One Night Stand

Chapter 7
"The reception"

Terry found a table in the garden and he went to sit with his mother. They looked at each other.

- What do you want? Asked Terry.

- I want to have a relationship with you…

- What about your precious career?

- I don't care about that… I want you in my life, if you want to hide or tell the whole world, it's fine with me…

- You're not afraid for your career anymore?

- I'm not, I don't care if the whole world knows I had a baby out of wedlock. Motherhood is a wonderful thing…I'm so sorry for rejecting you baby. I love you so much, please give me another chance… I can give a press conference now if you want and announce it to the whole world…

- Mother… there's no need for that. Just the fact that you're here begging me to forgive you is good enough for me…, said Terry, everybody deserves a second chance

Eleonor looked at him…she approached him and they hugged for a long time. Eleonor was crying.

- That pregnant girl has a lot of power over you…, said Eleonor.

- What?

- Is she your girlfriend? Is she having my grandbaby?

- Actually dad wants me to get engaged to another girl…

- Why? Because this one is pregnant?

- Because of some business deal…

- But you like the pregnant girl and your father doesn't want to hear it! Is it your baby?

- No, it's not, said Terry.

- And that doesn't seem to bother you…Oh Terry, she said hugging him.

- What? He said surprised.

- You father wouldn't marry me when he got me pregnant with you, because of some arranged marriage he had with another family…

- Oh…

- And you're ready to marry a pregnant girl who's not having your baby! I'm so proud of you honey!

He just reconciled with her, but he felt closer to her than he ever were with his father! He hugged her hard.

- Oh mum! I wish you were there with me growing up.

- I know... I had you, I wanted to keep you your father came to take you away from me, saying you had to be raised to become a duke… I was a struggling actress and I couldn't fight your father with all his millions…so I buried myself in my career…I made it and when you came… I… wasn't ready to see you turn my world upside down. You left so fast, you didn't let me time to let it sink in that I had a grown son, who needed me… You were a man and you needed your mother…I'm sorry baby, she said crying, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise I needed you too. I was so caught up in my career… but nothing is more important to me than you, I promise you…

- Oh mum! Said Terry hugging her with tears in his eyes, I needed you so much!

- Baby… you want to come and stay with me in my suite? I'm going to be working, but we could spend some time together…

- I would like that, said Terry.

- I have the royal suite at the Hilton

- I have a suite at the Hilton too…

- With your father?

- We each have our suites…

- Oh… you two get along well, she said ironically

- You haven't heard the half of it! I can move in with you, mum…

- He's not going to be happy…

- What else is new? Said Terry smiling, come on mum…

He was holding her by the waist. Eliza arrived and she saw him with Eleonor Baker.

- Eleonor Baker? Said Eliza, what the hell are you doing with my fiancé? Get your hands off of him! NOW!

- Eliza! Said Terry

- Terrence, are you sleeping with her? What are you doing alone in the garden with her? You're engaged to me!

- Not officially, said Terry angry, let me go through Eliza, our engagement is a business deal. So what's with the jealousy scene? We're not in love…!

- I love you Terrence, said Eliza

- Well I don't! So what I do, is none of your business, ok?

- But…

Terry walked away at his mother's arm.

- That's the fiancée your father got for you?

- Isn't she charming?

- Exquisite…

- Thanks mum.

- Anytime…

- I knew you'd like her…said Terry ironically.

Eleonor call the reporters and gave a press conference.

- I'm just going to say this once, said Eleonor, so listen carefully; this is Terrence Grandchester, my son. I had him with the duke of Grandchester. Thank you for listening.

The reporters had a ton of questions, but Eleonor ignored them and left with Terry. The duke was furious but there was not much he could've done. Eliza was flabbergasted and very ashamed. She left the room and she met an actor who wanted to have some fun…

Eleonor and Terry saw Candy talking to her friends with a glass of juice in her hand. She smiled when she saw them together.

- Hello, she said smiling, everything is fine?

- Perfect! Said Terry and he winked at her.

She smiled back at him, she excused herself to her friends and she walked to them.

- Mum, this is Candy, said Terry.

- Hello, said Eleonor hugging her, thank you so much for talking to my son!

- Oh you're welcome, said Candy; I don't know what I would've done without my mother…

Anthony moved while Candy was hugging Eleonor and she felt it!

- Oh! Your baby is saying hi, said Eleonor moved.

Candy burst out laughing.

- I guess he is! Hey Anthony, this is Terry's mummy, she whispered.

"That's your other grandmother, Anthony!" She said in her head.

Candy looked at Terry who was smiling.

"My son said hi to his grandmother" He said in his head.

He smiled at her.

- Why don't you stay with us, said Terry.

- I won't bother your reunion?

- Of course not! Said Eleonor, without you there wouldn't be any reunion! You're our angel!

- A very pregnant angel, said Candy smiling.

- You're going to have a little angel, said Terry.

- An angel, having an angel, what are the odds?

They all started laughing out loud.

The duke and Albert where looking at the scene not very happy.

- Your son needs to leave my very pregnant daughter alone.

- Your daughter needs to leave my son alone!

- You two needs to find a solution, said Clysen, these two are in love and you're keeping them apart!

- The deal was with Eliza, not our pregnant daughter.

- I don't understand your attitude; wouldn't it be easier for you to have a couple who actually love each other? He barely talks to Eliza, said Clysen

- Your daughter is pregnant, out of wedlock…

- So what? She can't get a man who wants her with her belly? She did, your son! Who seem unable to stay away from her! Said Clysen

- Honey, said Albert, please, I beg you, stay out of this…

- He thinks that because Candy is pregnant she won't get a man?! My baby is a very beautiful person inside and she deserves to get what she wants.

- My son is not available, said the duke.

- Why don't you tell him that? Said Clysen leaving upset.

She walked to Candy, Terry and Eleonor.

- Mom! Said Candy smiling is everything all right with dad? You seem upset.

- It's fine, said Clysen.

- Let me guess, said Terry, they were telling you that Candy and I can't be together…?

- Yes, said Clysen.

Candy and Terry looked at each other.

- Your father just wants to take care of you since the father of your baby is no more…, said Clysen.

- Really? Said Candy, so if I had gotten pregnant by someone alive, he would let me marry him?

- Yes, of course with a gun on his back!

- Oh, said Candy.

All she had to say is tell the truth and she would marry Terry.

- Candy, said Terry, you have something to tell your dad?

- No, said Candy, why?

Eleonor looked at Clysen.

- Since my son is too preoccupied with your daughter to introduce me, Eleonor Baker, I'm Terry's mother…

- Oh, said Clysen smiling, I'm very pleased to meet you! I had no idea! The duke didn't say a word.

She didn't hear Eleonor's declaration to the press...

- Richard wishes he had forgotten about me altogether, but my handsome son is a constant reminder…

- Gee thanks mum for the compliment.

They all burst out laughing.

Albert and the duke heard them and they looked at them.

- By the way, said Albert, why is Eleonor Baker laughing with my wife and our kids?

- Because she's the mother of my son…

- Get away! Said Albert surprised.

Albert didn't hear Eleonor declaration either, since she spoke without a microphone, only the people around heard her.

- What on earth are they doing socialising?! Said the duke.

- You can't keep your son from his mother.

- I did for all these years…

- That's cold and that's cruel…every parent should be with their child…

- Well I wanted to protect my son from the Hollywood glamour…I thought I could keep them apart…

- Apparently your son was missing his mother, I gather his stepmummy was more a stepmonster?

The duke didn't respond.

- I married Clysen and she was a widow, she had Candy who was a little girl, I adopted her and I never think of her as someone else's child, she's my daughter …

- I guess you're a better person than my wife, said the duke.

The duke looked at Eleonor, she was so beautiful. Terry seemed really happy to see her. Everything he had planned for Terry was falling apart…He approached them…

- Eleonor, Terry…

- Richard…

- We're going to let you talk, said Clysen taking Candy away.

Eleonor and Richard are looking at each other.

- You came to corrupt my son.

- He's my son too!

- Your career was too important.

- You know damn well that's not how it was! You stole my baby!

- Let's not talk about that here.

- I want a relationship with him I don't care if the whole world knows… he's my son! Deal with it!

Eleonor left and the duke shook his head. This American deal was turning out to be an irritation for him.

The evening went on fine and Eliza was angry and sulking she got to make out with one of the actors and had a quickie in the toilet…

Candy was coming out of the ladies' room when she met Eliza coming out of the men's room…

- Candy, I made a mistake…

- Are you drunk Eliza? said Candy.

- None of your beeswax! Stay away from Terry!

Eliza left… Candy shook her head… When the reception was about to end, Eleonor Baker gave another press conference, with a microphone this time, announcing to the world that she had a son and introduced Terry to the world…

The duke was not happy, but he couldn't do much… Terry left with his mother to go upstairs to her suite. He came back down before Candy left.

- I thought you left…

- I wanted to say thank you again and goodbye…

- You don't need to thank me, she said with a soft voice.

- Yes, I do, he said, come with me…

He took her by the hand and they went to the garden… He took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. She put her arms around his neck and responded to the kiss with all her heart. When they finally stopped, they were breathless…

- Good night Freckles, said Terry still holding her in his arms..

Anthony moved.

- You too, Anthony, said Terry smiling and looking down and touching her belly.

They both laughed. They looked at each other.

- Good night Terry, she said softly, have a good time with your mother.

- I will, I'm going to be the baby with my mummy…

- Go for it! You need it…

He smiled. Candy was putting back some lipstick on. Then they walked to the door, where Candy's parents were waiting for her. Terry left her at the door.

- Sorry I'm late, mom, dad…

- Kissing Terrence goodnight? Said Clysen.

- Mom!

- That would be a "yes"…

Candy blushed Albert didn't say a word.

- I'm sorry daddy, said Candy sadly.

He didn't respond and Candy was worried. When they got home, he turned around and hugged her.

- I love you, he said.

- I love you too daddy, said Candy.

She went to her bedroom. She got ready for work and Clysen came to her bedroom.

- Candy… what is going on?

- Mom…

- You like Terry, you were kissing him.

- Mom. I …

- Tell me…

- I can't…

- Why?

- Because you'll have to tell daddy…

- I promise I won't tell him…

- I don't want you to hide anything from him…

- Well lately, he's been on my nerves…

- Mom…

- I promise I won't tell him…tell me what's wrong… Do you like Terrence?

- Yes…

- Oh my God! And he likes you too… and he doesn't care you're pregnant with someone else's child…he's a good man

- Mom… I …

- What is it honey…?

- It's about the baby…

- What about the baby?

- It's …not Anthony's…

- WHAT? Who's the father then?

Candy didn't answer right away….

- Candy, you know who the father of your baby is, right?

- Yes, I do…

- Who is it…?

- I had a one night stand on the boat…

- You what?!

- New Year's Day, was supposed to be my wedding night, I was hurting so much mom… I went outside to get some fresh air, I met this guy who was crying, I felt drawn to him…we talked, we cried in each other's arms and one thing let to another, we kissed and we ended up making love…

- Oh my God!

- I was a virgin mom, so, Anthony can't be the father of my baby…

- Where's the father?

- When I woke up in the morning, he was gone…like he disappeared into thin air.

- Do you even know his last name?

- I got to Oxford and a few days later, I saw him again, he was a student there. I was so happy to see him but… he pretended he didn't know me…

- Figures!

- A few weeks later I was feeling bad and my friend Tom who's a med student took me to the hospital and I had an ultrasound and I saw little Anthony for the first time, I couldn't stop crying… If Anthony hadn't die, this baby would've been his… this was so unfair!

- Did you tell the father about the child?

- He pretended he didn't know me, mom, I didn't want to speak to him, so I came back here and I told you and before I could stop it, you thought the baby was Anthony's and you told dad and he told everybody…

- Oh my God! I should've asked you, but for me it was Anthony's the thought that you could've slept with someone else didn't even cross my mind…

- I was going to tell you guys the truth when you would notice that my due date is passing and I'm still not having my baby…

- Oh Candy…you're not having Albert's beloved nephew's baby?

- No, I wish I was…

- Wishing is not enough, said her mother bitter.

- I'm sorry mom… I know you're disappointed in me for sleeping with the first guy who consoled me…

- You were hurt, I certainly can relate…

She thought about when she lost her husband, how she met Albert and he comforted her… they made love the day they met…and it was wonderful. Albert didn't want to let her go and married her and adopted her little Candy.

- I thought I had some time to tell you guys the truth until Eliza showed me a picture of her fiancé…, continued Candy.

- Terry is the father? OH MY GOD!

- I didn't know what to do…I don't want him to marry Eliza mom, I want him to marry me!

- Then you should've told your father…

- He thinks it's Anthony's baby! I don't want to hurt him…

- Candy… the truth is going to come out soon… but why didn't Terry told the truth to his father? I'm sure the duke would want him to marry the mother of his child…

- Really? Like he married Terry's mother? I don't want him to take my baby away from me…

- Don't you worry, your father will never let the duke take his grandson! Why didn't Terry said something? He wants you, he's got the perfect opportunity to have you… unless...

- I didn't tell him he's the father…

- Candy! Why?

- I don't know… he's promised to Eliza and…

- He snubbed you…Candy… tell your father the truth and he's going finally arranged a marriage with you and Terry instead of the queen of mean…

- I saw her coming out of the men's washroom…

- After a quickie with some actor I saw her with… you see what kind of woman they're giving him? You can't let that happen…

- Let's see how things go…

- Oh my God! This is just one big mess! I'm going to stay away from this… Albert and the duke don't what to ear about you and Terry being together…

- I thought I hated Terry, but when I heard he was going to marry Eliza…

- You realised you had feelings for him…

- I was jealous of the queen of mean of all people! I can't let the father of my baby marry that witch!

- Thank you to finally confide in me baby…you can tell me anything you know that right? You can tell me anything, I'm your mother, I'm here for you…

She hugged her daughter…

- What do you want?

- I want him to take a leap of faith…

- A leap of faith? You want him to want to marry you without being sure he's the baby's father?

- I want him to follow his heart and to refuse to marry the queen of mean and be with me…

- But of course, you're not going tell him the only thing that would make him do what you want right away…you're complicated, you know that?

- I know mom… I know this baby is going to look like him, then there won't be anymore way for me to say it's not his…

- Well it's your life, you're taking a gamble, but it's worth it for you, if that's going to put your mind at ease, go for it!

- You won't tell dad?

- No… I think you and Terry should tell him the truth…and the duke too… they're going to have a cow! The couple is not working out at least on Terry's side and the non couple have a child together…I can't wait to see their faces! Remind me to have my camera ready!

They burst out laughing. They talked some more and Clysen when to bed.

- Where were you? Asked Albert

- Talking to Candy

- Is she all right?

- Yes, she's sad she made you angry.

- Kissing Terrence Grandchester? What was she thinking?

- Eliza had quickie with an actor in the men's room…

- What? But, maybe she's enjoying her life before she gets married

- You're giving poor Terrence a slut! When he really wants Candy!

- She wants him too, that's why she was kissing him…

- She was kissing a man she likes…

- Clysen…

- Don't worry I told her she should stop, she lied, it won't happen again she said, but you know she does as she pleases…

- I'm sorry honey I know you want her to be with Terrence

- He likes her and doesn't care she's pregnant…Candy likes him too… they were kissing tonight…can't you change the deal?

- I'm sorry honey…

- Very well, said Clysen, I'm going to sleep.

- No hanky panky?

- No hanky panky!

She changed put on her night gown and turned around to sleep… Albert got in the bed and turned her around and kissed her and they made love…

oOoOoOoOoOo