C.J. hated the mornings. She had heard that pregnancy made a woman feel sick to her stomach and throw up sometimes most often in the morning. She had hoped that she'd avoid that particular part of it and be able to start eating for two right away.
She loved great cuisine…many different cuisines and while certain foods most notably sushi was out for now that left her plenty of other meals to enjoy. Mornings started getting rougher in the past week and she couldn't even look at one of Matt's beloved omelets or even an egg without putting her hand to her mouth and rushing to the bathroom.
Not that there was much to upchuck in the mornings…but it took her a moment and then she had to clean out her mouth, wipe her face before rejoining the rest of the world. Sometimes she'd hear a knock on the door and he'd asked if he could help but she'd just answer back that everything's fine and she'd be out of there in a moment. She didn't think that babies' fathers were all into hearing about the nitty gritty of what it meant to be pregnant.
Like having to pee on a moment's notice…more times and feeling energetic at sometimes and drained at others. Certain odors smelled stronger and certain of her favorite foods didn't taste right and she'd developed some odd cravings. Carmel sauce, an awesome flavoring to add to two scoops of Pralines and Cream Ice cream but not so much when it came to dunking in anchovies by the tins before eating them.
That just seemed so wrong and yet…it made her mouth water in a good way to remember the taste of them last night when she'd eschewed garlic popcorn leaving that to Matt while she prepared her own snack. To Matt's credit, he didn't look at her as if she'd gone crazy but joined her on the couch making sure she stayed close to him while they watched James Bond together.
In the mornings though she stuck to the hated oatmeal with some maple syrup on it and a sprinkle of berries…something healthy that she could keep down long enough for it to nourish her and the new life inside of her.
Matt walked into the kitchen after she'd walked back in to make herself some weak tea. He'd already set the kettle to boil and she went to go get her tea bag.
"You feel better?"
She looked over at him where he got ready to whip up one of his infamous omelets. As long as she didn't have to see it…so she kept her eyes off of what he did while she prepared her boring oatmeal.
"Yeah…a lot," she said, "I'm out of sorts in the morning these days."
He smiled at her rubbing her back in the way she loved before kissing her.
"I read somewhere that happens to women in your condition," he said, "It'll pass soon enough won't it?"
She tried to remember what she'd read in the one of the half dozen articles she'd read online on the subject.
"Yeah I think so…god I hope so," she said, "Though for some women it lasts the whole pregnancy."
He cracked the eggs and the sound…well she found that sipping her tea after it was done helped settle her stomach.
"C.J…if this is making you feel sick…I can…"
She shook her head.
"No…no…I'm fine Houston," she said, "I'm feeling a lot better with the tea. I just miss eating those omelets. It's just diabolical to not be able to eat them or even look at them…but I suppose it's not permanent."
"You are feeling okay to go into work today?"
She snorted.
"Hell yeah I am…Houston I'm pregnant not sick," she said, "In fact I'll be hitting my stride running at about 10."
"That's good but you've got to take it easy," he said, "Rest more…leave the heavy work to Chris and the others…"
She sighed sipping her tea again.
"Houston…I need to work…we both need all of us to do the best we can to get your new company off and running."
"It's already doing great thanks to all the work," he said, "I forgot how exciting it was to start a business from scratch. It's nice to see I still can do it."
She worked on getting her oatmeal to the point where it'd be almost edible.
"Houston…of course you can do it," she said, "You're still the same man you were back when we started Houston Enterprises…a bit older and a whole lot more good looking…not that you weren't before but…maturity suits you."
He smiled at her.
"You're growing more beautiful every day," he said, "not that you weren't always the most beautiful of women."
She chuckled at him.
"Houston…keep talking," she said, "and remember that when I start popping out of my clothes."
He sighed.
"You'll be even more beautiful then…"
She smiled at him and then the phone rang. He went to get it and noticed that it was Chris on the other end of the line.
"Houston…are you there?"
"Yes I am Chris…about to eat breakfast," he said, "What's going on?"
She paused.
"You haven't read the latest issue of the Daily Mirror then?"
Matt sighed.
"No I haven't…I try not to read that rag," he said, "since the publisher's trying to come after me."
"Maybe you'd better read this issue," she said, "It's about C.J. and how she was seen going in and out of some…maternity wear stores."
Matt's eyes widened. Since when was that news even in this town…that a woman would go shopping for clothes after getting pregnant.
"What else did it say?"
Chris paused again.
"Chris…"
"Well it didn't name the father of her baby," she said, "but they posted a list of most of the men C.J.'s dated in the past five years…including Robert complete with his mug shot."
Matt closed his eyes not believing it. He couldn't believe the ruthlessness of some people but for Delilah to try to come after C.J…his best friend, his business partner, his girlfriend…and the mother of his child…those were just fighting words.
"I'll have to phone her and tell her that while I'm fair game, C.J.'s not…"
Then he heard a voice from behind him.
"I'm not…what?"
Still on the phone, he looked behind to see C.J look at him inquisitively.
Delilah got off the phone having secured more advertising for her next issue which would update the situation involving Matt, his stunning ex-fiancée' Elizabeth of course and whatever was going on with C.J. The woman had gotten herself knocked up. One of her reporters had found the tags for some of the outfits in the trashcan at C.J.'s house. She wasn't there and Delilah figured she must be shacking up in a love nest with the baby's daddy. Some secret hideaway to elude the media from finding out…most of the media but not a sharp investigative reporter like herself….no she'd find out all of the secrets. Maybe C.J. had broken off with the baby's father…maybe there was some explosive triangle…I mean look at the roster of men that were part of her romantic history. Then again, maybe she had her baby the scientific way…through a sperm bank.
Delilah knew she'd find out the truth.
"What's the meaning of this," a woman said from the doorway.
She looked up and saw Elizabeth standing there with the latest issue of her newspaper.
"It's the latest issue," Delilah said, "It's selling like hotcakes and I had people calling in with tips on who's the father of C.J.'s bun in the oven."
Elizabeth scoffed.
"I saw the poll and I'm voting sperm donor," she said, "Or maybe she visited that loser felon ex of hers, the news anchor and somehow he knocked her up in one of those con…conjugal…things."
"A conjugal visit…that's certainly possible Elizabeth," Delilah said, "We'll have to find out exactly what happened and who's responsible for impregnating her."
Elizabeth shrugged.
"It's not like it's going to be anyone classy…not with a low class woman like herself. She doesn't have my kind of breeding…she's a commoner."
Delilah paused.
"You don't suppose that he knocked her up do you?"
Elizabeth looked at her puzzled and then it dawned in her eyes. She just gave a petulant look before shaking her head.
"No that could never happen," she said, "Matt likes beautiful women of impeccable breeding…well he'll dabble with others but when it comes to being serious…men of him from society's upper echelon tend to hang out with others like them."
"But…"
Elizabeth put up one hand.
"Not one more word on the subject…it could never, ever be true…"
She walked out of the room in a huff while Delilah just shook her head.