AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Marlowe looked at him for a long moment.
“What?” he asked, glancing down at his chest. “Did I spill something on my jacket?”
“No,” she answered quietly and then forced herself to say what she was thinking. “You’re not such a bad guy,” she acknowledged.
Surprise filtered across his face. And then Bowie said, “Careful. You don’t want me to get a swollen head now, do you?”
Marlowe frowned slightly. She was attempting to apologize, and he was making jokes. For a second, she thought about just abandoning the whole thing, but she was too stubborn not to continue. “I’m trying to say I’m sorry,” she said, exasperated.
For a moment, Bowie grew serious. “I know,” he said. “And I’m trying to let you know that you don’t have to,” he countered. And then he turned his attention back to the turbulent condition of Marlowe’s stomach. “Now, how are the crackers?”
She looked at what was left on the plate. They weren’t exactly tempting, but at least she wasn’t throwing up. “Flat.”
“Are you talking about their shape or their taste?” he asked her, curious.
She didn’t even have to think about her answer. “Both.”
Bowie found her response encouraging. “Well, at least your sense of humor is alive and well—such as it is.”
She wasn’t sure if that was a put-down or his idea of a compliment. Most likely the former, she thought. “Sorry I’m not up to your stand-up comedian standards.”
“You’re forgiven,” Bowie deadpanned. And then he decided to get down to business. “Seriously, what does your doctor have to say about this?”
“My doctor?” Marlowe repeated, momentarily confused by the question.
“Yes, about your morning sickness,” Bowie stressed.
Finished, he wiped his fingers and put aside the napkin. “Surely he or she must have a better remedy for what you’re going through than just tea and crackers. That was the solution of choice back in my grandmother’s day. Seeing all the progress medicine has made, they have got to have come up with something better than that in this day and age.”
In response Marlowe merely shrugged and looked away, avoiding Bowie’s eyes.
For once, Bowie evidently decided that he wasn’t going to drop the subject. “What’s that supposed to mean? They haven’t come up with anything better?” he questioned.
Why was he hammering away at her like this? “I have no idea what they’ve come up with,” she retorted.
“You haven’t asked the doctor?” he guessed, somewhat surprised.
r />
She sighed. “No, I haven’t gone to the doctor,” she answered, exasperated.
Bowie stared at her, stunned. “You haven’t gone to the doctor?” he repeated incredulously.
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with your hearing,” she retorted.
“Which is more than I can say about your common sense,” he informed Marlowe. “Why haven’t you gone?” he demanded.
She could feel her temper beginning to spike and had to struggle in order to keep from telling him what he could do with his questions. She knew he was concerned, but it annoyed her that he was treating her as if she didn’t have enough sense to think for herself. Why did she have to go to the doctor? She knew what was going on. She was pregnant. As far as she knew, she was healthy, so there was no rush to submit herself to having her doctor poke and prod at her, right?
Why did people keep nagging her about seeing a doctor? First Callum, now Bowie. Didn’t anyone have anything better to occupy their lives with than her life?
She felt as if she was spoiling for a fight. “Maybe you haven’t noticed this, but I’ve been a little busy lately.”
“That’s no excuse,” Bowie informed her quietly so that they wouldn’t attract any undue attention from the handful of other people dining at the café. “You make time for the doctor.” His eyes held hers as he went on to tell her, “This is important, and you’re not the only one involved here, Marlowe.”
“Meaning you?” Marlowe asked, ready to tell him what she thought of his interference in her life.
“Meaning the baby,” he told her.
