I thought she might tell me she was expecting, but she didn’t. I don’t want to say anything because I think she’s planning some big surprise reveal. I keep waiting for it to happen, but it hasn’t. Still, I’m not ruining things.
“Ha,” Beck scoffs. “And I’m the blind and dumb one.” He signals for the bartender to come over. “Get us another bottle. This one is going to need one since he’s being dumped soon.”
“I’m not getting dumped.” Although a prickle of unease spiders down my spine. “Pepper’s happy. We’re happy,” I add. And we are. I’m giving her orgasms every night and most mornings. We spend a lot of time together–or at least we used to. Her building is almost done, and I’ve moved onto a commercial project with Marist so I don’t see Pepper every day at work like we used to, but I come home to her every night. I call and text her during the day if we’re not together. There’s been no signs of unhappiness on her part. She did mention something about moving back into the apartment, but I brushed it off. She’s not going anywhere.
“You’re forgetting one thing, bro.” Beck fills my glass to the brim. “That barista was pregnant. She just didn’t want to admit it because her parents were religious nuts and would’ve exiled her to some church camp where they take away the baby, give it to someone else and then revirginize her.”
Damn. I had forgotten the end of the story.
17
Pepper
“Are you ready?” I jerk at the sound of Abel’s voice. I didn’t hear him walk into the office. He was supposed to be with Beck at the place next door for happy hour. I told him to check on him before we headed out for the night. Beck doesn’t really need to be checked on. He needs a 2 x 4 to the back of his head to wake his dumb ass up when it comes to Marist. I mean, the man has to be blind not to see how in love with him she is.
I really sent Abel there to get him out of the office so he could stop watching my every move. “Furniture?” I reach down next to my desk and pull the power cord in my moment of panic. Everything on my desk is powering off, thanks to my bright idea. Well, that was overkill.
“Yeah, I got that insurance check for my place,” I rush to say. I was looking at baby furniture when he snuck up on me. An ad had popped up on my screen and I might have clicked on it because it was so nice. And I thought he was tending to Beck and wouldn’t see. I wonder if he knows that I’m lying? It’s not entirely a lie.
“Do you always shut your computer down like that?”
“It’s effective.” I really hope there wasn’t something I needed to save. My screen on my phone lights up. I see a text from Marist flash across it.
Marist: Got it. Coming in hot.
I grab my phone, flipping it over so it’s lying face down.
“What does Marist have?”
“I have no idea.” I shrug. Yep, that one was a flat-out lie.
“What are you lovebirds doing?” We both turn our heads to see Beck standing in the doorway of our office.
“How many drinks did you have at this happy hour?” I say under my breath to Abel. It only takes a glance to see that Beck is two sheets to the wind.
“I’m in love. Did you know that?” He steps into the room. My mouth falls open as Marist fills the doorway next. I don’t know if I should tell Beck to shut his mouth or to tell Marist to abort the mission she was on to get me a pregnancy test. I thought there would be enough time after I pushed Abel into checking in on Beck. Obviously I was wrong.
Now, I have an even more suspicious Abel and a drunk Beck to deal with. Let’s not forget the fact that Marist is standing in the damn doorway with a pregnancy test in a bag while listening to Beck profess his love.
“I think everyone can see that. It’s not a secret, Beck,” I say because no one else seems to be speaking up around here. That seems to get his attention. It’s so clear how much he loves her. They belong together, and I’m not going to let this drunken moment be how he tells her that he loves her. “Speaking of love. Hi, Marist.”
Beck whips around so fast he almost falls over. Marist holds up her hand to give a small wave, the plastic bag in hand. I watch in what feels like slow motion as a few pregnancy tests fall out of the bag and hit the floor. The bag in her hand is still full. How many did she get?