Chapter Seven
Katie
One year later …
Trentie is crying in his crib. He’s a relatively quiet baby, but it’s like he can sense that something is about to change so he’s using the full ability of his lungs to make sure I don’t forget his presence.
I slip on my dangly, faux diamond earring and walk down the hall to the nursery. Trentie’s gleeful smile when he sees me is enough to make me second-guess going back to work, but I have no choice. It’s been five months since my beautiful baby boy was born, and I’ve spent every day at home making sure he knows just how loved he is. I’ve got enough in my savings account to keep us afloat for a while, but it can’t continue like this forever – I have to go back to work to make a living for me and my child. But as much as it breaks my heart to leave him, I miss working too. After all, I did build the event planning company on my own, and I don’t want to see it fail without my management.
Gently, I stroke my baby’s soft head and coo at him as his tears slowly subside into sniffles. He smiles up at me then, causing my own eyes to well up.
It took me the entire seven months after I found out I was pregnant to decide on what to name my baby. I went back and forth between a million different names, accepting input from various friends and family members. The one name that I always came back to was Trent. I told everyone that it was just a name I’d heard once and liked so much that I wanted it to be my son’s name. They don’t need to know the truth: that I named him after the father he’ll never know. I’m always engulfed with a mix of emotions whenever I remember that amazing night, but the one thing I know for sure is that my son is the result, and I’ll always be grateful no matter what.
After all, I stopped trying to contact Trent Senior after that fateful day when I stopped by his place. He clearly hadn’t wanted to see me and instructed his entourage to give me the brush-off. I knew a cold shoulder when I saw one and wasn’t going to keep begging to see him like a pathetic, lovesick girl. But sometimes, doubt overwhelms me. I definitely thought there was a spark that night and would have loved to see where it went. He was dreamy, charming, and sexy—who wouldn’t want to be with a man like that? But I had to be realistic. He was Trent Moore, billionaire extraordinaire. Why would he want to bother with a plain Jane like me? So knowing when to admit defeat, I stopped trying after that day. It was the most alone I’d ever felt, but it was all worth it because now I have my baby, and it’s the two of us against the world.
When Trentie stops crying, I return to my room to finish getting ready. I would love to pull him into my arms and carry him into my room while I get dressed for the party I’m working tonight, but every book I’ve read on the subject says putting space between you and your baby is necessary if you plan on working full-time. Honestly, it rips my heart in two to even leave him with a babysitter tonight, but I have no choice. I have to make a living, and that thought hardens my resolve. Determined, I look into the mirror.
The pregnancy and delivery were rough on my body, and I was haggard for months afterwards, what with the night feedings and nonstop crying. But we both settled into a routine eventually, and I’m looking better now. The makeup hides my pale complexion, and I daub a bit of red lipstick on for color. My body is fuller of course, and my breasts much larger from nursing the baby. I lost some of the extra weight, but my stomach hasn’t toned down to where it was before I got pregnant. It’s poochy, and I stare at it critically, but then I take a deep breath in resignation. Between jugging a newborn and running a business, I haven’t had time for the workout routine I used to follow. Exercise? That’s a foreign word to a single mom.
Not that it matters. I can’t imagine trying to date now that I have a child. Maybe someday I’ll be ready, but right now my world begins and ends with the baby boy lying quietly in his crib down the hall.
With my hair and makeup ready to go, I slip off my robe. I haven’t been able to do a lot of shopping since having a child. Just bringing a baby to a department store is a huge ordeal, what with the extra changes of clothes, the snacks, the huge stroller, and the chance that he might decide to cry incessantly for no reason. Sure, I take him to play dates with other children and the occasional stroll through a grocery store, but I try to avoid spending any excessive amount of time outside of the house. It’s just too hard, what with the extra hassle.
So this is going to be my first time out to an event since I had my son. I hold up the dress I chose for tonight’s event and purse my lips critically. It’s a sleek black dress that falls just above my knees. The bodice is accented with subtle green sparkles that taper off down the skirt. It’s an old dress, but it’s perfect because tonight’s party is a St. Patrick’s Day extravaganza hosted at a large, luxurious venue. My outfit is casual enough that I’ll blend into the background, but fancy enough to wear to a St. Patrick’s Day soirée.
I lift the dress up over my body and slide it on. The zipper snags when I try to pull it up, but I get it after a few tries. The material is a bit tight against my breasts, but the bodice and skirt hug my curves beautifully.
Suddenly, my baby’s soft cries are coming through the monitor again. My little boy clearly knows he’s going to be left with a stranger, so he’s calling for my attention as much as he can before the babysitter arrives. But before I can rush out to check up on him, my doorbell rings. A quick glance at my phone tells me it’s the babysitter, right on time. I walk quickly to the door to let her in.
“Hi, Katie,” the sitter says cheerfully. “You look beautiful.”
Jessica’s no older than nineteen, but she’s responsible and loves kids. She’s already met Trentie a few times because I had to be sure they would be a good fit before leaving her with my son for the entire night. Thankfully, he didn’t scream in her arms, and her references were stellar. If things work out tonight, I might consider hiring her on as a nanny, or at the very least my go-to babysitter.
“Thanks,” I say, smiling. “And thank you so much for coming over last minute to watch Trentie.”
Jessica grins back. “It’s no trouble at all. Where is the little guy?”
I lead her down to his room and thankfully, he’s already calmed himself down in his crib and is back to sleeping. We exchange a relieved smile and go back out to the living room.
“I should go get my shoes and purse,” I tell Jessica. “I’ll just be a second.”
Back in my room, I steal a glance at myself in my full-length mirror. I still look like the woman I was a year ago, the woman who discovered she was pregnant and couldn’t contact the man who knocked her up. But I’ve changed so much since then. Having Trentie changed me for the better.
I slip on my heels, grab my purse, and meet Jessica back in the nursery. She’s rocking the baby in her arms and he’s smiling at her, making nonsensical noises and blowing spit bubbles. My body relaxes slightly, reassured that he’ll be okay under her care.
But even so, I have the urge to snatch my baby from her arms and just stay with him all night. I sigh, knowing that if I don’t leave now, I may never make it out the door. I tell myself that the space will be good for both of us, and that I have to leave eventually.
Jessica holds my child out to me, sensing my need to hold him once more before I go. I kiss the top of his sweet head and tell him I love him. He coos into my neck, sucking his little thumb. A tear falls from my eye as I hand him back to his babysitter.
“All of my contact information is on the fridge,” I tell her, though I know she knows all of this already. “My phone is on, and I’ll be back in a flash if you need me.”
Jessica smiles kindly, her eyes understanding. “It’ll be okay, Katie. Go to work. I’ve got this.”
I hesitate, stroking Trentie’s soft, downy head. Realizing how silly I’m being, I give her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Jessica, I’m just attached and I’ve never been away from him for so long and I just don’t want anything to—”
Jessica interrupts gently, putting a reassuring hand on my arm. “Don’t worry Katie, nothing’s going to happen. Go on out before you’re late—and have fun! We’ll be fine here.”
With a sigh, I pull myself away from the sweet little boy and march out my door before I can change my mind for the millionth time.
Once I shut my apartment door behind me, I lean my back against it and take a few deep breaths. The hardest part is over. My child is in capable hands with a responsible sitter. I just have to make it through the night and then I can come back and hold him again.
With one last deep breath, I step out of the apartment building and walk over to my car. The urge to turn around is strong, but I ignore it. I’ve had five months of nothing but baby time. It’s important to get back to work because the money won’t make itself. I’ve been on leave long enough.
Turning on the engine, I pull the little hatchback out on the road and follow my phone GPS to The Seasons. It’s a swanky hotel known for its famous clientele and hip interior décor. We’ve done a few events here, but none with such a large guest list. Whoever is hosting this party is certainly trying to impress a lot of very important people. In fact, this party rivals the one Trent hosted the night we met, but I shake that thought quickly from my head. That’s over and done with.
Before I know it, I’m pulling my car into the employee parking lot at the back of the hotel, and then I make my way through a maze of hallways until finally, I’m at the ballroom.
“Katie!” squeals Lizzy, one of my best employees. “You look amazing. I can’t even tell you just had a kid!”
I laugh. “No need to butter me up. You’ve been doing great on your own. This place looks amzing!”
“Oh sure, but you and I both know I couldn’t have done it without your help. I know it wasn’t easy taking all my frantic calls in the middle of the night. I’m just really glad you’re here to oversee things tonight. This party is huge, and I’m nervous about anything going wrong because the lady who hired us is a bitch,” Lizzy says with a sour look and a roll of her eyes.
I smile wryly. I’ve had my fair share of snooty, difficult clients. “Customers are almost always difficult to deal with,” I reassure her with a sigh. “Consider it a rite of passage. So where do you need me? Keep me busy or I might just run back to my car and go home.”
Lizzy nods with understanding. She has two kids of her own, so she understands my plight right now. The brunette squeezes my shoulder kindly.
“It gets easier each time,” she says sotto voce. “But I miss the girls every time I leave home.”
My heart beats painfully.
“I miss Trentie so much,” I admit. “Which is why I need you to give me something to do. I’m serious about bailing to play bouncy ball with my son.”
Lizzy laughs, but then focuses on the task at hand. “Could you do a lap around the venue? The table settings should be done, but I’d like a second set of eyes to make sure it looks immaculate, just in case we missed anything.”
“I’m on it.” I give her a fake salute and head toward the dining area. Each table is set with a white tablecloth and all of the usual utensils. The centerpieces are miniature floral arrangements with red carnations and baby’s breath, mixed with plenty of green sprigs. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
I do my walk twice to ensure I don’t miss anything, but I know my employees made sure everything is in place. Everything looks amazing. The décor is ideal for a glamorous party for the upper class because it conveys subtle wealth without throwing it in your face. Silently, I congratulate myself for hiring such a great staff because in my time of need, they were able to band together and pull this off without me.
After verifying the dining area is good to go, I roam to the kitchen where Lizzy is tasting various courses to make sure they’re up to snuff.
I grab an hors d’oeuvre and pop it into my mouth.
“So whose party is this, anyway?” I ask once I’ve swallowed. The chef’s done a great job, as usual. I’m tempted to take another bite, but it’s unprofessional to sample too much of the food before the party starts.
Lizzy finishes chewing her own sample before she answers me. “Do you remember that huge party we did a little over a year ago, the masquerade one? Well, it’s being hosted by the same guy.”
What? My heartbeat triples in a matter of seconds, and I feel like I might pass out. I grip the edge of the counter, feeling woozy all of a sudden. Of all the parties in all the world, this is the one I chose as my comeback? The one being hosted by the father of my son, the man who doesn’t even know he even has a child from a one-night stand over a year ago?
I sit down hastily, slipping a bit before my rump finds the stool. Lizzy appears in front of me and waves her hand in front of my eyes.
“Are you okay, Katie? What’s wrong?” she asks, worried. “You look a little faint.”
My eyes feel unfocused, but I force them to meet hers.
“Sorry, yeah. I haven’t eaten all day. Just a little lightheaded.” I try to keep my voice light but it comes out shaky.
It’s not a total lie. I was so nervous about going back to work and leaving Trentie that I didn’t eat anything all day, but it’s not that. It’s the thought of facing the father of my child that’s making me feel weak.
“You should eat something and get some water,” says Lizzy in full mom mode. She gestures to the chef. “Can we get something for Katie to eat? Something light, maybe hot?”
The chef immediately springs into action, and within a few minutes, I’m presented with a steaming bowl of tomato soup. Lizzy and the chef both watch as I spoon the red broth into my mouth. It’s tangy and delicious and my eyes close with appreciation.
“Thank you,” I tell them with a grateful smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. Really appreciate it.”
Both of them smile back at me, clearly relieved that I’m okay.
“If you need to rest, just sit back here for a while, okay? I can handle things out front for a bit,” Lizzy says.
As tempting as it is to hide out here for the rest of the night, I shake my head. “No, I’m okay,” I tell her firmly. “I’ll be out there soon.”
Lizzy tries not to look relieved, but I know she’s overwhelmed, this being the first event she has planned mostly on her own. I decide to suck it up because I want to be there for her, but also because I don’t want to let this turn of events get to me. Trent may be hosting this party, but it doesn’t matter. He’s nothing but another client at this point, merely the guy paying the bills. In fact, given the number of invitees and the size of the venue, we probably won’t even run into each other. Maybe I can even sneak out early if Lizzy doesn’t need me. It’s going to be fine. I’ll survive.
And with that, I take a deep breath and head out of the kitchen. It’s time to show the world that Katie Martin can’t be beat, and I square my shoulders, focusing on the night ahead. Because this isn’t just about me and my problems anymore. I have to do this for my son.