Chapter 10
CHAPTER
BY THE END of the day, I still hadn’t heard from Max, which was infuriating.
I’m so done thinking about them. I don’t need them.
I was getting ready to leave work when Meredith and Sam popped by my desk.
“Savannah, got a minute?” Meredith asked.
“Of course.” I smiled.
“Celebrity chef Pedro Torres is opening a new restaurant near Russian Hill. He’s looking for proposals from local marketing agencies to help drum up buzz before the grand opening. His business partners want to meet with us for drinks on Sunday evening to hear our ideas. I’d like you to come along.”
My ears perked up. This was good news! I had never been invited to a potential client meeting before. “I would love to.”
Meredith crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. “I know you were hoping to be named account manager for the Sampson project. And to tell you the truth, I nearly gave it to you.”
I waited for her to continue. There’s no way she’ll admit it was my pregnancy that changed her mind—that would be illegal. But we both know that was the deciding factor.
“In the end, I just thought Tina was a better fit. But this account could be very big for us, if we get it. And of all the associates, you have the most direct experience.”
My stomach fluttered. Good news, indeed. “Meredith, I would love to work on this project. At my previous agency, I worked on the launch of the Tavern in Telegraph Hill, and it was very successful.”
“Yes, I remember you telling me about that during your interview. That was good work. So, dress nice, and meet us in the lobby of the Alto Lounge a little before six thirty Sunday.”
“I will. Thank you so much for the opportunity!” I smiled. Sam winked at me. “I won’t let you down.”
As I walked home, I was still beaming. This was another chance to be promoted to account manager—and for an account that was way better than the Sampson project. Maybe I can still get that raise before the baby comes.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket to call my mom and tell her the good news, and to let her know I’d need to leave her place earlier than usual on Sunday. As I did, a text came through from Max.
How did the ultrasound go with your mom?
I gaped at the message. With my mom? I thought. What? Rather than text him back, I called him. He picked up right away.
“Hey, Savannah. How did the ultrasound go? Did your mom enjoy it?”
“Are you joking with me right now? Where were you?”
“What?” He sounded confused. “What do you mean? You said you could only bring one person and that you were taking your mom.”
“I texted you yesterday to say my mom was sick and couldn’t make it, and I invited you. You said you were coming to pick me up at the office. Then you didn’t show.”
“What? I never got any texts from you. I would have been there in a heartbeat.”
“You replied to the text! You said you would love to come, and would pick me up at my office at eleven thirty! I waited so long for you that I almost missed the appointment.”
“Savannah—the last text I got from you was Sunday night.”
I stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk. “So you don’t know that Madison showed up?”
“What? Madison was there?”
“Max, she showed up right in the middle of the ultrasound. She said you asked her to go in your place.” Should I mention that she had to be escorted out when she refused to leave?
He sighed. “Listen—there must have been some sort of misunderstanding.”
Misunderstanding? Is that what you call this? I ground my teeth together in frustration. He was completely blind to the real Madison. Not to mention, more text messages mysteriously disappearing?
“I’ll figure out what happened,” he promised. “But, most importantly—how did it go?”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm down. “It went really well. The sonographer said everything looks great.”
“Oh, that’s great. I really wish I could have been there.”
“Well, I have the DVD of the ultrasound. Do you want to come by and watch it?”
“Yes! Oh my God, yes.”
“Okay. Well, you’re welcome to come by anytime tonight. But please—just you.”
“I’ll see you in a little while.”
I was sautéing some ground beef to make tacos when Max buzzed my intercom.
“Come on up,” I said.
I unlocked my front door and left it open a crack, then returned to the stove and turned off the heat.
I pulled tortillas, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and lettuce out of the fridge.
When Max appeared in the doorway, I said, “We’re starving,” patting my stomach to indicate I was speaking for two. “Want to join us for tacos?”
Max smiled. “Sure, I’m starving too.”
We each made a plate, then moved into the living room. I slipped the DVD into my player and sat on the couch, while Max took the floor near the TV. Within seconds, the sight of our baby filled the screen.
Max froze, a taco halfway to his mouth. He set it back down on his plate and breathed, “Oh my God.”
I smiled as I watched him take in the sight of our baby wiggling, kicking, and raising a tiny fist. “It’s almost like it knew it was on camera,” I said with a small laugh as I moved to sit down next to him. “It was showing off.”
Max’s eyes looked glassy as he stared in wonder at our child on the screen. “This is amazing.” He scooted closer to the TV and reached out to touch the screen. “It’s so big! I can’t believe how much it’s grown.”
“I know, I was in shock too.”
I started pointing out all the things the sonographer had—its spine, the shape of its head, and its steadily blinking heart.
Max turned to look at me, a thousand emotions threatening to burst forth from behind his hazel eyes.
I returned his gaze, swimming in my own thoughts—like how things could have been so different in this situation if Madison wasn’t in the picture.
Max reached out to touch my belly, his fingertips just barely grazing me.
My skin tingled at his touch. My eyes followed his fingers as they moved around on my stomach.
“I felt a kick the other day … and a few more since then,” I said quietly. “It’s the most incredible feeling, Max.”
He looked back down at my belly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Wow. I wish I could experience it.”
“The sonographer said if I drink ice-cold water, it can wake the baby up and get it moving. Do you want me to try?”
“I would love that.”
I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and invited him to sit next to me on the couch.
I drank, then gently took his hand and placed it on my belly.
Both of us shyly avoided each other’s eyes as we waited patiently.
It only took a minute for the baby to reward us with a swift kick just behind my belly button.
Max’s face came to life with a huge smile, nearly bringing tears to my eyes. He scooted closer to me on the couch, the sides of our bodies pressing against one another.
“Wow, it’s so strong,” he whispered, leaning in so our cheeks were practically touching.
“I know,” I said with a giggle.
His hand still on my belly, he moved it just slightly until I felt him lace his fingers with mine and squeeze tightly. “This is so unbelievable.”
His eyes were like magnets, pulling me closer to him. “Yes … it is.”
The whole world seemed to disappear for a moment.
I could feel our heads inching closer together, his breath on my cheek.
Is this really happening? Is Max going to kiss me?
My body flushed with heat as I realized that I wanted him to—and then the path of Max’s lips diverted, and he dropped a quick peck on my cheek instead.
He pulled away, raking his hands through his hair.
“Thank you, Savannah … for inviting me over, and letting me see the DVD. And that was amazing, feeling the baby kick like that.” He coughed awkwardly.
I forced a smile. “Oh … of course. I’m glad you could see it.”
He avoided my eyes as he carried his plate into the kitchen. I followed him, slowly. He set his plate on the counter and turned around to face me. “Listen—I’m so sorry if Madison upset you. I’m going to talk to her. Tonight.”
I sighed. “I don’t want to fight with her, Max. But she needs to respect my boundaries—and my place as this child’s mother.”
His eyes skittered away, like he was too embarrassed to meet mine. “Understood. Well, I’ll let you … get back to it.”
Our moment was clearly gone. And maybe a small part of me felt a little sad about it.
But it was probably for the best.
Friday was full of meetings with Meredith and Sam about the Pedro Torres pitch. I barely had time to wonder if Max had talked to Madison, and if so, what had transpired. After our awkward moment, I decided it was best not to reach out.
At lunchtime, as I sat on the office balcony soaking up some sunshine, I scrolled through social media while I ate. Madison’s baby announcement post popped up in my feed again, due to so many people liking and commenting on it. I couldn’t help reading some of the comments.
“Couldn’t happen to a BETTER girl. So happy for you, Maddie—you’re going to be the perfect mother!”
“That baby is SO LUCKY it gets to have you as its mom! It won the baby lottery if you ask me!”
My heart thumped angrily in my chest. She is not this baby’s mother!
Against my better judgment, I finally banged out an angry comment of my own. Before hitting Post, I paused.
Was this smart?
Then I remembered the way she’d barged into my ultrasound appointment and insulted me in front of the sonographer.
The way she’d barged into the bachelorette party and embarrassed me in front of my friends.
The woman had zero boundaries, and if I was honest with myself, I didn’t think Max had it in him to check his girlfriend.
It was time for me to stand up for myself and enforce my boundaries.
I read what I’d written once more: