AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh,” Taylor’s tone dropped. “I’m avoiding someone, so I’m hiding out at your apartment for a couple of days.”
“Taylor,” Alina said in an annoyingly lofty tone.
“I know. I should have told you, but I knew you wouldn’t mind since we’re best friends.” Then, after a pause, she asked. “We’re still best friends, right?”
Alina breathed out hard. “I’m seriously rethinking it.”
Taylor swallowed hard. “I’m really sorry, but I didn’t mean to tell him you’re pregnant. It sort of slipped out.”
“You told him?” Alina screamed through the phone as her legs began to move in a circle.
Taylor stood stunned. “Isn’t that what you were upset about?”
“No,” Alina exclaimed. “I was talking about you telling him where I am.”
“I’m really sorry Alina,” Taylor was in a panic. “Really. I didn’t mean to screw things up for you.”
Alina allowed her body to drop on the bed. “It’s alright. It was wrong of me to keep it from him, anyway. And he was bound to find out at some time.” She breathed out hard. “I just wanted to put it off for as long as possible.”
34
Seeing Alina with another man weighed heavily on Dereck’s mind. He didn’t care what Alina said. That man was no friend. He closed his eyes and tried to get rid of the image of the man peering at his woman, his pregnant woman. No friend would look at their friend like that. He was after her romantically, and Alina was just too trusting to see it.
“Another one, sir?” the bartender asked, removing the empty shot glasses from the counter.
“Just keep them coming,” Dereck said, chugging down his last shot and offering the glass to the man. The bartender refilled it and turned to serve another patron.
“You look like you could use some company.” A redhead in fitted leather pants and a low-cut top squeezed herself onto the stool next to Dereck. She was well-rounded and gorgeous, with a well-painted face and elaborate accessories. “Want to buy a lady a drink?”
Dereck signaled the bartender, who brought a shot for his new companion.
“Why are you here drinking away your sorrow?” she asked and gulped down the shot.
“My girlfriend dumped me,” Dereck said and rocked his body from side to side. “She said I am a terrible boyfriend. And you know what?” Dereck chugged another shot and skinned back his teeth. “She’s right.” He sighed. “I didn’t even realize she was pregnant, though she’d been sick. And I’m a doctor.” He tapped his chest. “I should have noticed.”
“Oh, so you’re a doctor?” the woman smiled and leaned in closer to Dereck.
“Some doctor I am.” He slammed the shot glass on the table. “I can’t see what is right in front of my eyes.”
“That’s okay, babe. We can work on that,” the woman said as the bartender refilled her drink.
“Alina has all right to leave me.” He passed his hands through his hair. “I’m a terrible boyfriend,” he repeated.
“Well, I’m not looking for a boyfriend, dear,” the woman said, running her hand along his arm. “I’m just looking for a fun night. And from the look of things, you look like you could use one too.”
Dereck lifted his head to look at the woman. Her curly hair fell gently to one side, giving her a mysterious attribute. She had plump lips and when she clamped down on them with her teeth; it sent a sensation throughout his body.
Before Alina, Dereck wouldn’t have hesitated to take this woman home. But now, it was the last thing he wanted to do. “No thanks. I don’t need that kind of company.”
“Your loss then,” the woman said as she slid off the stool and made her way across the room to where another lonesome man drank.
While the bartender poured Dereck another drink, Dereck took out his phone, squinting his eyes to dial the number.
“Hello,” his friend Lee answered the phone and for a while, there was only silence.
Then came the drunken slurs. “She won’t even look at me, man.”
“Dereck?” Lee screech. “Are you drunk?”
