Chapter 8 #2
Feeling the tension dissipating, she leaned back and proceeded to finish the refreshments he had brought her.
"Good Christ, Olivia! Is that the best you can do?" Samuel shouted. "Your lackluster performance is showing. What the hell is wrong with you? I want to see the creativity you showed me just yesterday. What?"
He whirled to face his beleaguered assistant, who held out his phone. "I said no interruptions. We're in the middle-"
"It's your wife, sir," the man hastened to tell him. "She's calling from the hospital. Said she tried to-" He jumped back slightly as his boss snatched the phone from him.
"Bob-" Samuel motioned to the director. "Take over."
"Of course." The rotund little man hurried forward and started issuing orders.
Hurrying over to his makeshift office, he slammed the door to get rid of the noise. Heart pounding in dread, he answered. "Eliza, what's going on?"
"It's nothing to freak out about," she hastened to assure him. "I was spotting and feeling dizzy, and they told me to come in. I tried calling you-"
"My phone was dead. Are you all right? Let me talk to the doctor."
Shoving his clenched fist into the pocket of his denims, he heard her whisper something.
"Mr. Copeland, it's Blake, Dr. Forsythe. There's nothing to worry about. Like I told your wife, spotting at this point is normal. Her blood pressure is high, and we would like to keep her here for a day or two to monitor her."
"The babies?"
The man hesitated briefly, causing Samuel's own blood pressure to spike. "One is a little more underweight than the others. I know the nausea has been pretty bad, so we're also suggesting inserting a feeding tube."
"Is she in danger? My wife?" he asked tensely.
"Not at all, and I give you my word that we're taking very good care of her."
"Let me talk to her." He waited until the man handed her the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Eliza, were you feeling poorly this morning before I left? And don't bother to lie. I happen to know when you are."
"I was feeling a little dizzy but thought it was the usual. I wasn't spotting, darling; I would not lie to you about that. It's good to know you don't trust me," she chided.
"You've been keeping things from me." He heaved out a breath. "I cannot lose you," he added hoarsely.
"And you won't. Look, you don't have to come. I know you're at a crucial point in the movie-"
"Try and stop me. I'll be there shortly. I love you."
"I love you too."
Hanging up the phone, he walked to the desk and simply leaned on it, his knees going weak.
The phone call had shattered his composure and his peace of mind.
Lifting a hand, he rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes.
He was never going to get a moment's peace until those babies were delivered. God help him!
She stirred, her eyes drifting open slowly to see him seated on a chair next to the bed.
He had his left ankle over his knee and was balancing an iPad, making notes.
She stayed still, just wanting to observe him without him realizing it.
She felt the pride swelling her heart as she stared at him.
His dense dark hair was slightly tousled as if he had been running his fingers through the strands.
A pair of wire-rimmed glasses was perched on the bridge of a nose that was slightly crooked.
She had often teased him that with the glasses, he looked like a complete nerd, but in truth, it made him look sexy and highly appealing.
His pale blue cotton shirt was open at the throat, showing glimpses of his tanned chest. His arms were muscular, the hair covering his skin.
A frown was touching his brow as he concentrated.
As if sensing that he was being watched, he looked up, his smile coming readily when he saw that she was awake.
"Hi. How long have you been here?"
"Twenty minutes." He put aside the device and drew closer to the bed. Taking her hand, he linked their fingers. "I spoke to the doctors." He glanced at the IV tube next to the bed. "It seems you're doing much better."
"I am." She squeezed his hand. "You looked busy."
He shrugged. "Some decisions concerning a parcel of land in Texas that needed my signature." Lifting their joined hands, he kissed the back of hers. "How are you?"
"Better now that you're here." She gave him a pleading glance. "And hoping you can use your scary influence to get me out of here."
"Not a chance in hell. Your blood pressure is still high, and there are other concerns. You're diabetic."
"Gestational diabetes, which will disappear as soon as I give birth."
"That matters not. You're staying."
"I would do so much better if I were at home."
"Don't even think of using those beautiful eyes to get your own way. I'm immune."
"Since when?"
"Since I was in the middle of a scene and I received a phone call that my wife was in the hospital. You scared the living crap out of me."
Her smile dissolved. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not sure how much more my poor heart can take." He placed the back of her hand on his cheek. "So, you're staying as long as the doctors deem it prudent that you should."
"I hate that I took you away from your work."
He gave her a surprised look. "Do you understand that you're my first priority? I will always drop everything and come running as long as it has anything to do with you."
She felt the lump forming in her throat.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"No need to thank me. You're my life, and it's time you start acting like you know."
"Do me a favor?"
"That depends," he told her warily.
She laughed softly. "You're supposed to say anything."
"I'm not an idiot. What's the favor?"
"Slide in next to me. I want to feel your arms around me."
His eyes smoldered. "That's an easy favor."
"Good Lord, darling, you look like you swallowed a couple of elephants! You're huge."
"And you're very good for my ego. I'm afraid I cannot heave myself out of the chair. It takes several minutes to get back in." She held out a hand, and he rushed forward to take it. "It's so good to see you."
"The feeling is mutual." Blair kissed her hand lavishly.
"You look tanned and healthy."
"Mexico will do that to you. I cannot believe that I've been gone for four months, and you have grown so huge.
" He pulled up the chaise lounge and sat next to her.
She was taking advantage of the wonderful summer weather to feel the sun on her skin.
She was almost six months pregnant, and time was winding down for her to deliver her babies.
So far, she had been to the clinic five times already, but the longest she had ever stayed was two weeks when there was a fear that she was having premature labor.
"Where is that gorgeous and scary husband of yours?"
"He had to go out for a while."
"And he left you by yourself." Blair tutted. "What if you fall into the pool and hit your head? That puny housekeeper of yours would not be able to budge you."
"I told him you were coming by, and there's this.
" She touched a medical alert button around her neck.
"The doctors gave me one the second time I had to go to the clinic.
By the way, we're having triplets and a single.
Three boys and a girl." She used her free hand to rub her huge mound. "We're deciding on names."
"How thrilling. Are the parents on board yet?"
"His mother is reluctantly coming around. His father is over the moon." Her smile faded.
"I'm scared silly. It's been a very rough ride, Blair, with visits and stays in the clinic. At one point they could not detect our baby girl's heartbeat. I thought she was dead. I had a panic attack on top of everything else."
"Samuel has been patient throughout the entire rocky journey, even going as far as putting off several trips.
I cannot travel, cannot use the stairs. I have to use the elevator.
I haven't been out of the house in two months.
Samuel took me for a drive a few days ago, and just to feel the wind on my face reminded me never to take anything for granted.
I find myself wondering if this was something I should have really considered. " She pressed a hand to her mound.
"Don't get me wrong, I love them-" Her face glowed.
"When I discovered that I was having three boys and a girl, I was so thrilled that I cried.
That means nothing really because I cry at the drop of a hat.
But I would never recommend this to another woman.
Certainly not one without the resources it takes to carry a high-risk pregnancy like this one. "
"Well, it's handy that your husband is rolling in dough, and you're not too shabby in the financial department yourself," he stated, patting her hand.
"I've read all the stories in the press and on the internet.
Some of the trashy and very creative tabloids have you carrying six babies and wondering if, in fact, Samuel is the daddy.
" He grinned at her annoyed expression. "Others are saying that you two have broken up, and the rift is caused by your insistence on having multiples.
Others have him having a torrid affair with the screen idol from his latest film.
Said he ran off with her to some exotic island to escape impending fatherhood. "
"Samuel is threatening to buy the newspapers and destroy every last one of them," she told him wryly.
She would never forget the furious look on his face when it was brought to his attention.
Normally he wouldn't give that type of reading material the time of day, but a reporter had blurted out the question, asking him to confirm if he really was the father of her babies.
That had been the last question the man had asked.
He had come home and read the whole messy story.
He had asked her why she could remain so calm. She had told him that as long as it wasn't true, she had no time for feeding into the nonsense. Besides, she had better things to concentrate on, like the nurseries.