“I’m fine. Tired. I’d love to just sleep the rest of the day.”
“Well, Alexander, that wouldn’t be fair to you, now would it, my little cutie pie?” Mom stood there and had Alexander smiling and wiggling in her arms as she talked to him. He really responded to her.
“Shall we get going? We need to go make sure this precious baby is going to be fine.”
“Yeah, let’s go. I sure hope that’s what they say.”
****
By the time we returned home, Jessica had already brought Abby home. She ran to my mom as soon as we walked in the house. Fortunately for my mom, I was holding Alexander, who was fast asleep. Lucky him. Mom talked to Abby as I went and laid him down upstairs and turned on the monitor. I retrieved my phone out of my pocket and sent a text to Jeff. He was probably in a meeting, and I didn’t want to disturb him. I would have called if I had some super great news, but I didn’t. There wasn’t much of a change. They did say the irregular beat wasn’t as easily detectable, but it was still there. I had an appointment to go back in another month.
The next appointment, I’d be able to drive myself. It would be two months; there was no way I was going to be confined to the house for more than two months. I had scheduled the appointment for later that afternoon, too.
I had a plan. I was going to pick up Abby, then take her with me to the doctor’s visit. While there, I’d talk them into swabbing both her and Alexander to compare their DNA. Mine will be there for both, but the paternal DNA should be different. I had done enough research on the Internet to know I didn’t need Sky or Jeff. Luckily for me, I had Abby.
Chapter 28
The weeks dragged on. The repetition in my daily life was driving me out of my mind. I felt like I had no purpose. I had started working out, against my doctor’s orders, but only doing very light things. A lot of walking and some low-impact aerobics. I could see a difference, but I still had quite a few extra pounds that were clinging to my body in all the wrong places.
I had called Jackie a few times, but the best I could get out of her was a text conversation and the promise she would come see me one of these weekends. What the fuck!
Mandy came by a couple times. She let me know she and Creighton were back together. I was happy for her. And Georgia and Candace had come by several times to check up on me and filled me in on the office gossip.
And while all that was just fine and dandy, this was the big day. Alexander was going to his follow-up visit and I was going to convince the doctor to do this test and keep it a secret. No one could ever know.
Ever.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Jessica was standing in the kitchen, looking bored as hell, as usual.
“No, I won’t be gone long. I need to get out of the house and do this.”
“Well, if you need anything while you’re out, give me a call.”
“Thank you, I will.”
I picked up my keys, the diaper bag, and Alexander, then headed out the door.
After picking up Abby, we went to the doctor’s office. They went through the routine of checking Alexander like the last time.
“Have you noticed any abnormal behavior?” the doctor asked me.
“No, he’s happy and seems to be fine.”
“Yes, his heartbeat seems a little closer to what we would consider normal. It’s very possible that by six months, this will all be a distant memory.” The doctor picked up the chart and began writing his notes. “We will still need to check him monthly until we are certain everything is fine.”
“I understand; that makes sense.”
“Did you have any other questions for me today?”
“I had one.” Abby began coughing as I spoke. Perfect timing. “I think Abby may be coming down with something. Do you think you could swab her mouth, then compare it to Alexander for me?”
“Are you asking me to do a --” I cut him off before he said the test out loud. Abby was in the habit of repeating things, and that was one thing I never wanted mentioned in the house.
“Yes, doctor, I am. That’s exactly what I’m asking you to do.” I did everything except steeple my fingers as I pleaded. “Please, I desperately need you to do this for me.”
“And I’m assuming this must be completely confidential?”
“Absolutely.”
“Fine. I normally wouldn’t do this. I would typically send you to a lab, but I’ll do this for you this one time.”
“Thank you. I appreciate this more than you can imagine.”
“You can call my nurse on Friday after three pm to get the results. I’ll mark the chart to make sure no one calls you and that they only speak with you about this test result.”
“Thank you so much.”
The doctor left, and I gathered up my babies. Abby tried to carry the diaper bag for me, but it was weighing her down on one side. It was so cute to see her struggle with it. We went out, and I made a follow-up appointment for Alexander. I wanted to get him in to be seen before I went back to work. It was easier that way. I wouldn’t have to take time off work right away.
I sent Jeff a text as soon as we got in the car. I didn’t expect him to reply. I just wanted to give him the update. We could talk later that night.
Chapter 29
The week went by extra slow, but the day had arrived for me to call and get the results of the DNA test. My hands were sweaty, and my heart was racing as I dialed the numbers. I shouldn’t have been so nervous. One look at that little boy’s face was proof whose son he was. This call was just confirmation. But there was still that slight chance Sky was the father, and that’s what scared the hell out of me. How would I react if that were the result? Would I scream and run to a couch, burying my head in the cushions, like on Maury? Would I pass out? One thing was for sure, I’d be moving out, and my life would be wrecked.
“Doctor’s office.”
“Good afternoon, this is Nikki Carrington. I was calling about a test result for my son, Alexander.” I confirmed his birthdate and everything else she asked for.
“One second, and I’ll go pull his chart.” I was put on hold and left there for-fucking-ever. Obviously, they didn’t realize the longer I sat on hold, the closer I was to having a heart attack from anxiety. I inhaled deeply, then slowly released my breath.
“Mrs. Carrington,” the nurse said, “we have the result.”
“I’m ready.” I was sitting on the bed, staring in toward Alexander’s crib.
“The tests between your daughter and son do not match.” I collapsed on the bed, the phone was glued to my ear. I released the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
A weight had been lifted from my shoulders. “Thank you.”
“Was there anything else you needed today?”
“No, that was it.”
“Have a nice day.”
I hung up, then pounded my fist into the bed. I would never, ever do anything that careless again. Never.
I walked over and picked up my sleeping baby into my arms and hugged him tight. Relief flowed through me. I was freed.
****
The days seemed to fly by. It hadn’t taken me very long before I got used to Jeff leaving every week, again. Jessica living with us helped keep me from feeling lonely. It was different with Abby and Alexander, too. They kept me so busy sometimes I didn’t have time to think of anything else except them and what they needed.
Each week had become as repetitive as the last, but I found ways to improve my mood. I had taken it upon myself to do more for myself. I was driving myself around and even drove Abby to day care and picked her up a couple days a week.
My depression faded after I began working out. I had been working out consistently, slowly increasing the intensity. I was returning to work the next week and had only ten pounds left to lose.
Alexander was almost three months old and had his third checkup since being home. He was getting so big, and his arrhythmia was improving each time we went, or at l
east that’s what I had been told. I was relieved that they said they didn’t think there was a need to medicate him.
I asked Jessica to stay with us an extra couple of weeks after I returned to work, until the day care was able to start watching Alexander. I hated having him there so young, but Abby went when she was very young, and she was fine. They took very good care of the kids they watched, and I had known them for years.
I had my final doctor appointment to get my checkup before being released to go back to work. I had been looking forward to Jeff coming home, too. I was looking forward to getting back to our normal sex life. I loved giving blow jobs, but enough was enough now. I was excited to get back to normal. I needed that desperately. We didn’t have anything special planned for the coming weekend, all I knew was I was hell-bent on spending at least two hours of quality alone time with my man. I was so happy Jessica was still living with us.
I was up to date on all the office gossip, thanks to Candace and Georgia. There wasn’t a lot going on, but Jack had started dating someone and was trying to keep it secret. Little did he know, everyone knew.
****
Being at work the first few days had been nothing more than showing pictures of Alexander and Abby, catching up with everyone, and basically, being retrained at my own job by Robert. He had made so many updates to the processes that I felt like I was in a completely new position.
We were going out for happy hour after work. We had decided going on Thursday would be better than Friday. Plus, Georgia had a date Friday night. That alone was surprise enough, then she told me she was finally going out with Connor. I was shocked. I preferred Thursday as well. Jeff was going to be home Saturday morning for sure, but said he’d try to get there Friday night. If he came home Friday, I wanted to be home to see him.
Keeping Jessica the extra couple of weeks was such a smart decision. If she hadn’t stayed on, I wouldn’t be able to go out with all my work friends. I didn’t plan to stay out late, but it was nice to engage in adult camaraderie again.
“So what can I get you all tonight?”
“A glass of Chardonnay, please.” This was my first drink of alcohol since the bachelorette party drinking debacle. But I was going to enjoy this glass of wine; I was looking forward to tasting it. My mouth began watering. I knew I’d only have two glasses, I couldn’t overdrink. It had been a long time and I wanted to ease myself back into drinking. I could always have another glass when I got home, if I wanted one. Alexander’s sucking had become so intense, leaving my nipples raw and bleeding, that I had stopped breastfeeding a couple of weeks before I went back to work.
Everyone else ordered, and it didn’t take long before our drinks were brought out to us. We had the complimentary chips and salsa to munch on as we talked and drank. After about an hour, Jason, Jack’s brother, and her husband, came in and joined us at our table.
Within a half an hour everyone except Jack, Jason, and I had left.
Chapter 30
Jason being in the bar that night felt strange. The only time I had been around him before that night was at the cookout at their home, with her, his wife the she-devil.
Jason had been getting pretty hammered. I was sitting inside the booth near the wall, beside Jack. When I excused myself to go to the bathroom, Jason jumped up from his seat and was face-to-face with me where I stood.
“You aren’t leaving, are you?”
“Not yet, but soon. I’ll be back.”
“Good, we have more to talk about.” What the hell was this guy’s deal? I had thought I was done talking to bar drunks when I met Jeff. Something about his tone resonated in my head and had me on edge. Why would we have more to talk about?
I returned, and Jack stood to let me slide in. I didn’t plan to stay much longer. I needed to get home. It was a little after seven o’clock, and the thought of being here listening to Jason’s drunken diatribe didn’t excite me in the least.
“How’s that wonderful husband of yours, and the baby?” Seriously? I clutched at my purse; I was ready to leave.
“My husband is fine. And Alexander is perfect. How could he not be?” Fucking asshole. “How is your wife?” I felt like we had begun a sparring match. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to talk about my family to him, and I damn sure didn’t give a rat’s ass about his bitch wife, Blake.
“I don’t know. I’ll ask her when she gets home. She’s out of town right now. She’s been gone all week.”
My stomach sank. Did he just say what I think he said?
“Oh, I’m sorry. By the look on your face, I’m guessing Jeff didn’t tell you they were out of town together, again.” He waved his hand flippantly in the air. “On business.”
I sat frozen to my seat, my head slowly shaking back and forth. This couldn’t be. He had told me he was going to be with Sandy before he left. Why would he lie to me? I had talked to him the past nights, and he never mentioned it then, either. I picked up my glass and coaxed the last couple of drops of wine from it into my mouth.
“Can I get you another drink? You’re probably going to need it.” How could he sit there with such a smug look on his face? What a fucking dick. He waved for the waitress, then asked her to bring us all another round. Until he ordered for Jack, I had completely forgotten he was sitting right next to me.
“There’s a lot you don’t know, sweetheart. I can tell you, if you like. I can tell you everything. And I plan to. It’s about time someone tells you the truth.” His wink at me was pure evil.
“Where to begin, hmm, at the beginning, I guess, is as good a place as any.” Jason downed his shot of Tequila and took a draw of his beer as a chaser. My eyes were fixed on him. As much as I loathed his presence and didn’t want to hear anything he said, I had to know.
Jason started by telling me Jeff’s name had been tossed around as a possibility for a promotion to the position he was currently in. He had been considered for that same job a couple years earlier, but a couple of the senior managers thought he was still a bit too much of a wild card. They preferred someone who was more settled.
“We had all heard the reference to being settled and knew it meant to be either married or engaged.” Jason took a drink of his beer. “He had just broken up with Gretchen. At about that time, he was pretty hot and heavy with Blake. Everyone knew it.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to hear anything else about him and Blake.
“Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you appear in the picture. I later found out Connor had spotted you for his boy and had given you his business card.”
“How do you know that?”
“Connor can’t keep his mouth shut. So, anyway, Jeff wasn’t going to go out with you, but Connor kept nagging him.”
“Why? Why would Connor care so much?”
“Connor was hoping that Jeff would do what he had to do, get the promotion, then he’d get him transferred over to his team.”
“What do you mean, do what he had to do?”
“I told you, he had to be settled in the eyes of senior management.”
Jack interrupted the two-way conversation. “Jason, that’s enough.”
“I told her I was going to tell her the truth. What I’m saying is one hundred percent the God’s honest truth.” Jack shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He had a look on his face that said he tasted something rotten.
“Didn’t you think it was even the least little bit strange how fast he was moving? How fast he moved you in with him?” Jason took a long draw of his beer. “Jesus. Come on. You can’t be that stupid.”
Jack interrupted his brother again. “That’s enough, Jason. Just stop.”
“Fuck it, she has a right to know the truth. Don’t you want to know, Nikki?”
“Um, I don’t think –”
“Sure you do, you know deep down you do. Hell, you probably already suspected some of the shit I’m going to tell you.”
“Jason, for God’s sake, just shut the fuck up.”
; Jason stood from his seat. He pointed a finger in Jack’s face as he held his bottle of beer in the other hand. “Don’t ever tell me to shut the fuck up again. I swear to Christ, if we weren’t in this bar, I’d punch you right in your pussy-assed mouth.”
Jack slumped back in his seat, letting his brother prove that not only was he older, but also the more dominant of the two. Jason sat back down.
“So as I was saying, sweetheart,” he said. “Your husband, Mr. Fucking Perfect, isn’t as perfect as he wants you to think.”
Jason was drunk. Not falling down stupid drunk, but he’d had more than eight bottles of beer and had been doing shots. I really didn’t want to listen to him talk shit about Jeff. “Look, Jason, seriously I don’t --”
“You’re going to listen to me. You want to hear what I have to say.” He took another draw of his beer, then motioned for the waitress to come over. “Don’t you want to know how that perfect husband of yours got that promotion?”
My heart sank. My thoughts immediately went to wondering who he’d had sex with. Then I recollected his manager was a man.
“Don't hurt yourself thinking, sweetheart; trust me, I’m going to tell you.”
The waitress showed up, and Jason ordered another beer. Jack and I both passed.
“I asked you earlier, don’t you wonder why he moved you in so fast?”
“No, I never gave it any thought beyond what we talked about. I’m not sure what this has to do with anything.”
“I’m going to connect the puzzle pieces for you, Barbie. Answer this question, if you can. Did you think it was strange that the day he proposed, he just so happened to have a party that included his manager?”
“Jason, you really are fucked up. I’m leaving because I’m ashamed my brother is such a douchebag.” Jack stood up and fished his keys out of his pocket.
“Sit back down, Jack; don’t you dare try to leave.” Jason’s lips thinned, and his eyes were slits as he glared across the table. Jack lowered himself back into his seat.
Jaded By Desire (Lust, Desire, and Love Trilogy Book 2) Page 19