Sacha
I slept better that night than I had in weeks. The warm male body sharing my bed must have had something to do with it, but I was also exhausted from the events of the day before. We hadn't had sex, but Gib held me close all night. I was beginning to enjoy having him around, as much as that went against my instincts. He was still snoring lightly when I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen on bare feet. After making a pot of tea, I pulled out my cell phone to tell Mom the news.
We chatted for a bit about my doctor visit and the baby's progress, but I didn't mention Gib. I wasn't sure why. She would find out eventually if we continued seeing each other like this. Would we? In any case, I didn't want to complicate matters just yet. Once the initial excitement began to wane from her voice, I dropped the bombshell.
"I had an unexpected visitor at my door last night when I got home from the doctor's office."
"Who was it?"
"Dad. Garth."
The stunned silence on the line didn't surprise me, but my mother's choice of curse words did. It began with the word, "mother" and ended with another word I wouldn't repeat out loud. This was followed by a barrage of questions.
"What the hell did he want? How did he even find you? What did you say?"
"Apparently he's been in contact with Kevin for years. The asshole gave him my address without even asking me. I was livid, to say the least. Anyway, he was all, 'I'm so proud of you', and gushing about my pregnancy, calling me 'Pumpkin.' I almost threw up on him."
"He did always call you that. You used to like it."
"Yeah, when I was a kid, but now it only pisses me off. I know it was because my birthday is near Halloween, and every year I'm reminded of how he dumped us with no explanation."
"So, you sent him off? How did he look?"
I sipped at my tea to ward off the chill brought on by the mental image of Garth. He resembled a walking cadaver. If I hadn't known who he was, he'd just be a creepy-looking stranger.
"Not well. Maybe he's ill, I didn't ask. I was kind of in shock. I told him to leave before I called the cops."
Julia chuckled at that. A tinge of guilt seeped in. Maybe I had been too harsh on the guy. But then, it was what he deserved for showing up out of the blue.
"That's my girl. But now you don't know what he really wanted. You know he's not going to simply fade away. Not if he's finally had the guts to show his face. He must be in big trouble to contact you like that."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. He said he found out about my pregnancy from someone online. Do you know anything about that, Mom?"
I could almost see her squirming in her seat. Julia's penchant for gossip was one of her most endearing qualities but also a bad habit. I knew she wouldn't keep news of the baby a secret, but this turn of events was ridiculous.
"Mmmm… Well, I did tell some of my old classmates, and some friends, and well…pretty much anyone who would listen. It may be that someone contacted him somehow."
"I guess it doesn't really matter at this point. Garth told me he is staying in town for a while, but I have no intention of contacting him."
A voice behind me was the only warning I had before Gib slipped his arms around me. "There you are."
I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, but Mom had heard. "Who was that?"
"I have to go, Mom. It was the TV. Love you bunches. I'll keep you posted."
Her voice was skeptical, but she concluded the call. I set the phone down and stood to return Gib's hug.
"The TV, huh? Guess you haven't told your mother about me, either."
"I mentioned you once before but that's all. She insisted on hearing every detail of my visit to the obstetrician, and then I told her about Garth showing up. I figured all that was enough to drop on her right now."
He released me, moving toward the kitchen. "Point taken. How did she react about your father showing up?"
I shrugged. "Shock, anger, suspicion. Pretty much like I did."
In the kitchen, he began making himself at home. "You hungry? How about an omelet?"
"Sounds wonderful."
Soon he had a spread on the table-toast, fruit, juice, and a veggie and cheese omelet that was superb, better than any I had ever made. "Where'd you learn to cook?"
His smile seemed to hide an inside joke. "I taught myself. You can find any recipe online these days, with videos showing exactly what to do."
After breakfast, I looked at the calendar on my phone. "Oh, crap. That's tonight."
Gib looked up from his own phone. "What's tonight?"
"I have this party to attend. At an art gallery downtown."
"Oh. Well, I'll be out of your hair soon."
His face was placid, but the disappointment in his voice was unmistakable. I really should let him be on his way, so I could attend the party without distraction. My career depended on this meeting tonight. But going it alone wasn't exactly appealing. Perhaps having an escort would make me look more respectable, more reliable. It was a shame I had to think that way, but I had no idea how my new boss would view a single, pregnant woman. He could be a Neanderthal. What would it hurt to have Gib along?
"You can come with me if you like."
"I'd love to, but I'm not dressed for a party. Especially a downtown Atlanta party."
It struck me as odd he would care how he dressed, but I knew so little about him. After last night, he certainly knew more about my personal life and background. Maybe this was a chance to even the score.
"So, let's go shopping."
~*~