AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We literally spentall evening curled up together on the sofa. Sharing stories and kissing. I held her in my arms all the time and just thinking about it again brings goosebumps out over my arms, because it was just so right, so good. We both kept all of our clothes on but somehow it felt more intimate than anything we’ve ever done naked together. I can’t help my wild grin as I watch her on the other side of the room laughing at the current tabloid fodder about me on her iPad.
“My mother has assured me I am having a baby with a dirty vagrant rock star,” she muses as she reads.
“Ahh, the British tabloids. I presume your oh-so-charming mother is a fan of the red tops?” I ask her.
“I think she’s just trying to protect me in her odd strange way. I mean they very often refer to you as the playboy prince of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” She laughs at my charmer of a nickname.
“She is. Protecting you that is.” I nod. I know her mum is trying in her odd way. I don’t think I’ll ever be her favourite person, but that’s fine, I’m not particularly keen on the old battle axe either but she’s softening towards Ali. She has called a few times and they went to the scan together, so she is trying. “As she should. But me and you both know that there is no world where I will have been out partying and pulling like the old days. I don’t think apart from during the day I’ve even stepped foot in a night club since I came back from the States. I much prefer staying in here and rubbing your swollen feet.” I laugh as she closes off the tablet and smiles over at me. Man, alive she’s beautiful when she smiles.
“Cankles,” she corrects me with a laugh.
“Oh, cankles is it?”
“Unfortunately so, Max. An after effect of becoming pregnant by the playboy prince of Rock.” She laughs and I mock a sneer.
“Why do you keep reading all that crap anyway? You are one of the people who told me not to read it all the time and I don’t. I don’t care what kind of shit they publish, because it is just that—Shit.”
“I’m just keeping my eyes peeled, that’s all. For a leak or anything.” She runs a protective hand over her glowing bump. We had another scan today. Our baby is happy, our baby is healthy, and it’s made us feel the same.
“Don’t think I’ve not heard you and Titch managing me quietly over the phone.”
“What do you mean?” she asks innocently.
“I hear you both talking about me. I know you’ve not told him you’re pregnant, but I know you keep saying to Cassy we need to make a press statement and I know you’re right and I’ve been thinking about it too.”
“Why does that sound ominous?”
I let out a small laugh at her comment and the way her pretty mouth has drawn into a line as she studies me.
“Well how about this? Forget that you used to manage me. Forget that Titch will think it’s the worst idea ever and just let go, throw caution to the wind. Let’s walk to the tube in the morning, my hand in yours with your bump obviously on show. Let’s give the vipers something to read. I mean if we’re lucky your mum might read it too.”
She’s still staring at me, but her eyes are wide now and I can tell she wants to laugh but she’s not sure if she should or not because of how ridiculous I probably sound.
“I know you’ve not put a label on you and me for the sake of the baby and that’s fine but when she arrives it’s going to be a tad obvious. I know it goes against everything you’ve built, but… What do you think?”
I watch her pretty face study me, watch her forehead scrunch, imagining her internal battle between sticking it to the man and doing things the proper way. Then her lips twist into a smile. A wickedly devious smile that I’m not ashamed to say has stirred something hard in my boxers.
“What are you thinking, Miss Cannock?”
“I’m thinking I’ve been fancying going out for a while.” She stands from her place at the island and walks towards me.
“Going out?”
“Yeah, I mean I appreciate there’s still a lot on Netflix for us to discover but let’s do it. Let’s show the world that we’re here. Let’s go out. In London. Tonight.”
I swallow loudly.
“Out? As in out where?”
“To a club,” she says it like it’s the most obvious answer in the world.
“Ali, are you mental? You’re eight months pregnant.”
“Behave, Max. I might look like a walrus but I’m not dead yet. Let’s go out. Let’s go against everything we both stand for. Let’s upset Titch and the rest of your team and bloody go out. Preston might call you every hour rather than every week if he sees.”
I find myself nodding in agreement before I’ve even thought about what she’s really saying. She grabs her phone off the side of the coffee table and starts calling someone.
“Cassy? Are you working on placement tonight?”
