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I poured the batter into the dish, returning it to the oven. I turned the bacon, and found tea bags as coffee had lost its appeal since I got pregnant. He returned a few minutes later while I sat in his dining area, drinking my tea and enjoying the view of the city.
“Sorry about that.” He set his phone on the table. “I take it you’ve got everything managed in the kitchen?”
“You better check yourself. You’re the master.”
He rolled his eyes. “Do you want orange juice or something?”
I swallowed the bile that threatened. For some reason, even the thought of orange juice made me sick. “No, thank you.”
“Let me whip up the cream and serve you, then.” He left me at the table and headed back to the kitchen.
I returned my gaze out the window, wondering if Kade truly appreciated what his family money had gotten him. Granted, a fancy home wasn’t the key to happiness, nor was money, but it could go a long way to helping ease the pain of lupus or the stress of wondering how you were going to buy groceries. I hoped beyond all hope that I was able to turn this restaurant into a success so that I could at least ease the financial burden my mom and I had.
Kade’s phone buzzed on the table, lighting up with a text. I glanced at it because it was making a noise. I had no intention of reading the message, and yet, I did. What I read made my heart break in two.
Back tonight! Picked up new lingerie when I was in Paris. And a few tricks. Can’t wait to get naked and show you.
The message was from someone named Jolie, which I knew meant pretty in French. It fit her too, because even with tiny little circle of a picture, I could see that she was a tanned, skinny blonde.
I felt sick, only this time it wasn’t morning sickness. I’d let him have me without a condom, and he was still with other women.
Well of course he is, my practical brain told me. The Kade Ravens of the world were playboys that sowed their oats. But now I was pregnant by this playboy. I had no doubt he’d be responsible, but I also knew he’d be unhappy. When I asked him, his response was “maybe,” which in hindsight was probably so I wouldn’t ask more questions about it. Men like Kade knew how to give women enough to keep them hooked without making a commitment.
I was such an idiot. I rushed back to his room and dressed, deciding I’d shower to wash him off when I got home. I heard him call my name, but I didn’t respond.
“What’s going on?” he asked as I finished dressing.
“I need to get home,” I said, trying to keep him from seeing that I was on the verge of crying.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I just realized I didn’t tell my mom where I was.”
“So, call her. Breakfast is ready.”
“I can’t.” I brushed past him. “She needs me with her now.”
“What?” He followed me to the door.
Not wanting to be ungracious, which was odd considering he was texting with another woman while with me, I said. “Thank you for the lovely evening Kade.”
“Morgan, did something happen?”
“No. Sorry… I’ve really got to run.” I opened the door and hurried to the elevator, hoping he wouldn’t follow.
I cast a glance to him, and he was watching me with a quizzical look on his face. The door to the elevator opened and I stepped in, hitting the door closed button. When the door shut, I burst into tears.
Thankfully, when I arrived home, my mother was resting. I showered and then climbed into bed to wallow until it was time for me to go to the restaurant. When I rose later and got ready for work, I felt strong enough to face her without giving away my utter despair. Instead, I focused on the opening and how well it went. We needed to make a few tweaks to our processes and systems, but overall people seemed to enjoy the food, and there were no major disasters.
She hugged me, telling me she knew I’d be a success and how proud of me she was. Wait until I had to tell her I was pregnant.
At the restaurant, I was focused on the job at hand. More so than last night, I spoke with authority, and while I listened to my staff, I didn’t let them sway me from my purpose.
“Why don’t I expedite tonight?” John asked. “We had a few issues — ”
“I’m expediting,” I said more tersely than I wanted. The last place I needed to be was wooing our guests.
He held up his hands in surrender. “Just trying to help.”
“You can help by keeping the diners happy.” Knowing I was on the verge of losing it again, I headed to the office and locked the door.
