“The very first day I started, you were wearing a black tunic with a white collared shirt under and those red pumps I couldn’t stop jerking off over.”
“Haden!” I say in shock.
“True story. But then I overheard you rambling on about your wedding, so I lost interest. I wanted to fuck you, not break up your engagement and have you wanting a commitment from me. So, I occupied my time at work by playing the stock market. Actually, I got quite good at it and managed to make a fairly decent amount which I’ve reinvested into property.”
“You’re so crass. I can’t believe you thought about me that way.”
“Well, the day the office buzzed about your broken engagement, I wasn’t going to let anyone get a hold of you. Sergio and Russ were the first to express their interest in you.”
“Russ with the beer gut and Sergio with the unconfirmed toupee?”
He shakes his head, laughing quietly, not wanting to wake Masen. “I shut them down, saying the reason you broke up with what’s his face was because you had baby fever.”
“You did not say that. They must think I lured you in like a cougar,” I profess, half embarrassed.
“They can think whatever they want. I had my eyes set on making your life hell, so you’d notice me. I just didn’t expect this.”
“So, the Fallen Baby project?”
“I coerced David into letting me work on that. Mind you, that was before I knew you were pregnant.”
“What about London?”
“That’s half my fault. David wanted me there, but I kept refusing. After that night in the club, I knew I couldn’t be around you. You’re like this magnetic force field, and no matter how much I told myself I could resist you, I just couldn’t.”
I let out a sigh and try to take all of this in. How different things could have been between us if he were honest about his feelings all along. There is still the issue of Eloise, though.
“And Eloise… why?”
“Presley,” he chastises. “Please let me sort that out. I’ve made mistakes, one’s I need to rectify.”
I turn over onto my back. This Eloise thing is the only thing stopping us from being together. From being a family. Why can’t he just admit why he was, still is, in my eyes, marrying her?
“I need time to take all of this in,” I confess.
“Take what in?”
“You, not answering my questions about Eloise. Everything about the past. I’m just… overwhelmed.”
No more words are said. And maybe it’s for the best.
He moves his body to a sitting position, then leans in to kiss my cheek. “So, tomorrow, you’re bringing Masen into the office?”
I simply nod, followed by the only smile I can muster. A confused one.
Entering the office building feels like visiting your home after a long vacation. I missed everything about it from the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, to the office attire, and even the politics. Vicky greets me downstairs in the lobby, running toward me in new Louis Vuitton pumps.
“Ahem, what’s going on south of your kitty?”
She gladly lifts her feet, proudly showing off her new attire. “Oh, you mean these? Well, Patrick bought them for me. Kind of like an I-want-you-back present.”
I shake my head at her willingness to accept extravagant gifts from a dickhead who can’t keep his pants shut. I drop the subject, not wanting to get into an argument.
“So,” she drags, taking the stroller off me and pushing it toward the elevator. “What’s happening tonight? Are you still meeting Jason for dinner?”
The whole week I went back and forth about canceling my dinner with Jason. Things are going so well between Haden and me that I don’t want to create any unnecessary drama. But last night, after his confession, I thought long and hard about what I want. Having dinner with Jason is just that—dinner. I’m not planning on having sex with him, but although we ended on friendly terms, there is a sense of closure that I need from him to be able to move forward.
“Right now, I’m still deciding. But if I do, you’re still okay to babysit?”