“See?” he says with an exasperated look on his face. I smile at him and then turn back to look at Lydia.
“How are you feeling, Lyd?” I ask her, instantly wishing that I had asked something else instead. Lydia looks at me like I am an alien.
“How am I feeling? Well, I’ll bloody well tell you, shall I?”
“Oh boy,” Paul says from behind me.
“Apart from the fact that my vagina is going to be ripped apart at any moment, my back is killing me, and this gas and air is fucking shit.” Lydia then proceeds to take a deep gulp of the ‘shit’ gas and air whilst keeping her eyes fixed firmly on me.
“Well, okay then,” I answer, not really knowing how to respond to her outburst.
Lydia continues to suck the life out of the gas and air, and Paul excuses himself to go and get a drink. I ask him to grab me a coffee on his travels and he seems more than happy to grab a few minutes’ peace from Lydia’s wrath. Can’t say that I blame him. I have only been here about a minute and I feel that I am going to face more of Lydia’s acid tongue.
I put my bag on the chair in the corner of the room, and then I go to stand by the side of Lydia’s bed. The midwife is still looking at Lydia’s charts and I don’t interrupt her to introduce myself. She doesn’t exactly exude a very friendly vibe. Her grey hair is pulled back into a tight bun and she is short and dumpy. The buttons on her nurse’s uniform look like they are about to pop off. She must be close to retirement age. Her name badge says that her name is Cynthia. I turn my attention back to Lydia, who has gone extremely red in the face. She screws up her face in discomfort and I decide to take over what Paul was doing when I walked in, and I start to mop her brow to help keep her cool.
“Right, Lydia,” Cynthia says, her voice booming into the silence. “I am going to go and check on another one of my patients. If you need to get hold of me, just press your buzzer.” With that, Cynthia leaves the room.
“Wow. She seems like a bundle of joy,” I say to Lydia, hoping to raise a smile from her with my sarcasm.
“Pfft. Miserable old battle-axe. I mean, honestly, they could have given me a cheerful midwife. Anyone would think that she is the one being put through this immense bloody pain.”
“Where is your midwife from the doctor’s surgery?” I ask her.
“She broke her ankle last week,” Lydia answers, not sounding impressed in the slightest.
“Oh, right. Well, I suppose that she can’t help breaking her ankle,” I reply.
Lydia scoffs at my answer. “She could have waited until I had had my baby before she decided to go on a bloody skiing holiday.”
Lydia really does sound hard done by. I quickly agree with her to avoid a Lydia-style-rant. Another contraction takes hold and I do my best to help her through it. Lydia manoeuvres herself, so that she is led on her side, and I rub her back for her.
The door to her room opens and in walks Paul with a cup of coffee in each hand.
“Thanks, Paul,” I say as he deposits my coffee on a table, which sits under the window behind me. He smiles and then goes round to the other side of the bed to face Lydia.
“Hey, baby,” he says to her. He crouches down, so that he is eye level with her. I step back, wanting to give them a moment together. I turn to look out of the window and it hits me just how much I wish that Jake was here.
Jake is going to be the baby’s god-father. We were both thrilled when they asked us to be the baby’s god-parents.
I wonder if he has seen my message yet?
“Stace?” Lydia says, breaking through my thoughts. I turn away from the window and go back to her bedside.
“Yeah?”
“Can you give us a minute, please?” she says, gesturing to Paul.
“Sure,” I reply. I pick my coffee up off of the table, and I leave Lydia’s room, closing the door behind me. I decide to walk along the corridor instead of waiting outside like some kind of eavesdropper. I imagine that at this moment, Lydia is either apologising for her behaviour so far or she is scratching Paul’s eyes out. I’m hoping that it’s not the latter.
I walk to the end of the corridor, hearing various women in stages of labour as I do so. It almost sounds like a bloody horror film with all the moaning, screaming and swearing. It’s enough to put anyone off of childbirth for life.
I reach the end and turn around to make my way back to Lydia’s room, and as I do, I feel my body tingle. I look up and see that Jake is walking down the corridor towards me.
My heart does a flutter and butterflies flap wildly in my stomach.
It amazes me that I still get these feelings even though we have now been together for eight months. For some people, the butterflies disappear long before now.
Jake looks incredible as he stalks towards me. His hair is messy, just how I like it, and his eyes are burning into mine. After two weeks of not seeing him in the flesh, he manages to somehow look even sexier than he did before I went away.
He’s wearing his office attire and he radiates masculinity. I start to quicken my pace, needing to feel him against me.
When I reach him, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me to his body. I have my coffee in one hand and I try not to spill it all over the corridor floor. I wrap my free arm around his neck and nuzzle my face into him. He feels so good. His grip on me is reassuring and comforting. I breathe in his scent and let the aroma of his aftershave fill my nostrils.
One of his hands goes to the nape of my neck and he gently pulls my head back. His caramel coloured eyes are like a magnet for me. I love how they convey so much emotion, and I love that they only convey that emotion to me.
He looks over my face, almost like he is mesmerising every single detail.
“Hi, babe,” I whisper. He smiles at me and then his lips are on mine, his gentle pressure leaving me wanting more.
If only we weren’t standing in a hospital corridor right now.
Oh, the things that he would do to me.
I smile against his lips at the thought. I am well aware of what Jake can do to my body.
He pulls back slightly and gives me a questioning look.
“What’s the cheeky smile for?” he asks me, his deep voice making my insides tremble.
“I was just thinking about what we could be doing right now, if we weren’t here.” I immediately see the desire burning in his eyes. It’s been two weeks since we made love. Two fucking weeks. I know that Jake must be just as frustrated as I am. I mean, sure, we have had phone sex whilst I have been away, but nothing compares to the real thing.
“I swear, when I get you home, you are not going to be able to walk after I’m finished with you.” Jake’s voice is low, and his words take my breath away. I know that he is capable of achieving this, and I can’t wait until he makes his statement come true.
We are broken from our moment by Paul shouting down the corridor.
“STACE! GET IN HERE!” Paul’s voice is urgent and panicky. I pull away from Jake and run back to Lydia’s room, not giving a shit that I am now spilling coffee everywhere. I can hear Jake running behind me.
As I enter her room, I see that Lydia is crying, but my eyes are drawn to something else. Blood. All over her bed.
Oh fuck.
I place my coffee cup on the table and go to Lydia, taking her hand in mine.
“It’s okay, Lyd. You’re going to be okay,” I say to her, keeping my voice as even as possible.
“Why am I bleeding? What’s happening?” Lydia looks scared shitless, and to be honest, I can’t really blame her for looking like that. The fear going through me is bad enough, so God knows what Lydia is experiencing.
“Where’s the doctor, Paul?” I ask him.
“I don’t know. I pressed the buzzer, but no one is coming,” Paul replies. I look at him in disbelief. He is seriously just waiting for someone to turn up? I feel anger flood my body. This must be the one and only time that I have witnessed Paul being a useless lump.
“Go and find a fuc
king doctor, Paul. NOW!” I shout at him. Paul’s eyes go wide, and he nods before racing from the room. Jake is standing in the doorway. “Jake, make sure that he finds a doctor, and quick.” Jake nods at me and then leaves.
I turn my attention back to Lydia. She is sobbing and battling contractions at the same time as worrying about all the blood that covers her bed.
“You’re doing good, Lyd. Keep going,” I say, trying to support her through the pain. I keep hold of her hand and put my other arm around her shoulders. The blood looks terrifying, but I am hoping and praying that it looks worse than it actually is.
Eventually, after what feels like a lifetime, Paul returns with a doctor in tow, and Jake follows after them. The doctor comes over to Lydia and does a quick assessment of the situation. He then presses a blue button behind Lydia’s bed, and informs us all that Lydia could be haemorrhaging and that the baby needs to be delivered pronto.
I gasp and see the colour completely drain from Paul’s face. Cynthia and another nurse come in and are instructed by the doctor about what to do next. Soon they are wheeling Lydia’s bed into the corridor with Paul, Jake and I following behind them. The doctor asks who is to be in the delivery room and Paul immediately answers. Jake and I stop following them as they are about to wheel Lydia through the operating theatre doors. I feel tears sting the backs of my eyes and my whole body begins to shake.
Oh God, please let Lydia and the baby be okay. Please, please, please…
“STACEY!” Lydia shouts at me before the operating theatre doors close. “I need you with me.” My heart literally leaps into my throat and I run through the doors after them.
As I follow them, I look to Paul and see that he still looks like he has seen a ghost.
As we walk along, I reach for his hand and gently squeeze it. He looks at me and all I see in his eyes is fear. A fear that I am sure is mirrored in mine. I give him a small smile and then we are entering a delivery suite. The nurses position Lydia’s bed and then Cynthia hands Paul and I some very unflattering green gowns to put over our clothes. We also have to wear a plastic cap that looks like a giant blue condom.
As we are getting all geared up, I take this moment to speak to Paul.
“Are you sure that you want me in here, Paul?” I ask. He needs to be okay with me being in here too.
“Yeah. Lydia wants you here, and whatever makes her happy is all that matters to me.”
“Okay,” I say softly.
When we have finished putting on our awful gowns and condom cap, we go to a sink basin and wash our hands thoroughly before putting a special gel on them. The nurses have been prepping Lydia and there is now a curtain covering the lower half of her body. I have seen this on various television programmes, but never in real life. I know that the curtain is there so that Lydia doesn’t see anything going on behind it.
Paul is by Lydia’s side, holding her hand and placing gentle kisses on her forehead.
I feel out of place.
I shouldn’t be in here.
I almost feel like an intruder.
This moment should just be for Paul and Lydia.
“Stacey Marie Paris, get your butt over here,” Lydia says. I walk to the bed and stand on the opposite side to Paul, taking her other hand in mine and blinking back the tears that are threatening to emerge. “God, you two look like you are about to pass out.”
I know that Lydia is trying to make light of the situation, but I can see the worry in her eyes. I give her a smile and try to rack my brains for something to talk about that will take her mind off of the worry somewhat.
“Hey, Lyd?”
“Yeah?”
I frantically continue to think of something to say when the doctor interrupts us, so that he can talk Lydia through the procedure that he is about to perform. I don’t take any of his words in as I am still in too much shock at what is happening.
Once he has finished speaking, he disappears back behind the curtain. Lydia looks to Paul and then back to me.
“You were saying?” she prompts me to speak.
“Right. You remember that holiday that we took to Spain a few years ago?” I say. Lydia gives me a nod. “Well, remember how we said that we would always go back for your thirtieth?”
“Actually, I think that we said that turning thirty would bring about some sort of breakdown, so we should go back there and party like we were still in our twenties.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. Well, how about we make it even more memorable and go to America?”
“America? Seriously?” Lydia asks in disbelief.
“Seriously.”
“That sounds awesome.”
“I was thinking that we could lounge on the beach in Mexico, and the guys can do all of the babysitting.”
“Hey,” Paul cuts in. Lydia and I both turn to him with a questioning look on our faces. “Do Jake and I get a say in this at all?”
“No,” Lydia and I both answer in unison, making us both laugh.
“Oh, well, as long as I know,” Paul replies, but I know that he is just trying to help me keep Lydia’s mind off of what is happening. “Will Jake agree to this little holiday that you two are planning?”
“Oh, please,” Lydia says. “Jake is so in love with Stacey that she could tell him to run in front of a bus and he probably would.”
“Fair point,” Paul agrees.
“Um, I am still here you know,” I say, giving them a little wave just to make sure that they see me.
“We know,” they both answer at the same time, and we all laugh at the little comedy sketch that we are most definitely giving the hospital staff. The easy banter between us just shows how close we have all become in recent months. Before I can answer them, the next thing we hear is the sound of a baby, crying.
We all stare at each other with wide eyes at the noise. Such a beautiful sound.
“Oh my God,” I say as Lydia looks to Paul, tears shining in her eyes. The doctor appears from around the curtain, carrying their beautiful baby.
“Congratulations, Mum and Dad,” the doctor says. “You have a little girl.”
Lydia starts to cry, and I squeeze her hand and let a tear run down my cheek at this beautiful moment that I am witnessing. The doctor asks Paul if he would like to hold her whilst they stitch Lydia back up. He nods, and their baby girl is placed in his arms.
I feel that now is the time for me to leave the room.
I let go of Lydia’s hand and slowly start to move towards the door. The sight of the three of them together leaves me speechless. I smile and exit through the door, taking off the gown and cap as I get back into the corridor.
I walk along the corridor in a daze at the amazing experience that I just had. Seeing my best friend giving birth to my god-daughter is nothing short of a miracle.
I reach the operating theatre doors and push them open. My eyes fly to Jake, who stands up off of the chair that he was sitting on. I let the happy tears flow down my cheeks as I walk over to him, smiling. He embraces me in his arms and I bury my face in his chest.
“It’s a girl, Jake. Lydia and Paul have a beautiful baby girl.”
Chapter Three
Stacey
Jake and I wait back at Lydia’s room for her and Paul to return. Paul comes back first and tells us that Lydia needs to rest under the doctor’s orders. We congratulate Paul on the safe arrival of their little girl and we leave the hospital. I tell Paul that I will be back later on to see how they are all doing. Sod the bloody book tour.
Jake drove himself to the hospital, so we head to the car park and climb into his sexy black Porsche. The car is so sleek, and it is so very Jake.
As Jake drives us out of the car park, I turn my phone on and am immediately greeted by a string of voicemails from my agent, Chloe. I groan as I start to listen to them one by one. There are six altogether, and each one sounds more urgent than the next. I grimace at the last one as Chloe sounds like a banshee. In fact, she is so loud that Jake can hear the messa
ge, and I haven’t even got it on speaker phone.
“Jeez, she sounds pissed,” Jake comments.
I sigh and let my head fall back against the head rest. “I know. I guess I’m going to have to call her back and have her bollock me for the next hour or so.”
I really don’t enjoy the thought of being told off like a child.
I look at my phone and scroll through my contacts until I find Chloe’s name. I am about to press the call button, when Jake stops me by placing his hand on my arm.
“Don’t call her yet, babe. I haven’t seen you in person for two weeks. Can’t we just get back to the house and spend a bit of time together before you are taken away from me again?” Jake sneaks a look at me, making me melt with his gorgeous eyes. I cannot resist him. I smirk and turn my phone off, putting it back into my bag. The grin that spreads across Jake’s face is just breath-taking. “That’s my girl.”
He winks at me and then turns his attention back to the road. I notice that he puts his foot down a little bit more than usual. I guess that’s what happens when you are sex deprived and in need of an imminent release.
We pull onto our driveway and I have never seen Jake exit a car so quickly before. He is round my side of the car before I have even taken my seatbelt off. I unbuckle myself and laugh as he lifts me out of the seat.
“I can walk, you know?” I say, chuckling at his macho display of affection.
Jake smirks at me. “I know. I’m just in a rush to get you in the house and get you naked, seeing as we are on a schedule.” His tone is so arousing that I am already wet for him.
Jake unlocks the front door, I throw my handbag on the hallway floor and I squeal as he literally runs up the stairs with me. We enter our bedroom and Jake throws me on the bed.
Oh yes, I’m getting animal Jake. Fabulous.
Jake strips off as if his life depends on it, and then he starts to undress me. I don’t try to help him with my clothing. It excites me to see how much he wants me. Once I am completely naked, Jake covers me with his body and then roughly claims my mouth with his.
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