Lost and Found

by Jennifer Bryan Yarbrough

I felt so bad about not going to the party with all of them, but my morning sickness seems to be getting worse. During the day while he is at work it's easier to hide, because it’s just Eden and I here and Carmen is so busy cleaning the house that I make sure to stay away from her. It's pretty easy, considering there are more than a dozen bathrooms in this huge place.

  "I still feel a little nauseated, but I do feel better. I really hated to miss it too, but I promise. Next week I will be going to the New Year’s Eve party and I will be wearing the same dress that you obviously loved!"

  When I came downstairs and saw the look on his face, he made me feel as if I were the most beautiful woman in the world, especially when he whispered that he couldn't wait to take it off of me. I went from turned on to my stomach in knots and had to run to the bathroom to throw up. Thank God Amelia saved me and announced that I must have come down with a stomach bug and told everyone that I should stay home.

  "Oh, I loved the dress! I meant what I whispered in your ear. Now you can wear the jewelry that I got you for Christmas. Do you really like them? I know it wasn't an engagement ring, but we've got a good thing going right here, right? There's no need in rushing anything, is there? Don't get me wrong. I'll marry you today, right now, if you want. Do you want to? Today I mean?"

  What? He sounds like Gideon with all of his questions. Granted, when I saw that he had handed me a jewelry box I was quite nervous and all eyes were on me. What he bought me instead were diamond and sapphire earrings with a matching necklace. I've never had jewelry bought for me except for from my parents and I just couldn't believe that he had spent so much money on me.

  They were beautiful and I loved then, but him giving me an engagement ring for Christmas would have been too predictable and cliché for Cash and there's nothing predictable or cliché about him, so I really wasn't expecting one.

  "Cash? Where is this coming from? Of course I love the jewelry you got me. They're beautiful! How did you know that I loved sapphires? Oh. Claudia must have told ya, huh? What is all of the sudden urgency about getting married? Today?" Surely he doesn't know that I'm pregnant and that that's why he's acting so crazy about getting married today.

  "I saw the way you looked at the jewelry box, Liv. All I want to do is make you happy and I felt like you were shocked that it wasn't an engagement ring."

  "Oh, Honey. I wasn't expecting an engagement ring. The reason I was in shock is because I've never had anything so beautiful given to me before. I know you well enough to know that you're not going to ask me with a room full of people so no, I wasn't expecting an engagement ring." He pulls me into a tighter hug.

  "Ya know, I really don't deserve you. Please be patient with me, okay? You do know me pretty well, because it'll be when you least expect it and when we are alone. Did you have a Merry Christmas? I know the holidays are never easy."

  "Yes. It's been a really good Christmas. When I woke up this morning, I realized that last year I never even got out of my bed, because I refused to acknowledge the day and I'm amazed at how alive I feel again. I still miss them like crazy, but there's nothing I can do to change it. I've finally accepted that. How about you? Are you having a Merry Christmas?" One of the things that I love about him is how freely we can talk about our former lives with the ones that we lost and loved.

  "Yes. It's been a wonderful Christmas and I finally feel that I've made Vanessa proud of me. This is the first Christmas that I've spent with the kids since she died and I woke up feeling very thankful for you coming into my life, because YOU, my beautiful girl, are the reasons for all of this. My parents over there playing with the kids, Caleb flirting with Claudia, while she tries to pretend it’s not bothering her and cuddling now with you. I love you so much that I can't even put it into the right words, Liv. I hope you know that and can feel my undying love for you." I see it in his eyes every morning when he looks at me and I so hope he doesn't hate me when he finds out about the babies.

  "Yes. I have never felt so loved in all my life and I hope that you can feel my love for you. I never want to lose you, cash. I think it would physically kill me." I pull him in tighter and hold on to him.

  "Liv, I'm not going anywhere. This is it for me. This is all that I want for the rest of my life. You and everyone in this room. Okay?" If he only knew that there were two more tiny beings growing inside my body that needed his love as well. I put my hand over my stomach, hoping that they can feel my love for them. I just have to work on preparing their daddy to love them as much as I already do.

  ********************

  One week later, Cash and I are on our way to his office New Year’s Eve party and Lucas is driving us in the limo. I'm so nervous about getting nauseous or someone trying to force a drink on me at midnight, and trying to figure out a way out of not drinking that I feel like I'm about to break out in hives.

  Each day I worry and worry about how I need to tell him and wonder what his reaction is going to be. The minute Claudia and I found out I was pregnant with twins, I loved them immediately. There is no way I can fathom the thought of aborting them, if he requests that. I just need to figure out a way for him to fall in love with them as much as I already am.

  "Sweetheart, why are you sitting over there all alone and what my dear, are you thinking about? Come here and sit by me. Have I told you how beautiful you look? You're absolutely glowing. “Oh boy, am I! He has no idea.

  "Oh, I'm just nervous I guess about meeting all of your employees and their spouses, since I wasn't able to meet any of them at the Christmas party. I'm just glad that you extended an invitation to Caleb and Claudia. At least there will be someone I know there."

  He pulls me closer to him, wraps his arms around me, leans down, and kisses me. Oh, I hate lying to him! We have been so honest with each other and are at a good place, and this lie that I'm keeping from him is killing me. He is going to be furious when he finds out and there's no telling how bad that argument is going to be.

  "Honey, they understood that you weren't feeling well the night of the Christmas party and honestly, they all seem really excited to meet you, and I've bragged about how beautiful you are to everyone. Did I mention that I love that dress? Don't you dare try to take it off when we get home tonight, because that will be my job and the first thing I do!" He pulls my hand up to his mouth and starts sucking on each finger, then kisses the top of my hand and then the inside of my wrist, which is turning me on and I start moaning with pleasure. I can see his eyes heat up with the same desire that he’s stirring inside of me.

  "Hey, Lucas. Drive around for a little bit until I tell you to stop, and close the partition please."

  "Yes, Mr. Kingston." The partition rises up and I look at him wondering what he's up to.

  "Care for a little limo sex? I bet that's something you've never done before." Oh my Lord, my hormones have been out of whack and I have been so horny lately, when I'm not nauseous. I am so glad that I'm not showing yet, because of the nausea, but I know my stomach could start expanding any day.

  "What about my dress? It's silk! How are we going to manage that without ruining it?"

  "Maybe I should just take it off right now! Come on, Liv. I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off of you tonight." He leans down and whispers in my ear. "You know you want to."

  Oh god! That whisper of his gets to me every time and he knows it. I turn around and motion for him to unzip my dress and he carefully pulls it over my head and hands it to me, so I can put it on the other seat so that it doesn't wrinkle.

  He pulls me back and my back is against his chest and I feel him growing harder underneath me. I can't stand it.

  "You're not wearing any panties? Oh my God, Liv! You can be such a naughty, naughty girl sometimes." He leans forward, starts rubbing between my legs and rubs my sweet spot, while kissing my back and the nape of my neck, which causes my body to instinctively start grinding against him through his pants.

  "Cash, please! Take your pants off. I want you inside me now. I don'
t think I can take it much longer."

  He did it one handed quicker than I thought he could and then pushed me down on him and I feel the length of him further inside me than he's ever been. I start moving up and down and back and forth, while he's still rubbing me and pawing at one of my breast through my bra, while breathing hot air onto my neck.

  "Oh God, Liv! Have I told you how much I love you? How much I love what you do to me? How you make me feel? Oh, Liv! I forget everything when I'm with you." He grabs my hips and starts pushing me up and down faster and faster and I'm about to lose control.

  "Oh, Cash! I love you too; you don't even know how much. Harder, Cash, harder!"

  He picked me up while still inside of me and leaned me over the seat so that we are both on our knees and he starts doing exactly what I am begging him to do. He starts ramming me hard and moves his hand back to rubbing my button, which causes me to explode as he found his release, and we both come at the same time.

  "Oh God! Oh, oh, don't stop! That's what I want. Oh baby, don't stop!"

  I don't think we are ever going to stop climaxing and I feel like I'm on fire all over from the explosive orgasm that is finally starting to end. I look back at him and can tell that he just experienced the same intense feeling that I had. I'm not

  sure that I'm going to be able to even make it out of the limo, because my whole body feels like jelly. He leans back in his seat, grabs my ass, and kisses the lowest part of my back.

  "Oh my God, Liv! Oh god! You've never been that wild before, but oh my god I loved it! Best sex EVER! I don't even want to go to the party now. I just want to go back home and do that again! You have such an exquisite ass. I can tell that you're getting your appetite back too. I was getting worried about you there for a while, because you were getting too skinny."

  He pats me on my butt and yells at Lucas to start heading back to the party. All I can think about is that I need to tell him before he figures it out, because if my ass is getting bigger, it's just a matter of time before I start showing everywhere else.

  I rise up and start putting my dress on. He's watching me get dressed, while he's putting his pants back on and I see that he's getting hard again and I start grinning.

  "Ready for round 2 already? You might need to wait for me to get feeling back into my legs first, big guy."

  "Come here! Let me zip you up. I think I can manage waiting until we get back home. Maybe!"

  He's laughing now and zips my dress up and helps me with my heels. and Lucas lets us know that we have arrived.

  "Ready or not, Liv! Here we come! Are you ready?" "Not really, but I'm doing this for you, my love."

  He opens the door and leans back in and hands me his hand and helps pull me out of the limo. I see nothing but flashing lights and a long red carpet leading up to the entrance. He could have warned me about all of this. I didn't realize that there would be cameras everywhere and a red carpet. I see someone waving at the top of the stairs and its Claudia and Caleb. I start walking faster towards them to get out of the spotlight.

  I feel someone else staring at me and I look around to see who it could be and there's a petite blonde staring daggers towards me, and I know immediately who it is. Cash told me about this one. This has to be Maggie, the employee that screwed her way to the top and he was the only one that turned her down. Thank God she hasn't messed with him since their argument, but I can tell that she's still pissed about the rejection.

  I look the other way towards Claudia, who's jumping up and down and squealing like a school girl by the time we make it to the entrance. Caleb looks rather sharp in his tuxedo and is rolling his eyes at her excitement. He leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek and shakes his brother's hand.

  "Oh my God, Olivia! Wait until you see everything inside! Cash! You really know how to throw a party!"

  "Claudia, thank you, but I could care less. I just sign the check when they give me the bill. Come on ladies, Caleb. Let me escort you all to our table." He puts his arm out for me to grab and Caleb does the same for Claudia and Cash leads us to our table.

  ********************

  Claudia and I are resting up from all of the dances the guys had us dance with them. I had no idea that he was such a great dancer and Caleb isn't too bad either. We kept switching partners every couple of dances, which had us all cracking up.

  I look around for Cash and I see him in a heated conversation with that Maggie girl, and I see her put her hand on his arm and start rubbing up next to him with her body. He lifts her hand off of him and pushes her back. He flicked his hand at somebody, and they go over to him. He has words with the guy, leaves him with her, and heads towards me.

  "That's it, Liv! I don't know what that girl’s problem is or what her fixation is with me, but she's gone. I'm going to let her go ahead and stay until midnight, but she's fired as of tomorrow. I'll have someone call her in the morning to tell her that she can get her things and I'll give her a severance package, but that's it!"

  "What was her problem? I saw her all up on you. What did she say?" He seems really upset.

  "Honestly, I don't want to tell you, but I will. I’m not crazy about fraternization in my offices and everyone knows it. Well, somehow she heard that you used to be my nanny and she was insinuating that I was a hypocrite, because that's what I told the HR department when they asked how I felt about employees dating. Don't worry about it, honey. Midnight isn't too far away and she will be leaving soon after." I see him nod his head at someone across the room.

  "I don't know why I came here tonight! All everyone is doing is sucking up to me and talking about work. Can't these people have fun for one night? I'll be right back; I've got to go talk to someone." He leans down and gives me a quick peck on the lips and walks away.

  "I'm going to go get us something to drink, ladies. I don't know about you, but I'm dying of thirst. I'll be right back." Caleb is as much a gentleman as his brother.

  "Whew! What’s Cash’s problem? By the way, I think all your man keeps thinking about is taking that dress off of you, O! Have you noticed the way he's been looking at you all night?"

  "I'm sure that's what he's thinking about, because he already told me that he would be thinking about it all night. But, he already took the dress off. In the limo!" The look on her face was priceless, which had me laughing so hard I was about to wet myself.

  "You didn't? Omg, you did! Well, aren't you a naughty, naughty girl! Who would have thought that little Miss Olivia would be a freak in the limo?"

  "That's funny, because that's what Cash called me when he realized I didn't have any panties on!"

  "Oh, you little slut! Bravo, O! Bravo! I bow down to you. I never would have thought that you had it in ya. You know, I know I've said this before, but you two are really good for each other and I've never seen you happier, you know what I mean. Now you just need to get past the next obstacle and everything will be great."

  "What obstacle would that be?" I turn around and there's Maggie with her catty self, staring me down. Claudia seems ready for her, though.

  "The kind that is none of your business." Claudia turns around, talking to no one in particular. "Someone, please come over here and take out the trash!" She's pointing at Maggie.

  "Oh, that's so high school. So, what do you do for Cash?" She's looking at Claudia. "Is that what he's into? Threesomes? What are you? His maid? Oh that's rich. The nanny AND the maid! He's a hypocrite if you ask me." Claudia stands up ready to fight.

  "No one asked you whore and not that it's anyone's business, but I'm her lawyer. If you know what's good for you, you'll walk away before I file harassment charges against you!" Maggie shoved me in the arm with her purse, ignoring Claudia and trying to get my attention.

  "What's wrong with you, slut? Are you too scared to look me in the eye and face me for stealing what belonged to me?" Excuse me? Cash never belonged to her! Oh no, no, no, no, no! I stand up and face her.

  "What exactly do you think I stole from you? If you
're talking about Cash, then you're sadly mistaken. It's not my fault you slept your way to the top and he was the first person to turn you down! You're lucky he didn't fire you!"

  She threw her drink in my face. Literally threw her drink in my face. Claudia has her claws out and is trying to get past me, but I hold her back with one arm.

  "How dare you talk to me like that you...? You nanny! You peon! You're a nobody! You're the one that slept your way to the top, you slut!"

  What happened next I wasn’t prepared for, because the next thing I knew my head is jerked in the opposite direction. She slapped me! There was no holding back. I pushed Claudia out of my way and punched her in the nose. Blood spurted everywhere as she fell to the ground. I am in shock at what I did in retaliation, but I suddenly hear Claudia screaming.

  "You fucking bitch! How dare you touch her! She's pregnant, you ignorant little slut!" Claudia's pulling her up and has her fist pulled back, and that was when Caleb showed up and stopped her before her fist connected. Everything has gotten quiet and I notice that everyone is looking at us.

  "I'm calling the cops! I think you just broke my nose, you bitch!" She is holding a handful of blood that keeps coming out of her nose.

  "You call the cops! I know every one of them and I'll make damn sure to tell them that you came over here and harassed us, threw your drink in her face, AND slapped her before she punched you! Who do you think will be going to jail? She was just defending herself!" Caleb is having a hard time holding Claudia back, because she's trying to climb over him to get to her. I see Maggie look behind me and start crying.

  "Cash! I told you that you were too good for her and you ruined it for us by knocking this little slut up! I'll take care of you still, if you would just let me."

  I look at Cash and he's burning a hole through her. "That's ENOUGH MAGGIE! YOU'RE FIRED, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! You can pick up your belongings from your office and a severance check at the security booth tomorrow afternoon. Security will walk you out! NOW!"