“You should really get that checked out, Sam. Is it the nausea again?”
She nods her head and takes a deep breath. “It usually passes within a couple minutes. I don’t want to go to the doctor for something so small.”
I shake my head and run my hand over her stomach. “It’s not small, Sam. I’ll take you. You could have a stomach bug or something.”
She nods slowly and then turns to me suddenly. “Oh! I forgot to say on Friday, I spoke to Margaret. She agreed to let you come and do a show for the kids. Can you come tomorrow night?”
“Sure,” I answer. “I’ll let Pat know. Did she agree to the partnership with him?”
“She said we could have you there for an afternoon or two and see how the kids react. She liked the idea of the balloon animal lessons and juggling lessons.”
I grin. “Awesome. Pat’s gonna be over the moon, he’s been looking to expand the non-profit business of it into something like this for years.”
I wrap my arm around her and pull her in for a kiss. I nuzzle my head into her body and she giggles when I kiss her and blow air over her neck. She wraps her legs around me and I lift my head to see that look in her eye – that look that makes me hard every time I see it.
“I love waking up next to you,” I say. Sam’s eyes soften and a smile tugs at her lips. She nods.
“Me too,” she whispers.
“Stay tonight. Don’t go to work tomorrow,” I say.
Sam smiles. “I can’t, you know I can’t. I have to leave in a couple hours.”
“The past couple months…” I start. She holds up a hand and puts it over my lips.
“I know. I didn’t think I could be this happy so soon after the divorce.” I smile and bring my lips to hers. We kiss softly and my cock throbs between my legs. She feels it and wriggles her body, laughing and wiggling her eyebrows.
“What do we have here?” she purrs. I don’t even have time to answer. Our bodies are already intertwined and connected and once again I make love to the most incredible woman I’ve ever known.
Chapter 32 – Samantha
After a fitful sleep at Jess’s house, I wake up and rush to the bathroom. For the past couple weeks, every time I wake up I have the worst nausea I’ve ever felt. After emptying my stomach into the toilet bowl, I take a deep breath and flush the toilet before brushing my teeth. When I open the door, Jess is standing there with her arms crossed and her best mom face on. She raises an eyebrow and looks me up and down.
“Get your shoes on, we’re going to the doctor.”
“What! No, it’s ok. Jess, I’m fine. It’s just a stomach bug or something.”
“Stomach bugs don’t last two weeks. Come one. Owen!” she calls out. He answers from the bedroom. “Watch the twins, I’m taking Sam to the doctor.”
“Ok!” comes the answer. She tuns to me and nods her head.
“Come on.”
There’s no arguing with that tone of voice, so I nod and get my shoes and purse. I check my phone, expecting to see something from Dean.
“That’s weird,” I say as I join Jess by the front door. “Dean is supposed to come to the organisation today and do a clown show but he hasn’t messaged me. Usually he’d send me something in the morning.”
“Maybe he’s busy,” she says as we walk out to the car. When we’re in it, Jess turns it on but doesn’t drive off. She turns to me and takes a deep breath.
“When’s the last time you got your period?”
I frown at the question. She doesn’t think that I’m….?
“I’m on the pill,” I say. She nods slowly.
“And you’ve been taking it every day?”
I chew my lip and stare at my hands. “Well, there was a bit of a mix-up a few weeks ago and I forgot for a couple days. But I took the ones I missed! I spotted a bit but then everything is back to normal. I’m supposed to be on the sugar pills next week.”
She nods slowly. “How many days did you miss?”
“Jess, I’m not pregnant. I’m on the pill!”
I finally lift my eyes back up to her and her brows are drawn together. She shakes her head. “I told you to be careful, Sam. I warned you.”
“I’m not pregnant!” I repeat. “And please don’t say ‘I told you so.’ I can’t deal with that right now.”
She nods. “You’re right, I’m sorry. Let’s just go to the doctor and see what they say. I’m here for you.”
My throat tightens and I nod in response. We drive in silence and my mind starts clouding with a hurricane of thoughts.
Pregnant?
I can’t be. I’m not pregnant. I’m on the pill! How could I be pregnant. Sure, I got a bit sloppy taking it when I was going back and forth between her place and Dean’s. I forgot my pack in my room and went without for a couple days. But that wouldn’t cause pregnancy… would it?
My doubts only increase as we make it to the clinic’s waiting room. Jess sits with me and thumbs through a magazine as I check my phone again. Still nothing from Dean, even after I sent him a text. He hasn’t even been online since last night.
I sigh just as another patient walks in with a cup of coffee. The smell hits my nose and I feel my stomach heave. I run to the bathroom and for the second time this morning, I get to know the toilet bowl more intimately than I want to. When I walk back out, the doctor is calling my name.
The rest of the appointment is a blur. From the moment the doctor says ‘pregnant’, I cease to hear anything except my own heartbeat in my ears. I don’t see anything except the stark white walls and that picture of the digestive system that every doctor seems to have in their office.
I sign something, and I leave her office with some pamphlets. Jess says something to me and I think I have a follow-up appointment, but to be honest I can’t make any sense of it. It’s like I don’t speak English anymore, or I’ve suddenly lost the ability to understand anything that’s said. Jess takes me by the arm and guides me back to her car, all the while saying things that I don’t understand. They sound vaguely comforting, but they bring me no comfort.
I stare straight ahead as we drive back and finally Jess stops talking. My eyes shift down to the pamphlets in my hands. I look at the pictures of smiling expectant mothers and try to read the words but they blur together. When we pull up to the house, I get out of the car mechanically and make it to my bedroom. I sit on the edge of the bed and stare at the wall for a moment, or maybe longer. I don’t know.
It’s not until Jess knocks on the door frame that I’m snapped out of my daze. I look over at her and she hands me a steaming mug of tea.
“You ok?”
I nod. “I think so. I mean. I don’t know. Jess…”
“I won’t say ‘I told you so,’” she says with a smile as she sits down beside me. She wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes me into her. “Everything is going to be ok. Whatever you decide to do, it’ll be ok.”
“What do you mean, ‘whatever I decide to do’?” I look over at her and see the pain in her eyes. Her eyebrows knit together and she takes a deep breath.
“With the baby,” she says, almost in a whisper.
It takes a few seconds for me to understand what she means. Once it sinks in, I sit up a bit straighter and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.
“I’m keeping it,” I say, almost too loudly in the small room. She squeezes my shoulder gently and nods.
“Ok.”
She doesn’t need to say anything else. Suddenly I’m shaking, and the tears are starting to fall down my cheeks. She squeezes me close and I let myself melt into her, letting her rock me back and forth and making comforting noises as I sob on her shoulder. It’s not until I feel a small hand on my knee that I open my eyes to see Michelle staring up at me.
Her tiny face is filled with concern, and she spreads her arms towards me. I laugh through my tears and pick her up. She places a big, sloppy, two-year-old kiss on my cheek and
pats my head. I laugh again as Jess chuckles and strokes Michelles hair.
“You’re going to have a little cousin soon. Auntie Sam is having a baby,” I say to her. She looks at me with those bright blue intelligent eyes and I turn to Jess. “I swear she understands everything we say.”
Jess laughs. “She does. So will yours.”
A thrill passes through my stomach and I move my hand across my abdomen. I look down and take a deep breath. I’m going to be a mother. The next thought makes me stiffen and I struggle to keep my breath steady.
How am I going to tell Dean?
Chapter 33 – Samantha
I check my watch and glance at the door. My boss, Margaret, is throwing me a look and raising her eyebrow and I take a deep breath. I was a few minutes late to work and now Dean is as well. It’s not looking good.
“Come on, Dean, where are you?” I say under my breath. He’s late, and it took a lot of convincing to get Margaret to agree to have him do a clown show for the kids at the after-school program.
Finally, the door bursts open and dozens of heads turn towards the door. Dean appears in full costume, bursting through the door and pretending to fall over. He does a full flip and lands on his feet as the room full of kids burst into laughter. A few of them get up and run to him and I get to watch him do what I saw the very first day we met.
It’s one of his best performances, and I slide over to Margaret whose face softens a little bit.
“He’s good, right?” I say as Dean starts his balloon animal bit. Margaret’s face looks like it’s fighting not to smile. She nods once.
“He’s not bad. We’ll see how it goes.”
With that, she turns to a nearby child and I look at Dean. I give him a subtle thumbs up and he winks at me before turning back to the kids. I sit back and start watching the show. A soft smile plays on my lips as I watch him captivate the children’s attention and make them laugh and giggle with every move. Maybe everything will be ok. He obviously loves kids, maybe he’ll want to have one of his own.
I’m so engrossed that I almost jump when Margaret touches me on the shoulder.
“Someone’s here to see you,” she says, nodding to the door. I frown and nod at her before heading towards the front door. For some reason, my heart starts beating a bit harder as I push the door open and glance down the hallway.
That’s when I see her.
A chill runs down my spine as she turns to face me. She’s taller than I am, and in her six-inch heels she towers over me. She’s wearing a tight, fitted grey dress with a sharp white blazer. Her black hair is silky and straight, and it sways when she turns towards me. Her heels clack on the floor when she steps in my direction, and she stretches her hand out to shake mine.
When our palms touch, I have to stop myself from recoiling. Something in her eyes fills me with a deep sense of unease. Her lips curl into a smile that seems jarring against her other features, like her face wasn’t meant to smile.
“Samantha,” she says. “So nice to finally meet you.”
“Do we know each other?” I ask, already knowing the answer. She laughs melodically and shakes her head. Her long hair sways with every movement and her eyes drill into me.
“You should stay away from him,” she says slowly. My heart starts thumping and my chest feels hollow. I stand my ground and take a slow breath, trying to understand what she’s saying.
“Who?”
“Your new boyfriend,” she replies with venom. “You should stay away from him. He isn’t what he seems, and he’s just going to break your precious little heart.”
“What do you know? Who the fuck are you?” I ask, squaring my shoulders. I feel silly in my no-nonsense shoes, hair pulled into a messy bun as she stands up straighter and towers over me, exuding wealth and poise. She lifts an eyebrow and almost snarls at me.
“In the end, he’ll choose his family. Wealthy people always do. We’re not like the rest of you.”
I almost choke as I try to respond. “The rest of us?!” She shrugs.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Who are you?”
Instead of answering, she turns around and walks out of the building. I watch her hips sway from side to side, and see her slide on a pair of sunglasses as she pushes the door open. Relief washes over me as soon as she leaves the building and I turn back to the main room. The kids start flowing out as I walk back in, calling out goodbyes and see-you-tomorrows as they rush past. My tense body starts to relax and I head back inside.
Margaret and Dean are talking, and she starts laughing. I look at Dean and shake my head. Only he would be able to make her laugh within minutes of them meeting. They turn to me as I walk up to them.
“Samantha,” Margaret says. “Dean and I were just discussing the details of our arrangement. Dean said he could get a couple performers, and we could start clown classes as soon as next week.”
“That’s great!” I exclaim. “The kids seemed to enjoy it.”
“I’ll be in touch with more details,” Dean says. Margaret nods and walks away. I squeeze Dean’s arm and grin at him.
“That’s amazing! She loved it! She’s never that enthusiastic!”
“That was enthusiasm?” he asks as he glances towards the woman. I laugh and nod. He swings his eyes back to me. “Where did you go just then? Margaret said someone wanted to meet you.”
My face falls as I think of the woman in the hallway. I look up at Dean and can still see the gleam in his eyes from his performance, and I don’t have the heart to dampen his spirits. Who cares if someone warned me off him! I know he comes from a rich family, and so far he’s chosen me every time. Nothing has hinted that he would do anything different.
I shake my head. “Just a parent,” I lie. “Come on, I should go home.” I open my mouth, wanting to tell him about the baby but nothing comes out. What if the woman was right, and he’ll freak out? What if he doesn’t want to be with me at all?
He puts his arm around my shoulder and kisses the side of my head. “Oops!” he says as he licks his finger and wipes at my temple. “Forgot I had all this makeup on,” he laughs.
I chuckle. “Do you need me to clean you up and undress you again?” I ask with an eyebrow raised, thinking of the very first day in the hospital parking lot.
“Need?” Dean grins. “I don’t think I need you to, but the real question is do I want you to undress me.” He wiggles his overdrawn clown eyebrows. “The answer is yes.”
I laugh and tap his arm lightly. “You have to wash that off first,” I say. “I know you love being a clown but there’s nothing sexy about it.”
“Nothing?” he says in a sultry voice as he licks his lips and pretends to unbutton the fluffy red buttons down his front. I laugh again and nod to the door.
“Come on, you. Let’s go.”
He laughs and swings his arm around my shoulder, leaning over to plant a sloppy kiss on my cheek as I laugh and try to push him off. We gather his things and head out towards our cars to head back home. I give him a kiss after we finish loading everything in the car and search his eyes. I looks at me, questioning my stare. I just smile and kiss him again before we part ways for the night.
He wouldn’t betray me, I know he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t choose money over me, would he? I touch my stomach and glance at him from my car. Everything seems a thousand times more complicated with this baby inside me.
Chapter 34 – Dean
After I say goodbye to Sam, I pack my equipment in my car and head home. I feel good – I had a great show with the kids, Sam’s boss seemed to like me, and Pat will be happy to have a new partnership with the after school program. My new job is going well, and Sam and I are stupidly happy together.
I lug all my props and my costume over to the elevator and carry it up to my floor. I shuffle the big box from one hand to the other and find my keys. I’m focused on balancing everything in my hands and I swing the door open, holdi
ng it ajar with my foot as I shuffle inside. I drop the box onto the floor and let out a big sigh, stretching up tall and running my fingers through my hair.
My mother’s voice makes me jump out of my skin. I stumble backwards and whip around to see her sitting at my kitchen table.
“Mom!” I exclaim.
“Dean,” she says. She stands up and walks towards me slowly. I adjust my clothing, still wearing my clown suit tied around my waist. My mother’s eyes drift down and she scoffs. She hands me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I ask. Instead of answering, she nods to the paper and I unfold it slowly. I frown as my eyes scan the page. “What is it, a contract?”
“Your contract,” she corrects. “Clause 42.B. The non-compete agreement.” Her eyes narrow as she looks me up and down. “Last time we spoke I told you I’d give you three months to think it over with Victoria. And time is almost up.”
“What does this have to do with anything?” I ask, waving the paper at her. She sighs and shakes her head.
“Well, it seems that the time for reflection didn’t convince you to play by our rules. Looks like you’ve gotten yourself a new little girlfriend. So maybe this will change your mind. Read the clause.”
I shiver as she mentions Sam and flick my eyes down to the page. I scan the paper again and I read the heavy legal writing. I frown. “This says I can’t work for any investment firm for five years after I leave Dad’s firm!”
“Ding ding ding!” she says with a bitter laugh. “It seems you’ve breached the terms of your contract by getting yourself a new job.” She takes a step towards me and runs her finger down my cheek. “And as much as I’m proud of my boy for being so resourceful, I won’t hesitate to make sure to punish you to the full extent of the law.”
“Mom…” I say, frowning. “What am I supposed to do! I need a job. This is all I know how to do.”
“You’re supposed to dump that little whore you’ve found yourself and marry the fucking woman we chose for you.”
“Don’t call her that.”
“Fine. The selfless children’s program director from fucking Virginia. Really, Dean? A girl from a small town in a dead-end job? You’re giving up your future for her?”
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