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The pregnancy.
I paced back and forth around the lobby of the spa, not even able to appreciate how freaking good of a job the interior designers had done. After years in some corny Roman-esque spa, I’d been ready for something new, something more contemporary. And that’s just what I’d gotten. The place was sleek and clean and full of gorgeous natural lighting and leafy green plants, the entire space designed with “calm” in mind.
And I was really putting it to work. A step to the front windows revealed that the setup for the big opening was well underway, a small crowd gathering as the Lover Boys crew assembled a small stage. I loved the idea—a big blast of rock to kick things off, and then Sean would be in to do a very private set for the guests, spinning a hand-picked selection of his mellowest tunes to be piped over the PA system.
Everything was set, and everything was perfect. But there was just the little matter of there being an actual, living human growing inside of me right at that moment. Not that I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being a mom, but more that it was something I hadn’t planned on in the slightest.
I had to tell Sean, and I had no idea how he’d react. What if…what if it wasn’t what he wanted? We’d been getting more and more serious over the last few months, even talking about the idea of moving in together. Hell, I pretty much lived at his place already.
What if the pregnancy was going to be a wake-up call, one that made him think that things were getting way, way too serious? What if he freaked out, shoved a pile of money in my pocket, and told me “thanks but no thanks” to the whole fatherhood thing?
My heart was racing, and the thudding in my chest only got crazier when I heard the back door open.
I knew it could be only Sean.
Sure enough, his familiar footfalls sounded through the hallway. Moments later he was there, his hands on his hips as he took in the sight of the finished lobby.
“Damn,” he said. “Couldn’t have designed it better myself.” He flashed me a grin before stepping over. “Morning, babe,” he said. “Missed you this morning.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. Despite how crazy nervous I was, it still hit me like the sweetest drug imaginable.
“Sorry,” I said. “Just…didn’t sleep much. Too excited, you know? Figured I’d come by and make sure everything was good to go.”
I was lying—I’d come because I was nervous, sure, but it was more because the pregnancy news scared the living shit out of me. Just being around Sean was enough to make me nervous.
He cocked his head to the side and regarded me with a curious expression. “You’re not lying to me, are you babe?”
Damn! How the hell did he know every time? Granted, I’d never been the best liar in the world, but he just had a way of seeing right through me.
“It’s…it’s something,” I said.
I could tell that he knew instantly that it was serious.
“Come on,” he said, taking my hand. “This place is meant to help you relax, so let’s have it do it for us.”
I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but as he led me down the hallway to the main double doors that led to the main area of the place, I realized.
Sean opened the doors, revealing the crown jewel of my spa. It was a large, open room with rounded ceilings through which natural light poured, a fountain bubbled in the center, and places to sit and relax were everywhere. It was like a beautiful indoor park, a place where clients could come and relax and take in the carefully crafted ambiance.
“Here,” he said, leading me to the seats in front of the fountain.
Once we were seated he smiled, reaching forward and placing his hand on my knee. Between the room and his touch, I felt better instantly.
“OK,” he said. “Tell me what’s going on.”
I didn’t know where to begin. OK—I knew exactly where to begin.
Just say the word.
“Pregnant.”
The word tumbled out of my mouth like a big steel ball, hitting the floor and sounding an echo through the otherwise quiet air.
“What?” he asked. I couldn’t tell if he hadn’t heard properly or if he was just stunned.
“I’m…pregnant,” I said.
And before he could get in a word, I was off to the races.
“I know it’s not what we planned,” I said, already speaking a mile a minute. “Hell, we hadn’t even really planned anything. And the timing is terrible with the spa opening up, and it only means that I’m not going to be around as much as I’d planned, and it’s going to be a total nightmare, and I’m sure this wasn’t what you had in mind when you decided to go in on this or, hell, start dating me and—”
