Pregnant.
Despite the warmth of the summer day, an uncomfortable chill settled over my skin as i settled on the bench just a few blocks from the apartment I shared with my best friend Chloe.
I shivered even as the sun’s rays found my tightly clenched fingers, the heat not yet chasing away the goose bumps.
A bright blush chased the chill from my cheeks as i remembered the night in question, the night we met and how hard he had fucked me before we were interrupted by his wife.
He had a wife, the thought came back to me again, I was pregnant for a married man.
After the fateful night, we never exchanged contacts or names, I had no idea who he was and neither did he. But now I was carrying his child. He had made love to me countless times, murmuring to me in Greek warm, soft words that had made my heart twist during that fateful night. I remembered as I clenched my legs together remembering how my body responded to his touch.
I had no money, I could barely take care of myself how was I going to take care of a child. I wondered to myself.
I checked my watch and grimaced. It was getting late and I had a shift at the restaurant in an hour.
With reluctance born of uncertainty, i forced myself to my feet and began
the short walk to house.
“You’ are being silly,” I muttered under my breath as i neared the entry. If the doorman was surprised to see me on foot, he didn’t show it, though he did hasten to usher me inside.
I stepped onto the elevator and smoothed a hand over my still-flat stomach.
Nervousness scuttled through my chest as i rode higher. When it halted smoothly and the doors opened into the spacious foyer of the penthouse, I nibbled on my lip and left the elevator.
I walked into the living room, shedding my shoes as i made my way to the couch, where I tossed my bag down. Fatigue niggled at my muscles, and all i really wanted to do was lie down. But i had to determine how to broach the subject of my pregnancy.
Tris. Tris tilted the margarita glass to her lips and took a long swallow. Tartness collided with the salt, exploded on her tongue, and burned through her blood. Unfortunately, not fast enough. She still had a shred of sanity left to question her actions.The violet fabric covered book beckoned and mocked. She picked it up again, leafed through the pages, and threw it back on the contemporary glass table.Ridiculous. Love spells, for God’s sake. She refused to stoop to such a low. Ofcourse, when her best friend, chloe, cast her own spell, she had been supportivea nd cheered her actions to find her soul mate.But this was completely different. Tris cursed under her breath and stared out the window. A sliver of moonlight leaked through the cracks of the organic bamboo blinds. Another evening gone. Another disastrous date. The demons threatened, and there was no one here to fight them back until dawn.Why did she never feel a connection? This last one had been charming, intelligent, and
Tris. It had been a few days since I tried the ritual Chloe convinced me to do, but maybe it really didn't work, because nothing had happened. I had no real prospects yet. But tonight I was not going to think about it, tonight I was going to have fun, cut loose and enjoy myself. The neon lights of the club pulsed in rhythm with the bass, casting vibrant hues across the packed dance floor.I stood at the entrance, adjusting my dress a deep red number that hugged my curves just right. Chloe called it the money maker, and she had let me borrow it tonight. “Tonight is going to be epic!” Chloe exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with anticipation next to me as she let her hair fall freely all the way to her waist. I wished I could be more like her, she knew how to live in the moment, enjoy herself unlike me who was always second guessing every choice I made. I had promised myself a night of fun, a temporary escape from my responsibilities. Work had been draining lately, and I needed this n
Tris. It was quite a long way from the kitchen to the office, especially when one was carrying a tray holding two tea cups, a pot of tea, milk and sugar, but Tris was used to it. Her small, slight frame belied her strength just as her soft, feminine features belied her nature. She pushed open the door of the outer office, which was hers, noticing with a frown the heavy masculine topcoat flung carelessly over the spare chair. Nick , her boss, often had visitors, but very few of them wore coats like that. It was wool, and expensive, meticulously tailored and lined in silk. Tris put down the tray, wondering about whether to give up her own cup for the visitor, when she realised that the inner door was not quite closed. "Well, you will have no problems with the job, of course," Nick was saying. "Not after working on the last project." "Which, I take it, means I could have in other areas."Although the man"s voice was faintly muffled, there was no mistaking its hard inflexibility, and
Tris.The two men emerged from the office, and Tris darted a quick look at Tony's shuttered face. It told her nothing. When they had gone she stared unseeingly at her typewriter, ignoring the over flowing "in" tray, her mind racing frantically in circles as she tried to think of a way of ensuring that she need never set eyes on Tony Blake again. There wasn't one, of course. Not unless she gave up her job, and that was impossible. In a more buoyant economic climate she might have done so, even if it meant taking a drop in salary, but to take the risk in the middle of a depression would be extremely foolhardy. She needed her salary. Every penny of it. She closed her eyes, shivering suddenly with cold. The office door opened and she jerked upright, her face paper-white, but it was only Matt Dyson, one of the sub editors. It was the joke of the Globe that while Tris gave every other male the cold shoulder, Matt Dyson, the original worm who never turned, was her only male escort. "Is so
Tris. It was after seven when Tris stepped wearily off the bus at the end of her road. There had been a last-minute panic necessitating recall of an article and she had worked late to help Nick get the crisis sorted out. The adrenalin flow which had helped her through the day had abated, leaving her feeling drained and exhausted. Her feet dragged as she walked up the tree lined avenue. It had been a perfect spring day, and now as long golden shadows fell across the pavement the last liquid notes of birdsong filtered sweetly through the air. She had a long way to commute, but she had particularly wanted a house with at least some pretensions towards being rural. She knew North London wasn't fashionable and people raised their eyebrows when they discovered how far out of town she was, but the house had a long back garden, which was enclosed with hedges and boasted half dozen wizened apple trees, and in the spring when they were in blossom and the cherry trees flowered along the suburb
Tris Later, when she was tucking him up in bed, she inspected his features carefully. He showed his fathering, this child born out of what she had thought a night of perfect love and which instead had been an act of ruthless and deliberate expediency. He had nothing of her in him, unless it was his temperament. In looks he was all Tony; his father in exact miniature from his dark blue eyes to his thick glossy hair. When she first discovered she was pregnant she had been out of work and depressed. She had fainted twice in one week and put it down to nervous strain until, despite the fact that she had barely been eating, she discovered that her skirt wouldn't fasten round her waist. She had known the truth then, but refused to accept it, confirmation finally coming in the shabby, impersonal interview room of a pregnancy advice bureau. They had been kind and helpful, offering to arrange for a termination of her pregnancy, despite its advanced state.They had probably considered that sh
TrisEthan was being unusually fractious this morning, and she wondered if he had caught her own tense mood. He had played naughtily with his breakfast, something he never normally did, his mouth sulky and pouting when she scolded him. "Don't go to work, Mummy," he pleaded tearfully. "Stay with me!" "You know I have to go, Ethan," she reminded him gently, "but tomorrow is Friday, and then after that Mummy will be at home with you for two whole days. Perhaps we will go somewhere nice, if you are a good boy for Chloe." "Where nice?" he breathed, tears forgotten. "To the Zoo to see the bears?" "Maybe. Finish your egg, there is a good boy." His recalcitrance had made her late, and although she ran all the way down the bottom of the avenue, she was just in time to see her bus go sailing past. Groaning, she pressed a hand to her side to stifle the aching stitch. She was going to be late, and there was nothing she could do about it, so she might as well make up her mind to accept the fa
TrisTris had worked through her lunch-hour and expecting that Tony would be detained by Gail had not thought to close her office door when she made her call. The result was that he walked in when she was right in the middle of it, and Chloe was describing Ethan"s newest trick. "Personal call?" Tony said sardonically when she had finished. "First time I have seen a spark of life in you since I got here. Does Matt know about him?" "My private affairs are my own," Tris retorted, colour scorching her skin as she realised the inference he had drawn from her words. Of course he would think she meant love affairs. She turned her back on him, searching through the files for an article she needed. When she straightened up Tony was standing right behind her. She could smell the faint tang of his" aftershave. His skin was firm and tanned, the blue eyes framed with ridiculously thick dark lashes. Just like Ethan's. Her heart pounded, and she bent down to close the cupboard drawer, trying to
Tony.Tony glanced at the poised woman by his side as he wound his way through the curvy hills toward his home. The top was down, and her gold red hair blew in the wind in a tangled mass, but she didn’t seem concerned. Her pursed lips told him she was thinking hard, probably getting into character to meet his family. During the last twenty-four hours, he’d learned a lot about Tris .Unfortunately, the tiny glimpse only made him crave more.The vivid green of trees and brown earth flashed by and welcomed him in a way that soothed his soul. His family owned land from generations back, which had all been passed to him. But he had always known from his first visit to New york City that he longed to make his mark there. Papa took him to visit his uncle, and the bustle of Manhattan fascinated his sense of challenge.Unfortunately, the crowds and chaos did not call to his need for privacy and land. When he decided to expand La Dolce Famiglia in the States, he sought the excitement of Manhatt
Tris.Tris glanced at her fake husband and tried hard not to panic. The familiar shortening of breath and hammering heart alerted her to trouble.She swallowed, hid her face behind Italian Vogue, and prayed she’d keep it together. She hated the idea of anyone knowing about such a weakness, especially Tony. The whole crazy plan hit her full force as soon as his private plane shot into the air. Her finger itched with the snug band of platinum gold, and the two carat round diamond sparkled like icicles catching the glint of the sun. The ruse seemed doable in Nadia’s house. A day later, though, with a ring, fake husband, and family to con, she realized she was a complete idiot.What the hell had she agreed to?Tris couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t use the available weapon to keep Tony away from her family.But at what price? Meeting his sisters and mother. Sleeping in his bedroom. Pretending to be someone she wasn’t?Her fingers tightened around the glossy pages, and she breathed
Tony. I quickly followed her to the door and held her by her arm. “I have a proposition for you.” She threw her head back and laughed. The smoky sound beckoned like a witch casting a spell. “Well, then, you have come to the right girl.” She licked her lips with deliberate precision. The faint sheen of wetness gleamed in the light.“Proposition away.”He smothered a curse and decided to go for the blunt approach. “I need a pretend wife.”She blinked. “Huh?”“Yes.” He despised the slight flush his ridiculous admission caused and forged on. “I am having some family difficulties and I’m required to marry. I need someone to go to Italy with me for a week, pretend to be my wife, spend some time with my family, then leave.”“Why do I suddenly feel like I dropped into the Lifetime movie of the week?”“What is Lifetime?”She waved his question off. “Never mind, a girl thing. Um, let me think about this for a moment. You need me to pretend to be married to you, hang with your familly, stay in
Tony. Tony sipped his cognac and watched as the party winded down. Luscious chocolate chip cannoli cake and pots of strong coffee were served, and a relaxed atmosphere rippled through the rooms as family and friends began making their good byes.Tension swirled in his gut and fought with the lovely fire of the alcohol. This time he was in trouble. Big trouble. After the phone call with Valarie and Dominick, he decided to confront his mother with a well placed battle plan.Tony knew sticking with the family tradition was impossible. He also realized his mother believed strongly in rules and rarely broke them. He had decided on an alternate plan that seemed brilliant. He would throw her a story about a steady girlfriend, with a wedding in the firm future, and even promise a visit.Then he would calmly insist Valarie marry first because of her history with Dominick, and he would cite Papa’s heavenly blessing. Maybe he would tell her he saw it in a dream, something to soothe her doubts.
TrisTris had worked through her lunch-hour and expecting that Tony would be detained by Gail had not thought to close her office door when she made her call. The result was that he walked in when she was right in the middle of it, and Chloe was describing Ethan"s newest trick. "Personal call?" Tony said sardonically when she had finished. "First time I have seen a spark of life in you since I got here. Does Matt know about him?" "My private affairs are my own," Tris retorted, colour scorching her skin as she realised the inference he had drawn from her words. Of course he would think she meant love affairs. She turned her back on him, searching through the files for an article she needed. When she straightened up Tony was standing right behind her. She could smell the faint tang of his" aftershave. His skin was firm and tanned, the blue eyes framed with ridiculously thick dark lashes. Just like Ethan's. Her heart pounded, and she bent down to close the cupboard drawer, trying to
TrisEthan was being unusually fractious this morning, and she wondered if he had caught her own tense mood. He had played naughtily with his breakfast, something he never normally did, his mouth sulky and pouting when she scolded him. "Don't go to work, Mummy," he pleaded tearfully. "Stay with me!" "You know I have to go, Ethan," she reminded him gently, "but tomorrow is Friday, and then after that Mummy will be at home with you for two whole days. Perhaps we will go somewhere nice, if you are a good boy for Chloe." "Where nice?" he breathed, tears forgotten. "To the Zoo to see the bears?" "Maybe. Finish your egg, there is a good boy." His recalcitrance had made her late, and although she ran all the way down the bottom of the avenue, she was just in time to see her bus go sailing past. Groaning, she pressed a hand to her side to stifle the aching stitch. She was going to be late, and there was nothing she could do about it, so she might as well make up her mind to accept the fa
Tris Later, when she was tucking him up in bed, she inspected his features carefully. He showed his fathering, this child born out of what she had thought a night of perfect love and which instead had been an act of ruthless and deliberate expediency. He had nothing of her in him, unless it was his temperament. In looks he was all Tony; his father in exact miniature from his dark blue eyes to his thick glossy hair. When she first discovered she was pregnant she had been out of work and depressed. She had fainted twice in one week and put it down to nervous strain until, despite the fact that she had barely been eating, she discovered that her skirt wouldn't fasten round her waist. She had known the truth then, but refused to accept it, confirmation finally coming in the shabby, impersonal interview room of a pregnancy advice bureau. They had been kind and helpful, offering to arrange for a termination of her pregnancy, despite its advanced state.They had probably considered that sh
Tris. It was after seven when Tris stepped wearily off the bus at the end of her road. There had been a last-minute panic necessitating recall of an article and she had worked late to help Nick get the crisis sorted out. The adrenalin flow which had helped her through the day had abated, leaving her feeling drained and exhausted. Her feet dragged as she walked up the tree lined avenue. It had been a perfect spring day, and now as long golden shadows fell across the pavement the last liquid notes of birdsong filtered sweetly through the air. She had a long way to commute, but she had particularly wanted a house with at least some pretensions towards being rural. She knew North London wasn't fashionable and people raised their eyebrows when they discovered how far out of town she was, but the house had a long back garden, which was enclosed with hedges and boasted half dozen wizened apple trees, and in the spring when they were in blossom and the cherry trees flowered along the suburb
Tris.The two men emerged from the office, and Tris darted a quick look at Tony's shuttered face. It told her nothing. When they had gone she stared unseeingly at her typewriter, ignoring the over flowing "in" tray, her mind racing frantically in circles as she tried to think of a way of ensuring that she need never set eyes on Tony Blake again. There wasn't one, of course. Not unless she gave up her job, and that was impossible. In a more buoyant economic climate she might have done so, even if it meant taking a drop in salary, but to take the risk in the middle of a depression would be extremely foolhardy. She needed her salary. Every penny of it. She closed her eyes, shivering suddenly with cold. The office door opened and she jerked upright, her face paper-white, but it was only Matt Dyson, one of the sub editors. It was the joke of the Globe that while Tris gave every other male the cold shoulder, Matt Dyson, the original worm who never turned, was her only male escort. "Is so