“Well, that was friggin awkward, and supper will be even more so,” she muttered, hoping Sarah didn’t take her pulling her hand away too hard. She liked Sarah, and maybe if she wasn’t with Cody, things could’ve been different; she felt sorry for her losing her job as she was a great receptionist to Cody.
Okay, now for you! she thought, staring at the innocent-looking pregnancy kit in her hands; she read the instructions, and then made her way into the bathroom. Mia shut the door behind her as though the privacy would make things better, even though she was alone in the room.
She dutifully did as the kit instructed and then placed it on the side to wait an agonizingly long three minutes.
“Please don’t let me be pregnant; please don’t let me be pregnant,” she whispered.
Mia glanced at the small window after the time had elapsed, “Shit, fucking shit! Now what?” She collapsed on the toilet seat and started crying, which turned quickly to sobbing. Mia picked the test stick up and walked into the bedroom feeling nauseous yet again; her mind was a blank, and her heart was racing.
She and Cody had shared the perfect afternoon together; they’d gone back to being carefree and happy, and now this bombshell. She was pregnant, which in itself was one thing for Cody to deal with, but place Callum in the equation, and it was a whole different situation.
Mia’s cell beeped, ‘Hey u I had a great time 2day, esp the sex! x’
“That’s all I friggin need!” she snapped. Have to just pretend everything’s okay for now, I guess.
‘Me 2 sorry about my mom showing up☺x’
‘Hey no worries she seems really cool Mia x’
‘Yeah she’s okay it’s my dad that’s a pain in the ass! x’
‘Well maybe I’ll meet him 2 one-day pixie x’
‘Maybe. Okay I’ve got 2 go see u at 8pm x’
‘Okay luv u x’
‘Luv u 2 x’
“Shit! He’s so friggin nice, and he’s gonna hate me!” she mumbled, putting her cell on the side; no sooner had she done that when it beeped again.
‘Mia, what should I wear tonight?’ a message from her mom.
‘Jeez, mom we won’t be fine dining so wear anything u like’
‘Just checking as I don’t want 2 let u down. I know Cody’s special 2 u’
‘Yes he is mom but just be u no need 2 panic’
‘Okay see u soon luv u x’
‘Luv u mom x’
All the secrecy was exhausting. Mia knew she’d have to come clean, and the sooner, the better. “Tonight’s the night; kill two birds with one stone. Tell Cody and Mom!”
Her mind was made up. She’d no idea how either person would react; her mom always wanted grandkids, and as Mia was the only child, the responsibility fell on her slim shoulders. Cody on the other hand: they’d never spoken about kids—why would they? They weren’t exactly in a seasoned relationship yet.
Let’s go for a sexy but smart outfit tonight girl; aim to look a little more grown-up than usual.
Mia chose a pair of black and white patterned palazzo pants, matched with a white flowing shirt. She didn’t fancy wearing her high-heeled black sandals but knew they were the only shoes that complemented the pants. The problem with being 5’4” was that the pants swamped her petite frame so the heels added much-needed height.
She found her white lacy underwired bra and a pair of white satin bikini style panties. After a quick shower, she began to dress, starting with her lingerie and moving to the pants. Mia loved the way the soft cotton of the pants flowed around her legs; they were high-waisted, so although they were a loose pant, they still displayed her tiny waist.
The shirt was made from a lightweight chiffon material with a very pretty lace top and back design, the sleeves were three-quarter length. It was one of Mia’s favorite shirts for work as it screamed style without being too dressy. Standing in just her palazzo pants and her white bra, she reached for the shirt and put her arms through; Mia sighed softly as she wrapped the soft material around her body.
Her long black hair was worn in a side plait, which she was wearing over her right shoulder; simple but, classy.
“Now for makeup, too much and Mom will flip, too little, and she’ll say I look sick!” Mia muttered tutting to herself and sitting down in front of the mirror, makeup bag at the ready.
She opted for neutral browns finished off with black eyeliner, black mascara, and red lipstick. Natural looking, but still elegant. Mia slipped her petite feet into her strappy sandals, grabbed her clutch purse, and made her way out of her room.
“Shit, if only you were easier to walk in!” she muttered, heading toward the elevator, trying desperately not to twist an ankle.
The elevator arrived, and Mia’s worst nightmare began—as the doors slid open, she spotted her mom and Cody sharing the elevator.
Cody looked smart in a pair of chino type pants teamed with a crisp white shirt and sandy colored deck shoes, and his long hair was tied back in a low ponytail. Mia’s mom had chosen a flowery print maxi dress with low-heeled sandals that Mia envied.
“Mia! You look beautiful dear,” her mom exclaimed.
“You took the words right out of my mouth, Cheryl,” Cody agreed, winking at Mia.
God, this is gonna be so much fun, not!
Cody had decided they’d be eating in at Thrill Seekers as he didn’t know how much longer he’d be running the center and wanted to make the most of it. Mia thought it was a great idea as she really didn’t want to walk too far in her heels.
Once they were all seated in the dining room and had chosen their food, Mia cleared her throat and began, “Mom, Cody, I’ve got some news for you both; prepare yourselves for a shock.”
Her mom took a sharp intake of air as she listened, and Cody edged forward in his seat, “What is it, Mia?” he asked, staring at her with his pale blue eyes.
It’s now or never, here goes!
She took a deep breath, “I’m pre …”
38. Chapter Eight
Her mom jumped up from her seat with a huge grin on her face, knocked her cutlery on the floor, and started shrieking.
Not the discreet approach I was going for!
Mia stood up and tried to convince her mom that sitting down again really was the best thing to do; her mom eventually agreed.
“So Cody, you’re gonna be a dad,” her mom innocently said; her statement being met by total silence from Cody.
Say something, anything, but at least say something.
“Did you hear me, Cody?” Mia asked, feeling incredibly awkward and not really knowing what to say. She sat down and looked across at him.
Cody’s eyes were firmly fixed on the table in front of him; they weren’t moving for anything. He fiddled nervously with his napkin, a habit that he seemed to adopt when stressed. He didn’t speak or do anything; Mia was tempted to check his pulse but thought better of it.
“Does anyone want a drink? I sure could use one about now,” he asked, standing up.
“I better stick to orange juice, please,” Mia said quietly, smiling up at him, but he didn’t catch her eye or even acknowledge her.
“God, he’s pissed at me Mom,” Mia mumbled once Cody had walked away and was heading toward the bar.
Her mom turned to her, “He’ll come around Mia; it’s a big shock for anyone, and especially if he’d no inclination that you might be pregnant, honey. I hate to ask you this, but are you sure the baby’s his?”
“Mom! Really?” Mia cried, knowing damn well that Callum could well be the dad.
“Sorry, honey. Just that I saw the way you were with that young receptionist and wondered if you’d been that way with any guys other than Cody.”
“For your information, Mom, Cody’s the only guy I’ve been with since coming here. I love him,” easier to friggin lie.
Mia saw Cody returning with the drinks and noticed he’d bought her a glass of wine instead of the orange juice she’d requested, “Umm where’s the orange juice, Cody
?”
“Shit, guess I forgot that you’re pregnant, just as much as you forgot to tell me before now, Mia,” he snapped at her as he sat down.
“I only just found out tonight, Cody,” she retorted, looking into his pale blue eyes, which were now filled with hurt and bewilderment.
“That’s what you bought in the pharmacy? A goddamn pregnancy kit.”
She nodded her head slowly, “I didn’t connect the dots until I spoke with Eliza on Skype; my sickness and late period were due to me being pregnant.”
“Are you absolutely certain?” he asked with more calmness to his voice now.
“I’ve only done one test, but it’s got a 99% accuracy rate,” she replied, waiting for the ultimate question about the baby’s dad.
Any second now, he’s gonna ask how sure I am that it’s his—I just know it; please don’t Cody, not in front of Mom, for fuck’s sake.
“I need to speak with you privately, Mia; will you excuse us for a moment, Cheryl?” He was so polite. It killed Mia to think she’d hurt him so badly.
“Of course, you take all the time you need, I’ll be right here,” her mom said, glancing at Mia and giving a small smile.
Mia squeezed her mom’s arm as she stood up, wishing that she’d worn more sensible footwear; she didn’t know if her legs would even carry her across the dining room let alone much further. She went to grab Cody’s arm as she walked around the table, but he pulled away from her, making her stumble.
“Fuck this!” she snapped, sitting down on the nearest available seat and removing her strappy sandals. “That’s better,” she muttered, running after Cody who’d already left the room; she felt like the heroine of a fairy tale running behind her handsome prince with her sandals in her hand.
“Wait up, Cody. How can we talk if you won’t even friggin wait for me?”
He stopped abruptly and turned around to face her; Mia could see tears on his face.
“Cody, I’m so sorry,” she began to say but was interrupted by him.
“Mia, I love you,” he’s gonna forgive me cos he loves me, of course he is; God, I’m so lucky to have him. “But for one, I don’t even know if I want kids. And for two, we don’t even know if the baby’s mine. Callum could be the fucking dad.”
Okay, so not as straightforward as I’d hoped; he doesn’t forgive me.
“I’ll do a paternity test, Cody,” she replied, listening to the sound of her pleading voice and hating herself for it.
He stood inches from her face now. “Too damn right you will!” he shouted. Mia was so grateful that the lobby was empty right now.
“So you still care? You still want to know about the baby.”
“Part of me wants to tell you to fuck off right here and now Mia, but the calmer part of me loves you and wants to believe that the baby’s mine.” He made his way to the main doors of the center, the doors they’d walked through arm in arm only that afternoon after their lunch and primal sex session.
How things change so quickly.
Cody started to walk off away from the center, “I need time to get my head together, Mia; go back to your mom,” he ordered without even turning around to look at her. So now what should she do? Follow his orders like a good little girl or follow him and annoy him even more?
Mia chose to follow his orders, and if it made her feel weak, then that was her problem to deal with at the end of the day; at least this way, she didn’t piss him off anymore.
So, still carrying her sandals in her hand, she made her way back into the center where there were now a few teenagers hanging around in the lobby. They all stared at her, “Can I help you?” she asked, just in the mood to pick a fight with anyone who got in her way.
One of the girls pointed to her own face, smiling awkwardly, Mia glanced behind the girl into the mirror hanging on the wall and noticed her black mascara had run, and she resembled a panda. She turned back toward the girl and mouthed a thank you to her before heading to the nearest bathroom in the lobby.
“Shit!” she exclaimed, turning on the hot water tap and staring at her reflection through the steam. “Could’ve handled that better, girl,” she mumbled, wiping her face with some tissue dipped in the steaming hot water. The mirror had steamed up, “For fuck’s sake, the night just keeps getting better!”
Mia wiped the wet mirror as best she could with some more tissue and continued wiping away the mascara; she wasn’t even aware that she’d cried.
“Well, it’s official, girl, your life’s a complete and utter mess.” She fixed her side plait, straightened her white flowing shirt and sat on a very unobtrusive looking seat in the corner of the fairly lavish looking bathroom.
She needed to compose herself as she knew her mom would go into overdrive asking a barrage of questions, most of which would be totally irrelevant. Mia pushed her dainty feet back into her strappy high-heeled sandals, took a deep breath, and made her way back toward the dining room. Her mom’s face lit up as soon as she spied Mia, here we go.
“Okay, honey?”
“Oh, yeah, Mom I’m just friggin peachy,” Mia snapped, sitting down at the table with her mom. “You ordered your food yet?”
“No dear, I was waiting for you.”
“Well, I’m not hungry, to be honest, Mom.”
“Mia you’re eating for two now, girl. You should eat something,” her mom said.
“Yeah, Mom. Can we drop the whole baby thing for now, please.” Mia sighed.
“Bit late that for that; I’ve already told your dad.”
“You’re fucking unbelievable, you couldn’t just wait?” Mia screamed at her mom, standing up, grabbing her purse and leaving. She heard her mom trying to apologize, and although Mia felt bad for upsetting her, she was fed up with her meddling ways. Her dad would be filled with endless questions and would now look down his nose at Cody for getting his daughter pregnant.
She felt as though she were losing everything and now comprehended what Cody must’ve felt like when his world came crashing down around his ankles.
Mia stormed out of the building and into the cool summer’s evening; she wished Cody was with her now. She needed to feel his gentle touch, to feel loved and wanted by him. How had everything gone so terribly wrong?
“Well, sleeping with his older brother and his wife probably didn’t help, girl. Oh, yeah, and then trying it on with Izzy and Sarah, and to top it all off, you ended up friggin pregnant!” she muttered to herself entering the forest. It didn’t even occur to her that it wasn’t a safe thing to do as she wasn’t even aware what she was doing.
The tears started to flow once again, and she twisted her ankle, “Damn fucking sandals!” she screamed as she collapsed to the ground in a heap and sobbed. She undid the sandals and pulled them off her feet, half-tempted to throw them away but knowing she’d regret that action later.
She sat on the soft forest floor for what seemed like an age listening to the sounds of the night around her until her cell ringing shook her from the forest’s hypnotic embrace. Mia fished around in her clutch purse, the light almost gone now from the sky. It was Sophia calling.
Mia answered it, “This is not a good time, Sophia.”
“Mia, I know, cos Cody called Callum. He was really pissed at him and told him that you’re pregnant. Are you okay? I was worried about you,” Sophia said.
Mia scoffed, “Oh yeah like you were fucking worried about me on the night you told Cody he was adopted, really thought about me then, didn’t you, Sophia?”
“Hey, that wasn’t my idea. That was all on Callum, not me.”
“You knew what he was doing, Sophia, and you didn’t think to at least warn me?”
“I’m sorry, Mia. I should’ve let you know, but seriously, I didn’t think Cal would go through with it. Even when we arrived at the center I thought he’d bottle it, but he didn’t, Mia.”
“Well, the pair of you fucking destroyed him and me, Sophia. So I hope you’re pleased with yourselves for that, and now I’m friggi
n pregnant,” Mia snapped, hearing an owl hoot softly behind her.
“Where are you, Mia? Was that an owl?” Sophia asked, concern filling her voice.
“I’m in the forest, and yes, that was an owl.”
“For fuck’s sake, Mia, go back to the center. There was a wolf warning issued a few days ago in that area. The wolves are displaying unusually brave behavior; you need to be indoors, please, Mia. Whatever’s happened between us, I’m worried about you.”
Okay, now you’ve got my attention. I love wolves, but somehow don’t think they’re gonna love me enough not to eat me.
“Okay, I’ll go back, but I’m not happy, Sophia. Cody’s pissed at me, my mom’s upset with me, and everything’s shit at the moment.”
“I get that Mia, but please go back and text me when you’re safe.”
Mia ended the call and stood up. She hadn’t realized just how dark the sky had grown, and using her cell as a torch, she made her way quickly out of the forest and back toward the center. She’d been impulsive and stupid because the forest was no place to be at night, and she knew better.
Mia ran barefoot and made it back to Thrill Seekers safely, and as soon as she entered the center, her cell rang—it was Cody. “Mia, where are you? Sophia called and said you were in the forest.”
She was so relieved to hear his voice that she began to cry, “I’m back. Sophia told me you called Callum; why Cody, what were you hoping to achieve?”
“Listen Mia, I’m glad you’re safe, but anything outside of that, I don’t wanna talk to you about. I need time,” Cody replied, his voice sounding flat.
Mia went to speak and then realized he’d ended the call. “At least you were concerned about me, so that means you still care,” she mumbled to herself, walking toward the elevator.
She texted Sophia while she was in the elevator going back to her room, ‘Back safe, Cody called, he’s so mad at me.’
Her cell beeped, ‘Give him chance Mia glad u r ok.’
Mia’s tummy rumbled reminding her that she hadn’t eaten dinner and also reminding her about her mom. She texted Sophia back quickly and then texted her mom, ‘Sorry I walked out did u get dinner ok? x’
Interview with a Billionaire: Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 26