Chapter 5 - Stress and Suspicion

The blood drained from Maya’s face.

Maya forced herself to breathe. It wasn’t unusual for her cycle to be off, especially with the long hours she worked. Stress could do that. Caffeine, poor diet—those were all factors. Besides, she had taken the morning-after pill. She had been careful.

Shaking off the thought, she exhaled. Tomorrow was the weekend. She just needed to relax.

Maya spent the next day shopping with Rachel. For the first time in weeks, she felt a little lighter. The stress of her job had been suffocating her. Now, in a high-end boutique, she admired herself in the mirror, twirling in an emerald dress. It was strapless and hugged her body very well with a slit that showed her long fine legs. Rachel was sipping on champagne. Courtesy of her boss and one night stand, Xander.

“What do you think?” Maya asked, striking a dramatic pose.

Rachel tilted her head, pretending to examine it critically. “You look fat.”

Maya gasped, hand flying to her chest. “Fat? You mean adorable and elegant”.

Rachel smirked. “No, I mean, Fat. No way I’m going to feed your ego.”

“I know right, I’m so pretty you feel jealous you can’t just admit it”, Maya said.

“Your narcissistic you know that right”, Rachel said.

“Wouldn’t you be if you were me. I can’t stand my beauty sometimes” Maya pretending to be sad.

“Plus, it’s really missing something” Rachel said. She pointed toward a pair of stilettos on display. “Those and maybe those diamond studs.”

Maya turned to the boutique assistant. “I’ll take them both, please.”

The woman scurried off very excitedly. She would get a very huge commission today with the loads of clothes these women had bought.

Maya flopped onto the plush couch beside Rachel. “God, I love it when rich men feel guilty enough to let us swipe their cards.” Rachel said.

Maya chuckled, swirling the champagne in her glass. It’s workers maintenance, please. You’re talking as if he’s my sugar daddy.

Rachel laughed. “Do you think he gives all his secretaries money to go shopping?”

“Obviously.” Maya held up a black card grinning. “He has enough money to spend so if he wants to spend it on his beautiful secretary so be it.”

Rachel’s jaw dropped. “You absolute menace. Let’s hope he doesn’t come back to collect, all men do.”

Maya shrugged, feigning innocence. “We already established that this is purely professional. No strings attached.” She squealed. “Now, let’s get me ready for work.”

The next few hours were a whirlwind of shopping. By the time they arrived at their pre-booked spa, they were drowning in shopping bags. If Xander was going to make her life miserable and kill her with work, the least he could do was fund her stress relief. Tit for tat.

“You know,” Rachel said as they slipped into fluffy robes, “You should consider dating Xander. Imagine all the benefits. ”

Maya snorted. “I think I’d rather run into traffic. Besides, he is my boss. Last time was a mistake, and it’s not happening again.”

“Fair,” Rachel said, stretching out on the massage table. “But what about a casual relationship? There’s nothing more fun than some steamy workplace sex.”

Maya laughed as the masseuse began working kneading her shoulders. “Tempting. I admit the sex was great but I’m not that kind of girl who’ll sleep with her boss for some benefits. There are already rumors and I don’t want people to feel that I got this job because of him.”

Rachel arched a brow. “Okay… but what if he wasn’t your boss?”

Maya hesitated. “Then… maybe I’d give him a try. He is every woman’s dream. He’s handsome, rich and all.” She said smiling then her tone changed.

“He’s also arrogant, rude and condescending” she sighed. “ Let’s leave this. Today was supposed to be fun and work-free. So let’s just relax okay.”

For the next hour, she let herself relax. It was the most peace she’d felt in ages.

Afterward, they headed to a rooftop restaurant for lunch. The sun was warm and the view of the city was breathtaking.

Maya stabbed at her salad, rolling her eyes as Rachel scrolled through her phone. A dull ache spread through her lower abdomen, but she dismissed it. Probably just cramps or something.

Rachel groaned. “Ugh, I just remembered my last date. The bastard told me he forgot his wallet after ordering a mountain of food and even takeout and I had to pay.”

Maya nearly choked on her drink. “You’re lying.”

“I wish,” Rachel muttered. “He even asked me to lend him transport fare that he was going to double all I spent today and pay me back’”

Maya howled with laughter. “Oh my God. Please tell me you ran.”

Rachel nodded. “I blocked him immediately and left him there.”

Maya laughed but she struggled to focus. The ache sharpened, twisting inside her. A wave of nausea slammed into her so fast she barely shoved her chair back in time.

Maya could barely reach the bathroom in time.

The instant she opened the stall door, she stumbled forward and grasped the sides of the toilet as her stomach churned with pain. Everything she had eaten came up in a violent heave. She burst into a cold sweat on her forehead, her trembling hands grasping herself against the wall.

Her head spun. The world around her tilted a little, and she had to squeeze her eyes closed until the weakness passed.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

A few minutes later, rinsing her mouth and splashing cold water on her face, she emerged from the restroom, still shaky.

Rachel stood waiting, arms crossed, her eyes worried.

“Maya, you’re pale,” Rachel said. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Maya recoiled, trying to smile. “Nothing. Something I ate, probably”.

Rachel sighed and folded her arms. “Come on, I know you’ve been working too hard, but you should go get checked out.”

Maya opened her mouth to argue but stopped because Rachel was right.

She had been feeling strange for a while—but she had ignored it, blaming stress, she was not the type to fall sick easily.

Maya forced a shaky breath. “It’s—It’s probably stress.”

Rachel gave her a look. “Let’s go home”

Maya hesitated. “Okay.”

As they went back to their table.

Across from her, Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Maya, what if you’re pregnant. You’ve been complaining of nausea often and have had little appetite”.

Rachel was a graduate of physiology, and she worked at a private clinic. Although she didn’t study medicine she had enough knowledge to come to a conclusion.

“No way,” Maya said. “I took the morning pill immediately after. There’s no way I’m pregnant.”

Rachel smirked, trying to lighten the mood. “On the bright side, if you are pregnant, at least the dad is stupidly hot.”

Maya groaned. “Rachel.”

“What? Am I wrong?”

Maya rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smirk. “Fine. Yeah, he is ridiculously good-looking.” She said.

Rachel burst out laughing. “And rich”

Maya shook her head, laughing despite herself. “And arrogant, proud, petty and irritating”

Maya sighed. “Whatever. Let’s pay the bill”.

As Maya stood up she was so focused on Rachel that she didn’t notice the man standing beside her.

Maya bumped into a hard chest.

Strong. Warm.

Her hands instantly recoiled as she tried to balance herself.

A sharp gasp escaped her as she fell back, but strong hands caught her, steadying her.

One at her waist. One lightly gripping her arm.

She looked up— straight into piercing green eyes.

Xander.

Her breath caught. For a second, she just… stared. She wasn’t ready to see him. Not now when she might be 5% pregnant for him. 

Xander arched an eyebrow, his gaze flickering across her face, then down to where his hands still held her. Slowly, deliberately, he let go.

“Hello, Miss Thompson?”

Maya’s heart hammered. “Uh—what are you doing here?”

Xander crossed his arms. “I own this restaurant.”

Oh. Of course, he did.

Rachel cleared her throat beside her. “Uh, sir. We were just leaving.”

Maya took that as her cue to move. Xander’s gaze dropped to the shopping bags in her hand. “All inferior people know how to do is talk about others behind their back”

Maya wanted to crawl into a hole. She pretended not to hear him and continued walking.

She grabbed Rachel’s arm and dragged her. As they reached the counter to pay the bill, the hostess smiled. “Your bill has already been covered.”

Maya blinked. “What?”

The woman nodded toward the back of the restaurant.