I wipe the crumbs from my face while leaving the team meeting. And dust them off my shirt.
"Maybe you should lighten up on the snacks," Nancy walks past me, lightly brushing her shoulder with mine.
I gape at her back and squeeze my Nature Valley crunch bar to keep from punching the hell out of her.
"Did she just..." Charlotte falls in next to me.
"Yes...she did," I seethe.
She grimaces, watching her join in on a conversation with some of our other coworkers. "What is her obsession with you?"
"Hate is what she does best," I continue to eat my granola bar. "Do I look fat?" I ask.
My stomach sometimes looks like it's getting bigger, other times it just looks bloated. I currently have on navy blue dress pants and a white button down with a sleeveless grey v-neck vest.
"No," her shoulders lift. She probably thinks it's a trick question.
I narrow my eyes. "Why'd you shrug, huh?"
"Dawson," she drops her shoulders.
"Okay, sorry," I stifle and go on walking to our office.
"You're leaving early again?" Char asks me.
"Yeah, doctor appointment," I tell her
"Again? Are you okay?" She frowns, but before I can answer Tommy joins us, walking on my other side.
"Hello ladies," he grins, "I don't mean to interrupt, but was that a rivalry I just witnessed?"
"Maybe, but that's just Nancy," I roll my eyes. "And Charlotte, this is Thomas. Thomas, Charlotte."
He just smiled at her. "Nice to meet you," then his eyes are back on me.
"Are you new here?" I ask for both me and Char's sake.
"Temporarily," he says, "I'm here in the behalf of WoodTech for the collab."
"Right, for the brand new smart fridge," Char does jazz hands.
"Robots are slowly taking over," I look at my watch.
I look up at Char quickly and smile when she rolls her eyes. "Here you go," she mutters.
"Just wait and see," I point at her, "it's going to come. We're going to bring ourselves to our own doom. Cars are already driving themselves. No one will need a pizza delivery guy in a minute."
"Can we please change the topic, "she groans.
Tommy just looks amused at us. Then he chuckles. "Dawson for president."
I give him a knowing smile. "I'm going to head out, catch you guys tomorrow." I say when we near our offices.
"Damn, already?" Char pouts
"Yep," I say with no enthusiasm, because I know where I'm going. And today could possibly define my future, or better yet, my kid's future.
"That sucks, because I was hoping you two could entertain me for lunch," Tommy tsked.
I smile. "Definitely another time."
"I'm holding you to it."
~
Sitting outside the double doors of the hospital is building nothing but tension. I got here rather early to shift my focus from work to my baby. I also wait for Warren to see if he will show up so we can go up together.
The over grown bushes behind the bench get caught onto my sweater. I huff as I move again to get the branch out of my back.
Every car that comes and park, I scope it out to see if it's Warren. None of them look like the brooding man that I met the other night.
I've decided I will go to check in ten minutes to my appointment time. When the time does come, I uncross my legs and stand up.
At the same time a larger figure approached me while my head is down. I notice the shiny, black dress shoes first. My neck cranes up, past the black and grey three piece suit, to the sharp eyes of Warren. He's taller then what I had made him to be now that we are so close.
I look straight ahead and see that I'm only eye level with his collar bones, and that's with heels.
"Hi..." I step back, a little intimidated.
"Shall we," he gestures with his arm.
I fix my shirt that stick out from under me sweater and run my hands down my sweater. Warren holds the door for me which is kind of surprising, but I mutter a thank you.
He just follows me and I realize even though he seems like an ass, he is still very gentlemen like. I am the first to get on and off of the elevator and every door we've gone through, he holds open. I guess chivalry isn't dead.
We stand at the front desk, and I do all the talking. "I'm Dawson Callaghan, I'm here to see Dr.Bennett."
The receptionist smiles and hands me a clipboard that asks for my name and appointment time. "Sign your name here, darling."
I do that and hand the clipboard back to her. "And since this is your first visit with us, I ask that you fill this out thoroughly. The blanks with a star key are optional."
This clipboard has a thick pile of papers stuck between the board and the metal clamp. I smile sweetly at the lady but it drops when I turn around.
Warren follows me to sit far away from everyone else. Men comfort their partners who are sitting with swole bellies. Seeing one woman, who proudly shows her stomach with fashionable baggy jeans that are in zipped and folded downward and a cropped shirt, does it for me.
I smash the clipboard into Warren chest and hunch over. "Oh God-" I retch.
Then I'm taking off running in my heels to the bathroom we had passed earlier.
I go into the family bathroom and press my hands against the wall and throw up. My eyes close to keep from seeing it.
I'm thankful my hair is already in a high ponytail. It's long, obviously because my long hair, but it doesn't get in my way.
I hear the door open, I didn't lock it. "Someone's in here..." I say tiredly. Right now I really need a nap.
"You good?" Warren asks in his Italian-American accent.
"I feel disgusting," I hold my back as I stand up. "And guilty..."
I feel around my mouth to make sure nothing is there before I turn around. "The sight of pregnant women just made me throw up. Maybe I should take all my mirrors down when I start showing."
"Am I the only one uncomfortable?" I look at him. His face is blank and he shakes his head.
"Everyone is here with people they love, I guess. Then here we are two strangers," I scoff while I clean up. I splash my face and rinse my mouth then unwrap some gum. "Come on," I tell him, "want some? It's good for stress, I hear."
"No, thank you." I shrug and put it away.
I tighten my ponytail and we go back the waiting room. While I pass people sitting, I keep my eyes lowered. I now pick a seat that has my back facing everyone else.
I pick up the clipboard that Warren must have put down. "Alright," I breathe out.
The questions are basic, then they go into medical history and underlying diseases and everything else. Then they ask for the parent number two.
I hand the clipboard to Warren and he is already looking at me. Curiosity flashes in his eyes. I ignore it, he takes the papers from me and starts to fill them out.
While he does that I twiddle my fingers. "Done."
I look up and the clipboard is sticking out to me. I stand up and go to the desk to turn the papers in.
Warren's eyes bore into the back of my head. I catch him when I turn around, but he doesn't look away. I guess he wasn't trying to hide it.
I stare back before my eyes dash to the right. "Why are you staring?"
He sighs heavily showing how bored he is. "I guess I am trying to figure you out."
"What have you got so far?" My right knee rocks side to side.
"You're impulsive, loud, and blunt," he raises his brow, "still trying to figure out the rest."
"I'm not loud," I disagree.
"Not in the way you are thinking. You aren't introverted."
I hum, not having any room to argue. "Can I try?"
"Have at it," he laces his hands together.
I sit up and look into his eyes to be dramatic. "You...are...quiet, but not shy. This aurora you have-" I make a 'Z' with my finger, pointing at him, "-tells me you aren't used to being told what to do. Like some business man maybe. And I'm going to throw it out there and take the chance- you look like you have mad anger issues."
When I'm done I drop an imaginary microphone.
"And you're childish."
I roll my eyes. "I'm just not boring."
"Callaghan?" A nurse comes through the doors. I stand up immediately to get her attention.
"Right here," I raise a finger.
Warren also stands up and clears his throat.
We follow the nurse to the back. "Good afternoon to the both of you. This is your first appointment since finding out the big news correct?" She opens a file that would hold any previous records of someone who has came here before.
"That's correct," I nod.
"Okay, I'm going to have you guys sit in here," she goes into a room.
Inside, the walls are full of pregnancy stuff . There are the stages of pregnancy for the fetus, then the growth of a woman's stomach. A list of things to do to have a healthy pregnancy and even a smooth labor. A shiver runs down my spine.there is even a poster of how the father can play a part in all of this.
"Before you sit down, Ms.Callaghan, can you stand on the scale for me?"
I do but I look at the ceiling cause I don't even want to know how much I've gained. "Okay...and flat against the wall to see your height."
I kick off my heels and I'm still 5'6. "Okay now for your blood pressure and temperature."
All of that is normal and I finally sit down on the table. "The doctor will be right with you," the nurse, whose name is Bailey, smiles and rolls the blood pressure cart out the room.
"Did you tell anyone?" I ask Warren.
He looks away from the floor and to me. "Tell what?"
"That you knocked up some random girl and you may be bringing a child into the world and you were coming to the doctors appointment and-"
"You can stop," he grumbles, "no I haven't told anyone. I don't have to."
I frown. "No parents, siblings, best friends? What about scar face from the club, I'm sorry that was rude. But you know who I'm talking about. It's been three months- oh, shit, are you in a relationship by any chance?" My mouth drops open. "I didn't even think about your life until now. That would be terrible, I'd feel so bad..."
"Can you please stop talking," he rubs the bridge of his nose.
My mouth clamps shut. "Is that a no?" I say after a beat has passed.
"Yes."
"Yes what..."
He glares at me making me freeze. "Yes, it's a damn no."
I sigh in relief and out my hands on my knees. We both wait in silence until the doctor comes. I can tell Warren is in deep thought, so am I. I'm trying to figure out how this appointment is going to go.
I straighten up when the door opens. Here we go...