by S. E. Lund
"I'll talk to Ella and get back to you."
"Good," David said. "This will keep my mind busy. You know I love any chance to have people here. Are you calling the brothers or should I?"
"No, that's okay. I'll call them and ask them to be there."
"Great," he said, and I was happy that he seemed so genuinely pleased about hosting the wedding. We talked a few moments longer about nothing in particular and then said goodbye. I hung up and checked the time. I had an early meeting that day and hadn't got my bike ride in, so I decided to take time mid-afternoon to go for a ride. The weather was good, and it was still sunny, and the streets were pretty clear of snow, so it was perfect timing.
I changed into my riding clothes and grabbed my bike, taking it downstairs. When I got to the street and climbed onto it, I adjusted my helmet and it was then I saw Mr. Fedora across the street once more. I exhaled in anger and decided to confront the man myself.
I rode across the street at the crosswalk and stopped in front of him, still on the bike. He glanced up from his paper and I caught a smile on his face.
"I know who you are and who you're working for," I said, unable to keep anger out of my voice.
"But you don't know why," he replied, grinning.
"I would if you told me."
He glanced left and right, and then stepped closer. "You should ask Ms. Conroy."
Then he folded his paper and walked away.
I followed him, riding beside him on my bike. "Who the hell is Ms. Conroy?"
"You don't remember the names of your sex partners? Alicia Conroy, twenty-four, daughter of James Conroy. Of Brentford, Wallace and Conroy?"
Then the name did ring a bell and I had an image of a blonde young woman with big tits who had charmed the pants off me months ago after a drunken night in a bar. It was the month before I met Ella.
Crap...
There could be only one reason her father, a partner with the law firm who hired McPherson, was interested in me.
"Don't tell me," I said and held up a hand. "She's--."
"She's pregnant. And she's pretty sure you're her baby-daddy." McPherson smiled widely.
"We had sex twice," I said, a sense of dread filling me. "She told me she was on the pill. I used a condom for protection -- both times. There's no way she's pregnant with my child."
"You sure about that?"
"I'm pretty sure I tested the condoms after and they were intact, so I don't know how she could get pregnant."
"She said you were both really drunk and that there might have been contact before you put on the condom."
I tried to remember that night, but it was pretty fuzzy, and we were both quite drunk. I do remember us being naked and rolling around in the bed before we fucked. There was a lot of oral play before and then we got down to business. I did use a condom. Both times.
"I used a condom."
"Regardless of what you think, she is pregnant and she says you're the only man she slept with during that cycle, so it's either the immaculate conception or somehow your jizz got inside of her before you put the condom on. My client wants you to do a paternity test."
"Fine," I said and shrugged. "You could have asked me. I'd be happy to comply, because I know I'm not the father. Why didn't you just ask weeks ago when I first saw you hanging around my office building?"
"My client wanted to know what kind of man you were just in case you are the father of his daughter's child."
I sighed. "Look, I'm one hundred percent certain that I'm not the father. I'll do the paternity test -- whatever you need. Tell me where to go and what to do. I'm engaged to be married and I want this cleared up as soon as possible."
"Good," McPherson said and reached into his jacket pocket. "Here's the court order for a test. This will prove one way or the other if you're the father." He handed me an envelope containing what I expected was a court order for a paternity test.
I took it from him. "You know, this whole business could have been settled a month ago if you'd just asked for a meeting and told me about this."
"My client wasn't sure you were the father. Seems that Alicia didn't want to name you at first, so my client did some research on the men she dated in the months surrounding the date she became pregnant. You're one of three men who are possible fathers. He convinced her to petition to have you tested.”
"Have the other men taken tests?"
"Yes. Both came back negative. It looks like you're the one."
I shook my head, certain that there was no way it was me. "I guess the test will prove otherwise, so there must have been someone else.”
Then, I tucked the envelope into my jacket interior pocket and drove off.
I needed a very long ride around the river to work off the anger I felt at this most recent turn of events...
* * *
When I arrived back at the building, I went right up to the apartment and had a shower. In the shower, I went over what I could remember about my encounter with Alicia Conroy. We met at a local club when I was out with Keith on a nice summer night earlier in the year. We'd done shots as a group, we danced, and somehow, Alicia and I paired off and one thing led to another. We left together and took a cab back to the apartment, where we had a very tipsy encounter and then a much more sober encounter if somewhat hung over, the next morning. Alicia was vivacious and pretty with luscious curves and blonde hair down to her waist.
She was impressed with my name and family connections, and indicated she'd be interested in seeing me again. I said sure, give me your number, but I never did call her for a repeat performance. While enjoyable sexually, she just didn't strike me as girlfriend material.
I was certain that I'd used a condom both times we had sex. Drunk or sober, I always used protection for my sake more than anything. I didn't want to get a disease or someone pregnant.
That was the last thing on my mind.
I finished showering and got dressed, standing in the mirror, fastening my tie. It was then I remembered the first time we fucked. She'd got on top of me before I could put on a condom and had tried to ride me, but I stopped her.
"Whoa, girl," I had said and lifted her off me. "Wait a minute..." I'd reached into the drawer of my bedside table and pulled out a condom, fumbling in my drunken way with the condom, rolling it over my erection.
Then, we'd fucked. I removed the condom afterwards and tied it off. No leaks. There had been none the second time, either.
"If you got her pregnant, you're a dumb fuck," I said to myself.
* * *
I went to my office and checked my email. Then I called George, my lawyer who handled personal matters.
"Hey, George, I was served with a petition to undergo a paternity test for a woman I had sex with last summer. She's pregnant and claims I'm the only one who could be the father."
I heard George exhale on the other end of the line.
"You have to comply and go to the lab, get tested. If it comes back that you're the likely father, you'll have to provide child support."
I took in a deep breath. "Look, George, I used a condom both times we had sex, and I checked both times and the condom was intact. There's no way that it's my kid."
"Was there any unprotected genital-to-genital contact?"
I made a face. "There was a very brief amount of contact when she was eager to get going but I stopped her before there was any real penetration. Could she get pregnant from what tiny amount of material might have been present?"
"Absolutely. It happens. It's very rare and highly unlikely, especially if she was also on the pill. But it has happened before. You better be prepared."
I rubbed my forehead, angry with myself that I'd been drinking too hard and been too promiscuous after Christie and I broke up. I had tried to drown my sorrows in pussy and probably had gotten myself into big trouble.
"Thanks. I'll let you know what happens. How much will I be on the hook for, if it is my child?"
"You're very rich. The judge wil
l expect you to raise this child in a manner in keeping with your current lifestyle. As a multi-millionaire with a large income, it will be a lot."
"Okay, thanks. Figure something out for me, just in case."
"I will. Sorry about this, Josh, but it’s the law."
"I know," I said and ended the call, feeling an urge to smash something.
I sat in the silence of my office for a few moments, trying to calm myself. I knew what I had to do. I had to go right down and tell Ella. I'd made a promise to be totally honest with her about everything.
I wasn't going to break that promise now, even if I was pretty sure the whole business would amount to nothing.
I took the elevator down to her floor and after saying hello to the receptionist, I went back to Ella's office. She had her head buried in a manuscript and glanced up almost in a daze when I knocked on the open door.
"Can I come in?" I asked and entered the office, my hand on the doorknob. "We need to talk. In private."
"Sure," she said and blinked, pushing the manuscript away. "Come in. Close the door."
I closed it and went over to her, kissing her and stroking her cheek.
"What's the matter?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Is it bad news? You look grim."
I leaned on the desk beside her and took her hand. "I have something to tell you. It's going to be upsetting."
"Josh, you're scaring me."
"I don't mean to, but something happened." I hesitated, not knowing how to phrase it. I decided to just come out and say it point blank. "A woman I had sex with in the summer before we met has petitioned to force me to do a paternity test."
Her mouth dropped open and she glanced away, not saying anything.
Finally, she looked back into my eyes. "Is this possible? Do you think you might be the father?"
I shook my head. "I used a condom both times we had sex, but there was a moment when she kind of got on top of me before I put one on. There was maybe," I said and held out my finger and thumb an inch apart, "maybe a small bit of penetration before. I stopped her and put on the condom, but my lawyer tells me that there is a very small chance I am the father if so."
"Oh, Josh, I'm so sorry..."
I exhaled. "Me, too."
Ella stood and slipped her arms around my neck, leaning against me, her face beside mine. We kissed warmly and then she pulled back.
"Whatever happens, I'm with you. If it's your child, you have to do what's right."
"Thank you," I said, feeling relieved she was being so supportive right away. "I was afraid you'd be really mad."
"How could I be mad? I've been reckless before and could have become pregnant. I was just lucky a couple of times when, you know, Jerkface and I had unprotected sex. So, who am I to judge?"
"You and Derek had unprotected sex?"
She widened her eyes. "A couple of times when we both drank too much, yes. But don't worry. I've been tested for STDs and I'm clean."
"I didn't even think of that," I said. "Thank you for being so understanding."
She kissed me and ran her hand through my hair. "Whatever happens, we're in this together, right?"
"We are," I said.
"As long as you don't replace me with her, I don't care."
"Never," I said and pulled her more tightly against me.
I held her in my arms and hoped that the test would be negative. I couldn't wait to get it done and put it all behind us.
13
Ella
When Josh left my office, I closed the door and the encouraging smile I had plastered on my face fell. I sat down at my desk and had a quick cry.
It was completely silly of me to cry about it. Josh had several sexual partners between his breakup with Christie and meeting me. There was nothing wrong with it. He had always been very careful when we made love to use a condom, not wanting to take a risk and I appreciated that. I realized that if he did get the woman pregnant, it had been a total accident, and not due to him being an uncaring lout.
Still, it would mean he had a child in the world with another woman -- a child he would look after and be responsible for. That child, and not one of ours, would be his firstborn. It was silly of me, but my perfect little world got a small dent in it.
I felt totally small and petty, but I also felt this profound sense of sadness. I wanted him to be my only husband and I his only wife. I wanted our family to be his only family. If the baby was his, that would mean he always had another family, even if he didn't love the child's mother. Then I kicked myself. I shouldn't be thinking that way. I should be thinking that if this baby was his, it was his baby. His child. It was a product of him, and I loved him more than anything.
I would love his child, even if it wasn't mine.
I wiped my eyes and picked up the manuscript I was currently reading and tried to continue. The whole business was completely out of my hands and so there was nothing I could do but support Josh in whatever happened.
That's what a good fiancée would do. If I was going to be his fiancée, I would be the very best kind possible.
For the next hour before the end of the day, I tried to keep my mind off the issue and focus on my work. When five thirty rolled around, I shut off my computer and cleaned off my desk, putting my files away. I popped my head into Sharon's office and said goodnight, checking if our breakfast meeting was on, and then I went up to the penthouse.
Josh was still working, so I went into the kitchen and checked out the refrigerator to see what we might have for supper. There was frozen chicken in the freezer, and some limp looking carrots in the bottom of the crisper. But there was a lemon, and I had lots of garlic and olive oil and a container of oregano in the spice drawer. I could make Greek Chicken with rice pilaf.
So I did. Cooking helped take my mind off the situation, and with some music playing in the background, I was able to spend the next hour preparing the meal, then cooking it. By the time Josh arrived, the chicken was finishing in the oven, the rice pilaf was steaming away on the stove and I had a cold bottle of beer ready for him. Mine was already half empty.
"Here," I said and handed him his bottle. "You need this after the day you've had."
"You got that right," he said.
I held my bottle up for a toast. He exhaled and we clinked bottles together. Then, he took a long sip before sitting at the island. I went to him and he pulled me into his arms, kissing me before taking another sip.
"I smell something delicious," he said and glanced at the kitchen. "What's cooking? It smells Mediterranean."
"Greek Chicken stuffed with feta in a lemon garlic sauce. Rice pilaf. Roasted carrots."
"Mmm," he said and closed his eyes. "Sounds delicious. I'm glad it's your night to manage supper. I'm exhausted and just want to crash on the sofa and watch something mindless."
"That sounds exactly like I feel, so you're on."
While I finished the chicken, adding some butter and wine to make the sauce, Josh set the table and we sat down for our meal. Outside, the sun had set, and the lights of the city were visible for miles. It was a great view.
"I'll miss this great vista when we move into our new place, but we still have a pretty sweet view."
"It's going to be fantastic," Josh said and we had another toast. "To our new life together."
"To our new life. Together, we can manage anything that comes our way."
After we finished our meal and cleaned up, we went to the living room and snuggled on the sofa. Josh took over the remote and flipped through channels, looking for something interesting to watch. In the end, he settled on a game, with sound turned down low. He pulled me closer, his arm around my shoulder, and put his feet up on the coffee table.
"So, tell me how you're doing," he said, his voice soft.
"I'm fine," I said and laid my head against his shoulder.
He turned and caught my eye, his expression serious. "Tell me the truth. How are you feeling about it? You must be upset."
I gave him a weak
smile. "I won't lie and say it didn't upset me, but more for you than out of jealousy."
He nodded, but then I kicked myself. "No, let me correct that. I am jealous. If this is your baby, it will be your first child, not the ones you have with me."
"I'm so sorry about this," Josh said and shook his head. "I've always been so careful about it, because my father drummed it into us as young men that we had to be responsible. But that night, I was a little too drunk."
"I'll deal with it, Josh," I said. "I'm all grown up and will support you, no matter what the outcome."
"Thanks," he said and kissed me tenderly. "Hopefully, it's not mine and we can move on and put all of this behind us. If it is mine, we'll do our best to deal with it. I won't deny my responsibility if it is my child. But she won't ever get in between us, Ella. I promise that. She meant nothing to me but a nice fuck when I was hurting after Christie. That's it. If this child is mine, I will be a good parent and make sure I provide for it, and get to know him or her, but it will never interfere with us our family."
"I know," I said and smiled. "You're a good man, Josh. I know you'll do the right thing."
He was. When he did the right thing, I'd be right there with him.
* * *
He got the call from the lab one day during lunch, when we had come up to the apartment to eat together and go over some plans for the apartment. The receptionist had a date for Josh to go for the paternity test. I'd almost forgotten about it, but the question remained this little sense of gloom in my otherwise happy life. We'd been busy looking at kitchen appliances, picking ones out for our apartment when he got the call.
He answered his cell and spoke with the person on the other end of the line. "Oh, yeah," he said and ran his fingers through his hair, which was getting way too long. He jumped up and opened his laptop, checking his calendar to make sure he could make the date, and then put down his cell. "Yes, I can make it. Thanks."