But in the office, I feel more relaxed with him gone.
I finish typing a very dry, professional email to my handsome man with the completed requests he sent me this morning, expecting to receive an email back with more revisions and requests.
Meanwhile, I pick up my iPhone and send him a sexy, non-professional text.
Hey, handsome. Did you land safely? Would have loved to join the mile-high club with you today.
I turn my attention back to a report I’m working on when my phone chirps with a response.
Arrived safely, baby. Wish you were here. We will take a trip soon. I promise.
I like the sound of that.
It’s a date. Be safe, I’ll talk to you tonight. xo
His response is a simple xo.
When did I turn into such a sap? I miss him already.
There’s a knock on my door and Carly Lennox breezes into my office, leaving the door open behind her, thank goodness. She’s dressed in a black suit with the skirt too short and white shirt unbuttoned too low for my taste. This is an office, not a club.
“Hi, Jules,” she purrs.
“Carly. What can I do for you?” What the fuck does this bitch want?
“Well, I could use some help with an account today. I’m trying to get some work done early because I don’t want to work late. I have a date, and I figured, us girls have to stick together.” She smiles sweetly but her eyes are shrewd.
I don’t trust this woman, but I’m curious what her game is. She hates me. So I decide to play along.
“You have a date? That’s great. Anyone I know?” I paste on the smile I use for people who recognize me from the magazine; sassy and completely fake.
“Well, don’t tell anyone,” she lowers her voice to a whisper and leans down like we’re old friends sharing a secret. “but I’ve been seeing Nate. He’s taking me out to dinner and dancing tonight.”
I want to laugh. I really do. But I give an award-winning performance, frowning with fake concern.
“Oh, Carly, he must not have thought to call you this morning. He had to go to New York on business. He’s going to be gone for a while.” I’m deliberately vague on the timeline, interested to see her reaction.
I’m not disappointed.
She blushes scarlet and her smile disappears for just a second as she processes the information, then her fake smile is back. “Oh, I haven’t checked my messages this morning.” Her phone chirps from inside her suit jacket pocket, and she pulls it out to check a text message. “Oh, there he is now! Looks like an itinerary for New York. I guess I’ll be joining him.” She smiles sweetly. “Never mind. See ya!”
She waves and hurries out of my office and I’m struck dumb. Carly is going to New York? She’s not even on his team. If he needs help, I should be the one to join him.
Maybe he sent for her because he knows that I have to be here in case Natalie goes into labor?
And what in the hell is up with Carly wanting me to think she’s dating Nate? There’s no way she could possibly know that he’s been seeing me, every day, for the past week and a half. She knows about the no fraternization policy here, it’s drilled into us during orientation. Why would she tell me, the one person she hates here, that she’s dating a partner when she knows I could get her fired with that information?
Either she’s really stupid, which I know she’s not, or she’s setting me up for something.
I reach for my desk phone to call Nate and ask him about Carly when my iPhone begins ringing on my desk. I frown at Luke’s name on the display.
“Hi, Luke.”
“My water’s wife broke!” he yells into the phone.
Ohmygod!
“You mean your wife’s water broke?”
“That’s what I said, Jules! Her water broke!” He’s frantic. Poor, poor Luke. I grab my purse out of my desk and lock it up, gather my coat and make a beeline out of my office. I’ll call Mrs. Glover from the car.
“I’m on my way. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
“Okay. Okay. Are you okay, baby?” I can hear Natalie’s calm voice in the background.
“I’m fine. Calm down.”
“I’m calm. I’m calm.” Christ, he keeps repeating everything. He’s not calm.
“Luke,” I say in the most soothing voice I have. “She’s fine. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
He takes a deep breath, and his voice is more normal when he says, “Okay, we’re on the way.”
I hang up, grab my jacket, purse, phone and briefcase and make a beeline for the elevator. Once in my car, I realize that I didn’t send that last report to Nate, and I forgot to shut my computer down. I call Mrs. Glover quickly, but get her voice mail.
“Mrs. Glover, this is Jules. I’ve had to leave abruptly due to a family emergency, but I forgot to send Nate the report he copied you in on in his email this morning. Would you please finish the email at my desk and then lock my computer and text me when you’re finished? I appreciate it.”
I hang up, throw my phone in my handbag, and concentrate on getting to my best friend.
***
“Just breathe.” Natalie’s hand is gripping mine with a strength I didn’t know she had. Jesus, is she a construction worker or something? She’s going to tear my hand off at the wrist. “Breathe, honey.”
I cringe as she breathes through the pain. The contractions are coming harder and faster, finally. We’ve been here for about seven hours, and her labor stopped progressing after about two hours.
Luke is in the waiting room updating his and my parents, and they’re calling all the siblings, keeping everyone up to date on Natalie’s status.
“Okay, it’s gone,” she whispers and takes a deep breath.
“You’re doing great.” I say as supportively as I can muster. I’m scared to death.
“This fucking hurts, Jules. Don’t ever do this to yourself. Really.”
“It’ll be worth it when Olivia’s here.” I smooth her dark hair off her face and wipe her forehead with a cool washcloth. Her beautiful face transforms into a wide grin at the mention of her daughter’s name.
“We get to hold her today.” We both turn our heads toward the monitor that is keeping track of Nat’s contractions. The line starts to go up again and Natalie grips my hand again and begins to breathe.
“Oh, Jesus, Jules.”
“Breathe, sweetie.” I start to breathe with her and she laughs.
“You’re going to hyperventilate.”
“No I’m not. Breathe with me.” Where the fuck is Luke?
“Hi, Mrs. Williams. I’m Ashlynn, your evening nurse. I’m taking over for the night. Let’s check you real quick to see how you’re progressing, okay?”
Natalie’s contraction eases and she smiles and the pretty nurse. “Okay.”
Ashlynn pushes her hand into a glove, then shoves her hand up Natalie’s crotch. Jesus!
“I usually require someone to buy me dinner before they can do that to me,” I remark, trying to keep Natalie’s mood light.
She grins up at me. “Right?”
“Well, you’re at about seven centimeters, and you’re completely effaced, so if you keep going at this pace, it shouldn’t be too much longer. I think you’re ready for an epidural.” Ashlynn smiles and pats Nat’s leg. “I’ll let the doctor know and she will call the anesthesiologist.”
“Thank God,” Natalie leans her head back on the bed. “I’m going with the drugs. I’m sorry, Jules, I know we said all natural, but I can’t do it.”
“Honey, you do what’s best for you. These contractions are strong, and my hand may not survive many more of them. What does Luke say?”
“He said to go for the drugs if I needed them.”
“Sounds like a plan then.” I wipe her forehead with the washcloth again as a man with a white coat strolls through the door.
“I hear you’re ready for some medication, Mrs. Williams.” He’s an older man with kind eyes. And needles in his hand.
“This
is where I leave.” I stand, but Natalie pulls me back down.
“You can’t leave me here alone!”
“Um, Nat, he’s got needles. I’ll find Luke.”
“This will only take a minute,” the doctor says and Natalie is looking at me with big, green pleading eyes.
Oh my God.
Okay. I can do this. For Natalie, I can do this.
“Sit at the edge of the bed, Mrs. Williams, and hug your pillow, curving your back for me.”
Natalie does as instructed, and I kneel before her, the needles out of my view, and rub my hands up and down her bare legs.
“Thank you,” she whispers, her eyes a little frightened.
“No problem.” I shrug like it’s no big deal and take a deep breath. He’s got motherfucking needles and he’s about to stick them in her spine. I’m going to faint.
Natalie cringes as, I’m assuming, the doctor pushes the huge, gigantic, enormously evil needle through her flesh, but then it’s over.
“All done,” he says and packs up his tools of torture. “Go ahead and lay back. It’ll take effect shortly and you won’t be able to feel anything from the waist down.”
“Thank you.” She’s the most polite pregnant woman I’ve ever seen. I help get her settled and Luke comes back through the door.
“Hey, who was that guy?” he asks and sits next to Natalie, his hand resting on her belly.
“The anesthesiologist. I went for the drugs, baby. I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. We talked about this.” He kisses her forehead, and then her lips.
“How is everyone out there?” I ask.
“They’re excited and nervous. I would have been back sooner, but Isaac and Stacy showed up, and then the rest of your brothers and Sam and Mark all wanted to hear the status update from me directly, so I was on the phone with them for a little while.” He sits back and watches the contraction monitor. The needle starts to go up again, but Natalie doesn’t even flinch.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore?” I ask.
“I feel a little pressure, but no, the pain is gone.”
“Good,” I smile at them both, and realize I haven’t checked my phone all day. I pull it out of my purse and wake it up, frowning when I see eight missed calls and five text messages.
I check the texts first. The first one is from Mrs. Glover.
Email is sent. I hope your family is well.
I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Nate got the documents he needed on time, then check the messages from him.
Hey baby, breaking away for lunch do you have a minute to talk?
I’m going into a meeting, won’t be available the rest of the afternoon.
Are you okay?
Please call me.
Shit. He’s worried. I haven’t even thought about calling him since I got the call about Natalie. I should have called him. I check the voice mail.
“I’m worried. Jenny said you ran out of the office this morning because of an emergency, but she hasn’t heard from you. I can’t reach you on your cell or the house line. Please be considerate and let me know you’re okay. I can’t pack up and go home tonight to check on you. Call me.”
I hang up and glare at my phone. I don’t like his tone.
“Hey guys, I’m going to go find a quiet spot and call Nate real quick. He’s been trying to reach me all day. Don’t have that baby without me. I’ll be right back.” I kiss Natalie’s cheek and walk down the hall to a small, empty waiting room. Our family must be out in the larger one near the hospital entrance.
I scroll down to Nate’s name and press send.
“Julianne,” he sounds relieved and pissed at the same time.
“Hey, can you talk?”
“Yes, I’m at the hotel. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Don’t yell at me. I’m at the hospital.”
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” His voice is suddenly panicked and I feel like a shit.
“No,” I respond, my voice calm now and soothing. “Natalie’s in labor, Nate. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I got the call this morning at the office after I texted you, and I raced here to meet them, and I’ve been with her ever since. It’s been a long day. Still no baby.”
“Is she okay?” he asks.
“Yeah, she’s doing great. Luke is too, surprisingly. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”
“You should have called.” His voice is cold again, and I’m tired, and I do not need this right now.
“I already apologized.”
“I’ve been worried. Also, what the fuck happened to the report I asked you to send me?”
“What are you talking about? I finished it and asked Jenny to send it for me because I forgot to hit send on the email before I ran out of the office. She sent me a text and said that it was done.” What the hell happened to my report?
“I got it, but it was half-assed done. That’s not like you.”
“That report was perfect, Nate. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” I run my hand through my hair in frustration.
“When I’m out here alone I need to be able to depend on you to do your job in the office, Julianne.”
“You’re not alone. Ask Carly to fix the fucking report, Nate. She should be earning her paycheck while she’s with you.” Now I’m just fucking pissed off.
There’s silence on the other end of the line, and finally, Nate responds with a deceptively quiet, “What are you talking about? Carly isn’t in New York.”
“But you sent for her.”
“Why would I do that?” his voice is raising and I take a deep breath.
“Clearly there’s been a misunderstanding,” I say as calmly as possible.
“Obviously.”
“Look, Nate, I’m sorry. I need to get back to Natalie. I don’t have time for you to get protective and bossy and needy on me today.”
“That’s what you think I’m doing?” He asks and I cringe at the hurt in his voice.
“That’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“No, Julianne, I’m not being bossy or needy. I have been worried about the woman I care about because I couldn’t reach you today.” I’ve hurt his feelings.
“Nate,” I sigh and rub my forehead. “Maybe we should just talk when you get home.”
“What are you saying?” His voice is hushed and nervous.
“I need to deal with this right now and you need to focus on the deal out there. I’ll be in the office tomorrow to help you from there, and I’ll try to clean up the damn report mess and get it to you asap. We’ll just talk about the rest of it when you get home. I don’t have time for this relationship bullshit right now.”
“That’s what we are to you, Julianne? Bullshit?”
Fuck. No! This is all coming out wrong, and I need to get back to Natalie!
“I have to go.”
“If that’s the way you want it, fine, but know this, baby; you’re only off the hook because I’m three thousand fucking miles away and can’t get to you right now.”
“Jesus you’re such a caveman, Nate.”
“Text me later and let me know you’re safe. I’ll talk to you tomorrow night.”
“I thought you were staying until Thursday?”
“I changed my mind.” The line goes dead and I hang my head. I shouldn’t have been so mean to him.
I walk back into Natalie’s room and all hell has broken loose.
“I was only gone for five minutes. What the hell?”
Natalie’s feet are in stirrups, and the doctor is sitting on a stool between her legs. There are two nurses bustling about the room, and a baby cradle with a heating lamp has been wheeled into the room.
“She’s about ready to push,” Luke says, his eyes desperate with worry and fear.
“Wow, that epidural is a miracle.”
“Holy, shit, I have to push.” Natalie is writhing on the bed, and if it wasn’t my best friend, I’d say it looks like something out of a horror movie.
“Okay, we’re ready, Natalie. If you feel like you have to push with the contraction, go ahead.”
“It’s too hot in here.” She yanks the blanket off her and throws it onto the floor, not giving two shits about being naked in front of all of us. Well, she is wearing a black sports bra, so just the bottom half is naked.
I glance down, then feel my jaw drop. It’s not the fact that her who-ha is out there on display, but what’s right above it that gives me pause.
“Jesus H. Christ, Natalie, you have a tattoo on your vagina!”
Chapter Sixteen
“Six pounds, ten ounces!” Nurse Ashlynn declares proudly as little baby Olivia lays on the baby scale crying angrily. I raise Nat’s camera to my face and snap a long stream of photos, capturing the weight on the machine in the photo, in case anyone ever has the audacity to forget. Zooming in on her tiny feet and fingers, I snap more photos before they wrap Olivia up in a pink and blue hospital baby blanket.
Luke is beside me, gazing down at his dark-haired daughter, with such love in his eyes. When the baby was born and placed on Natalie’s belly, he and Natalie were both a crying wreck, and if I’m honest, I was too.
“Thank you for letting me be here.” His blue eyes slide over to mine, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side.
“We love you, Jules. It’s right that you’re here.”
Oh. Well, that just makes me cry again.
“God I’m a blubbering mess.”
Luke laughs at me and takes his little bundle from the nurse, kissing Olivia’s tiny little forehead softly.
“She is so beautiful,” he whispers.
“Hey! Can I hold her?” Natalie calls from the bed, all covered up now, thank Jesus.
I’m never having babies. My body can’t do that.
Luke crosses the room and places the baby in Nat’s arms and kisses her on the lips. He caresses the baby’s cheek with his finger and looks lovingly into Nat’s eyes.
“Thank you, baby.”
“I love you,” Nat whispers.
“God, I love you, too.”
I raise the camera to my face and snap more photos, capturing the most beautiful moment I’ve ever seen. I walk around the end of the bed, still snapping, and both Luke and Nat look up at me and grin widely, their smiles just a little tired, so proud of what they’ve made.