"Don't you think so too Sarah?" A brunette-haired woman asked.
"I think it's nice." She replied with a hint of disinterest in her voice.
"You weren't listening to us Sarah." The woman sitting across her laughed at her answer.
"I was!" Sarah insisted, in a defensive tone for that matter. "I said that dress that you're wearing is nice!"
"That isn't our topic anymore! That really proves that you weren't listening to us, sis." Daniel laughed at her sister's blabber while eating his fries. "We were asking your opinion about pets. Vivian asked you whether guppies should be fed twice a day and you answered her 'it's nice.' Clearly, your mind is wandering somewhere else."
"I was so listening!" The blonde argued, even though it was pretty obvious that she wasn't really paying attention. "I said feeding guppies are nice!"
"Oh, really now? You just said Vivian' dress was nice." Daniel cocked his eyebrows, amused that his sister kept on trying to deny that she was spacing out. "Then, what are guppies then?"
"Guppies? Of course, they're dogs!" She answered her brother confidently. Although the feeling was soon gone as she saw her brother and his girlfriend in a fit of laughter. She suddenly doubted her answer, and spoke in a sheepish tone. "They're dogs? Aren't they?"
"You were really not listening to us." Daniel sighed out. "Don't even try to deny it now."
"I'm sorry!" She finally admitted her defeat. "So yeah, I wasn't. Vivian I'm sorry." She turned to Vivian and apologized. She didn't want to embarrass herself any longer.
Vivian gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay Sarah. But I have to agree with Daniel, your mind is somewhere else. Care to tell us?
Crap. I'm blowing my cover. "N-no it's not! W-what are you talking about?" She stuttered nervously. Sarah knew she could talk to Vivian about Chris and the breakup. Vivian was actually a very good listener with lots of good advises to give for comfort and encouragement. She would eventually tell her, just not while Daniel was also there…
"Yes, it is!" Daniel insisted. "Come on! Tell us!"
"Yes, please do." Vivian clapped her hands and urged her to tell them.
"I'm just tired you guys." She confessed, partly telling the truth. Even though she just broke up with her boyfriend, she wasn't the type that would be up all-night thinking about it. For her, the remedy to forget her problems was either to eat, so that even if she wasn't happy, at least her stomach was, or to sleep, so she would stop thinking about the depressing thoughts that never leave her head. So, she didn't quite understand why she felt so weary recently. Maybe this break-up thing was draining all of her energy without her even noticing it.
"You do look tired." Vivian patted her shoulder and looked at Daniel worriedly.
"You should have said that you wanted to sleep a few more hours." Daniel told her as he drank from his soda. "You should head home; Vivian and I still have somewhere to go to after this."
"Okay. Maybe I just need to take a nap." Sarah just nodded. She really wanted to rest as well. A few hours of sleep could recharge her battery. She finished up her burger and stood up. "I'll go to the bathroom first."
In the girls' bathroom, she went inside an empty cubicle and nervously undid her pants. This is a very awkward. She thought to herself. As soon as her pants were undone, she carefully slid her underwear down and took a peek. She was glad that she didn't see any blood in her panties.
It was a relief for her, but at the same time she started to wonder. "That's weird." She muttered to herself as she zipped her pants. "My period was supposed to be due three days ago."
A delay, she concluded. That was normal? It happens to her sometimes... But then again, her period was always only one day late.
Then she felt that weird sensation coming from her stomach again. I didn't eat any waffles to-Before she could even finish her sentence, crap starting coming out of her mouth. It was really gross. She never liked the feeling of vomiting anyway. The food she just chewed and swallowed a while ago came out coupled with an unpleasant smell. But why was she vomiting again?
"This is the second time I've thrown up this week." She sighed as she flushed the toilet. She was about to open her cubicle when suddenly she heard a pair of voices entering the bathroom. She didn't even know why, but she didn't come out of her cubicle and stayed to listen to the two girls as they talked instead.
"I'm telling you Erika! Mindy's pregnant!" A high-pitched voice came.
"Pregnant?" She whispered to herself. What the hell? I couldn't be… No wait, did we use a condom when we…Panic struck her when she couldn't remember if they used a contraceptive or not. No wonder why she was feeling horrible lately. The vomiting, nausea, and the delay of her period… Oh shit. Could I really be…
"Pregnant? Are you sure about that Holly? "Sarah heard from the one called Erika she presumed.
"Of course!" The girl named Holly, replied. "It's so obvious already!"
"How can you even tell that a woman is pregnant?" The other girl asked in curiosity.
"Of course, there are symptoms!" Holly confidently answered. "First when the woman vomits lately, then when she always feels tired and sleepy, and then of course when she's not having her period."
"I see!" Erika chimed. "Isn't that great for the both of them. Adam's going to be so happy when he finds out that they're finally going to have a baby!"
"Well, I guess so." With that, the voices disappeared and the sound of the bathroom door closing could be heard.
"Shit." Sarah muttered to herself in a louder tone when she could be certain that she was alone in the bathroom. Those two girls could actually be telling her something that she should have realized days ago… "What am I panicking for? Of course, I'm not." She tried to deny it, although there was anxiety welling up in her. "I couldn't be…"
But then she wasn't sure herself and she wanted to find out if it could possibly be true. She exited the washroom and went back to Daniel and Vivian, who were already outside in the parking lot, waiting for her.
"What took you so very long? Did you do number 2 inside the washroom?" Daniel joked, unable to sense anything that was peculiar.
"Maybe." Sarah answered him. She wasn't in the mood for Daniel's corny jokes. She was facing a crisis right now.
"So, are you ready to go Sarah?" Vivian asked her.
"Daniel, you two should go ahead." Sarah suggested. "I still have somewhere to go to."
"What?" Daniel was a tad surprised with what his sister said "Didn't you say that you wanted to go home and rest?"
"Yes, I want to go home and rest, but before that, I want to pass by the convenience store." It was partially true, since she was going to buy pregnancy kits. "I heard that they're selling new flavors of ice cream." That part was the lie.
"Then we'll drive you there." Daniel clicked the keys to his car open. "We'll pass by a convenience store on the way home."
"No! It's really okay! I want to walk my way to the convenience store anyway!" Sarah insisted, determined to not let them know of her current situation. She didn't know how she would even tell them.
"Are you sure?" Her brother asked her again, in case she might change her mind.
"Yes! I'm sure!" She raised her thumbs up. "You two have fun okay!"
"We'll see you later Sarah." Vivian gave her a hug.
"Okay then." Sarah hugged her back.
With that, her brother and his girlfriend went inside the car and drove to their destination. Sarah felt relieved that she didn't have to explain herself to them right now, when she was also not sure whether or not she was pregnant. She really hoped that she wasn't. Because if she were, she had no idea on how she would tell Daniel since she knew that he would definitely be mad at her.
The nearest drugstore was right nearby the fast-food chain that they ate. In a matter of seconds, she was already crossing the street. Her heartbeat was racing faster than normal, she was very nervous at what she was about to do.
-o0o-
"Thank you for your coming! Have a nice day!" The cashier enthusiastically bid Sarah goodbye as she went out of the store.
She sighed in ease as she got it over and done with, holding the plastic bag tighter. "I guess it's pretty normal for girls my age buying these kinds of stuff."
"Well, what did you buy anyway?" She shrieked when she heard a voice behind her.
"Lou?!" She turned to look at whoever that was and found that it was her best friend and felt glad. Heck she didn't know what she would do if it was Daniel or Vivian.
"Yes, it's me!" Her friend smiled at her, without a clue about what was running through her head.
"It's only you!" Sarah exclaimed.
"How rude." Lou pouted when she said that. "What did you mean it was 'only' me?"
"N-no!" Sarah stuttered and was finding the right reply so that she wouldn't offend her any longer. "I mean I'm glad that it's you!"
"Right." Lou agreed to her, with a mix of sarcasm in her voice. "So, what did you buy?"
"No-nothing." Sarah hid the plastic bag behind her back.
"You're acting way too suspicious." Lou eyed her. Sarah wasn't really the type that kept secrets, especially from her.
"What are you talking about?" Sarah laughed nervously. "I'm acting like I always do."
"No, you're not."
"Yes I am."
"Not."
"I am."
"Not."
"I am."
"Not."
"I am acting normal okay!" Sarah was getting impatient already. She wanted to go home and find out if she was pregnant or not. But Lou was proving to be a very difficult obstacle for her.
As she semi-exploded, the plastic bag dropped, revealing a box of pregnancy kit. Her jaw dropped and when she looked at Lou, confusion and surprise was etched on her best friend's face.
"So, who did you buy it for?" Lou got over her shock and asked her, not even aware that she bought it for herself.
When Sarah wasn't answering her, she soon realized it herself. "So… you bought it for yourself?"
"Yeah. I did." Sarah admitted in defeat. It's no use lying to Lou anyway. She's a lie detector expert, which sometimes pisses her to the bone. And since Lou is her best friend, she is able to see past her lies and excuses better than anyone else, even Daniel and Chris.
"I can't believe he still has the guts to sleep with you when he's seeing another girl already!" Lou fumed when she remembered that sick and cheating bastard.
"Let's head home." Sarah suggested, deciding that she should at least tell somebody about last weekend. "I'll tell you everything that you need to know."
-o0o-
"What?!" Lou was in a state of shock. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. As soon as they got home, they went to Sarah's room and she told her what happened. "You mean to tell me that you slept with another man? You should also be accused of infidelity!" Her friend was also seeing another guy! And here she was, thinking that she knew everything about her best friend. What was happening to the world?
"Of course, not dummy." Sarah sat down her bed and tried to explain herself. "I wasn't cheating on him-"
"Oh, really now." Lou raised her eyebrow, obviously overreacting. "Which part of 'sleeping-with-another-man-other-than-your-boyfriend isn't infidelity?"
"Because he already broke up with me when I slept with another guy, that's why it's not infidelity!" She spat out, with bitterness evident in her voice. Just the thought of that Chris and his year-long and continuing love affair really made her angry.
"Ohhh… I see. So, was that a revenge sex or something?" Lou tone changed into a calmer one.
"Of course not. It wasn't meant like that anyway." Sarah pulled out the content of the plastic bag and opened the pregnancy kit.
"Then was he a stripper?" Lou was in a state of shock again. If it wasn't infidelity or revenge sex, this could only mean one thing! Her best friend went to a brothel and paid a guy to make her forget the pain! "How much did you even pay him?! I didn't know you were like that when heartbroken Sarah…"
"Lou!" Sarah's face was beet red. She wasn't that type of person! The thought didn't even cross her mind. How could her best friend even say that? "I did not hire a stripper okay! He was also a customer at the bar I went to. He approached me and-"
"Asked you to have sex?" Lou cut her off, clearly wanting her to skip to the part when they stripped each other of their clothing.
"Will you please let me finish?" Sarah huffed in annoyance. Lou always seems to cut her off when she tried to tell her something, especially something this exciting Her friend, even though she doesn't look like it, has a very perverted mind. "No, he didn't ask me to have sex. I think he was concerned when he saw me crying. Then he asked me if I was okay, then I sort of enjoyed his company and we talked for hours."
"So, when did the 'having sex' part come in?" Lou urged her to continue.
She rolled her eyes. What an impatient and perverted woman Lou was. She wasn't even interested at whatever they talked about. "When we were in his car, we had an intense make-out. Then I guess both of us got horny and then we went to his condo and there you have it." She told her as she read the box for the instructions on how to use the pregnancy kit.
"Was he good-looking?" She asked.
Sarah blushed at Lou's question. She glued her eyes onto the writings on the box and avoided looking at her. He was good-looking all right, hot if she may put it. He had the most gorgeous hazel eyes she had ever seen and it fascinated her. "H-he… w-was…" In addition to his good looks, he has an athletic build to match it with. She remembered having chills when she touched his bare chest.
"I'm not basing this from your horrible taste in men, rather, by judging from your super red face, I can tell that you're not lying." Lou tried to tease her more. "You're so lucky! Having slept with a handsome man! Tell me more about your night in bed with him!"
"Okay I'm going to try this!" Sarah desperately tried to change the subject and stood up, carrying the pregnancy kit and went inside the bathroom.
"I want to see it!" Lou squealed and tried to open the doorknob and join her.
"Don't go inside!" Sarah retorted.
"But why?" Lou fiddled with the doorknob, only to find it locked.
"Do you want to see me pee?" Sarah asked her sarcastically.
"It's okay!" She replied.
"Well, it isn't okay for me! So, wait there until I finish!" Sarah commanded her before being immersed into what she was doing.
"Sarah!" Lou called out to her after a few minutes of waiting outside the bathroom. "What happened to you? You've been quiet for a few minutes now."
The door of the bathroom opened and Sarah slowly walked back to the room and sat on her bed, silent than ever before and distress was all over her face.
"So?" Lou had a hunch of what the result might be, but still, she wanted to hear it from Sarah herself. "How did it go?"
"P-p-p-po" Sarah found it difficult to say the words out loud. "Positive. It's positive."
"Positive?"
"You heard me! I saw two lines! Two red lines means positive! Positive means p…" She wanted to slap herself for being so careless!
"Why didn't you use any protection? Well at least you're going to be a-" Lou tried to cheer her up, but she didn't know what to say that could possibly lighten the mood of her best friend. "Congratulations?" But seeing the look on Sarah's face, it sure seemed like she was picking all of the wrong words.
"I can't believe this!" Sarah exclaimed and was frustrated with herself and everything else. "And it's all because of that ridiculously handsome brown-eyed sex machine!"
-o0o-
"Chuck?" Tyler called out to him when he saw him pause in his tracks. "What are you stopping for?"
"That's weird. I think I heard someone call out my name." Chuck scratched his head. It seemed like there really was no one that called him. But he sure thought there was.
"No one was calling you, conceited dumbass." Another guy walked passed him.
"What a very nice greeting Lazlo." Chuck joked as he walked inside the bar with his two friends.
-o0o-
"I'm bored." Chuck said to himself. He gave up trying to concentrate on his documents. His mind wasn't really in the mood for work. Since there were no clients and staff meetings today, he should have just opted to work from home to get more sleep. He didn't get much sleep last night because Lazlo and Tyler stopped him from going home and forced him to drink some more. And because he drank a lot, his head was throbbing, big time.
That was fun though. They haven't done that for a very long time. Drinking with his friends should be done more often. He should, since he doesn't have a girlfriend anymore to stop him and complain when he's spending time with his friends and not with her.
He didn't want to continue working anymore and decided that he should just call it a day. "Rosy." He called his secretary, which was also Roxy's sister. It was very irritating that she was working for him. He didn't need a reminder of his stupidity every single day! He wanted to fire her immediately, but he didn't have any valid and legal reasons to do so.
"You called Chuck?" Rosy appeared, wearing a skirt that was shorter than what was prescribed in their dress code. How did she even get past the security in that micro mini? Ever since Tyler started announcing to the whole building that Chuck was now single, he noticed that her clothes became more revealing. He heard from Tyler that he had been noticing Rosy giving him those yearning looks before…
"That's Mr. Bartowski to you." He replied coldly as he gathered up his things, he didn't want to be around her if that was the case. "I'll be heading home now."
"Okay sure." She sure sounded disappointed at what he said. When he was still together with Roxy, he treated her with so much kindness. But now… Why was he putting all his anger and frustrations at her? It wasn't her fault that Roxy broke up with him. But still… He just couldn't act like the way he did before. "Wait." She called out to him.
"What?" He turned back to his secretary. "If anyone calls me, just tell them that I have a very important appointment to go to."
"No, it's not that." Rosy hesitated to continue. "It's just…"
"What is it? Hurry up and say it." Chuck was losing his patience. He wanted to leave, now.
"Do you want to have a cup of coffee with me sometime? I know you broken up with-" She didn't have any chance to continue what she was about to say because Chuck already stormed out of his office.
"Geez. They have got to be kidding me." Chuck sighed as he got inside the elevator. Having a relationship with one Roarke was enough for a lifetime. He wasn't that stupid to know that Rosy kept flirting with different men in the office and when she went out with him and Roxy. He may not look like it, but he is really a good observer.
He revved his engine and drove out of the building. He didn't want to go home immediately though. Feeling a bit hungry, he decided to have a bite before he went home.
"Hmm… what to eat?" He asked himself as he drove in search of a place to eat. He passed a lot of restaurants and fast-food chains along the way. The food around here never changes and he was getting sick of eating almost the same damn thing every single day.
With a lot of turns, he finally reached a street that was very foreign to him. "What about waffles?" He passed by a newly opened waffle shop. So, this was the waffle shop his officemates told him about. But seeing that there were a lot of people waiting in line outside, he doubted that he could find a seat. He didn't want to wait either. He drove past it and searched for someplace else to eat.
It didn't take him a lot of time before he drove by a pastry shop, he never saw before. It didn't look very popular at all since there were only two cars that were parked beside it, but it did feel like they were making some nice cakes. A person, who just went outside the shop, a customer he presumed, was saying that he would definitely visit them again.
He observed further. A couple passed by and stopped before going inside. "Their cakes are really good! I swear! I even wonder why this shop isn't that popular!" He read the words that came out of the guy's mouth. Feeling convinced, he parked his car in one of the empty slots near to the door,
"Welcome!" A few waitresses greeted him as he entered the shop. The interior of the store was simple and he felt comfortable with the aura inside the shop. It wasn't an awkward atmosphere like he had expected. The waitresses and other employees seemed friends with the customers and it felt really cozy.
"What would you like to eat?" A bubbly waitress waited for him to answer as he browsed the menu. He really couldn't decide what to order. Everything in the menu looked mouth-watering! Maybe it was the photography of the products, but still!
"What would you recommend?" He asked the waitress as he was having difficulty in choosing.
"The Mango Sans rival and Chocolate Cheesecakes are our bestsellers!" She cheerfully suggested to him.
Chocolates. He wanted to vomit when he heard her say that. He never really liked chocolates. It made him sick, really sick.
During his childhood, he had a stomach pain because he ate a chocolate which might have already expired. But that stopped him from eating chocolates afterwards. He remembered the time when Roxy gave him chocolates during Valentines' day. He would pretend to appreciate them but he never really ate them.
"I'll have the Mango Sans rival." He told the waitress and handed her back the menu.
The waitress gave him a curt bow and left. In two minutes, she was already back, with his cake. "Here's your Mango Sans rival." Chuck was surprised, he didn't even have time to make a call.
"The service here is incredibly fast." He muttered to himself as the waitress placed the cake on his table. But apparently the waitress heard him and replied. "Why thank you sir. Please enjoy your order."
The cake looked very delicious. There were bits of mangoes that were on top and it looked very appealing to Chuck. But before he could even enjoy his cake, his cell phone rang. The caller id read Roxy, to his dismay. He pressed the ignore button and turned his cell phone off. That girl doesn't really give it up, doesn't she? How was he supposed to enjoy his cake?
He found it very irritating that Roxy kept calling him. She would be calling him during his staff meetings and conferences. Heck she would even be calling him in the middle of the night. He was the type of person that didn't like it when his sleep was disrupted. She also appeared in his condo twice, begging him to take her back. There were times that she waited for him to finish work. What part of 'I don't want to be with you anymore' can she not understand?
She should just go back to that bastard she's with. He would never take her back, after all that she's done to him. Never! What pissed him off was that she was begging him to take her back but yesterday he saw them at the br that they went to. It was a good thing that they didn't see him though and left before he lost it.
The taste of the cake was very sweet and delicious all right, but he wasn't able to enjoy it because of his foul mood. He finished up quickly and left a dollar bill on the table.
"Come back again!" The waitresses enthusiastically bid him goodbye. Maybe he would frequent this shop after all. He'd bring Tyler and Lazlo with him next time.
As he was about to go to his car, he heard someone from the pastry shop running after him.
"Mister! Wait!" The voice called out to him. "You forgot your change!"
It's your tip. He turned to face the person running after him, a blonde girl with blue eyes "You can-" His eyes widened in surprise. This girl… The pretty blonde girl with the blue eyes that he met in the 'Fun Bar'. It was the girl he slept with. Did she still recognize him?
The look on her eyes told him that she did.
He was pretty sure that she was as surprised as him, because she stopped running midway and froze.
He didn't really know what to say to her. She was supposed to be the one that should be starting to talk. After all, she left his apartment the moment that she woke up.
After many seconds, the blonde girl was finally able to open her mouth and say, "You-you're that handsome brown-eyed sex machine!"
"What?"
-o0o-
"Shit! I said that out loud!" Sarah covered her mouth in embarrassment when she realized what she just blurted out loud. She barely knew the guy and now she was screaming 'sex machine!' to his face.
What was he doing here anyway? Her pastry shop was located in the most hidden part of the city. Many people didn't know that this pastry shop even existed, well except for the people who lived in the proximity, their family and friends, and regular customers. Was their shop getting more popular?
Or maybe it was because she told him that? Although, she didn't even remember giving him the address of her pastry shop though. She wasn't that drunk to tell this guy in front of her life story. Or was she? Crap. Damn the freaking alcohol!
"Should I take that as a compliment?" The man a.k.a. 'the ridiculously handsome brown-eyed sex machine' popped her bubble of thoughts. The look on his face told her that what she just said was very much amusing.
"Well, does it sound like a compliment?" She huffed and walked towards him to hand his change. Who the hell leaves an 80-dollar tip anyway? The cake that he ate was only 12 dollars. It seemed like he was in a hurry so she presumed that he just forgot to get it. "Here's your change by the way."
"How should I know?" The brown-eyed man laughed at her first remark. She's definitely the girl he was with last weekend. "You call me 'handsome' and then add that I'm a 'sex machine' so I don't know if you're just being sarcastic. And by the way, you can keep it the change, Miss Nothing-Happened. It's my tip for the good service and delicious cake." He closed the blonde's palms that held the bills.
She blushed at the sudden contact and quickly pulled her hand away. "That's very generous of you." She placed the change inside the pocket of her uniform. Rejecting this kind of blessing would result a whack on the head from Lou. Stupid are those who don't accept tips! Her best friend's voice resonated in her head. She didn't even know why Lou was so thrifty with money in the first place, it's not like they were living in a shack.
He gave her a light smile. "I didn't know your shop was here. To be honest I was just looking around for a place to eat and found this place." From their drinking session, she told him that she had a pastry shop, but he forgot to ask where the location was so he couldn't visit. It was a good thing that luck was on his side today.
His gaze shifted from the shop and he took a better look of the pretty blonde girl in front of her. Unlike the time he first saw her in a cute dress, she looked too formal today with the white polo, black skirt and heels. Why was she in typical boring office attire unlike the waitresses inside that wore cute and frilly dresses?
"Well, now you know." She gulped, getting uneasy when he continued to look at her. Maybe she should have said no or thought of an excuse. But why would she be running after him with his change if this weren't her shop?
"Then you should also wear those cute dresses that the waitresses are wearing if you work there!" He pointed to the cheerful waitresses inside the pastry shop. Surely, she would look cuter in that.
"Why should I wear something like that?" She blushed in embarrassment, which he found cuter than the frilly outfits. "I don't like wearing those kinds of things."
"But a skirt would suffice? Isn't that almost the same as wearing a dress?" He teased her, even though he remembered that she absolutely abhorred girly clothes.
"If you ask me, I wouldn't really want to wear a skirt." She crossed her arms around her chest. "They just pestered me into wearing something that's more feminine since they can't force me in those outfits."
"Whose 'they'?" He asked, getting curious all the more.
"Them of course!" She answered him defensively. "The people working in the shop! They wouldn't let me work if I wasn't wearing a skirt. Heck, I'm their boss!" She pouted.
"They should have pushed it to the limit and force you in the cute outfits." He whispered to himself because he knew that she wouldn't want to hear that.
"Were you saying something?" She asked him because she was sure that she heard him mutter something to himself.
"No. I didn't say anything." He laughed as shrugged it off and clicked the 'unlock' button in his car keys. "Well, I guess I should be going now. Nice seeing you again. I'll drop by soon." He turned to enter his car, not wanting to leave but then again, he knew she had to go back to work.
He's leaving already She thought to herself. She didn't even have a chance to tell him what their escapade had led to. "Wait Mister!" She got a hold of his shoulder in panic that she might not see him again soon.
Should she tell him? She should, right? After all, he's the cause of all of this! Or maybe she was also at fault? Maybe? Well, she also consented to it anyway. But it's not supposed to be counted if she was drunk. But he was drunk too! Heartbroken at that! It was that inner debate with herself yet again.
What the heck I'll just tell him already!
"I'm not the 'handsome brown-eyed sex machine' anymore?" He tried to tease her again when he heard him call him 'Mister'.
"Can you go with me to the hospital?" She asked him and inwardly wished that he'd agreed to it. A cheap pregnancy kit couldn't possibly be a hundred percent accurate! The pregnancy kit might be defective! Who knows? Maybe the nausea, fatigue, and they delay of her period were just coincidences as well. She should go to a real doctor and find out if she is really pregnant or not. It might only be a false alarm.
"The hospital?" Of course, he was surprised at the spontaneity of her favor. She didn't even know who he was seconds ago. "Why? Are you sick or something?"
"Maybe?" She wasn't sure of it herself. Delusional perhaps.
"Okay then, I'll take you to the hospital." He went to the passenger side and opened the door for her. "Aren't you bringing your bag?" He asked her when he noticed that she was empty-handed.
"No worries." She assured him. "My wallet and my phone are inside my pocket." She tapped her pocket for him to see.
"All right. Get in." He motioned for her to enter, but seeing that she hesitated a bit, he reassured her. "Don't worry. This might be the same car, but I won't violate you like the last time… Well, that is unless you want me to." He just had to add that last sentence that made her blush like a tomato.
"Don't do anything perverted! I swear I'll retaliate if you try to do anything stupid!" She gave him a stern threat as she entered into the passenger seat of his car. She can't believe that it was the exact same car where they kissed, groped, moaned and touched…
"Argh! Get out!" She uncontrollably shook her head to force out thoughts of that night. It wasn't easy though, and it felt like this was driving her insane. Maybe she should have took a cab instead?
"But this is my car. Why would you ask me to get out?" He was on the driver's seat, laughing and at the same time pretending to be hurt with what she said.
"No-not you! I meant the car! I meant let's get out of here and hurry to the hospital!" She laughed nervously when he eyed her suspiciously. It was a lame excuse but she didn't really want him to know what was running through her head, especially with thoughts like those…
"As you wish." He smiled at her and started the engine.
Within a few minutes, the pastry shop was out of sight and they were driving through the streets of the city. Her eyes were fixed on the view outside her window, as she was too embarrassed to even look at him. Because when she does, it only rekindled the memories of that fateful night.
"Why do you need to go to the hospital anyway?" He asked her, his eyes not tearing away from the road ahead of them.
"Uhm… I really am not sure myself." She answered him, not wanting to elaborate more about her dilemma. "But we need to see an Ob-Gyne and fast!"
"An Ob-Gyne?" Then it struck him. Weren't those kinds of doctors for people that were pregnant?
"Well…" She started to speak again. "Did… did you use a condom, when we… you know… did it?" She nervously stuttered the words out of her mouth. She couldn't even say the three-letter word out loud.
"No, I didn't." The tone of his voice was just so confident that her mouth gaped wide. As if it was pretty normal for a person, that wasn't married yet, to not use a condom at all. Add to that, he was having sex with a stranger! Wasn't he scared of getting STD or something?
"What do you mean no?" She was in disbelief. This guy was nuts! "You mean you didn't use a condom?" He was joking, right? That was what she wanted to believe, that he was just kidding with her.
"That was what I said, wasn't it?" He chuckled at the girl beside him, not even aware that she was now entering into a mode of panic.
"What kind of human are you?!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Don't you know that normal people use condoms when they have…er…" She paused as she tried to say the three-letter word, but to no avail. "…when people sleep together especially when they aren't even married?!" Sleeping together meant the same right?
"I really don't use condoms." He confessed on the spur of the moment. "I don't roll that way."
"Then you must have pulled out right?" Sarah was already desperate to hear him say yes. "Right?"
"Hmm… I don't really remember doing that too." His expression still remained relaxed. How could this man stay so calm? Doesn't he realize what he got them into? She really wanted to strangle him right then and there.
"So, if you didn't use condoms…" Her spirits were down at the moment. So, the positive sign on the pregnancy test was undoubtedly true. "Then I really must be…"
"What? Pregnant?" His hands weren't even leaving the stirring wheel, still unaffected even if she was already freaking out.
"Yes, you moron!" Sarah was losing her temper already. This man was so nonchalant about all this! Well fine, he isn't going to be the one carrying the baby for nine freaking months! He isn't the one with the extremely overprotective brother that could totally murder and go insane. But even so! Just because he's the guy in this situation, it doesn't mean that he should go carefree about all of this.
"Well why didn't you say so?" He made a quick turn that made her lose her heartbeat for a second.
"Are you trying to kill me?" She fumed. If he found out that she was pregnant, and he didn't want to have anything to do with it, the easiest way was to kill her…
"No, calm down. I wasn't trying to kill you. Don't worry." He snickered at the fuming blonde beside him. He had the courage to even do that!
"Then what are you trying to do then?"
"I know a very good Ob-gyne doctor. But the thing is, she isn't available today." He was still very composed. She couldn't believe this guy at all.
"So then where are you taking me?" She asked him when they passed the West-Side Medical. So, they weren't going to the hospital after all.
She wasn't able to get an answer from him because the car suddenly stopped in front of a drugstore. "Wait here." Those were his final words and left her inside his car alone. He was walking to the drug store and didn't even wait for her to respond.
A drugstore…
Oh no…
Her heart was beating faster than it normally should. What was his business with a drugstore? Was he buying medicine that would abort babies? That's impossible! No drugstore would sell those kinds of illegal stuff. But maybe behind that neat looking drug store is a black market for all the illegal drugs and the sort! Is her pregnancy such a hassle for him? Then again, he was driving like a mad man a while ago. Maybe it was one of his tactics to get rid of the baby! If he doesn't want to be responsible for this baby, he could just say so… He doesn't need to kill the innocent baby.
The worst-case scenario.
She wanted to go out of the car already and run for her life. But her feet froze, she couldn't move. What if he comes back and found out that she wasn't there? Would he hunt her down? She was full of trepidation that she remained glued in her seat.
Maybe that handsome man wasn't really a good guy after all.
Before she could even think of getting out of the car, he was now opening the door to the driver's seat.
"Did you wait long?" He buckled his seatbelt and put the plastic bag in between the two of them.
"No-not really." She stuttered nervously and breathed deeply. She knew she had to stand up to protect baby. "Listen, you don't have to do this you know."
"Don't have to do what?" The look on his face told her that he was utterly confused.
"I can take care of the baby alone! If you don't want to be responsible for the baby then you don't have to force yourself! Just don't make me kill the baby! I don't need those medicines that abort babies!" She spat all the words that she needed to say. Whatever he may decide, to be responsible for it or not, it was his choice. She didn't care if he didn't want to. She could do it herself! She was an independent woman!
There was a moment of silence inside the car. When he still wasn't talking, she was getting more and more anxious. She better get out of here and fast! Before he decides to force her to do what he wanted. She looked at him once more and saw that he was trembling. Could he be trembling with anger?
She held her breath when he was about to look at her.
But she didn't get what she expected.
A roar of laughter could be heard coming from the car. He was laughing his heart out with her outburst. What did this girl think of him? Some crazy and perverted murderer? Although it was quite offensive on his part, he couldn't help but think of how funny it was. This girl's imagination was really something.
"Why are you laughing?!" She was getting confused and at the same, irked by this man. She couldn't understand what was going through his head. He was so serious and uncaring a while ago and now he turns into this laughing freak machine. He still didn't answer her question and continued to laugh more until his stomach hurt.
"Because you're so funny." He finally said after he regained his composure. He even wiped the tears that formed in his eyes because he laughed a lot! He didn't remember laughing this much in weeks. What a stress reliever this girl was.
"What's so funny about what I said?" She wanted to whack him on the head already. Who cares if they were in his car? She wanted to beat him up! He was getting so annoying!
"I can't believe you even thought of me as a murderer." He laughed again. "Look at what I bought." He pointed to the plastic bag in between them.
She went ahead to lift the bag and place it on her lap. It was very light for something that should contain drugs. When she peered to look at what the plastic contained, and to her surprise, it only contained 10 different packs of pregnancy kits. No drugs for abortion… Her face was beet red with embarrassment. She couldn't even bear to look at him now.
"So?" He tried to tease her. "How could I even kill you or the baby for that matter, with pregnancy kits?"
"Shut up." She threw the plastic bag back to where she got it and stared at the window. How embarrassing! She wanted the world to swallow her alive!
"Okay then. Where will we test you?" It appeared that he wasn't really talking to her, but rather thinking loudly to himself. A few seconds later, he started to drive away from the drugstore.
"We can't possibly do it in the pastry shop." Doing it in her workplace would cause a lot of scandal with the other employees. They'd be too nosy.
"Okay we'll just go to this fast-food restaurant; you test it while I go buy food okay?" He suggested. Pretty soon he was parking his car in one of the empty parking slots.
"Why did you have to buy so many of these?" She asked him, taking out one box from the plastic bag. It was ridiculous! She couldn't even imagine the weird looks that he got when he bought these.
"I told you that the Ob-Gyne doctor that I know isn't available today right? So, we just have to make do with those. You'll have 10 kits so we can say whether it's really accurate or not." He pulled up and turned the engine of his car off.
They both went inside Quackdonalds fast-food restaurant. "You go ahead and test yourself. What would you like to eat?" He lined up to the cashier.
"Anything. Whatever you pick is fine." She wasn't in the mood to be happy that someone was treating her. If only the situation was different, she would be jumping for joy that she was getting free food. She walked her way to the bathroom with a heavy sigh. If all 10 of these kits say that it's positive. Then it would be foolish of her to deny it. Besides, she already was feeling the signs.
-o0o-
"So were the results consistent?" He asked her the moment that she joined him on the table.
She could only sigh in response. It was consistent, very much consistent! Every single one of those pregnancy kits showed her that 'positive' sign. It would be a slight relief for her if even one of them said 'negative'. But no, they were all positive. It was very reassuring… not! How would she even tell her brother about this?
"Judging from your 'down in the dumps' expression, positive?" He placed fries and burgers in front of her.
"Positive." She pushed away the food that her offered her. "I lost my appetite."
"That won't do." It surprised her that he insisted that she eat. "Pregnant women should be eating a lot more than they should, because they are feeding two persons."
She gave in and started to eat the burger. "How come you're so unaffected by all of this?"
"What do you mean by that?" He took a drink from his soda and urged her to continue.
"You find out that the girl you slept with is pregnant…" She started to say. "Then when I look at you, you seem to be fine with everything. Based from what I see on television, usually other men would get worried. Some would even panic because it's like the pregnancy would jeopardize both of their future or reputation. Some would even try to deny that they're the father of the child. Some would feel happy, but that's because they love their partner. And yet you, you seem like you don't give a damn at all. Still talking to me like it's a normal thing. I'm really confused."
"Then how would you want me to react?" He asked her.
"I have no idea at all." She answered bluntly.
He put his burger down and started to talk. "It's not like I don't care. The truth is, I am kind of worried. No scratch that, I'm really worried. You know, I acted rashly that night and then this becomes the consequence of it." The look on his eyes told her that he was sincere. She didn't say anything and urged him to continue.
"I won't deny that the baby isn't mine. I don't see it as a bother and something that would jeopardize my career. As a matter of fact, I'm okay with it. My mom also has been bugging me for grandchildren already. But because you have the burden of keeping that for 9 months and I presume that your family still doesn't know about this, I'll let you decide what you want to do. Then I'll support and respect your decision. If you want to keep it, then I'll try to be the best father that I can. If you don't, I understand." It was like he was saying his ultimatum to her.
Even though she didn't expect him to say that at all, it was exactly the words that she needed and wanted to hear. She was relieved that she wasn't going to be in this situation alone.
She inhaled deeply, swallowing all the uncertainty that she had. "I want to keep it. I want to take care of it." She said to him.
A warm smile was on his features then. "Then I'll try my best as well." He got hold of her hand and squeezed it lightly.
"But I have one question to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Are you sure that I was the only one you slept with?" She wasn't sure if he was kidding with her, but it sure was offensive.
With that, he finally got the whack on the head. "What do you think of me? A whore? Of course, you're the only one!" He was making her angry again. But when she thought about it, the way she said it, was like a love confession of some sort. What the heck was with that 'only one'?
He had both of his hands in his head, caressing the part where she just whacked him. That sure would leave a mark. "I was just joking you know. You didn't have to hit me so hard."
"Serves you right." She stuck her tongue out and continued to eat.
"By the way, this is really stupid, but can I ask you a question?" He carefully tried not to make her enraged.
"That was stupid. You already asked me a question." She huffed and continued to enjoy her food.
"Fine." He nodded. It was stupid indeed, just like the first time they met. "Can I ask you another question after I ask this question?"
"Now you're being specific!" She beamed and put her burger down to listen to him. "Okay, go ask."
"What's your name?"
"Huh?" Say what?
"I said, what's your name?"
"You mean to tell me that you still don't know my name?" She couldn't believe him. He was dragging her to every part of the city without even asking her that essential question.
"Well, it's not like you know my name." He defended himself.
"I have a name for you! I called you the 'handsome brown-eyed sex machine' remember?" She retorted.
"Even though it says 'handsome', it's a very long name. Are you sure you wouldn't want to call me that every single time? Your saliva will dry out." He laughed. "Even if you make an acronym, it would still be five syllables."
"Fine! I'm Sarah." She reached out her hand to him. "And you are?"
"Chuck." He shook hands with hers.
"Nice meeting you." She didn't know what to say any more.
"I'm very flattered that you find me handsome, Sarah." He loved the way her name sounded and the way it came out of his lips.
"Don't flatter yourself too much Chuck." Unlike him, it was more like she spat out his name from her mouth. This bastard is so egotistic.
"How could I not when a pretty girl like you calls me handsome? So, tell me, what part of me is?" He joked and couldn't help but push it further. "Everything?"
"Yes exactly." She sarcastically answered him. The bastard was also trying to flatter her, calling her pretty and all. Although it made her a bit flustered and happy… What the hell? It made her happy? It did not Sarah Walker. It did not make her happy and fluttery inside. Or maybe just a bit. "All your features are perfectly perfect." She made it sound like a very sarcastic tone even if she partly meant it.
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"Do you really mean that?"
"Yes, I mean that."
"So that's why you couldn't take your hands off me that night." He teased her. Her blushing face was really something.
Her face turned red at his remark. He was really trying to drain the blood out of her, with of all this teasing of his. So, this guy's really a pervert after all. "Shut up Chuck you perverted freak!" She threw her empty cup of juice at him. "I'm thirsty. I command you to get me a drink."
"Yes ma'am. Right away." He stood up and went to the counter.
Chuck smiled. Ditching work today was sure a good decision. Life would sure get exciting now.
-o0o-
