Here's the next chapter. I know some are wondering when the practice, especially Sam is going to find out Naomi is pregnant and with Nate. I promise they will find out soon but its still a few chapters away. Just bear with me. Hope you like this chapter :)
Chapter Seven
Second by second, Naomi regained consciousness. Last night had been a fantasy come true. From beginning to end, Nate had catered to her every whim and want. And when they'd made it home….Naomi felt tingly all over just thinking about it. It wasn't just the way he'd kissed and licked every inch of her skin; it was the way he caressed her, held her, comforted her, and looked at her like he was seeing straight into her soul. There was a deep connection between them that she had never experienced with anyone. Wanting to feel his closeness again, Naomi reached her hand out expecting to feel a warm muscular chest on the other side of the bed. However, she was greeted by cooling sheets and an empty space where Nate's body should be. Jumping up in bed and gathering the sheets around her naked body, she looked around. Where had he gone? Had he pulled the same move she had after their first encounter? Panic and humiliation were starting to settle in when he walked through the bedroom door carrying a tray.
"Good morning beautiful" he smiled, placing the tray over her lap and sitting on the edge of the bed next to her. Leaning over, he kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips.
"Morning" she blushed, feeling guilty for assuming the worst. "You scared me for a minute; I didn't know where you'd gone" Naomi admitted.
"Trust me, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me" Nate told her. "I wanted to make you breakfast; I came up with a spinach and mushroom omelet, a side of fruit, decaf coffee, and fresh squeezed orange juice".
"Good, because I don't want you going anywhere" Naomi said, her tone serious.
"There's nowhere else I want to be" Nate replied, equally serious. "Now eat up; you and the baby have to stay strong and healthy".
Feeling reassured by his words, she looked down at her plate for the first time. "Thank you for breakfast. It looks great except….." Naomi started, her words drifting off.
"What"?
"I can't have orange juice. Being pregnant has given me acid reflux" she said, wincing slightly. He'd gone through so much trouble.
"No problem" Nate said, picking up the glass. "I'll take care of the juice, you take care of everything else. Deal"?
"Deal" Naomi said, kissing him to show her gratitude. Digging in, she took her first bite of the omelet and sighed in pleasure. The food melted in her mouth. The man could definitely cook anything. "You're going to spoil me with all this delicious food".
"That's fine by me" Nate said. "You've already spoiled me with that beautiful smile of yours".
Naomi rolled her eyes; being naturally charming was just too easy for him. "You don't even try, do you? Being smooth is just second nature for you".
Nate shrugged. "I just tell it like it is".
"Yeah, I'm sure you do". Changing the subject, she said "So…I have a doctor's appointment coming up this week. It's just a checkup to make sure everything is okay; he's going to do an ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing properly and has a strong heartbeat. Would you be interested in coming with me"?
Internally, fear struck Nate's heart. This was all so new to him; he was afraid of the unknown. What if something was wrong with the baby? "Really" he asked.
"Really" she said.
More than the fear gripping him, Nate felt a surge of excitement. He would get to see his baby, something he helped create. What was merely an idea would become a reality. "I'd love to" Nate said.
Naomi kissed him again. "Good".
….
Standing in the practice kitchen alone, humming to herself, Naomi drank her tea as the weekend's events coursed through her mind on a continuous loop. She and Nate had spent the entire weekend in bed eating, talking, watching old black and white movies on TV, and making love. But it was the quiet moments where Nate just held her and they lay in comfortable silence that Naomi cherished most. Silence could be loud, it made people uncomfortable and desperate to fill the void. To be able to block out all noise and feel at peace with another person was not a common feat.
"Good morning" Sam said as he walked into the kitchen.
"Morning" Naomi said absentmindedly.
"I haven't heard you singing in a long time" Sam observed as he put a bagel into the toaster. "You must have had a good weekend".
Naomi snapped back into the present and scrutinized Sam closely. She had a feeling he was trying to subtly pry his way into her business. It wouldn't work. "I did, thank you. How was your weekend" she asked.
"It was good. We all missed you at dinner on Friday. It was great catching up" Sam answered.
"I already had plans but I'll try to make the next one".
"That would be nice" Sam said, retrieving his bagel. "Do you want half of this? I'm really not hungry enough to eat the whole thing".
Naomi thought about it; Nate had made her another omelet for breakfast earlier that morning but she was already hungry again. She figured there was no harm in sharing a bagel with her ex-husband. "Sure".
Taking half of it and spreading cream cheese over it the way he knew Naomi liked it, Sam put it on a plate and handed it to her.
"Thank you" she said, quickly taking her first bite. Food was her best friend these days, more than usual.
"You're welcome" Sam said. "So, what plans did you have this weekend"?
Naomi smirked at Sam's attempted slyness. Taking another sip of tea, she looked at him. "I don't remember you being this nosy when we were married".
"I don't remember you being this secretive when we were married" Sam countered.
"I'm not being secretive. I'm exercising my right to not have to share every aspect of my life with the world. I wish you would respect that". Why didn't Sam get that what she did was no longer his concern?
Sam was about to respond when the other doctors started wandering into the kitchen one by one. He'd have to find a later time to speak to her alone. Why didn't she get that even though they were divorced and he was with Addison, he still cared about her wellbeing? He missed their friendship.
As everyone gathered in the kitchen, eating breakfast, discussing their weekends, and informing every one of their schedules for the day, Pete came flying into the kitchen looking excited. His eyes roamed around the kitchen until they landed on Naomi and Addison who happened to be standing next to each other. "Okay, I know you two are in charge of hiring new doctors for the practice, but I sort of hired a doctor last night at the hospital".
"What" Naomi and Addison shouted simultaneously.
"Just hear me out" Pete begged. "She's an oncologist I met when I was working the emergency room. One of her patients came in with severe side effects from chemotherapy. I suggested some of the holistic treatments I've used on my patients to see if it would help relieve the symptoms. Not only did she not look at me like I was a quack, she took me up on my offer and explained how she was all for using eastern medicine in conjunction to western medicine; she said both had good merits and that she would never deny any viable treatment plans for her patients. We got to talking and I told her about the cooperative medicine we practice here at Oceanside Wellness and she seemed genuinely interested. I'm telling you, her philosophies on patient healthcare our exactly the same as ours, she's a perfect fit. Plus, we've been saying for months how we need to hire another doctor. What better specialty is there than Oncology, we already have everything else".
"Did you know about this" Naomi asked Violet.
"No, this is the first time I'm hearing about this" Violet admitted. "He got home so late last night, I was already asleep".
"I don't know Pete. It's not that I don't trust your judgment but we usually discuss things like this" Addison said, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"Well, you can meet her right now if you want to. She's out in the lobby" Pete announced.
"What" everyone shouted this time.
"I'll take it that means you want to meet her" Pete said, unfazed. "I'll be right back" he said over his shoulder, as he left the kitchen.
"Has Pete lost his mind" Cooper asked.
"I think that's a definite" Charlotte answered. "I wonder which doctor he's talking about though. There is one new doctor I recently gave hospital privileges to. I've only met her a couple of times but I've heard that her patients are really smitten with her. I think her name is Ga….."
"Gabby" Naomi screamed, as a Latina with sparkling almond shaped brown eyes and long flowing brunette hair entered the kitchen behind Pete.
"Naomi" she shouted back, her eyes going wide.
Without hesitating another second, they ran and embraced each other in a tight hug. "Oh my God Gabby. I can't believe it's you; it's been over five years. You just fell off the face of the earth" Naomi ranted, her eyes getting misty.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry" Gabby said, holding onto Naomi tight.
After what seemed like eternity, they finally let go of each other. Stepping back, Naomi asked "What the hell happened"?
"It's such a long story, we'll have to catch up later and I'll tell you about the whole sordid affair" Gabby promised.
"Well, at least tell me how long you've been in town" Naomi insisted.
"A few months. I've been meaning to get in touch with you but I wanted to get my son and I settled first".
"How is my godson? Christopher has got to be almost twelve now" Naomi guessed, wondering where the time had gone.
"Yep, he'll be twelve next month. He's great, such a good kid. How is Maya doing" Gabby asked.
"She just started school at Columbia University" Naomi answered.
"You're kidding! I can't believe it" Gaby exclaimed.
"So I take it you two know each other" Pete said, interrupting and stating the obvious.
"Oh yes, I'm sorry" Naomi said, turning to the rest of the group. Wrapping an arm around Gabby's shoulders, she said "This woman and I go way back; she was one of my best friends. And as a matter of fact, Addison and Sam know her too. We all went to medical school together".
Gabby heard those names and automatically perked up, looking around the kitchen until she saw them. They both looked like their jaws were still too stuck on the floor to respond. She didn't blame them; she was similarly stunned to see them, especially Addison. Their friendship had never been smooth sailing. However, it was great to see familiar faces after the hell she'd gone through over the last five years. "Wow, don't tell me you two work here too. It's so great to see you" she said cheerily, walking around to give them hugs. "What…is this a baby bump" she gasped, after embracing Addison.
"Yes" Addison answered, still trying to compute what was happening. She hadn't seen Gabby in over a decade. Whereas Gabby and Naomi had always been close, she and Gabby had more or less tolerated each other for the sake of the group. It's not that Addison didn't like her; it's just their personalities always tended to clash leaving Naomi caught in the middle to play peacemaker.
"Congratulations! Where is Derek? Does he work here too" Gabby asked.
The room went from awkward to full on tension. Gabby had missed the last five years and all the changes that occurred. Finding his voice, Sam tried to distract her. "It's good to see you Gabby" he said, not sure he quite felt that way. He and Gabby had always gotten along but he knew the history between her and Addison.
The misdirection didn't get past her but she played along. "It's good to see you too Sam. I can't believe of all the practices in Los Angeles, I happened to meet a doctor that worked with all of you. It truly is a small world" Gabby exclaimed.
"Well, I say it's fate. You're definitely hired in my book" Naomi said. "Does anyone have any objections" she asked, looking around the kitchen, almost daring someone to say no. She knew the history between Gabby and Addison was less than pleasant but she and Gabby had always been extremely close. Naomi considered her one of her best friends, just as valuable as Addison used to be. Nate had suggested she find someone to confide in; Gabby popping out of the blue couldn't have been a clearer sign. Even with five years of no communication, the trust between them was still unbroken; Naomi could feel it.
No one objected. Pete was less enthused than he was moments before but he still thought it was a good idea to hire her. He just didn't look forward to the obvious tension and work dynamics that were bound to spring forward. However, if the practice could survive divorces and best friends dating ex-husbands, they could survive this. From the look on everyone else's face, they were having similar thoughts.
"Great" Naomi cheered. Taking Gabby's hand, Naomi dragged her from the kitchen. "Let me show you around".
…...
"Okay, now that we're in your office, will you drop the happy facade and tell me what the hell is going on" Gabby demanded.
"It's not a facade, I'm truly happy to see you" Naomi said.
"You know what I mean" Gabby retorted.
Naomi sighed, sitting down next to Gabby on the couch. "A lot has changed in the last five years. You missed a boatload; that's what happens when you disappear".
"I had my reasons" Gabby said elusively.
"Like" Naomi prodded.
"Not now" Gabby deflected.
"You're starting to scare me. Why won't you tell me" Naomi questioned, worried.
"I will tell you, just not now. You know I never break a promise" Gabby said, squeezing Naomi's hand. The last five years was a time she'd like to erase from her mind but the memories were permanently burned on her brain. She knew if anyone would understand and help her through it, it was Naomi. She just wasn't ready to talk yet.
"Okay" Naomi nodded, letting her off the hook. She knew it was best not to push Gabby; to let her do things in her own time. "Then what should we talk about"?
"I want to talk about you and this practice and the mess I've just walked into. As soon as I mentioned Derek's name, the energy in the room shifted".
"Probably because Addison and Derek are divorced" Naomi supplied.
"Really? What happened" Gabby asked, her curiosity peaked.
"Long story short, Derek was an absentee husband so Addison cheated on him with Mark. Derek then moved across the country to Seattle and fell in love with an intern; Addison went after him but in the end, they couldn't make it work. Derek and the intern are now happily married and all that jazz. And in the middle of all that, Mark somehow landed in Seattle and stayed there; him and Derek are still friends".
"Wow, you weren't kidding about me missing a mountain of things. So who is the father of Addison's baby" Gabby wanted to know.
Naomi looked down, her hands fidgeting. "Sam".
Gabby jumped up in shock. "Excuse me? Please tell me I heard you wrong; there is no fucking way I just heard you correctly" she yelled, going on and on, her words transitioning into a rapid Spanish.
Naomi yanked her arm and pulled her back down on the couch. "Calm down. You heard right; Sam and Addison are a thing now. Sam and I have been divorced almost as long as Derek and Addison".
"What the hell Naomi?! You know I had my issues with Addison but I never doubted how much she loved and cared about you. And Sam used to make me feel nauseated just looking at the way he mooned over you. How could they do this to you? Why did you and Sam get divorced" Gabby wondered.
"Your guess is as good as mine. He just woke one morning and decided he was over our marriage, so I let him go. I wasn't about to beg him to still love me. We gave it a second shot, but it just wasn't the same. As far as Sam and Addison together…I don't want to talk about it. I have too much on my plate to worry about them right now" Naomi responded.
"Speaking of which, I want to know what's going on" Amelia said from the door, catching the tail end of what Naomi just said. She was tired from being at the hospital all night but instead of going home to get some sleep, she'd driven straight to the practice after her last surgery.
Gabby looked at the young woman who had just interrupted their conversation. "Oh my God! Is that little Amelia Shepherd?! You're so grown up now, I can't believe it" she said, jumping up to give her a hug.
Amelia didn't recognize her at first, but when she did, she was just excited. "Gabby! It's been forever. I haven't seen you since you all graduated from medical school" she exclaimed, hugging her back.
"I know, time flies by". Gabby stepped back and looked at her, amazed. "You work here too"?
"Yep, I followed in Derek's footsteps and became a neurosurgeon" Amelia said proudly.
"Good for you! I'll look forward to working with you; I'm the practice's newest hire".
"That's awesome" Amelia said, giving Gabby another hug. She'd always liked Gabby's spicy personality and lively demeanor.
"Thank you" Gabby said.
Turning her attention back to Naomi, who was still sitting on the couch, Amelia got back to the reason she was there. "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation but you promised Naomi, I want answers".
Naomi nodded. "Close the door; I don't want anyone eavesdropping on this". Even though Gabby was here, she'd still made a promise to confide in Amelia. It looked like she would be telling both of them.
"I feel like I've said this a hundred times in the last hour, but what is going on? Do I really want to work here" Gabby asked, confused.
"If both of you will sit down, I'll explain everything. But first, Amelia I want to make sure you really want to hear this. Because before I tell you, I want you to swear that no part of this conversation leaves this room. I know how close you and Addison are and I don't want to come between you two. I don't want you to feel caught in the middle when she tries to find out what you know or later wonders why you didn't tell her".
Amelia sat down and sighed. "I love Addison and I'll admit when she first told me she liked Sam, I encouraged her to take a chance. She's had so much bad luck with love, I wanted her to be happy. I think I had the same mindset as Addison, that you'd get over it. I actually thought you were okay with it until she dropped the pregnancy bombshell on you. Now I see, it isn't that simple. I know we've never been as close as I am with Addison, but I love you too Naomi. Too see you shut down and withdraw has been really painful to watch. I want you to be happy too. And I want you to be able to trust me. So I promise, whatever you say won't leave this room. Even if Addison doesn't like it, she'll have to respect it".
"Thank you Amelia, I really appreciate you saying that. I love you too, I really do" Naomi said, getting a little choked up. Clearing her voice, she looked between Amelia and Gabby, who was still looking lost. "Okay, I guess the first thing you need to know….the biggest thing I've kept from everyone is….I'm pregnant".
Gabby gasped, covered her mouth. "Seriously"?!
Amelia picked her jaw up off the ground long enough to ask the obvious question. "Let me guess, Nate is the father".
"Yes" Naomi nodded.
"Who is Nate" Gabby asked, looking between them.
"Oh, just some hot restaurant owner Naomi pretended to barely know who also happens to be an old high school friend of Sam's. Because the relationship dynamics aren't complicated enough in this office" Amelia said sarcastically.
"You sure know how to pick them" Gabby said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Okay, in my defense I didn't know he and Sam knew each other until after I slept with him and he showed up at the office the next day" Naomi explained.
"How did you two meet? Obviously that drycleaner story was a lie" Amelia deduced.
"Yep, it was a lie" Naomi confirmed. Taking a deep breath, she continued "Addison had just told me she was pregnant and instead of going home to wallow in despair, I decided to stop somewhere for a drink. I happened to stop at another restaurant that Nate also owns and within thirty minutes of meeting him, I was drunk and in his bed. I thought I'd never see him again until those damn pink lines showed up on the pregnancy test. The day we ran into him at lunch, it was my first time seeing him since our one night stand. When I said I was going to the bathroom, I really went to tell him the news and he didn't take it well".
"Which is why you looked so sad when you came back to the table" Amelia realized.
"Yes".
"And that day I visited you in your office…you weren't trying to get over a virus…you had morning sickness".
"Yes".
"And your doctor's appointment was with an OBGYN".
"Yes. I had just found out I was pregnant that morning".
Amelia tried to recount everything in recent weeks, feeling dumbfounded that she nor anyone else had figured it out. She guessed they were all too busy concentrating on how Naomi was dealing with Addison's pregnancy to put the puzzle pieces together. "Wait a minute…our last conversation was weeks ago…and Addison broke her news to you way before that. That would make you…"
"I'm almost twelve weeks pregnant" Naomi said, saving Amelia from having to do the calculations.
"Naomi, why didn't you tell anyone before now? Why all the secrecy" Gabby asked, speaking up.
"Initially, I was humiliated. I didn't want to appear as the pathetic ex-wife who hopped into bed with a complete stranger and got knocked up. Then, I realized I just didn't want people in my business, asking me questions I didn't feel like answering. There was a trust factor that was broken between Sam, Addison and I and it trickled down to everyone else at the practice. I don't want to nor do I feel comfortable sharing my personal life with them anymore".
"You're not pathetic" Gabby and Amelia said at the same time.
"I know that now. And by talking to you two, I'm starting to realize how great it is to have someone to confide in again. It makes me feel less alone. I'm still not ready the let the whole world back in, but this helps. I'm sorry I took my feelings for two people out on everyone; I promise I'll work on it" Naomi pledged, reaching out a hand to both of them.
"I'm just happy you finally opened up to me, even if was only because you got caught" Amelia teased, squeezing Naomi's hand, trying to lighten the mood.
"And clearly our paths crossed because you needed me" Gabby said, her light humor having an undertone of seriousness. "The truth is I probably need you too, I've missed you so much" she admitted, holding onto Naomi's hand.
"I guess the powers that be decided we all needed each other" Naomi concluded. "I've missed you too Gabby, more than words can express. And Amelia, getting caught might be the greatest blessing in disguise I've ever received. Not only did it force me to open up, but I think this will only strengthen our friendship".
"I agree" Amelia said. "Can I assume you and Nate worked everything out? You two looked chummy at the club" she noted, redirecting the conversation.
Naomi smiled involuntarily; her heart beat faster just thinking about him. She withdrew her hands as her skin began to heat up. "Something like that. He came to my house and apologized, took me out on a date on Friday; those were my big plans. We're trying to see what it leads to".
"Oh, I know that face. That's the exact look you had right before you fell head over heels in love with Sam" Gabby observed. "Leave it to you to be able to find Mr. Right on accident" she teased.
"Oh, please. No one said anything about love. We're still trying to get to know each other. Do I like him? Of course, I'm carrying his child. But that doesn't mean I'm in love with him. We're not even an official couple".
"Like and sex are two different things. You don't have to like someone to sleep with them or get pregnant by them. Whatever it is that makes you attracted to him has nothing to do with the baby. And by the silly grin you have on your face, I'd say it has gone way past like" Gabby said.
"Stop reading into things; I am not in love with him" Naomi stated again. "I won't rule it out for the future but presently, I'm just enjoying his company. He's nice, sweet, considerate, sexy, and too charming for his own good. And the sex….well…it's….mind-blowing. He's…just…..he's just…." She couldn't think of the right words to describe him; were there adequate words to describe him?
"Oh man, you've got it bad" Amelia said, shaking her head.
"Don't let Gabby rub off on you" Naomi cautioned.
"I'm not influencing anyone. She's looking at the same thing I am; a dear friend who is about to have a baby with a man she's in love with. Only she's too stubborn to admit she's fallen for him" Gabby said, smiling.
"I am not stubborn" Naomi argued.
Amelia laughed. "Let's just drop it for now Gabby. Besides, saying I told you so is so much more rewarding".
Standing up, Gabby high-fived Amelia. "You are so right".
Crossing her arms across her chest, Naomi sat back and tried not to pout.
"Oh don't look so sad" Amelia said. "This is a happy occasion; you're in love and having a baby. Congratulations"!
"Yes, congratulations! I can't wait to be an auntie again" Gabby agreed as they both moved near Naomi, pulled her arms away, and touched her belly.
"I hate you guys" Naomi said half-heartedly.
"We love you too" they said in unison.
