Page 27 of Condemned Soul

“Whoa… Prez, who’s your friend?” Squealer interrupts, stepping up to the bar and leaning heavily on my shoulder.

“She’s not a friend, just a hangout.” I keep my eyes fixed on hers as I answer his question.

“Well, I’m sorry, darlin’, but this man right here is the last of us that's left.” Squeal pats me hard on the back and I watch the corners of the uptight bitch’s mouth lift into a smile.

“He’s the one I came for.” She stares me right back. “And believe me…” She shifts a little closer so we both hear her clearly. “I always get what I want.” Her eyes burrow into mine for a few more seconds before she finishes her beer, places it on the bar, and struts toward the door.

“That, right there, looked a lot like a promise.” Squeal shakes my shoulders before he heads off to join his brother.

I stare across the candle-lit table and smile awkwardly at Vincent Jackson.

Everything about this feels wrong and is obviously all part of a very well-organized plan by my parents.

“I’m sorry your folks couldn’t make it.” Vincent looks every bit as embarrassed as I am. I got told we were meeting here for drinks to celebrate Dad’s birthday, I had no idea they had even invited Vincent, who I’m pretty certain was told the same lie.

“Maybe we could reschedule.” I let my eyes roam around the fancy restaurant and try not to show how angry at them I am for putting me in this situation.

“Do you know how hard it is to get a reservation here? Your father must have called in some serious favors.” Vincent scans over the menu then eventually calls the waiter over so he can order some wine. This is becoming more and more awkward by the second.

I hold my hand over the glass when the waiter returns with the wine and tries to pour me some, and Vincent studies me curiously as the waiter pours for him instead.

“Sometimes, I forget that you're still too young to drink. You have such a maturity about you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I smile, willing for the waiter to come back so he can take my food order and we can get this over with.

“You know, I’m actually relieved we get to be alone tonight, it’ll give us a chance to talk about something that’s been on my mind for a while now.”

Oh, dear God, here it comes.

“I’m sure you're aware of the fact I have an attraction to you, Joanne. I was hoping maybe we could take the next step.” He reaches across the table to take my hand but I quickly snatch it away.

“Vincent, I’m really flattered, but now really isn’t the time for me to be entering into any?—”

“Wait, hear me out before you dismiss the idea,” he interrupts as if this is some kind of negotiation. “I can offer you everything you ever wanted. I have money and ambition. I?—”

“This is starting to sound like a proposal.” I giggle nervously, and when his face remains serious I feel a lump wedge in my throat.

“Like I said, Joanne, I have a lot to offer.”

“You don’t want to marry me.” I shake my head at him, trying my best to let him down gently. I have enough problems to deal with right now. I’ve been avoiding Jimmer for more than a week and I know it’s only a matter of time before he catches up with me.

“Come on, Joanne, you're a clever girl. You must know that I’ve liked you for some time now. You must also know that to be taken seriously in my profession, you have to have a certain level of stability.” Vincent reaches across the table and takes both my hands in his. This time I’m too distracted with thinking about Jimmer to stop him. “I’m sure you could learn to love me.”

“I’m pregnant!” The words come blurting from my mouth and I stare at him blankly, regretting the outburst while I wait for his reaction.

“Pregnant?” His eyes scan the restaurant to check no one else heard my confession.

“I shouldn’t have told you that, please don’t tell my parents. I’m still processing it myself. Shit. I need to go.” I quickly grab my purse and rush for the door, my cheeks burning with shame while I cuss myself for being so stupid. Of course, Vincent is gonna tell my parents, he’s Mr. Fucking Do Right.

I manage to make it across the street to my car with him calling after me and when I feel the hand on my shoulder, I spin around defensively to see him standing with an unreadable look on his face.

“I’m begging you, please don’t tell them. I know I can’t keep it a secret for much longer but I just need to get my head?—”

“What if we told them the baby’s mine?” That wasn’t what I expected to hear, in fact, the words shock the hell out of me.

“What?” I check I heard him right.

“Your parents want us to be together, I want us to be together. We can tell your parents that we’ve been seeing each other discreetly and that the baby you're carrying is mine.” How is he making all this sound so simple?

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