Page 18 of Before You Go
“I’m not ready to talk about that. I…” I shake my head again. “I haven’t even told him that I’m pregnant.” And I don’t want her to tell my dad that Dayton is the father. I already know that, regardless of how much Dad might like him, he’s going to lose his shit when he finds out I’m pregnant and does the math. Not just that, but even if I’m not in the spotlight due to who Dad is, I still kind of am, and his recently divorced daughter suddenly being pregnant is going to be big news.
“Please don’t tell Dad or anyone yet.”
“Don’t tell Dad?” she whispers, her mouth falling open. “He and I don’t keep secrets from each other, Franny. You know this.”
“What about all the stuff you hide in your closet every time you go shopping, then you pretend like you’ve had it forever?” Jacob asks, and she turns to probably glare at him again.
“That’s different. That doesn’t mean anything. We’re talking about your sister having a baby, not the shoes I bought at Nordstrom.”
“I don’t mean forever. It’s—” I start, but she cuts me off.
“It can’t be forever, Francisca.” She turns to glare at me now. “You’re pregnant. You can’t hide a pregnancy forever.” She falls to her bottom and rests her back against the wall as she stares at me.
“I just need a little time to sort things out.”
“I won’t tell,” Jacob says, and I look at my brother, who can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he really is mostly awesome.
“Thanks, J.”
“We got your back.” He gives me a soft smile, then looks at Mom. “Right?”
“You know I always have your back,” she says softly, holding my gaze. “I won’t tell Daddy, but we can’t keep this from him for long.”
“I know.” I swallow, and she nods.
“Have you gone to the doctor?”
“No, I… I’ve been trying to come to terms with things.”
“You need to make an appointment. I’ll go with you if you want.”
“Thanks, Mom.” My eyes start to water, and her face softens.
“It’s going to be okay.” She moves to her knees and pulls me into her arms. “Everything will be okay.”
I want to believe her—really want to believe her—but I’m just not sure she’s right.
CHAPTER 5
Dayton
Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I glance up from my computer and find Jamie standing in the doorway with a smile on her lips and a paper coffee cup in her hand. “Hey, can I come in?”
If she weren’t my assistant, hired by my boss to work for me, I would tell her no, but unfortunately, that is not an option. Just like her working for me wasn’t an option. I just showed up at the office two months ago, and she was sitting at a desk outside my door that didn’t exist until that morning, and I was informed she would be helping me out.
It didn’t take me long to catch on to the fact that she wasn’t hired because I needed an assistant. It’s because my boss is having an affair with her, and he wanted her close. But not so close that his wife would get suspicious and start to ask questions about the much younger woman suddenly working for him.
“What’s up?” I take off my glasses and set them aside as she sashays toward my desk in her tight skirt and silk blouse that is unbuttoned to show off a good amount of cleavage.
“I wanted to bring you this.” She bends unnecessarily low, and I know if I took the opportunity, I’d be able to see right down the front of her top as she places the cup in front of me on the desk. But I don’t.
Instead, my jaw gets tight in annoyance.
In the beginning, I chalked up her clothing choices and the flirting as an aspect of her personality. But over the last few weeks, her skirts have gotten shorter and tighter, and her tops are starting to ride the line of inappropriate. Not to mention her behavior. The bending over in front of my desk is the least of what she’s done to test the waters and see if I will take the bait that she is so obviously dangling in front of me.
It’s never happening.
I don’t fuck women I work with, and I sure as fuck don’t knowingly sleep with women who have no moral compass. Sure, I know that affairs happen every day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find that behavior disgusting. And although the blame for her current situation isn’t completely on her shoulders, I know she is well aware of Billy’s wife and children and that she doesn’t give a fuck.
