The Baby Interview

by Robbie Terman

  Ugh! What was wrong with her? Lucy gave herself a smack on the forehead. Once again, she had forgotten to even think about birth control. She wondered what Dr. Phil would think about her perpetual forgetfulness when it came to condoms and Cole and decided it was probably better she didn't know.

  She didn't have much time to ponder it, anyway. A knock came at the door and Lucy jumped at the intrusion. Throwing on Cole's shirt, she walked through the sitting room to the door. “Who is it?"

  "Room service."

  Her lips curved up as she opened the deadbolt. Cole must have ordered breakfast when their dinner tray arrived last night.

  The hotel employee wheeled in a cart of coffee, orange juice and an assortment of pastries. To his credit, he didn't comment on Lucy's attire, or lack thereof.

  She grabbed her purse from the chair and gave him an extra big tip for his discretion.

  She was chowing down on a blueberry scone when Cole came out of the bathroom fully dressed in the same outfit as yesterday. “Sorry, couldn't wait,” she told him with food still in her mouth. “For some reason, I was ravenous this morning."

  Cole sat in the chair across from her and picked up a cheese Danish. “I'd be happy to take full credit for that."

  She reached for the pitcher of orange juice and filled a glass for him. It felt good, sharing breakfast after a passionate night of lovemaking. Like they were a couple.

  She should enjoy the feeling while it lasted. It was nothing more than a fantasy. She had needed comfort last night, and Cole had provided it. The night had been nothing more. She needed to remember that.

  They had polished off the last of the pastries just as Cole's cell phone rang. He picked it up on the second ring. “Hello?” Pause. “Hi, Ben. How're you feeling?” Another pause, this one longer. “Great. We'll be there to pick you up."

  He closed his phone. “Ben is being released at ten. You'd better hop in the shower. We need to leave soon.” He opened the phone again, Lucy assumed to make a call to his office.

  Lucy wished he hadn't already showered, wanting to be close to him again. The sudden, horrible feeling this was her last chance to be with him welled up like nausea in her throat. But Cole was focused on work now, not even looking at her, so she showered alone.

  When they drove up to the hospital entrance, they found Ben waiting in a wheelchair with a nurse beside him. Lucy bolted out of the car the second it stopped. She leaned over and hugged her brother, taking care not to upset his injuries. Cradling his face between her palms, she asked, “How do you feel?"

  "Sore,” he admitted. “But mostly okay.” He glanced up. “Hey, Cole."

  "Ben.” Cole shook his hand. “Come on, let's get you home."

  They eased him into the car, propping his broken leg on the seat. Lucy gave Cole directions and they headed for Ben's off-campus apartment. Then she turned to the backseat. “We'll stop by your apartment and pick up a few things, and then I'm taking you home."

  "Luce, I have to work. And I'm taking that summer class."

  "I'll call your boss and your professor and explain everything. You were hit by a car, Ben. They'll understand if you need to rest for a few weeks."

  "A few weeks! Lucy, I'm not in that much pain. Cole, help me out."

  Cole glanced over at Lucy, and then looked in his rearview at Ben. “It isn't a bad idea to rest for a couple of days, Ben. Give yourself a chance to heal."

  "A couple of days,” Ben agreed. “But I can do that in my apartment."

  "And who will take care of you?” Lucy knew she was glaring now. She was too angry to look any other way. How dare Cole disagree with her and make her out to be some hysterical mother? He had no business saying anything. He didn't know what it was like to lose a loved one. “Do you think your roommates are going to cook for you and clean up and get you everything you need?"

  "Jeez, I'm not an invalid. I have a broken leg."

  "And pick up your pain medication and go grocery shopping,” she continued as if he had never spoken. “I'm not leaving you by yourself, so deal with it."

  Cole and Ben wisely kept their mouths shut as they pulled into the apartment complex. Cole pulled into the space in front of Ben's apartment.

  An attractive girl, about twenty-years-old, with curly blonde hair and big blue eyes, sat on a plastic chair outside the apartment door. As soon as the car pulled to a stop, she rushed over. The closer she got, the more Lucy could see the concern in her eyes.

  The girl pulled the door open as soon as she reached it. “Ben, are you okay?” A giant tear slid down her cheek. “I got back from visiting my parents last night and Kevin told me what happened. Why didn't you call me?"

  Ben eased out of the car with help from Cole. “I didn't want you to worry."

  Lucy saw him wince as he stood, but he never uttered a word of pain as he pulled the girl close to him. “I'm fine. I promise.” The girl let out a stifled sob.

  What was going on? Lucy wondered. Who was this girl? Ben needed to be in bed, not standing here comforting the stranger. He was the one who needed comforting. “Ben, we should get you inside."

  The girl stepped back, a little red in the cheeks. Then Lucy noticed her hand clasped in Ben's.

  "Lucy, this is Amber. Amber, this is my sister, Lucy. And her friend, Cole."

  "Nice to meet you,” Amber murmured.

  Lucy could only nod. She wracked her brain. Had Ben told her he was dating anyone? Replaying their last few conversations, she vaguely recalled someone being mentioned. But it wasn't serious. It couldn't be. Ben had to concentrate on medical school, not on girls.

  "Let's get you inside.” Lucy nodded to Cole for assistance.

  "When I called the hospital this morning and they told me you were being released, I went to the grocery store and picked up some food,” Amber said. “Kevin let me in. I've already got a big pot of chicken noodle soup heating on the stove. And I can run to the drugstore and get your painkillers."

  "That was very sweet, Amber,” Lucy said. “But I'm taking Ben home for a while. We just stopped to pick up some clothes."

  Amber's face fell, and Lucy felt a drop of guilt. She hadn't meant to sound harsh, but she was Ben's sister, and she was taking care of him.

  "Lucy, I'm staying here."

  Ben's voice held more authority than she'd ever heard before, leaving no room for argument. But Lucy tried anyway. “But Ben—"

  "Lucy, I appreciate your help, but I want to stay here.” His jaw, which had been clenched, slackened, and he put an arm around her. “I'll be fine. Amber will take good care of me."

  Amber nodded emphatically. “I'm a great cook, and I can help him get around. And I promise to have him call you every day to let you know how he's doing."

  It was at that moment Lucy realized Ben had slipped from her side and moved to Amber's. A lump clogged her throat, so large she feared she would choke on it. Ben had grown up. The thought bored into her brain with the force of a jackhammer. He didn't need her anymore.

  Lucy glanced at Amber, who had put her arm around Ben and was gazing up at him with adoration. Ben had someone else to take care of him now.

  She swallowed back the lump. It lodged in her heart, squeezing painfully. “Okay. If that's what you want. We'll get you settled and be on our way."

  To find alcohol, Lucy thought. Lots and lots of alcohol.

  * * * *

  "I'll have a margarita on the rocks. Whatever the biggest size is.” Lucy ordered the drink before the waitress even had a chance to offer her name.

  They had made it about halfway home when Cole stopped at a Mexican restaurant off the highway for lunch. Lucy had been unusually quiet throughout the ride, leaving Cole clueless about her emotional state. Until now. The need for a big margarita didn't usually come from someone brimming with happiness.

  But a margarita, filled with tequila, wasn't recommended for pregnant women. Granted, they didn't know one way or another, but better safe than sorry, Cole believed. “Maybe you shouldn't
drink."

  "I'm over twenty-one. I think I'm allowed."

  "It's not that. A margarita, alcohol, isn't good for—"

  He didn't finish the sentence, letting a raised eyebrow and a hand over the abdomen convey his message.

  If looks could kill, he wouldn't be just six feet under. He'd be about twelve. Message received.

  But he wasn't about to let her harm their child—if there was one—and he knew if she was in her right mind, she'd feel the same way. So he shot her a look of his own.

  "Fine,” she bit out, her eyes still murderous. “I'll have a Coke."

  "There's a lot of caffeine in cola,” Cole told her, moving his legs to the side in case she decided to kick.

  "Lemonade, then.” Her voice was loud enough to make the patrons at the neighboring table turn to look. “Does that meet with your approval?"

  Lemonade had a lot of sugar in it. Gestational diabetes could be a fear ... “Lemonade is fine.” Better he give in before his flesh actually dripped off his skull from her acid glare.

  The waitress looked amused. “And for you, sir?"

  "Just water, please."

  "Are you done humiliating me?” Lucy asked as soon as the waitress left.

  "I wasn't trying to humiliate you. And if you are pregnant, you'll thank me later."

  "And if I'm not, you owe me a big margarita."

  A smile curved his lips. Crisis averted. “Deal."

  Lucy smiled now, too. But it was slight, forced, and it didn't quite reach her eyes.

  He reached across the table to grasp her hand. “What's going on?"

  He expected a denial, but what he got was a tear. She quickly wiped it away. “I just wasn't ready for it. Ben not needing me. I can't remember a time I wasn't taking care of him, and suddenly someone else is doing it."

  Another tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another. Cole slid out of the booth and moved next to her. Putting his arm around her, he kissed the top of her head. “You've been more a mother to Ben than a sister. Isn't that what any parent wants? For their child to grow up and take care of themselves? To find someone to love and to be loved?"

  "Of course,” she sniffled. “It just feels like it happened in an instant. He grew up, and I didn't notice. And ... and I wasn't ready.” She broke into a sob that ripped through his chest and he tightened his arm around her.

  The waitress chose that moment to return with the drinks. “We're going to need a few more minutes before we put in our order,” Cole told her when she set down the drinks.

  "No problem,” she replied. “When I was pregnant, I got emotional, too."

  Lucy sobbed harder.

  She eventually calmed down enough to order, but she just picked at her taco salad, taking only a handful of bites. “It feels kind of weird,” she admitted when they were back in the car. “Not to have anyone to take care of. After my mom died, I pretty much took care of Ben, and then when my dad got sick, I took care of him and the flower shop. It seems like my whole life, I've been taking care of other people."

  "Maybe someone can take care of you for a change,” Cole said, and then winced. He turned his head, hoping she hadn't seen. It sounded like he was applying for the job. He hadn't meant the words to come out like that. For some reason, whenever he was around Lucy, his foot was constantly lodged in his esophagus.

  But then this yearning filled his insides. He could imagine taking care of Lucy, pampering her, holding her. He wanted to shelter her, to make sure she never shed another tear or suffered another moment of sadness.

  His thoughts were like a vice around his neck, choking him. This was not supposed to happen. He was looking for a surrogate mother, not a wife. He refused to go through a second heartbreaking, gut-wrenching divorce.

  It was the tears. The tears had gotten to him. He wouldn't feel this way if she hadn't cried. But then he glanced over at her, her face pale but tear-free, and that same tug still pulled at his heart.

  His eyes were drawn down to her flat belly and he decided the tug was his paternal instincts. She was possibly the mother of his child. And if she was, he was honor-bound to take care of her.

  "When will you know?"

  She didn't need to ask about what. Her hand followed the path of his gaze. “It's too soon."

  "Should you check with a doctor? Get a blood test?"

  "It's too soon,” she repeated.

  Too soon to tell or too soon for her to deal with the answer? He wasn't sure. But he knew he couldn't argue. When she was ready, she would find out. Until then, he would give her space.

  * * * *

  By Thursday, Lucy felt mostly back to normal. She had spoken with Ben every day. He was getting around with crutches and would be starting back at work on Monday. Amber, he'd said, was taking good care of him.

  Although her heart still stung a bit, she was grateful her brother had someone to help him through this, even if it wasn't her. She made a mental note to have Ben bring Amber to dinner next time he came to town so they could get to know one another.

  She hadn't spoken to Cole since he'd dropped her off. After her erratic behavior, he'd probably decided he didn't want to dip into her gene pool. The thought should have cheered her, but it actually depressed her even more. Maybe, she ruminated instead, he was giving her the space she obviously needed. But didn't he realize needing space meant he shouldn't stray more than ten feet from her side?

  She stared at the bills in front of her and willed herself to get back to work. Thinking about Cole wasn't going to pay the electric bill or the phone bill or the repairs on the cooler. She needed to concentrate.

  After adding the bills for the second time, she compared the number to the amount in the bank account. Unfortunately, one was way more than the other, and it wasn't the amount in the bank. There was no way she could pay all the bills this month. She could call the repair company and see if she could pay in installments, and maybe her flower supplier would give her an extra thirty days. But next month, the problem would still be there. And if she didn't figure out a solution soon, in a few months she would be forced to close the flower shop her mother had loved so much.

  She could also call the bank about taking a mortgage out on her house. Her father had paid it off the year before he was diagnosed, and it had been wonderful not to have a payment on at least one thing. If she refinanced or took out a mortgage, she could put the money into the flower shop, and maybe have some left for Ben's education. But the nagging voice in her head reminded her if she didn't increase business at Lily's Blooms, she stood to lose both her business and her home.

  "Lucy,” Lizzie called into her office. “You have a visitor."

  Lucy's pulse reached marathon speed. Was it Cole? She knew she shouldn't feel excited about seeing him, but her body responded anyway. Delicious tingles spread through her body, centering on those areas Cole liked to give special attention. Glancing in the mirror, she smoothed back her hair and tugged at her decade-old T-shirt.

  "It's a woman,” Lizzie said.

  Disappointment gnawed at Lucy. “I'll be right there.” She walked out of her office and tried to shake out her frustration with each step. She needed to think about her business, not Cole. Perhaps the woman who wanted to speak with her was interested in a big order. Perhaps, she thought, her gait lightening with each step, this customer would be the salvation to her problems.

  But when she stepped into the front room, her shoes suddenly felt like they were filled with her late-grandmother's lasagna, heavy enough to anchor her to the ground. It wasn't a customer waiting to see her. It was Cole's mother.

  "Mrs. Donovan,” Lucy croaked.

  Miriam Donovan was neither smiling nor frowning, and Lucy suspected that her face was physically incapable of doing either. She was dressed to the nines in a pink Chanel suit with a matching handbag. Her auburn hair was pulled into a bun, leaving an unobstructed view of diamond earrings the size of golf balls.

  "Hello, Lucy,” Miriam said. “May we speak for a moment
? In private.” She looked pointedly at Lizzie and the other two floral designers who were all conspicuously hanging out by the register.

  "Sure,” Lucy said. Why on Earth would Mariam Donovan want to speak with her in private? Had Cole finally admitted his surrogacy plans to his parents? If that was the case, Lucy had no qualms about assuring Miriam that she was not in the business of surrogate motherhood. Miriam had nothing to worry about. Unless, of course, Lucy was already pregnant after their thoughtless night of unprotected sex.

  Hmm, she wondered what Miriam would think of that. “Let's go into my office."

  Lucy led Miriam through the back room and into the office. After closing the door, she pointed to one of the seats. “What can I do for you?"

  Miriam sat down and stiffly crossed her right leg over her left. “Both Cole and Mrs. Simms have been raving about your floral arrangements. We—my husband and I—have always used Gianni's Florals for our arrangements, but after hearing so many wonderful things about your shop, I'm considering a change."

  Lucy stared at her, sure there was a stupid expression on her face though powerless to change it. Had Miriam really come here to compliment her? “Thank you. We'd be happy to have your business."

  "I am also on several charity committees. We have several functions a year and each one designates several thousands of dollars for floral arrangements. I would be happy to recommend you."

  The Wicked Witch of the West had suddenly turned into Glenda the Good Witch. Was that a halo on Miriam's head? Lucy wondered, her eyes glazing over with happiness. She was already deciding which bills to pay first with the new orders.

  "Of course,” Miriam continued, “I never mix business with family or friends. It gets too complicated. My business relationships are strictly that—business."

  Cruella DeVille. The woman probably killed puppies, and then used their fur to line her winter coats.

  Lucy sat stiffly in her chair, sure that if she opened her mouth, a ball of fire would explode from it. How stupid could she be? Believing Miriam had actually come here with good intentions. Cole's mother might not be throwing a check in her face, but this was a bribe nonetheless. And Lucy had no intention of being bought.