C.J. stood behind Matt with her arms folded, looking at him in that way that demanded an answer. Matt sighed, turning to face her.
"It's nothing…"
She didn't like that answer much and he realized that quick.
"Houston…I'm a big girl so you can tell me who you were talking to on the phone."
He'd clicked it off as soon as she'd confronted him. She stood there; her face tilted which made her curly hair frame it in a way that made his heart skip a beat. Her eyes though more green now than hazel looked a bit wary which almost made his heart stop. He didn't like seeing that look on her face when she showed it to him. It's not that she didn't trust him, he knew it, but he'd read somewhere about how pregnancy impacted women, something about hormones so he knew enough to proceed carefully.
"It's just Chris…she called me up with some news."
That caused C.J.'s eyes to narrow and she absently tossed a strand of her hair off her shoulders.
"Okay…about what? Is it bad news?"
Matt paused not wanting her to worry…something about pregnant women and emotions…he'd been doing research online about…the subject and how much it changed women who experienced and often men too.
"What is it Houston? I might be pregnant but it's still me, C.J. I can handle anything remember that."
Oh he did, how could he ever forget? She'd saved his life more than once and even though they hadn't been able to save his company that didn't matter.
"Chris told me that Delilah came out with a spread in that rag of hers and it's about you."
She seemed surprised for an instant and then he saw that look in her eyes again. Her hands moved to her hips as she digested it.
"What'd she write about me?"
Matt paused again.
"She saw you going in and out of a couple maternity stores the other day."
Her eyes widened.
"You mean she followed me?
"Appears so…I wouldn't worry about it C.J.," he said, "I plan to have a word with her about that."
Not the right thing to say as he saw her expression change…now she just looked pissed. Her eyes flashed as she went to the refrigerator to pour herself some orange juice.
"Houston…I'll handle it," she said, "It's not up to you."
Matt didn't like the sound of that. It went against all his instincts which admittedly had heightened since he'd learned that she was expecting. He couldn't sit on his hands and not do anything.
"C.J…I don't want you doing this by yourself."
She put a hand up.
"Houston like I said, I'm a big girl," she said, "and I'll come up with the best way to deal with Delilah."
Matt felt like it was his fault…that Delilah wouldn't even be putting C.J. between his crosshairs if it weren't for his refusal to surrender to Elizabeth's blackmail and marry her.
"It's not your fault if Delilah decides to come after me to get at you."
He blinked his eyes at the woman who know him better than any other and smiled at her. Oh he knew that his best friend since childhood could handle herself just fine but he wanted her to know she didn't have to do it by herself.
"I wish she'd just direct her attention elsewhere."
C.J. finished her orange juice and looked back at him.
"I'm not worried about her finding out that I'm pregnant…are you?"
He heard a hint of defiance in her voice which he'd heard before and he shook his head.
"Not unless she tries to hurt you with it then she and that rag of hers will be in trouble."
She smiled at that.
"She can't do anything to me Houston…or us," she said, "We've got a new company off the ground and in time it's going to be a great success. As for the baby…we'll figure it out."
He didn't think there was much to figure out. They needed to get married pure and simple but he was still working on that.
"I don't know why Delilah's so loyal to Elizabeth," C.J. said, "Even for a close friend…they're such different personalities."
Matt thought, almost the opposite. Delilah certainly seemed more vivacious whereas Elizabeth seemed more introspective and reserved.
The phone rang just then and C.J. went to answer her cell which was sitting on the counter.
"Hello…who is this?"
"You know it's me…Delilah…I'm working on a follow up to this week's article about your social life."
C.J. gripped the phone.
"My…what?"
"You heard me," Delilah continued, "I know that you went into that maternity store because you needed to pick up some items…and not for a friend."
C.J. sighed.
"I'm really too busy to discuss my personal life with you," she said, "As to that article you just published, I'll be responding to it. My life isn't your business and I don't think your readership is really all that interested in it."
Delilah chuckled.
"On the contrary…this issue is selling out…in part because of the piece on the mayor's secret lingerie collection but your…friend and business partner Matt Houston is a rather colorful figure in town and rather good looking…"
C.J. wanted to amend great looking but she just listened incredulously to Delilah's spiel.
"Since everyone who's a reader wants to know about him, by extension they want to know about the people in his circle…especially you."
C.J. didn't get that at all.
"Why me…?"
Delilah chuckled again.
"Because no one can figure out how you can be his so-called best friend…his girl Friday…"
"Excuse me? I'm not anyone's girl Friday. I'm his business partner."
Delilah continued onward.
"Yeah whatever…anyway any red blooded woman, business partner or not would have jumped his bones by now and yet…you're just friends. That's just hard to believe unless…well you're not into guys."
C.J. almost laughed.
"You mean you think…"
"No…you couldn't be…else why would you have nearly hitched up with that homicidal anchorman? You know the one who killed to get ahead."
C.J. paused. She didn't care whether anyone thought she liked men or women better…or that she sometimes fell for the wrong man…that just made her human. But this idea that thousands of readers really gave a damn what she did in her private life…she had a hard time wrapping her head around that but she knew she didn't like it.
"Look my life is my life…I advise you to turn your attention and that of your readers elsewhere."
Delilah just paused one second.
"You can't be serious…I just raised my advertising rates three cents an inch based on the early returns on this issue…You don't like the attention, you're just going to have to deal."
Matt saw C.J. growing a bit irate and knew if Delilah saw it, she might just back off a bit.
"I'm not the one that's going to have to deal if you publish anything that's libelous…about either Houston or me."
Delilah sucked in her breath.
"Is that a threat?"
"No it's a statement of intent," C.J. said, "and a promise."
She clicked the phone off after that not interested in hearing Delilah's response. Really the woman needed to get a life instead of focusing on hers.
Matt looked at her.
"Remind me not to go up against you," he said, before sliding his arms around and pulling her close to him.
"I'll do that…now what about today?"
He kissed her on the mouth in response and after smoothing her hair back smiled at her.
"Why don't we go take a look at that spread again…."
Delilah looked over at Elizabeth.
"I know Robert Tyler's got to be the father," she said, "We could search the prison records again…but I remember seeing that she visited him about two months ago."
Elizabeth looked up surprised.
"Really…I thought she'd have kicked him to the curb for what he did."
Delilah shrugged.
"Well maybe she had second thoughts."
Elizabeth sighed.
"Maybe she hooked up with my fiancé."
Delilah scoffed at that.
"No you're right…she's too common for the likes of him," she said, "Matt likes his ladies with class, style…and money. Makes it easier to do a pre-nup don't you think?"
Elizabeth frowned.
"I don't know…he didn't want one with me even though C.J…tried to get him to sign one. I thought it was because she was his attorney but she was just trying to block the wedding. Not that she succeeded."
Delilah heard the defensiveness in her friend's voice.
"Oh Matt wants you…I know it and after I publish these series of articles in the Daily Mirror, he'll see that."
Elizabeth started pacing.
"I don't think so…after all he sacrificed his company to avoid getting back with me," she said, "If it weren't for my silent partners…"
Delilah furrowed her brows.
"Who are they anyway?"
Elizabeth grew pensive.
"I can't tell you," she said, "I promised…it's too soon and Matt's…my company is still struggling. It's bad enough that almost every employee quit in protest."
Delilah shrugged.
"It's a tough job market…you'll find others."
"I hope so," Elizabeth said, "I know he…and that witch think I'll sink the company fast but I want to prove them wrong. I need your help."
Delilah smiled.
"I'm doing that Lizzie with my newspaper and just wait until you see what dominates the headlines next…"