by Nicki Night
She placed a hand on her stomach. A baby. She was going to have a baby. Her mother would be the first person she’d tell when the time was right. She already knew this pregnancy would be risky, but she was willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure that her baby came out just fine.
Zoe’s phone buzzed. She’d gotten a message back from Robert.
I could make today work as long as it’s after 1 p.m.
She smiled.
2 pm is perfect. I can come to your office. See you then!
This was exactly what she needed.
Zoe went back to her sister’s room. Her mother was stretching in the chair she’d slept in.
“Hey, Ma. I need to head home and get myself together for work. I have a meeting I have to get to this afternoon.”
“Go ahead, honey. I’ll call you if anything changes.”
“Okay. I’ll be back after my meeting.” Zoe kissed her sister and her mother’s forehead and headed home.
After making a few updates to her LinkedIn profile, she made similar changes to her résumé, and then called Willena to tell her about the opportunity.
“You want to leave Blackwell so soon?” Willena asked.
Zoe didn’t want to go into the whole story but told Willena she’d explain more later. “I just wanted to get some insight about Richford before I meet with Robert. I didn’t expect to be able to meet with him so quickly.”
“It’s a great company, but Blackwell is a better fit,” Willena pointed out. “The company is expanding, and the opportunities there are endless. I think you should stay put, but it sounds like your mind is made up. Did something happen?”
Zoe closed her eyes and sighed. She decided to tell Willena the whole story. Willena had never judged her.
“Mmm-hmm,” she said occasionally as Zoe spoke. “I see,” she finally said. “A woman must do what a woman must do. Let me know how the interview goes. I’ll call and put in a good word.”
“Thank you so much, Willena. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done.”
Zoe ended the call and busied herself polishing her credentials until it was time to leave for her meeting with Richford Financial. She printed copies of her résumé and placed them in her bag.
The interior of Richford Financial was just as posh as Blackwell Wealth Management. Plaques of Robert featured in major finance magazines hung along the lobby walls.
Moments after Zoe arrived, she was called into his office.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Richford.” Zoe reached her hand toward him.
“Good afternoon.” Robert shook her hand. “Please, have a seat.”
She discreetly scanned the space. Robert’s office was the size of her living room at home.
“Good seeing you again,” he said. “How are things over at Blackwell?”
“Actually not bad at all. There are a few changes coming down the pike and I thought it best to explore my options,” she said casually. “I really want to plant my feet at a place where I can see myself staying and growing for a long time. I saw your recent post on LinkedIn and thought I should look into your firm. You’ve fared well in the market.” Zoe didn’t want to paint a bad picture of Blackwell but she couldn’t say she was leaving because her secret affair with her boss had been exposed.
“Yes, we have,” Robert agreed. “I see you’ve done your homework. So, tell me about yourself.”
Zoe shared her work history, then Robert shared a bit about his career path, and the meeting turned more conversational. By the time their meeting was wrapping up, she felt like she’d been chatting with an old mentor.
“I like the way you think,” Robert said at last. “I believe you’d be a great addition to the Richford team if you’re willing.”
“Oh, I’m definitely willing.” Zoe couldn’t believe her luck. It normally took weeks of multiple interviews to land a job in her field.
“When can you start?”
“I believe it would be fair to give my job proper notice. Two weeks would do.”
“Great.”
In her excitement, Zoe almost forgot to mention the most important thing. “Oh. Mr. Richford. There’s something I should tell you.”
“What is it?” His brows creased with concern.
“Um. I’m expecting. You can’t tell now, but I’m due this summer. I understand if you don’t—”
Robert waved off her concern. “Fine. Your benefits will be in place way before then. Congratulations!”
“Oh. Thank you, Mr. Richford. I’m looking forward to getting started.” Zoe was surprised that Robert expressed no resistance to her news.
“So am I,” he said with a smile.
She closed out her meeting with him and headed back to the hospital. On the way, she called Willena to let her know how the interview went.
When Zoe got back to Shena’s room, her sister was awake but groggy. Zoe sent her mother home to get some rest and stayed with Shena a few more hours. Things were moving forward. Not going the way she would have liked but going the way they had to.
Now she had to find a way to tell Ethan she would be leaving. Zoe felt her heart break all over again. She was doing the right thing. Right?
Twenty-Two
Ethan tried to cleanse himself of his desire for Zoe, but it wasn’t working. Her absence left gaping holes in his existence.
He was used to talking and texting with her numerous times throughout the day. They had been talking in the mornings on their way to work, continuing their banter through texts and chatting again on their way home. In the evenings, they would take turns making dinner at one another’s house. Half the time, they would wake up together early the next morning and go home before heading into the office. They’d shared countless hours talking, laughing, playing cards and swapping business ideas.
Ethan had even used a few of her ideas to boost business. That was why their region was leading the company in client growth and market share. But all that had come to an abrupt end after the last management meeting.
His solution for filling her absence in his life was to work harder. However, longer hours weren’t helping to fill the void. It didn’t stop thoughts of Zoe from invading his mind and stealing his focus. He wanted her back.
His father had checked in with him several times about how he was “handling” the situation. Ethan was able to honestly say that he and Zoe were no longer seeing each other, but those words nearly choked him.
She avoided him at all costs. It helped some because seeing her and not being able to take her into his arms pained him. He spent as little time as possible at her office.
But today, he wouldn’t be able to avoid visiting. Their branch was scheduled to meet to go over the latest numbers and prepare for another information session. Ethan had always prided himself on not allowing his emotions to interfere with business—until now.
He pulled into his designated spot in the parking lot and shut the car off. Instead of getting out, he sat back and took a deep breath, bracing himself for his encounter with Zoe.
It had been a few days since he’d last seen her. His visit to her home that evening hadn’t gone well. And it had ended with her having to run out for a family emergency so he never got to finish their discussion. Since then, they’d spoken only about business. Zoe had made it clear that she wasn’t interested in speaking about much more. Ethan understood her position; she didn’t want to be the subject of watercooler talk.
He didn’t care about people talking. He wanted to make her smile and laugh again. He craved her body and the way she made him feel in and out of bed. He longed to engage in one of their stimulating conversations over politics or the world of finance.
Ethan hadn’t totally given up on them, but he felt he needed to give Zoe some space. He could only imagine how his father’s words must have made her feel. But he wasn’t convinced that all
the things they’d shared in the past few months meant nothing to her. Walking away wasn’t easy for him and he didn’t believe it was any easier for her.
Finally removing the key from the ignition, Ethan pushed the car door open and headed toward the building. Inside the office, he greeted the staff as normal and headed straight for his office.
Zoe’s door was closed when he passed by, and he didn’t bother knocking like he normally would have. He continued to his office and shut the door behind him.
He opened his laptop, hit the power button and grabbed the television remote, pointing it to the flat screen on his wall. For the next few minutes, he took in some market updates before opening up a few documents that he would need for this meeting. The stock market had been experiencing a rough couple of days, and he knew each branch was fielding calls from clients with concerns about their investments. He added that to his agenda for the meeting. Going to his emails, his eyes scanned the words, but his brain failed to absorb any of what he read. Zoe had slipped into his thoughts again, stealing his ability to focus.
Ethan stood and walked to the window. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he zeroed in on the intricate landscaping below. He anticipated and dreaded seeing Zoe. He looked at his watch. The meeting would start in less than fifteen minutes. He was going to need coffee.
He opened his door to head to the kitchen, and ran right into Zoe. Their bodies collided, causing the steaming coffee in her Blackwell mug to spill all over his blue shirt.
“Whoa!” Ethan jumped back, pulling his soaked shirt away from his chest. A few staff members sitting at their cubicles jumped to their feet.
Zoe’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.” She wiped at his soiled shirt. “I was coming to tell you that Carter was trying to reach you, but you weren’t answering. He asked me to see if you were in the office. Is it hot? I’m so sorry. I have wipes in my office.”
Ethan felt the burn of the hot coffee, but he was more aware of the concerned look in Zoe’s eyes.
“I’m fine.” He looked down at his shirt and then back at Zoe and the few faces that were still directed toward him. “Believe me, I’m fine.” There was a large mocha-colored stain right in the center of his shirt.
“Come. I have wipes.” Zoe turned toward her office.
Ethan followed her. She retrieved some wipes stashed in her desk and, pulling a few from the package, she started toward him. He closed her office door. She paused and stared at him.
“We have to talk,” he said.
“Not now, Ethan.”
“Then when? You’ve been avoiding me. I’ve tried to give you space but we have to clear the air. We can’t continue working like this.”
Still holding the wipes, Zoe remained still. She closed her eyes and took several breaths. “Please, Ethan. Now is not a good time.”
“Later. I can stop by. We need to settle this.”
“Fine. Stop by later. You left a few things at the house anyway. You can pick those up.”
That stung. He didn’t want to remove his things from her house. It was nothing significant but removing anything that remained would be too final.
Ethan took slow steps toward her. He stopped, leaving only a few inches between them. He wanted to kiss her. To taste her sweet lips again. He wanted to pull her into his arms. What had she done to him? Why couldn’t he just walk away?
They were close enough for him to feel her breath. Zoe didn’t move. She seemed cemented in place. He watched her swallow. Watched her neck shift. She tucked her bottom lip into her mouth and gnawed.
Ethan took the wipes from her hands. They remained close. Inches apart. Being near her was electrifying. He wanted to touch her cheek, caress her face. He affected her; he could tell by the way her chest rose and fell now that he was so close. Her breathing changed, and she avoided his eyes.
He was glad there was still some impact. For him, that meant it wasn’t over. All hope wasn’t lost. He fought the urge to kiss her. He missed the feeling of her in his arms.
Zoe still hadn’t spoken. She just stood there, breathing with more urgency.
“Tonight,” Ethan said.
Zoe cleared her throat. “Tonight.”
“Thank you.” He leaned forward, compelled by a force, by his desire to be with her. His wet shirt sticking to him no longer mattered.
She didn’t move, showed no sign of resistance.
Gently he placed his lips on hers. She didn’t pull away, and Ethan kissed her. A soft peck. When he pulled back, her eyes were closed. “Tonight,” he repeated.
Leaving with the wipes, he rubbed at the stains in his shirt on the way out. She hadn’t resisted him. Tonight, perhaps they could make things right.
Twenty-Three
Zoe checked her phone and ignored yet another text from Ethan. She had dodged him the night before. She just couldn’t have handled seeing him after he’d kissed her in the office earlier that day. The kiss had made it hard for her to concentrate in her meetings. It had also entangled her thoughts into a jumbled mess. Zoe knew that she needed to face him sooner or later, but she had to buy some time. She’d meant to give him her letter of resignation, but couldn’t bring herself to do that just yet either. None of this was easy.
She’d planned on making a clean break. Avoiding him was part of the process. But his kiss. That soft, sweet kiss had reminded her of how much she missed him. And now that she was sitting in the doctor’s office with his baby growing inside of her, she definitely couldn’t deal with him. She’d answer his texts when she got home.
Zoe looked at the couple sitting in the waiting room across from her. The woman took her husband’s hand and placed it on her belly. “Feel that?” she asked.
The husband’s face beamed. “Yep.” He lowered his face to her stomach. “We’re going to have to put you in football with a kick like that, buddy.”
The two of them gushed over their baby. When he sat back, she rested her head on his shoulder, and they held hands.
The scene was sweet and intimate. Witnessing it made Zoe feel like an intruder. It also made her sad. Her story would never look like theirs. She was going to be a single mom.
She’d thought about not telling Ethan about the baby at all but figured she wouldn’t be able to get away with that for too long. Unless she moved, she couldn’t hide a baby forever. She’d tell him when the time was right, but she wouldn’t dare expect anything from him. She’d show him and his family that she and her baby could manage without them. Bill wouldn’t have to worry about her not being on their level. Based on the compensation outlined in the offer letter she’d received from Richford Financial, she could take care of her baby just fine by herself.
Another couple came in holding hands. Their excitement was written across their faces. This gentleman helped his very pregnant wife to her seat and supported her back as she sat carefully. He looked down and saw that her shoelace was untied. Without hesitation, he got on one knee and tied her shoe. Seeming grateful, she smiled, and he placed his arm around her neck when he sat next to her.
Zoe hadn’t expected to feel so alone on this appointment. She wished things were different. Ethan could have been right there with her.
Truth be told, Zoe was scared. She’d heard all kinds of stories about being pregnant and she already knew her pregnancy wasn’t going to be easy. Scar tissue from her surgery years ago posed a threat. Dr. Brown had used expressions like monitor closely, high risk and possible bed rest. She had no idea what all of that really entailed. She just knew this could be her only chance at bearing a child, so she had to take it.
Her need to have this baby didn’t have to impact Ethan’s life, so whenever she told him, she’d also let him know she didn’t need him. He claimed he wanted to be with her, but would he still feel the same way when he found out she was pregnant?
Getting his employee pregnant during a secret affai
r certainly wouldn’t fit into his family’s perfect little setup. And Zoe could only imagine what his father would have to say about it. This was why she needed to leave Blackwell ASAP. It wasn’t because she really wanted to go.
A nurse called Zoe’s name, snatching her from her thoughts. She took one last look at the happy-looking couples before following the nurse into an examination room. The woman took her vitals and then gave her a paper gown and told her to undress. She assured her that the doctor would be with her soon and closed the door. Zoe flinched when the door shut. The small room seemed to close in on her.
Dr. Brown arrived a few minutes later. “Hey there, Ms. Baldwin. How are we doing this week?”
“All right. A little tired. I didn’t get good sleep last night.”
“We need to work on that. Baby is going to need you to get your rest.”
The doctor examined her, and Zoe paid close attention in wide-eyed awe. This was all so new to her. She didn’t really know what to expect.
“So far everything seems fine, Ms. Baldwin, but we’re not going to take any chances. I’d like to see you every two to three weeks as opposed to monthly. When you hit your third trimester, I want to see you every week. Okay? Any questions for me?”
“Yes. Plenty. I don’t even know where to start.” Zoe released a nervous laugh.
“Start with the one that scares you most.”
“Okay...” She unloaded all of her questions on Dr. Brown, who patiently listened and thoroughly answered, making her feel a little better. “And those vitamins you gave me,” Zoe added, “they make me nauseous.”
“Okay. I’ll give you a new prescription. Make sure you’re taking them after you’ve eaten. They don’t do well on empty stomachs. I’ll send it right over to your pharmacy. Anything else?”