143

143
CAMILLE
It had been a week since our friends found out that we were expecting the babies. In that time, all I had done was spiral. Going out for lunch with Leigh was supposed to be a welcome break from my mind. However, the further we got away from the office, the more I worried about the pile of
paperwork on my desk.
“You look like you’re lost in your thoughts,” Leigh said as we entered the little café.
“I’ve got a lot going on,” I said as the hostess led us over to one of the empty tables by the window. “Between getting ready for the babies and the work that’s starting to pile up, I feel like I’m going to have to take leave earlier than I thought I would.”
“You still have a few months until then,” Leigh said as she glanced through the menu.
“I know.” I gave the waiter a smile as he dropped off glasses of water before disappearing. “I just don’t know if I can get everything done by then.”
“Stop worrying about it. You know the boys will take care of whatever you need taken care of.”
“I know. Drew is already going to take three months off with me once the babies are born.”
The waiter came by again and took our food orders before disappearing. My stomach rumbled thinking about the bacon burger I was getting. My hunger sparked yet another worry that I had been trying to push from my mind.
“I’m going to explode like a balloon,” I said, patting a hand on my stomach.
“Well, you are growing two little humans inside of you. It’s only natural to gain some weight.”
I shrugged but my stomach was tossing and turning. “I don’t know if Drew is still going to be attracted to me. I’m already starting to show a lot.”
Leigh’s easygoing smile dropped. “Camille, if you’re worried about not being attractive to him anymore, you need to talk to him. From what I’ve seen, he’s crazy about you.”
“I want to say that I know that, but it’s hard to think like that when you look at yourself in the mirror and see your body rapidly expanding.”
Leigh nodded. “I get it. But for what it’s worth, I think there is no way that he isn’t going to be attracted to you.”
Our conversation steered toward how to dress my growing bump when the waiter finally appeared with our food.
My mouth watered as I picked up a fry and popped it in my mouth. I nearly moaned as the craving I’d had for the last few hours was finally satisfied.
“What does your family think about the babies?” Leigh asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen my mother since I took her to the homeless shelter. I don’t know if I would tell her even if I did see her. I want her to get
better, but I don’t think that knowing she’s missing out on the birth of her grandchildren would do anything to help that.”
Leigh took a massive bite of her burger. I flattened my burger down before taking a bite of my own. I savored the taste and took another bite while Leigh salted her fries.
“You might be right,” she said. “It could be the wake-up call that she needs though.”
My stomach lurched as I took another bite of my burger. I chewed slowly, trying to push the thoughts of my mother from her mind. If I thought that telling her about the pregnancy would motivate her to get clean, I would.
However, I had tried everything that I could in the past to help her to try and get clean. There was nothing that seemed to work, no matter how much effort I put in.
“I don’t think it would be. When she’s in active addiction, there is very little that can help her. I’ve tried rehabs over the years, and she doesn’t care.” Leigh reached across the table and took my hand, giving it a light squeeze.
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I.” I shrugged and ate a couple more fries. “I know this is going to sound horrible, but I’ve got more important things that I need to be worrying about right now.”
“Stop worrying about work. Everything is going to be fine with work and the babies. You have me and Clarke to help. Tyson and Haley too. There’s an entire team supporting you.”
Even though I knew she was right, it did nothing to ease the anxiety that kept rolling through me. Every time I thought about the next few months, I started to freak out. My life was about to change forever.
Drew said that he was going to be around to help with the babies, and I
knew that he would want to see his children, but there were times when I wondered if his old life wouldn’t start calling to him.
He was used to being the man with no responsibilities. Before we started dating, he could go out and have fun without thinking about anybody at home. Drew was used to living like a bachelor and without warning that had changed.
I worried about myself too. I had always pictured a career before I even thought about children. Before I found out I was pregnant, I wasn’t even sure that I wanted children.
My hand drifted down to my stomach as I finished off my fries. Now that I knew I was having children, there was excitement lingering with the fear and uncertainty.
“I think that you and Drew need to lay out everything on the table,” Leigh said as we finished our lunch. “He might be worried about a bunch of other shit that you never even considered.”
“I know. I think I’m going to take an early afternoon and go home to talk to him.”
I pulled out my wallet as the waiter appeared at the side of the table. After paying the bill and leaving a large tip, Leigh and I went our separate ways.
When I got home, Drew was working on the couch. He had files spread across the coffee table and was hunched over the mess. As I walked in and
kicked off my shoes, he didn’t look up. There were several highlighters without caps scattered across the table and a pen in his hand.
“What’s going on?” I asked him as I set down my purse and slid off my jacket.
“Not a lot. There’s another production company that’s losing money fast. I might be able to pick it up in another month or two for a good price but going through these files on the current owner is going to do my head in.”
“What’s wrong with him?” I made my way into the living room and sat down on the floor beside him. Drew reached out and absentmindedly combed his fingers through my hair as I leaned back against the couch.
“A lot. It seems like there isn’t a person who worked for the company who didn’t file some sort of complaint against him. If I take on the company, then I have to find someone to replace him.”
“Do you think there would be repercussions to that?”
“Most likely. He seems like the kind of man to want as much money as possible. The business isn’t worth the asking price that it’s at now, let alone the other million or two I would have to shell out to get him to step down quietly.”
“So, then why even entertain the idea?” I asked, closing my eyes and relaxing as he continued to play with my hair.
“Call it a gut feeling. The production company has some good talent working for it but the problem is the owner. Once he’s out of the picture— and the company’s image is reformed—I think that we might be able to build them into one of the big names in television production.”
He sighed and shifted, putting down his pen. I glanced at him over my shoulder as he leaned back into the couch cushions.
“Why are you home early? I thought that you had a lot of work to get
done?”
“I do. But I went out with Leigh and I realized that there are some things I need to talk to you about.”
His hand stilled in my hair. “Like what?”
“I know this is going to sound insecure, but I never dreamed of getting pregnant like some girls do.” I took a deep breath and looked away from him. “Are you still going to be attracted to me once I blow up like a balloon?”
Drew slid down onto the ground beside me and took my chin in his hand. He turned my head until I was looking at him. His soft smile was all the reassurance I needed. My heart skipped a beat at the warm look in his eyes.
“Camille, if there is ever a day that I don’t think you are the most attractive woman I have ever seen, it’s because I’m dead.”
I laughed as he pulled me into his lap. His arms wrapped around me in a strong embrace.
“You don’t need to worry about my attraction to you. I know your body is going to be changing a lot. You’re bringing our children into the world. I’m not going to be any less attracted to you.”
“I’m worried that nothing will go back to the way it was before the babies.”
“It might not,” he said. He pulled the collar of my shirt to the side and started kissing my shoulder. “But that doesn’t matter to me. You’re beautiful, but that’s only part of what makes you attractive. I love your ambition and your intelligence. The way you don’t take shit from anyone. Your kindness, even when people have wronged you.”
“If you’re trying to get laid, you’re going about it the right way,” I said, my tone teasing.
Drew’s low laugh rumbled through his chest as he stood up with me in his
arms. His mouth continued to trail up and down my neck as he took me to the bedroom.