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Nicole drained her glass. “Do you mind if I get some more? I remember where everything is.”
Actually, he’d rather she say what she’d come to ask, but he’d play the good host. “Help yourself.” Scott took a swig from his bottle and waited while Nicole refilled her glass. When she joined him again, he spoke, intending to get to the point. “What do you need my help with?” He’d learned from their time together that sometimes Nicole needed help staying on topic.
“Jordan was thrilled when he found out I was pregnant. And since I’ve never had regular cycles, I assumed the baby was his.”
Scott groaned. He did not want to hear about her or anyone else’s monthly menstrual cycle.
“When I took the pregnancy test, I guessed I’d just gotten pregnant beca
use up until then I’d felt fine. I only took the test because I hadn’t had a period in six months and my nipples had been sore. When I told my trainer, she said that can be a symptom of pregnancy. Since Jordan I never used condoms, I took one of those home pregnancy tests.”
Considering she sat in his apartment, he didn’t like where this story was going.
“I guessed my due date was the end of July or the beginning of August. After the ultrasound, the doctor said considering the size and development of the baby it was probable. So we went with it. Cooper was born four weeks ago. One week before my estimated due date.” Nicole took another healthy sip of her wine. “Everything was great. Jordan flew in from Italy where he was working on a movie for the birth, and I was only in labor for eight hours. Or at least great until his parents visited from Japan. They immediately pointed out how much Cooper doesn’t look like Jordan.”
Scott pinched the bridge of his nose and refrained from commenting.
“And it’s true. Cooper doesn’t look anything like Jordan or me. He has brown hair about the color of yours. Jordan’s hair is jet-black and mine’s naturally blonde.” She pulled at a strand of her dark red hair. “And Cooper’s eyes are blue, although I’m told a lot of babies are born with blue eyes so they might change. His skin tone doesn’t match either of us. Jordan’s skin is more of a pale brown, and without makeup, I’m white as a ghost. Look.” Nicole handed him her smartphone, which displayed a photo.
He couldn’t argue with her. While cute, the baby looked nothing like Jordan Lee, who’d been born in Japan and only moved to the United States to pursue a movie career or Nicole. He handed the smartphone back to Nicole. “Why are you telling me?” Scott asked, fearing he already knew the damn answer.
“After his parents’ visit, Jordan demanded a paternity test. We should have the results soon.”
In a similar situation, he might do the same, even though babies didn’t always look exactly like their parents.
“I have a feeling the test is going to come back saying he’s not the father.” Nicole cringed when she said the words. “And it is possible Cooper is your son, Scott.”
Since pictures of her and Jordan on vacation together had appeared less than a week after they’d broken up, he’d suspected Nicole had started seeing Jordan while they were still together. It hadn’t bothered him. Back then he’d taken his lack of emotion on the matter as a good indication he’d never cared much for her.
“Jordan and I started sleeping together in September. You and I didn’t end things until November. ”
Yep, she’d cheated on him. Big shocker. Still, he felt nothing.
“You were always away for business. Jordan and I got together after we guest starred on the same episode of Code Red. It sort of just happened.”
“Nicole, you don’t need to explain. I don’t care. But we used protection.” Her cheating on him no longer mattered. However, having a child with her did. He’d made it a point from the beginning to always use a condom with Nicole.
“Don’t you remember it broke one night?”
He hadn’t thought of it until now, but yeah, he remembered. It’d happened the night he’d returned from Germany. He’d spent a week in Berlin on business, and when he came home, he’d found Nicole waiting for him in a leather corset and thong. “So if the test comes back and Jordan’s not the father, Cooper’s my son?” Someday he wanted children. He didn’t want them at this moment, and he definitely didn’t want them with her.
Nicole looked away. “Well… maybe.”
Not the answer he expected. “Christ, how many other men did you sleep with when we were together?” He’d guessed she slept around but hadn’t realized she was that loose.
She blushed, something he’d never seen her do before. “Besides Jordan, only one other. I’ve wanted to work with…. Well, his name isn’t important. He made it clear the part in his movie was mine in return for a few nights together. It didn’t seem like a big deal. And I didn’t think anyone would find out. So I spent a weekend at his house in the Hamptons.”
At this point, he didn’t care how many men she’d been with. “Let me make sure I got this. If Jordan isn’t the father, the baby’s either mine or this other guy’s?”
Her bottom lip trembled. “If he’s not Jordan’s I am hoping Cooper’s your son. That’s why I came to you first.” She sniffled, and he thought she might actually cry. “Of course I hope Cooper is Jordan’s son. But, well, I don’t think he is.”
No wonder she’d insisted on a face-to-face conversation. You didn’t drop this kind of news on a guy over the phone. “What do you need from me?”
“If Jordan’s results come back negative, will you go for a paternity test? It’s a simple test. It doesn’t even require any needles or blood. They collect cells by swabbing the inside of your cheek. The results are back in five to seven business days.”
“I’ll go, but what if Cooper is my son? Then what, Nicole?”
Nicole’s face brightened. “We were good together. At least when you were around and not in some other country. And Jordan called off the engagement. We could try again. Cooper and I could move in here.”
