Hello Everyone! Here's another chapter for you to read. So far I'm getting good reviews and I thank all of you for keeping me motivated. About Mimi being pregnant...well, you'll find the answer in this chapter.
Chapter FOUR
By six that evening, Mimi was feeling much better. The think, chalky pink medicine she forced down had soothed her upset stomach, and a long afternoon nap had done much to soothe her upset nerves.
She even felt well enough when she awoke to straighten the apartment. Once that chore was finished, she took a long hot shower then donned a comfortable sweat suit and slippers to lounge around in.
Feeling clean and cozy, she wandered into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, sipping it as she stared out the kitchen window. Dusk had already fallen, and lights from nearby houses gleamed through the barren trees and darkness. The view blurred as steam condensed on her glasses. Slipping them off, Mimi laid them on the counter, then realized the window was hazy, too.
She set down her cup. Leaning forward, she reached out to draw a Christmas tree in the mist. The freezing cold pane burned then numbed her fingertip. Outside, snow flakes pelted against the glass in a brief, desperate flurry. But inside her apartment she was warm and safe…and alone.
Her hand dropped. Mimi stared at her drawing as it slowly disappeared into the mist again. She liked being alone, she told herself. She was used to it. Even as a child, she'd been something of an introvert…my little dreamer, her mother used to call her. She always felt more content with her books, her own thoughts and daydreams, than hanging out with a crowd.
Of course, she hadn't been completely alone then; she had her mother. Most people had at least some family…parents, siblings, even an aunt or an uncle to both. Or they were married by her age. Most of the other single women at work at least had a lover. She had no one.
But just because a person was alone didn't mean that they were lonely, she reminded herself. She straightened her shoulders and picked up her cup. Take Matt, for instance. Like her, he lost both parents, although he lost them much, much younger than she had. Not that anyone could ever call him an introvert. He enjoyed women…lots of women.
She sipped her tea, the taste warm and bitter on her tongue, as she wondered who he'd be taking out that night. She never met the other women he was currently dating. Still, judging by Nancy…and from the women he dated in the past…Mimi had a pretty fair idea of what they must be like.
For one thing, they were probably richer than she was. And definitely beautiful. Not pretty or cute, but strikingly beautiful, with the polished, sleek appearance of women who had unlimited time and money to spend enhancing their looks.
What would it feel like, Mimi thought, to look like that? To know that when you enter a room, men's heads turned? She sighed, turning to the tap to clean out her cup. She couldn't even imagine it. Men just never responded to her that way. Most of the men she knew treated her like a pal, a buddy, a little sister. Or even a generic mixture of all three. The way Matt did.
No, Matt wasn't aware of her as a woman at all. She rinsed the cup slowly, letting the warm water slow over her cold fingers. So how could she have thought…even for a second…that he was asking her to sleep with him? Wincing in remembered embarrassment, she turned off the tap and set the cup on the drainer. Still, there was no sense worrying about it, she decided in an effort to comfort her self as she dried off her hands. She was sure he'd forgotten all about the incident…forgotten all about her…as soon as he got back to the office. Probably before he even reached his car.
She threw the towel down on the counter. So what if he had? And why was she thinking about him anyway? Probably he hadn't gone on a date at all, but headed to the gym. Matt was always up for a game of basketball to release some of his energy.
Feeling restless herself suddenly, she headed into the living area. This room was her favorite all year round, but she especially liked it during the holidays since it looked so very Christmasy. Forest-green rugs were scattered on the gleaming hardwood floors, and she positioned her overstuffed burgundy couches to face each other in front of the small fireplace, where a fire burned cheerily. She walked over to one of the couches. Pushing aside the teddy bear sitting in her favorite spot, she sat down and picked up her knitting.
She realized she left her glasses in the kitchen. Oh, well. She could see well enough to work. She began knitting. Determined to get over the faint depression that had been plaguing her lately, the soft click and glide of the silver needled providing a familiar accompaniment to her thoughts. She needed to quit thinking about Matt…about work…so much, and get her mind on other things, she decided. Things she enjoyed. Like reading and knitting. She smiled wryly. Although making a sweater for her boss probably wasn't the best way to get him out of her mind. Especially since Matt wouldn't like it if he knew how much work she'd put into it.
Matt didn't like getting gifts, especially anything he considered too personal. Still, Mimi decided to make him the sweater anyway. She made him a scarf last year, and he'd been okay with that. Besides, she enjoyed knitting and had no idea what else to get him for a Christmas gift.
So she'd indulged herself by choosing a merino lamb's wool in a deep, rich blue color to match his eyes. And she selected a fisherman stitch to challenge her skill. She held the garment up to judge her progress, pleased to notice that she only had a few inches left to complete. She should have it done in plenty of time for Christmas. He didn't have to know she made it, how many months it had taken her, she decided. Nor how expensive the yarn had been. She would just let him assume she bought it somewhere, and…
The doorbell chimed, interrupting her thoughts. Sora! She thought immediately, setting her work aside. Her best friend, and neighbor, had gotten in the habit of stopping by in the evenings to chat for a while, and Mimi enjoyed the visits, too. It made the long winter evenings pass more quickly.
Delighted at the prospect of company, Mimi opened the door with a smile of welcome on her face, shivering a little as the cold air rushed into the warm room.
Her smile slowly faded, and she pushed the door almost closed again, sheltering behind it. A man was standing on her unlit landing. His face was in profile, his shoulders braced against the sleet as he glanced back at something behind him. For a moment, she didn't recognize him.
But then he turned, and the light from the room behind her slanted across the hard angles of his face and lit up his intent eyes.
Mimi's heart skipped a beat, then picked up again at a faster pace. What was he doing here? He looked…menacing somehow. But that was probably because of his evening beard. The dark stubble shaded his lean cheeks and chin, making him look a gangster from an old black-and-white movie. The effect was heightened by his wet hair, which he slicked back off his forehead with a careless hand. Snowflakes glistened in the thick dark strands, and on the shoulders of his black overcoat.
For once his eyes looked serious…angry almost. But why would that be? Had something gone wrong at work?
"Matt?" she said uncertainly.
"Yes, it's me." She looked surprised to see him, Matt noticed. He could understand that. He was pretty surprised himself that he ended up on her doorstep this evening.
He stared down at her as she stood half-hidden by the door, her slight figure silhouetted by the light behind her. All day he told himself he wasn't going to come over here again…that he wasn't going to ask her a damn thing. Because even after seeing those baby bottles on her list, he still didn't believe Mimi was the pregnant. That she'd deliberately get pregnant like that.
But then he realized that maybe it hadn't been deliberate. What if some guy had taken advantage of her? Gotten her into trouble? What if she accidentally got pregnant that way?
The more he thought about it, the more the evidence added up. She'd been sick this morning…and admitted she'd been ill all week. She'd also been awfully anxious not to let him into her apartment. Why, she practically raced to her bedroom to pull the door close. He thought at the same time she was embarrassed to have him see her clothes lying around, but maybe what she'd really been trying to prevent was him seeing someone else's clothes in there. Like a man's shirt. Or shoes. Or pants. That seemed definitely possible.
But even more compelling was the feeling he'd been having lately; the one that until today he chalked up to his imagination. The feeling that Mimi was hiding something from him.
She wasn't as confiding as she'd been when they first started working together. More and more often, she'd have a shuttered, closed expression on her face when she looked at him. As if she had a secret she was determined not to share.
Not, Matt reminded himself, that it was any of his business if Mimi didn't want to tell him about her personal life. She might be more than most women he knew, but she was still an adult, capable of making her own decisions…stupid though they might be.
Like unlocking her door without a moment's hesitation. That wasn't any of his business either, yet he couldn't help asking, "Don't you think you should check first to see who's out here before opening your door?"
"I usually do," Mimi said, tucking back a strand of hair that had fallen along her cheek. "But I was expecting someone."
Joe…Matt thought to himself. Not that it was any of his business who she hung out with on her time off, of course. Not at all.
"Is there something wrong? Do you want to come in?"
He glanced down at her again. She was staring up at him with a puzzled, slightly worried expression. "Did you come over for anything special?" she added.
"I just stopped by to see how you were doing."
Her face lit up with shy pleasure, and she hugged the door a little closer. "I'm fine now. I don't feel sick at all anymore."
"That's great." Matt shoved his hands into his pockets. "Glad to hear it."
But he didn't feel glad. If she had the flu, she should still have the flu, damn it! But morning sickness…
Not wanting to complete the thought, he pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and held it out. "I also came to give you these notes from the meeting. Thought they'd help bring you up to speed on what's happening."
"Oh. Thank you." Some of Mimi's pleasure at his unexpected visit dimmed a bit. Of course he hadn't come just to see her; Matt was a busy man. It made sense he'd also bring some work for her.
She accepted the paper, and when he made no move to leave, asked hesitantly, "Do you want to come in while I read this?"
No, he didn't want to come in. He'd hand her the notes…which were strictly company business…then leave. The storm was getting worse and driving would be a bitch as it was. He wanted to get on home.
"All right. Just for a moment." He stepped inside her tiny foyer.
"Let me take your coat."
He turned toward the living room as he shrugged it off. Nothing suspicious in there. Knitting needled hung from the blue sweater she tossed over a corner of the couch…a man's sweater judging by the size of thing.
She folded his coat over a nearby chair, and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Would you like some tea?"
Tea? Matt hated tea. "Okay."
He followed her into the kitchen. He leaned against the table, crossing his arms as he scrumptiously scanned her counters in search of a baby bottle. None were in sight. "Did you rest at all?" he asked idly.
"All afternoon." She opened a cupboard.
He glanced over to see if any bottles were on the shelves, and for the first time, really noticed what she was wearing. His eyebrows lifted in surprise.
Never before had he seen her dressed so casually. The gray sweat suit she had on was faded and worn, but it also looked soft and touchable. And he'd bet she wasn't wearing a bra under that baggy top…no, she wasn't, he noted, the suspicion confirmed as she stretched, reaching for a canister on the shelf. The movement caused the thin fleece of her top to press against her chest, revealing the small, tight peaks of her nipples.
"Green tea or chamomile?"
"Huh?" His gaze jerked up to meet hers.
She tilted her head and wiggled the canister at him. "Which tea would you prefer?"
Neither. "Either."
She pulled out a tea bag, then turned toward the stove to get the kettle, her long hair swinging gently with the movement. It looked damp, as if she showered recently, and as she passed by him, he smelled the crisp, soapy scent of her shampoo.
He watched her as she solemnly dipped the bag into the cup of hot water she just poured. Her pale skin looked transparent, flawless…like that of a baby. Not wearing her glasses made her look younger too. More vulnerable. Almost naked somehow.
A muscle tightened in his jaw. Was this how she dressed when that Joe guy came over? Didn't she know any better? Clothes like that give a man all sorts of ideas. Made him think how easy it would be for her to kick off those furry slippers as he carried her to bed. Or about cuddling her on his lap and pulling off those droopy pants. Hell, they were so loose they'd probably fall down on their own without much trouble. A man might be tempted to slide his cold hands beneath the soft gray fleece to stroke the warm, smooth skin of her flat stomach. Or higher yet to cup the slight curves of her breasts, to gently tease those enticing nipples into an even greater response.
Yeah, he'd bet that Joe character had thoughts just like that every time he looked at her, Matt thought. His gaze swept over her again and his jaw clenched. The bastard.
Seeing the disapproval on Matt's face, Mimi shifted uneasily. Tension radiated from his tall figure, making her oddly nervous. She wasn't sure exactly what was wrong…but one thing she did know: He sure didn't like the way she was dressed. The stern expression on his face as he looked her up and down made that more than clear. He was probably used to women greeting him at their doors wearing evening gowns or lingerie. Or, at least, a decent blouse and pants. Certainly not in scruffy old sweats.
Feeling awkward, she set the tea bad aside, and handed him the cup. "Maybe I should change…"
"You're fine the way you are," he said, almost curtly, as he accepted his tea. "I'm only going to stay a minute."
So, Matt thought, hiding a grimace as he sipped the pale green liquid. For him…someone she'd known for almost three years…she felt she had to change. But for Joe…
None of your business, buddy, he reminded himself. Not your business at all.
He set his cup down on the table. "Go ahead and check over the notes," he told her. "I should get on my way."
A/N: What do yout think of this one? There's actually a continuation of their conversation in the next chapter. So keep reading!
Glittery-Bubbles: Hi! Wow, it's so good to hear from you again. Thanks to your reviews. It brought a smile to my face. LOL! Hope you're doing well. Yes, I'm taking a break from SJ right now...writer's block...hehehe. Anyways, I thought I owe you guys a lot since I haven't been around for a quite a while. Hopefully I'll be done with this before November...unless I stretch it to December in time for the holidays. LOL! Keep in touch and keep reading.
Hellody: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like all my Mimato fics and you enjoy reading them. I'll be here for a while, so expect to see more Mimato stories.
