Unprotected: A Secret Baby

I smiled my plastic smile again, forcing mirth into my eyes.

“I’m sure I’ll love it,” came my slightly wooden words. But that would never do. I had to earn the twenty thousand dollars. So clearing my throat, I smiled a real smile this time.

“Sounds wonderful,” came my words. “I love eating, so I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”

Evelyn laughed, a merry, tinkling sound.

“Oh good,” came her smile. “Come this way, dear.”

And ushering me into the formal dining room caused me to gasp all over again. Of course, the table itself seemed bigger than my whole apartment. It was big enough for twenty people but four place settings were set out at one end, clustered elegantly around the head. Flowers bloomed graciously, the china and silver sparkling under the chandelier.

And as soon as we were seated, servants came in and started presenting dinner. Platter after platter of delicious items appeared, so beautiful that they looked like play food, and not the real thing.

Could turkey really be that rich pinky-white color, browned just so at the edges?

Could mashed potatoes really be so creamy and white, with small flecks of aromatic parsley thrown in?

Could asparagus be so vibrantly green, crispy yet just soft enough to chew?

And with gusto, I dug in. I’ve never been the type of girl to shy away from a square meal, and now was no exception. So I ate morsel after morsel, savoring the experience, letting the food consume my senses.

And the entire time, Evan smiled at me like a real fiancé. In my opinion, the man even went a little overboard. Since when do alpha males tenderly wipe sauce from their fiancée’s mouths? Since when do billionaires carefully keep their female’s water glasses full, jumping up before the steward could do it?

But Evan was solicitous, attending to my every need. His parents noticed for sure.

“Look at this son of mine,” Henry boomed. He turned to his wife. “Finally, he brings a nice girl home that can appreciate the good things.” The man scooped another piece of lasagna into his mouth, devouring it whole.

“Yes, absolutely,” murmured Evelyn, delicately biting into a piece of sole. “Usually Evan doesn’t bring anyone home, so we’re happy to meet you.”

But I wanted to know more about my man.

“So what was Evan like when he was a boy?” I asked curiously, shooting a small smile towards the dark man. “I imagine he must have been trouble.”

Henry chortled heartily.

“More than trouble! Our boy almost got himself thrown out of boarding school.”

Boarding school? One of those fancy elite places with ivy-covered stone buildings? So different from dumpy McGinley High, my alma mater.

Evelyn nodded.

“Our son was almost kicked out after another student cheated on an exam and said he got the answer key from Evan.”

My head turned sharply to the alpha. Really? Cheating? I never would have guessed. Maybe it was a childhood transgression gone wrong, a bad decision way back when he was young.

But Evelyn continued.

“It turned out that boy had mental issues,” she said. “Evan was never involved, the whole thing was a figment of poor Charlie’s imagination. I feel for him,” she said seriously. “But the most interesting thing is that Evan never gave up on Charlie, isn’t that right? You didn’t say a word in your defense.”

My head swiveled to the billionaire with surprise. He just took it? That didn’t seem like the Mr. Lincoln I knew. The man I knew would have crushed his opposition, grinding them into smithereens.

But Evan knew what I was thinking. Slowly, that strong jaw nodded.

“Charlie’s not normal,” he growled. “Even way back then you could tell. Charlie was off his rocker with weird hallucinations, saying shit that just didn’t make sense.”

I continued to stare.

“Why didn’t you say something in your own defense though?” was my question. “Why didn’t you say something to clear your name, if you actually had nothing to do with it?”

Those blue eyes were clear as they took me in, blunt finger tapping the tabletop thoughtfully.

“Because Charlie was a victim. Even though he was spewing all sorts of lies, it was clear as day that he was a victim as well. A victim to the demons in his mind, the voices in his head. And I didn’t want to compound the issue. Everything was going to get figured out, it just needed time to unwind.”

I sat silent, flabbergasted. Because this wasn’t the Evan I knew. This was a man with heart, one who sympathized with people those who needed help. Here was a man who treated other people with kindness and empathy, who didn’t use his position to squeeze out every last drop of advantage.

Here was a man I could love.

After all, the evidence was mounting. How his staff adored him, ever since he was a little boy. How his sister relied on him to care for Bowzer last minute. And now, how Mr. Lincoln showed mercy to someone with mental issues, refusing to throw Charlie under the bus even when it was his right.