"Find all you can on a Lucy, raven hair, works as a doctor." I demanded down the phone to Liam.
"Hi to you too Bax! How's your day going? Mines going great!"
"Shut the fuck up! You owe me this."
"I owe you nothing, I didn't do anything."
"Please! I need this." I begged.
"Only if you tell me who she is, and why you need so much information on her. Does Melissa and daddy know about her?"
"She's having my baby, and of course they don't why should they?!"
Was this man for real? They had no purpose in my life, no reason to even know me, yet he thought they had rights to know the woman in my life?
"Because he's just proposed to you. Literally. Also I thought you said she was having your baby a second ago, what did you say sorry?"
"I did say that. She is having my baby." I clarified, again.
Silence drifted heavy through the phone.
"W-what, how?"
"You know I don't want to get cocky, but how do you think Liam? How do two people usually conceive a child? Huh?" My bluntness had spiralled. He was getting on my last nerve, was we playing twenty questions now?
"Okay okay okay, I get it. I know how you make a baby. You've fucked her so what do you need? a way to get rid of her or something?"
Now he was being blunt.
"No!" I yelled, growing more and more angry by the minute. "No. I just need to know where she lives. She stormed out and I don't know where she could be I don't even know where she works for Christ sakes." I stressed, rubbing my hand over my face.
"Wait, so why do you want to go to her house? Do you want the baby? Are you both together?"
"Liam if I'd have known you'd ask more questions than actually getting on with the task, I wouldn't have bothered telling you. Yes I want the baby, no we're not together it's complicated."
"Right okay, sorry I'm just a little confused you tell me everything so I'm a little shocked I haven't heard about this yet."
"Well I only found out myself earlier this morning." I raked a hand across my face. I just wanted the task done.
I sunk down onto the bed, laying back trying to get my head around what had happened. In the past five hours my whole life had been turned upside down, and now the woman had gone AWOL.
"Well first then, are you okay? I know after Carla this will be difficult for you."
He was the one who helped pick up the pieces when Carla left. The whole situation was a mess.
"I don't know how I feel, all I know is I want this baby, Liam."
"What about her? The mother I mean, Lucy."
Silence appeared again as I sat and thought about that question. Something about her makes me want to try; makes my whole body light up at the thought, but can I? No matter what I would just get hurt, I'd also have to tell her about my past. Everything that makes me, me.
"So yes. He accused, thinking he was clever to answer for me. I hadn't responded because I was too consumed by my thoughts.
"What?"
"So, yes you want to be with her." He clarified.
"What, no! Look, Liam I need you to look her up, please?"
"Whatever you say, I'll leave it at that but I know you. I'll do the information for you. I'll run a background check with Stu."
Stu, short for Stuart, was his older brother. He was a private investigator so had a knack for stuff like this.
"Thanks man, I'll speak to you later. Let me know when you get hold of anything."
"It's going to take a bit, without a last name we're gonna have a few people. Maybe even need you to identify which one."
"Whatever just please do it."
I was desperate to find her. To do anything.
First I had to figure out what I wanted; what I was going to say to her; and how I was going to do it.
I sat on the bed, and had a long hard think with myself about what I was going to do. Hopefully I'd come to a decision with myself by the end of the day, which hopefully I'd have her address by too.
—————
Around half nine the next morning Liam called me to meet him at the office. I hadn't been into work yesterday because of what happened, so hopefully no one questioned it. I also hoped Mr mad Marvin, as I called him, wasn't there. I'd got the paperwork through the door this morning. He'd added strict instructions on a post it note inside, saying where I needed to sign. He'd also provided all points of contact for him if I got confused by any of it. The man was preposterous.
"Morning Mr Baxter." Alyia, the receptionist, greeted me in a flirty tone every morning. She was pretty, golden brown skin, with long black hair. I think she was Indian, but I wasn't sure. Anyhow, she was the type of woman - that If I saw her in a bar - I would take her back to one of my hotels, but because she was my employee that wasn't an option. I'm pretty sure she was married too. Even so, she flirted with me every morning, and I shamefully allowed it.
"Mr Baxter."
"Bax nice to see you today."
"Hey Bax."
All my staff stopped to greet me, I felt like royalty. Roll out the red carpet.
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I impatiently stood in front of the glass elevator waiting for it to arrive. I have my own private elevator used only by me, but Liams office was a floor below. That meant I had the pleasure of standing here waiting for it to eventually arrive.
I was thankful it was empty, and the ride up was smooth sailing with no one entering and exiting. Liams floor was also preoccupied with work that no one, except for the receptionist Sam, interrupted the rest of my venture to his office.
"Liam." I nodded as I entered his office.
"Hey man, there's about ten Lucy's." He turned to look at me.
"You could of just sent me the photos I didn't need to come in."
"No, you did need to come in. You wasn't in yesterday and this is your company Bax. You can't just go off the radar because of a woman."
He was right. Although this was a huge situation, as well as a milestone I suppose, I did need to be there for my company. After all, without the place I'd be nowhere; I couldn't afford for the place to go under.
"I'm sorry man, I just need to sort this out. Anything that's urgent like investors etc. I've put Amy on the job."
Amy was my personal assistant, but she was amazing. She could present anything I needed her to if I couldn't, and she was a magician when it came to investors. She seemed to win them over way quicker than I could sometimes. I had full faith in her, all she had to do was contact me if there was an emergency.
"I just don't want you to spiral." Liam said, concerned.
"I won't, I promise. How are you anyway? Feels like ages since we've talked properly." I asked him, as I sat down next to him, genuinely interested. He was my closest friend.
"I'm good, thanks." He didn't seem so sure of himself.
"You sure?"
"Yeah yeah all good."
I didn't want to pry any further. If Liam didn't want to talk he wouldn't, something we sort of had in common.
"So, anyway, here's all the possible culprits."
He turned his laptop to face me, and I rolled my eyes in frustration. I said raven hair, yet some of these had blonde or brown. Did he not listen to me at all? Nevertheless, I decided not to lash out at him, I'd done that enough.
"Here she is." I shouted, jumping in my seat.
"Lucy Partridge, St James hospital paediatrician."
"She's hot dude!" He smacked my shoulder, and I just glared at him. "How you gonna get her address though?"
Good question.
"Not sure. Does Stu not do that?"
"He might be able to with her full name."
He left the room to contact his brother, as I stared back at the beautiful woman's picture. I knew what I had to do now.
He was back in less than five minutes, surprisingly.
"Got it!" He raced back into the room.
"What? That quick?"
"Yep, not sure how, he said not to ask. Probs something illegal but here you go."
"Terrace road" I repeated as I saw the name written across his phone.
"That's like ten minutes away from here so like a bit longer from my place right?"
"Errr yeah I think so." He nodded, sure of himself.
"You going now? On your own?"
"I have to Liam. I've gotta sort things, there's a scan and I don't even know where or when."
"That the only reason?" He raised his eyebrows, arms folded as he mocked me.
"Leave it." I spoke through gritted teeth. I was not talking about this to him, not until it was sorted anyway.
"Well, good luck. Text me!" He shouted back as I left the room without even a goodbye.
"Will do." I said to myself as the door slammed behind me.
Now I just had to get her to forgive me.
"Bax!!!" The squeak coming from Melissa's mouth made me grimace.
"Not now, please not now." I whispered under my breath.
Maybe I could just carry on walking and pretend her five inch heels weren't clicking across the hallway behind me. After all, I was so close to the elevator.
"Bax! It's me."
She carried on screaming back in response to my ignorant silence.
"Oh! Melissa didn't see you there, sorry I've got somewhere to be." I started walking again.
"No wait."
I rolled my eyes to the back of my head causing actual pain in the back of my eyes. Could she just not take a hint?
"What, Melissa?"
"Have you signed the papers yet?"
Her arm slowly came up to sit on my shoulder, as she pushed her breasts into my chest. Her face was inches from mine, and I'd never felt so revolted by a woman's touch.
Years she had been trying to pursue me. Years she had wasted. She could have any billionaire, yet she wanted me.
"Melissa, I'm not marrying you. I'm sorry but it's not happening." I gently pushed her off my body, and carried on towards the elevator.
"Look I know you want me, you don't have to keep denying it. We're going to get married Bax!"
She was just as absurd as her father. I don't know who could be the influencer, him or her? Or they were just both naturally insane.
I stepped into the elevator completely ignoring her. I didn't have time for her nonsense today.
"Don't forget to sign them." She yelled as the doors shut. Thankfully she hadn't followed me, or I'd have been forced to jump out.
I quickly phoned Liam. I wanted to know why she was here.
"Liam, what was Melissa doing at the firm?"
"Erm, I didn't know she was here."
"Well she is. She's just harassed me as I got in the elevator."
"Jesus Christ. I'll sort it."
"Good. I don't want her round here, especially her precious daddy too."
I jammed my finger down on the 'end call' button just as the doors opened.
I made my way to underground parking, my heart beating with nerves. I really hope this went well.