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“Just something unexpected popped up today. All good.”
“Tell me more later, when I get rid of some of these louts.”
I nodded, and he walked off, and across the table, a frazzled Harry tried to gain my attention. “Hawk, do you have a—”
“Have you seen Slate?” I asked. He’d have some advice. Questionable advice... but still.
Harry rose from his seat and looked like he was about to pounce in desperation.
“He’s coming, but I really need—”
“All right!” I replied, more assertive than intended, garnering a few curious onlookers who’d ceased their conversations. “What the hell is wrong with you tonight? Are you on something?”
Harry’s face immediately went pale, and there was a nervousness in his eyes. I was about to apologize if what I’d said offended him until I saw his gaze was directed at something or someone over my shoulder.
Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Jesus,” he mouthed looking to Ricky. Ricky stood wide-eyed, struck dumb at the same thing Harry had been looking at. His eyes slowly flicked to me and to whoever it was.
“Hi, guys,” a soft female voice sounded behind me.
I recognized that voice.
I’d been speaking with her for most of the day.
But it couldn’t be.
She wouldn’t show up here, after everything... would she?
Harry gave a tight smile, and Ricky was still too in shock to say anything.
Biting the bullet, I turned in my chair and see Celeste.
Celeste—my ex.
She was a gorgeous blonde, with bright green eyes and a Californian tan, having moved there immediately after we split eight months ago. Her smile was always generous, and she had a rack on her every woman would envy.
She was also pregnant with my child.
While most women would have waned in confidence walking into a get-together where they were the outsider, Celeste barely batted an eyelid. She was, of course, used to people looking at her. Usually, however, she was dressed in skimpy lingerie. She had been a model and worked for me on many shoots, and judging by sales alone, she was deemed as popular. And she’d caught my eye.
We’d had a fling.
It was quick and ill-timed.
She was about to fly across the other side of the country, and I took advantage that I could bed her and never have to commit.
Oh, how fate likes to bite you in the ass.
It had a fucked sense of humor.
And now I was left to pick up the pieces of my mistake and form a commitment I’d never dreamed of having.
Getting out of my seat, feeling all eyes on me, I approached Celeste whose smile hadn’t wavered. “Celeste,” I tried to lead her by the arm, but she pulled away like I’d death gripped her. When she remained glued to the spot, I lowered my voice. “What are you doing here?”
She smiled sweetly, but it wasn’t sweet, not to me. There was venom in her eyes. Maybe because she too was about to go through a life-altering eighteen years.
She gestured with her eyes over my shoulder. “I saw Harry today at the mall gathering groceries for tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” came Harry’s voice who suddenly appeared at my side. “I tried to warn—”
I turned on him. “You invited her?”
“I—”
“He merely told me about it,” Celeste butted in. “And I took it upon myself.”
“Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
She smiled curtly. “Sure, but we need to be quick.” Celeste eyed the table full of food and rubbed her pregnant belly. “I’m absolutely famished.”
Turning on her heel, she headed for the door and waited in the common hall. “I don’t really want to stay, Hawk, so you don’t need to worry.”
I didn’t know how to respond.
I was worried.
“So why did you come? I’ve been with you all day.”
“Because I wanted to see how you’d react with me in your everyday life, and I have to admit, I’m not overly thrilled by the treatment.”
“I didn’t expect... is all. And forgive me for stating the obvious, but you’ve had eight months of getting used to this idea, I’ve had less than a day.”
“Ahhh... so...” Ricky appeared tentatively at the door, cautious eyes flicking between me, Celeste and her stomach. “I’m gonna take a wild... and I mean... crazy extreme wild stab in the dark here, but...” he pointed to the pregnant belly between us, “... is that—”
“Yes,” both Celeste and I said simultaneously.
“Riiigghhtt... well, this is quite the surprise,” he said, and I think he’d forgotten he was holding a pair of tongs. “Hawk, can I have a word with you for a moment?” He turned to Celeste. “Celeste, help yourself to some dinner.”
Again, she smiled sweetly, but it looked more victorious to me. “Thanks, Ricky. It’s hard to tell who the sweetest brother is, you or Harry.” And with that, she disappeared back into the apartment.
Ricky turned to me, his eyes still as wide as saucers and waited for me to instigate conversation. When I failed to gather my thoughts, he stated. “What the hell, dude?”
