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The ride down isn’t terrible. I count in my head, using a distraction technique. I still dash off, but at least this time I didn’t get dizzy. This floor is dim and cooler than the other levels. I feel like I’ve entered a different building altogether. Nothing in here looks familiar. It’s a world apart from the other floor layouts.
I nervously fiddle with the fabric of my dress as I walk farther into the space. I can see silhouettes behind a curtained-off area and the soft voices of unknown people. Slowly I make my way to the edge of the sectioned-off area, pushing the material aside to get my first look at what’s happening. I expect to see models dressed up, striking weird poses, and a wind machine. What I don’t expect is to see a gorgeous blonde model hanging off my boyfriend—who doesn’t look bothered by her as he reaches for a donut on the nearest table. I immediately let the curtain fall back into place, stepping away.
What the—
How could he do this to me? I trusted him.
I turn for the elevator, poised to march back to my apartment and wait for him so we can hash this out. But when I take my first step away, a burning fury overtakes me. No, I’m not going to run away and act like this doesn’t bother me. I’m a knockout. A friggin’ blowout. And I wasn’t going to let this slide. Flipping my hair over my shoulder in a dramatic arc, I prepare for battle.
Spinning on the ball of my foot, I march right back and through the curtain, not stopping until I’m a foot away from Charlie. I smack the donut right out of his hand. The blonde woman has covered her mouth in shock, jumping out of my reaching distance.
“How dare you, Charlie. How dare you lie to me!” My voice is getting louder and I’m not able to stop it. “You promised no more donuts.”
His eyes dart back and forth between me and the donut, wide with disbelief. Then they twinkle with delight. “No,” he says calmly, reaching out to pull me into the space between his legs. “I told you I would stop bringing donuts home. Not that I’d stop eating them.”
“So is this the way it’s going to be? You’re going to deprive your family of treats and hide them all for yourself?”
“I’m only depriving you,” he jokes, squeezing my hips playfully.
“No.Us.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes dart down to my resting hand as he asks. When he sees me gently holding my stomach his eyes go large. If he was a cartoon I’m sure they would be popping from his sockets. “Are you…are we?”
I can’t contain the laugh-cry that escapes me as I whisper, “Yes.” This isn’t the way I had planned to tell him—accusing him of being a donut monster and then blurting out my secret—but I don’t think I’d change it for the world. It’s perfectly us.
“Oh my God. Oh my fucking God!” Charlie jumps up from his chair, scooping me up in his arms as he comes to standing. “We’re going to have a baby!” he yells to the entire room. I don’t pay attention to the cheers around us, only focused on the unbridled joy on Charlie’s face.
“You’re happy?”
“Happy?” he repeats, putting me down and framing my face with his large sticky hands. “I’m thrilled. I’m—I’m—I have no words. What a gift you’ve given me.” Lowering his head, he kisses me, long and slow. Showing me the depth of his emotions. “I love you,” he whispers against my lips. “I love you so fucking much. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
Tears spring to my eyes and I clutch the fabric of his dress shirt tighter in my hands. Hiccupping, I shove my face into his chest. “I l-l-love you too. I never thought—”
My words get cut off with another kiss. I giggle into his mouth, too happy to be mad at his interruption.
“I need to get you home,” he says for my ears alone. The next thing I know, I’m being scooped up and we’re fast walking to the elevator. It’s at that moment, right as Charlie is about to press the button, that my stomach makes a loud, embarrassing gurgling sound. Angling his head down to me, he raises an eyebrow in question.
“I haven’t eaten this afternoon. I was sick again. And a little busy peeing on a stick.”
His face goes pale at my words. Spinning back around, he speeds to the table he was originally at and grabs a hidden box that’s covered in discarded wrappers. Then, he takes us back to the waiting elevator. My lips are pressed tight together, trying not to laugh over the fact he had hidden a box of donuts. There was no way I was going to say anything about it—those donuts were now mine!
I wiggle as the elevator descends, thinking I should get down from Charlie’s arms, but he only holds me tighter. Nuzzling my head into the crook of his neck, I sigh contentedly. If he wanted to carry me, I was all for it.
The car is already waiting for us downstairs and Charlie doesn’t pause in getting me all settled before climbing in. Once he’s seated beside me, he grabs my hand. I stare at our intertwined fingers, my stomach fluttering with joy. In a flash, we’re back at my apartment and climbing the stairs—well, Charlie is. I’m back in his arms again and holding the prized box of donuts. We fumble with the key, both trying to get in as fast as possible and failing. When we do finally get the key in the lock, we burst through the doors.
“Tell me everything, sunshine. I thought it was a sinus infection that was making you feel sick in the mornings. Why didn’t you call me? I would have come and taken care of you.”
Patting his hand in a calming gesture, I shake my head. “I did think it was my sinuses making me sick. But then”—this was awkward to say—“Shelly mentioned I looked different and questioned if I was pregnant. And something just went off in my head. I realized that I had missed my period this month. By like, a lot, and we haven’t been using protection…” He gives me a squeeze at that. “So I thought, why not see? My curiosity was too strong not to run out and buy a test.”
“Shit,” he whispers in my hair, his arms wrapped around me. “I can’t believe this.”
My body tenses, confused by his words. I have only a moment to overthink his words before Charlie is rearranging me on his lap and wiping away all my doubts over our future. “I can’t believe you chose me. How the hell did I get lucky enough to call you mine?”
Cupping his jaw, I brush a thumb along his cheekbone. “You bought me, remember? I had no choice but to be stuck with you.” He throws his head back, his laughter contagious.
“I did, didn’t I,” he chuckles. “They say money doesn’t buy happiness.”
“But it sure does buy the woman you’re crushing on.”
