Contractual Obligation: The Trilogy (8 page)

Natalie didn’t expect it when the news got bigger. Not only had Kent Davidson been charged with tax evasion, but her period was late. The last few weeks, she did the best she could to soothe Michael. He seemed to be getting a grip on the reality of the controversy. She didn’t
have the heart to tell him yet, because she had no idea what it would mean. It was that stupid second time they made love that night, they went without a condom. She should have known better, and the last thing she needed was to end up pregnant.

For some reason, the news latched on to Kent’s story as they dug into his past. He was fodder for gossip, having been married so many times, and the idea that his first wife died in a boating accident was suddenly seen with suspicion. That was the hardest part for Michael to hear. His father swore it was ruled an accident, but the seed had been planted, and his faith in his father tainted.

It was an accident, Kent swore, but no matter how he said it, he knew his son would always have doubt over the incident. The damn media was tearing into him, leaving nothing but scraps of his life. How they could fling half-truths and total lies was beyond him, and if had the means after he paid back the taxes, he’d go after those bastards for putting his family through this.

His latest wife cut and run, and he could have cared less. He didn’t feel anything for her anyhow. She was just a warm body in his bed and a person to spend his money he no longer had. But Michael – Michael was the one person he did give a damn about, and seeing him hurting so badly was shredding him apart.

Natalie’s possible pregnancy had her reeling. With her period late, she couldn’t fathom what this would mean. First off, she was in no way ready to be a mother, and Michael wasn’t in the position to be a father right now. This wasn’t a child born from love, but one from a lustful moment. She never wanted to think like that, but she couldn’t help herself. And how could she bring a child into this chaos?

She’d have to make a choice, and it would be difficult. Having a baby meant doing the responsible thing, and that meant a peaceful and happy home. She couldn’t let him live in a family that was crumbling and taking everyone down with them. No, she’d have to get out of the contract and raise the child alone. That thought alone overwhelmed her.

Natalie pulled her arms closer to her body, taking a deep breath, realizing the impact this would have on her life. She couldn’t afford a child; she could barely afford to take care of herself. Would she have to go back home – let go of her life here in the city, and admit that she’d failed? She’d do it for her child, to give them a more stable life, but that meant that Michael wouldn’t be in the picture and that wasn’t fair to him either. Would he go with her? Would he start over?

This was crazy. She probably wasn’t even pregnant, and she’d put herself through all this stress for nothing. It would be here soon and life could move forward, though she had no idea what her life would consist of at this point. There was supposed to be an engagement, but she wasn’t doing anything until she found out the truth. She’d put off going to the pharmacy to pick up a pregnancy kit, but today was as good as any other day to find out. She almost didn’t want to know, because it could once again shift her world in ways she wasn’t ready for.

Pulling on her shoes, Natalie headed out the door. She bumped into Mrs. Burton as she was coming home. “Say hi to Emily for me,” she said, and then went on her way. She was relieved she wasn’t responsible for the little cat anymore, but she did enjoy her short time with the kitty. It’s just that she didn’t want somebody, anybody, counting on her every single day. It made her feel caged in. Oh my gosh, if she had a child…she just wasn’t ready. It’s not that she wouldn’t love her baby; she would, she was sure of it, but she didn’t want to have a child this way. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them, her or her baby.

Natalie was lost in thought as she wandered down the aisle of the local pharmacy. She hadn’t expected to see
Victoria there. She hadn’t talked to her much lately, since she wasn’t picking up new jobs, and Victoria wasn’t much of a “do your own errands” kind of girl.

“Victoria?”

“Hey.” They both stood there holding their purchases. “Don’t get too close, I have a cold,” she said, her red nose confirming her statement. She glanced at the box in Natalie’s hands. “Oh.”

Natalie shrugged, embarrassed to be holding it. She could claim it was for somebody else, but she knew she didn’t have many friends to point to. “Yeah, well, here’s hoping it’s negative,” she said.

“Is it his? Oh, that’s wrong. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Natalie didn’t answer. She couldn’t, the tears were welling up. “I’m not ready.”

“It will all work out,” she soothed, and then begged off.

Natalie felt foolish, crying in the aisle with her pregnancy test kit. This wasn’t what she wanted.

As the women went their separate ways, Natalie emotions got the best of her. It’s not like she planned this, and she wasn’t even prepared to be a mother. And Michael had enough crap going on in his life, that he didn’t need the added pressure of this. It was immature of them to skip the condom the second time. Scolding herself, her emotions swirled faster than she could keep up with. It was like somebody was blending the perfect concoction of mess inside of her brain and body.

Natalie stared at the box in her hands and made her way to the check-out counter. Paying for the kit, she carried the bag out of the store, numbness washing through her. Sighing deeply, Natalie was lost in thought as she stumbled through the crowd to make her way home. Should she take the test now, or wait until first thing in the morning? There were two tests in the kit, maybe she’d do both.

How would she tell him? What would she say? The outcome was too much to wrap her head around, and each possibility could change everything.

Biting her lip, Natalie pulled at her collar. It’s like she couldn’t breathe. It was so hot suddenly, and her shirt was smothering her. Tugging at the material, all she wanted to do was cool off and breathe, dammit, just breathe. She self-soothed, trying to calm down, and as she sucked in her cheek, she slowly counted in her brain, forcing herself to focus on calm, basic breathing. Oh my god, just breathe. The darkness was coming at her fast. Natalie stood frozen on the sidewalk, oblivious to the stares as she started to hyperventilate.

“Breathe into this,” a stranger said, having dumped food out of a brown lunch bag and offering her the paper sack.

She heard him and did as he said, but felt like he was in the distance. She was about to drop, pass out right there on the street, and did as he instructed, breathing into the brown paper bag. Slowly her head cleared, and on regaining her composure, she turned to thank the man that had helped her.

“Are you okay, lady?”

She nodded. “I will be.”

“Keep the bag in case you need it again.”

“Thank you
.” And just like that, he was on his way. A random stranger stepping in to save the day, and as he faded into the crowded sidewalk, she wished she’d gotten his name. Standing, looking around, she felt foolish. Rushing back to her apartment with her newly cleared head, she made her way up the stairs. When will that stupid elevator be fixed? She hated climbing so many stairs, especially on a day like today.

Letting herself in, Natalie threw the box on the counter and sat down. Her foot was bouncing, tapping quickly, and twisting a strand of hair around her finger, she stared over at the box. She hated that thing, resented the box, and yet it held all the answers. She didn’t want to know, and yet she needed to. It would predict the future.

Her mouth was dry, and as the feeling overtook her, she stood to get a glass of water. She avoided the box, not wanting to touch it. It was still shoved in the plastic bag, but she knew it was in there, simply waiting to be used, taunting her.

Drinking her water, she stood warily watching the box as if it would do something. Finally finding her courage, she took it out of the bag and read the directions. She knew what to do, but it would delay the inevitable. She could do one today and one first thing in the morning, or maybe she’d just wait until the morning. That probably made better sense. She knew she didn’t have the patience to wait and would be checking one today. She just wasn’t ready yet. Soon, she told herself…soon.

When the moment came, relief washed through her. One down, one to go, and if tomorrow’s was negative too, she’d have her life back. Climbing onto her bed, she smiled, realizing what a close call it was. She wouldn’t make that mistake again…in fact, sex was off the table for now. There was no way she was ready to be a mother. It was painfully clear to her.

Natalie Cooper felt like she’d gotten her life back. Now she had to untangle this mess of a contract if she could. It was foolish to sign those papers, and she just might have a loophole with the mess going on. Sure, Michael would ask her to stay, but she knew this wasn’t going to work out. Now that their lives had stumbled, she had the perfect out. The question was, would he let her go?

The morning offered the same negative results as the day before, and Natalie felt like a free woman. Her step was lighter knowing she’d gotten lucky, fate offering her another chance. There was no way she was messing up again – she just wasn’t ready to be a mother. She was just barely taking care of herself these days. She’d focus on losing those extra pounds that
Victoria would tell her about, and look for more high profile work, maybe even a new agent. She hated that it came down to a few pounds – but if that’s what they wanted, she’d let go of the pasta and bread, and slim down even more. She came to New York to model, and it was damn well time she got better paying gigs – whatever it took.

She had no idea what she was going to say to Michael or how she’d break it to him, but she wanted her life back. The clarity she finally had told her what she needed to know. She needed to find that loophole and take back her life.

Michael’s day could have started better, but it seemed each day was getting worse. At least he still had Natalie. The more he thought about her, the better he felt. She was more than just “some girl” that had signed a contract; he was truly starting to fall for the girl. She was real, sweet, gorgeous, and had a way of making him feel comfortable. They’d found friendship in the process of this journey and he knew that in the next few years, they’d truly be able to rely on each other.

Was it possible he was falling in love with the girl? A small smile spread across his face. She was the only bright spot in his life right now. There was no way he could have planned this. He’d just picked her from a pile of pictures, and yet something felt right. Maybe it was fate, maybe it was meant to be – either way, he was grateful she was still going to stand by his side. He needed her more than ever. He’d been lonely for too long, and with Natalie he knew he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, but she’d think it was some ploy to keep her by his side. He understood the circumstances, but knew his heart had grown when she entered his life.

He was pleasantly surprised when the text came through. “
Can I see you?”
It looked like she was on the same page, and wanted to be around him as much as he wanted to be around her. He was grateful they’d worked it out.

“Late lunch at 2pm,”
he texted back.

“Ok, where?”

“Ramone’s on Fifth, over by the Art Museum?”

“See you then”.

This is good. Michael smiled. Lunch with Natalie was exactly what he needed.

Natalie’s face went slack. She didn’t know how to find the words, what she would say. She had to get them out – tell him she wanted out of the contract. It was the right thing to do. She’d made a mistake, clearly he’d see that. She signed in haste.

Pacing across the floor, she circled one too many times in the small space of her living room. This was nuts. What was she afraid of? Clearly he’d see her point of view, understand she was just a young woman that had made a mistake. He seemed like a level headed guy. Besides, there were hundreds if not thousands of other women who would jump at the chance to be Mrs. Michael Davidson.

Natalie watched the clock as the hours and minutes ticked by painfully slow. One conversation, one horribly awkward conversation, and then it would over. She’d have her life back. He’d release her from the contract on hearing her words, and she’d be free. There was no way he’d hold her to it. She was sure he’d understand. Things had changed.

Deep breaths, she reminded herself, as her pacing quickened. It was only noon and with two more hours to pass, she thought she’d go absolutely crazy if she didn’t do something to pass the time.

She found herself outside of Mrs. Burton’s door, knocking. The woman was pleased to see her. “I was wondering how you were feeling, and how Emily is doing?”

“She’s good, thank you so much. I’m feeling much better too, thank you for asking. Would you like to come in?”

“Sure, just for a short bit.” She knew nothing about the woman, but now was as good of a time as any to get to know her neighbor.

They spoke of Mrs. Burton’s situation, and Natalie admitted she’d grown fond of Emily. The cat was curled up on a windowsill. She missed talking to the cat; maybe because it was one of the only friends she had in the city that she felt she could talk to. She realized she came to see Emily, not Mrs. Burton. She excused herself after a twenty minute chat, saying she had a lunch date to get to.

She’d get there early, but could wander through the park or poke around. There was always something to do.

Natalie braced herself. This wouldn’t be easy, but knew what she was going to say. It was time for her to stand up and steel herself against whatever he may say, because this wasn’t the right choice, and she was ready to undo whatever she could with that stupid contract.

On seeing Michael, her resolve softened. There was something about the man that got to her.
No. No, do not let him get to you. You made a decision and need to stick with it. It’s the right thing to do
.

“Natalie.”
His smile was real and showed genuine sincerity. He was glad to see her. There was warmth in his face, and leaning in, he briefly kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

This wasn’t going to be easy. “Michael, we need to talk.”

“Sure, but first I need to tell you something.” He was almost giddy, realizing he was going to tell her – tell her he was having real feelings for her and wanted her in his life.

“What is it?”

“Let’s get a table first.” He felt lighter on his feet, happier, knowing what was happening. He had genuine feelings for the first time in ages. He couldn’t honestly remember a time when he truly saw a future, but with Natalie, even if it came about in a non-traditional way, he still saw the picture.

After being seated, the couple was ready to delve into the big topic.

“What’s going on? News about your father?”

Michael rolled his eyes. “No, nothing changed there. This is about you and me. I need to talk to you about something.”

Natalie sighed. “I’m glad you brought it up. I’m guessing we’re thinking the same thing. This is the wrong time, it was a mistake…”

“Natalie?” Michael’s head tilted slightly. “Do you really think that?”

Natalie looked down, glancing at the table, not wanting to look him in the eye. Biting her lip, she was almost afraid to look back up, but forced herself. He looked hurt, confused, and sat speechless.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Right.”  Michael flicked at his thumbnail, tracing it with his other thumb. Swallowing hard, he choked back the words he wanted to say – he’d look like a fool. He should tell her, get it out in the open, but the last thing he wanted to do was to pressure her even more. This whole thing stinks, the changes, the challenges, and now this. His father was one thing, but Natalie could be something totally different. He knew there was something there, a real chemistry, not just the forced one because of a piece of paper.

There was silence. Michael cleared his throat. “Natalie, here’s the thing. I’ve developed feelings, real feelings, and I guess I hoped you had too. I get that you want to walk away, but if there’s any way I can convince you to stay... Take the risk, stick by me, and I promise you it will be worth your time. What we have between us, that’s real. I know you have to feel it too.”

She felt guilty wanting to save herself. She walked into this knowing full well she was signing five years of her life to the project, and now she was scrambling like a small, scared child. It wasn’t fair to him, but five years suddenly felt overwhelming with the terms changing. Money would be tight, his father’s image would tarnish their business, and Michael was slowly becoming a different man.

Maybe it scared her a little bit, this man that wanted to feel things. He claimed to suddenly care when he’d only just met her not that long ago. He chose a wife from a stack of pictures, and only wanted somebody to clean up his image. Why was this any different? And yet, she accepted the job, she said yes…and here she was trying to scamper away like a woman with buyer’s remorse, trying to undo the damage.

Confused, she almost hated to admit she had feelings too. She wasn’t exactly sure what those feelings were anymore, but there was something there if she was honest with herself. Only, would it be worth it? Her career would be damaged if she wasn’t working for that long, not that she had a lot of work lining up. On the other hand, if her name was slapped in the paper attached to a falling big business, that could hurt her even more.

Natalie tugged at her collar out of nervous energy. Her fingers moved to her hair, spiraling a strand around one finger and then letting it go. “Michael, I’m not sure what to say.”

“Say you’ll consider this. Give us a chance, a real chance at a true relationship, and I promise you it will be worth your while. I haven’t been drawn to a woman like this in ages. I want this to work, Natalie, truly work out.” Picking up her hand, he stroked her fingers.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “What if I make the wrong choice? I have no idea where my life is headed.”

“I can’t guarantee what will happen, but I’m willing to do everything in my power to make things right.”

Natalie looked down. Michael took it as a sign. “I’m sorry,” he said, placing his head in his hands. It was too late. She was already running scared.

“Michael.” Natalie’s hand smoothed across his shoulder. “I want to. I just don’t know if I can follow through anymore. I don’t mean to let you down. I just have to think about my future.”

“Why can’t I be your future? Put everything else aside, the contract, the charges, the money…what about us?”

Waving away a waiter, they continued their conversation.

“Was there truly ever an “us,” or just a piece of paper that glued us together?”

“That night, that was real. I could see it in your eyes, could feel it in your body.”

Natalie’s cheeks turned a warm crimson. “I did feel something,” she said quietly.

“Don’t walk away. Please, just give us a chance.”

Natalie nodded. She’d given in once again…chosen her heart over her head. Her head was screaming at her, ‘get out of the contract, there’s a loophole
’. But her heart saw the man sitting beside her and everything else melted away.

Nothing else mattered in that moment. Ever since he heard the news about his father, he’d felt nothing but alone in this world. He missed his mother more than ever, a mother he barely even knew. He needed somebody to comfort him, and more than anything, he didn’t want to be alone.

The conversation stopped and started, sputtering, not sure where to go. There was relief mixed with a dose of anxiety, wondering what the future might hold. Michael’s fingers drew lazy circles on Natalie’s palm, and unable to look away from the beauty before him, he knew it would all be okay.

They didn’t intend on going back to her place, but together arm in arm they walked into Natalie’s building knowing what would happen next.

How did she end up here? Wasn’t she going to end it? And yet at this moment she wanted nothing more than to see Michael’s powerful body over her, feel him enter her, and to be a part of his world.