Chapter5
Nina turned the card over in her hand, her phone sitting on the desk in her dorm room. She looked at the clock, shocked it had been less than twelve hours since they left the room for commencement. It felt like a lifetime since that morning, and Nina felt infinitely older. There was nothing she could do now to change what happened, and she had to deal with it today. By Friday, they had to be out of campus housing, and she needed to find an apartment quickly, so she didn’t spend too much of her savings on hotels.
“Just get it over with,” Jasmine said from her bed, looking almost as worried as Nina was.
“Do you think I can have a moment? I don’t know what to say, but I feel weird having this conversation with an audience.”
“It’s fine; I get it. I’ll take a walk and come back in a little bit.”
“Thank you, Jazzy.”
“I’m a text away if you need me.”
“I know.”
Jasmine hugged her, then left quickly. Nina waited for the door to close, then dialed the number and held her breath while she waited for him to answer.
“This is Alex,” he said, his voice all business.
Nina cleared her throat, reaching for what she wanted to say, but she was struggling.
“Hello?” Alex said, as if the connection was bad.
He was about to hang up when she finally found her voice.
“Alex? It’s Nina.”
“Nina?” he said. “From spring break?”
She was shocked he remembered her, but also a little flattered.
“Are you coming back to Florida?”
“Not exactly.”
“Oh. Then, why are you calling? I haven’t heard from you since you left, so I figured that you weren’t interested. Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry about that. I got wrapped up in my senior year and I just lost track of time.”
“Did you graduate?”
“Summa cum laude.”
“Congratulations. That’s something to be proud of. What did you major in, again?”
“Accounting.”
“I guess I’m confused. If you’re not calling because you’re coming for a visit, then why are you calling?”
She took a deep breath, but after a long moment of silence while she came up with a better way to say what she needed to say, she decided to just spit it out.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Congratulations.”
“Alex, you’re the father.”
There was silence on the other end. Nina was panicking. Would he demand that she end her pregnancy, or would he insist that it wasn’t his? Would he be angry with her for forgetting her birth control? Or would he think she did it on purpose to trap him? When he finally spoke, his calm voice was shocking.
“Do you have a plan, yet? I’m assuming you just discovered this yourself.”
“I found out today. And no. I don’t have a plan. I was planning on going to interviews all week and getting a job. I just got out of college, and this was not in my plans.”
“Understandable. A driven woman like you usually doesn’t plan on a baby like this. I’m sure you’re freaked out. Who wouldn’t be?”
She didn’t know what to make of what he was saying, but she was so relieved that he wasn’t angry, or denying that he was the father that she was beyond words. She’d been ready to defend her own honor, but he took her word on it and seemed comfortable doing so. He was wildly different than any man she’d ever known.
“Can I offer a suggestion?” he asked, voice still eerily calm.
“Of course. This is as much your baby as mine.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. Look, I’m in need of an accountant on my payroll I can trust, and there’s plenty of room in my home if you want your own space. I can pay you whatever the market is for your profession, plus free rent, food and your own car.”
“Alex, I couldn’t—”
“The car would be in your name and one hundred percent yours. The way my house is laid out, you can live in your suite and never see me if that’s what you want. And I can give you the suite with an in-suite office, and your own patio access to the yard. The only thing you wouldn’t have is your own kitchen. If not, I have room for a guest house.”
“That’s really generous, but I can’t.”
“Why not? You said this baby is just as much mine. Doesn’t the child deserve a father? I’m not saying we have to get married or that we even have to sleep together. That’s just not how I work. You can stay here until you get on your feet and move out and get another job if you want. I’m offering you a solution; how permanent it is depends on you.”
“I don’t want to be in a position where I’m dependent on you.”
“And you won’t be. Look, Nina. You’re a sweet woman, and truth be told, I was hoping you’d call. Not for this reason, but just because. I haven’t ever been with a woman like you, and I think we can make this work. Maybe this baby is a sign.”
“A sign? Don’t you think that’s a little over romanticized?”
Alex laughed.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever accused me of being overly romantic before.”
“I wouldn’t say overly romantic,” she said, thinking about the first-class tickets and the box of fancy chocolates.
“I seem to remember you enjoyed my type of romance.”
She could feel the heat rising as he spoke. How did he get to her so easily? His voice was like silk, and he drove her wild with just a few words. Could she live in the same house as him without jumping in bed with him every chance she got?
She laughed. It didn’t matter. She was already pregnant. Sleeping with him now wouldn’t be an issue. It was getting her heart broken that was the danger.
“Laughter is good, right? What do you say, Nina? Work for me, help me keep my finances straight and move in with me?”
“And what will I do after the baby is born?”
“You’ll work when you want to, just like now. I’m offering you a salaried position.”
“But if I move on and find more work, I don’t think ‘managing my baby daddy’s finances’ is a valid reference.”
“Conrad Companies International is an excellent job refence, and with over ten billion in assets, I would think that being on my staff would give you a leg up should you seek employment elsewhere.”
“If I didn’t want to live with you, would I still be able to take the job?”
“Of course, but why would you want to work in an office when you could work from home, take a boat out on Biscayne Bay whenever you want, and swim to your heart’s content on your breaks? I love spoiling you.”
“I remember.”
“Give it a month. If you hate it here, I’ll pay to fly you back. How much do you want salary-wise?”
“One hundred thousand a year,” she said without hesitation, even though her current prospects were closer to the sixty thousand range.
“I can pay that,” he said. “That’s roughly eight thousand a month. That’s more than enough to get you started if it doesn’t work out and you want to move back to Kentucky. Plus, if you leave, I’ll be paying support for the child. That’s another ten thousand a month I’m sure.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I do. I’m going to take care of you and our child whether you’re here or in Kentucky.”
She took a deep breath, not sure what she should do. It was a huge leap of faith moving in with him. But like he said, she could leave any time. And, living with him came with a job. So, it wouldn’t be like she was dependent on him. Because she could walk away whenever she wanted to. Or she could get her own apartment. It was all up to her.
“Okay,” she said, almost in a whisper.
“Okay you’ll come here or okay I can pay you child support to live in Kentucky?”
“I’ll move to Florida. But only for a month to start. If it doesn’t work out, I’m on the first plane out of there.”
“Deal. How soon can you have your things packed?”
“They’re already packed. I only had a few days left on campus anyway, so everything is packed.”
“Is tomorrow morning soon enough to fly out?”
“I have a little more than two suitcases worth of stuff.”
“That’s fine.”
“I have like ten boxes.”
“No problem. I’ll send a car for you in the morning.”
“I can drive to the airport myself.”
“I know you can, but I don’t want you carrying boxes around when you don’t have to.”
She started to argue, then changed her mind. She was exhausted and struggling with nausea in the mornings. There was no reason to push herself to the breaking point again.
“You know what, you’re right. Thank you, Alex. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” he said, then the line went silent in her ear.
Jasmine must have been right outside the door. As soon as she hung up the phone, her friend was there, waiting for the details.
“I’m moving to Florida,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
“I can come back if I don’t like it. He has a house there, and he needs an accountant anyway. I think it will be the best thing for both of us.”
“And what about me?”
“You can visit anytime you want, Jazzy. You know that.”
“Don’t you think this is a little soon?”
“I do, but I’m pregnant. Better now than waiting until I give birth. He deserves to be there for that, and I’ll make sure that you’re there, too. Jazzy, I know this is hard, but please, just be happy for me.”
Jasmine blew out a long sigh.
“Alright,” she said, nodding. “I’m happy for you. He just better not break your heart or I’ll have to kick his ass.”
“I’ll make sure he knows.”
“And I want to see you often.”
“I’ll make sure that happens.”
“Oh Nina. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t, but this feels right. As scared as I am, it just feels like the right choice.”
“Please be careful.”
Nina hugged her friend, squeezing her tight and kissing her cheek.
“I will,” she promised. “I will.”