Accidental Pregnancy

“So, any other news?” my mother asks.

I light up.

“Well…I might have met someone,” I say as casually as possible.

My mother almost drops her fork in shock. Romance has never been a huge thing for me, if only because I’m always so busy concentrating on work. I’ve had a few brief boyfriends in the past, but none of them understood my passion for work, and inevitably left because they felt I wasn’t giving them enough attention. I don’t know, yet, whether Lyle will be any different. But it’s nice to find someone who makes my heart pound and my soul sing.

“Really?” my mother asks. “When?”

“Last night, actually,” I say. “I was angry at Dad, so I went to Grande for a few hours. I bumped into Lyle on the dance floor. I gave him my number.”

“He’s that interesting?” she asks curiously.

“Well, I don’t know him very well,” I say, grinning. “But I’m meeting him for coffee on Saturday. I’d really like to get to know him a little better.”

“That sounds wonderful,” my mother says. “Are you sure you’ll have time, though? All your attention will be taken up by this new project. I know the problems you had with your previous boyfriends because you were so focused on work.”

“I know, but it’s just coffee,” I say. “I’m not looking at jumping into a long-term relationship with him. The next few weeks will show me whether he’s willing to accept my life as it is. I do understand what happened with the other guys, and I feel a little bad; it was my fault.”

“Only somewhat,” my mother says sternly. “You’re passionate and ambitious. Those other men simply wanted your entire attention, and you weren’t able to give that to them. I know that Ryan, in particular, was quite jealous of your successes simply because he felt inferior.”

I grimace. The less said about Ryan, the better. Of all my old boyfriends, he was the only one that I left first. A small-time actor working at a grocery store, he did not like the fact that I was so successful in my company. After a month, he attempted to tell me that he felt that I should quit so he could provide for us. I broke up with him then and there; there’s no way that I can be with someone who can’t accept my ambitions because they feel insecure about their own position in life. I don’t want to be given anything by anyone; I want to work for it and prove that I earned it.

“Yeah, I remember,” I say. “Look, Mom, I don’t know if Lyle is going to be different to any of those other guys. If he isn’t, then he won’t last very long and I’ll go back to looking for someone who’s right for me.”

What I don’t say, however, is that Lyle feels different from all the others. Maybe it’s the hazy memory of our night together, clouded by the alcohol that we both consumed and the lust that gripped us tightly, that makes me feel that way, but it doesn’t matter. For the time being, I’m interested in Lyle and I want to see where this goes. Meeting him in the light of day, without alcohol, is definitely a good first step to see where we currently stand with one another.

Maybe some of this shows on my face. My mother sighs heavily, but she smiles slightly, anyway.

“As stubborn as always,” she remarks. “In life and love. As I said, just remember to be careful. I hope it works out for you, though. I enjoy seeing you happy.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I say, smiling at her across the table.

I don’t know what’s going to happen. But it’s never been in my nature to shy away just because something is difficult. One day, whether with Lyle or not, something will definitely change. Until then, I’ll just work at it as I have done with every aspect in my life.

Because failure is never an option…in any aspect of my life.

Chapter Seven

Lyle

In the days before my coffee date with Amanda, I must have changed my mind at least five times. Twice I had my cell out, ready to type a message of apology, canceling the date and any hope of being in a relationship. It would have been the smartest thing to do.

But, every time, I stop myself from taking that final step. I’m selfish; I want Amanda and I want to hide it from her that being together right now wouldn’t be a good idea. If I’m lucky, I’ll get through this intact, both with Amanda and with a deal with Tech Square Inc., and I’ll be able to tell her the truth.

If I’m supremely unlucky, which is far more likely, it’s all going to blow up in my face.

Despite this, I still find myself showing up at a coffee bar on main street, where I decided Amanda and I could meet. I’m a bucket of nerves; it’s daylight, now, and there’s a real chance that she might actually recognize me. Two years ago, as a very young business owner taking over a billion-dollar company from his recently departed father, my face was in a lot of magazines and news articles. While I try to keep a low profile these days, there’s still the possibility that Amanda might recognize me, meaning that this entire ruse would be over before it even got started.

In some ways, that might be the best possible scenario, though. If she does recognize me, then perhaps we could talk it out and come to an agreement. If she doesn’t, however, I’ll end up lying to her until I either tell her the truth or she finds out.

Or, possibly, I could just tell her the truth straight up. I grimace at that thought. While doing so would probably ensure the most favorable outcome, I know that it’ll mean the end of any relationship I want to pursue with Amanda. Why would she want to date the rival of her father’s company, especia

lly since, as the representative chosen to work on this alliance, she has quite a high position within that company?

I drive around the block a few times, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel as I search for a parking spot. As the minutes tick closer and closer to two o’clock, my heart begins to pound and my palms grow sweaty. There are so many ways that this could go wrong.

Finally, I find somewhere to park. I slot into a spot and take in a deep breath, barely noticing as a white car draws up beside me. It’s alright. I can do this. I want Amanda. I want to know her better. And that means just…keeping a few secrets for a little while, that’s all.