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“It is about time you all showed up. You were cutting it close, weren’t you?” Joyce asks.
“Not at all,we had plenty of time,” I tell her, as we walk further into the ballroom, over to where the rest of the family is. Everyone is looking great. All the Gideon men are dressed in all black, and it is an imposing sight. They exude sexiness and danger, and it is a heady combination.
“Okay, Peter just texted me; they are almost here,” Savvy announces to the room. We are not the only ones here for Lennox’s retirement, there are also her colleagues, past and present. We are not going to hide and yell surprise, but we do want to be ready to greet her when they walk in. “Here they come,” she says, and we all gather together, and Aryan pulls me closer to him.
“Congratulations!” we yell out when they walk in the room, making Lennox jump and Peter smile down at her like she is the best thing that has ever happened to him. She spins around to Peter, “You did this! Benny, I can’t believe this, but I should have known.”
“Nothing is too good for you,” he says, making all the women in the room swoon. They walk further into the room, greeting all the party guests, and soon, the party is in full swing. She looks so happy; she has one more week to go, and she is done practicing medicine. Since Dr. Dalton left Mississippi, they had to choose another doctor to take the position, and Dr. Drew Owens is who drew the short stick. I worked with him on several occasions, and he has always been a courteous, competent, and likable guy. He is here tonight with a very pretty date, and he looks like he is having a great time. He’ll be a great Chief of Staff.
Aryan strikes up a conversation, and I extract myself to use the bathroom when Lennox pulls me into an empty room. “Please tell me you told him,” she says as soon as the room door closes. “Don’t answer that, it’s obvious you haven’t. How long are you going to wait?”
“I don’t know, Lennox. Every time I go to open my mouth, the words refuse to come out, and just stay lodged in my throat,” I say, almost in tears. Damn hormones.
“Brooklyn, you are already in your second trimester. We are getting ready to find out what you are having. Don’t you think he has the right to be there?”
“Lennox, you have been around for the entire duration of this situationship; the man can’t even call me his girlfriend. How do you think he is going to respond to finding out I am pregnant?”
“Probably better if you tell him now than later, and he finds out you knew but withheld it from him.”
“Maybe, but I’m feeling like I’m damned if I do, and I’m damned if I don’t. There is no easy or best way to break the news in this situation. I wish I could have found out by going into labor. Then he and I both couldn’t have been surprised together.”
“Well, it’s too late now, and it’s better to handle the fallout now rather than later, Brook,”
“I know you’re right, Lennox, but just give me a little more time,” I say.
“Okay, Brooklyn, and I am here if you need me, for whatever you may need,” she says, pulling me into a hug.
“Thanks, Lennox,” I say, hugging her back. “Now, please let me go to the bathroom. My bladder is about to burst,” I say,
and we both hustle out of the room to the bathroom.
Aryan
She is stunning in that dress; it makes everything look fuller and thicker. Whoever the designer is, I need them to make all her clothes. When she walked away to go to the bathroom, most of the men’s eyes were on her, and I can’t say that I blame them.
“It is almost time for the women. Do we have everything set up?” Atlas asks.
“Yep, we’re good. Do you know what the ladies are going to be doing?” Joseph answered.
“Does it matter we are going to destroy them,” Asher says.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves. We are too old for stuff like this,” Anson says.
“But we’re not,” Josh says.
“Are we prepared for the women to give us the silent treatment for this?” Jaasiel asks, wearing all black with his customary orange accents. We all look at each other, but none of us took the time to consider the real possibility of backlash from the women.
“All of you are a bunch of amateurs. I already have my gift ready, wrapped at home, waiting for Savvy on the bed,” Josh says, walking away.
The man is a genius, and we all have a lot of catching up to do to be on his level.
“Let me see if I can get something delivered before I get home,” Anson says, pulling out his cell phone and tapping away at the screen. Everyone but myself and Jabarri do the same as him.
“What about you?” Jaasiel asks.
“First of all, Brooklyn isn’t my wife, and second, I don’t think she’ll care like y’all’s wives would,” I say confidently.
“Someone is in denial,” Atlas says, making me question myself. Brooklyn has been different lately. I would pull my phone out, but I have a gift for her that I was going to give her later, but tonight seems like a better idea.
