A Bump in the Road -- Watty Awards 2011 --

Chapter 15: Damage Control

Joseph waited until the fingers of his wife had loosened from his hand, signalling to him that she was deeply asleep - his hands having put her to sleep as well as the baby. Joseph felt a kind of proud triumph, a very primal stirring that signified he was protecting his own. Nicole sighed in her sleep, utterly joyed that she had fallen asleep in the cradle of her husbands arms that were also encircling her belly.

‘30 weeks gone, 8 weeks until we fly back to Toronto and 10 weeks until I’m going to bring this baby into the world’ was her last thought before the blissful night sky veil of sleep finally consumed her.

“Eeeurghh, fuck what the frig” Nicole grunted balanced precariously on the edge of the bed. Joseph had of course rushed out of the bathroom hearing her and asking what was the matter with shaving cream still on one half of the side of his face.

“What, what is it, the baby?” he spluttered. Nicole flopped back on the bed like a beached whale and held up her left foot – from which dangled a shoe.

He rolled his eyes and sank back against the doorframe, “yes dear, they’re lovely – but what is the matter”.

Hot and uncomfortable Nicole felt a rush of annoyance surge through her, probably due to the vast amounts of hormones surging around her system but nonetheless she still flung the shoe in the direction of her confused husband where it just bounced off the tight pectorals of his savagely toned bare chest.

“NONE of my shoes fit, Joe, that’s the problem. Do you know just how expensive some of these are? What is my feet never go back to their normal size, it’s ridiculous!” And truly she did have an expensive and expansive shoe collection for she had often taken comfort in the fact that no matter what weight you were your shoe size always stayed the same and often took solace within the hallowed halls of Gucci and Jimmy Choo on her ‘fat days’.

Joseph pawed the massive heap of footwear piled by the closet. “Look darling, no one’s going to be looking at what is on your feet – he held out a cream pair of leather flipflops – just wear these he said slipping them onto her puffy feet, massaging her arches as he did so.

Nicole pouted and started the back and forth rocking motion that was now the only way to propel herself from the bed into a semi-upright position. Biting her lip, she smoothed down the lapel of her suit jacket and looked nervously back at the mirror to look at Joseph. “Are you sure I look ok?” She asked again for the umpteenth time in the chauffeured car they were taking to the mini press brief/conference. She and Joseph had talked it over extensively and decided that the situation back in Toronto was getting far too out of hand. If perhaps both parties talked to the press then perhaps they would at least give them a little bit of a break until the trial was over and Joe was proven innocent.

Nicole had decided on a Chanel-like suit jacket and skirt in a light coral tweed and turquoise and aquamarine diamond necklace glittering at her throat.

Nicole pursed her lips at her reflection in the powder compact she was holding and turned the mirror with her hand so that it now showed the reflection of her stomach that was ever so round and prominent under the jacket.

Finally they came to the press conference area centred in a city square near a fountain and several of the embassies.The door of the car opened and a blaze of popping let met Niole’s gaze. Looking unfazed, Joseph straightened his tie and stepped into the illuminated lion’s den.

“Mr. Redford, what do you have to say about these allegations against you?” “That they are completely untrue and I would have nothing to gain by sabotaging a company of which I am the major stakeholder. My alliance as ever is with Redford & Stein and it shall continue”.