Take a Chance (36 page)

“He never asked me to keep quiet about anything important,” Cherie told her, feeling bewildered. “As far as I knew he was the computer tutorial guy. If that pays so well I’ve got to stop aiming for CEOs.”

“You didn’t know that he and my brother-in-law are business partners then?” Jem asked.

“Are they?
No, I didn’t know that. He only introduced himself by his first name. I had no reason to think he was any more than an employee,” Cherie assured her.

“Then why…”

Her question was interrupted by someone bursting through the door.

While Jem and Cherie waited for the results of the pregnancy test, Eben sat in Nate’s office with only one goal in mind; to escape before he started banging his head against the wall in frustration.

Nate’s initial query had turned into others and no matter how many different ways they went through something, as soon as they moved onto something else Nate forgot most of what he had learned. This was despite Nate managing the task only minutes earlier.

Considering Nate was also forgetting how to use the help function, Eben was beginning to suspect that Nate had some sort of dementia that was affecting his short term memory.

He was extremely relieved when Nate agreed to stop the tutorial where they were, on the grounds of giving him time to absorb everything he had learned. Before he could think of something else he wanted clarified
again,
Eben quickly excused himself and escaped the room.

Glad to be free of the endless loop of teaching the same thing repeatedly he headed down the hallway towards Jem’s office. Knowing what he had planned made him feel a little nervous.

I’m going to propose right after this no matter what
, he thought as he ducked into the men’s washroom to relieve himself.

Inside the men’s bathroom he was surprised to see Mark looking at his watch while standing there with wet hair. The room had a strangely familiar pungent reek to it. Glancing at the nit comb and aerosol spray sitting on the hand basin beside him, Eben deduced Mark’s purpose and smiled to himself as he nodded and walked past.

Seeing Eben enter a stall, Mark silently seethed. Cherie had booked him an appointment to see Martha later this afternoon, long after he would have normally left for the day. Since it had been booked straight after the long meeting Martha had with Eben yesterday he had a feeling it was to do with the work Jem had done that he had taken credit for.

He was almost certain Eben had stuffed things up for him somehow and he
was getting to be a desperate man. He had to have that promotion. By the time Eben came out to wash his hands, Mark had a plan.

“So who do you think is the father?
Me or you?” Mark asked Eben conversationally as Eben pumped liquid soap onto the palm of his hand.

“What are you on about?” Eben asked, only half listening as he turned the taps on and rinsed.

Is Mark claiming “parentage” of software I wrote?

“You know. Jem’s knocked up.”

The water squirted up Eben’s sleeve. Mark was pleased to see that Eben appeared taken aback.

“No she isn’t,” Eben finally responded coolly.

“Oh yeah, it’s not confirmed until she takes the test we bought together this morning.”

“What?” Eben exclaimed as he finished washing his hands and pulled off a paper towel to dry them with.

Mark waited until Eben threw the towel in the bin.

“You know we were an item until she decided to chase you,” Mark mentioned without rancour.

“You two were never an item,” Eben asserted. “Jem would’ve told me about it if you were.”

If Jem never said anything
Cherie would have definitely filled me in
, he reassured himself.

“We kept it to ourselves obviously. In a small workplace like ours dating co-workers would provide an easy target for gossip and innuendo.”

Eben still seemed to doubt him so Mark had to think quickly.

“Why do you think we work so well together then?” he asked slyly. “Not to mention Jem made sure I got the best accounts, at least until you came along.”

Eben seemed to be swaying in his conviction so Mark took the opportunity to hammer the spot he knew would hurt.

“At least I have a chance back with her if you don’t want to claim my baby,” he added happily, dabbing at his eyes with his handkerchief. Those chemicals were eye-watering and he couldn’t wait to wash them off.

Eben’s response was to slam the bathroom door open on his way out. Mark didn’t bother to hide his triumphant grin.

Eben stormed his way to Jem’s office. Was she another woman looking for someone to provide for her? Even worse, had she been having him on about not being able to get pregnant?

He burst into her office, momentarily taken aback by Cherie’s presence as he had wanted to have this conversation in private. Any thought of that was wiped when he spied the pregnancy test sitting on her desk. It appeared Mark had been telling the truth.

“What’s that for?” he demanded, pointing at the test.

“It’s a pregnancy test,” Jem said defensively, rising from her chair. “I have something I want to tell you.”

“I think I had better be going now,” Cherie said. “Bye.”

She slipped out the door, but not being able to help herself she left it slightly ajar and stood beyond it so she could clearly hear everything said.

“Bad Cherie,” she murmured to herself and smacked the back of her hand for listening to a private conversation.

Inside her office, Jem faced Eben.

Time to confess.

“I’m pregnant,” she began.

“So I heard,” Eben responded darkly. “Who’s the father?”

Without thinking Jem slapped him.

“How dare you?” she gasped as she fisted her hand to try and reduce the pain of her stinging palm.

“How dare I? More like, how dare you!” Eben roared at her.

“It’s not what you think!” Jem cried.

“You don’t want to know what I think!” Eben thundered.

“You’re obviously
not
thinking! And I’m
not
discussing this here or now. Get out! Get out right now!” Jem demanded and tried to push him out the door.

It would have been easier to move a mountain as Eben refused to budge. Giving up, Jem grabbed her hand bag and coat, and fled the room in tears, almost knocking Cherie over after getting through the door.

Inside her office Eben angrily paced up and down. His cheek stung but he refused to rub it. Cherie entered the door behind him and slammed the door shut. Eben stopped pacing and turned to face her.

“Would you crouch down and face that way?” Cherie asked waspishly, pointing to the window behind him.

“Why?” Eben asked warily, despite his black mood.

“Because I want to kick your butt but my skirt is too tight to lift my leg high enough.”

The imagery of her comment was enough to reduce the tension, just a little.

“You’d do more damage stomping on my foot in one of those,” Eben said roughly, indicating her high heels with a finger.

“The only reason I haven’t is that I’d like to think you are a good guy even though I have my doubts at the moment,” Cherie said, crossing her arms and tapping the fingers of one hand against her elbow.

“I’m not the one who said I could never get pregnant yet managed it pretty quickly,” Eben said sharply.

“Is that what is upsetting you?” Cherie asked.

Before she could say more, Eben continued.

“That’s only part of it. I’m angrier that there is doubt as to who the father is,” he spat out.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Cherie asked, bewildered.

“Mark appears to be keen to take the role of father,” Eben ground out.

“Mark? He’s never even dated Jem. You’re the first person she’s even been with since
I’ve worked here. I’m her best friend so I would know,” Cherie said emphatically.

“He said they kept their relationship quiet to prevent office gossip.”

Cherie’s mouth dropped open. She considered it for a moment then shook her head.

“I don’t believe it,” she said and added. “Think about it.”

“I did. That’s what made me so angry,” Eben growled.

“Oh! Would you hang up that Y chromosome of yours for a minute and think it through?” Cherie responded in exasperation.

“I did. He said they bought a pregnancy test together and it was the first thing I saw on her desk when I entered the room,” Eben began.

“I can’t explain how he knew about the pregnancy test,” Cherie interrupted “but how about you consider his track history and Jem’s?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll make this easy since you’re having trouble grasping the obvious,” Cherie said a little condescendingly because he was having trouble seeing something that was so perfectly clear to her. “Out of Mark and Jem which one do you perceive as being more honest?”

“Jem,” Eben said without hesitation.

“Very good.
Now which one do you see as a pathological liar who will do anything to arrange things to get what he wants? ” asked Cherie.

“Mark, obviously,” Eben replied flatly.

Cherie nodded.

“But what would Mark hope to achieve by breaking us up?” Eben asked.

“Maybe the pregnant solo mother would drop the promotion or perhaps just revenge,” Cherie suggested.

Either idea made a plausible scenario. Eben berated himself for not considering Mark’s motive before yelling at Jem.

“I’m so stupid,” he said, dropping into the closest chair which happened to be Jem’s.

Eben rubbed his face with his hands. Cherie crossed over and patted him on the shoulder.

“Yes you are but what are you going to do about it?”

Eben scowled at her.

“She still misled me about not being able to get pregnant,” he reminded her.

“It wasn’t intentional,” Cherie told him. “She had reasons for thinking the way she did.”

Cherie reminded him of Jem’s broken engagement with Alan and how soon afterwards he had a pregnant wife. When she finished Eben looked distressed.

“I’m
such an asshole,” he said and looked at Cherie as he sprung out of the chair. “I hadn’t even thought of that. What can I do to thank you?”

“Name your first-born after me,” Cherie quipped as he headed for the door. “Where are you off to?”

“To do some serious grovelling,” Eben said and disappeared down the hall.

Jem was deciding which microwave meal to have for dinner when the intercom buzzer went. She crossed the room to it and held down the talk button.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Can I come up?” a familiar voice asked.

“No,” she said flatly and released the button.

The buzzer went again. Jem tried to ignore it. She walked across the room and turned the radio on to drown out the sound. By the time she had the volume loud enough to do the trick it hurt her ears so she turned it off. 

No longer in the mood to think of food, she went into the bedroom and closed the door but still heard the buzzer through the wall. Determined not to listen to it, she lay on the bed and clasped her pillow around her ears. If she listened carefully, a faint buzz could still be heard.

“Aaargh!” she screamed in frustration.

Maybe if I yell at him he’ll go away.

Angrily, she got up and marched back into the living area but got only half way across the room when the buzzer abruptly stopped. She told herself she was relieved to have avoided a confrontation and not disappointed that he gave up so easily.

Feeling a little deflated she sank onto the couch and was still there when someone knocked on the door a couple of minutes later.

I wonder what he said to have someone let him in
, she thought as she took her time crossing the floor to the front door.

“Who’s there?” she called out.

“The tooth fairy,” the voice replied.

“You have the wrong apartment. Try the Pearsons next door. They have a seven year old,” Jem said.

“Oh honey, I’m sorry I got you out of the bath but could you please let me in? Dinner’s getting cold.”

So he has an audience
, Jem thought and glanced at the clock.

At this time of night it was probably Mrs Dwyer returning from the senior citizens buffet down the street. Jem had run into her earlier and the older woman had been shocked by how distressed she appeared. Jem hadn’t been in the mood to explain the situation so had quickly excused
herself.

I hope it is her. She will help me
get even for that appalling accusation he made.

“Do you still think I’m too fat?” she asked in a loud, trembling voice, all the while trying not to laugh.

Mrs Dwyer would be outraged by the thought considering she repeatedly commented Jem was too skinny already.

“What? When did… No, no,” Eben responded, sounding confused.

That wouldn’t do. Mrs Dwyer would need more misinformation to act.

“You’re not going to make me eat celery and drink water again while I watch you eat real food?” Jem whimpered.

There was a loud
thwack
and some muffled accusations from beyond the door before Eben had a chance to respond.