Page 21 of Prognosis Baby Daddy

Katya reeled. She’d never been amongst such luxury. The splendour of the Lucia Clinic faded in comparison. She felt gauche, like Cinderella at the ball. Her head spun and for a brief moment she thought she was going to lose the contents of her stomach immediately.

‘It’s like a...palace.’

Ben chuckled. She was all wide-eyed, clearly overwhelmed. ‘Every woman deserves a palace once in a while, don’t you think?’ he asked.

Katya wasn’t sure about that. It wasn’t something she’d ever wished for. Sure, she’d wished they’d had more. That her mother had been home more often. That she could have gone to school more often. That they’d had food in their cupboards and a warm house all the time. She’d never even dared to wish for something like this.

And her child was going to be part of all this. Would grow up amongst all these amazing things. Would never know what it was like to feel hungry or cold. Or unloved. This wasn’t a life she would ever feel comfortable living, but as much as it dazzled, even scared her, she was pleased that the baby would never have the sort of life she’d endured.

‘I guess,’ she said quietly. Doubtfully.

‘I know you don’t feel comfortable with all this,’ Ben said, gesturing around him, ‘but I swear, if you just let yourself, you’ll have a great day.’

Katya looked into his earnest face. He wanted her to like his boat. He wanted her to enjoy herself. She could see it in his keen gaze. She smiled at him then and made a conscious effort to relax. Considering the bombshell she was going to drop at some stage, the least she could do was let him know how much she appreciated him trying to show her a good time.

‘OK.’ She smiled. ‘Aye, aye, Captain.’ And she saluted him.

Ben threw back his head and laughed. Somehow he couldn’t imagine Katya ever being obedient. It was almost as absurd as her being mellow. ‘Let’s go back on deck and get under way.’

‘Aye, aye, Captain,’ she repeated, and joined in as he laughed again.

Katya’s enjoyment soon faded as they moved out of the harbour. The Med was flat. It sparkled before them like a carpet of sapphires. Smooth as glass – stunningly blue glass. But the movement of the boat and her hormones were not getting along and they’d only been out for two minutes before Katya knew for sure this was going to be a bad morning sickness day.

‘How long to your villa?’ she asked, gripping the side of the boat, the faint whiff of engine fumes and the wake of another boat kicking her nausea up another notch.

‘It’s only half an hour from here,’ Ben said, concentrating on navigating out of the busy area near Amalfi. ‘But I thought I’d take you on a grand tour of the Amalfi coast. You’ve just got to see Positano from the ocean, it’s an amazing aspect. I was thinking we could even head to Capri, stay on the boat overnight, head back to the villa in the morning?’

Katya felt her stomach lurch as Ben looked at her for confirmation of his plans. He looked so excited, like a kid with an ice cream, and she didn’t have the heart to ask him to turn the boat around. She nodded and smiled back. Maybe the nausea wouldn’t last? Maybe it would be a day when the sickness only actually lasted the morning.

Pity she was feeling so wretched because the view inside the boat was just as spectacular as the view over the water. Ben was wearing some hip-hugging denim shorts. They had frayed hems, and showed off his magnificent long legs. A chocolate polo shirt completed the outfit, the sleeves fitting snugly around his biceps.

His hair blew in the breeze, becoming tousled, and a part of her wanted to walk up behind him, put her arms around his waist and snuggle her body into his. But she knew that any movement at the moment would be catastrophic both to her equilibrium and to her grand plan.

A speedboat passed them, rocking their craft in its wake, and Katya knew she was going to be violently ill. Ben shouted something in Italian but she didn’t wait for a translation. She made a mad dash for the stairs and just made it to the closest bathroom as the contents of her stomach ejected.

Katya heaved and heaved into the bowl, wishing she was anywhere but here. Moisture welled in her eyes as she continued to retch. She felt cheap and nasty besmirching the beautiful luxury of the most elegant toilet she’d ever been in, but her stomach wouldn’t let up and all she could do was cling helplessly to the porcelain and hope it would be over soon.

After what seemed an age she slumped back against the wall and shut her eyes. Trembling all over the bitter taste of bile in her mouth only made her feel worse.

Waited until she felt strong enough to stand, Katya clung to the wall as she pushed herself into a standing position. Grateful to find a boxed toothbrush and toothpaste in one of the marble vanity drawers, she brushed her teeth until her mouth felt minty fresh again, looking in the mirror.

God...she looked like hell. Her pale complexion even whiter than normal and her blue eyes dull. But she felt better as each second passed and her spirits revived with the thought that now she’d vomited, the worst was over.

The powerful throb of the engine reverberated through her feet as Katya made her way back through the lounge and up the stairs.

‘You weren’t joking about the seasick thing, were you?’ Ben said as Katya emerged from down below. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Sure,’ she said. ‘I feel much better.’

Then the breeze hit her face and a faint trace of engine fumes assaulted her nostrils. Nausea slammed into her gut and rolled through her intestines again. Holding her hand to her mouth she gasped out, ‘I’ll be right back.’

Katya made it to the bathroom just in time again. There was nothing left to bring up but it didn’t stop her delicate constitution or her hormones from trying. She felt like every last morsel of food was being wrung from her entire digestive tract.

Vaguely Katya heard the rumble of the engine cut out as she slumped against the wall. The cessation of movement rallied her equilibrium but she felt as weak as a kitten. All she wanted to do was curl up on one of those heavenly looking plump leather couches she had now seen three times, shut her eyes and sleep through the trip.

‘Katya?’

She opened an eye to see Ben standing in the doorway. If she’d have been remotely well, Katya would have worried about how bad she must look right now, but frankly she couldn’t care less if she looked like the wreck of the Hesperus.

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