Saturday I woke up alone once more. There was a message from Larry that he would be downstairs waiting to take me to my mother's. I got ready, feeling a little nervous about how I would convince my mother Scott and I were madly in love with each other. I greeted Larry, and slipped into the car. We hit the highway but I noticed Larry wasn't heading toward her house.
"Larry. I think you are going the wrong direction." I said after lowering the partition.
"Yes m'am. We will be on our way shortly."
I frowned but said nothing, lifting it up again and sitting back. We pulled up outside Dainway industries, and my breath caught a little realizing then that Scott was coming with me.
He came out not a second after looking like a model, donned in designer jeans, sneakers, crisp white shirt and shades. Paparazzi swormed in but he was already opening the door as they snapped away and got in, kissing me lightly on the lips.
"Hey."
"Hi." I squeaked.
"How are you feeling? Did you take your meds?" he asked pulling out his i-pad.
"I'm fine." I said curtly. My emotions were on high alert. I was angry that we had slept together and then he had left me. He hadn't even called and he didn't seem the least bit apologetic. I was feeling a little annoyed that I couldn't ask him where he had been. Clearly we weren't going to talk about last night.
He handed me his ipad which distracted me from my thoughts. On the front was an apology and retraction about the news story they had printed about me. In it was a picture of the receipt from our table with it highlighted "2 virgin cocktails" and the bartender and waiters statements on how I had not consumed any alcohol and I was a regular.
I looked up a Scott who was already engrossed with reading business reports on his phone. It read Linda all over it. At least now I knew what she meant when she said she would take care of it.
My phone buzzed and Sean's name read across the screen. I was happy to hear from him. Although I didn't know if he was aware of how I was suddenly engaged to someone else.
"Hi sweetheart. How are you?" His voice came loudly on the earpiece. Scott's brow rose but he didn't take his gaze off his screen.
"Fancy hearing from you. I'm fine. How are you?" I said nervously.
"I'm great. Sorry I went quiet on you. Went off-grid hiking these past couple of weeks. Only returned to civilization last night."
If he was off-grid, it meant he had probably not heard or seen the tabloids. In any case who knew if that news reached his part of the World.
"How was it?" I wanted to be polite. And annoy Scott who seemed to shift in his seat with his figure paused above his screen.
"It was breathtaking, wild, and exhilarating. I can't wait to see you and tell you all about it. I will be in town next weekend."
I started to panic. Sean seemed to be returning with a bit more gusto about seeing me and I didn't know how I could break the news. Especially with Scott sitting across from me. I chose the coward's route and played dumb.
"Next weekend? I have ...erh..plans but I'm sure we can meet for coffee."
Plans to attend my own engagement party.
I heard Sean chuckle, "No way..don't drink that stuff. I will take you on our second date. I will be around until early in the week so we can have dinner after the weekend. Ok?"
Someone hollered in the background. "Ok. Sorry I got to go. Will message you later Rachel..cheers."
I hung up and found Scott looking at me with arms folded and his jaw ticking.
I pretended to ignore him as I placed my phone back in my bag.
"Are you really planning on seeing him?" he finally asked a hint of disdain in his voice.
I looked him square in the eye. "Perhaps."
The word hung between us. I was beyond annoyed. One minute he was dismissive, and the next he was sweet and teasing. I was tired and I felt strong enough to put aside my infatuation – which I had misguidedly thought was love – to move on.
Scott moved to sit beside me and placed a hand on my thigh, causing me to tremble slightly.
"What do you think you are doing?" I asked frustrated at my reaction.
"I'm being intimate with my future wife." He stated lowering his lips to my neck.
I half-heartedly scoffed as a I tried to shove him off.
"Scott.." I warned though my resolve was disintegrating.
"Hmmm?" he hummed against my earlobe causing me to close my eyes for a second. His tongue played with my ear.
"Stop." I whispered.
He slowly let go of me and took his seat again. A few moments passed with me trying to get my breath back.
I thought the whole ordeal had passed, but as we pulled up to my mother's house where she knelt on the walkway clipping her flowers, I realized I was wrong. Scott's face had a sly smirk.
"Rachel..how can I stop when the fun is only getting started. You consented to be mine. And tonight, I your mother's house, I'm going to punish you for making me jealous...get you screaming until your mother knocks."
He didn't wait for Larry as he threw open the door and offered his hand.
Oh no, what had I gotten myself into?
I wearily took his hand, my mother all the while watching. Scott pulled me into his embrace and held me lovingly.
"Oh baby!" he said mockingly, "you didn't do justice describing your mother's wonderful home."
My mother grinned as she watched on.
"And you must be the wonderful owner. Hello Mrs Paul."
He let me go, not before smacking my lips with a kiss, and then accepting my mother's open arms.
"Call me Kristine" my mom was blushing sheepishly.
They exchanged pleasantries, him dishing out the charm, me watching on in horror as my mother ate it all up.
---------------
I slumped into my chair and rolled my eyes. In the past few hours, Scott had won my mother's approval, gotten us to share a room, and exaggeratingly kissed me a dozen times promising me that tonight I would be seduced and I better learn how to hold my moans so as not to embarrass myself in my mother's house.
He was purposefully driving me crazy. I found what he was doing completely uncharacteristic. And as soon as we were in the room alone I braced myself to tell him just that.
"Your mother's a wonderful woman." He said earnestly. It completely disarmed me.
"Yes, that she is." I agreed before turning away to regather my annoyance.
"I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. It's the first time I've had my fake fiancé be charmed by another man. Usually its another woman – which I can handle." He chuckled, " I had no right to toy with you."
I smiled weakly.
"Last night.." I asked meekly.
"Rachel." Scott murmured. It warned me what he was going to say next was not going to be pleasant, "what you and I have is extremely complicated already, and adding to it moments like last night will only make it.."
"worse?" I offered
"more complex." Scott said shaking his head.
"I have feelings for you Scott." I confessed.
Scott stopped midway removing his watch and turned to me.
"I have feelings for you too Rachel and before the baby, I would have jumped into exploring this, but now..we can't go through the motions of dating when a baby is coming. We should quit while we are ahead and set up structures that a baby can be born into and get use to."
I gulped. Scott had feelings for me. And now this miracle in my womb was stopping us being together. It was a harsh reality. I put a hand over my stomach and thought through what he said. I thought of how things had ended with Dylan and factored adding a baby into such an equation...Scott was right. It would be a selfish thing to date him.
"You're right." I whispered in defeat.
Scott pulled me into his arms and held me. I don't know how long we stood like that, but eventually we fell into the bed and asleep in each other's arms. Comforting ourselves. In a way I felt sorry for Scott. Every decision he had made with respect to his heart had been to deny it of its wants. To marry for a company, to not date for the sake of stability. How did he do it? Who knew? I just knew I loved him too much to undo it.