Chapter 38

CARRIE

Blake helped me move earlier in the day, but he had to go to work after. I hate that he has to work so much. I don’t want to be selfish, but a part of me kind of wishes that he would quit his job so that he could stay with me all day. But I know that is unrealistic. He is, after all, a busy film producer. But even still, I miss him.

It’s only been a few hours since I last saw him, and I can’t stop looking at the clock, hoping that time has passed so that he will be closer to coming home. I’m at my laptop, and I should be working, but as I go to type, I stop, look at the clock, and sigh to myself.

The book is coming along pretty well now. Skimming through what I have written, I am surprised with how much is there and how good it is. I wish I could add to it, and usually, I would be able to, no problem, but today is different. Today, my mind is awash with thoughts of Blake.

I push myself from my laptop and walk to the kitchen. I’m getting a little hungry, and I hope that there are some snacks in the house. I’m sure that this early on, it’s just my imagination, but I feel like I can feel the baby inside of me. And I feel like he is hungry.

I’m in the habit now of referring to the baby as a boy. We both are. Not only will Blake make a great father if it is a boy, but he’ll be just as great with a daughter.

I walk through the house, taking note of how big and empty the place is. When Blake is here, it feels so welcoming and full of life. But when he is not here, it feels as it does now, cold and empty. In truth, I am bored and in need of a little company.

I smile as I suddenly realize what I can do to remedy this situation. I haven’t spoken to Amy in ages, and I quickly reach into my pocket and pull out my cell. I dial the number, feeling a little too excited at the prospect of talking to my best friend.

“What up, girl,” she says as she answers the phone. “Long time. I thought that maybe you had forgotten about me. Or maybe you had gotten a new best friend? That’s it, isn’t it? This is a break-up call!”

“How did you know?” I laugh as I fall onto the couch in the living room. The couch is as big as my bed back home, and I can literally lie and stretch out my entire body on it.

“Instinct. You’ve moved out of your apartment. You’re living with some playboy, for whatever reason that you won’t tell me. It only makes sense that you’ve gotten a new best Real Housewives of Beverly Hills friend. Who is she?”

“Her name is Sandra, and she likes to shop and complain about how bad a job the help is doing on her rose bushes.”

“She sounds like a treat,” Amy says scathingly. “Punch her for me, will you?”

I laugh at this. God, I miss Amy. The two of us could easily go on pretending that Sandra is a real person for hours and never miss a beat. The two of us can talk about almost anything really, and as we do, I suddenly realize how much I actually miss her.

Despite how great my life is at the moment and despite how great everything is going, best friends are hard to come by and even harder to replace.

“I miss you,” I say seriously. “Too much.”

“I miss you, too. Ugh, listen to us. You’re only in Beverly Hills. I’m acting like you’re in New York or something.”

“May as well be,” I moan. “While I’m here, I’m never going to get to see you.”

“While you’re there. Are you going to tell me why that is, by the way? You’ve been very coy about it, and I know you. I know you’re not the type to move for some boy, no matter how big his dick and or bank account is.”

“I can’t tell you, at least not over the phone.” Despite what I tell Blake, I am dreading telling Amy about what I am doing. I know she won’t judge me, but it will still make for awkward conversation.

“So, invite me over. You promised me that you would, anyway. I want to see this mansion and this man, both.”

“I will,” I say. “As soon as Blake gets home, I’ll ask when a good time is.”

“Oh, you’re going to ask Blake?” She jokes, dropping her voice in an attempt to make it sound snobbish. “Mr. Blake needs to give you permission.”

“It’s not like that,” I laugh. “It’s just polite. It’s still his house, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she agrees. “I just miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

The two of us speak for several more hours. Honestly, we could talk all day and night. I have so much I want to tell her, and I have to make sure to keep a wrap on all the important stuff. The only reason that we do, eventually, stop is that I hear the car come down the driveway, announcing Blake’s return.

I quickly say goodbye to Amy, promise that she can come visit soon, and leap from the couch and run to the front door. As he walks in, I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him.

“Whoa, someone has missed me.” He smiles at me.

“Oh, no,” I say, and I quickly let go of him. “I thought you were the milkman.”

“He comes at two.”

“Ah, I’ll remember that,” I joke, and I lean up and kiss him on the cheek.

“Plans tonight?” He asks as I follow him through the house and into our bedroom. I watch as he unpacks his things from the day and changes his clothes. It’s nothing interesting, but for some reason, I am absorbed in every little movement.

“You,” I say simply.

“Sounds delightful,” he replies.

***

As always, the chefs have outdone themselves. I don’t even know what the food is, but I eat two whole servings. For the first time in as long as I remember, I don’t have room for dessert.

It’s as I finish and watch Blake slowly chew his food, that the housekeeper comes up behind me. I jump as I feel her hand on my shoulder.

“Oh my God,” I say as my breathing calms down. “You scared me, Christina.”

“Sorry, miss,” she says. “But Mr. Blake wants me to give you this.” She holds out a little dish and in it is a small pill.

“It’s a prenatal care vitamin,” Blake says. “I read in one of those books that they are meant to help with digestion and cramping. The book always said you should start right away, so I figured why not now?” He watches me with a smile as I take the pill from Christina.

“Thanks, Christina. That’s really thoughtful of you. Blake, seriously, you can’t stop impressing me, can you?”

“If I ever do, let me know, okay? That way, I can step it up a little.”

I shake my head at his boyish smile. I then pick up my glass of water and use it to help swallow the pill. Blake is taking this pregnancy even more seriously than me, it seems. It’s time I start doing it too.