The Bosses Billionaire Baby 2 (Billionaire, BWWM, Interracial, Romance) (4 page)

All through the night, Selena kept picturing the face of Eva Bloomfield and her child, and the images flitting across the screen of her mind was enough to keep her awake. She tossed and turned as the night wore on with one thought captivating all others: that of Ethan asking her to abort her child. Melanie had been on her case about it, and she had fought it hard, but hearing Ethan talk like that was causing her to have a change of heart.

Instinctively, her hand went to her stomach, and she played with the soft skin around her navel. Just then, she heard the alarm go off, and normally she would turn it off and prepare for work. But not this morning. This morning, and the ones after, she would be staying home. Selena knew it would be hard to land a job in the city, especially being pregnant, but for the moment, she would have to try. There was no way she could face Ethan every day, not when she knew how he felt about her baby.

She was relieved that today was a Friday and that she would have the weekend to cool off, but she wasn’t sure how much better she would be. She had found herself between a rock and a hard place, and there was no ladder of escape. None that she could find lying around.

Friday was as long as day as any could be, and Selena dreaded she would remain like this for months to come. But that was not to be her fate; Saturday morning, the girls showed up, and with them more pain than Selena wanted to bear.

“Not now,” she declared as she pulled the pillow over her head again.

“Leave her alone, Mel,” Krystal defended. “She may still be sick.”

“Sick, my ass,” she said as she yanked the throw from Selena’s head. “She looks as if she has been in bed for way too long.”

“Are you alright, Selena?” Krystal asked with concern, agreeing with Melanie based on Selena’s current appearance.

“I’m fine,” Selena spat as she threw herself from the bed. She doubled over in pain as she did so, and they both charged into her, threatening more harm than good. Selena held her hand up for them to stay away, but her face remained contorted, so they didn’t listen. Melanie held her by the waist as Krystal took her by the shoulders, and together they sat her down on the bed again.

“What was that?” Krystal asked.

“I’m not sure; there was just this intense pain right here,” she said as she pointed at her mid-section.

Melanie straightened up and looked at her accusingly. “When was the last time you ate?” she asked.

Selena looked at her as she tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted.

“You cannot be pregnant and not be eating. Are you aware this is a life or death situation and what harms the baby could harm you as well?” Melanie asked as her eyes popped at Selena.

“I agree,” Krystal quipped. “You need to get something to eat now. What do you have here?” She asked as she walked off to look.

“I don’t care,” Selena said. “Maybe it would be best if he did starve to death.”

Krystal paused mid-step as Selena’s words registered in her ears. “What?”

“What’s the point in bringing this child to term if he won’t even have a father? Thursday, Ethan all but told me to get rid of it, and he seemed stressed about something, and then when I was leaving his ex-wife showed up, and she was so beautiful, so maybe he wants to get back with her, so the baby would be a liability...”

“Hold up,” Melanie said as Selena continued to spew words like water from a burst dam. “You would give up your child because of that?”

“She may have a point,” Krystal said.

The two looked at her incredulously. Krystal had always been the one to defend ethics and morals, so to hear her agree with Selena now was astonishing. “Really?” Selena asked.

“Since when have you been an advocate of abortion?” Melanie wanted to know.

“Since I thought about how hard it is going to be for Selena to raise a child with the money she is making now,” she argued.

“Many women survive on less, and they are none the worse. I think she should keep her child despite the father. I was so strongly against it before until I saw that ultrasound, and then it became all too clear that is a human life. Selena, don’t do it,” Melanie pleaded.

“It isn’t an easy choice for me,” Selena said as she got up from the bed. “Do you think I don’t want this baby or a baby at all? I have always wanted one. Do you think I wanted Ethan Bloomfield? No! I wanted a real husband and a real family. My mistakes did this,” she said as she rested her hand on her stomach. “I need to make this right.”

“By killing the child?” Melanie asked. She walked over and turned Selena to her. “This isn’t right. You are stronger than you think.”

Krystal heaved a sigh and joined them. “I think Melanie is right,” she said, and for the second time in minutes, she stunned the two; she had never agreed with Melanie before. “And stop looking at me so shocked; I had a temporary lapse in judgement. Look Selena, we aren’t saying this is going to be easy, just that it might not be the best thing to take a life because of one stupid man.”

“I was beginning to love that stupid man,” she sobbed. Her body rocked, and Melanie and Krystal had never felt so helpless before. They embraced and allowed her to alternate between supporting shoulders.

“I know,” Krystal said. “It’s going to be alright, but we will be there for you in any way we can, right Melanie?”

“Right,” she agreed.

“I quit the job too,” she said between sobs.

Both stopped stroking her at once and then looked at her. “Say what?” Melanie was the first to ask.

“Look, I’ve already made up my mind to get rid of the baby, so there is no point in continuing on. I can’t bear the sight of him daily or Megan’s prying eyes each time I walk by her. She already suspects I am pregnant, and I don’t need the insult now on top of everything I have to deal with.”

They were both silent now, not sure of what to say next. “So, what is the plan?” Melanie finally asked.

“The plan is to get independent again,” Selena replied.

“I told you to set up a bank account when you started to date that man. It would have come in handy now, and you wouldn’t have needed to do all of this.  If it were me, I wouldn’t quit. I’d go there every day even when I begin to show and embarrass him. Every time I see a woman walk into the office I’d follow and demand diapers or formula,” Melanie said angrily, but the other girls were amused and couldn’t keep from laughing.

“You are so crazy,” Krystal said.

“I am serious. Why should Selena bear all the weight of this when he is just as guilty,” she asked. “She is the one without money, and she needs to quit her job so that she can function normally? I would make him pay. For all the money he has, even when I don’t have a baby anymore, I’d have a nice fluffy pillow stashed under my clothes and be collecting money every month like salary. You can’t mess with these men.”

Selena heard her friend, and had she been of a different make and model she would have considered it. But she wasn’t like that, and she still didn’t want to raise a child alone.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. They all stared at each other as they tried mentally to determine who it could be. The clock on the wall read quarter past ten—way too early for a personal visit—so they determined it must be a sales person or someone of the sort.

“Just open the door,” Melanie said impatiently.

Selena walked over, feeling quite ill-tempered as she pulled the door back armed with a response for whomever she thought would be there. Except, when she opened the door nothing came out when she saw Ethan. Melanie and Krystal came when they heard nothing from her and were equally amazed to see the man standing there.

“Is this a bad time?” He asked when he saw them standing there.

“Yes!” Melanie answered.

“No,” Krystal answered. “Let’s go,” she said to Melanie who was a raging bull at the moment; one could almost see the fire coming from her nostrils.

“You are disgusting,” she snarled as she walked past Selena. “Remember what I said, Selena,” she told her as she bumped into him threateningly on her way out. Krystal fought hard to keep her from doing further damage.

“I see they know about everything,” he said with a sigh after they had gone.

“What do you want, Ethan?” Selena asked as she walked away from the man she would have been kissing had it been a few weeks earlier.

“What did Eva say to you?” He asked.

Selena turned to face him wearing an infuriated expression. “Eva? You came here to ask me about Eva?”

“Not entirely. I saw the two of you talking and assumed... anyway, that is not why I am here; she is a different case. How are you, and why didn’t you come in yesterday?”

“I told you I wouldn’t be there,” she responded. “All of this is too much for me, and I can’t do it alone. You don’t want this baby, and I cannot handle all the day to day drama that comes with being a mother alone. You already suggested abortion, and I may just do that, but either way I won’t be working at Bloomfield Properties anymore.” She turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. She would give anything for him to take back his words so she could throw her arms around him and they could hold each other and share tender moments like they used to.

“When do you plan to do it? I could give you the money,” he offered.

And then Selena knew she was only living a dream. “I need to as soon as possible while I am still in the first trimester.”

Ethan reached for her, but the anger she was feeling inside erupted, and she yanked her hand away from him perhaps too forcefully. He had barely touched her, so the pressure fell on her as she moved, and it caused her to skid backwards. She crashed into the side table next to her feet and fell against the sofa handle. The wooden engraving knocked her in her mid-section, and she cried out as a sharp pain raced across her stomach. Ethan ran over to hold her steady, and with the pain she was now feeling, she couldn’t even fight him off now.

“Something is wrong. I need to go to the doctor,” she said as she clutched her stomach. The frightened expression she wore was enough to paralyze Ethan. “Now!” She screamed as the feeling grew more intense.

“Right,” he responded as he held her and led her through the door.

Selena barely had time to grab her purse and keys as she hustled through the door. It was unbelievable to her then that she had been concerned about an abortion before, but now that the baby might be in trouble, her only care was to protect it. Dr. Matthews’ office seemed a long drive away as the two hurried to get there.

Ethan was impatient as he paced the floor waiting for Selena to come through the doors. He turned quickly when he heard his name called, and he was ushered into the office. Selena looked like she was doing better, and he hoped she was.

“Hello, Doctor,” he said as he leaned forward to shake her hand.

“Hello Mr. Bloomfield,” she replied.

“How is she?” He asked with concern that stunned Selena.

“It could have been worse. She just suffered a slight trauma, but the baby is alright. She will have to rest for a while; no strenuous activities until she is further along, but mother and child are doing exceptionally well at the moment.”

She could almost see the relief escaping him. “So can we go now?” Selena asked. “I think I need to lie down.”

“Yes, you can,” Dr. Matthews advised. “Remember your next visit is in three weeks.”

Selena smiled as Ethan led her out of the office and outside into the parked car. They were silent on the way to her house. When the car pulled up along the curb, he turned to her. “There are some things you don’t understand now, but this is all new to me. I need some time to adjust just like you.” When Selena didn’t respond, he continued. “You can take next week off, but I want you to come back to work. We will find a way to handle this then.”

Selena simply nodded, not being in the frame of mind to argue; that plus he seemed like her Ethan now. She wasn’t sure about anything anymore as she turned the knob to her door and walked inside. But for the moment and almost losing her child, she knew she could never give it up now.

Selena was extremely grateful that her morning sickness has abated, so when she returned to work the Monday following her informal leave of absence,’ she wasn’t as pale as before. But of course, some things never change.

“So...” Megan said as she leaned across Selena’s desk. “You weren’t here last week.”

Selena looked at her as if she had just experienced an epiphany. “What gave it away?” She asked and then rolled her eyes.

“No one gets leave of absence that suddenly,” she continued.

“I had an emergency; it happens,” Selena responded as she slid her chair out and went to the photocopier to retrieve some documents.

“Did he tell you about what we did the Thursday before?” She asked teasingly. She had a nagging suspicion that Selena and Ethan were somehow involved, but she had no proof, and no one would say. She didn’t want Selena getting in the way of her gold digging, and she would try anything to throw her off her trail, even if it meant fabricating stuff or being too real about them.

Selena paused mid-stride as she mentally calculated that was the day she had seen Eva Bloomfield. So he had gone and had sex with Megan right after?
Typical man
, she thought, as the papers in her hand began to shrink under the sudden pressure from her palms. Then, catching herself before she could give away too much, she smiled and walked back to her desk.

“What you and he did is between you two and doesn’t interfere with my job or my relationship with him as my boss. Some people prefer making money on their feet, not their back,” she said as she flashed Megan a smile.

The girl seemed offended by what Selena said, and though she was rolling in the same ship now, she couldn’t help but say it to get her away from her desk. Then she was left to fume in privacy. Throughout the course of the day, she could hardly focus on studying the properties on her list to sell. She could tell everyone who went into Ethan’s office that day, and perhaps how many winks he took on average. He wasn’t as aloof with her as he had been before, but he wasn’t as loving either. Was this how they were going to remain?

The rest of the days that ensued gave credence to that thought as Ethan treated her even less than before. Before, he would tease her and try to get her to pay him attention. When she had succumbed to that, he had offered her the world on a silver platter, and she had floated on his sea of desire and bliss for as far as the current would take her. Now, it was as if she was the invisible nerd in the office; he barely spoke with her, almost as if he was afraid someone might catch wind of his thoughts. Watching him treat her like she was plagued by leprosy only inflamed her more, and her days at the office became more and more unpleasant.

“Here,” she said to him as she handed him some files to sign off on. She had put off this moment long enough and was now forced to face him.

He took the documents, signed them without a word, and then handed them back to her.  “How are you?”

“Single,” she said as she walked from the office. She could feel his eyes on her as she did, and she could only imagine his thoughts then. She knew she would probably be wrong as he didn’t seem to want anything to do with her anymore. To him, she had reverted to her former employee only status, and the pain that crept into her chest at that realization was greater than she was willing to feel.

She looked forward to day’s end every day, and today was no different. As soon as the clock read five, she stuffed papers under more papers and shut down her computer. She was about to head out when one of the other partners stopped her. She groaned as she sank back into the seat once more. He wanted to check with her on her current listings.

“Couldn’t this wait until tomorrow Mr. Stephens?” she asked.

He sighed and looked at her apologetically. “I’m afraid not, Selena, but this won’t take long. I have meetings for the next four consecutive mornings, and I need to submit my reports as soon as possible.”

Selena sighed again. “What can I do for you?”

He wanted to go through her files with her, and what was supposed to have taken ten minutes dragged on to forty-five. She was utterly exhausted by the time she was ready to leave. She watched as he returned to his office, and then flew from her chair and headed to the door. With her luck, someone might try and stop her once more. She was relieved when she pressed the button and the elevator came right away. She stepped inside and took a deep breath as she relieved herself of her day’s stresses. The door was just about to close when a hand slid between the metal walls closing in and prevented it from doing so. The hand was attached to Ethan Bloomfield, and in that moment Selena wished she would just disappear. She didn’t want to be anywhere alone with him, let alone trapped together in an elevator. If even for a few seconds.

“What are you still doing here?” He asked with surprise.

“Mr. Stephens needed my help with a report,” she answered bluntly.

“Oh,” he said. Then they both stared blankly at the silver walls ahead. Then, as if involuntarily, he reached out and pressed the stop button, and the elevator jolted to a halt.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Selena, I know I haven’t been very supportive lately, but it’s just that I have a lot going on, and a baby will just complicate things,” he said, and she could hear the sadness in his voice. But she was not moved.

“It complicates things for me too Ethan, especially my career advancement. I am only now beginning to set things right, and a baby now will slow my roll, but guess what? This is my child, and I have to make it work. It shouldn’t be just my burden to bear. We are both responsible for this,” she said as she touched the spot where the baby was most likely to be resting.

“Ok,” he said as he raked his hand through his hair. He seemed to have aged some more since their glory days.

“Ok what?” she asked. “It’s getting late, and we need to get going,” she said as she hit the button once more, and the elevator started moving again.

“Selena, I really care about you...” he began, but then the lift stopped, and he had to refrain from speaking until they were alone again.

“I was wondering what was taking the elevator that long,” the gentleman said as he came between them.  He then looked over at each and nodded, and it was perhaps then he sensed the awkwardness for he became rigid in his posture.

Ethan smiled and nodded at him, and the three continued to the lobby where the man hastily disembarked. Selena was about to walk out when he held her by her wrist. “Selena,” he said, and then, as if he only became aware of the onlookers, he let go of her arm and stepped back. “We need to talk.”

“Talk about what? There is nothing left to say. You have made your point painfully clear, and it has stuck me in all the wrong places. If you don’t want this child, it is your loss,” she said as she started to walk off.

He hastened to follow her, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. “Can I come over later?” He pleaded.

Selena paused and looked ahead, but she said nothing. Her mind was trying to fathom any conceivable reason why that would be a good idea. She came up empty. “I don’t think that is a good idea. I am tired and, I just need to rest.”

“Please,” he begged. “There are things you don’t understand that I would like to try and explain to you.”

She looked at him, staring at her from his desperate black holes, and for a second, she felt sympathy for him as she remembered the better times. “Fine,” she said as she moved off again.

“When is a good time?” He shouted after her.

“You will do what you want anyway; why does that matter?” She replied as she turned on her heels and moved further away from him.

Damn it! Ethan knew he had to come clean about his personal affairs, but only to the extent that it affected her or him. He knew he appeared to be a monster now, but a baby was the last thing he needed. Not with Eva breathing down his neck. He turned and walked back to the building and yanked the door open.

“Just the man I wanted to see,” Eva said as she suddenly appeared before him.

“Just the woman I don’t,” he said as he stepped past her. He had been in love with her once, but once was a long time ago; it seemed from the days of fairytales and dragons. He was young and foolish, he had granted her privileges no sensible man should have done, and now she was making him pay for it. If he ever as much as got a parking ticket now, he could lose everything. Nowadays she was everywhere, and he didn’t need her knowing about Selena. He could sense her following him, and like a shadow, she seemed impossible to shake. He pressed the button, and the elevator opened. He stepped inside, and she followed. Though they spoke no words, the air was icy enough to give frost bite.