Authors: Ella Celestine
Melanie was stuffed. The food had been spectacular, the decorations quaint, but elegant and the staff sweet and considerate. She hadn’t felt sick even for a moment. It was a nice change of pace from the last few days and made her feel back to normal.
She was almost positive she’d talked Kian’s ear off, but she couldn’t seem to stop once she started. He seemed to hang on her every word. Melanie didn’t want to think about their being anything there more than the surface friendliness. Still, she was almost hoping there would be. It couldn’t hurt, right? If it was just for a little while.
Melanie couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to date her knowing that she was pregnant. That was a big responsibility, one that not many people seemed to want in the modern age. That was clear by the fact that she even had to visit a sperm bank in the first place. Her hand ran over her belly subconsciously. When she realized what she was doing, she quickly took her hand away.
She’d been in her own little world so much that she zoned out of the conversation for a minute. When she came back to, Kian was pointing to a shop. Gazing up, she nodded. It was just what she needed to take her mind off of things.
The ice cream parlor was done in the style of an old soda shop. There was a turquoise and white striped wallpaper on the walls and an old time cash register next to a tablet to take payments. The seating was cozy, black leather seats and soft, fifties tunes piped through the stereo.
Melanie had only been inside of the shop once before, but normally she worked so late that it was impossible to go after work. It didn’t help that most of her lunch times were spent at her desk, eating out of a container or Styrofoam box. The man behind the counter smiled as they placed their orders.
Kian ordered a double chocolate Sundae, which almost made Melanie gag. She hated chocolate, never touched it unless she’d had an especially bad day and a little dark chocolate could be her pick me up. Instead, she opted for a cookies and cream bowl with extra whipped cream and nuts. They carried their treats over to a booth before they both dug into their bowls.
“Oh my god,” Melanie said around a mouthful of ice cream. “This is amazing.”
“You’re right,” Kian said, diving in for another bite. “I haven’t had ice cream in a long time.”
Melanie couldn’t help but to grin at him. The look on his face was pure bliss. She could almost imagine him as a small child, smiling happily at a treat. Biting into her lip, she stifled a laugh.
As happy as she was, she wondered what she was doing too. She didn’t have time to date, didn’t have time for men. Her career meant everything and seven months later, her baby would be the most important person in her life. Still, she didn’t find herself walking away.
Kian was too likeable, to cheerful and caring. She found herself wanting to spend more time around him.
No, this is just one day. All I need is one day like this, one day of company. Tomorrow I have to get back to my responsibilities.
She pushed those thoughts away. For the moment being, she just wanted to talk to him, see him smile and watch him devour his ice cream. He looked up at her just then, the spoon poised in his mouth still.
“Is there something on my face?” He mumbled around the spoon.
Melanie chuckled. “No. You just seem like you’re really enjoying yourself.”
“I am,” Kian smiled. “I know this is kind of quick…”
“You’re madly in love with me and want to run off to Vegas to get married?”
Kian shook his head quickly. “Nothing that creepy.”
Melanie laughed. “What is it?”
“I’ve enjoyed my day with you,” he said, gazing at her softly.
She swallowed thickly. It was all she could do to choke out words. “Yeah? I’ve enjoyed it too.”
“I want to take you out. Tomorrow night, how’s that sound?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Melanie said quietly. She stared down at her dessert. “It might not be such a good idea.”
“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” Kian added quickly, a warm smile on his lips. “I just really enjoyed talking to you and I want to do it again.”
Melanie bit her lip. There was a war waging in her head between “absolutely not” and “I really want to go out with him.” Didn’t she deserve this? She’d worked her ass off for years and seldom had time for a relaxing time. Besides, it didn’t have to be permanent, she reminded herself again. Maybe just a nice night out was exactly what she needed.
Finally, she talked herself into it and nodded. Kian’s grin widened. Melanie could feel her cheeks getting hot under his gaze. She couldn’t understand why he was having such an effect on her. Maybe it was those green eyes or the way his smile was both sweet and slightly mischievous. Or maybe it was the cut of his muscles just detectable beneath his shirt. She wondered how they would feel beneath her fingertips…
Melanie shook herself out of it. Kian was raising an eyebrow at her, but she laughed it off and went back to finishing her now softened ice cream. By the time they were done, she was feeling all, giddy and a little hopeful.
“Thanks,” she said as she stood outside of her car. “It’s been a really fun day.”
“No problem. I had a great time talking to you.”
They both stood there for a moment grinning like fools before Kian finally walked away. She watched him go until he slipped into his car and she quickly scrambled into hers so it wouldn’t look like she’d been staring. Once she was inside, she started the car, but paused. Melanie took a deep breath before she smiled. Everything was going to be fine. She hoped.
“What the hell do you mean you’re going on a date with her?” Jack yelled.
His voice was so loud that it cut into the conversations around them. A couple of patrons that sat next to them at the bar glanced in their direction before returning to their drinks. Kian sighed.
“Would you calm down?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just a little testy because my best friend has lost his damn mind. Did you tell her how you just happened to bump into her?”
Kian shook his head. “How was I supposed to tell her that?” Kian threw back a swig of the bourbon, appreciating the warm burn as it traveled down his throat. “ ‘Hey, I bribed your file and now I’m pretty much stalking you because you’re pregnant with my child. Nice to meet you!’”
“It would have been the truth,” Jack grumbled as he took a drink.
They were both silent for a long time, their eyes on the big screen showing a football game that neither of them were actually paying attention to. Jack’s suit jacket was open, his tie loosened and shirt untucked. His naturally red hair was messy and there were circles under his eyes. Kian knew he had a lot on his mind and he wasn’t helping, but what was he supposed to do.
“All you had to do was say no,” Jack said as though he’d read Kian’s mind. “All you had to do was what I’m about to do. Pay her an absurd amount of money and make up a contract so that she or the kid will never contact you again.”
“You can do that?” Kian asked, his voice tight.
“It’s legal,” Jack said defensively.
“That’s not what I meant,” he sighed, draining his cup before motioning for another. “I mean, you can live knowing that you have kids out there that you’ll never see, that you’ll never know and who’ll be denied the right to try and know you?”
Jack shrugged. “That’s not my problem. I didn’t tell her to use my junk to get pregnant.”
Kian shook his head. “I just don’t know if I can do that.”
Jack turned to him, his eyes slightly glazed from the alcohol flowing through his veins. “And what if she wants nothing to do with
you
? What if she doesn’t want you to have anything to do with the kid?”
Kian hadn’t thought about that. He was silent for a moment as he took another drink. What if she didn’t want him around? After all, she was a successful, intelligent, beautiful woman. If she was having a baby by herself, maybe she didn’t want anyone else around to interfere.
Groaning, Kian buried his face in his hands. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He’d never meant for things to go so far. Now, he was supposed to take her out. He pushed the empty glass away from him before he massaged his temples.
“You know, I was pretty good until you came around,” Kian grumbled.
“You’re just mad because I make sense,” Jack slapped him on the back. “You’ll get over it.”
Kian shook his head. “I really like her though. Why couldn’t I have run into her before the pregnancy? We must have crossed paths at least once before.”
Jack scoffed. “Well, last time I checked, life isn’t fair.”
Kian sighed. He was tired of listening to Jack wallow in his own misery. He clapped the man on the back before he stood. Digging out his phone, he made a quick call before he tossed money down on the bar.
“I need to head home. Long day tomorrow.”
“And a date,” Jack reminded him.
Kian rolled his eyes. “Let it go. I’ll talk to you later.”
~
He left the bar with Jack still mumbling in the background. Kian was aware that it was mostly because of the amount that Jack had been drinking that he was being so annoying, but it still didn’t make him any less irritated. Stepping outside, he glanced up and down the street. As he did, a black car pulled up in front of where he stood.
Kian climbed into the back of the car and buckled up. He nodded to the driver before the car began to slide down the streets smoothly. Sighing, he glanced down at his phone, squinting as the letters blurred together for a moment.
I forgot to give you my address. Have a good night. :)
It was short and sweet, but knowing that Melanie was thinking about him made him grin. He ran his thumbs over the screen of his phone, unsure of how to reply. FInally, he decided to simply tell her goodnight and that he’d pick her up at eight. The grin wouldn’t leave his lips for the entire ride back home.
Maybe what he was doing was crazy, but he had to go for it. After all, he hadn’t gotten to where he was now by not taking chances. If things didn’t work out, fine. If they did, then he would be glad he actually went through with this.
By the time Kian stumbled through his front door, he felt lighter. He kicked off his shoes, tugged his shirt over his head and settled down on the couch. There was no way he was going to make it upstairs, that was for sure. Reaching over to the neatly arranged coffee table, he pulled the remote to him and flipped on the tv. A plan to impress Melanie was already forming in his head as he began to drift off. He just hoped she would like it.
“That makes no sense.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. Her sister, Tara, had been over for the last few hours explaining in explicit detail why she was an idiot. Melanie closed her eyes, her fists clenched as she took deep, slow, breaths. For the first time in a long time, she wished there was a drink in her hands.
“I told you,” Melanie said tightly, “I can’t tell him yet.”
“He’s going to figure it out eventually.”
She sighed. “Look, it’s not even a date. We’re just going to hang out, enjoy each other’s company.”
Tara laughed. “Oh really? Who’s paying for this, hmm?”
“I’m sure both of us,” Melanie retorted, pushing her sister's feet off of the coffee table so she could walk past her. “You’re beginning to sound like mom.”
Tara gasped. “Take that back!”
“Nope,” Melanie called from the kitchen as she dug through the fridge. “It’s the truth and you’re just gonna have to deal with it.”
She could hear the sound of footsteps entering the kitchen, but she ignored them. Pushing aside various take out boxes, Melanie looked for something to snack on. Cooking had never been her strong suit, but she was sick of meals that went home in boxes and she didn’t feel like listening to her mom grumble if she went over for food.
“Take out it is, I guess,” she sighed as she went through the takeout menu drawer, shifting dozens of brightly colored flyers out of her way.
“Melanie, be serious for a minute,” Tara said, tired of waiting for Melanie to acknowledge her. “I can’t understand why you won’t just tell him.”
Melanie shrugged. She pretended to be engrossed in the lettering of the menus. “I guess I don’t want to scare him off.”
“That’s stupid. If he runs off because you’re pregnant, then you’re obviously better off without him. If he stays, then you can move forward without having to worry about the future.”
Melanie didn’t respond as she pulled out her phone. She started typing in the number to a vegetarian place that wasn’t far, Veggie Table. At least they would have some good food that shouldn’t help in making her sick in the morning. Tara sighed, disappearing out of the kitchen.
With a sigh, Melanie lowered the menu. Okay, so maybe her sister was right, but she wasn’t going to admit that. Tara was the oldest and she’d always bossed Melanie around and told her what to do. Besides, Melanie argued with herself, she wasn’t the one that had to go through this. She bit her lip. Tara would get over it.
Melanie ran a hand over her belly. It was hard to believe that there was already life growing inside of her, especially when there was no kicking, no rounding of her belly, no physical signs at all, except making her sick. She patted her belly gently.
“We’ll figure something out.”
“Tara?” She called as she leaned back to glance into the living room. Tara was sitting on the couch, her feet propped up on the table once more as she stared at the tv. Her mouth was in a straight line, arms folded over her chest and her eyes narrowed at the screen. “Tara!”
“What?” She responded, barely audible over the sound of applause and laughter.
“Are you hungry?”
There was a long pause. Melanie grinned. She knew her sister well enough to know that she was contemplating whether or not to respond, but she was also fighting against her constant need to eat. For once, Melanie was happy to be the one without the high metabolism.
“What are you ordering?”
Grinning, Melanie popped into the living room. “Vegetarian. They have a black bean “burger” that’s amazing.”
Tara shuddered. “Unless they serve steak, I’ll pass. I think I’ll order some Chinese food.”
Melanie’s stomach rumbled at the mention of Chinese. “No baby,” she said to her belly. “You’re supposed to want healthy, wholesome foods. Not sesame seed chicken and fried rice.”
“Well, he or she is your child. They were bound to be junk food connoisseurs.”
Melanie shook her head. She grabbed the Chinese food menu before she settled onto the couch next to her sister. Tara turned down the tv as they browsed through the different combos. Finally, the decided on what they wanted and Tara called in the order.
By the time it arrived, they were both ravenous. They ate in relative silence, only laughing or making a comment every once in awhile as they watched a reality tv show. Melanie never cared for the junk, but after she’d already irritated her sister for the night, she wasn’t going to argue with her about it.
“I’m stuffed,” Tara groaned as she pushed away the takeout box still filled with Lo Mein. “Why did we order so much food?”
“Our eyes are too big for our stomachs,” Melanie moaned. She reached into her purse, popped an antacid and curled up. “Hey,” she said, making Tara turn at the seriousness in her voice. “I know you don’t think so, but I’m glad that you were trying to give me good advice. Thanks.”
Tara smiled before she pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry I was so pissed off. Look, it’s your body, your baby, your date. Do what you want to do, but just be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Melanie grinned. “Thanks, but it’s not a date.”
“It’s definitely a date.”
Laughing, Melanie picked up a nearby pillow and launched it at Tara’s head. Her sister was already up and running. She dodged the pillow easily before she disappeared into Melanie’s bathroom.
Shaking her head, Melanie pulled her phone and bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if she should text him, they’d just seen each other earlier. Lifting her head up, she typed out a quick message and hit the send button before she could change her mind. When he responded, she found herself grinning wide. At that moment, she was absolutely sure that Kian was going to be trouble.