Chapter 5 – Juliana
“I think I need to marry you, Ms. Davenport.” I know he wasn’t being serious, but it was sweet of him to say. He’s been such an amazing host. I figured the casserole was the least I could do. Architecture is my passion, but I express my love with comfort food.
Speaking of food, I can’t believe I brought back up the whole lube flavor thing on the phone that day. He’s been buying blueberry-flavored things ever since then. Look, I love blueberry muffins and all but my cheeks still burn thinking about why he might be doing that.
“So, would you want to come with me to their vow renewal?” Liam calls through my bedroom door.
“I don’t know. Watching two people consciously choose to be locked in wedded bliss a second time sounds like nightmare fuel.
” He chuckles, knowing I’m joking. Sort of .
“Sure, I can go to your brother’s richie-rich partner’s swanky estate and drink the best champagne while they say ‘I do’ again. ”
“That’s my girl. Do you want a ride to meet Miles and the ladies tonight?”
“Yeah, hang on.”
My younger sister and her wife wanted to take me out to dinner as thanks for all the free babysitting.
No payment is necessary in my opinion, but I enjoy hanging out with them.
My assistant, who is notoriously nosy and spends more time chatting with Wendy than I do, is tagging along.
I can’t wait to hold Amelia and get one of those cute baby smiles even though it will increase my Baby Fever.
Slipping on my boots, I open the door to find Liam on the other side looking sexy as sin in a navy suit, minus the tie. Living with a hot bachelor, even temporarily, is feeding a different sort of fever, the ‘It’s been a while’ fever.
“Is Sable on tonight?” I ask, admiring his good looks in a purely platonic manner. The club isn’t open every night of the week and it frequently rotates which nights it is.
His blue-green eyes zip up and down my frame, sending an unexpected shiver along my spine. “No, I’m meeting someone for a drink. You look stunning.” I involuntarily squirm at the compliment. Becca still has me working on believing them.
For some reason, his ‘meeting someone’ plan hits me differently than usual. “Are you seeing the girl from last week again?” His momentary confusion doesn’t help the tightening sensation in my throat.
“Oh, her? No,” he replies, shaking his head. “Ready?”
I agree, following him to the garage and waiting to see if we’re taking the Jeep or the Porsche.
He could ride a kid’s bike and still get looks, but the sports car beeps when he unlocks it and my stomach sinks just like it did last week on the sofa when he admitted he’d been with a woman prior to me calling and interrupting. “Going to Twisted Anchor?”
“That’s the plan.”
Twisted Anchor for drinks without me. Sounds like a hookup night for my friendly neighborhood player.
God, what if he brings Ms. Tonight home with him?
Knowing Liam, that’s unlikely - the universal player motto being ‘it’s easier to leave than kick someone out’ - and none of this has bothered me before. What is with me?
“You’ll probably be down an annoying house guest soon,” I comment as we pull out of the garage.
I couldn’t believe the perpetrators were actually caught until I remembered how much money and influence the Culvers have and Liam’s resources through his brother Dean’s company.
On the other hand, the lock and window repair and security upgrades have already taken longer than I figured they would .
He scowls at the road. “Not sure I like that.”
“You just like coming home to casseroles in your fridge.”
“I like coming home and seeing you.” He reaches over, pulling my hand up to his mouth for a kiss. It’s simultaneously chaste and the hottest thing that’s happened to me in months.
We are friends. We are not meant to be anything else, I remind myself. I like taking care of him, and he likes taking care of me. So what if he finds a new girl to love and leave every week? He’s an excellent friend who never lies to me. Unlike Chad.
“Why is Miles joining your family dinner tonight?” he asks, dragging me out of my inner monologue.
“His girlfriend broke up with him.”
Glancing his way, I note Liam scowling at the road again. “I thought Miles was gay.”
“He’s bisexual. Anyway, you know how tender-hearted Wendy is. She caught wind and invited him.” I hired Miles last year. In addition to his nosy side, he’s in his mid-twenties, efficient, funny and he never turns down an invitation for free food or sweets.
Liam keeps glaring at the road. Maybe work is on his mind. Or, his difficult dad. I avoid Jock Culver as much as possible when I go over to their building.
He offers to walk me in when we reach the restaurant and, as Wendy and Nell have already arrived, I let Liam greet them while I gravitate toward Amelia like the addict I am.
She’s eight months old now, so lively and sweet.
Her eyes widen when she sees me and she smiles.
My heart is a puddle. I start nuzzling her chubby cheeks.
“We’ve lost her already,” Nell says teasingly to her much shorter wife.
With dark brown skin and sparkling eyes, Nell’s very tall for a woman and she firmly shakes Liam’s hand before continuing.
“We could’ve arranged dinner for your sister and the baby and just stayed home.
Liam would’ve helped with diaper duty, I’ll bet. ”
“Spending time with Amelia sounds okay, but diaper duty? Not this side of hell,” Liam replies, scrunching up his nose. His horrified expression is priceless, and he said he doesn’t want kids after all.
Bubbly as always, Wendy snickers and hugs me tightly before turning to Liam. “I hear you’re taking our sister to a wedding soon. Hope she has more fun than she did at ours.”
I regret my depression was in complete control when they got married shortly after I caught Chad with Addison. If I’d known Liam better back then, maybe I could’ve had a friend by my side instead of crying in a corner after Mom and Dad kept asking if I’d considered couples therapy to ‘fix things.’
“The bitter divorcee and the wealthy player, ideal wedding guests. Great gift and no worries about them trying to upstage the bride and groom,” Nell says, wryly.
My sister-in-law is always direct , but I appreciate that about her so the ribbing doesn’t bother me.
I am a bitter divorcee while Liam’s Liam.
“Just when I think your eyes couldn’t possibly shine any brighter, I see you with her,” Liam comments, ignoring the ribbing as well. It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking about my eyes, not the baby’s. My stomach does a weird flip. I should eat.
“Liam, hi! Are you joining us?” Miles chirps, walking in. He starts dragging an extra chair over, his cheeks growing pinker. Poor man has a crush on Liam. He’s crush worthy without a doubt.
Liam glances at his wristwatch before shattering Miles’ hopes. “Sorry, I’m on my way somewhere. Do you want a ride home?” he asks me.
A ride home from dinner when he’s supposed to be meeting someone for drinks? Sounds like a recipe for awkwardness. “No, thanks. Wendy and Nell can drop me.”
“Or, I can,” Miles offers.
Liam’s lips twist downward before he gives a sharp nod and strides away. Sheesh, that was very abrupt for him. “Um… shall we order?” I suggest to the others as his Porsche tears off outside.
A short while later, I have managed to eat half a sandwich while not relinquishing my hold on Amelia.
She’s currently asleep, and I could watch her all night.
I need to talk to Wendy and Nell about things.
“Miles, the bakery next door has those cookies you love. Would you want to go get us a dozen for the office? My treat.”
“I’m too stuffed to think about cookies right now.”
“What your boss means to say is go away for a few minutes so she can speak freely with us.” I do love Nell.
Miles hates being excluded from anything newsworthy, but I hand him my card with an apologetic smile.
He’ll be over and back in record time so I jump right to it.
“My birthday is coming up soon and I’ve been thinking a lot about this.
I want a baby. I want to be a mom. And, I’m not waiting for Mr. Right to appear in order to have that.
I’ve been thinking about you guys and Amelia a lot. What if I did IVF, too?”
“Oh, Juliana! I think that’s wonderful!” Wendy gushes, her eyes getting watery.
“Girl, you should’ve sent that man to Oakland for cookies if we’re getting into this discussion now,” Nell says, pragmatically.
“There’s a lot to consider. You don’t have to jump straight to IVF.
You could try IUI first though it can be less effective.
” I’m apparently light on the lingo because Nell snorts at my blank look. “Intrauterine insemination.”
“Like you’d use a turkey baster or something?” I ask, my nose crinkling up.
“That’s the basic idea,” Nell answers, chuckling. “Have you told your parents about this?”
“My parents?” I repeat, suddenly feeling more lightheaded at the thought of telling them about having a baby with no husband than the idea of using a turkey baster to get pregnant.
Jean and Michael Davenport are traditional with a capital T.
“They’d probably jump for joy and assume I’ve finally worked things out with Chad if I mention having a baby. ”
Wendy and Nell wince in sync, knowing I’m not wrong. “How about a donor? You got anyone in mind?” Wendy asks.
“A… well, I… Wouldn’t I just use one of those sperm banks?”
Wendy and Nell exchange a look. “That could be fine, but did you see that documentary…” Nell pulls out her phone and proceeds to freak me out with accounts of men being despicable.
“Don’t get down, Juliana. There’s lots of options.”
“Wendy’s right. We asked my brother, for instance. It helped ensure that Amelia’s family medical history would be easily accessible from both sides and, even though it was your sister’s egg, she’s got my DNA, too.”
“But, I don’t have any man I could easily ask to-”
“What about Liam?” Wendy asks, excitedly. “You could ask him to be your donor!”
My jaw drops as I turn toward my sister. “That would be a monumental thing to ask of a friend!”
Nell nods, giving my sister an affectionate smile. “I hate to disagree with you, Wen, but Juliana’s right. Even if you’re open to it, you’d need to see how Liam would feel about it after you laid out all the facts, expectations and what you’d agree to.”
“But, they’d make a beautiful baby together, Nell, and we were both just saying how he’d do anything for her.” They were discussing us? “Do you know if he wants kids of his own?” Wendy asks me.
I feel like I’m in that bad gym class dream, the one where it’s dodgeball and my hands are tied behind my back.
He didn’t seem too keen on having kids when I asked last week or when Nell teased him about diaper duty earlier, but would he be willing to be my donor?
What would that mean for our friendship?
How would he feel once the baby was here?
Or later on? He’s still in his twenties.
He might feel differently about simply being ‘Uncle Liam’ five years from now.
“He says he doesn’t, but I don’t know,” I finally admit. “It’s hard for me to imagine Liam as a dad.”
“He’s definitely daddy material in my book,” Miles chimes in, already back with cookies and eager to find out what he’s missed.
∞∞ ∞
Hours later, I’m back at Liam’s place with a brain brimful of questions. It’s well past midnight. I’ve been researching, writing down questions for myself and for the doctor. I’m becoming more and more certain that this is not only something I want to do but something that I can do.
But, there are things I want to talk over with someone, someone who’s not home yet. Where the hell is he? There’s an unexpected ache in my chest telling my brain I probably don’t want to know the answer.