Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
A s the next couple of weeks passed, Steph blossomed and believed she was definitely waddling despite Jon’s reassurances that she wasn’t. Jelly Bean was doing somersaults day and night, movements that were still only felt by Steph as the baby seemed to immediately still as soon as Jon’s hands were anywhere near the bump.
Steph had reluctantly agreed to reduce her daily working hours and in order to better facilitate it, Jon had reduced his too where possible and it was one such morning when they had woke without an alarm and made very leisurely love before eating breakfast together.
“I told you reduced hours were a good idea didn’t I?” asked Jon smugly as he looked across at his incredibly relaxed wife.
“Yes you did and as you often are, you were right, but as I am no longer allowed to drive myself, you have been forced to cut hours too.”
“I’ll take that as a thank you then darling.”
“Take it as what you like but the driving thing is beginning to piss me off,” she admitted, earning a frown.
“Not even up for negotiation, Stephanie. Get showered and dressed while I put the breakfast things in the dishwasher, and stop swearing,” he ordered, making her scowl at him resulting in him adding. “Darling, before you continue I should say that I have a room at a spa reserved for the duration of your pregnancy and beyond, so?”
“Fuck off!” she snapped leaping to her feet and regretting her inability to strop off in the way she would have minus a baby in her womb.
“Do I need to call Auntie Lindsay about the foul language?” he called with a grin as he watched her disappear from the room. Resting against the sink he inhaled deeply as he looked across at one of the many images of their baby they had dotted around the house, this one on the huge American style fridge they’d had installed and spoke to his unborn child, “Don’t take this the wrong way, Jelly Bean, but the sooner you vacate your mother’s womb the better for us all because she is a fucking pain in my arse since you’ve taken up residence there, more of a pain than she was before.” He turned and prepared to follow Steph upstairs to dress, having showered before coming down for breakfast and now closer to the scan photo he reached up and stroked the image and spoke to it again, “Don’t come out too soon though because you need some serious cooking first so I will fend off Mummy’s crazy mood swings, desperate horniness and foul mouth until it’s time for you to say hello.” Jon waited for a few seconds, although he was unsure what for, when he heard Steph screaming from upstairs.
“Jon, quick!” she called sending him into overdrive rushing up the stairs two at a time with the blood pumping through his veins at a million miles an hour as his heart thudded against his chest while bile and panic rose in his throat as he got closer to her.
He found her standing naked at the foot of their huge wooden bed that was painted white with sparkling white bedding, still dishevelled from their earlier coupling.
“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” he asked breathless from panic.
“Ssh,” she told him putting a finger to her lips, as if to confirm her order while her other hand rested at the bottom of her bump where two fingers were making circling movements. “Everything is good, perfect in fact, but when I do this,” she said pointing down at her circling digits, “Jelly Bean goes crazy, so I thought if I do this,” she said taking his hand in her free hand.
“I could . . .” he said before she cut him off.
“Ssh, I am convinced this baby has powers we don’t understand, so I am trying to circumvent his attempts to stop you feeling him move,” she explained, making Jon smile and forget her mood swings, horniness and foul mouth and could only see her sweet and loving nature, her desperation for him to feel their baby’s movements equal, if not greater to his own.
“I dunno about powers, but I think he is a she who has all of her mother’s awkward tendencies,” he told her making her smile at him.
“Or maybe he is a boy who has his father’s manipulative, control freak, power crazy tendencies.”
Placing Jon’s hand flat against her tummy on the opposite side to her own she increased the speed and pressure of her movements and as if refuting his or her parent’s claims, Jelly Bean moved, perfectly on cue, stronger movements now, the strongest she’d ever felt and for longer.
Staring up at Jon’s face that was illuminated in awe and wonder made her grin as broadly as he was, but the love pouring from his look, the look that was directed at her, just her, literally took her breath away so that she ended up gasping for her next breath as the depth of his feelings knocked her for six emotionally. The tears were running down her face when Jon reluctantly moved his hand from his baby’s movements and enveloped his wife in a warm and loving embrace.
“Don’t cry darling,” he soothed as he stroked her freshly washed hair.
“I’m sorry,” she wailed now, completely overcome with raw emotions of love for her husband and their unborn child and complete shock at the depth of the love that had been displayed in his eyes, love for her and in return she’d realised that her love for him was as strong. Steph also had a sudden realisation that her love for her unborn child was infinite and utterly unconditional, overwhelming her further.
“Darling, stop crying, you’ll upset Jelly Bean,” he told her lifting her face to wipe it free of tears before kissing her gently on the lips.
“I love you and our baby,” she told him almost choking on the tears she was trying to swallow back.
“And I love you too, Stephanie, both of you.” He resisted the temptation to list all the reasons why for fear that he was going to drown in her tears if he triggered any more. “Now I need you to calm down and put some clothes on so we can go to work and try to pretend we’re not the most sickeningly happy and loved up couple in the world and that our baby isn’t going to be the smartest, most manipulative and if he gets his looks from you the most beautiful baby in the whole world.” Watching her bottom lip jut out and quiver slightly he gave her a loving but firm look as he warned her, “No more tears or I will be calling the spa and installing you there under Auntie Lindsay’s watchful eye. Now get dressed, although I think I may need to say hello to our baby, just once more before work, please,” Jon said, already holding his hand out for her to position it.
Jon left Steph in the corridor that housed both of their offices with a gentle kiss and a call of, “See you two at lunch time.”
Several people bustling along the corridor smiled at the loving exchange making Steph blush slightly as she entered her office and found Rosie tapping away at her computer.
“Morning Rosie,” she called happily.
“Morning, Mrs Brooker,” she replied earning a frown from Steph.
“What the hell is that whole Mrs Brooker thing about?”
“Sorry, I think because I answer your calls and refer to you so often as Mrs Brooker it’s kind of the norm and Mr Brooker always refers to you as Mrs Brooker and disapproves of people’s informality with you.”
“I get that, all of it, but if you could stick to Steph, especially when it’s just us,” Steph almost pleaded.
“Okay, but if I get a Mr Brooker warning frown you have to rescue me,” her assistant retorted making Steph laugh.
“Getting forgiven for earning those warning frowns is one of my specialist subjects,” she grinned heading for her office, “Oh, have you got any headache tablets?” Steph asked rubbing her temples.
“I have, but can you take them whilst pregnant?” asked Rosie concerned.
“I think so, as long as they’re just regular ones, but don’t mention it in front of Jon, he’s gone all homoeopathic on me.”
“Really?” asked Rosie fishing in her drawer laughing at the notion of Mr Brooker being an advocate homoeopathic remedies.
“I did point out that it was such a remedy that got us here.” Steph smiled, rubbing across her belly that was covered by a summery maxi dress with an elasticated band below her bust, the dress actually emphasising the expand of her bust and belly with a short sleeved cardigan that added a little bit of professionalism to an otherwise casual outfit.
“But you wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Rosie said as she passed Steph a foil of pain killers.
“No, nowhere else in the world, with anybody else, ever, and I can’t imagine not wanting my Jelly Bean.” With a smile, Steph headed into her office where she began working on some new deals having popped a couple of tablets, after dropping her midwife a call to check it was safe to do so.
“Good morning Mr Brooker,” chirped Andrea as Jon appeared looking happy and relaxed.
“Morning Andrea, any messages?”
“No, although I have forwarded some emails to you and scheduled some appointments for you. Oh and Grant has called to check that the meeting you’re having with him and Graham is still on for twelve.”
“Shit. Sorry I forgot all about that and agreed to have lunch with my wife, but I need to keep this meeting scheduled.”
“Then would you like me to call Rosie and advise her of a revised time for Mrs Brooker?” asked Andrea.
“No, no. Would you sort me some coffee and order some flowers for my wife, a mix of blooms, lemons, whites and some foliage. I’ll pop down and tell her myself, about lunch, not the flowers.” He smiled already leaving the room.
Walking into Steph’s office Jon was alerted to a tense sounding Rosie on the phone.
“I have tried to explain that Mrs Brooker has no available appointments for several weeks and doesn’t see anyone without an appointment.” She was obviously repeating herself. “If you leave me your details and those of your company, I will be sure to speak to Mrs Brooker when she’s available,” Rosie said with a pained expression as Jon caught her attention. “Oh sorry, can you hold for a moment please, Mrs Brooker is available now so I will speak to her.” Rosie put the caller on hold. “Sorry, Mr Brooker, Steph is alone in her office if you need to see her,” she said and immediately regretted the informality of her boss’ first name as Jon frowned but said nothing as he gestured to the phone in Rosie’s hand.
“Problem?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. An American woman desperate to make an appointment with Ste–Mrs Brooker, but refuses to leave any details so she is getting no further than me until she does,” Rosie explained.
“Good, thank you. Maybe you shouldn’t mention it to my wife until you do have details, she’ll worry or decide it’s a puzzle to solve and she is stressed enough without adding to it.”
“Of course. I think it could be stress giving her a headache,” revealed Rosie and could have kicked herself, but did stop short of revealing the nugget about tablets.
“A headache? Is she alright?” asked Jon.
“I think so, she seemed very happy and relaxed when she arrived.” Rosie pointed to the call on hold, “I should get back to repeating myself.”
“Of course,” he replied with a smile before tapping on Steph’s door and opening it.
“Hey you.” She smiled as she looked up. “Hormonal visit time?” She grinned making him laugh.
“Sadly no, but we could schedule one for later darling, to make amends,” he suggested.
“Make amends? For what?”
“For cancelling lunch. I have a meeting I can’t move and I completely forgot about it,” he explained.
“That’s fine, I’ll just grab something from downstairs or over the road. Do you want me to get you anything?” She suddenly wondered if she was supposed to be in charge of their lunches, possibly preparing them.
“No, Andrea will get me something if I want it. I’ve called a cleaning company, the one we use here, but their domestic branch, we need to find a cleaner at home,” he told her.
“So you have another woman to sort your lunch and now you want another woman to clean your house, neither job being done by your wife?” An unexpected sense of irrational jealousy filled her voice and mood.
“Steph, if you want to sort my lunch and clean our house then fine, but you’ll need to look at reducing your hours again if you plan on cleaning the whole house regularly.”
“Sorry,” she replied realising she was being ridiculous and making her headache worse which caused her to frown and wince.
“Headache?” he asked, hoping to keep his prior knowledge of it from her, although, now that he thought about it, she had gone to bed the night before earlier than usual citing a headache as the cause of her fatigue and desire to sleep.
“A bit,” she replied wincing again and squinting her eyes.
“You should have stayed at home.”
With the final word out, Steph could hear the cogs of some sort of plotting turning in his mind. “No! Whatever your next thought is the answer is no.”
“We’ll see but promise me you’ll take it easy today and if you feel you need to go home then call me and I’ll take you home.”
“Promise,” she agreed, but had no intention of calling him to take her home.
“Mmm, we’ll call the doctor in the morning if you still feel unwell.”
By half past twelve, Steph’s tummy was rumbling loudly and she thought another couple of tablets might take the edge off her headache further.
“Rosie, I’m going over the road for lunch, shall I bring you something back?”
“No thanks. I need to fit into my wedding dress one way or another.”
“Have a wedding like mine, get knocked up first and then everyone will think you look bloated regardless.”
Rosie laughed. “Er, no thanks, but for the record you looked many things in your wedding dress but bloated was not one of them.”
Steph was sat at a table for four in the far corner of the coffee house come cafe opposite her office building and once she’d ordered a toasted cheese sandwich with a glass of milk, she took two tablets from her bag and set them down to take with her lunch.
It had just arrived when a shadow was cast over her as a voice asked, “May I?”
Looking up Steph was surprised to find Vicky, Jon’s former fiancée standing over her.
“I suppose,” stammered Steph unsure what else to say in response and watched as the other woman who wore a very short red shift dress drew admiring glances from all around them, but then why wouldn’t she? The dress showed off her long slender legs while clinging to every curve she had. Suddenly Steph felt very unattractive and frumpy.
“You look well.” Vicky smiled as she crossed her legs and ordered a mineral water. She seemed to be watching Steph’s every move, lifting her sandwich to her mouth, dropping cheese as she did so, drinking her milk and wiping her milky moustache from her top lip after swallowing the tablets. “Are you unwell?”
“No, headache. I think it must be hormones or something.”
“I still can’t believe you and Jonny and all this commitment,” she said drawling his name, a name she’d only ever heard family members or family friends use, a name that irritated more than was rationally acceptable.
“Really?” asked Steph unsure what else to say.
“You’re pretty and bright so I get that, but marriage, that’s huge, although I guess the kid was a factor,” Vicky said as she sipped her water through a straw, probably to avoid smudging her lipstick.
“ The kid was not a factor in us marrying, just in the timing. Jon asked me to marry him before he knew I was pregnant,” Steph replied indignantly and wondered why she felt obliged to explain herself and her marriage to this woman. As far as this woman was concerned she was Jon’s first and only wife meaning she shouldn’t need to explain herself at all. “I hadn’t realised you were still in England,” said Steph changing the subject and felt pleased that it made Vicky look uncomfortable.
Waiting at the counter for her order of a salad and Jon’s sandwich, Andrea surveyed the people around her, some she recognised from Brookers and others were complete strangers but the women sitting towards her were Vicky for sure, and, “Oh shit,” she whispered as she realised her companion was Mrs Brooker. Pulling her phone out she called Jon’s mobile and knew he wouldn’t mind the end of his meeting being interrupted for this.
“Andrea?” he answered.
“Sorry, I’m over the road in Bramley’s and your wife is here,” she explained.
“Right, well that’s great I suppose, at least I know she’s having lunch,” he replied with a frown that Andrea sensed over the phone.
“No you don’t understand, she’s not alone,” she explained and heard that she had got her boss’ full attention now. “Vicky is sitting opposite her, your Vicky, not your Vicky anymore,” she explained unnecessarily. “Do you want me to go over to them?”
“No, but stay there, keep an eye on them until I get there, thanks,” he replied and hung up. “Sorry, I have to go, but Grant if you can liaise with Mrs Grayling on staff numbers and qualifications and stuff, Graham will finalise the plans and we can all meet down there next week as planned with Mrs Brooker, but until then discretion please.”
He was already leaving his office before the others had got out of their seats desperate to find his wife and save her from his ex-fiancée.
Vicky was staring across at Steph’s breasts and decided that although they were pregnancy enhanced they were perfect which in Vicky’s mind meant they couldn’t be real. “May I ask you something?” she asked suddenly and continued to ask it before Steph had agreed or declined. “They’re enhanced, aren’t they? They’re good and I would imagine they cost a bit, but hey Jon was always a tit man.”
Steph stared across at her, open mouthed, unsure what an acceptable response was to the inference that her boobs weren’t natural or the fact that she had referred to Jon, her husband as being a tit man.
“I didn’t realise you were still in town,” said Jon sourly as he leaned down and kissed Steph startling both women with his presence having made his way next to them with ninja like stealth.
“I thought you had a lunch meeting?” asked Steph smiling up at her husband warmly.
“Finished, darling,” he replied as he sat down and stretching across the table took her hand in his and lifted her fingers to his lips. “So, what brings you two to lunch together?”
“Coincidence, I just spotted your wife sitting alone so I joined her.” Vicky’s smile was saccharine sweet.
“Vicky was just asking whether my chest had been enhanced, although she approves and thinks you’d be pleased with the results, regardless of the cost with you being a tit man,” Steph said, feeling annoyed with them both now and finding herself in another situation where her husband having sex with someone who wasn’t her was clear to all concerned.
“What? Even you must know that you have overstepped several lines in the sand there!” he told Vicky.
“For the record these are all down to DNA, mine and his.” Steph pointed to her bump before gently stroking it as Jelly Bean began to move making her smile.
“His? You’re expecting a boy?” Vicky asked.
“We don’t know,” explained Steph. “But we had no intention of calling our unborn baby it,” she told her thinking that this woman had no right to even be here let alone be privy to Jelly Bean’s name.
“Sweet. I am surprised though, not by your marriage, but a baby, that’s huge.” She smiled again.
“What do you want Vicky?” asked Jon finally tiring of semi-barbed comments and undercurrents.
“I told you, I was just in here, grabbing a drink and saw your wife. You never wanted children though did you?” she continued.
“What?” Steph stared wildly between the two of them wondering if your head really could explode because she felt like hers was going to and possibly at the same time that her lunch would reappear if the burn in her throat was anything to go by along with the stars behind her eyes.
“Jon never wanted children, we talked about it, briefly.”
“Is that so?” pouted Steph tersely.
“No, no it’s not. We, Vicky and I, didn’t want children, she was too vane and scared of gaining weight and I was unbothered one way or the other,” snapped Jon flitting between a glare for Vicky and a concerned look for Steph.
“I should be getting back.” Steph was getting to her feet and grabbing for her purse, fumbling for some cash but was sure she was going to cry before she found any.
Jon could see she was close to losing it one way or another and was happy to facilitate a speedy exit for her. “Darling, I’ll settle the bill.”
She left not hearing anything else either of them said.
“What the fuck is your game, Vicky?” he asked venomously glowering at the other woman now and wondered why the hell he had ever got involved with her let alone ended up being engaged.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said innocently but Jon knew better.
Sitting forward so that his elbows rested on his knees and his chin in his hands he spoke, “Bollocks! Now you listen to me, you are not welcome here, you and I are done, have been for a long time and so long as you revert back to pretending like I don’t exist, we’re good, but you try and screw up my life or play mind games with my wife’s head and we will be far from good. I will take you down, one piece at a time until you are financially and emotionally crippled. Nobody will trade with you; I can guarantee that because I will make relevant deals and calls to ensure that. Taking your business apart brick by brick will be my sole mission in life and then when you have nothing left, I will make sure nobody of note or means will hire you, talk to you, socialise with you and certainly not fuck you, so your prospects are plummeting by the second here, so your choice,” he finished sitting back in his chair waiting for a response.
“Why didn’t you ever love me like you love her? The way you look at her, touch her, speak to her, you never did that with me.”
He was momentarily stunned by her jealousy. “For fuck’s sake! Is this what’s happening here, you’re jealous or pissed that I didn’t love you as much as her? That is crazy. Look, Vicky, I cared for you, we were good together, and I believed that equalled love, but it didn’t, and maybe that’s why I was indifferent to children. I love my wife, more than anything and we are having a baby we both want and love. She made me realise that I had never truly loved anyone before, ever. I don’t mean to hurt you, I’m being honest. You remember that Christmas party of Andy and Rosa’s? The one where Andy’s obnoxious brother tried it on with you?” he asked making her nod at the memory. “What did I do Vicky?”
“Nothing, not really, you laughed, confident that he wouldn’t stand a chance, which he didn’t,” she said sadly.
“The first night I met Steph she was at a hen party, a bachelorette party,” he translated. “And she was drunk. We weren’t even together, but I was pissed off every time anyone went near her. If Andy’s brother or anyone else even attempted to touch her I would lay them out. I have already threatened a couple of ex-boyfriends.”
“Still confident that he wouldn’t stand a chance?” Vicky asked.
“Absolutely, she’s faithful, but I can’t bear the thought of anyone near her. I mean what I say, you leave us alone and we’re good, you and I, but you fuck with me and I will fuck you up beyond recognition, oh and don’t call my wife and give her assistant shit,” he warned.
“When did you figure that out?”
“I walked in on the conversation, but as soon as I knew you were here with Steph it made sense.” Jon was already on his feet and throwing some cash down on the table waving to the waiting staff.
“One final thing, are those tits real?” Vicky asked making Jon smile.
“Oh yes,” he replied with a smile turning his back on her.
“Jonny,” she called, making him glance back over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re happy and I’m sorry I wasn’t better to you.”
“It worked out for me,” replied Jon flatly before heading back to his office, his life and more importantly his wife.