people!” I drop my voice to a whisper. “What do you mean someone is watching us?” I peek over to what would have been my two o’clock to see the SUV in question. The man is staring right at us.
“You’re dressed like bank robbers and standing outside of Ethan King’s building. Of course someone is watching you.”
“Wait. You know Ethan? The baby daddy?” Mia leans forward to look at Smith.
It dawns on me that I do, in fact, have a baby daddy. I never thought about having a child before, really. I’ve only ever been looking for security for myself. Now I have this baby growing inside of me that I will make sure is safe, too. I don’t want a baby daddy, I want a husband. I hope that my baby will have both parents. I didn’t have either of them growing up.
“Hush! You just told my secret.” I glare at her. I'm not really getting mad at her because I know she’s frustrated about all of this. My life is a mess but I wouldn’t change being pregnant. I want this child.
“It’s a secret?” Her eyes go round. I can see the instant guilt on her face.
“I guess not. I don’t know.” I throw my hands up. Then it hits me. If someone is watching us they will most likely tell Ethan if this is his building. “How does a bartender own a building?”
“Ethan King owns King hotels,” Smith informs us. Now it’s my turn for my eyes to go round. What the hell? That’s one of the biggest and nicest hotel chains in the world. He and I went to one that night. No wonder he was given a key to a room so quickly. I hadn’t exactly been paying attention to the minor details that night when I had Ethan to concentrate on.
“Then why would he bartend?” I shake my head. “You must have him mixed up with someone,” I try to reason with Smith.
“He is also a silent partner in half a dozen clubs that his brother owns and runs. You ladies spent Mia’s bachelorette party at one.”
I stand there trying to process what Smith is telling me. “I don’t date rich men anymore,” I mumble.
“Since when?” Mia scrunches her nose.
“Since I told myself that I want love.” I drop down onto the bench we have been trying to hide behind. Mia sits down next to me.
“Smith, girl talk.” She motions for him to move again. He takes about three steps away from us like that really makes a difference.
“I don’t know what I want anymore. How can my life be such a mess? I'm having a baby. I need to get my shit together, Mia. I have someone else to think about besides myself.”
“Don’t do that.” Mia bumps her shoulder with mine.
“Why did you go for Ethan that night?”
I lick my lips, thinking about that night. Thinking about how sexy he was, how something had drawn me to him as though I was meant to be his.
“He was different than my normal. I needed something different.”
“Yeah you did. Rich assholes are wearing.”
I snort a small laugh. “I thought if I could find him that maybe he and I could work something out. We could get to know each other, maybe eventually fall for one another.” I worry my lip between my teeth. To be honest, I think I might already be there but I’m hoping he will be, too, one day. Mia waits for me to continue knowing I’m still working through this in my own head. It's how I operate. I need time to process and form plans of attack.
“I was liking the idea of him being a normal guy since deep down inside I am a normal girl. Now I come to find out that he’s one of them. The kind of guy I told myself I was staying away from now.” Of course he is. Life is throwing me one curveball after another. I’ll start to think that I have it together and with a flip of a switch I am back to square one.
“I hate to break it to you, Amelia, but you’re far from normal.” I laugh because she’s right. I never do anything the easy way. The stolen license that’s in my pocket is strong proof of this. “How about you stop worrying about all the social things and concentrate on telling him that he’s going to be a father?”
I nod, knowing she’s right. The baby comes first