Lightning In a Bottle {A Chase Elliott Story}

Chapter 28: Whiplash

When Jess got to work the next morning, she knew she'd better tell her boss everything going on before she heard it from someone else. She took a deep breath and knocked on Carrie's door.

"Come in," she said as Jess entered.

"Do you have a second to talk?" Jess asked.

"For you, absolutely. What's going on?"

"Well I want to first apologize for yesterday and leaving so there is something you should know. I am pregnant."

"Oh wow! Congrats!" Carrie answered with a huge smile.

"Thanks," Jess answered.

"I'm guessing there's more to the story?" Carrie asked. Jess nodded.

"The reason I got sick yesterday other than being pregnant is that you brought up the charity events next week. I have no problem going, but the baby's father will be there and he doesn't know yet."

"Is he like a crew guy on one of the teams?" Carrie asked. Jess shook her head no. "Then what?" Jess pulled out her phone and showed Carrie the photo of her and Chase on vacation.

"Holy Shit! You and Chase Elliott!?!?! How long has this been going on?"

"Since May when I first interviewed him. We went to dinner and quietly dated. Things ended after some stuff happened and well when I went to Daytona and he won, we ended up hooking up."

"Jess, this is a big deal, especially since it has to do with the story you're working on."

"I know that and I'm sorry. I hadn't planned on this happening and I will attend and write about all the events next week as long as Michelle can be there with me as well." Carrie sat back and looked at Jess and could tell she was genuine and could set her feelings aside for her job.

"Alright. You and Michelle can cover it next week."

"Thanks Carrie," Jess said, getting up to leave.

"Are you going to tell him?" She stopped in her tracks and turned back to her boss.

"I honestly don't know yet."

"Look not as your boss, but as a friend and a mom, you need to take care of yourself and if you choose to tell him, tell him, ok?" Jess nodded and walked back to her desk.

The next week came sooner than Jess had hoped, but here she was at Hendrick Motorsports as they were holding an autograph signing and auction to benefit each of the driver's charities. Jess had noticed that her little bump had started to show more and she was afraid it would be noticeable.

"Calm down. Everything will be fine," Michelle said.

The words hadn't even finished leaving her mouth when all the drivers started walking out and to the table set up for the autograph session. Jess's heart began to race as she saw Chase from across the room and felt like she was going to be sick. Michelle elbowed her to get her out of her head.

"Thanks," Jess said.

Chase signed for all the fans until everyone had gotten through the line and now they wandered around until the auction. He followed his fellow teammates over to the tent where some of the charity heads were as he was introduced. As he struck up a conversation with one of them, he noticed a familiar person a few feet away talking to a brunette. Before he even had a chance to think, he heard Jimmie speak.

"Jessica, over here," Jimmie said, calling her over. Jess came over with the brunette she had been talking to and started talking to Jimmie as she introduced the other girl as Michelle who Chase remembered was her best friend and co-worker.

"Please excuse me, Jess," Jimmie said. Chase walked over to where she stood.

"Hi Jess."

"Hi Chase."

"I had hoped you'd be here," he started.

"Really? Why's that?" she asked.

"Because of how things ended in Daytona. I want to talk to you." As much as Jess wanted to say they had tried this before and ended up in bed together, again, she knew she had to at least tell him about the baby and that she was keeping it. She was going to leave it up to him if he wanted to be in the child's life, but she was ready to take the leap of faith into motherhood on her own.

"I agree, we do need to talk. Do you want to come over to my place tonight?" she asked.

"Sounds good," he replied. She nodded her head and walked away with Michelle.

"What did you say to him?" Michelle asked.

"To come over to my apartment tonight because we need to talk and I left it with that. This isn't really the place to, go surprise you're a father Chase."

"Good call."