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“Cheers,” Tristan said, raising his glass. “To our lovely lady, the wonderful Ms. Melinda Norris. Long may she reign.”
Everyone sipped. I brought the glass to my lips, inhaling the sharp scent of whiskey without drinking.
“Come now,” Tristan said. “It is poor form not to drink during a toast.”
“And bad luck,” Andrew said.
“I took a sip,” I said. “I’m letting the food settle first.”
Pierce narrowed his eyes at me. “That’s seventy-year-old scotch from my private collection. The amount in your glass is worth more than three months of rent on this office. It would be a shame to waste it.”
All three of them were looking at me, now.
“You’re not going to drink it?” Andrew asked. Then he gasped. “You’re not going to drink it!”
“I fail to understand,” Tristan said.
I grimaced. “You couldn’t let me tell you my own way, could you?”
“Tell us what?” Tristan asked.
“You asked for Sprite earlier,” Pierce said. “I was suspicious from that moment. You didn’t drink anything tonight. You asked the bartender to make you mocktails all evening.”
Finally, Tristan’s eyes widened. “Are you saying…”
I put down the glass of whiskey and wrung my hands nervously. “I got the results three days ago. I was going to wait until my first appointment next week before telling you, but…”
The three of them held their breath. It wasn’t real until I said it out loud.
“I’m pregnant.”
Andrew let out an excited cheer and hugged me. Tristan, to our surprise, was outright weeping.
“The most emotion you’ve ever shown is a raised eyebrow!” Pierce said.
“I cannot help it! I am overwhelmed with feelings!” he said while wrapping me in a hug.
Pierce was calm, but had a huge smile on his face. “No tears from you?” I asked.
“It’s early,” he replied. “I’ll wait until the first doctor’s appointment. But you have no idea how happy this makes me.”
“Give me that.” Tristan took my discarded glass of whiskey and chugged it down. “Oh my, that is good. Is it too late to chase the bartender?”
“Now we have to celebrate on the Bellerophon,” Pierce insisted. “With proper drinks.”
“But I can’t drink!” I said.
“I’m sure we have sparkling cider for you. And Dom for the rest of us,” Pierce replied.
“An excellent proposition,” Tristan said. “One of us is going to be a father.”
“All of us are going to be fathers,” Andrew said. “We all had a hand in this, no matter whose little swimmer crossed the finish line first.”
“Then it’s settled!” Pierce grinned. “Back to the yacht.”
I stamped my foot. “NO.”
That got their attention.
