The Tycoon's Baby Read online

  After breakfast, I wished him a good trip and went to work. As I cleaned his room, I tried not to imagine myself someday sleeping in his arms in the giant California King bed. I tried… I didn’t quite succeed. By the day’s end, I’d decided that him leaving for a couple of weeks would be good for me. It would give me time to get back on track without having to see his gorgeous face every day. The other good news was that with all of my confusion and angst over Alex, it had kept my mind off of Jason.

  ***

  Alex was gone for almost a month and by the time he returned I had myself completely pulled together. On top of that, I’d not only accepted Jason’s “break” was a good idea; I was thriving on it. I realized that without the pressures of a boyfriend who could be awfully demanding at times, I got a lot more rest and I got a lot more done. I had started my online classes. I was taking medical terminology and nutrition online. Those were the last two classes I would need to qualify for the program. I hoped to have enough saved up by the next semester to apply.

  I ran into Alex occasionally and our conversation had always been light and easy. I still wondered sometimes why he never mentioned that day but Liz, always the voice of reason, had convinced me that he probably realized what risky territory he had dived into. I could have cried sexual harassment. I guess that I don’t think like a rich person, or a litigious one. He has to guard his assets because there are always vultures circling. I’m not a vulture, but after the ordeal he was going through with his soon to be ex-wife, who could really blame him for being cautious.

  It was Saturday and I got up early because I had a nutrition quiz due by noon. I also woke up because of some amazing smells wafting from the kitchen, down the hallway and underneath my door. Liz was cooking. She’d told me not long ago that one way she dealt with her now five months of celibacy was by cooking. She used to be overweight because back then, she dealt with things by eating. She found out that she could deal with it just as easily by cooking yummy foods and just sampling as she cooked instead of eating a full meal. I think I was suffering the most for it. I’d already gained three pounds this month.

  “Good morning. That smells amazing,” I told her, padding out in my robe and slippers. “What are you making?”

  “I have the works,” she said. “French toast, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit and fresh squeezed orange juice.”

  “You’re amazing. You’re my favorite roommate.”

  “I know,” she said. “Grab some juice and have a seat, I’ll fill you up.”

  I got my juice and sat down. Within minutes, my plate was filled with beautiful, fattening food. I picked up the maple syrup and began pouring it onto my French toast. I love maple syrup, I usually overdo it. That’s why I was surprised that as soon as the sweet, syrupy fragrance hit my nostrils, my stomach lurched.

  I put the syrup down, pushed back from the table and all but ran into the bathroom. I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet and began to heave. I was shaking and I could feel sweat beading up on my forehead and running slowly down the side of my face. I emptied my stomach and reached up to flush the toilet before almost collapsing back against the cabinet behind me. I was light-headed and I could actually see gray spots in front of my eyes. I’d never passed out before, so I wasn’t sure, but it felt like I was about to. I leaned forward and put my head between my knees while I let it pass. In the meantime, I heard Liz knock on the door.

  “Hey Vicki! Are you alright? What happened?” I didn’t answer her right away so she pushed open the door. When she saw me on the floor she sucked in a sharp breath and said, “Oh my goodness, honey, what’s wrong? You’re so pale!”

  “I’m not feeling so good,” I told her.

  “Here, let’s get you up and back to bed,” she said. She helped me to my feet and I stood in front of the sink and brushed my teeth and rinsed out my mouth. Then I mistakenly took a drink of water. As soon as it hit my stomach, I was hanging my head over the toilet again. “Jeez, honey. You have something bad. Have you been around anyone with the stomach flu?”

  “Not that I know of,” I told her, starting the teeth brushing process over.

  “What did you eat last night?”

  “Just the pasta salad. The same as you.”

  “Hmm, at least it’s probably not food poisoning. I had that once after eating some bad salmon. That was the worst. It was even worse because my periods were spotty back then and I thought I was pregnant.” I saw the question in her eyes before she asked it. I was trying to do the math in my own head. When was my last menstrual cycle? Oh damn!

  “I’m not pregnant,” I said, too quickly.

  “Did you and Jason use protection?”

  “Not condoms, but I was on the pill. We both got tested regularly for STD’s. Jason hated condoms.”

  “Did you remember to take them every day?”

  “Yes Liz. I’m not pregnant. It’s the flu.”

  She seemed to accept that and said, “Okay honey, let’s get you to bed.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  VICTORIA

  I lay in bed, grateful once again for Liz who brought me some saltine crackers and a seven-up and then after putting a bucket by the bed “just in case,” she left me alone with my smelly misery. I nibbled on the crackers and after a while my stomach began to settle down. I only took sips of the seven-up, although I wasn’t nauseated any longer, I was still cautious of putting too much into my stomach. I seriously despised throwing up.

  By noon I felt better and I got up and took a shower. While I was standing under the soft spray, my mind went back to Liz’s questions about the birth control had I remembered to take them every day? There was one week, right before Jason and I started our “break” where I’d messed up somehow and forgotten to take one. But I’d doubled up the next day and the gynecologist had told me once before that was safe. I couldn’t be pregnant. I hadn’t had my period in almost two months, but that wasn’t unusual either. My cycles were fickle and some months, if I was really stressed out, I wouldn’t have one at all. I couldn’t be pregnant. I didn’t have the money to be a mother or the time. Babies are expensive and daycare is even more expensive. What would I do about work?

  I thought back to when I was a kid and my mother worked at that strip club just outside of Seal Beach. I hadn’t told Alex the day he and I talked about it, but that was why I spent so much time there. She would drop me off at the pier before she went to work from the time I was ten until I got to about fourteen. When the sun went down, there was a little room in the back where I would watch television until she got off at two. I was never allowed in the club area, but I heard a lot of “shop-talk” going on between the strippers, since their dressing room was only separated from the room I was in by a curtain. Over the years a few of the other women brought their kids too and we formed a little club and called ourselves, “Seal Rats.” It was corny, but none of us had much at that point.

  I love my mother and the older I get, the more I am beginning to realize and believe that she really did do her best. But I always promised myself that I wouldn’t have a kid until my best meant a nice home in a good neighborhood with plenty of food in the pantry and a mom who was either home, or could afford excellent childcare for when she was at work. Of course, there was always a father in there when I imagined it too. It wasn’t fair to give any less to a child. I didn’t want to bring a child into this world and cheat them out of what they deserved. I wasn’t pregnant, that was all there was to it. I spent the rest of that Sunday in my room. I watched a few movies and slept off and on. I considered going and getting a pregnancy test but that would be a waste of money. I’m not pregnant.

  Monday morning I woke up feeling good, even more convinced that I had been silly for even considering I might be pregnant. I got ready for work and realized that we were out of coffee, so I left a little early to go through the drive-thru and get one on my way to work. I went to my favorite little hole in the wall shop down by the beach. They opened the drive thr
u early for the commuters and surfers and I loved their coffee. I told the girl what I wanted over the speaker and then I drove up to the window. As soon as she opened it and the smells of the fresh baked pastries wafted out, I knew I was in trouble. I began to lurch and gag, handed her a twenty and told her to keep the change and then drove around to the small parking lot.

  I got out of the car and realized the sickeningly sweet smells were out here too, along with the smell of the salty ocean. It all cumulated in me holding onto the front of the car and emptying my stomach into the bushes. It was mostly liquid and a lot of it was bile. I felt really disgusting afterwards and almost called in sick. I looked at the time and decided I had time to run by the 24 hour pharmacy and get a toothbrush and paste. I could use the bathroom there. I really couldn’t afford to miss a day of work.

  I bought the brush and paste and went into the little bathroom. I brushed my teeth and as if incapable of learning my lesson, I took a drink of water and I was back on my knees and heaving again in no time. When I finished and cleaned up again, I took a long look at myself in the mirror. “You have to take a pregnancy test,” I told the image in the mirror. “Fine!” she said back. “But we’re not pregnant.”

  I bought one on my way out. I didn’t have time to do it now. I was already running late for work. I got to work five minutes late and of course, ran into Karen in the locker area. My luck had just been great lately.

  “Good morning, Victoria,” she said, glancing at the clock.

  “Good morning, Karen. I’m so sorry for being late. The traffic was bad today.” I stuffed my big purse with the test in it in the locker and closed it. I turned and she was smiling at me.

  “Please, Victoria. If all of the staff were as conscientious as you, my job would be a breeze. I think all the time you get here early and stay over late can make up for five minutes.”

  “Thank you,” I said, smiling back.

  “Are you okay though, hon? You look a little peaked today.”

  “I’m fine,” I told her. “I was a touch under the weather over the weekend, but much better today.” I was still fighting the waves of nausea that hit every five minutes or so but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

  “Okay, well you have a good day. But Vicki if you start feeling poorly again, let me know, alright?”

  “I will Karen, thank you.” I went through the kitchen and said good morning to Gregory and while I was talking to him, I saw Karen come out. “Oh darn, I forgot to get some towels for my cart.” I went back in and got the towels and the test out of my purse. I put it under the towels and made my way back through the kitchen and into the storage area to get my cart.

  When I got upstairs, Alex was just emerging from his suite. He again looked incredible. He smiled at me and the dimples creased and my heart raced, as usual. “Good morning, Vicki. How are you today?”

  “I’m good. How are you, sir?”

  “Rushed, as usual,” he said, still smiling. “It would be nice to have a minute to breathe.”

  “You should take one sir, before your life passes you by,” I said. It was something I’d say to anyone, but not something I’d normally say to my employer. He didn’t seem offended though. Instead, he had a kind of wistful expression on his face.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, Vicki. You have a great day.”

  “You too, sir.” I turned back to my cart and busied myself until I heard the elevator doors close. Once he was gone, I fished the test out from between the towels and took it into his bathroom. I’d never used a bathroom in the house besides the staff one before, but I couldn’t risk getting caught. I closed the door, quickly read the instructions on the test and did the deed. It was one of those instant ones, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at it right away. I sat it on a tissue on the counter and wiped and flushed and washed my hands before I looked. Dear God, it was positive. Oh damn! What the hell was I going to do now?

  I wrapped the evidence all up in a towel and just as I opened the bathroom door, I heard the elevator open. Damn! I sat the towel back down on the counter and turned to pretend I was cleaning the sink. Alex walked back in the room. “Hi,” I said. “Did you forget something?”

  “My phone,” he said, sounding frustrated. “There it is.” He scooped it up off the dresser and then looked around the room. “You know Vicki; it looks pretty good in here. Can I ask you to change your routine a bit and do me a favor today?”

  My insides were shaking. I was pregnant… most likely with this man’s baby. “Sure,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t sound shaky as well. “What do you need, sir?”

  “I’m having some friends over this weekend and I’d really like to entertain out by the pool. Could you clean the pool house really well for me and make sure there are fresh linens out there and soap, that sort of thing? Stock the refrigerator with water also.”

  “Of course, I’ll do that right away.”

  “Thank you so much. Have a good day.”

  “You too, sir.” I followed him out of the room and rode down in the elevator with him. I was halfway finished cleaning the pool house when I remembered the test. Damn! I’d left it wrapped in the towel on his bathroom counter. I felt sick again. Oh God, I had to get that before he came back or someone else found it. I was about to leave the pool house and go do that when I saw Karen headed out towards me.

  “Hey Victoria, I have to take off early today. When you finish out here can you make sure the plants are watered in the sunrooms?”

  “Of course,” I told her.

  “Thank you. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m as good as new,” I lied. I still wanted to throw up. It wasn’t the morning sickness any longer; it was the stress of the situation.

  “Great! I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I watched her go and then I headed for the house. As I got close to the kitchen door I heard Gregory talking to someone. I was horrified when I stepped inside and saw that it was Alex.

  “Just lie flat on your back sir and make sure the room is completely dark. It’s the best way to get rid of a migraine,” Gregory said.

  “Thanks, Gregory. I’ll try anything at this point.” I realized that Alex must have one of his migraines; at least every other month or so he got one that would keep him down for the entire day. I felt bad for him, but I felt worse for me. He was going to lie down in his room and I wouldn’t be able to get the test out of there. I watched him get on the elevator with the sick feeling in my stomach becoming more intense by the second. My head was spinning and I suddenly thought that I was going to either throw up or pass out right then and there.

  “Victoria, are you okay?” I looked up and realized Gregory was looking at me. I nodded.

  “Just a little under the weather,” I said. “I’ll be fine.” I went back to the pool house and finished my job there. Then I watered the plants in both sunrooms before I took a chance and rode the elevator up to the master suite. The door was closed and there was no light at all coming from under the door. Alex was asleep and I briefly wondered if I’d be able to sneak inside and get into the bathroom, get the test and sneak out before he woke up.

  I let myself imagine the worst case scenario. He would wake up and find me in his bedroom while he was sleeping and he’d think because we’d had sex already I was a creepy stalker. I’d be fired and would be humiliated to boot. Not a fun scenario at all. I imagined leaving the test where it was. Alex would find it, ask about it and I would tell him that yes, my boyfriend and I are having a baby and apologize profusely for leaving it there, explaining that my mind was a little foggy in the mornings because of the hormones. I finally left for the day with scenario number two as the winner. Maybe I’d get lucky and he’d sleep through the night and not find it at all… just maybe.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  VICTORIA

  When I got home Liz was in the living room, painting her toenails. I sat down next to her on the couch and just blurted it out, “I’m pregnant.”

  She stopped,
put the polish down and held her arms open. I fell into them and with my head on her shoulder I cried. I don’t know how long we sat there like that, but when I finally pulled myself together I pulled myself up and said, “I’m sorry.”

  She smiled. “I’m sorry for you, honey. I know you’re not ready for this. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure, Liz. I know for sure I could never have an abortion, so I suppose I’m having a baby, but beyond that, I just don’t know.”

  “Don’t get mad…”

  “I won’t. I’ve already considered that it could possibly be Alex’s baby. I won’t know for sure until I go to the doctor and find out how far along I am. God Liz, I’m such a mess.”

  She put an arm around me and said, “You are not. Lots of pregnancies are mistakes. Mistakes happen and sometimes beautiful things are born from them. If you keep the baby, I have no doubt that you’ll be an incredible mother. If you decide to put it up for adoption, I’ll be here with you for it all, okay?”