Pregnant with the Bad Boy

50

I dragged my hands over the dress I was wearing, it was white of all colours and it had long sleeves and showed my shoulders, it went down to my knees and was tight which revealed the slight elevation that began to appear faster than I thought on my belly and I pulled your hands and smiled stupidly to myself, I was so happy that I did not know how everything could fit in me, I had Grant, I had started studying again and I would have a child who would not spend his whole life with wondering why its father abandoned it.

I had put on make-up and put on my hair, I looked older than I was, as I knew more about the world than the truth was that I knew nothing at all.

Dad had been here since yesterday and I had laughed that he was sitting in the exact same place he had been for twenty years at the end of the table and Mom had given him food where he sat, as nothing had happened between them. Mandy and I had just looked at each other as if we knew it was going to happen.

But now Grant was coming over, we had just been talking on the phone all week and I was more nervous than I thought when I would see him again, we had not seen each other since we had talked about everything and we had almost finished, it felt like a shock that hurt me when I thought about it, and I dismissed the thought.

He was still there; we had not given up and he loved me. I looked at myself again, I looked more beautiful than ever in the dress that followed every curve that Grant knew it would do when I got it from him despite my protests… okay, I had not fought so hard when I had seen it as I should have done.

“Jenni?” I spun around when Dad was standing there, he looked at me and seemed like he had never seen me so beautiful in his whole life and he cleared his throat like he had something in it, and it shone in his eyes that he had tears in them.

“Dad.” I smiled softly at him, he still did not like that I had a new boyfriend but what could he do about it? I was an adult to the extent that I could say I was.

“You look so beautiful; I could almost believe I looked at your mother when she was younger.” His smile widened as I blushed, I was more like him, and we both knew it but I could see my mother too when I looked at my sharp features.

“Good enough.” I smiled shamelessly and he laughed at my awareness that I looked beautiful in the white creation that did not say sorry to anyone or anything.

“you are as beautiful as your mother and as humble as me.” he laughed and sat down quickly on the bed, and I understood that he wanted to talk about something, probably about Grant when I smiled secretly at his way of sitting with his legs wide apart and had his hands clasped as I sat down carefully on the swivel chair and looked at him was waiting for what he would say.

He looked good for his age, I mean he was not as old as 43 but he looked different, younger and livelier nowadays as he removed all the worries that made him look older.

He was wearing a pair of jeans and a white shirt that he had open around his neck, I understood that it must have been my mother who forced it on him as he always wanted to wear a t-shirt.

“I have to say that there is a big difference between you since I first saw you in that f*****g place, you looked awful.” he looked sadly at me as I shrugged, that was then, and this was now.

“Dad… before you say anything more, I want you to give Grant a chance, he's not like Dylan at all, not even in the same league.” I smiled when his eyes gleamed, the ones that were the template for my own.

“I heard he was rich too.” He waved his hand at me, and I blushed suddenly, I really did not hope he thought that was why I wanted to be with him.

“Ahh … yes…” I smiled and looked away, I thought it was a bit shameful how quickly I had gotten used to what Grant could give me, I should say no but honestly, I did not want it.

“If he makes you happy and does not make you almost die or leave you pregnant, he has a good start even before I met him.” I laughed at his cynical comment, Dad was always so forthright.

“Oh, I'm already pregnant so he can’t even do that…” I coughed when I realized what I had admitted and dad looked down even though he smiled at me, like I was funny when I happened to say I had s*x with Grant.

“I'm glad to hear that.” He said the words dryly and I coughed again of our conversation that did not go in the direction I had wanted it at all.

“So” I smiled and put my hands to my knees, now it was just the last thing I had to tell him.

“Dad… don’t get angry now but Grant is older than me…” I saw how his eyes got darker from the anger that came through his body, I realized that maybe I should just say how old Grant was instead of him having to guess it in his head and get angrier.

“How old then?” he said the words calmly and I did not smile anymore as I did not want to tease him anymore if he did not think it was acceptable with ten years between us.

“He is 31…” I looked up at him when his face lightened a little and then turned red from something I could only take as…. Shame? I looked surprised as he put his hands on his face and rubbed his eyes tired as if he did not want to say the next sentence.

“Jenni, Linda is 31 too…” I just sat and gaped, wait. Had he a girlfriend as old as I had a boyfriend, it was just laughable.

“so, you must have met her when she was what? 28? 29?” I looked at him strangely, I had thought he wanted someone more his age, but I had seen Linda and she was young in the car I remembered now.

“Roughly.” He was ashamed now and I do not know why but I started laughing where I sat, first low and quiet so that it would be louder and could be heard safely in the corridor where we sat.

“it's cool dad, if she makes you happy then…” I smiled tenderly at him and laughed more at his embarrassment, I was glad that it was I who did not sit and be ashamed.

“so what, you like young girls? I mean, don’t all men do that?” I laughed louder as he looked at me overwhelmed with shame and I tried to calm down as I did not want to hurt his feelings.

“please tell me mom knows about it?” I just smirked now as he nodded, wow, that argument I had not wanted to be near when they happened.

“what does Grant say about the whole thing about you being pregnant?” He looked piercingly at me suddenly when I smiled secretly again, it was something I was going to say when he was with me so I just shrugged again and looked innocent.

“he knows about it, and he does not care.” I smiled wider at Dad's suspicious face, he thought it sounded too good to be true and it was if you did not know what I knew about his wife's death.

“so he's totally okay with that? no problems at all?” He actually looked surprised now that I nodded firmly to him and sat back as he did not believe me.

“I just do not want you to be disappointed again, men are beasts…” he looked at me urgently when I laughed at his sermon, he was a beast in that case.

“Says the man with a girl who is half his age.” I smiled cute when he got red spots on the high cheekbones and got up, he was done.

“okay but remember to be careful.” I smiled at his figure, I understood why he had a younger girlfriend, the women certainly loved him.

“I'm going to be careful dad.” I smiled wider and he just looked at me one last time before he left the room and I went back to the mirror, I wanted to look as good as possible for Grant no matter how ridiculous it was.

I put on more lipstick in dark red when I heard a knock outside the door and it was Mandy who looked at me and stared jealously at my dress where she stood in her pink long-sleeved dress that my mother had forced on her, it did not have a single bow somewhere to her annoyance.

“Wow. Someone has gone full-on a luxury housewife.” She threw herself on the bed and laughed that I rolled my eyes when I put my earrings in gold, they were small and discreet and fit perfectly with my formal set.

“Jealous?” I looked teasingly at her through the mirror as she shook her head and I was glad she had better plans for herself than getting pregnant and letting a man take care of her, I sighed to myself, I would take care of myself with , and the child if needed.

“Nahhh, I have better plans for my life, I just love my horses, they are much more reliable than men.” She said the words unforgivably to me, but I ignored it and looked at her where she stood and weighed on the white heels that were not her own.

“Is it going well over there?” I smiled a little less when she nodded, I had a bad conscience that Dylan had stopped because it ended between us, I knew she would have stood with him until the end if she could.

“Yeah… it's easier now when I got used to him not being there…” I got a lump in my stomach from hearing her missing Dylan and honestly, I also missed him when she talked about the stable, where he was happiest in mine eyes, so warm and passionate, before we had met and created chaos for everyone around us.

“He was amazing, right?” I smiled now, I did not want to ruin the picture of him for her even though she saw him get caught in front of the house, so much I could give her. She looked up at me and smiled faintly as if I had said something forbidden but right.

“That he was.” She got up again and I smiled at her before I picked up the phone and saw that Grant would soon be here and I released Dylan completely now, I had promised myself that I would give myself completely to him after what had happened between us.

“So rich guy is on his way?” Mandy stood with her arms crossed and smiled absently at me as I smiled happily and nodded, she probably thought I did not love Dylan anymore, that I had abandoned all hope, and the truth was that my hope was dead… almost… I dismissed the thought and went out of the room down the hall, and we waited for the door, I wanted to see him first before the others of my family would grill him with questions and make him feel uncomfortable more once in the evening.

I looked out over the road and looked anxiously before I smiled at seeing his grey sports car, it must be his favourite as he used it regularly, I pulled a few strokes on the dress, I hoped he liked it as much as I did the one on me.

Calm down, Jennifer. my mother's voice was behind me and I quickly turned around, she looked amazing and I looked almost jealously at her light blue dress that made her look like she was twenty years old again with her hair half down and a light make-up.

“he has seen you before…” she smiled telling at me and I nodded gratefully, he had so I do not know why I was so nervous, maybe it was because I would tell them that I loved him tonight and that he wanted being the father of the child, the mother already knew a lot but it would be exciting to see where the rest of the Thompson family would say about the matter.

I heard the car stop and I looked out through the glazed opening on the side of the door.

There he stood, I sighed with longing as he was wearing a dark blue suit and a white tie in the same colour as the dress, I sighed at his details, he planned everything that man.

Mom laughed now when she saw me and I looked at her angrily before I turned around again and I heard Dad say something to mom where he was standing next to her, oh my god would they all be standing there at once? I saw the panic on them as they just thought I was ridiculous, and I opened the door to receive him.

“Grant.” I said his name longingly, lovingly and desperately. Not at all cool and cool as I had imagined and he smiled charmingly at me when he came up and I took his hand, he was nervous when he was sweating, I smiled to myself, good. Because I was no braver myself.

“Jennifer.” his eyes rested on me for a few seconds, and I blushed when he looked me in the eyes, and I just wanted to throw myself into his arms if it was not for the fact that my whole family was looking at us.

I pulled him in, and he held out flowers, of course it was roses for mom, she looked happy at them, and I knew that only it had made her like him a little more, I mean who did not like roses?

“For you Mrs. Thompson, and I have to say that you look more beautiful every time I see you.” I laughed until my mother blushed, and my father looked angry, like he had something to say about it anymore.

“Grant, this is my dad, Edgar.” I looked anxiously at Dad who stretched out his hand politely and nodded to Grant's nervous face, I who thought he was always calm, the thought that he was nervous made me calmer as it was nice to see him more human than his usual calm, I as always managed everything.

“Ed.” he said his name briefly and I nodded, no one said Edgar, it was my grandfathers name, Mandy took his hand without waiting for me after Dad let go and stared straight into Grant's confused eyes.

“Mandy, you know? you have no younger brother? who has a car he wants to get rid of?” She laughed at his confusion as he just smiled uncertainly at her joke, and I mimicked that she was dead when he did not see me, and she just laughed louder at my threat.

“Amanda.” It was my mother who had told her when she rolled her eyes at her resignation, and I looked at her gratefully as Dad just looked angrily at Grant. I looked warned at him, he had promised to give him a chance, even if it was difficult.

“I actually have a younger brother; you can get his number…” I watched in amazement as Mandy's face turned red and Grant looked at her with his cool calm face and I laughed when he had beaten her at his own game. I was impressed.

“Not a chance.” Dad's voice was angry now when I laughed out loud at Mandy's embarrassment, she was so cocky but when it came to guys, she was still shy, and that was okay.

“a joke Mr. Thompson. I promise.” He smiled wider and Dad sighed and pulled Mandy with him who looked at him angrily before they went into the dining room and left us alone, finally.

“Hello…” I pulled my fingers over the back of his head as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he smiled tenderly at me and touched my nose with his, as he always did, I smiled happily at the tender gesture, it was ours and no one else's.

“Hello.” His eyes burned against me as they always did when he looked at me and I leaned forward and kissed him slowly on the lips, I had longed so much for him, I had cried at night and fell asleep with the phone in hand when we talked, I was just so happy he was here.

“missed me?” he said the words so confidently that he did not know I did it even though it had been my own choice, but I did not regret a second of it as we both had to digest what had happened and I nodded heavily, I did not even want to be playful and his face became more serious as he looked at me with his strong warm eyes and kissed me slowly so that I almost lost my breath of his closeness as I wanted more and let my tongue meet his.

he pulled me closer, and I stopped abruptly when I felt his weight against the slight bulge of my body, like a light pressure it had felt, and he looked confused at me as if something was wrong and I just smiled at his anxiety.

“I can feel it now, when you press against me… I looked down at my stomach when he released me completely and looked really worried now as if he had done something terrible to me.

“Oh s**t, I forgot. are you okay?” he put his hand there and I smiled reassuringly at his worried face looking at me looking for something wrong. 

“it’s okay, I'm just not used to it.” I smiled encouragingly at his face, and he breathed in and out a couple of times before I put my arms around him again and I felt that he kept the distance between us and laughed, this would be fun.

“Grant, please you can still to touch me, I’m not break.” He laughed and kissed me quickly now and took my hand and hugged it.

“I think we're done anyway; I did not want to leave your family waiting.” He sounded safe again and I looked angrily at his laughing face as we walked in together, Dad was sitting at the head end, Mom was standing behind him and Mandy was sitting at the bottom left side of the table, it felt way too weird to see everyone together, like that we were still an ordinary family and dad had not been unfaithful to a 28-year-old and mom did not date a pastor.

Mandy looked at me and we both exchanged glances and I smiled instead of saying anything about it.

“Mom, do you want help with something?” I sounded sincere when she just looked at me and laughed at my offer before she said in a funny voice as she put on her apron with cats on and tied it used to behind her.

“Jennifer, you're good at other things, but not this.” she smiled kindly at me when Grant pushed out my chair as he always did when I was defeated sat down and dad still glanced sceptically at him as if just waiting for him to do something that got his suspicions confirmed then Grant just smiled kindly back at him and I widened our eyes at Dad who turned his gaze away after seeing my invisible threat.

“I can help you Mrs. Thompson.” Grant looked towards the kitchen where my mother waved him away, but he went in anyway and I knew he would get so many points now that I saw him in his kitchen, he knew what he was doing unlike me.

“buttercup”. Dad muttered as he drank from the beer bottle, and I looked at him angrily and whispered angrily at his rude manner.

“Stop it, you said you would give him a chance.” I stared at his careless face as he sighed loudly and pulled back and nodded towards me and I nodded back so he knew I was going to keep an eye on him during the evening.

Mandy said nothing for the sake of the unusual as she winked at me and smiled and I looked at her puzzled back, I did not like what she looked like right now.

We sat quietly and I listened to my mother's small talk with Grant, it seemed to go well when he impressed her with his knowledge and I smiled at his profile, I loved him so much when he turned around quickly and smiled at me on the go when he had put on one of my mother's awful aprons and quickly chopped to her delight and I laughed, if she did not like him before she would do it now.

“Dinner should be done in any minute now.” Mom came out and had a glass of wine in her hand, I looked at her in shock, I had only seen her drink of a couple of times in my whole life and she laughed at Grant now which made me happy when he pushed out her chair and dad rolled his eyes again.

I just looked at him, how he moved accustomed as he had never done other than being at home with me and my family, I sighed happily again as he sat down by my side and mom looked at him charmingly so I almost started to wondering if I would be jealous when he raked himself short and drank from his own wine glass, I looked at my water glass, I longed for the day I got to drink wine again. That was my twenty-first anniversary.

He hugged my hand when he saw my disappointed mine and I felt better, one day this would be over… I dismissed the thought as it scared me too much when I took the glass of water and drank a little just for the sake of it.

“So, Grant, who taught you to cook?” Mom looked at him with interest as he smiled and laughed as he thought of something only, he knew about.

“Paris.” He said it so easily. Like everyone went to Paris, I gaped, my mother gaped, even Mandy did. dad just drank the beer again.

“Have you been there?” I looked at him wide-eyed, I forgot that he was so worldly and experienced in comparison with me when he shrugged that it was not a big deal.

“I lived there for a while as younger, I did not go to school, but I loved French cuisine, so I decided to learn it.” mom looked at him like he said he was in outer space, and he just looked at us with his most charming smile and i laughed at what he had said.

“Why did you never say anything?” I still looked at him a little shocked when his eyes gleamed and he just looked at me secretly and I was moved by his look at me.

“You never asked.” He laughed now and I half followed it, mother smiled admiringly at him now, she who did not even like him the first time she saw him. I just looked at her dreamy look and smiled, she was probably there in Paris in her head right now.

“Say something French.” Mandy smiled quickly at him, and I sighed at her as he answered something that just sounded like a beautiful gibberish in my ears and smiled charmingly at her.

“what did you say?” I smiled and leaned curiously towards him as he still looked at Mandy and smiled mysteriously and leaned back in his chair before answering.

“I said she is a beautiful girl with pink hair and a cheeky mouth. More or less.” He chuckled again and drank from the wine glass when Mandy blushed from head to toe, and Dad looked at me angrily as if it was my fault that he was more charming than the devil himself.

“oh my god the food!” Mom came back up as if she had forgotten time and space and hurried into the kitchen when I took his hand and he hugged it back, I wanted to know more about Paris, about everything really, what did I know about him? I knew he had a wife and a child who died, but I knew nothing about his life before me, how did he get to Perryville after Paris? I looked down at the plate, why did it feel like Dylan again suddenly? He had not said a thing about his past more than his mother and sister when I threatened to leave him… I looked up at his smile which disappeared when he saw me sad and I smiled faintly, I promised myself to dare to ask more about him, he still wanted to be with me.

“So, Grant.” Dad looked at him with planning eyes and I could not take him anymore, what was it this time?

“There must have been a lot of women in Paris?” He looked meant at the man next to me who smiled faintly when he understood what Dad meant and I wanted to die of the shame that came up in my cheeks.

“of course, it's the city of love, it is said…” he laughed, and dad drank more, fantastic.

Dad looked at him distrustfully, he did not like the answer so far when I tried to make eye contact with him, but he ignored me and just looked at Grant's confident smile.

“You must have been busy; I can imagine with all the beautiful women around you.” I wanted to scream, he did not even try to hide what he meant, and Grant laughed like it was a joke and I just looked ruined at Dad's smile which was not at all happy, just happy to have his suspicions confirmed.

“Mr Thompson, do you suggest that I have been hunting women all along?” He looked amused at Dad's face who did not even have the shame to try to hide that he meant just that.

“that’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” His voice was grumbling, and I looked towards the kitchen hoping mom would come soon so she could make some sense of him when I saw Grant begging for forgiveness as he just nodded as if he and dad had a nice conversation and were not threatened by my overprotective father.

“of course, I chased them Mr. Thompson, I was younger and full of stupidity, but none of them could match your beautiful daughter.” He smiled and I laughed at Dad's surprised face and I rolled my eyes at his attempt to make Grant look awful in front of me.

“Stop it Dad, I know Grant had other women, he's thirty-one.” I said the word amused and laughed again when dad cleared his throat when mom just came in with the pot she put on the table, and I enjoyed the smell from it when I was hungry again.

“you're thirty-one? Isn’t Linda that to?” Mandy looked in surprise at Dad who wanted to disappear from the face of the earth when I saw my mother's funny smile that I agreed with, I was so happy that she at least liked Grant.

this was not akward as hell...