AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pursed her lips. “But he’s loaded. He could easily pay to support you and the baby—don’t you think that’s at least worth telling him?”
I shrugged. “I don’t want his money—or his sympathy. I just...I was thinking that if I could get a new job, I can just disappear.”
Zena took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Olivia...I totally get wanting to leave and go to LA, but I just don’t know about hiding it from him. What about your brother? He’ll eventually know.”
“I could just tell him that I don’t know who the father is,” I reasoned, though the more I was saying it all out loud, the more it wasn’t coming together very well.
Zena gave me a disapproving look. “You’re not the kind of girl to not know who the father is. I haven’t even known you that long and I know that. I’m sure that Owen will know that too.”
“Okay, so maybe eventually I tell him?”
“A lot of secrets.”
I nodded, the word leaving me with a sick feeling. “I don’t know what else to do. Initially, I really thought that I would tell him, but then...I just see the way that he is—and how dead set he is about us just being a sexual fling that he needs to get out of his system.”
“But how do you see him?” Zena countered, finally taking another bite of her lunch. “Because honestly, you shouldn’t put yourself through a fling if it’s going to leave you heartbroken, and if he’s using his power in the office to get you to do anything, I’ll go kick him in the balls myself.”
I laughed a little, though I felt devoid of humor. “He’s never pressured me into anything. I just can’t...I can’t tell him no.”
“Oh Jesus, you’ve got it bad, don’t you?” Zena shook her head, giving me a sympathetic glance. “I don’t want to see you heartbroken over him. Maybe I could try and set you up with someone? Guys fall for pregnant women all the time.”
My face contorted in discomfort. “I don’t think so. That just seems...weird. I don’t want to try and jump into a relationship just to mask my feelings.”
“So you do have feelings. Ugh, I’ll help you start searching for another job. I have a few connections—”
My phone started to ring, cutting her off, and I dug into my pocket, pulling it out. I glanced down at the screen.
Harlee.
“Hey, girl.” I mouthed Harlee to Zena, and she nodded in response.
“Hey!” Harlee’s voice was bright and positive on the other end of the phone. “So, I know that I was planning on stopping by today, but I’m not going to make it. Also, I know that you said that the final cut probably couldn’t be pushed—that’s okay. I trust you guys.”
“I’m glad you’re okay with it,” I said, trying to force myself to sound cheerful. Something about the conversation with Zena had given me a big dose of reality, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep the baby a secret.
“Yeah, all good. Also”—she drew out the word in an excited tone—“I have something to tell you about.”
“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows, Zena’s face growing with curiosity.
“Yes!” Harlee sounded like she was beaming. “So I was talking with one of my good friends, Jenna Monroe, and she was telling me about her team needing an additional writer. I totally told her about you—and just all the ways that you’ve made this video absolutely amazing for me. She actually knew who you were, and what happened out there. She was totally sympathetic to it all and really understanding. She wants you to join her team.”
“Really?!” I exclaimed, already knowing that Jenna Monroe was one of the top directors and producers in Hollywood. “That would be incredible.”
“Yeah, so she was hoping you’d wrap up my project and then come work for her?”
“Oh my god, yes! Thank you so much!”
Problem solved.
18
ELI
I stopped at the coffee shop near the office, just trying to kill some time. It’d been nearly a week since Olivia and I had hooked up last, and I had a desperate need to feel her around me again—but I didn’t get my hopes up. I had expected that after we agreed to a fling things would just explode between us, but nope...
Every time I went to approach her, Zena was right there.
It was the biggest fucking cockblock ever.
