A flash of concern flickered in her beautiful eyes, and I’d managed just in time to bite down my question as to why she was being so nice. “I’m feeling much better, thanks.”
“So, what’s the deal?” Sadie asked, eyeballing me. “You sick or something?”
I shook my head and debated whether I should tell her or not. Letting anyone know, even a partial stranger, would be a blessed relief, but I had to remind myself I’d be working with her, technically for her, for the days and months to come.
“Did you get food poisoning? Harvey didn’t take you somewhere seedy last night, did he? I’ll wring his neck for making my new assistant ill,” she said with a smile.
I bit my lip and shook my head again. With a sigh, I blurted, “I think I’m pregnant.”
I didn’t know if it was possible for someone’s eyes to bulge out of their sockets. If it were any other day, in another time and life, I would have laughed at Sadie’s expression when she heard my confession.
“Come again?” she said.
“I think I’m pregnant,” I repeated and swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Harvey’s?”
“What?” I said and almost stood up, startled. “No, of course not.” My cheeks were burning up. How could she think that?
She frowned, her beautiful, smooth face creasing. ”Well, OK then. How sure are you?”
“Pretty sure. I haven’t done a test yet. God, I don’t know what I’m going to do if I am.”
I dabbed at the corner of my eyes with a wad of new tissue and then blew my nose before smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be unloading my problems on you. Harvey doesn’t know yet. You’re the only person I’ve told.”
“Hey,” she soothed and ran a palm on my shoulder. “It’s OK. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“But I have no one. All my family and friends have drifted away from me after the accident and my mom’s death. Well, all except Harvey.” I swiped at my tears and continued, “And my twin sister Anita has too much on her own plate, she’s got kids of her own…”
“Well, you can rely on me, and you should tell Harvey.”
“How can I do that when I’ve burdened him with so many of my problems already? And not to mention all the times I’ve stolen him away from you—him coming around all the time, taking me out to dinner when he should be taking you.”
Sadie laughed and said, “What? Are you mad? Harvey and I? Not a bloody chance! Not really my type if you know what I mean.”
“Oh? OH! Fuck… I’m sorry. I didn’t know, I thought you two were… well, I don’t know what to think now.”
“We get on like a house on fire, there’s no denying that, but there’s no way I’d be letting him anyway near my lady-parts! Not for all the money in the world,” she said with a scoff. “But seriously, you should tell him. He cares for you so much—I don’t think you realise how much, do you? But anyway, stop worrying about things until you know for sure, and take a damn pregnancy test to find out. I’ll even hold your hand.”
I chuckled at her bossiness and agreed to her demands.
18
Harvey
A quick knock rattled my door near the end of the working day. “Come in.” I glanced up from my screen and saw Sara standing by the doorway, her hands linked together, agitated.
“What’s up?”
“Are you coming around later?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be? Unless you’ve changed your mind,” I said.
She bit her bottom lip, driving me crazy with the action.
“No, no, I haven’t changed my mind. I can make dinner as usual on a Tuesday. Just wanted to check you were coming and didn’t have some hot date.”
“What’s Sadie been whispering in your ear?” I asked. If she’d been telling tales to Sara, there’d be payback.
Sara looked puzzled and so goddamn innocent and yet so naughty, dressed in a tight pencil skirt and white blouse, that a sudden desire to bend her over my desk and get her filthy dirty came to mind. Horny as hell, I imagined her pert bottom across my lap. Having her here, working in the same building, let alone the same office, was doing nothing for my productivity.
“Nothing.” She gave a nervous laugh and stepped back. “See you tonight then.”
Bewildered, I watched as she retreated, my cock throbbing, and I overheard a few muffled words as she said goodnight to Sadie in the outer office. Sara was acting peculiar, but I gave myself a stern talking-to and went back to finishing off a few last-minute evaluations for one of the hotels I’d managed to turn around. The door opened and Sadie walked in without knocking, as was her custom.
“You ready to go?” she asked.
“To where?”
“You’ve got a date tonight, don’t you?” she said as she placed a bunch of manila folders onto my desk.
Distracted, I said, “Cancel it. I’ve got plans.”
“You’re going over at Sara’s, aren’t you?” she sang.
I glared at her. “How do you know? And so what if I am?”
My assistant laughed. “I know everything, you keep forgetting that, Harvey. And you know, now I come to think about it, I might as well stop organising all these blind dates for you. Seems you’re having plenty of fun with Sara,” she teased.
“Very funny, Sadie, but it’s not like that,” I responded.
“Oh it isn’t, is it?”
“No.”
“But you want it to be, don’t you? Before you answer, remember I can read your face with my eyes shut,” she said, grinning infuriatingly.
“I gotta go.” I quickly packed up my things.
“Mmm, it’s not like you to back away from my teasing.”
“Sadie, quit it. You’re not helping.”
“Fine, but…” she held up a finger as I scowled at her, “you’ll regret it if you don’t say anything. It’ll fester and drive you mad, and it’ll make my life miserable having to put up with your moody face.”
“Whatever, see you tomorrow.”
“Bye. You just be gentle with that one’s heart. She and I are buddies now; mess with her and you’ll regret it!” she said, smiling, as I left my office.
I laughed. Yeah, I definitely didn’t think through giving Sara a job here properly. Those two would no doubt gang up on me the first chance they’d get. I was outnumbered.
It took me over an hour to reach Sara’s place. I drove around a bit, thinking about my options before eventually pulling into her drive. Echoing in my head, Sadie’s words had really done a number on me. Could I actually tell Sara how I felt? And if I did, would she demand that I leave like the last time? I wasn’t too sure if I could handle being rejected a second time, even though I wasn’t certain if she remembered the first. She might’ve believed she was dreaming when I kissed her as I held her tight in bed. But when I told her I’d be there for her no matter what, I meant it… and whether she liked it or not, I’d fight for her till my dying breath.
The familiar scent of cooking filled the air and pop music blared from the radio as I entered the tidy little house. Humbug threaded through my feet as soon I shut the door. I placed the bottle of wine I’d picked up onto the kitchen table and lifted up the meowing kitten.
“Hey, buddy,” I said scratching behind his velvety ears.
Sara was fussing over dinner; I don’t think she even noticed me coming in. She was mumbling to herself, her mouth moving like she was having a full-blown conversation, and she kept opening and closing cabinets as if she was looking for something.