Chapter Fourteen: Sophia

I'm feeling so bloated and over it today. The clothes Thomas has let me buy are so gorgeous. I just feel like a bloated princess. Everything hangs weird and the elastic in my maternity panties is digging into my skin. I can’t get comfortable at all.

I took a test and found out we've already been successful. These past four weeks have been amazing and I feel close to Thomas. Since this whole thing is a scam I really don't want to feel anything. I'm hoping it's just the hormones of the newly growing life force inside of me. I feel tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I’m worried he won’t want to have sex with me anymore when he knows. I feel like I need to be close to him and over time I’ve developed some feelings I need to keep buried deeply.

I haven't been sick or anything I just knew when my period didn't come. I took three tests and they all say pregnant. I'm only telling him because it's so early and I want to go to the doctor and know for sure. I am about to get a huge payday and I have mixed feelings about it.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were dating him, Sophia. I have to find out from a blog your brother’s wife showed me.”

My mother was finally calling to tell me how disappointed she was in me, but surprisingly she was being really nice. I almost wanted to tell her, but I knew better.

“I just want you to be happy my love, your Abuela is dying though. She’s so excited about this. You’ll have to bring him to the house.”

“I didn’t want to say anything until I knew it was serious. Now that it is getting serious, I’ll bring him around. You see the pictures, you know how the press won’t leave someone alone.”

“Okay darling, I love you. I can’t wait to see you and him.”

I hang up wondering where my mother had been taken since her body has obviously been taken over by aliens. Maybe she’ll be excited she’s going to be an Abuela herself. I hope so anyway, my mother’s approval has always been important to me.

Thomas has been so great taking care of me I haven't needed anything. I stand in front of the mirror and put a hand on my belly.

I can use it for the baby to go wherever they want to school. It will be his or her money to start a life. My kid is never going to have to struggle like I have.

That's a good feeling. No matter what happens with Thomas I’ll be able to provide for us. I haven't been back to his house, thank God. His mother made me feel uncomfortable and I've noticed every time I call him there Julia is around.

She doesn't like me one bit and I can only guess it's because she's always been in love with him.

I wonder as I get showered and ready when I should quit the bar. I could do it at any time but when would be appropriate? Maria has always been good to me so I hate to leave her shorthanded. Especially since George is thinking of leaving.

I also know I can't show up with a round belly in a cropped The Spot shirt. I had been reading a lot more and everything was going to swell. My feet couldn’t handle standing up for hours slinging drinks. I think the tips I would get would be out of pity.

No, I need another job. I don't want to just rely on the baby making money. I think I'll go a little crazy. Maybe not right after the baby comes but certainly once he or she can stay with someone else.

I call him to see if he can do lunch.

“Baxter and Church, this is Brianna.”

“Hi, is Thomas in?”

“Yes, he is Sophia darling, I'll send you through.”

I've only met Brianna a couple of times but I really like her. She's from the south so she has an adorable accent. She and her husband moved here for his work and she took on the job as personal secretary to the man who worked in Thomas spot before him. Now, she was his.

Thomas was really finding his way in the company. He'd been eagerly telling me about the campaigns he was working on and I like that he is getting excited about something.

Part of me worries he may not care about our arrangement since he's doing so well. It's too late now.

“Hi Sophia, how are you?”

He's so formal with me. I mean he used to call me some pretty sexy things and now sometimes I feel like a means to an end.

“Hi Thomas,” I realize I don't know how to express that I need to tell him something. “Can we meet for lunch today at that little pasta house with the private booths?”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll just have to email the paps again and tell them about the new location.”

“Oh, you’re still tipping them off.” I feel a little disappointed he’s still hyping the relationship up so much. It feels like a huge publicity stunt, which it is. Well, it sort of is.

“You don’t want me to?” He asks.

“No, it’s fine. Just didn’t know you were still doing that. I’ll meet you at your office. I can’t wait.” I hang up and go to look at myself in the mirror one more time. Some makeup will help.

When I get to his office I feel a little more pulled together. The purple maxi dress and golden sandals his assistant picked out are so pretty. I’m wearing several large pieces of gold jewelry and a huge black purse. I feel like a movie star as several cameras flash while I enter the building. It hadn’t taken the press anytime to realize Thomas was working here and they were outside all the time. It was crazy these people’s only job seems to be to take pictures of him and now me.

When I walk into the lobby of his office I am struck by how beautiful everything is. The chairs in the waiting area are plush with large black pillows. There are two televisions mounted with the news on and a huge fish tank with colorful fish covered one whole wall. I didn’t expect to see Julia standing in front of the fish tank though.

She looks pulled together in a black pencil skirt and a gold blouse with cut out shoulders. Her long hair is braided and she’s wearing glasses with cat eye frames.

“Hello Julia,” I say trying to be civil.

“What are you doing here?” she doesn’t bother saying hello back. “I came to see if Thomas wanted to grab lunch while I’m in between meetings.”

I don’t know what she does and I really don’t care.

“I’m actually having lunch with Thomas because I have some important news to tell him. I’m excited about it. Maybe you can get lunch some other time.”

She visibly bristles like a cat who’s seen a large dog.

“You’re not going to last Sophia. You’re just a trashy bar slut he’s infatuated with since that crazy Rosa left him. This is a phase he’ll get over and you know who will be there? Me.” She smiles smugly.

I just can’t help myself. “I’m pregnant Julia. I’m having his baby and we’re going to be so happy with our little love child. We’ll probably get married after it’s born.”

Inside I’m jumping for joy that I could impart such news to her. I keep it cool on the outside waiting for her to respond.

“He’ll make you get rid of it. There’s no way you can trap him. He’s not going to be tied down by a baby from some trash he was having fun with.”

I want to slap her. How could she say something so awful about her friend and about my baby? I think of describing to her in detail how it feels to have him inside of me and how he tells me it’s the best place to be. Instead, I say, “I’ll make sure to tell Thomas you callously said he’ll want to get rid of his own child. I’m sure he’s going to love your true opinion of him, Julia. Have a nice day.”

I get complete satisfaction from the way her face falls before she walks away. Two can play her horrible game, I’m just better at it.

“Hi darling,” Thomas has excellent timing and pulls me into a hug just before she is out of sight. She’s able to see the whole thing and I simply smile over his shoulder.

“Hi, you ready to go eat?”

I feel a lot more nervous than I thought I was as we walk from his office to the little pasta place. They have the best food so I’m trying to focus on that.

Once we’re seated in the booth. I smile and he wipes his face. “Do I have something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?”

The booths at this restaurant are completely private. It’s why I wanted him to bring me.

“We did it, I’m pregnant,” I say because there really isn’t another way to do it.

He looks at me for a minute as if he’s trying to comprehend what I just said and then he’s in the booth with me pulling me into his arms.

“We did? That was fast!” He exclaims.

He presses his lips against mine and kisses me in a tender way. It shocks me and I return the kiss before he hugs me again.

“We’re going to move in together. I got my first paycheck and found a great apartment for the three of us.” He smiles and my chest tightens a little.

“The three of us? You want to live with me and the baby?”

“Well I mean we’re already three now. We can decide how to break up and all that stuff later, but right now we’re selling it and you’re pregnant!” He moves back to his side of the booth and the waiter comes to take our order.

“Thomas, you just moved me into that nice apartment. I feel bad moving again.”

I could imagine the neighbors and my landlord wondering who I thought I was. Then again, why did I care what anyone thought? It doesn’t matter, this is my future. This is my time. I am going to have Thomas Henry’s baby and even though the seriousness of our relationship isn’t real, no one can take that away from me.

“It’s okay Sophia. You are supposed to live with your boyfriend. We’ll tell my parents over dinner tonight. I’m moving out and we’re moving in.”

The word boyfriend sends a little chill through me. He’s my boyfriend, my baby daddy, my roommate. It’s surreal.

“Can we please not invite Julia,” I ask as our food arrives at the table. I find I’m starving.

“Why not? You don’t like her.” He asks fluffing his napkin and putting it in his lap. He’s so refined, I do the same thing.

I tell him about my encounter with her in the lobby and watch his face turn red. He’s visibly upset by her words to me.

“I’ll take care of Julia doll, you won’t have to worry about her anymore. Of course, she isn’t invited.

“So, how is work going?” I want to change the subject for now. Our food arrives and I dive into the pasta a little too eagerly.

“Well, okay I guess.” He looks down at his plate and I wonder what’s on his mind.

“Tell me, what’s bothering you?”

“It’s just I feel like they hired me because I have money. They seem to want me to fund things for their clients rather than giving me real work. I have a lot of good ideas and it kind of sucks to feel useless, you know?”

I’ve never seen him vulnerable. I felt true joy coming from him when I told him about the baby. Now I can tell he’s in despair. I don’t know how to help when it comes to stuff like this. I think for a minute.

“Well, you just have to prove to them you’re more than just money Thomas. I know you can. You are smart and if this company can’t see that you need to leave them or start your own.”

“You give me far too much credit, doll.” He has a shy smile as she takes a sip of water.

“No, Thomas. You don’t give yourself enough.”

I believe the words I’m saying. I think he is smart and while we started this journey to save his inheritance, I truly believe he could make his own way and be just as successful. Now if I can just get him to believe it.