Chapter Five—A baby and more

Chapter Five—A baby and more

“I can’t believe you slept with Theo freaking Vitale.” Alisha laughed at her friend who quickly placed a hand over mouth.

“Shhhh.” Anastasia winced, “Don’t say that. What if someone hears you???”

Alisha laughed again, “Oh please, no one in this office could ever believe you would do something like what. You’re ’reliable Ana’ are you not?”

Anastasia frowned at the nickname given to her by the rest of her colleagues. The term ‘reliable Ana’ wasn’t one she’d wanted for herself, but had unconsciously cultivated over the years of being tied to a man that hated to see her shine.

Now she decided to act wild for a night only to find herself in the naked arms of the most dangerous man in the city. She just couldn’t catch a break, and at the moment she felt a slight sense of wooziness and nausea—a double combo that shouldn’t be happening to a woman of her stature.

“Ana,” Alisha moved closer seeing the paleness plastered all over her colleague’s face, “Are you okay?”

Anastasia shook her head which she immediately deemed a bad decision as the nausea increased to a whole new height. She quickly shot up to her feet and bolted straight for the bathroom, more fuel to her unlucky streak as she kicked one of stalls only to delve her head into one of the toilet bowls.

Pimento beans, edamame, seared salmon, and specks of chocolate bits from the cookie she’d indulged in last night all came out as she retched her guts, staining the porcelain toilet without remorse.

“Oh lord.” Her voice came out a squeal as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her blouse.

A few seconds later she heard banging on the door, “Ana?!” Alisha clearly checking up on her, “Are you okay??”

She let out a quick sigh as she flushed down the monstrosity that came out of her, still unable to understand why she still felt so nervous. She slowly opened the door to the stall and was tight lipped seeing the inquisitive look on Alisha’s face, the slight twinkle of mischief in her eyes didn’t do any favors either.

“No,” Anastasia was abrupt, “It is definitely not what you’re implying.”

Alisha chuckled, “You almost blacked out Ana. I’m not saying anything but I saw your pupils dilate in a matter of seconds. Are you sure you aren’t—

“No!” Anastasia snapped, “It’s probably food poisoning from the salmon I ate last night. It was supposed to expire in two days.”

Alisha shrugged, “Hey I’m just saying. When was the last time you got your period?”

Anastasia froze. She’d been so busy trying to get over Zachary and thus embedding her full time with work. Being a workaholic and putting in extra hours at the office gave her no time to think about her hurt feelings, one which she appreciated until she realized she hadn’t thought about her missed cycle.

She was doomed.

Her period hadn’t come in almost three weeks!!

“Ana,” Alisha pressed on with a cocked brow, “You’ve….you’ve seen the red man recently haven’t you?”

She gulped hard, trying to clear the bile in her throat, but that was all to no avail as the ghastly sense of dread took over her very being. She held onto the nook of the counter in the bathroom for support, her world spun and her head ached from the possibility.

“I—“ The words hurt to come out, “I…I don’t…I’m not—“

“You have to take a test.” Alisha muttered, then she looked around for signs of wandering ears, “I’ll let the team leader know you have to leave early for a family emergency.”

Still finding the words hard to say, Anastasia shook her head, “I don’t need to…..I…..I…”

“You’re clearly in shock, Ana,” Alisha stroked her hair softly, “You need get home and do the needful. The possibility of you being—

“No!!” Anastasia cried out, the first outburst she’d had since this ordeal, “I can’t be pregnant!! Do you even know what that would mean?!”

“No I—“ Alisha paused as it finally dawned on her, “Oh God. Please tell me Theo Vitale isn’t the only man you’ve slept with since the last month and a half.”

Anastasia gulped hard, looking down at her hands which shook greatly, she felt the oncoming tears when she nodded.

“Oh my God! Ana! You have to get home now and take that test!”

“I know!”

“Are you sure he’s the only—

“He’s the only one!” She winced, “Also I can’t be too sure right? I mean I’ve been swamped with work these past couple weeks. There’s a high chance it could just be stress and possible food poisoning……God I feel so queasy.”

Alisha placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “You won’t know unless you take a test.”

“But I—

“Go home, Ana. You need it.”

************

She looked at the expiration box on the package to make sure the test was still good. Then peed into a clean cup.Taking the strip out of its foil wrapper, she put the absorbent tip into the urine for exactly five seconds. Then took the test out, put the cap back on, and laid it flat on a clean table. She set a timer for three to five minutes as written on the box.

It was the most damning passing seconds of her life. She hoped a catastrophe could just happen to prevent her from going into the bathroom to see the results that could possibly be life nerfing.

Pregnant.

She’d never thought of having kids with Zachary, not after her traumatic childhood. So they’d been careful, and now one night of passion will possibly end everything she’d worked for.

She couldn’t be pregnant. Not knowing who the father was.

The loud beep made her flinch as it placed an interlude on her thoughts. The thumping of her heart was more resounding as she strode into the bathroom to find three dots loading on the tube screen. She picked it up and nipped her bottom lip, praying to whatever deity out there to relieve her of the joys of being a mother.

Then she heard a knock on the door. Wrong timing.

“Dammit.” She grunted as she held the test tube to answer whoever was at the door, possibly Alisha.

She stared at the screen clearly with the word “Pregnant” on it, right as she opened the door, only to let out a double gasp— at the positive test, and the presence of the devil himself in front of her.

“I finally found you,” Said Theo Vitale with a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, “You’re a hard woman to catch, Anastasia.”