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“I’ll have to take some time off work,” Bridget said. “Charlie’s not going to be too happy about that.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve never taken a sick day yet.”
“He’s let it be known that ourtête-à-têtes are not appreciated.”
Blood pressure rising, he tried to control his anger, but she could see it and immediately regretted saying anything.
“Don’t get all upset now.”
“The hell I won’t. What? He doesn’t like us having lunch together? Or is it our chat when I leave after being here for three days. He never has to worry about extra staff when there’s an all-hands-on-duty call. Me or one of my brothers are the first to show up. He has a lot of nerve.”
He decided to let his father handle it because anything Tony said would be misconstrued as being disrespectful. And when he told Big Mike, he became livid.
“What brought this up, anyway?”
“Bridget needs some time off to get an ultrasound, and she’s afraid to ask him! Said he has spoken to her about the time me and her spend together.”
“Son, you did the right thing coming to me. Charlie’s problem, and I hate to say this about my own brother, but he needs to get laid.”
Tony slapped his thigh, laughing. “Well, I can’t help him with that. I don’t know any babes that old.”
“Yeah, I might tell him to go on that over-fifty dating site.”
“I wish I could be a fly on the wall.”
The men conspired, and when Big Mike went off to the battalion chief’s office, Tony quickly got busy.
Ten minutes later, Charlie came out looking for Bridget.
“Should I go there?” Tony asked Big Mike.
“No, he’s contrite. He admitted that he did tell her that she needed to get busy and not stand around schmoozing with you when she comes in when you’re leaving.”
“That son of a—”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. He feels awful. He said he must have been having a bad day that day and he took it out on her. He did say it was crappy to have to replace her so soon after he hired her.”
“The jerk never said a word to me. I hope she tells him she’s not quitting. He’s one of those. Take it out on the weaker party.”
“She’s not weaker, though, Tony. You would have gotten into a spat with him. She never said a word.”
A few minutes later, Tony’s phone beeped.
“I got an apology and the go-ahead to take a morning off for an ultrasound.”
“Good! Too bad I had to sic my dad on him.” They shared some laughter. “I’m off Thursday and Friday. Can you get an appointment that early?”
“I’ll try.”
So Friday morning they went to her obstetrician’s office together. “I’m tingling, I’m so excited. We get to see if she is really a she!”
Bridget patted his hand. “Tony, will you be upset if it’s a boy?”
Thinking for a second, he shook his head. “I know this is cliché, but I just want a healthy, normal baby.”
“We’re both young and healthy and don’t drink, at least I don’t anymore, or smoke, so chances are good he’s healthy.”
“She’s healthy,” Tony said, teasing.
