The Last Thing

by Gaitan, Briana

  “What about your girlfriend back there?”

  “She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my co-star,” he clarified. I pretended to be deep in thought for a moment. Of course, I wanted to say yes.

  Just invite him over!

  “Yes. Only because we need to talk,” I reminded him.

  “I hope to be doing a lot more than talking,”

  His voice dripped with seduction, and it made my knees go weak. He ran his hand down the side of my face.

  “Can you come over to Ginger’s house tonight at midnight?” I asked. It came out sounding more like a squeak.

  Being so close to him again made me want to jump him and tear his clothes off. He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. Yup, I could detect that minty smell alright. My whole body tingled when his soft lips grazed my face. The world spun around me, and my heart soared in exhilaration.

  “Chase?” The girl he had come in with appeared in the hallway. Though he had only kissed me on the cheek, we stepped away from each other hastily.

  “What?”

  “You’ve been gone a long time. Rhea asked me to come find you….” Her eyes wandered over the both of us accusingly before she gave a sly smile and grabbed Chase’s arm. She ran her hand down his shoulder and pressed into him.

  “I had to use the bathroom.”

  “Come on…. I’m getting sleepy.”

  Without another word, Chase walked away, but not before his co-star gave me a dirty look that screamed ‘he’s mine, bitch!’ She was already in the long line of girls trying to gain his attention.

  It was surprising how quickly Chase caused me to forget about Bash. One look at Chase’s intense eyes or cocky smile and I forgot all about my self-pity. I went back to work and stayed by the front door for the rest of the night. I tried to concentrate on folding napkins between customers.

  “Something is up with you.”

  I looked up from my horrible folding job to see my coworker leaning against the table with a cunning look in her eyes.

  “I dunno what you’re talking about.”

  “You’ve had this dreamy look on your face all night. Who’s the guy?”

  I slammed a napkin down a little harder than intended. Ashley had a history of butting in where she wasn’t wanted. She was harmless though. She nonchalantly tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and picked up a napkin to help.

  “Does this have anything to do with your baby daddy?”

  “No.” This wasn’t any of her business.

  “You know… we all think it’s weird that you have never mentioned a boyfriend. In fact, a bunch of us thought you were a lesbian.”

  My jaw dropped as she continued prying.

  “Not that it’s any of my business or anything.”

  Damn right.

  “But it’s not Percy from the kitchen is it?”

  “Oh lord, no!” I cried out. My face flushed in embarrassment. The entire wait staff thought I was some sort of slut.

  “You don’t know the father, but we are in a very, very monogamous and exclusive relationship.”

  “Right.” She didn’t look too convinced, but she changed the subject anyway. “Chase Crowley came in earlier. Did you see?” She grabbed a menu and fanned her face with it.

  “I seated them,” I reminded her. I moved on to wiping down the menus with a cloth.

  “He is so hot. I heard that he and Chloe James are going to be filming a movie together. Lucky bitch. I wonder if I could get my number to him.”

  My fingers curled tightly around the menu. He wouldn’t give this gold digger the time of day. I immediately felt guilty for thinking it. Ashley wasn’t that bad, a little nosy, but she still went out of her way to be nice to me.

  “I could sneak it into his receipt or slip it in his hand on the way out.”

  “If Diana finds out, she will fire you,” I said referring to our supervisor. “You know she hates it when we bug the clients."

  “Whatever, what Diana doesn’t know won’t kill her.” She leaned in closer to me and spoke barely above a whisper. “Chase has a reputation among the ladies.”

  I didn’t want to hear this.

  “I bet I could follow him to a club one night and get him to go home with me.”

  I bit down on my tongue to keep from saying anything rash. I couldn’t think about Chase and Ashley together. I only wanted to think about him with me. The way he had made my body feel; his soft touch trailing up the small of my back, his lips as they brushed against my skin.

  “Are you okay?”

  “What?” I swallowed hard.

  “You look sick or something.”

  My grip on the menus lessened, and I shuffled through them to give myself something to do.

  “I’m fine.”

  Ashley elbowed me as a group walked into the room.

  “Hope you enjoyed your dinner!” she called out, a little too sweetly.

  My mouth went dry as Chase entered the main room with that blonde bimbo on his arm. I reminded myself they were only working on a movie together and I had no right to be jealous. Before he walked out the door, he turned his head slightly and gave me a quick wink. So not romantic when he has another girl all over him. Nonetheless, his one wink made my whole body burn in excitement.

  “Oh my god. Did he just wink at you?” Ashley put her hands on her hip, her mouth gapping open.

  “He must have had something in his eye.”

  “You’re blushing.”

  “I’m pregnant. I’m always flushed.”

  “Do you know each other?”

  I doodled on the corner of my notebook on the podium. The dinner rush was over and we likely wouldn’t have any more customers before we closed.

  “Why would I know an actor? I just moved here.”

  “Isn’t Ginger Teague your cousin? They’re both on the same TV show.”

  I shrugged. There was no way I would tell her anything. The whole city might know my affairs before the end of the week.

  “I’ve seen him around, but we’re not friends.”

  “So I guess you aren’t open to introducing me?” she pleaded.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’ll make you work for it.”

  I had no intention of introducing them right now, but eventually everyone would know he was the father.

  My shift ended at midnight, and I was about ready to pass out. I groaned when I pulled into the driveway next to Ginger’s Range Rover. I’d hoped that she’d be out. Nonetheless, the house was big, and maybe I would have some time to talk to Chase alone without Ginger snooping.

  I went upstairs and took a long hot shower before throwing on my cutest pajamas. I wasn’t trying to impress Chase, but I didn’t want to appear too shabby either. I blew my hair dry and let it fall down around my shoulders. I decided to forgo the makeup. I didn’t want to look like I tried too much.

  My stomach growled in anger. This was the only time of the day when I wasn’t sick I hurried downstairs to make myself something to eat. On my way to the kitchen, the doorbell rang.

  Crap, he’s here!

  I nervously smoothed my hair down and took a deep breath.

  “You can do this. Tell him. Together you can both work this out,” I whispered. I opened the door slowly. There in the doorway stood Chase, his hands stuffed inside of a hoodie. He was dressed casual with a pair of track pants and a backwards hat on his head. He winked at me and smirked. That mesmerizing grin that made my heart stop for just a brief moment. Every time we were together, the physical attraction grew even more.

  “Hi,” I said, stepping back to allow him more room. He took a few steps inside then glanced around as if he were searching for someone in particular.

  “Is Ginger asleep?” he asked.

  Looking up at the dark hallway, and not hearing a sound, I nodded. “I believe so.”

  I motioned for him to follow me through the hallway and into the kitchen. He reached out and grabbed my hand as we walked. As much as I wanted to pull my hand from his
grip, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. No matter how hard I wanted to push him away, the simple fact remained. There was something there, something that I wanted to explore further. I just wasn’t sure my heart could take any more pain right now. No, it was better to play it safe rather than sorry. He pulled me into his arms and ran his hands down my face.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to come around,” he whispered.

  He didn’t want to talk. He was here for something else entirely. Sex, it was all he wanted from me. His lips moved down my neck in a slow and antagonizing manner. Though I needed to stop him, my body begged me to shut up.

  “Chase, I don’t think this is a good idea.” I put my hands on his chest and pushed him off me. He stumbled back as confusion washed over his face.

  “Then why did you ask me to come over?”

  “I said that I wanted to talk. You’re the one who automatically assumed I meant sex.”

  He furrowed his brow and tilted his head just slightly. It was so adorably cute; that tiny expression, I wanted to see more of it.

  “Well? Talk then…” he said, clearly irritated by the fact that he wasn’t getting his way. It was enough to remove any positive feelings that had arose between us in the past few hours. I took a deep breath to build up some courage.

  “That night at the party,” I began.

  “Was amazing,” he tried to put his arms around me again, but I firmly pushed him away.

  “It was a mistake.”

  He opened his mouth to protest. “Hey, now that hurts.”

  “Never been turned down before?”

  “Not recently, no,” He stared at me intensely, making me squirm under the pressure of his gaze.

  I placed my hands behind my back so that I wouldn’t fidget. How was it possible that Chase thought he could get any girl he laid eyes on? Even if he had his eyes on me right now, I wasn’t about to play his little game.

  “I’m pregnant,” I blurted out. Oh yes, it felt good to just say it, but my stomach churned with anxiety as I awaited his answer. It never came. He just stood there with a blank expression on his face. Finally, he said,

  “How much money do you want?”

  “What? I don’t want anything.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was prepared for every answer possible, but I never expected him to try to pay me off.

  “Listen. I’m not stupid. So let me ask you again. I’m sure this is some plot to get money from me. Better yet, I bet Ginger's agency had cooked all this up for publicity. ‘Chase Crowley has Baby with Ginger Teague’s Poor Innocent Cousin’. You really have some nerve. I bet you really weren’t on birth control either. You tricked me.” The entire time he spoke; he threw his hands in the air. His voice became louder and louder. I didn’t really know what to say. If he believed this was all about money, he was sadly mistaken. I didn’t need him or his money.

  “You’re right. This is all some ploy. Get out!” I pointed to the front door. He made no move to leave. Instead, he paced back and forth for a moment then turned back to me.

  “You’re infuriating,” he said with his hands in the air. By now, a few tears were beginning to slide down my cheeks. Telling him was the worst idea ever. When I bawled louder, his face softened.

  “Come on now. Do you have to cry?” he asked.

  “You’re being a jackass, again.”

  “What do you expect me to do? Girls have tried to trap me before. I’ve dealt with fake pregnancies and rumors for years.”

  I didn’t know how to answer that. Obviously, I hadn’t thought this out. My eyes searched his face before I took a few steps closer. Behind his dark orbs were emotions that I couldn’t put my finger on. I grabbed a piece of paper off the counter. It was from the doctor and had my due date, conception date, and pregnancy confirmation on it. He read it over for a long time.

  “What do you expect me to marry you or something?” he asked.

  “No, that was never the plan. None of this was the plan.”

  “Then what do you want from me?”

  “Nothing. I just assumed you’d want to know…”

  “Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” Ginger said as she hurried into the kitchen to throw herself between me and Chase. Her red hair stuck up all over her head and she wrapped a robe tightly around her chest.

  “Not now, Ginger,” Chase said with an annoyed tone.

  “I can’t sit up there and listen to you both yell any longer.”

  “Then don’t listen!” Chase and I both yelled at the same time. We glanced at each other both taken aback by the sound of our voices. As we gazed into each other’s eyes, I could swear that we were both laughing silently. The tension in the room lessened.

  “Wow, I can’t do this right now,” Chase repeated from earlier. He sat down on one of the barstools and leaned forward on his elbows.

  Ginger didn’t let an opportunity to throw in a witty comment pass her by. “Well you should have thought of that before….”

  “He knows. I know. We both know,” I snapped. Ginger needed to shut-up. This wasn’t any of her business, but I didn’t feel comfortable trying to kick her out of her own kitchen.

  Screw that.

  “Can I speak to you for a moment?” I hissed into Ginger’s ear, grabbing her by the arm. I dragged her out of the kitchen and through the hallway to the bottom of the staircase.

  “Ow,” Ginger cried out as she stumbled behind me.

  “Listen, I know you’re trying to protect me, but I’m a big girl. I need to handle this all by myself.”

  “I just don’t want this to put you back to….”

  “I have problems. I know this, but losing Chase will not do to me what losing Bash did. I loved Bash.”

  My eyes closed slightly as I said his name, and before I could picture his face in my mind, they snapped back open. I wasn’t going to go there. Not tonight. I never had Chase, therefore, he was never mine to lose.

  “I don’t care about Chase,” I lied.

  “I just feel responsible. I was the one who pushed you towards him. I should have never dragged you to that party,” Ginger complained.

  “Like I said, I’m a big girl. I went there of my own accord. I was the one who had sex, and I was the one who ignored Chase’s calls afterward. I didn’t want the relationship. I put myself in this situation. I can figure this out alone.”

  Leaving Ginger by the staircase, I wandered back into the kitchen to find Chase in a much calmer state. He leaned against the counter with his head bent down.

  “Hey,” I said. I wasn’t sure exactly where we went from here. Were we supposed to talk things out? Should I offer him something to drink? It was so strange since he was almost a complete stranger to me. I walked over and stood beside him.

  “Chase…” I started but he held a finger out, placing it over my mouth to stop me from talking. His fingers were soft, and I stopped myself from reaching out with my teeth to gently bite them. The sight of him intoxicated me.

  “Shhh…. Just get me a drink, please.”

  I stepped back so that we were no longer touching. There wasn’t any way I could deal with feelings right now. It was bad enough that my body ached whenever he was around. I walked over to one of the cabinets where Ginger kept the liquor. Believe me; she kept a lot of liquor in the house. Filling the glass with brown liquid, my nose wrinkled in distaste at the pungent smell. Everything smelled horrible these days. I hadn’t even touched a drink since the night at the party. I didn’t like the way it made me feel. But right now, Oh, what I wouldn’t kill for a drink.

  I silently observed as he swallowed the drink in one gulp. He sat it back down for me to refill.

  “What are your plans?” he asked.

  “Move out eventually; get a better job and house. I don’t know. Things are so expensive in this town compared to back home. Going home is the last thing I want to do, but my parents are there and they can help out,” My mom’s home was my last choice, but it was cheaper. And would my parents really help out
? Who knows? I liked to believe that they would have.

  “Where is home again?”

  “Tennessee.”

  “That’s really far away.”

  “Yeah I know, but this place was supposed to be a fresh start, to get away, and I screwed everything up.”

  “Why did you need a fresh start?” The interest in his face appeased me, but I didn’t want to tell him.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “I think this,” he pointed between the two of us, “makes it my business. I have a right to know if you’re some sort of wanted fugitive.”

  “I didn’t plan this,” I told him shaking my head.

  He laughed to try to lighten the mood. “You could have done worse. I’m handsome, rich, and the whole world loves me. Any child of mine would be so lucky.”

  I snorted. The whole world didn’t love him. Ginger had told me enough. He didn’t date; he had a different girl on his arm every night. His world revolved around parties and movie sets.

  “And the birth control?” he asked.

  “With the move, I missed a few days here or there. I screwed up.”

  He has to think I did this on purpose.

  “I see….I’ll want a paternity test of course.”

  “Of course.”

  We sat there for a few awkward seconds before he said, “What now?”

  “I need to consider all my options.”

  Before now, I hadn’t even considered going home, but I wanted to see his reaction. For some reason, I wanted to know what he’d say if he believed I was moving to the other side of the states. The plan sounded so solid coming out of my mouth, but I only touched on the subject. There was no way in hell I would actually return home. There was no telling how the town would regard me. They already hated me enough as it was. Bash had been dead for nearly a year now. Coming home, pregnant and alone would only make them think worse of me. These were people I’d grown up with, people who were supposed to be my friends, and the moment they could, they had turned their backs on me.