The Office Rival: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

by Kat T. Masen

  With shaky hands, Marcus latches onto Haden’s shirt and presses against him.

  “You fucking knew she was with me. You fucking knew I loved her!” He almost spits into Haden’s face.

  Being somewhat sober gives Haden the advantage, and he pushes Marcus off, watching him fall backward. I reach out to help him up, and with a shrill, he laughs as he wraps his arms around me.

  “Get rid of it. You can have another baby with me. We’re in love. We can get married if you want. Just get rid of it,” he demands in a calm yet dominant tone.

  Shocked at the harshness of his words, I set the record straight once and for all. “I’m seventeen weeks along. If I wanted that, no one would make that decision for me,” I angrily yell at him, annoyed at his lack of morals and willingness to voice them. “I don’t expect you to understand, but it’s happening, whether you like it or not.”

  “Of course, I don’t fucking like it! I love you, and this is how you repay me?”

  Did he really say those words? This is getting worse by the minute. Marcus has no clue what love is. Love to him is mind-blowing orgasms at night followed by a morning blowjob. I don’t know how else to spell it out for him without being the wicked witch and breaking his heart.

  “Put yourself in my shoes for a second. I’m raising this baby alone. I’m terrified. I didn’t purposely do this to hurt you.”

  Marcus turns to face Haden with an arctic glare. “You’re not even helping her?”

  “Back the fuck off. Let me deal with this shit,” Haden warns him.

  I sit in silence, listening to the argument unfold before me. Like a strong force gravitating me toward my stomach, I rest my palms on top of the baby. Suddenly, the protector instinct kicks in, and I can no longer sit here and listen to what is being said about this tiny human growing inside me.

  “Now the baby is ‘shit’?” As I raise my voice above the incessant noise, they both stop and turn to face me. I grab my purse and hop off the stool. I think about saying a few final words, but instead, I leave their apartment and the mess behind me.

  Turning the corner amongst the other pedestrians, my phone vibrates, and I contemplate reading the text. Whoever it is can wait. Finding myself a small café a few blocks down the street, I order myself a tea and the most expensive chocolate cake that ever existed. It is a slice of heaven and exactly what I need at a moment when alcohol isn’t an option.

  I try calling Vicky, but all the calls lead to voicemail, so then I call Gemma. We have a long chat about everything, and by the end, she reminds me again that she will always be there to help the baby and me, even suggesting I move to California.

  After ending the call, I sit for a long time thinking about my options. In five months, I will have a baby to raise. Maybe moving to California isn’t such a bad idea. I need help despite having too much pride to ask for it, and I have to consider what future I want for my baby. Even though I love the city, it may not be the best place to settle down. A child needs a home, not a shoebox apartment, which is all I can afford at this moment.

  In the midst of this train of thought, there is Jason to consider. It seems like common courtesy to tell him I am pregnant, but every time I attempt to type a message or even make that call, my body starts to dry heave. One goddamn problem at a time, and he is perhaps the least of my worries.

  Back at home, I avoid reading that text and dive into some housework. Cranking up the music as loud as my neighbors will tolerate, I grab a bucket and some gloves to do some major scrubbing on my bathroom tiles. When I can practically see my reflection, I decide to take a long shower and climb into bed with a good book. I keep reading the same line over and over again, and I know that I have to read that text because it’s eating away at me.

  Haden: I didn’t mean it. This is a lot.

  The asshole wasn’t saying anything that I didn’t already know. Caught up in the heat of the moment, I am able to understand how overwhelming this is for him. The difference is that I have no choice but to accept my actions. This baby is growing inside of me, and every minute that ticks by, I am reminded of that.

  Haden didn’t show up at work for two weeks. When I asked Mr. Sadler of his whereabouts, he simply informed me Haden has taken some personal time off. I didn’t question further, and our resident National Inquirer, Clive, told me he was in Maui at some surfing gig and scouting wedding locations with Eloise.

  Seriously, what a fucking dick.

  Marcus didn’t call me except for last Friday night when he was obviously drunk and asked if he could come over, so I could give him a blowjob. It was laughable, and a polite ‘no’ was all I could manage. He then proceeded to rant on and tell me that I’m a no-good bitch, and he could get better head elsewhere. That was my cue to disconnect the call, but not before he threw the apologies in and professed his love for me, again.

  Talk about being a hormonal mess, and I mean Marcus, not me.

  Project Fallen Baby is in my hands, so I spent time tying up all the loose ends. The author would be attending our yearly publisher’s event on Friday night. It will be a great chance for her to meet fellow authors and for us to let our hair down at a fully paid catered event. Too bad I couldn’t drink, though Clive will no doubt drink enough for the entire office.

  My biggest dilemma is finding a dress to wear to the party since my belly now pops out, and my current wardrobe is no longer an option. Vicky offers to go shopping with me, but her voluptuous figure fits perfectly into every dress she tries on. I, on the other hand, give up shopping in the ‘normal’ women’s stores and hit up the maternity shop. I expected ugly frocks, so I am quite surprised when the shop assistant shows me some fabulous evening wear.

  It doesn’t stop me from feeling sorry for myself, though.

  “You’re silly. You haven’t put on a pound apart from this little stomach forming,” Vicky tries to reassure me, rubbing my belly while cooing at the baby.

  “I feel like a beached whale.”

  “You feel like a beached whale now? Wait until the end.”

  “Thanks. So much to look forward to,” I answer back sarcastically.

  “It’s all part of the experience, Pres,” she reminds me.

  As the shop assistant bags the items, I lean into Vicky, whispering, “My breasts are huge, and my nipples… I can’t even begin to tell you what’s happening with them.”

  Vicky raises her eyebrows, and the nipple-talk is put on hold until we leave the store.

  Having found a black cocktail dress in a stretchy fabric, I am all set and ready to go. Most of the office will attend, and Vicky is certain on there being some eligible bachelors she can get her hands on.

  The event is being held at a rooftop bar consisting of a small and intimate crowd. The view is sensational, the bright lights and city skyline surrounding us. Clive is terrified of heights. Standing beside me with a fierce grip on my arm, his face pales from the sheer terror of being thirty stories high.

  “I’m scared I’ll shit my pants, Pres.”

  “You won’t shit your pants, and you know why? Because they cost you a whole paycheck, and what would Gianni Versace say if he knew you shit in his ridiculously expensive pants?”

  “Okay, you have a point. At least if there was some good eye candy here, then I could distract myself.” Clive shrivels his face in discontent as a not-so-attractive waiter walks by carrying some shrimp.

  “I need to go talk to Mr. Sadler,” I tell him. “Look, here comes Vicky. If there’s anyone who has found the hot guys, it’ll be her.”

  “Okay, so here’s the lowdown. A bunch of guys near the bar who belong to that party over there are single. The guy with the black slicked-back hair is gay,” Vicky informs us.

  “Vicky, your gaydar has been off so many times,” Clive complains.

  “Well, this time I straight-up asked him if he wanted to come home with me. He said he likes playing with snakes, not beavers and pussies.”

  I snort out my club soda, laughing at Vicky. C
live disappears into thin air, then reappears at the bar trying to make conversation with the animal lover.

  “Is that true?” I ask, still unable to contain my laughter.

  “Of course not! As if I’d ask him to come home with me. You know my rule… minimum two drinks first, then always at his place.”

  “Oh, that’s right, your rules,” I mock.

  “Maybe if you stuck to your seven-week rule, you wouldn’t be in this predicament,” she points out in jest.

  I poke my tongue out at her, juvenile but called for. Leaving her to complete her man mission, I wander around until I find Mr. Sadler standing near the small stage.

  “You look beautiful, Presley. And I guess congratulations are in order. When are you due?” Mr. Sadler smiles, asking in a fatherly and concerned way.

  During the week, news broke about the pregnancy. It was the biggest scandal to rock the office. With Vicky busy on an assignment, Clive was my informer. Dee wasn’t talking to me, backstabbing and calling me every name she could think of. Trina had joined forces with her, calling me a traitor and a homewrecker. Not sure how, since they weren’t a couple, but that’s her warped imagination for you.

  “Five months. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you myself. It’s been… overwhelming, and I was waiting for the right time,” I admit.

  “Understandable, my dear. If you need anything, my wife and I are only a phone call away,” he pats my arms, reassuring me.

  Something about the way he looks at me mirrors the look my dad gives me. You know when your dad has that my-baby-girl-is-all-grown-up speech followed by a heartfelt smile and glassy eyes? It was a nice gesture. He is—and has always been—a great boss to everyone in the office, always attentive and making sure his employees are happy. I had met Mrs. Sadler at the event last year and could tell she was of a similar nature.

  I give him my thanks and kindly excuse myself to mingle with the authors and other guests. The night itself is a success, and just when I think about pulling out the I’m-pregnant-and-need-to-call-it- an-early-night card, Haden is standing at the doorway dressed in a fitted navy suit and looking exceptionally handsome. His hair is brushed toward the side, and his tan looks fresh from the Hawaiian sun. And those glasses, what the hell is it about those damn reading glasses?

  I have to pull up my jaw from the floor, ignoring the throb between my legs because he is completely off-limits. I blamed the pregnancy hormones, again, especially after Vicky called me out for thinking the pretzel guy on the corner of Fifth looked sexy in his stained shirt.

  Haden is pulled to a group and shakes hands with each person while scanning the room. When his eyes find me, something changes. His face softens yet stills, staring at me deeply as if he is lost in a trance. I beg my eyes to turn away, but the way he is looking at me—something in the way his eyes pierce through me—sends the butterflies into overdrive, much to my discontent. My butterflies can’t fly for him. They need to be saved for the one I will spend the rest of my life with, not the ass standing at the opposite side of the room with a rocking tan from his pre-honeymoon in Maui with the evil witch.

  Whoa, calm down already!

  He appears to be excusing himself, and moments later, he is walking toward me. Something in his stride exudes way too much confidence. God, he does have a good stride, though.

  “Can we go somewhere quiet to talk?”

  I nod, and he leads the way to a secluded part of the terrace. There are a few scattered tables and chairs unattended, so I take a seat and wait for him to begin the conversation. He doesn’t say anything, and I’m expecting the worst. Just don’t cry.

  “I’m sorry for the way I reacted. This was a shock,” he says in a cemented tone, not sounding like an apology whatsoever.

  I remain tightlipped, waiting for the whole I’m-not-ready-to-be-a-dad speech.

  “I took some time off to consider this, and I just don’t know how this is going to work,” he concedes.

  “You think you were in shock. I almost had a coronary,” I confess. “It’s probably best we come up with a plan and expectations. That way neither of us is disappointed. So, let me set the record straight to avoid any confusion. I’m not looking for a husband, boyfriend, whatever. I’m not here to tie you down.”

  He appears taken aback by my forwardness and perhaps slightly offended by my quick stance on not getting romantically involved. He is engaged—what the hell did he expect to happen?

  “I’m getting married. Eloise… she knows…” he trails off, staring into the night’s dark sky.

  “And she still wants to get married?” I ask, annoyed at myself that a hint of jealousy accompanied my question.

  “Yes, she wants to be involved.”

  “But… but how can I allow someone else to be involved in my child’s life? I don’t know her,” I tell him, trying to calm myself down. I hadn’t even thought about that being a possibility, and now the reality of it frightens me to the core.

  “You don’t know me either,” he reminds me.

  “No, I don’t, but you’re the father.”

  “And that’s another thing…” he hesitates, avoiding further eye contact until he has no choice but to look me straight in the eyes. “I’d like to have a paternity test done.”

  Deeply staring at me, his facial expressions remain stagnant as he waits for me to rationally respond to his request. Fat fucking chance. He outright called me a whore, again. The anger is bubbling at the surface, and I am gripping my clutch so tightly under the table, I expect the contents to explode. Emotions are difficult to disguise at the best of times, and this moment is far from the best of times.

  I stand up, and with shaky hands, give him the reality check he needs. “You know what, Haden? I don’t get you. One minute I think you’re not such a bad guy and may actually have a heart beating somewhere, then the next, you act like the biggest asshole to walk this earth.”

  My pride, dignity, and lack of self-control are the reasons I have to walk away.

  “I’m leaving. You can have your test. In fact, I’ll be booking it as soon as possible, so maybe then you’ll get it through your thick skull that you are the father.”

  Saying goodbye to everyone is difficult in the state of anger I’m in, but I manage to plaster on a fake smile, doing my rounds until I can go home and officially climb into a dark hole.

  This isn’t going to work.

  This complete stranger walks into my life, and every time we are in the same air space, it ends disastrously.

  I blame him—immature and stubborn like the rest of that generation.

  Jason, on the other hand, he was mature, polite, respectful. That means crap right now because it isn’t his sperm doing laps in my uterus.

  A quick taxi ride home, I strip and get into bed. I don’t attempt reading, hoping the exhaustion will knock me out. Staring at the dark ceiling, my mind is playing tricks on me, and when the light of my phone brightens the room, I welcome the distraction.

  Haden: I don’t know what I’m thinking when I’m around you. Seeing your stomach tonight was a reality check. I don’t know how to be a dad.

  I quickly type the first thing that comes to mind with no filter from this hormonal pregnant woman.

  Me: I’ll book the appointment first thing next week. You’ll get your answers. Then I’m off to visit my family for a few days. You don’t have to see me which is probably for the best.

  Just when I place the phone down on my nightstand, there is a knock on my door. Late-night knocks aren’t exactly safe unless, of course, Vicky’s been out on the town. So, armed with my frying pan and baseball bat for safe measures, I walk toward the door and stare through the peephole.

  It’s him.

  I unlock the deadbolt and pull off the chain to open the door. He is leaning against the door frame with no jacket and his hair a wild mess. I can’t detect any alcohol on his breath, and his eyes appear crystal clear behind his frames.

  “You don’t need to do th
e test. I shouldn’t have asked for it.”

  “Too late. You did, and well, maybe it’s for the best.” I cross my arms, noticing his stare fixated on my tank top that is semi see-through. He’s a guy, they are like magnets to breasts, and my breasts could qualify to be their own planets right now.

  Don’t read anything more into this.

  Quick to bring his tortured gaze back up to my face, he carries on. “I want to come with you to visit your family.”

  Shocked by the change of subject, I stare back at him oddly. “Why would you want to do that? They know the whole story.”

  “Because they need to meet me. I’m going to be around their grandchild every day. Surely, that counts for something.”

  Did he just tell me he’s going to be around the baby every day? This is getting more complicated by the minute. I am confused, to say the least, plus it’s after midnight and well past my bedtime. No good can come from this conversation.

  “I really don’t think—”

  “I’m going. Either you tell them I’ll be there, or I will,” he threatens, eyeing me dubiously.

  “Are you threatening me?” I raise my voice.

  “Honestly, Malone, why do you have to be so fucking stubborn all the time?”

  I call defeat. “Fine. Your funeral. My dad once shot a deer on top of the mountain range from our front porch. Just saying.”

  He appears amused, the corners of his lips curving upward. To disguise his moment of weakness, he moves his hand toward his stubble and rubs his chin gently.

  “I have a black belt in martial arts. Plus, I can wrestle a boar in the wild. But’s that a story for another time.”

  I let out a small laugh. Maybe this won’t be so bad, and just maybe there is a side to him that I haven’t seen yet.

  But that’s the thing about maybes. They leave you with a ray of hope when chances are you’re bound to get hurt one way or another.