We’ll figure something out.”
I tucked her into bed with her ginger ale and told her to holler if she needed anything. I had Preston to attend to, who by this time, was fussing for her breakfast. A little while later I went in to check on Gina. She was sleeping peacefully. I felt for her dilemma. I hoped like hell that baby was Tristan’s.
My phone chimed and I saw it was Trey.
“Hey you,” I said answering the phone.
“Right back at you, baby,” he said. “How's your day going?”
“Well, Gina's home with the stomach flu so I’ve been checking on her. Preston's playing here in front of me in the living room, so all is good.”
“Well, make sure to keep Preston away from Gina. I don’t want her catching what Gina has.”
“Trust me, Trey, neither do I.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I made our plane reservations for tomorrow. Tristan and Gina are driving up after they close the club tomorrow night.”
“Okay, sweetie,” I replied, “will you be late?”
“No, I should be home by six. What’s for dinner?”
“Ham croquets,” I answered smiling.
“Tylar, can we please get a smaller ham next year?”
“I love you, Trey.”
“I love you, Tylar.”
CHAPTER 50
Our arrival at Trey’s parent’s home was met with hugs and kisses; they were ecstatic to see Preston again. Both Clive and Susan commented on how big she was getting.
“I’m sure it won’t be long before Preston's gifted with a little baby brother or sister,” Susan commented giving me a wink. I looked over at Trey’s amused expression. I'd just gotten off my period the day before. I couldn’t very well blurt out that she might be blessed with a first cousin much sooner. I hated keeping that from Trey, but a BFF promise given allowed no exceptions. I asked where Nigel and Tess were.
“Oh, they drove over to see Tristan’s winery now that it's in full production,” Susan answered. “Tristan hasn’t been spending much time there but it does pretty much run itself with the staff he’s hired. I expect the nightclub's been keeping him busy in Atlanta.”
“That and Gina,” Trey piped up.
Susan gave a little smile. “I remember Gina. That’s Becky’s niece, correct?”
“Yes,” I replied, “She's recently divorced and it seems she and Tristan are perfect for each other.”
“Well, I'm so happy,” she beamed. “Thank God that awful Libby's out of the picture. What was Tristan thinking?”
“He was thinking with his dumb-stick, Mom." Trey replied smiling.
“Such a way with words, Trey Michael," his mother admonished.
Just then Preston crawled over to Susan and lifted her arms up to be picked up. Susan scooped her up into her lap. Preston nuzzled against her chanting, “num-num.”
Susan looked over at us puzzled. “She wants something called ‘num-num’?"
“That means she wants a sliced up banana, Mom,” Trey said with a wink. “It’s about her lunch time anyway.”
“Well, of course, sweetheart. Nana will get you a sliced banana.”
She took Preston to the kitchen for the banana. I hoped that it would appease her.
“Trey, you’re insufferable today; what the hell's gotten in to you?”
He gave me a wicked smile. I knew that look. “Hey, Mom,” he called out to Susan in the kitchen, “Can you watch Preston while Tylar and I take a nap?”
Oh my God, I'm going to kill him!
“Well, of course, darling,” she replied. “Nana wants to spend some quality time with her granddaughter.”
Trey gave me his impish grin taking my hand and pulling me behind him up the staircase.
“Trey,” I implored once we'd reached our suite, “Don’t you think that may've been a bit obvious?”
“She’s fine with it,” he replied, his hands raising my sweater up over my head. “You heard her, baby; she thinks Preston needs a brother or sister. Besides, it’s been like four days.”
Trey and I spent a delicious hour on our “nap.” Afterwards, we both showered and changed. I was reapplying my make-up when he came in to blow dry his hair.
“Seriously, Tylar,” he said, “I'd like to consider starting to expand our family, I mean, if you think it's the right time.”
“I thought we agreed to start trying this summer.”
“I know; it's just that I don’t want our next child to be that far behind Preston. I remember what it felt like with Nigel and Tristan being so close in age and then years later, I came along. They both thought of me as a royal pain in the ass.”
“I think they still do,” I said smiling at his reflection in the mirror.
Trey grabbed me from behind lifting me up in his arms and twirling me around. “You've one smart mouth on you don’t you, wife?” he said in faux admonishment.
“Okay, okay,” I said giggling. “I'll agree to not use birth control after we move into our home, how's that?"
“Sounds good to me, baby,” he replied, capturing my lips in a lingering kiss.
“I love you, Tylar.”
“I love you, Trey.”
I finally got a chance to catch up with Tess at dinner. She seemed radiant for some reason. It was obvious that her marriage to Nigel agreed with her. I filled her in on what had happened with my father and that we were still trying to get some proof on what had happened with my mother.
“Tylar,” she said her eyes wide, “you've such strength and tenacity. I truly hope in my heart all of this leads to justice for you. That was such a tragedy to lose your mother to circumstances such as you described. I'm so glad that out of all of the tragedy you were blessed with finding your father.”
“I know,” I replied, “it felt really strange at first but now he's just my dad, you know?”
She leaned over and hugged me. “I want only the best for you.”
Trey and I bathed Preston and got her in her pajamas. Susan had moved the crib into their suite and asked if Preston could bunk in their room for the night. Trey had no issue with it, naturally. I fed Preston on our bed while Trey visited downstairs with his family. Once she'd fallen asleep, I carried her down to Susan and Clive's suite and tucked her into her crib. I fell asleep shortly afterward, not even waking when Trey came to bed.
Tristan and Gina arrived just after ten o’clock the next morning. I could tell something was up the minute they came into the foyer.
Gina greeted Susan and Clive warmly, and then gave me her eye signal that said she needed to see me alone. I nodded, looking over to where Trey was sitting in the living room engaged in a conversation with Nigel. Tess was over on the other couch playing with Preston. It was clear to make my exit. When I got to our suite, Gina was already there stretched out across our bed on her stomach. She looked miserable.
<
br /> “Gina, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Tristan knows I’m pregnant,” she replied with obvious irritation.
“Hey, I didn't say a word. I swear.” I sat down next to her on the bed.
“Yeah, I know you didn’t. It's totally my own damn fault.” She clasped her hands behind her head, ruffling her spiky blond hair.
“What the hell happened?”
“Stupid me, I tossed that EPT stick into the trash can in our bathroom. I forgot what a total neat freak Tristan is. He saw it while emptying our bathroom and bedroom trash cans in the bag for the dumpster before we left."
“ What'd he say?”
“Oh, he's ecstatic! He wanted to know when I'd planned on telling him the good news.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him he'd ruined my New Year’s surprise and acted all injured about it.”
“So, you're not going to tell Tristan there's a possibility the baby's not his?”
Gina propped her hands up under chin and looked over at me. “Would that make me a horrible person? I mean, come on, it isn’t as if the baby's going to be born with a British accent or anything. Besides, the chances are only slim that Ian might be the father.”
“Oh, Gina, I don’t know. I think you owe it to Tristan to be honest about what happened."
"I mean, it’s not like you slept with Ian after you had already started a relationship with Tristan, right? I really think he'll understand.”
“You're probably right, but the thing is he's now going to wonder why I waited to tell him something this significant. It makes me look not only slutty, but sleazy, too.”
She started crying and I understood that she was struggling with this decision.
“Do you want me to talk to him, Gina?”
“Oh, God no! He can’t know that you know.”
“Why? He knows we're BFFs.”
“Tristan's funny about some things. He's all pumped about making the announcement to the family.”
“Is he going to do that this holiday?” I asked.
“I asked him to wait until after I saw my OB. I'm so emotional; I don’t know what I'd do if Tristan walked out on me. I really love him, Ty.”