The Price of Fame: A Price Novel (The Price Novels Book 2) (12 page)

O
ur one-year anniversary was coming up, and I was thinking it had been a great year. It was a quick year, and one in which I felt like I barely saw my wife, but it was still the best year of my life because of her.

So I wanted to do something she’d remember. Poor Julie—I dragged her into my planning, even though she really didn’t want to be involved. She helped me get everything set up, and she picked up the things that I needed.

After moving some things around on my schedule, Julie helped me plan a trip to Saint Lucia. Between my schedule and Arden’s, there was only a two-night window when we could go, and it was the night of our anniversary and the night after.

Arden was at the hospital of course the morning of our anniversary, but when I woke up, she had texted me.

Happy 365th day of making me the happiest girl in the world.

I love you and can’t wait to see you tonight. XOXO

That made me happy and even more excited about the trip. I had had Julie take me to the hospital the night before and get Arden’s car and bring it to the house. I had a car and driver waiting for her in the parking garage where her car had been parked.

When she got in the car, there was a note and bottle of champagne and a small wrapped box. The note simply said:

I know it’s not even 9:00 a.m., but drink the champagne and relax. And then open the box.

Inside the box was a pair of diamond earrings and a note that said:

This is all you will need to wear tonight
.

When the driver pulled up to let her out at the airport hangar, she was smiling. “What in the world?” she asked when she reached me.

I gave her a hug and pulled her to me, kissing the top of her head and breathing in her scent. “Happy anniversary,” I said.

She pulled back but was still smiling. Her green eyes sparkled in the sun. “What is all this?” she asked. “Where are we going?”

I grabbed her hand and started walking toward the plane. “You’ll see.”

Once on board, we sat down to a big breakfast. I handed her another glass of champagne, this time with orange juice.

“Where are we going?”

“Does it matter?” I asked, pulling her to me.

“Well, I don’t know. Did you pack me any clothes?”

I nodded. “I got your makeup and your other things you use every day.” Holding her face in my hands, I looked down at her. “You must not have read the note with your gift.”

She looked up at me out from under her lashes, almost looking embarrassed. “I did,” she said quietly.

“So then you know you don’t need clothes,” I muttered against her lips.

Once we were in the air and halfway through breakfast, I handed her another box.

“Something else?” she asked. “No, I don’t even have your gift with me. I don’t want to open anything else.”

I smiled. “You are my gift.”

She rolled her eyes and opened the box. Holding up the top of the black bikini, she eyed me suspiciously.

“OK, that’s all the clothing you will need for the rest of the trip.”

She laughed, looking a bit uneasy, but said nothing else of it.

We spent the whole three days in Saint Lucia just relaxing. We went from the pool to the beach to the room, and that was about it. We had a really great time doing nothing but spending time together. It was nice.

The morning we were getting ready to leave, Arden was sick. I knew where this was going, but I left it alone. I wasn’t stupid enough to bring it up. She was really quiet the whole morning. I knew she was freaking out. When we got on the plane, I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I had a great time. This has been the best year of my life. I love you.” She didn’t say anything for a minute.

Then she turned to me with tears in her eyes. “I think I’m pregnant.” She laid her head on my shoulder and cried. I didn’t say anything. I just let her cry. No matter what I said, it would have been wrong. So I said nothing. After a few minutes, she looked at me and said, “It’s gonna be OK, right?” Her eyes were pleading for my reassurance.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, baby, it’s gonna be all right. Stop worrying.”

“I really don’t think I’m sad, I’m just … ” She paused. “Well, I really don’t know what I am. I’m shocked, but that’s OK, right? It’s OK to be shocked?”

“Yes, baby!” All she wanted was some reassurance from me. “You need to stop being so hard on yourself. I’m sure it’s totally normal not to know how you’re feeling. Hell, it’s probably hormones on top of your own fear. I know this isn’t your scheduled life-plan baby, but I guarantee you that in a year you won’t look back and regret any of this.”

“I know you’re right. It’s just scary, you know.” She wasn’t looking at me but out the window. Most likely, she was really talking to herself.

“I know, but you’re not alone.” I squeezed her hand, and she looked back at me and smiled a real smile. “I’m gonna be with you the whole way!”

She let out a deep breath before drying her eyes with her thumbs. “Well, let’s not say anything to anyone until we go to the doctor, OK?”

“OK, baby, I won’t tell my mom.” I laughed. Arden thought I told my mom everything, but what she apparently hadn’t figured out yet was that you didn’t have to tell my mom anything. The woman had ESP or something. She knew everything, and she always had.

Arden was able to get an appointment with her doctor for the next morning, which was good because I had a full schedule for the next two weeks straight. On the way to the doctor, we didn’t say much. I was assuming she was nervous because I knew I was.

We had the first appointment of the morning, so we didn’t have to wait. I was pretty sure the doctor had made that appointment for us as a favor to Arden.

The ultrasound tech looked very young, and she recognized me immediately. She was obviously a fan. She wasn’t concentrating on anything she was doing, and Arden was starting to get upset. I finally stepped out of the room for a minute. That was the only thing I could think to do to get that girl back on track. After a minute or two in the hall, I went back in, and she had started the ultrasound.

I was no expert at reading people, but she definitely looked concerned about what she saw on the screen, which got me a little worried. Finally she smiled at us and said, “Everything’s fine. I’ll be right back,” and she left us in there.

“Are you OK, A?” I asked.

Arden looked horrified. “I don’t know. She’s weird, and she’s freaking me out, Slayde. It’s pretty awkward for her to have her hands all up in my vagina and be flirting with my husband at the same time don’tcha think?” I couldn’t help but laugh. She was so prim and proper most of the time, but she could be extremely blunt when she was in the right mood.

Dr. Wells came back in with the ultrasound tech. “Well, good news, everything looks perfect. You’re at about ten weeks—and looks like you’re having twins.”

What?
I wasn’t prepared for that for sure. I looked at Arden, and she started crying again. I grabbed her hand, trying not to laugh, and said, “Baby, it’s fine. It’s gonna be fine.”

“I wasn’t even sure I was ready for one. What am I gonna do with two?” she cried.

“Honey, you will figure it out,” Dr. Wells said, “but you are really going to have to take care of yourself. You have to make sure you’re eating and getting some rest. I know you’re extremely busy right now with your residency, but when you can rest,
do
! If you can try and eat a little something every two hours, it will help with the nausea. Elizabeth is gonna let you hear your babies’ heartbeats, and I will be back in a minute.”

As freaked out as I was by this news, I was also excited, and getting to see and hear their little heartbeats was amazing. Arden even seemed to tear up a little, which made me feel much better about her overall mental state.

As we were leaving the doctor’s office, she looked at me and said, “You aren’t going to love me when I’m fat,” and she started crying again.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her. “You’re crazy. I will always love you. I’m sure you are going to be the cutest little pregnant woman ever.” She gave me an ugly look. “I’m serious.” I kissed her forehead.

“What if I’m one of those women who get fat and never lose the weight after the babies are born? Then you’re gonna leave me for Shelley Spencer.”

“What? First of all, that’s the least of my worries. I’m just worried about you taking care of yourself. Hell, your mom had four kids, and she’s still tiny. It’s mostly genetics, baby. But if you stay fat, I promise I will get rid of my six-pack and get fat with you.” I laughed. “Shelley Spencer, geez! You’re crazy!” I shook my head at the thought of dating my vapid colleague.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever, I’m sure you’ll get fat for me. Plus, I’m sure Mom’s diet of cigarettes, Diet Coke, and stress are the reason for her being so skinny.”

“Stop worrying about getting fat. You won’t get fat.”

“I’m really going to have to be careful. Last time I—”

I had to interrupt her. “Stop. This is different. You’re going to be fine. You’re going to eat every few hours, and you are going to sleep when you’re tired. This isn’t last time. So let’s not even go there.”

She sighed. “You’re right.”

I squeezed her hand, and she smiled at me. I thought I might have even seen some tension leave her eyes.

I really wanted to tell my mom, but I wanted A to be comfortable with it all first. So I would have to wait a few days before I told my mom. It was hard, though.

She was serious about taking better care of herself. She packed herself a lunchbox with all kinds of vegetables and fruits to take with her to work the next day.

“I can go to the store if you want anything else to take to work with you. Like, maybe some of that turkey from the market that they cut up fresh. You love that.”

She put her baggies of food in the refrigerator and turned around and smiled at me. “That’s sweet, but I’m good for a few days. But thank you.”

Two days later Arden said it was OK to tell my mom, so I called her and asked her to meet me for lunch at her favorite restaurant.

I beat her there and was already seated and had ordered her favorite wine for her when I saw Mom come in. She looked a little nervous. Maybe it had been mean not to tell her over the phone.

She hugged me when she got to the table, then sat down across from me and set her sunglasses on the table. “What’s this all about?” she asked suspiciously.

“What are you talking about?” I smiled innocently at her.

“I know you wouldn’t get out and fight the paparazzi just to take your mom to lunch. What gives?” She took a big sip of her wine, so I made sure she swallowed it before I answered her.

“OK, you got me. Well, you’re going to be a grandmother.”

She looked shocked. “
What?
Are you serious?” She put her hands over her mouth. At first I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction that was. “Are you excited?”

“Of course I am,” I replied.

She hugged me. “Me too. Is Arden OK?”

“She’s scared, but she’s gonna be OK. But there’s more.”

“Ok, what is it?”

“Twins!”

“No! This is wonderful,” she squealed.

“Shhhh! We aren’t telling anybody until after the first trimester, just in case, and I sure don’t need the paparazzi getting wind of this. Keeping Arden calm is already a full-time job in itself.”

“Is she freaking out?”

“Oh yeah! She’s trying to act calm, but that’s for my benefit. She knows I’m worried about her. She’s sick again, but she’s doing better this time. She’s making herself eat and rest. I think she’s in a different mindset than she was last time.”

“What about her work?”

“I don’t really know. I wish she’d forget it all and stay home, but don’t you ever repeat that. I guess we will figure it out later.”

“You can’t be the only one who does what he wants with his life. Don’t try and force her into a perfect little box, Slayde. Let her be herself. If you push her to do what you want, you’re gonna lose her. You hear me?” She grabbed my hand to make sure I was listening.

“Yes, Mom, I hear you. I’d never do that.”

“You better not. Arden is not the kind of girl who would ever be happy sitting around waiting on you to come home, and you knew that when you married her.”

“I know, Mom. OK. Drop it.” I pulled my hand away, sitting up straighter in my seat.

She pointed at me for a second and lowered her voice before saying, “Don’t tell me to drop it, Slayde Price. I know you, and I know how you think. You love her and you want her to be happy, but you hope that will eventually mean her giving in and doing what you want her to. As much as you despise your dad, there’s a little of him in you.”

That really offended me. “That’s bullshit. Look, I’m not going to do that, but I don’t understand why she feels the need to bust her ass when she doesn’t have to. Why doesn’t she want to travel to the sets with me?” That was how I really felt.

Mom smirked and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. “Why don’t you stop making films and stay home with her?”

“Well, that would just be stupid.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“I don’t know. Let’s talk about something else.”

She gave me a dirty look, but she let it go. “What are you going to do about a nanny? You’d be smart to get two.”

“We haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I think you need to move in with us.” I smiled, but I was serious.

“I love you, but I still have my own child to raise. And that’s Arden’s house, not mine. There’s never room for two hens in one henhouse.” She winked at me. I knew she was right. “But I will come stay with you if she wants me to after the babies are born. Has she told her mom?”

“No, why would she do that?”

“She is her mother, Slayde.”

“So? That doesn’t entitle her to anything. Arden doesn’t want anything to do with her,” I snapped at her.

“Maybe not, but don’t discourage it. If she wants her involved, you need to encourage her.”

“Why? So she can just tell Arden she’s too busy for her grandkids? I don’t think so. I won’t discourage her, but I won’t encourage her either.”