A warm touch to my arm woke me up. I turned my head and opened my eyes up to the nurse who had promised to find Grant.
She had a plate of food that smelled so damn good. The last time I had cooking like that was when I lived with mom.
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, sitting up.
"Only for a few minutes. Doctors said I could give you something to eat while they're waiting for the main hospital to drop off the pregnancy test strips for you."
I took the plate of food and the opened the plastic dinner wear. I stuffed my mouth with food and savored it going down my throat.
"God, this is good."
"You're just hungry," the nurse chuckled.
"Did you find him?" I asked, curious if she saw grant.
"Not yet, dear. He may've stepped out for a while."
"I see."
The nurse patted my back and left the room, this time, leaving the door ajar.
On the table to the side of my bed, my phone began to buzz. It was my personal phone and I hopped out of the bed from the little energy the food gave me to get it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Stacy, how's everything going?" Willow asked.
"Willow! Hey there. I'm fine. A lot of crazy stuff has been happening since the last time I talked to you."
"Any of it good?" she asked. Willow's soft and familiar voice helped ease my mind.
I struggled to find the answer to such a simple question.
"Yeah, fifty fifty I'd say."
There was another phone on the table, it was the one that Grant had given me. It sparked my memory. I had his number programmed into the phone and could call him.
"Hey, Willow, let me call you back. I need to do something important," I said.
"No problem. I wanted to check in and make sure you're okay."
The sound of her kids in the background warmed my heart. That could be me and Grant…
"Thank you."
I sat the phone down and reached for the other phone when the nurse and doctor entered into the room.
Without knocking too.
"Ms. Endow, we're ready to do your test."
"Right now? I kinda wanted Grant in here when I take it."
The nurse spoke up, "He had to go home, he said an emergency came up with his job."
I frowned, holding the phone in my hand.
"Ms. Endow?" the doctor said, trying to gauge my attention.
"Yeah, sure. What do I have to pee on?" I swung my legs off of the bed.
"This right here," the nurse said, handing me a bigger than usual pregnancy stick. I guess this was that hospital grade kind that was always right. "Then we'll do a sonogram as soon as you're done."
"Okay," I said, taking the stick. My stomach was doing leaps and bounds. I didn't know whether I wanted to be pregnant or not.
But deep down inside, I knew...
I disappeared into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet. I had to remind myself not to pee just yet, not until I had this thing positioned under me the right way.
"Maybe I should wait to do this. Grant really should be here," I mumbled to myself.
All this hesitation was driving me insane. And the worst part? Being pregnant was nothing but a wild ride of raging hormones. At least that was what Willow told me. She was on her second child now— one she birthed, one she adopted, and she and Darien are even trying for a third— and, as for me? I was soon to join her as a mommy.
A healthy one hopefully.
I peed on the stick and dropped it into the clear plastic baggy they gave me.
I cleaned myself up and washed my hands, preparing to go out and give them the stick.
When I opened the door, the nurse was right there.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I held the bag up in front of her. "Oh, goodie. Let's see if you're a mother."
She took the bag and her and the doctor left the room.
I guess with Grant being the father this was a big deal to them too. After all, he had this entire wing of the hospital to himself.
I waited.
I counted every speck on the floor and flipped through exactly eighty channels on the tv.
What was taking them so long? The ones out of the store only took a minute to tell you the big news.
But then again, they weren't the most reliable either. I glanced over to the table where my two phones were and it hit me.
I was going to call Grant earlier. I had his number sitting right in that X-Phone he gave me a few weeks ago.
I jumped out of the bed and jogged over to the table. Picking up the phone, I had to remember how to open it.
Goddamn this thing was complicated.
Oh, I had to shake it three times.
The phone screen lit up and I navigated to the contacts area. There was only one profile with a list of five numbers.
"Damn it, Grant. Why the hell do you need so many numbers?" I chided.
Did all rich people feel the need to own more than one of the same thing?
I began by dialing the first number.
Nope.
Second, third, and then the fourth.
Neither picked up. Only one number left.
I dialed the fifth number, and this one had the voice mail enabled.
"This is Grant Carter. Leave me a detailed message."
After the beep, I recorded my message.
"Um, Grant. It's Stacy. They're running the test, I figured you might..." tears interrupted my message, flowing down my cheeks, I sniffled, "never mind."
I hung up and the doctor with two nurses spilled in with him.
"Doctor?" I asked, wiping my tears.
"Ms. Endow, are you okay?" he asked, noticing my tear streaked face.
I nodded my head and forced out a smile.
“What are the results?”
Just as the doctor had begun to read the results, the X-Phone rang.
“Hold on!” I blurted out. I answered it, and it was Grant on a video call. Wow, I hated to say this, but I was happy to see the bastard. “Grant!”
“Sorry Stacy, there was an emergency back at my company. I’m sorry to have left you alone. I got your message.”
That quick?
“Thank you. The doctors are here with the results.”
I held the phone up so he could see them.
Clearing his throat, the doctor smiled and read the results. “Congratulations, you’re going to be parents!”
My face lit up and I jumped off my bed, skipping around my room.
Grant chuckled at my excitement. “Yes, congratulations Stacy,” he said, “you’ll make a good mother.”
“You’ll make a good daddy too…”
Why did he say I’d make a good mother? The contract said I had to leave when the baby was born.
Unless he had other thoughts?
“I’ll be on my way to get you. Hold on.”
Grant hung up and I felt ten times better than when I first came in here. The nurses backed out and the doctor came up to my side.
“Before you leave we’re gonna do a sonogram and ultrasound. Are you okay with that?” he asked.
“No problem.”
When it was over, I sat in the waiting room with my images in a big manila folder. It was too soon to see anything detailed, but you could see the sprout of Grant’s well planted seed growing inside me.
I was a mommy.
Too bad I couldn’t even tell my brother or my mom.
Grant came running through the doors.
“Stacy, are you okay?” he asked, throwing himself in a seat next to me.
“Yes, are you?” I asked. He was a worried, sweaty mess.
“God, I was just about to enter your room when someone from the company called me. Certain paperwork was missing.” He rubbed the sweat off his forehead and threw it to the side.
“Fucking idiots. It was right there,” he mumbled to himself.
“Big client or something?”
“Huge. The Rozashi family is a big investor of mine. People thought their portfolio was missing. It wasn’t. Can’t wait to see who started that shit fest. They’re fired.”
He glanced at me and noticed the folder in my hot little hands.
“What’s this?” he asked, reaching for the folder. I took it away and shot my tongue out.
I fought back a chuckle. The way she could mix her innocence and sexiness all together was an enigma for me. Nevertheless, it worked for her.
When Mr. Greene told me about the information of some guy she was seeing, I didn't know if I could walk into her room.
But then she didn't get too upset when Tara pushed herself into my home.
A small part of me had hopes that Stacy wasn't holding back something malicious.
I've met so many people, and I could see the filth line their faces.
But Stacy didn't have that look I was so accustomed to.
No, she had that pure and innocent vibe to her, with a streak of sexiness that was absurd.
"Please?" I said, grinning.
Stacy's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "Did you say please?" she laughed.
"Yes, I did. Don't make me embarrass myself any more than I have to."
Stacy kicked her feet up in the air laughing and handed me the manila folder.
"Here, take a look."
I braced myself. A huge wave of emotions was threatening to crash down on me as soon as I opened the folder.
Peeking inside, I took out sonograms of what looked to be my child growing inside of her.
"It's small right now, but in a few more weeks we'll have a better picture."
I stuffed the pictures back into the folder before tears had a chance to fall. Gods didn't cry.
Stacy was making me break way too many rules.
"Are you okay?" she asked, placing her hand on my wrist.
"Yes, I'm good. You're nice and fertile. Thank you. I'll have that one million dollars wired to you soon."
"Minus all that credit card spending, huh?"
I thought it over for a second and then shook my head no. "Don't worry about it."
I rubbed her back and got up. Scooping Stacy up into my arms caught her by surprise, but she welcomed the motion.
"Are you going to do this everywhere we go?" she asked me in a sweet pixy voice.
"Not unless you want me to."
And for the first time, I understood what my father meant about finding someone special.
'They'll make you break your own rules.'
I pulled into my garage, next to my private elevator.
"So, about the contract," Stacy began.
I raised my hand.
"There's no need to bring that up tonight, Stacy. Get your rest."
"It's too early to sleep. It's only," she checked the clock in the car, it was one of the old-fashioned kinds I had custom ordered, "only nine p.m."
"You're forgetting you're pregnant. You need all the rest you can get."
Stacy rolled her eyes and slumped down in her seat. "Well, are you gonna come and scoop me up again?"
"Work your muscles, you're going to need it." I winked and got out.
"Hey! Not fair."
Stacy popped out of her seat and hopped over to the elevator. At this moment, it was as if the contract hadn't existed. That it was just me and her together, enjoying life as my seed sprouted into our child inside her.
Pressing the button and entering in a code, the elevator doors swooped open.
"I really like this elevator."
Stacy stepped inside and rested on one of the seats. I got inside and chose a leisurely speed to get up to the penthouse.
Stacy stood up in the middle of the ride and held onto my arms.
"Kiss me." She had a serious look in her eyes as if she were trying to find out something.
I was the one trying to find out information. If she wanted to, I could've been an open book. My story wasn't that private, just not talked about often. And if it was, not around me.
"You want one?"
"Of course."
I cupped her cheeks. "You're pregnant. You don't have to do this with me anymore if you don't want to," I told her.
An ache in my chest rose up. Why the fuck did I tell her that. I wanted her even more.
"But I do. And plus," Stacy groped her breasts, "who's gonna help with all that fresh milk before the baby arrives."
My dick shot straight up with lightning rod precision, feeling hot and strained.
"You'll be getting more than a kiss now."
Our mouths crashed and I melted into Stacy like dripping chocolate.
Her lean body pressed into my cock.
"Damn, you're hard."
"You're horny," I growled.
"The pot calling the kettle black?" she purred.
I gripped her ass and held her tight against my body.
When the doors to the elevator opened to reveal my penthouse, I saw something foreign standing in my walkway.
"Tara!" I gasped, breaking our kiss. I had a fucking hard on, this wasn’t what I wanted to fucking deal with. Stacy was pregnant and didn’t need this shit here.
"Hmph," she mustered out, seeing Stacy and I locked together. Tara and that fucking contract could go to hell.
"Grant? Something," she turned to look into the main hallway and saw Tara. "Oh, that bitch." Stacy rubbed her belly. "Seeing her isn't good for the baby," she said slyly while giving Tara a side glare.
Tara's lip quipped up. “Pathetic. He’s a playboy, he isn’t going to stay with you,” Tara sneered. “But pathetic things aside, I have some private information for you, Grant.”
“Call me Mr. Carter, Ms. Tara,” I corrected. “Stacy, go wait in the library. I don’t want our baby to be stressed out.”
“Yes, honey,” she said, throwing a dagger at Tara.
Stacy stalked past Tara with a sexy switch. The two glared each other down as she passed Tara on the way to the library. Once she was inside I cleared my throat.
“What do you want? State your business in three words or leave.” I folded my arm and pursed my lips.
“Not your baby,” Tara summarized.
I laughed and moved over to the button that would call security to drag her crazy ass out of here.
“Before you push that button. I have more information for you. She goes to a restaurant every night.”
I paused.
“Keep speaking.”
Tara inched over to me, walking in a straight line. “There’s a guy. I got to speak to him. Says he loves her very much. Oh, that sparkle in his eyes.”
“You’re lying,” I hissed.
Tara laughed, “Look at you! You can’t even speak loud enough. Where’s that bold confidence you show so much?”
With my finger hovering over the button for security, my hand shook as I fought the impulse to call SWAT instead of just security.
"Oh, so now you want more information from me?"
Tara came dangerously close to me. Close enough that I could smell her putrid perfume. I coughed and turned my face away from her.
"Ugh, not if I have to smell you so close to me."
"Darling, don't be so rude. You know you love the scent of a woman."
"Is that what it is?" My chest tightened into knots. I was stuck in a bad situation. Her information lined up with what Rob told me, but how did she find out extra information over my team?
Tara frowned. "You're lucky you're a handsome man. Now, if you want my information, there's a price."
"Name it," I demanded, stepping back. She followed me step by step too.
"It's not a price, it's a favor. An action."
She tried touching the collar of my shirt and I dodged her. "What the hell do you want?"
"You." She smoothed her hands over her hips.
"Forget the little girl, take a real woman and find out the truth behind that little tramp."
I had backed all the way into the living room.
"How am I supposed to believe you, a conniving person?" My forehead was hot with irritation, Tara would’ve been a bad mistake as a fling. Good thing I dropped her ass years ago. I never even touched it. Disgusting.
"Because you know that my information's correct. Just look at that face. You don't want to admit it. But it's true," she whispered.
"I want a name and location. Name your price or stop wasting my time," I said again, keeping my distance from her. I circled around back to my control panel where the security button was.
"Well, you're adamant about that button."
Tara folded her arms, pushing up her breasts in plain view. "Either you give me your dick or else you'll just have to find out when you test the kid's DNA and lose everything."
"I'd rather die a thousand deaths than touch you."
Tara frowned. "Not even a good kiss."
"Especially that." I pushed the security button and waited for the sound of thudding boots to come near my door.
"Well then, no need to be rude. I'll leave." She walked towards the door then stopped.
She glared at me and said, “The information I was going to give you was what I have proof about. But there are also rumors that your darling baby momma may be a stripper.”
“A what…?” I asked, shaking my head.
I had actually heard similar things about Willow. But Darien had always kept mum about it and I had always thought of it as none of my business. But now, putting two and two together, I began to wonder if that was what Stacy was doing late at night. Maybe this mystery man was one of her clients.
I really hoped that wasn’t true. But I was beginning to doubt everything again.
Looking over her shoulder, Tara smiled then yelled, "Oh Stacy dear, you should know he won't stay with you! He's a playboy, every woman in town has had a piece of him!"
She’s just trying to say anything she can to hurt either of us, I told myself. I’m no longer a ‘playboy.’ I shouldn’t listen to a word she says.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Security came through the doors and I pointed to her. They grabbed her and dragged her out.
"Get off of me!" she screamed. "You'll pay, Carter!"
Stacy came running out of the room and stood by my side.
"Grant, what's going on?" she asked, looking at me closely. "You're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine. How about you? You're not too stressed are you?" I brushed some of her hair back behind her ear.
"I'm good. Thanks."
The questions were burning inside me, I wanted to ask her. But I already had and for some reason she was hiding the truth.
The emotions in me were waging war, tearing me apart.
Confirmation was what I needed. An assurance that Stacy was mine. I marked her with my seed, I felt her virginity. She hadn't even had sex before she met me.
I was her first. Her last.
But the fucking secrets were going to make me go insane with worry. She didn't need to protect me. Or was she protecting someone else?
"I'm hungry. Got anything gross to eat?" Stacy asked, leaning her head on my arm.
"I've been told I'm a good cook," I said. "Let me lock this door back up and make you something."
Stacy rubbed her stomach with a smile. Curiosity may've killed the cat, but I was no feline. I happened across the clock and remembered I had to do something for the company.
Good thing my penthouse came with room service.
"Stacy dear," I said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the living room where my sixty inch flat screen sat and fifty thousand dollar sofas were. When she made herself comfortable, she looked up at me and our eyes connected.
There was a bond.
Forget the company, Stacy needed me.
"I'll be back with dinner shortly, relax."
"Sure, that'll be easy!" she kicked up her feet and turned on the TV.
In the back of my mind, I figured the secret might not be that big of a deal after all.
The last fifteen minutes I spent getting dinner together was nostalgic. The last time I cooked something was with my father years ago before he passed.
After that I had stopped cooking. There was no one to cook for, no one to cook with. Now there was Stacy and our baby. That was more than enough for me right now.
I dipped out of the kitchen and went into the living room.
"Stacy? Where are you?" I called out. She wasn't where I saw her last.
So I looked around and called her name. Returning to the living room, there was a note on the table I skipped.
It read.
'Family emergency, be back later.'
And next to the letter was the phone I gave her so she could keep it close.
What the hell was she doing.
"It's that damn secret, isn't it?" I thought out loud. Crunching the paper, I grabbed my wallet and keys, she didn't drive, so finding her wouldn't be that hard.