Chapter 6
Cat
“Babe, you look great. You’re going to be the most beautiful pregnant woman there.”
Nick helps me zip the back of my dress up for the charity banquet.
I take another look in the mirror at my short blue dress that shows off my still-toned legs.
Must be all the walking I do. That’s the benefit of not having a car—I gave up my exercise regimen months ago.
How could I keep up with all the drama in my life?
Nick tried to get me to exercise with him, but that’s too much for me, I get a workout sitting back on the floor watching him.
I poke my lips out at my reflection and smooth the dress down over my growing belly.
I’m going to look like an elephant by the time I have this baby.
“Are you sure this dress is not too short for a pregnant woman?”
“I told you, you look great, very sexy.”
He kisses the back of my neck and gives me a reassuring smile in the mirror.
I sit on the bottom of the bed and try to put on my heels, flailing like a seal on the beach.
He laughs, kneeling down, and I playfully push his shoulder back with the tip of my toes when he takes the shoes out of my hand to put them on for me.
“Ha, ha. Thank you for helping me.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
I laugh at the cheesy smile on his face, and he kisses me on the lips and helps me back up.
Things have been really good between us the past two weeks.
We talked about Paige, and he was honest and open with me about their past relationship.
We’re going to put it behind us, and he’s not going to work on any more cases with her personally.
He’s super excited about the baby. He came up with two boy names for the baby, and I told him I would think about it, but Jace is still number one for me.
He’s not sure about it, but I’m sure he can be persuaded to like it as much as I do.
I put my diamond earring on and turn to him.
“We should decorate the spare bedroom for the baby.”
“We’re not sure what we’re having, what color would it be?”
I put my other earring in and follow him out the door, putting on the diamond bracelet he gave me for Christmas. “Let’s think outside the box, neutral colors like pastel green, grays, and turquoise blue, our new favorite color.”
“You want to do it yourself?”
“On this one I want a decorator. I want the room like a picture in Better Homes and Gardens.” I hold on to his hand and he pushes the button in the elevator. “When I was small, my mother had lots of those magazines and we would look through them together.”
“If that’s what you want. I thought you would want to decorate with Ava, maybe.”
“No, Ava is already too into this. She has named herself glam god-mommy and I wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise. She’s fully embraced me being pregnant.”
He looks down at me from the side. “Did she have a choice?”
I smile and brush my hair back off my face, bracing myself for the oppressive mid-July heat. “I guess not.”
An hour into the banquet at an upscale hotel in Manhattan, I’m standing next to Ava wishing I’d listened to Nick and wore my flats.
Ah, the price of vanity, and I knew Paige was going to be here tonight.
She’s been not-very-covertly watching Nick and ignoring my presence since we walked through the door. I have something for her later.
“Ava, I’m going to have to sit down soon.
” I take a drink of my sparkling water and run a hand over my stomach.
“I can’t wait to have a real drink.” I hold my glass up and notice she’s not paying me any attention, her focus fully on the other side of the room.
I look around her and I see why. Trouble is headed our way, and his name is Chris.
“Cat?”
“Yes, Ava.”
“Who is that?”
“Chris, my brother.”
She looks down at me from her five-inch stilettos with a sinister smile on her artfully painted face, wearing a tight black dress with a slit way up her thigh. Her hair is pulled back off her face and swept to the side in loose curls. She’s one of the most stunning women in the room.
“I mean the mature madam he has his arms wrapped around.”
“Well, look at you, so respectful. I hope that keeps up throughout the night. It looks like she’s his date for the night.”
“I didn’t bring a date because I thought he wasn’t bringing one. I’m going to kill Nick! I turned down a great guy my aunt wanted to set me up with tonight.”
“No one told you to do that. Good dates are hard to come by.” I pat her arm as she frowns at me, rolling her eyes. Well, it’s the truth. Chris walks up to us, looking handsome in his suit, and introduces his date to us.
“Cat, Ava, this is my lovely date, Sage. Sage, this is my sister Catherine and her friend Ava Alexander.”
She’s pretty and tall. She shakes my hand, and I tell her to call me Cat.
“Cat, it’s nice to meet you, Chris has told me about you. Congratulations, when are you due?”
“September.”
“Good month, and I’m not just saying it because my birthday is also in September.”
She smiles warmly and turns to Ava to shake her hand. Oh God, I hope she behaves herself. Her mouth has a mind of its own, this could be a disaster. Ava shakes her hand and smiles back with her winning beauty queen smile meant to dazzle an audience.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sage. You’ve heard a lot about Cat, but we haven’t heard about you. What a shame.”
“I’m hoping that will change.” She links her arm with Chris and smiles at him. He smiles back and pats her hand. I swear I can hear Ava’s rage monster screaming for release. “We work together from time to time, and this is our second date.”
Ava looks at them and bats her long lashes. “How sweet,” she mumbles under her breath.
“I’m sorry but will you excuse me?” Sage says to us. “I see a client of mine I need to speak to.”
“Go ahead,” Chris says.
“Which stable did you trot her out from?”
Chris turns to Ava and shakes his head. “Do you have to go there, Ava?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m being a little harsh. She’s a very strapping young lady.”
I press my lips in not to laugh. She opens her mouth and makes a chomping sound with her perfect white teeth.
“I bet her choppers are real sturdy.”
I giggle and take a drink of my water. Chris is not happy.
“That’s not funny.” He comes face to face with Ava, vein bulging in his forehead. “Classy, very classy.”
He walks off to his date, and Ava’s nostrils flare while watching him. “Old crotches. That thing’s so old and ashy you go down between those legs you come up looking like you had powdered donuts.”
“Ava!” My head whips around to look at her, eyes popping out.
“All he has to do is puff his lips out and blow and he’ll see smoke rings from the fallen ashes.”
“The things that come out of your mouth. I’m glad you didn’t say that while he was here, he would have hit the roof.”
“I’m going to get a drink. Something hard, very hard…since I won’t be getting anything hard from him tonight.”
I watch her get a drink, visibly upset. She’ll be fine once she calms down.
I sit down at our table and watch Nick work the room, making small talk to his associates and potential clients.
He commands the room with the way he walks and the proud way he holds his head up high, like he knows he’s in charge.
He scans the room, smiling when his eyes lands on me.
I hold my head up and smile back. Yeah, he’s mine.
He says something to the group he’s talking with and walks over, sitting down next to me.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m watching my man do his thing.”
“You like what you see?”
“I love what I see. I’m impressed.”
He brushes a finger up my bare arm. “That was my plan. Maybe I could impress you some more later. When we’re alone.”
I bite down on my lip and look at the mischievous look on his face. “Are you propositioning me in the middle of a crowded room?”
“No other way to do it.”
Leaning in trying not to smile, I whisper with as much intensity as a telenovela soap opera with a thick accent, “Escandaloso! Mr. Alexander.”
He laughs out loud, drawing attention to our table. I’m a little embarrassed; they’re looking at him like they haven’t seen him laugh before tonight. I lean my head down and smile. Another gentleman comes over to the table and introduces himself.
“Excuse me, Mr. Alexander, my name is Mr. Watkins.”
“Ah yes, Mr. Watkins. I’ve been meaning to talk to you, you’re a hard man to get a hold of.”
Nick stands and shakes his hand. I stand with him, and Mr. Watkins shakes my hand too.
“Mr. Watkins, this beautiful woman is Catherine Reed, the love of my life and the mother-to-be of my child.” I feel my cheeks heat up and I smile at the older gentleman. He could have just said I’m his girlfriend.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Reed.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Watkins.”
“I’ll be back. I’m going to talk to Mr. Watkins. Do you need anything?”
“No, go ahead, I’m fine.”
Mr. Watkins’s timing is perfect. I see the person I need to settle a few things with go into the hallway leading to the ladies room. I slip out quietly behind her. She’s sharp enough to notice my presence.
“What do you want?” Paige sneers in a nasty tone in front of the ladies room door.
“I came to use the ladies room. But since we’re out here, I have one or two things to say.”
“What do you have to say that I would consider listening to? Other than Nick has come to his senses and dumped you.”
I get close to her and laugh without humor.
“You’re a real bitch. You caught me off-guard at a weak and vulnerable time.
That won’t happen again. I’m going to make this clear, my man doesn’t want you.
You were the go-to girl when I wasn’t around, but I’m not going anywhere, I’m here to stay permanently. ”
“We’ll see,” she says, her hands on her hips, nasty smirk on her face.
“If it isn’t business then you have no reason to find an excuse to hold a conversation with him. Keep your distance like you’ve been doing tonight. By the way, you’re doing a terrible job pretending you’re not strung out on my man. So let me repeat it again, he doesn’t want you.”
She tries to talk, but I hold my hand up and cut her off.
“You said all you needed to say last time, it’s my turn.
I don’t like you. By nature I’m not a violent person, but the way you came at me and ambushed me the other day…
if I wasn’t pregnant, I would back hand you across this room and knock your fucking teeth out.
But here’s the thing—those stories about pregnancy hormones are real, and some days I could cut someone for eating the last donut, so don’t try me. ”
Someone walks by and looks at us curiously. I stop talking and put a smile on my face, raising my voice to put on a good show like we are have a simple chat. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, Paige.” She does the same with a warm smile of her own but her eyes and voice are cold as ice like her.
“Same to you, Catherine.”
Living with Ava and Nick has rubbed off on me a bit. That was badass Ava style, and she would be proud of me. I have to admit, it felt good.
I sit down at the table where Nick and Ava are staring daggers at Chris and his date. I lean over the table next to her and whisper, “Tom, you have to keep calm to get your Jerry.” She gives me the finger under the table and I laugh.
Nick puts his hand around my shoulder and asks me, “What’s so funny?”
“Inside joke between girls.” I rub my hand on the inside of his thigh. “Why did you introduce me the way you did to Mr. Watkins? You could have said I’m your girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend doesn’t describe what you are to me, you’re more than that. The mother of my child, the love of my life, and the woman by my side describes you perfectly.”
I squeeze his thigh, smiling ear to ear, and take a drink of my water.
He surprises me by taking my hand, helping me up, and leading me out to the middle of the dance floor, holding me almost inappropriately too close, with his hands around my waist. His hands are on the small of my back, fingers skimming the top of my butt.
My head tilts back to look at him, and he bends his head down to my lips.
His eyes, always his eyes—mesmerizing, clear silver blue orbs washing over me.
“People are looking.”
“So?”
“So what are they going to say?”
“They are going to see how in love I am with the pregnant girl who won’t marry me.”
He kisses me with everyone watching, including Paige, and I don’t care. I’m deliriously happy in this moment. Eat your heart out, Paige!