Pregnant Pause [H.S]

Chapter 11

Harsh

I held up my hands, palms facing out, to give Fitz a double high-five outside of the kitchen. She intertwined our fingers instead, leaning into me as I pushed back to keep us both upright.

"So here's my idea," she said, balancing on my hands.

"Fucking hell," I said with a grin. "Should I run for cover?"

Rolling her eyes, she waved our hands in the air in a fight for control, forgetting that of the two of us, I was exponentially stronger.

"It's summer, and I hate working all the time," she continued, ignoring my rhetorical question. "So does Niall."

"Word," Niall chimed in. He sat at the kitchen table behind the couch, staring intently at the screen of his laptop as Fitz and I engaged in a hand war behind his back.

"And so do you, bunny," Fitz added. When I opened my mouth to protest, she sensed my argument and interrupted, "Yes, you do. You're stressed and exhausted all the time. I really think you need to take a week off. Or a month."

"I can't do that now. We have a—"

"New product launching this month. I know." She rolled her eyes again. "But I will get you to take off time in August for Josie's family cottage. It'll be my birthday and that's what I want."

I smiled, tightening my grip on her hands when she slipped on the hardwood in her socks.

"As you wish, Lady Fitzpatrick," I agreed with a smirk.

"But that's weeks away," she continued. "So for now... we should have a party."

My smile faded.

"A theme party!" Niall chirped.

It was well known between the three of us that I wasn't the biggest fan of parties on my own turf. Too much responsibility, too much clean up, too much opportunity for damage, dramatics, and disaster.

Didn't stop those two miscreants from planning parties anyway.

"What's the theme?" I asked.

"Jamaica!" he said over his shoulder.

"Jam—" I stopped myself, shifting my frown to Fitz. "Jamaica?!"

"It was the best compromise we could find," she said with a shrug. "He wanted the theme to be revolutionary communism in South America to honour el Che."

I took a moment to roll my eyes. "And you?"

"I wanted it to be Fourth of July, like the celebration in America. You know, Finley's American and all," she added, raising her voice so that Niall could hear.

He did, and mumbled something rather uncouth under his breath.

She shrugged again, turning back to me and releasing her grip on my hands. She finally gave me that high-five, clapping our hands several times before saying, "Jamaica just happened to be somewhere in the middle geographically."

"That means rum!" Niall said. "And jerk chicken. And I'm dressing up as the heroic Usain Bolt."

I shook my head at Niall and his many heroes. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem for you," I said. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot: your skin is whiter than an eggshell."

This didn't bother him at all. Eyes still on his laptop, he replied casually, "Have some imagination, bunny."

I smiled at Fitz, gesturing to Niall's laptop.