by Katie Dowe
No, she was not and the splatter of her stomach contents on his shoes was proof of that. There was more coming. Natalie had no idea how long she vomited next to the once shiny plant pot containing a rare tree of some variety, but by the time she was done, a small crowd, including the hotel concierge, had gathered. He knew who she was - it was his job to do so. Guests staying in the penthouse suite didn’t need an audience to throw up in front of, and before he handed her a warm, damp towel he chased them away.
She tried to take it from him, but her hand wouldn’t obey her brain’s command to move. Her entire body for that matter felt numb and brittle. She was crumbling. Natalie fell to the floor, thankfully away from the putrid pool she had deposited with a sigh. The fade to black was her body’s way of waving the red flag. This was more serious than they imagined.
*****
The voices in the room brought her back to the realm of reality. Blurred visions of faces she couldn’t make out hovered over head while Natalie tried to clear her mind and eyes at the same time. A familiar baritone filled her ears and her heart raced - Brett was here.
She closed her eyes and opened them again. Things were clearer and Brett’s once distant voice was now at her side. “I’m here Natalie. I am here with you.” He emphasized his words by squeezing her hand.
Her throat was sore from all the throwing up. She whispered, “I am happy you are here… where is the doctor? Have they said what’s wrong with me?”
The doctor answered on her own behalf. “I’m here Ms. Johnson.” She stepped forward, “Would you like me to speak to you alone?” Brett glanced at Natalie for permission to stay. “Go on doctor you can talk freely.” She urged.
The doctor spoke up. “We ran some tests on you to see what’s happening. There was only one thing we could find but everything else is alright.”
Natalie could feel the fear inching up to the back of her throat while she listened to the doctor speak. Surely she had something fatal to say.
The doctor smiled comfortingly, “You are about six weeks pregnant.”
No one breathed. Natalie looked at the doctor, seeing her lips move, but not understanding the words she said. “What did you say?”
“I said you are pregnant.”
Brett plopped down in the chair next to the bed, saying nothing. Natalie tried to read Brett’s face but failed. She didn’t even know what to think herself. He stood, asked the doctor for a minute of privacy and waited for her to leave.
“Are you ok Natalie? Are you ok with this?”
“I am thinking about it.” She laughed. “If you are not gonna run away, I can be fine with it.”
With the curt nod of the head, the life changing decision to become parents was made. Signaling to the doctor who stood on the opposite side of the glass wall waiting, Brett called her back inside. She came with a nurse in tow carrying a small tray of medicine. “We are going to keep you for a few more hours to make sure you are properly rehydrated. After that, you can go home and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. We will give you something for the upset stomach, but we must warn you it may continue during the next nine months.”
The parents both understood the instructions. The pretty Latino nurse picked up a syringe and added a clear fluid from the vial to the IV line connected to Natalie’s hand. She lay back, closing her eyes, allowing herself to take in the sudden shift in her life. She was afraid, but said nothing. Having suffered through an abortion before without a knowing or supportive partner, Natalie knew how quickly this scene could switch from happy to mournful. She kept her concerns and worries to herself.
Brett, on the other hand, wanted to take a stiff shot of whiskey and light a cigar. He was supposed to have a child in order to get what was rightfully his and even if it was by accident, he had done it. His concern was now of a different origin. This sweet lady he was so smitten by, carried his child. Obviously, she was black, he was white and so was his All American family. How the hell would they accept this?
As the thoughts of worry ran through his mind, he dwelled on another possible problem. Brett had never told Natalie about his will and the conditions, there was no need at the time, but now he could see how the revelation of such a fact would seem like her impregnation was planned. Would he come over as shady and underhanded if she found out?
Brett calculated the odds. Who would tell her? Things like this were private and must be covered by some kind of law. Someone couldn’t just tell her… or could they? He would call his attorney later. Right now he just wanted to hold her hand and look at her pretty face as she lay there resting. Natalie Johnson was going to bare the heir to the Haughton Companies. She would have no idea of the pressure that would come with it.
*****
William’s face was grim but his eyes twinkled in a way that spoke of secret mischief. He sat across from Brett, hands resting on his lap waiting for Brett’s response.
“What the hell did you just ask me?” Brett growled angrily.
“You heard me,” William crooned in an unnaturally sweet voice. “I asked if you were screwing the help?”
“Who I’m sleeping with has nothing to do with you! Last time I checked you were still trying your hardest to sleep with my ex wife!”
It was true and no one understood why. William made a show of Priscilla and his friendship. More than once the local tabloid hinted of trouble in the paradise of Haughton Companies stemming from the sordid love affair the two were supposedly having.
“Priscilla is my good friend nothing more. It’s not my fault if you choose to peruse love interests lower than your class.” William added pointedly.
Brett grew tired of this interrogation. William was never up to any good and his mere presence could leave a person quiet drained. Brett was now officially empty. William was not finished though.
“Don’t make any foolish mistakes cuz, you are supposed to be finding a suitable match to continue the empire in your father’s name. It would be a burden if I have to take up the task, but I suppose I could manage it if you are too busy screwing the investments.”
With that final crude statement, he got up and subsequently left. Brett exhaled a breath he was unaware he held and counted to ten. The hornets’ nest had been agitated much more quickly than he had anticipated. The troubles of an interracial relationship mixed with pregnancy and threatening revelations made for a hard night’s rest recently. Because he couldn’t think of what to do next, he picked up the phone and dialed the number of his unintentional surrogate.
*****
Priscilla and William got along simply because they were two snakes from the same pit. Their slick selfish and predatory ways brought them together and their calculating minds created the glue to hold their friendship firm. Dinner tonight at Morning Lake Bistro was quiet and private.
Neither blended in because of their expensive clothes, but they tried anyhow. William loved the ribs and Priscilla loved the salad. They ate in silence before William asked her a rhetorical question. “Would you like to have some dirty fun my dear? I know people already think I’m screwing you, but because I’m a man of high moral ground I would never do it. That is until now.”
Priscilla’s sinister smile spread across her face as she listened to his proposal. He would buy her that new Mercedes she had been eyeing and pay for another year’s membership at the gym she rarely went to. It was important to rub shoulders with other rich people who pretended to be fit. The details were easy and William looked so much like Brett she could do what he asked with ease. She didn’t ask too much about the purpose because she didn’t care. It would hurt Brett and get her some well deserved gifts for little effort. She was game.
*****
The tripod and camera were easy enough to operate. The lens focused on the bed where they would make love and the volume was turned up just enough to capture the screams of pleasure. She lay there with her thin legs spread and her long neck craned back as he devoured her pussy for the camera. The slurping sounds circled the ro
om as the man delved his long thick fingers in and out of her moist chasm. Without warning, he got up and straddled her slender body, making his way over her face. With the force of an angry man, he shoved his thick cock between her thin lips, causing her eyes to bulge and the poor woman gagged for breath.
That didn’t matter, he pounded away on her face wile groaning in pleasure. He became tired of her mouth and quickly moved back to his former position between her thighs where he violently shoved her back before forcing her legs apart. He never hesitated, instead, he impaled the whimpering woman in one swift motion.
His thrusts were direct and aggressive, but his groans of pleasure primal as he dug his way to the center of her wet cunt. The veins in her neck bulged as she tried to free herself from the choke hold the man had on her neck. He was lost in a world of wetness and warmth for a while before he orgasmed. The cum shot out of his cock with lightening speed and his perfect aim projected it right into her face. She laughed as the semen dripped from her brow and she used her tongue to clean the rest from her dripping lips.
*****
The store opened, but Natalie wasn’t there. She had no energy to go to the grand opening because her stomach wouldn’t allow it. Sure the meds from the doctor helped a bit, but for now the smell of coffee and a list of other things triggered the undesirable reaction of throwing up. Brett told her all that happened at the spectacular event in her absence, and even showed her pictures of her work on the models and mannequins. She wanted to see for herself and so around five, when things were wrapping up, Brett escorted her to her very own store.
Natalie stood in awe of the modern but rustic décor. The bohemian theme ran through the shop and the clothes and jewelry themselves added to the décor. She was pleased. All her dreams, coming to fruition right before her eyes. She watched Brett interact with the staff and even a few customers and wondered if he would be this good with a new born baby. They were yet to have a chat about what he should tell his family. She still hadn’t told him about the abortion.
His voice broke her from her daydreams and she smiled as he asked her if she was ok. For the moment the nausea had left and Natalie felt as right as rain. Burying the thoughts of the past, she smiled and said she was fine. They would tackle the topic another time.
*****
The week flew by without incident and the morning sickness subsided enough for Natalie to fly home in the private jet. Brett sipped a glass of champagne while she slept peacefully. He never knew when he drifted off to sleep himself, but he did become aware of the warm kisses trailing down his neck. He woke up to find the mother of his child naked and sitting in his lap.
She stroked his shoulder through his shirt, causing his skin to stand on end. Growing tired of the tie, she loosened it and kissed his Adams apple gently. “Wake up my sweet,” Natalie crooned as she continued with a trail of kisses down his chest now free of buttons and fabric.
“I am very up,” Brett replied, becoming very aware of his hardening dick in his pants. Natalie stood just long enough to unbuckle his designer belt and free his cock from the confines of his boxers.
“Where is the flight attendant Natalie?”
“I sent her to the cockpit with a shot of Gin,” she laughed in response as she kissed the head of his dick gently. That took his breath away and he lost all concern for being caught fucking in his own damn plane. Natalie’s full lips made for a glorious suction around Brett’s shaft and suck it she did. Slowly at first and then quickly. Brett tried to keep his volume low, but he wasn’t being very successful.
He didn’t like seeing her on her knees. Now that she was carrying his child he didn’t want to see her there. Gently, he helped her up, but she wasn’t through yet. She straddled his lap, helping the head of his cock to find her entrance easily. Her tummy showed no signs of the growing life inside, but her mound had swollen considerably. Wetter than usual, Natalie glided Brett’s dick into her passage slowly, taking care not to go too deep.
Once she was comfortable, she dictated the pace and depth of the penetration. Sliding her passage down on his shaft and then off again made Brett’s eyes roll to the back of his head. It was so warm and wet, he wanted to stay there all day, but that was not to be. Natalie’s pace quickened and so did her breathing as she bounced on the cock in her belly.
She felt it before he did, the warm shooting liquid of his climax flooded into her on her final down stroke. She came too, whimpering and grabbing at his once starched shirt for balance. She didn’t move for a while and when she finally did, he looked into her eyes, he said, “At least you can’t get pregnant.” She collapsed on his chest fatigued from her membership in the mile high club and his silly joke.
Chapter 8
Brett’s bedroom had a charm about it that made her very comfortable. Natalie slept better there than her own bed, but it wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter. Brett’s over protectiveness of her was cute and she couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it. At three months pregnant the doctor had just given the ok for her to fly again. So much for owning a blooming new business when one had to supervise through Skype she mused. But today would be the day she would go and actually become a member of her own team.
Brett had left only a moment earlier to speak with the gardeners when the massive door of the bedroom swung open and an old white woman appeared. At first the old lady was taken aback by her presence. A black woman in her white son’s bed sent her straight to a conniption. Natalie, equally as shocked, knew who she was right away. Brett had told her about his mother and she had seen her in the pictures hanging in his father’s old office downstairs. Currently the two women were in a staring competition.
It didn’t last long before Marilyn began her tirade and Natalie didn’t intend to be run over. As politely as possible she asked the old woman to leave- she wasn’t dressed to entertain obviously, but she refused. By the time Brett arrived, his mother was well on her way to a heart attack.
It took a while, but soon Brett’s baritone and anger scared her away, while Natalie watched. What would she say when she found out about the pregnancy? The words danced on Natalie’s tongue, but common sense put a stop to the music. It wasn’t her place to tell her. Brett said he would do the honors when the time was right. Natalie knew nothing of Priscilla or her fertility problems. She didn’t know just how much her being pregnant would upset the apple cart.
They made love again before she left. It was like he couldn’t get enough of her. Natalie’s essence intoxicated him and a once depressed, hard ass Brett now sang in the shower and smiled at his staff. She was good for him.
Natalie used her rest time to draw and create her pieces before passing them on to the six full time hand crafters they had hired. Natalie felt light, incredibly unburdened and happy. She forgot her earlier philosophy of pain being the partner of joy and just floated. She knew she was falling in love. She didn’t try to deny it.
Admittedly, the time it was taking for Brett to tell his family worried her a bit. He claimed everyone, with the exception of his mother, would be happy. Natalie’s gut felt otherwise. The limo dropped her off at her apartment with the chauffeur following strict instructions to take her directly to her door. Natalie stopped downstairs to collect her mail before going up to her place.
Bills, junk mail, letters from organizations she belonged to and a DVD. The envelope carrying the disk bore a printed address label and the actual disk was stamped with an inscription that read, ‘Brett’s surprise.’ He knew she hadn’t seen the footage of the grand opening and he promised to badger the photographers for videos and photos of the event. What a wonderful surprise.
Glancing at her watch, Natalie decided she had time to kill before the chauffeur returned to take her to the airport. Sitting down on her underused couch, she waited for the images on the screen to clear up. This was going to be good. Though she was happily pregnant, she did regret missing the grand opening.
Two people on a large bed was certainly an opening, but to w
hat? The woman with the sprawled legs answered the question instantly. She used her hands to spread the opening of her pussy allowing the man’s fingers to slide in an out effortlessly. The woman’s face was so familiar, but she couldn’t make out the man. The camera picked up his image only from behind, but his jaw line….
He got up from his meal and climbed to her face before forcing himself into her mouth. That was when she saw it. She knew Brett’s dick from a mile away. She had seen it up close and personal just this morning. Convincing her even more was the curve of his shoulder. She rested her head there too many times in the past months not to recognize it.
The final nail in the coffin came when she cried his name, “Brett… ohh Brett… fuck me…I can handle it like only your wife can…” His wife?! The vomit hit Natalie’s throat in seconds and she barely made it to the toilet. What the hell did she just watch? This must be a bad dream! Like a car wreck you pass on the highway, you want to look away but something propels you to watch it. This was Natalie’s predicament as she went back to the couch to watch her boyfriend fuck his ex wife again.
Maybe it was just a cruel joke and someone wanted to send her an old video to scare her off. No such luck. The little timer in the corner bore the date of the recording. This was barely three weeks old. Suddenly fatigued and exhausted, Natalie lay on her couch and the tears began to flow. Only when the chauffeur knocked an hour later did she stand up, wash her face and acted like a woman. Pain always follows joy.
*****
Why wasn’t Natalie answering her phone? The staff confirmed she had been in the store earlier, but she just wouldn’t speak with him. Something was wrong and the smug way William was acting didn’t add to helping Brett’s mood. He was going to see her. Yes, there was an important meeting he needed to attend, but William would have to sit in. He had more important things to do.