Chapter 13 Baby Steps
Eva
“He’s really trying, Eva,” Ellie said.
“No. You’re trying to play on his team,” I said as we travelled back to the building.
“He cares. He was touched when you gave him that photo.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m the one miserable right now!”
“True, but he’s trying.”
“I don’t like it. He’s paying for everything, and I can just hear it now. I’ll owe him for covering the cost of my prenatal care even though he got me knocked up.”
“I’d milk it for all it was worth. Does that make me awful?” Ellie giggled. “Does ice cream count as prenatal care?”
“I don’t need him to pay. I make good money, and I live at home. Look, I am here. This is my building. I should leave you.”
“No! Let me come up! I want to see your office!”
I grimaced. I hadn’t told her who exactly Davey was. Nor did I want to get a million fucking questions, but here we were. She was so excited.
“C’mon! Please!”
“Fine. But I have a meeting at 10:30,” I said. “And I have to lead it.”
“Promise I will be out in 5.”
After grabbing a visitor’s badge, we took the elevator to the executive floor.
“Oh, Eva! Great!” Claire said. “Jamie said you were going to explain the new retail tech strategy to compliance. Are you prepared for the PCI stuff? I need that for later.”
“It will be in your mailbox in fifteen,” I answered. “I worked on it yesterday. Claire, this is Ellie Jamison, my best friend. She’s just dropping by. And Ellie, this is Claire Nguyen, our CISO.”
Claire extended her hand. “Oh, fun! We don’t get all that many visitors up here. No worries on the PCI thing. I will just need a bit to read over it before our 1.”
“I have you covered,” I said.
We continued walking until Davey appeared on his way to the espresso machine. He made eye contact, panicked, then kept walking, as if he read my mind.
“What is he…”
I pulled Ellie into my office and announced, “Isn’t it great?”
Ellie’s jaw didn’t return to its usual spot, and not because my office was glorious.
I closed the door.
“Who is Davey? And what are you not telling me?” Ellie demanded in a low tone.
“Davey is David Delphine,” I winced. “Daphne’s big brother. Our CEO. The big boss. I found that out when I arrived for my first day at work and had to deal with his bad attitude.”
“He seemed perfectly nice—”
“He swears he is working on it. I told him I won’t put up with his bullshit, but you can see why it’s a mess.”
“Girl, they are rich! Like rich, rich, rich. Like gilded age royalty rich!”
“I am well-aware. And he’s insistent I need his money to raise this thing in the same fashion as Daphne’s baby.”
“Well, it makes sense. Jesus, Eva! You’re carrying a Princess—or a Prince, basically.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am eight weeks and one day pregnant with a baby that may or may not end up fabulously wealthy but will be loved as much as I can possibly love anything. Let’s leave it there.”
“Babes, this is messy. What will happen when people find out you’re pregnant? Are you going to tell them? I mean, it would have to be obvious.”
I lacked answers and suspected I considered it more than Davey.
“Why are you so interested in this?”
“I work in an elementary school. There are two male teachers—both are gay—and neither one is dating the other. The women are constantly going through sad breakups. I am a single mom about to marry her long-term boyfriend. We are vanilla. We are wonderful, but it’s not chaotic. This is chaotic in a great way.”
“Great? Great how?”
“Your boss is hot. Like really, really hot. He’s obviously into you. And what? Can he ignore you? No!”
I sighed, about to tell her to stop when Daphne knocked on my glass door. She gave a little wave, so I opened it.
“Hi! I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but my brother and Claire said you had a visitor.”
“Oh, this is my best friend, Ellie,” I said. “Ellie, this is Daphne Delphine.”
Daphne extended her hand. “Oh, I’ve heard so much about you, Ellie! It’s great to meet you. What brings you into Chicago proper?”
“I was moral support for Eva.”
I winced. “Eight-week scan.”
“Oh, geez. Good! I’m glad you had someone to go with you. I cannot imagine the stress of doing that on my own. And did it go okay?”
“Yeah, the baby looks good.”
“Great news. Well, anytime you need time, Claire and I are supportive. Let us know if you need anything. I gotta go soothe a nervous shareholder’s concerns with Davey.
Thankfully, he is in a very good mood this morning.
I’m a little afraid he’s seeing someone, which with me about to go on leave is the last thing I need, but what can you do? ”
I maintained a smile. “Well, good for him.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll leave you. Let’s have Ellie for lunch sometime before I turn into a pumpkin. Well, before I become a giant pumpkin! Nice meeting you, Ellie.”
“You, too!” Ellie said cheerfully.
Ellie waited for the door to close, “Well, that’s fucking awkward. He’s in a good mood, Eva.”
“Good god, please stop!” I pled. “Now, get the hell out of here and go shopping or whatever. I have shit to do and it has nothing to do with a man.”
Davey
“Daph, throw me a bone. Norm likes beautiful women. The least you could do is come to the dinner,” I realized I just called my sister a beautiful woman. “I mean, you are a conventionally attractive person he will prefer to me.”
“No can do,” Daphne grimaced.
“Why?”
She held onto the arm of her chair. “God damn lightning crotch.”
“Excuse me?”
Was it a band? A commentary on Norm’s suspected previous infidelity? Norm Palchuck was a notorious money guy. He was also a total pain in the ass and preferred blondes. Normally, Daphne would have allowed it.
“Lightning crotch is when the baby kicks or jams it’s head into my cervix and causes it to feel like there is lightning down there. That’s the medical term.”
I did not want to think about Daphne’s cervix, but remained mature. I made a mental note to look it up.
“Look, I need someone, or he will ignore me, throw a fit, and go on a tirade. Ever since his wife died, he’s not been the same. Are Chloe and Delanie around?”
“Delanie is working. Chloe is competing. They are both busy.”
Delanie was our actress sister, and Chloe was Cal’s hot younger sister who held onto his shares since he couldn’t vote on any matter without it being a conflict of interest. She was also the resident horse girl and Chief Influencer Officer.
Either one would have pleased the old bastard to no end and would have been game to be charming.
Eva passed outside, headed to the snack bar.
“I’ll ask Eva,” I said.
“You will not ask her!” Daphne exclaimed. “She shouldn’t have to deal with him. She’s my direct report.”
“Please. I’m desperate.”
I didn’t want to take Eva, but knew she’d fit the bill. Maybe she’d even feel special for being picked to wine and dine with a board member. I would never let him get away with anything with her present and knew she’d not tolerate his bullshit anyway.
“If she wants to go, tell her everything and then let her decide. If you don’t tell her, I will, and you’ll look like an ass.”
Daphne stood.
“Yes, Daph,” I followed. “Promise.”
“I’m off to meet with ops. See you at Mom’s this weekend.”
She headed out and I dashed across the way to try to find Eva.
She stood at the espresso machine waiting for a shot.
I knew she’d had a long day because her hair was pulled back tightly in a clip but still spilled from it.
Looking at her from this angle, I could see slight changes in her body.
She rested a hand on her stomach the way Daphne did.
I wondered if pregnant women trained themselves to do it or if it just happened.
Was it organic or learned through observation?
“Don’t look at me like that!” She didn’t even turn.
“Like what?” I chuckled.
“Like you’re judging me for consuming caffeine.”
“I’m not,” I said. “Well, maybe this late in the day.”
Eva rolled her eyes. “What do you need?”
“Norm—this guy who owns board shares—is being a stick in the mud about an acquisition. He wants us to wine and dine him, but I usually bring a woman with me because he’s more receptive to reason when there are woman around.”
Eva’s shot poured into the small cup of hot water. “Why me?”
“Because I need someone under forty who’s conventionally attractive,” I admitted.
“And he’s a creep?”
“No. He’s a philanderer, but he can be very charming—to women. He’ll go easy on me if you’re there. No heavy lifting. He’s no brainiac, but he’ll be impressed with your education and general no-fucks-given way of being.”
“You excite me,” Eva said flatly.
“I will be there. Nothing will happen. He’s not a bad guy—just a personality. Ninety percent of my job is babying other members of the board. Daphne is the one who gets to fix shit.”
Eva smiled, giggled, then gagged. It was the strangest combination. In the process, she dropped her biodegradable spoon. I tossed it in the garbage as she grabbed another.
“Shit, sorry. That happens sometimes,” Eva said, as if she malfunctioned.
I reached to rub her back, then pulled my hand back. What the fuck is that, Davey?
“What do I need to do? And when?” Eva gave over to the idea.
“It would be tomorrow night. We have a nine o’clock reservation. Norm likes to eat late.”
“That’s too late. I’ll never get home. The last train leaves at 11:30 and the next doesn’t come until 5:30.”
“I can have my driver take you home after. Or you could get a hotel room. Your choice.”
“I will take the driver,” Eva said.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are saving me, Eva.”
“You’ll owe me,” Eva reminded. “But I’ll take it.”