Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (8 page)

He took her bags from her and then called for security. After handing her off to another Terran male, he reluctantly let her go. He seemed intrigued by her, and Charlotte knew that was a bad thing. There hadn’t been many females on the shuttle home so it wouldn’t take much digging for them to figure out who she was and whose baby she carried. Eventually, her secrets would have to come out, but for now she would hold them close and pray that things would work out for her child and her.

The suite the Terran took her to was larger than she’d expected, but not as big as an apartment. There was a bed and dresser, along with a sofa and television, a small table with two chairs, and a bathroom. It was more than adequate. She thanked him for helping her, then closed the door and leaned against it.

What am I going to do now
?

The first thing she was going to do was find something to eat. She remembered seeing a food court of sorts when she’d come here the first time. Charlotte just hoped she could locate it and then make her way back to her room. It took her several wrong turns and stopping to ask for directions twice -- both times earning her strange looks thanks to her voice -- but she eventually found the small area with various food choices. Two were Terran cuisine, but the rest were things like Chinese food, pizza, and two popular fast food restaurants.

She was craving lo mein so she went to the Chinese place and placed an order that would normally be large enough to feed two people, but she found she was starving. She’d missed lunch and it was now nearing dinner. As she ate, she wondered if there was a branch of her bank nearby so she could find out exactly how much money was in her account and possibly get some cash out. Then she’d have to figure out the job situation. She’d never worked a day in her life, but if Charlotte wanted to survive and provide for her baby, that was going to have to change.

The last bite was shoved into her mouth as a Terran male took the seat across from her. He was huge and wore the customary leather vest and pants. He gave her an easy smile and flipped his hair over his shoulder, a move that made her want to laugh because it looked ridiculous on a man so large.

“You’re new here,” he said. “Looking for a mate?”

She smiled but shook her head.

“Too bad. I’d like to get to know you better, perhaps change your mind?”

“I found a mate,” she confessed. “He didn’t want me.”

He looked momentarily startled. Another Terran came over and whispered something in his ear. His eyes went wide as he stared at her and she wondered what was going on. She hadn’t been at the station long enough for there to be gossip about her already.

“You should eat more,” the second Terran said. “What about dessert? We have an ice cream machine in the staff lounge.”

Her brow furrowed, still not sure what was going on.

“What about pizza?” the first one asked. “I’ve heard it’s popular here on Earth. Perhaps you should have some.”

“Um. I’m fine. Really.”

“Then you should take something to your room for later.”

She looked back and forth between the two of them. “What’s going on? Why are you trying to feed me?”

“Terran babies require a lot of food. Word is spreading that one of our males got you with child then abandoned you. If he won’t take care of you, then we all will.”

Charlotte wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed that everyone knew she was pregnant and had been dismissed from her mate’s life, or if she should feel warm and fuzzy that they wanted to take care of her. Other than Borgoz and Larimar, no one had ever watched over her before. It was a feeling she could get used to, but she didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. She wouldn’t be mating with any of them. If she was going to have a mate, it was going to be Borgoz or no one.

“I’m fine,” she assured them. “I think I should return to my room for the night.”

The Terran across from her rose to a rather impressive height. “My name is Cosmir, and I will be happy to escort you to your quarters. And if you should need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask for me.”

“I don’t want a mate,” she said softly. “If I can’t have the father of my baby, then I don’t want anyone at all.”

“We understand,” the second Terran said. “My name is Vordro. I will also be happy to be of assistance. We aren’t trying to claim you as a mate, but as the mother of one of our children, you are considered Terran by everyone here. When a Terran female loses her mate, our society comes together to give her support and anything she needs. Please allow us to do this for you.”

“If you really want to help me, you can show me back to my room. And in the morning, you can help me find a job.”

They shared a look before Cosmir spoke. “You’re going to need to reserve your strength the farther along you are in your pregnancy. You should rest and let us take care of you. And you should definitely make an appointment at the clinic in the morning. The doctor will need to know there is a pregnant female staying at the station.”

“I’ll stop there after breakfast. I promise.”

Vordro held out his hand and helped her from her chair. “We’ll escort you to your quarters. There’s a phone in your room. If you press 0, it will put you through to the front desk. You may ask for Cosmir or me and we will get anything you need. Even if it’s the middle of the night.”

“Thank you. Both of you.”

With a Terran on either side of her, they walked back to her room where she bid them goodnight and closed the door. Tears sprang to her eyes at how kind they were being, and she wondered once more what would have happened if she’d stayed on Terran. Would Borgoz eventually have come for her? Had he even noticed she was gone? Did he care?

She missed Borgoz so much her heart ached. It felt as if a piece of her had been left behind. Her heart would always belong to him, and she couldn’t imagine ever loving another man the way she loved him. Charlotte contemplated confessing to Cosmir and Vordro who the father of her baby was, but she wasn’t certain what they would do with the knowledge. It wasn’t like Borgoz could come here and claim her.

But what if she went back to claim him?

You’re an idiot. He doesn’t want you
.

Knowing he had rejected her should have put an end to her longing for him but it didn’t. Even knowing he would prefer to not take a mate at all rather than claim her, she still wanted him. Still loved him.

The doctor frowned as he examined her. The look on his face frightened her, but she was too scared to ask what was wrong. When the exam was over, he stepped out and she quickly changed back into her clothes before opening the door so he would know she was finished.

“Is there something wrong with the baby?” she asked, unable to withstand not knowing.

“The heartbeat is a little slower than I’d like and the scan shows it to be a small fetus, but I think some rest and food can cure that. I’d like to monitor the heartbeat though. Could you come in every morning so I can keep a record of it?”

“What… what does a slow heartbeat indicate? Is the baby sick?” She dreaded asking, but she needed to know. If she lost her baby, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to get up and carry on. It would kill her to lose her last tie to Borgoz.

“Without running more tests, it’s hard to say. So far, none of the Terran-Human pairings have had children with birth defects, but it’s possible we could be looking at something like that. I think it would be rare because Terrans never run into that sort of problem.”

“So it would be my genetics causing it.”

He nodded.

“And if it isn’t a defect?” she asked.

“I don’t like speculating, but it’s possible you could lose the baby if we can’t raise the heart rate and get its weight to normal size. Right now, it’s less than half the size it should be, based off when you estimated conception.”

“We were only together once before a clinic on your world confirmed I was pregnant. It isn’t an estimate but a certainty.”

“Then the baby is definitely too small. It looks no bigger than a week or two old. From what you’ve said, it should be closer to six weeks. It should have developed a lot more than it has and that concerns me. Are you certain the father doesn’t want anything to do with you? He really should be made aware of the situation.”

Nausea welled up. “He doesn’t want me,” she said softly. “He was very clear about that when he said he would avoid me at all costs.”

The doctor frowned. “The stress of being dismissed by the father, the trip back here, and by your own admission, the stress of being thrown out of your family home, has taken its toll on you. You’re underweight, your skin is pale, there are shadows under your eyes… I didn’t see you before the pregnancy, but I’m guessing all of these changes are recent. If you don’t start taking better care of yourself -- eating regular meals, getting plenty of rest, and ceasing to worry about the things you can’t change -- there’s a good chance you could lose this baby.”

Charlotte placed a shaky hand on her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do was lose her baby. It was hard to eat when you were depressed and stressed, but she’d have to do better. She owed it to her baby. It was her responsibility to make sure the child received the nourishment he or she needed. Obviously, Charlotte was being a bad mother already, but she swore she would do better.

“I see Cosmir arrived with you this morning.” The doctor studied her. “He isn’t the father, is he?”

“No! Absolutely not. He’s just been really nice about making sure I eat and getting me to this appointment this morning. The father is still on your world, and I doubt he will be coming for me anytime soon. I’m prepared to raise this child on my own.”

“I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Have you thought of taking a mate? Terran males aren’t very big on accepting another man’s child, but there are those who wouldn’t mind. You’re attractive and young. There’s no reason you couldn’t form a family unit with someone.” He grimaced. “Of course, we’d have to tell the father of your child that you were taking a mate and give him one last chance to claim you, and I’m sure you don’t want to face him right now.”

Her stomach twisted.

“Just think it over,” the doctor urged. “You have to do what’s right for the baby and not think about your needs. This isn’t a human child you’re carrying but a half Terran baby. It’s going to have needs you aren’t prepared to handle, especially if it’s male.”

She knew the doctor made a good point, but it wasn’t something she was ready to hear just yet. Had she made a mistake by not telling Borgoz about the baby? Charlotte had no doubt that if he’d known she was carrying his child, he never would have pushed her aside. And it wasn’t like he was seeing another woman. He was scared that he wasn’t enough for her, and while that was sweet, it was also really annoying. How could the man she loved not be enough for her?

Charlotte left the clinic with Cosmir by her side and was heading straight to the food court for some breakfast when he drew her to a halt near the main door. She frowned up at him, not sure what he wanted.

“You should get something better to eat today than what we have to offer here. If you don’t wish to share a meal with me, let me find someone else to join you. It really isn’t safe for you to be alone in the city while you’re pregnant. What if you fell or someone pushed you? What if a car jumped the curb and hit you?”

Her eyebrows climbed higher and higher with every word.

“You really think any of that is going to happen?” she asked, knowing it wasn’t likely, but she supposed anything was possible.

“I want you to be safe. If you won’t allow me to watch over you, then find someone whose company you’ll enjoy for the morning.”

Charlotte nibbled on her lip a moment. “All right. I’ll have breakfast with you. But not anywhere fancy! I don’t know how much money is in my bank account right now, and I don’t want to overspend.”

“Then we’ll stop by your bank first to ease your mind, but I hadn’t planned on having you pay for your breakfast this morning. I’m financially secure enough to purchase a meal for you. It’s not like you eat much.”

She scowled at him and he laughed.

“Come along, little bird.”

“I’m not a bird,” she mumbled.

“You eat like one. Isn’t that a saying here? Eating like a bird?”

“Yes, it’s a saying, but I don’t think it applies. I just don’t eat as much as you because I’m less than half your size. I assure you, I eat plenty for a woman my size. Probably more than I should if my clothes are any indication.”

“What’s wrong with your clothes?” His brow furrowed as he eyed her up and down.

“Nothing. They’re just getting a little snug around the waist. I thought I wouldn’t start showing until I was closer to three or four months along, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’ll need maternity clothes before long. Or at least a bigger size.”

“Did you mention it to the doctor?”

She fidgeted. “Well, not exactly. But he said the baby was small considering how far along I am, and that the heartbeat was slow.”

Cosmir’s eyebrows shot up. “We’re going to feed you, and then you should probably lie down for a while. But if you’re gaining weight and the baby isn’t, there may be something else going on. When do you see the doctor again?”

“Tomorrow morning. I’m supposed to go in every morning so he can monitor the heartbeat.”

“Then you should tell him tomorrow about the weight. If you aren’t eating, yet you’re gaining weight and the baby isn’t, there may something serious going on. You shouldn’t take a chance with your child’s life, or with yours.”

She felt guilty for not bringing it up during her appointment, but she had honestly thought it was just something normal. But what if she was wrong? What if Cosmir was right and there was something seriously wrong with the baby or her? If she did anything to endanger Borgoz’s child, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself.

“I’ll make sure I bring it up when I see the doctor tomorrow. And I’ll eat plenty today.”

“Why haven’t you been eating?”

They stepped outside, he ushered her into a waiting limo, gave the driver instructions, and then turned to face her once more.