My Secret Santa's Secret Baby

“Skye,” Inga said, as I passed her desk.

I looked, and she signaled for me to get closed, as though we were being watched. I complied, trying not to make a show of leaning in.

“Today at lunch, go get a pregnancy test.”

I wanted to ask what the heck she was talking about, but she had already gone back into mechanical mode, typing madly at her terminal. There was no point in trying to talk to her when she was in that state, so I just went back to my desk.

I got two whole pages done by lunch, which was still a bit of a record for me. Inga’s words bounced around in my head like a lacrosse ball. It seemed crazy but mostly because there was no way I knew of that she could tell if I was pregnant or not. I certainly wasn’t showing or anything. There was the puking but that could have been anything. Still, despite my doubts, I went down to the drug store I’d gotten the card, trying my best to keep my head down in case there were any co-workers there. The last thing I needed were more tongues wagging.

It felt colder than usual in the staff bathroom. At least I assumed going by the shiver running through me as I waited for the test. It was one of the ones that was absolutely clear. I’d bought two just in case. It didn’t matter. A little blue plus sign appearing on both. I was most definitely with child and there was no doubt as to who the father was, considering I’d had sex exactly twice, both times with the same man.

I knew I should tell him. He was the kid’s father and had a right to know. Had the circumstances been different I definitely would have, even risking going to his office to tell him the good news. As it was, the risk was to high. It would take only one co-worker with a big mouth to overhear and since we weren’t going to the houses any more it seemed like to big a risk. Because we were still under investigation, I didn’t even want to risk anyone seeing me getting into his car, or seeing us in public at all. I guessed Inga knew, both about Simon and our baby, but felt like I could trust her. The idea of single motherhood petrified me, but seemed like the only option available.Chapter Twenty-Five - SimonThe world was beautiful and new and I could not resist whistling a happy tune. I did however resist the urge to skip down the path. I just wasn’t built for it. Too much chance of me tripping over my own feet. Causing serious damage to my image let alone my knee joints.

The park was one of the oldest in the state. In like most ‘green spaces’ that were literally strips of grass among the urban tangle,, it actually looked like genuine woods in the heart of the city.

I felt like a kid at a dance, trying to pluck up the courage to ask my crush to dance. Even though there was much more on the line that fine afternoon. It was still frigid as Dante's innermost circle of Hell, but I didn’t feel it. My mind far to busy spinning with all the possibles. That she was late which wasn’t necessary tragic, but that didn’t stop my mind from constantly going there.

Finally, I spotted her coming up the path. Everything in me was hollering that I should hold her tight and smother her in kissed and never let her go. A nice idea but I decided it would be smart to fill her in on the situation first.

“Isn’t this dangerous?” she asked.

“No, not anymore, it’s all fixed,” I said, so happy I could cry.

“The investigation is over?”

“In a way of speaking. I quit and took a job over at Bat & Bell as artistic director. Similar to what I was doing at Pigeon on lay a lot more fun with a damn sight less stress. Not least because I’m no longer under Pigeon’s corporate control. B&B want to make money too but aren’t wiling to crush personalities to do it.”

“So you’re not my boss anymore?”

“Nope.”

“Who is?”

“Inga,” I said with a grin, “the big brass wanted to look for someone else by there was an internal revolt. Basically everyone with a permanent position said that either Inga was the new senior editor or they’re handing in their resignation. No point in having a department with no staff so they gave in. She’s promised to give permanent positions to all the holiday hires.”

“That’s what I am,” Skye said, struck silly by the news.

“It’s what you were. You have a permanent job at Pigeon if want it.”

“We can be together,” she said, finally realizing the full significance.