Of Love and Deception (20 page)

~~~

Daniella helped Meg clean up the dinner mess. She rinsed the dishes as Meg loaded them into the dishwasher.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight, Daniella. Are you and Cruz okay?” Meg closed the dishwasher and turned to face her.

Daniella shifted her eyes toward the ground, and her lower lip jutted out. “We’ve been trying to get pregnant, but it’s just not happening.”

“Whoa! Why didn’t you tell me, and how long have you been trying?”

“A good eight months, maybe longer.” Daniella dried her hands and tossed the towel on the counter. “My doctor did a bunch of tests and they were all normal. He recommended some reproductive medicine clinic, but I haven’t called yet.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. Who’s your doctor?”

“Dr. Beaver.”

“Oh, yes. The good looking Dr. Beaver. He refers to our clinic, Daniella. Don’t be so disappointed. Make an appointment with me, or one of our doctors. You do know this is our specialty. Don’t you?” Meg reached an arm around Daniella and pulled her into a hug. “I can almost guarantee we can get you pregnant.”

Daniella pushed away from Meg’s embrace. “Really?”

“Sure can.”

“How would that work out? What would we have to do?”

Meg pointed to the couch. “Sit. I’ll give you as much information I can muster up.”

Meg sat at the computer and printed off some pamphlets. “This is the starting line.” She gathered the papers and took a seat beside Daniella. “Here, take these articles home and read through them. Most of it is on cycling and ovulation. By chance, do you know when your last period was?” Meg asked.

“About three weeks ago… but I’m not certain. My cycles have been erratic. Probably because I want to be pregnant so badly.”

“Why don’t you come in to the clinic this Monday? We can start by doing a full workup on you. A Pap, blood work to check your thyroid and hormone levels, an ultrasound to make sure you don’t have any blockages in your fallopian tubes.”

“Oh, but I had some of that done already.”

“We’ll get those records from Dr. Beaver and run additional testing,” Meg said.

 ”What about Cruz? Shouldn’t he do a sperm test?”

Meg stared at Daniella for a moment, but didn’t answer the question. She was obviously thinking about something, maybe more ideas, Daniella concluded.

“Meg?”

“Well, normally he would have to, but I doubt
he’s
the problem.” Meg stood and walked toward the kitchen.

What the heck is that supposed to mean?
Daniella pushed herself up and walked into the kitchen. Meg stood in front of the window with a glass of wine in her hand. Daniella approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She could see tears gliding down the ridge of her nose. “Meg, what’s wrong?”

“I. Well. I was thinking about something that happened back when I was in high school. Sorry. I didn’t mean to up and leave at the mention of testing Cruz.”

“Something that happened—in high school—does it involve Cruz?”

“Stop.” Meg held up an open hand. “Don’t ask questions, please. Sorry. I’ll tell you… when the time is right.”

“Okay, but I still don’t understand what you said about Cruz and not having to test.”

“Let it go, Daniella. It’s usually the females that have a problem conceiving. That’s what I meant. Cruz will be checked too,
if
necessary.” Meg let out a heavy sigh.

Daniella had unsettled feelings. The evening had gone without a hitch until she’d mentioned she and Cruz were unsuccessfully trying to have a baby. Meg’s attitude changed after that. She hadn’t spoke to her much the rest of the evening.

“Meg, do you mind if I go lay down in the spare bedroom?”

Meg stopped typing and glanced up at Daniella. “No, go ahead,” she said and went back to whatever she was doing on the computer.

The faint sounds of hands hitting a volleyball woke Daniella. She peeked out the window and chuckled at the sight of the competition between Cruz and Falcon. Man against man, diving, darting and jumping… whatever it took to keep from letting the ball fall on their side of the sandy court.

A nagging twist in her stomach had Daniella back in bed. She lay on her side, curled into a ball, rocking herself until the pain eased and she closed her eyes.

A warm finger tracing along her cheek woke Daniella with a start.

“You okay?” Cruz asked.

“Yeah, just a slight gut ache here and there, and I’m kind of tired still.” A faint smile spread across her lips.

Leaning down, Cruz softly kissed her temple and trailed a few more across her forehead. “We can go home, if you want.”

“No, no. I’m fine. Just let me rest a little longer.”

“Alright… if you say so. I’ll be downstairs playing pool with Meg and Falcon. If you’re not awake by the time we’re done, I’ll come wake you when I’m ready to go.” He gave her a brief hug and a peck on the lips.

“Okay. Tell Meg I’m sorry I’m no fun.”
As if she’d been a real joy herself.

Cruz nodded as he left the room.

~~~

Daniella made her way to the basement. She was ready to go home and hoped Cruz would be too. She took the last step and went around the corner where the guys played pool. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of Meg leaning down, her arm over Cruz’s back, her breast practically falling out of her top, as they were both bent over the pool table. Cruz made his next move, oblivious of Daniella standing near the opposite end of the pool table, when he turned right into Meg’s breasts dangling in front of him. Daniella hadn’t expected he’d even look and then blush and smile admirably at what he saw.

“Daniella!” Falcon startled her and drew his arm around her waist. He continued with up and down strokes along her back.

What kind of sick game do they have going on here?
She wiggled, attempting to shrug his hand away.

Cruz took his turn and pocketed his last solid ball then glanced up at Daniella. “Hey, baby. You look tired. Are you ready to go?” He stepped away from the table, away from Meg, who acted as if her little showy display was no big deal. His disapproval of Falcon comforting her was evident when he pushed between them and wrapped her into a tight embrace.

“What’s wrong? You look like you’re mad at me,” Cruz whispered against her ear.

Daniella seethed. Her mood spoiled like rotten eggs and she wanted to fight. “Your eyes practically fell out of their sockets and landed in her cleavage. You might as well have buried your face in there, as close as you were. Mad? No, I’m boiling, Cruz. And… and… I want to slap you so bad!” She hissed.

He snapped her body against his and pressed his lips against her ear. In an angry whisper, he said, “That. Was. Not. My. Fault! I turned my head, and there they were. Yeah, my eyes were shocked, but not the way you described it. Now stop overreacting and let it go.” He released her and headed toward the steps.

“Everything okay?” Meg feigned concern.

When Daniella didn’t answer, but only moved past Cruz to leave, Cruz piped up. “Daniella’s not feeling well, but she’ll be fine. Thanks for the wonderful evening and we’ll do it again—at our house next.”

Okay, so maybe I was overreacting. No. Meg was certainly exposing her breasts to my husband. But maybe he smiled out of embarrassment.

Cruz caught her halfway up the steps, halted her by reaching his arms around her waist, and pulled her back into his chest. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, “Let’s go home and practice making babies.”

Daniella’s tummy tingled at his words. She had overreacted. Better to excuse the incident and take Cruz up on his offer.

16 - Trickery

Meg called several times coercing Daniella and Cruz to get their butts into the clinic. Daniella concluded Meg really was a great friend, even if she was a little too flippant, and flirty, and not just with Cruz, but any hot man that crossed her path. Falcon didn’t seem to have a problem with it, so why not?

They took that final step. Cruz did his part by giving his sample to the sperm bank while Daniella had a full workup: urine, blood, hormones, and an ultrasound of her ovaries.

At a follow-up appointment, Meg informed Daniella that all of her blood tests were normal and Cruz’s sperm count came back slightly low, but with artificial insemination by use of inserting a catheter into her cervix, she was certain they’d achieve pregnancy. Daniella and Cruz agreed to the procedure, and the date was set. Cruz had an upcoming business trip so they scheduled the procedure to be done in seven weeks.

Before they left the clinic, Meg supplied Daniella with a bag full of pregnancy tests. “They’re freebees. It’ll keep you out of the pharmacy and save you a few bucks,” Meg said. It was a kind gesture and Daniella vowed to use every one of those pregnancy tests
before
the procedure.

“Thanks, Meg. You’ve been so wonderful, and I’m thankful to have such a great friend.”

Meg stepped forward and embraced Daniella in a hug. “Friends. No, you’re more like the sister I never had. And… well, I love you and your husband very, very much.”

Daniella tensed.

“Oh, Daniella! Relax. You take things out of context. I love Cruz like the brother I never had. And yeah, I do like flirting with him, but it’s all in fun. If I’ve been a bitch before, it was only because I felt like you were stealing my best friend, my brother, away from me. I’m so over that and I totally love you both.” Meg squeezed her tighter.

“Aw, thank you. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and the love. I needed that. And… uh, I can hardly breathe so can you… uh… lighten up?”

Meg released her and they both chuckled.

~~~

Recalling her earlier conversation with Meg, Daniella decided she needed take advantage of a certain someone. She shed her clothing and slipped into a blue satin babydoll with a deep V cut down the front. The black silk ribbons tied in the center kept her breasts from spilling out. She felt sexy and naughty when she slid comfortably in bed
without
any panties. She leaned against the headboard and dove into the romance novel she started earlier. She was getting all hot and tingly reading a deliciously dirty part of the novel when the swishing sound of the bathroom door opened and interrupted her fantasy. She peeked over the book to catch a glimpse of Cruz wearing nothing but a towel wrapped low around his hips. She dragged her eyes over the fine definition of his lower abdomen, along his chest, shoulders, neck, jaw, his slightly parted lips and then clicked on his hooded eyes.

His towel slowly parted as he shimmied toward the bed. It disappeared when he slid in next to her. The book slipped out of her hand when his warm hands greeted the flesh of her belly. He slowly untied the bow, lifted the blue silk over her head and tossed it to the floor.

“Damn, Daniella,” he said at the same time he cupped the naked flesh between her thighs. He rolled her on her side. He pressed the warmth of his body tight against her backside, hooked his arm under her thigh and entered her from behind.

“You’re so we—Damn this feels good,” he whispered in her ear.

“D-Don’t stop… you… Mm.” She hooked her hands behind his neck.

He drove his thrust deeper and deeper. His movements turned aggressive when she tightened, panted and… “Oh… gawd… don’t ssttop.” She gasped. “Oh, don’t stop… keep… oh, right there, right—huh, huh—” He pulled her head back and kissed her deep and hard, keeping her from crying out as he slammed into her over and over, until their bodies shuddered in a state of bliss.

~~~

Organizing the drawer in her nightstand, Daniella picked up the scandalous novel she had been reading four weeks ago. “Four weeks!” She shook her head in disbelief. She dropped the novel into the drawer and closed it. There was no way she’d be able to read it and resist the urge to strip Cruz bare and have her way with him. Not such a good idea at the moment, not when he was crabby… the same as he’d always been the day before he had to leave for a business trip. She cringed knowing he would leave in the morning and she’d be alone for three weeks.

The distress over being without Cruz for an extended period took its toll. By the time evening rolled around, long after they’d eaten dinner, Daniella developed a stomach ache. It clenched and churned and beads of sweat laced her forehead.

It was building, the liquid and then the urge—  “I’m gonna… oh!” Daniella shot out of her chair and rushed toward the bathroom. “Gaaaa… Uhhhhh…” She threw up.

“Jesus, Daniella. Are you alright?” Cruz turned on the faucet and wetted some hand towels. Brushing her hair off to the side, he placed a cool cloth over the nape of her neck and dabbed her forehead with another.

“I’m okay. Just stressed to the point of… well, puking.” She grabbed a handful of toilet paper and blew her nose and then flushed the toilet before the sight of her upchuck would cause her to puke again.

Cruz scooped her up and carried her into their bedroom. After setting her down, she brushed her teeth, stripped, put on a t-shirt and slipped into bed next to Cruz.

He massaged her shoulders and encouraged her to relax.

“Mm,” she moaned. “Who’s going to make me feel better when you leave? And why does it have to be for three weeks?”

He nibbled along her neck and mumbled, “Hm. I’ll call every night, love. There’s a lot involved in zoning and constructing a new business mall. My father can’t be there, which leaves it in my hands.”

“I’ll never get used to this. You being away… But I do like the massages you give me. Mm… you’re making me… sleepy.”

“Come here,” he said and rolled her onto her side. The heat of his body against her back and the way he lightly dragged his fingers up and down her side lulled her to sleep.

~~~

Morning came and went, and so did Cruz. The house was too quiet, and the week dragged on and on! She wondered what her problem was anyway. It wasn’t as if Cruz had never been out of town on business before. Well, maybe not for three weeks, but still! This was pathetic.

Daniella’s cell phone rang and startled her. “Crap!” She patted her chest to calm her racing heart.

“Hello?”

“Hey, hey. What are you up to?”

“Who wants to know?”

“It’s me, Meg. Can’t you distinguish my voice by now?”

“Oh, sorry. The number didn’t register under your name. It came up as unknown.”

“I misplaced my cell phone so I’ve got a new one with a different provider. I’m going to use this one for friends and family.”

Daniella’s head started swooshing and saliva filled her mouth. She was going to get sick. “I see. Can I call you back? I’m kind of nauseated right now.”

“You’re not—”

“No! I wish, but no. I used one of the pregnancy tests you gave me and it was negative. I… I’ve gotta go!” Daniella threw her phone down and ran into the bathroom. She heaved a few times and rested her head on the edge of the tub for a few minutes before she felt better.

After she took a shower and readied herself for bed, she ate a small dinner and was about to curl up on the couch to finish reading her spicy romance novel when the doorbell rang. It rang several more times before Daniella made it to the door.

“Geez, Meg. Give me a minute to get to the door next time, will you?”

“I had to make sure you were okay,” Meg said and wrapped her in a hug.

“I’m fine. I think with all the stress over trying to get pregnant and Cruz being away is messing with my stomach. But I’m fine now.”

Meg shook her head and waggled a finger at her. “Well, when was your last period?”

“Um… Gosh. I know this will sound stupid, but I haven’t been keeping track. It was too discouraging, and I’m always late. Maybe three or four weeks ago… no maybe five… no, no. Well, honestly! I don’t know, but I’m positive I’m not pregnant. I did a pregnancy test—a great doctor gave me a bunch of freebies—of course, it was negative. It’s been about four weeks since Cruz and I… well, you know.”

“Oh? Well then, I’ve just the recipe to get you out of your slump. And I won’t take no for an answer. You’re going to meet me downtown at the Hilton tomorrow evening.”

“The Hilton… as in hotel… Hilton?”

“Yes,
the
Hilton
Hotel.
I’ve got a room for the night and after I’ve done my business, it’s all pleasure.” Meg smiled mischievously.

She’s up to something.

“Um… why are you renting a hotel room… for business?”

“Oh, honey! You say that accusingly.”

“What?”

“Daniella. I have a business conference there. Nothing more. I thought I’d take advantage of the pool and amenities offered, including a free room for the night. Tomorrow
is
Friday, so you’ll meet me there after you get off work, and bring your swimming suit.” She glanced at her watch. “Shoot. I’ve got to go.”

“But—”

“Daniella! No excuses.”

“Meg, I—”

“Hush! I’ve got something really, really important to tell you so be there,” Meg said as she  jogged out the door.”

“Ug! Leave it to Meg to take charge. Oh well. I need to get out anyway,” Daniella mumbled.

~~~

The following morning, Daniella woke with a headache and a queasy stomach. After she showered and readied herself for work, she grabbed some saltines and a bottle of Coke; the combination seemed to settle her stomach. She packed a small bag, including her swimming suit. Her cell phone was vibrating on the counter. A text from… she remembered Meg had a new number and opened the text.

Meg:
Hey, babe. Your hotel key is taped on your front door… Just come on in. Tonight’s gonna be a good time. A really good time. You’re all mine. Damn. I’ve got a boner already! Ha-ha.

“What the hell, Meg!”

Daniella:
Really? Since when am I your ‘babe’? And I didn’t know you were capable of popping a boner! I think I’m afraid… really, REALLY afraid!

Meg:
Tonight you’re my babe :}. And darlin’, I’m warnin’ ya, I’m a gonna be poking and probing you all night long. Ahhhhhh!

Daniella:
I’ve never seen this side of you. Dang! You’re dirty!

Meg:
You have no idea just how dirty! Love ya. Can’t wait. Gotta work now.

“What a freak!” Daniella snagged the envelope off the door and headed to work.

~~~

The day dragged on and on. The few times Daniella cradled her head in her hand, she dozed off and then woke with a start when her head slid off her open palm. Cruz had only been gone for five days. Was she really losing that much sleep? What would she do for the next two weeks? She’d be a damn zombie by the time he returned.

“Knock, knock! It’s five o’clock.” Lori smirked. “Hey that rhymed. Call me this weekend. I’ll tell you how my hot date goes tonight.”

“Oh? Who’s the lucky man?”

Lori sniggered. “Someone I met at the grocery store. Tall, dark and handsome! He was reaching for a large cucumber that I was just about to grab, and I held one end while he had the other. And then I stroked my hand down toward—”

“Lori! No more details, please.”

“Psh! You’re no fun. Anywho. I’ve gotta fly.”

“Call me tomorrow.” Daniella shook her head. She cleaned off her desk, grabbed her purse and headed to the hotel.

 The cool air and a hint of chlorine perked Daniella’s mood and she could almost feel the heat of the hot tub relaxing her aching muscles. She was a little giddy riding the elevator and wondered if Meg was still at the conference or waiting for her in the room.

“Hello? Meg?” Daniella called as she entered the… “Honeymoon suite? Really? Wow.” She sniffed, trying to determine the scent lingering in the room. It smelled musty mixed with cologne.
Ick.

The suite was devoid of Meg. Daniella tossed her bag on the heart shaped bed, dug out her swimsuit, removed her rings and then her work attire, replacing it with her bikini and cover-up. She waited for fifteen minutes. She was just about to text Meg when she noticed a note taped on the table.

Don’t wait up for me. I’ll meet you in the hot tub around 7:15.

“Great!” Daniella grabbed her towel and headed to the pool. When she stepped into the humid room, she immediately sunk into the heated bubbling water of the jacuzzi. With her head dropped back, arms stretched out along the edge, legs practically floating, she fell asleep waiting for Meg.

“Wake up!”

The pitch of Meg’s voice startled her. “Did you have to do that? I could have fell in and choked on foamy bubbles and died of a heart attack.”

“Oh, pu-lease! Okay, so I have some news to share with you.”

“Must be good. You look…”
Like you’ve just been fu
— “Excited
.
” The smell rolling off Meg was the same scent of the room, musty mixed with male cologne. She shot Meg a cheeky smile.

Meg slid into the water, scanned the area, and then scooted closer to Daniella. “Maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

“No, don’t do that. Tell me. What is it?”

Meg sighed. “Well. I don’t want to upset you because you’ve been trying so hard.”

“Meg. I can handle—” In a fit of… excitement, Daniella reached for Meg’s hand. “Are… are
you
pregnant?”

Meg nodded.

“That’s fantastic! How far along are you?”

“About two or three weeks. But, Daniella,” Meg paused and glanced into her eyes. “Don’t say anything to anyone. Not even Cruz, okay?”

Unsure of why Meg didn’t want anyone to know, Daniella could only blink in dismay. “I won’t say anything, but can I ask why?”

“Remember when you told me you were having problems getting pregnant?”

“Yeah.”

“And I got upset when you were asking about Cruz needing to be tested?”

“Yee-ah.”

“It wasn’t that you asked about him getting tested. I was upset over something that happened back in high school. A certain someone got me pregnant, and then had the audacity to tell me he could never have kids.” Meg turned toward the window.