Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
A s the week continued, Steph noticed the man and woman she’d seen leaving Jon’s office with Grant several times and thought it was odd that having never seen them before they were now regular visitors. There were also workmen milling around the building including a couple that she kept seeing near her office. She tried to corner Grant on several occasions to gain information but he always seemed to have a good excuse to get away.
Sitting in the coffee shop, Steph saw Sonia enter and immediately smiled as the other woman headed towards her.
“Steph, lovely to see you, how are things?”
“Good thanks,” replied Steph. “And you?”
“Yeah, busy, busy, busy, but can’t complain. So, what about Steve Cannon?” Sonia sounded as though she expected Steph to know what she was talking about.
“What about him?” Steph replied and then added, “I know he’s left.”
“Left? He didn’t leave, did he?”
“Didn’t he?” asked a confused Steph.
“Oh you’re good, Mrs Brooker.” She smirked before continuing, “Your husband sacked him, for serious professional misconduct. Legal is still full of it. He came in while you were off, took confidential business info and passed it on to, what’s his name, your old boss, Baker. Your old man went nuclear I believe and sacked him on the spot after decking him which is why his friend Charlie is here.”
“What? But Charlie worked for Baker, for years . . .” said a very confused Steph.
“Well rumour has it that when Steve got rumbled and your old boss was told, he was not best pleased because he wanted more information than Steve had already obtained, so he then sacked your friend on the same grounds saying he was leaking stuff to Brooker, sorry, Mr Brooker, and that you’d done the same and I think your husband employing Charlie and Steve now working at your old place . . .”
“I had no idea,” admitted Steph. “I knew Steve wasn’t here and Charlie was, but that was all.”
Steph stared across at Sonia and knew that the reason she didn’t know these details was because Jon had kept them from her and she had been too preoccupied to really push for answers.
“How’s the pregnancy thing?” Sonia looked concerned that she may have been a little too free and easy with the boss’ wife.
“Fine, sickness and fatigue, but good thanks.” Then sensing the other woman’s discomfort Steph turned her attention to the new faces. “Sonia, why are all the builders in and who are they?” she asked gesturing to the matron and large man who’d just entered.
“Renovations is the official word, but beyond that, not a bloody clue!” she replied bluntly making Steph smile. “You could ask the boss,” she suggested and then backed down a little seeing Steph’s face. “Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can find out. Do you want a drink or anything?” she asked standing and preparing to go over to the counter.
“No thanks, I’ve just had something and I have an appointment with the boss.”
She didn’t actually have an appointment with Jon and decided against popping in as her workload had been gradually increasing so she had plenty to get on with including a team meeting she’d called in the conference room. Standing in the lift she was joined by Dave Madeley who was beaming at her.
“Mrs Brooker.” He smiled.
“Mr Madeley,” she replied.
“How are you and Brooker junior?” Dave gestured towards her tummy.
“Good, thank you, and you and Mrs and Baby Madeley?” she asked in response.
“Bloody marvellous and for your information Baby Madeley is now officially Luca Madeley.”
“Luca? Is he a boy then? Of course he is if you’re calling him Luca. That’s lovely, congratulations.”
“Thanks. Right then next floor for me but I will see you in the conference room in about forty-five minutes,” said Dave as he headed towards the lift doors.
Steph had brought her laptop and several files of papers into the room she was meeting her team in and was considering her agenda when she began plugging her computer into the screen, but to no avail as she realised the images from her screen were not being received so began to check the connections. Nothing seemed amiss at the laptop end so she began to check the big screen but was struggling to reach the connections on it so grabbed for a chair and climbed on it before getting greater height on the table. The sound of a strange voice behind her caused Steph to jump before turning to see the owner of the voice. The rotund, suited man who’d she’d seen leaving Jon’s office with the matronly woman stared up at her.
“Steady, I’m sure you are breaching a number of health and safety rules by being up there,” he said offering her a hand to get down.
“Yeah, well needs must, I have a meeting in less than twenty minutes,” she told him as she accepted his hand and carefully stepped down trying and probably failing to avoid flashing her underwear at him as her black skirt rode up slightly due to its increasingly snug fit.
“Let me,” he offered as Steph smoothed her skirt back down before turning her attention to the buttons on the red silk blouse she wore today that were struggling to contain her breasts convincing her that she should go and buy some better fitting clothes at the weekend.
The screen before her came to life and displayed a huge image of her and Jon on honeymoon, her in a white bikini that left little to the imagination and a bare chested Jon wearing shorts as they posed on the beach, her current screen saver.
“Ooh, very nice holiday snaps.” He smiled as Steph thanked him for his help.
“Honeymoon,” she corrected.
“Still very nice, Mrs?” he asked, making Steph suspicious as she knew he’d met with Jon, but maybe he didn’t recognise corporate Jon as honeymooning Jon.
“Brooker, Steph Brooker,” she told him regardless.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Graham Peters, from the architects, we’re working on the refurb,” he explained as he accepted the hand Steph had offered.
“Oh, well nice to meet you,” she said as he nodded and turned to leave. “Or you could stay and tell me all about the refurb.”
He laughed, facing her again. “Walls are coming down, new ones are going up, and any more than that, you should probably ask your husband.” With a final chuckle, he turned and left.
Looking around the room, Steph decided that she might move the smaller desks around to split the team meeting up and hopefully make it a little less formal. Pulling the tables across the room she winced as she felt a pull across her lower abdomen but continued regardless.
Leaving Mrs Brooker behind and waiting for the lift, Graham smiled at the memory of her image on a six feet screen in her bikini. He’d been so distracted at the sight of her he’d missed her husband standing next to her, the man he was working for, the very lucky man that she was keeping a bed warm for at night, or perhaps he was keeping her bed warm because there was clearly more to that woman than a wife. He vaguely recalled a woman in Brooker’s reception that Grant had spoken to as Mrs Brooker, but his head had been full of pricings and potential health and safety issues for the new project downstairs to really take much notice.
“Graham,” called Jon as he approached the lift too. “How are things coming along downstairs?”
“Good. It’s definitely a goer and I will have some draft plans complete next week-ish for you, and up here is ahead of schedule,” he replied understanding why the man wore a permanent smile.
“Good, good. I don’t want it rushing, but if we can avoid letting the grass grow . . .”
“Of course, of course. Your wife is like a one woman whirlwind, isn’t she?” he asked making Jon frown.
“My wife?” He waited for an explanation as to why Graham was attempting to discuss Steph and precisely what his comment meant.
“Yes, sorry, I’ve just seen her in your conference room and having already helped her down from the table and chair that she was teetering on I left her humping furniture around,” he said smiling briefly until he saw Jon’s serious expression.
“What? You’re sure it was my wife?” Jon asked.
“Yes and if there was any doubt in my mind the photo on the screen of the two of you on honeymoon convinced me and she introduced herself.”
“Shit! My pregnant wife is a bloody whirlwind that needs nailing down,” cried Jon turning towards the conference room running. “Thanks Graham.”
The desks and chairs were almost where she wanted them as she leaned back and viewed her handy work with a smile she clung to her side slightly and regretted not planning the furniture in advance. Another quick glance around made her decide that a couple just needed tweaking. The sound of the music she’d got on a little too loudly playing on her laptop made her oblivious to everything around her. As she moved the last couple of tables she enthusiastically sang something about ‘doing the right thing’.
“That would be a first, doing the right thing. What the fuck are you doing Mrs Brooker?” Jon grabbed her and spun her round to face him.
The sight and smell of him made her smile, something Jon immediately reciprocated, then he frowned.
“Don’t think you can get round me with your enticing smiles. What are you doing moving furniture and climbing on it?”
“I was fine, my laptop wasn’t connecting, but it’s okay now and I decided it would be better if the furniture was a little less formal,” Steph explained, glad to be leaning into Jon as her side continued to pull.
“We have porters for furniture moving and people in I.T. to deal with I.T. issues so no more climbing and moving things. I am entrusting the care of Jelly Bean to you,” he told her, gently stroking her back.
“I know, but I am only pregnant, not ill,” she protested slightly as she turned her face into the warmth of his chest.
“There is no only pregnant when you’re having our baby and ill or not I will have you out of this building and sat at home for the next six months if you don’t behave yourself,” he threatened quite seriously making her look up and frown at him. “I mean it, Steph, I will have all your access to the building revoked if you can’t do the sensible and right thing for you and Jelly Bean.”
“Fine! Whatever!” She pouted, making him laugh.
“Don’t sulk,” he told her as he smacked her behind firmly making her squeal and jump forward pushing her into him further but rather than the usual arousal it caused it just made her wince at the pain in her side.
“What?” Jon pulled away, confused before concern took over as she doubled over slightly.
“It’s just stitch,” she replied making him cross again.
“This is not doing the right thing. You and I need to discuss boundaries.” He sat her down on a nearby seat. “Part of me wants to take you straight to the hospital, but we’ll give it a while if you promise to take it easy this afternoon and call me immediately if it gets worse.”
“I promise,” she agreed readily.
“You park your arse for the afternoon and when you’re done you get someone else to carry your things back to your office.”
“Jon . . .” she began.
“I mean it, call me and I will carry your things back for you if you won’t ask anyone else.”
“We could time it with my afternoon hormonal appointment,” she suggested making Jon laugh.
“No appointment this afternoon, not when you’re in pain. So promise me before I get all Neanderthal on your ass and hit you over the head.”
“I promise,” she pouted once more but was glad of Jon’s care and concern. “You have some questions to answer later Mr Brooker.”
“You do as you’re told this afternoon and I will answer your questions later, at home, where we can discuss your boundaries,” he agreed as several people arrived and looked to Steph for an indication as to whether they should stay or go, which they got in the former.
Steph actually got Martin and Sophie to carry her things back to her office having attempted and failed to fit them all under one arm in order to do it herself.
Rosie greeted her with a frown and told her, “Mr Brooker has called a couple of times and has asked for you to call him when you get back.”
“You okay?” Steph eyed the other woman with some suspicion.
“I am, but what about you? Mr Brooker says you’re struggling today, I would have helped or rescheduled your stuff if you’d said something.” Rosie sounded almost offended but still offered a half-smile.
“Rosie, I am fine, I think I may have pulled my side, but Jon is doing what Jon does best and making a mountain out of a molehill,” Steph replied pulling at the waist band of her skirt that was digging into her flesh quite painfully.
“If you’re sure, Steph.” She smiled more gently now.
“Positive, in fact I think I might knock off early, I need to go shopping for some clothes that accommodate me and my baby,” she decided as she viewed the bright red marks on her waist.
“What the? Bloody hell,” came Jon’s voice from the door behind her. “What is that?”
“I think my clothes are a little too snug.” She dropped her blouse to cover the marks.
“A little too snug. I think you are on the verge of strangling our unborn child if not decapitating poor Jelly Bean,” said Jon close enough to lift her blouse back up and inspect the red welts a little more closely.
“That’s why I’m going to knock off and buy some clothes,” she replied, shaking her head at his melodrama.
“Get your things, things as in handbag, no more and come down for me and we will both go shopping.” Jon was already turning on his heels and heading out. “Five minutes maximum, Mrs Brooker. Bye Rosie, have a good weekend,” he called behind him.
It took only a couple of minutes for Steph to make it as far as Jon’s office where Andrea was on a call and Jon’s office door was open which Steph saw as her invitation to enter. She paused in the doorway hearing Jon’s voice, but in the absence of another voice she assumed he was on the phone.
The sound of a single laugh was followed by his voice saying, “Yes, I love you too, okay, soon.” The words had her reeling momentarily until he looked up at her and smiled as he hung up.
“Who was that? Who do you love? I thought you loved me,” she said confused by his shameless declaration of love to another person, another woman.
“Darling, come in and calm down while I tell you about my other woman.” He laughed.
“Fuck off, Jon!” she snapped irrationally.
Laughing harder, he moved to her, pulling her from the doorway so he could close it and then pushed her back against it.
“I thought we weren’t swearing in front of Jelly Bean.” He frowned as if admonishing her but the twinkle remained in her eyes. “Now that was one of the most important women in my world, however, you . . .
“Me?” Steph immediately hated herself for needing to hear declarations of love from him, affirmations that she was his everything.
“You, Stephanie Brooker, you are my world, you and Jelly Bean now, but I was worried about you and that pain you had so I called a doctor . . .”
Interrupting, she frowned at him angrily. “A doctor? You’ve just told a doctor that you love her, and told me that she is one of the most important women in your world?”
Jon chuckled then leaned in closer, kissing her to silence her which just made her want to fight him off, unsuccessfully.
“Steph, the doctor was my mum. As a G.P. she deals with pregnant ladies all the time which is why I called her to ask about the pains you’ve been having,” he explained, making her feel foolish and tearful.
“I hate hormones,” she cried as tears began cascading down her cheeks.
“Oh, darling,” he soothed in a gentle tone pulling her against him as he smoothed her hair down. “I might need to remember those hormones before winding you up, and I hate them too, unless they’re the horny ones, but if hormones mean we get our baby in six months’ time, then they’re a necessary evil. Speaking of which, Charlie called to invite us for dinner tonight, but we can say no . . .”
“No, dinner is cool unless Lindsay starts talking about having to push a melon out of my lady parts.”
With a loud laugh that turned into a roar, Jon held Steph and rocked her gently as he looked down at her. “Your lady parts? Really?”
“Oh, shut up and tell me what your mum said about my pain, my other pain, other than you,” she retorted, unsure what she should have called her lady parts, vagina, pussy, twat, chuff, oh God she thought as she laughed with him now.
“You really are getting cheeky with these hormones, Mrs Brooker. She, my mother, said it’s perfectly normal and is due to ligaments and your uterus stretching, so normal, unless you get bleeding, vomiting, a high temperature or they become unbearable and then we go to the hospital. She did also say that you can call her at any time if you are worried or want to chat.”
Steph nodded, grateful for her mother-in-law, but also a little sad that she didn’t have her own mother to guide and support her through this. Before her emotions got the better of her, Jon spoke again.
“Let’s go and spend some of our hard earned cash, then we go home for a bath and a nap before we endure Lindsay discussing lady parts,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her out of the building.