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“Nope. When you pick up the instructions, just take a moment to schedule your next appointment. I’ll see you in a month.” With that, she walked out of the room leaving Samantha to get dressed.
Ten minutes later they were walking back to the theater, hand-in-hand. Samantha never thought the day would come when she would be scheduling OB appointments. She definitely never expected to be scheduling such appointments around her rehearsal and performance schedule.
“Are you going to talk to them today?” Bryce asked as they reached the stage entrance of the theater.
“Yeah, I think I should. There’s no reason to wait for the ultrasound. A few weeks won’t make a difference. Everything will probably be based on when I start to show, anyway.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you here after rehearsal.” He captured her lips in a kiss before turning in the direction of the subway station.
With her hand on the doorknob, she took a slow breath and prepared herself to walk in and utter the words that could potentially change everything. All she could do was hope it all worked out. It had to work out.
Samantha was still living in the house she’d shared with Brandon. Bryce hoped to change that, but with her working on Broadway, it wasn’t as simple as convincing her to move in with him. It felt wrong being at her place without her being home. Without her being there, it was Brandon’s house. It made him feel like he was there to take his brother’s place, and that’s not what he wanted. There was a way to keep his relationship separate from her relationship with Brandon, he just had to figure it out.
More than once, she had cooked him a delicious meal. Since she had a long day of work and also had to inform them that she would be missing some performances due to being pregnant, he thought he would surprise her with dinner. He wasn’t an amazing cook like Samantha, so he picked up a meal kit from a local restaurant. All he had to do was heat it once they got home. With her long and stressful day, he didn’t want to make a dinner reservation.
By the time he picked up the food and did some work on his laptop, it was time to head back over to the theater to pick her up. Sure, she was more than capable of getting herself home, but walking her home was something he never got the chance to do.
He arrived at the theater just as they were letting out, and his chest swelled with pride at seeing her walk out of the theater with the other actors. She had made it. She was finally living her dream. She wore black leggings, brown slouchy boots, and a black pea coat with a brown scarf that matched her boots. Her braids were pulled into a bun, and she was effortlessly beautiful. The gym bag she carried just completed the theater district look. There was no stopping the smile that tugged at his mouth.
“Hey, you,” she greeted, grinning up at him before wrapping her arms around him in a hug he barely had a chance to return before she was stepping back. “Bryce, this is my friend Brittney. We auditioned together.”
He recognized the look of appreciation she gave before returning her attention to Samantha. Brittney’s look of appreciation didn’t bother him the way Lizzy’s had before they talked. Brittney had an innocent look about her. She could probably ogle him all day and manage to not make him feel uncomfortable.
“Hi, Brittney. I’m Bryce.” He reached out a hand while keeping the other arm around Samantha.
Brittney shook his hand before giving Samantha a look. That look. The look that said “well done”.
“It’s nice to meet you. I have somewhere to be, but I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” She turned and walked away, casting a final glance at Samantha.
“She seems nice,” Bryce commented as he led them in the direction of the subway station.
“She is a sweetheart. I told her about you, and she’s been dying to meet you. I was so worried that she’d judge me for dating so soon, but she didn’t. She didn’t even bat an eye when I told her who you are.”
He chuckled. Samantha needed to get comfortable with people having an opinion about their relationship. Once they found out she was pregnant, she was going to get all sorts of opinions and comments that she didn’t ask for. For once, he was glad all his family members were dead. Explaining everything at Christmas dinner and family reunions didn’t sound like anything he wanted to do.
The subway was packed with the after-work crowd. Samantha needed to save her voice, and shouting to be heard over the crowd was the last thing she needed. They sat in comfortable silence amongst the noisy heard of commuters. She leaned against him and he could tell she was nearly asleep when they arrived at her stop.
They were less than a block away from her place when she finally snapped out of the haze of sleep and spoke. “What do you want me to fix for dinner?”
“I have dinner handled.”
She stopped walking and looked at him. “You what?”
Chuckling, he placed a hand on her lower back, pushing her to continue walking. “I have dinner handled. It’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”
Apparently shocked into silence, she continued walking. Her inability to believe someone could do something nice for her was something he was determined to change. They had a reason to celebrate, and she didn’t have to be the one to put it together. It was her turn to be taken care of and he was the person to do it.
While she showered, he heated dinner up. It wasn’t anything fancy, just pasta and fresh bread. He lit candles and filled two glasses with sparkling grape juice. They were celebrating. She hadn’t caught him up on her conversation at work, but she was happy as she walked out of the theater, so he’d assumed it went well.
When she walked into the kitchen, she stopped short, gaping at the table. “What’s all this?”
He pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit. “Our celebration dinner.”
“Celebration?” Her face was filled with confusion.
“Yes,” he answered slowly. “A celebration.”
Maintaining the look of confusion, she sat at the table and waited for him to join her. He gave her a few moments to speak, but she stayed quiet.
