Page 34 of Dirty Empire

Chapter Thirteen: Planning

Hazel

I sit cross-legged on the made bed with a notebook in front of me. I’d woken up with the idea this morning, and now this notebook is full of scribbles of my brainstorming. Since I had been avoiding Maverick, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my career. If this doesn't work out between us, I will have to go back to work. But I know it’s also ideal for me to be home with my baby as much as possible. That’s the reason I quit my job in the first place; because I thought me and Miles would have a baby and I’d stay home for a while.

Consulting. It’s something I can do from home most of the time, and if a company hires me to be in the office, it will be short-term. I’ll have the ability to pick and choose what projects I want to take on. If I, for some reason, stayed in Tahiti, I could work entirely online by skyping clients. It’s the perfect business model for my new life. There’s a lot of work I’ll have to do to get set up. I need to become an LLC and get all the correct licenses. There’s also a ton of stuff I have to research, but I’m happy to have something to occupy my mind other than Maverick.

A light knock sounds at my door, and I know it’s Isabella.

“Come in,” I say.

She peeks her head in. “Are you ready?”

I stand from the bed and smooth out my clothes. I’m dressed down in a simple pair of soft shorts and a t-shirt. My hair is still damp from the shower, but I’ve thrown it up in a bun anyway. It would be a mess to deal with once I took it down. I don't care how I look at this point. There are more critical things unfolding.

“Yep,” I tell Isabella, slipping on my sandals and throwing my purse over my shoulder. The bag is handmade and beautiful. One that Maverick had bought for me at the market. I feel like I’m was starting to fit into the Tahiti culture. It’s sad to think I might be leaving it all behind.

I follow Isabella out to the car. We both get into the back of the SUV. Mike’s in the driver's seat.

“Good morning, ladies,” he says.

“Good morning.”

Isabella gives him instructions, and he starts to drive.

“Are you nervous?” she asks me.

I shake my head. “I’m excited to see my baby.”

Isabella has been excellent this week. Once I told her the news, she went out of her way to find me a good doctor. I thought about inviting Maverick to come along, but I still don't know what’s going on with us. I can’t keep putting my time and energy into him. Instead, I have to focus on myself and the child growing inside of me. Maverick needs space to deal with whatever is going on in his head, and I’m giving that to him. I also have no desire to drag someone along to something they don't care about. It hurt a little to think that this baby could be Maverick’s, and he was missing the first doctor’s appointment, but that’s something he’d have to live with, not me.

We pull up to a white building and get out of the SUV. The inside is clean and tidy, just like a doctor's office in America. Isabella took care of all the paperwork, so all I have to do is go back to a room. She sits in the corner of the room in a chair that I’m sure is usually reserved for dads. Once I’m situated, the doctor comes in. She’s tall for a woman, standing close to six feet. Her skin is the same color as Isabella’s, and she has a bright smile on her face.

“Hi, Hazel. I’m Dr. Raina. It’s nice to meet you.” She sticks her hand out, and I shake it.

“It’s nice to meet you too. Thank you for fitting me in. I know you’re very busy.”

At least that’s what Isabella has told me.

Dr. Raina waves it off. “Anything for Mr. Stapleton.”

I raise an eyebrow at Isabella. So she’d dropped Maverick’s name to get me an appointment here. Isabella refuses to make eye contact with me. Dr. Raina goes through a list of questions with me, asking about my medical history and if I’m a smoker, etc. Then she starts the exam.

“Wow, it seems like you’re pretty far along. You didn't notice any symptoms?” she asks.

I shake my head. “My periods have always been irregular, and I haven’t been sick or anything.”

“You’re lucky. Most women can be pretty sick in the beginning. I want you to start taking prenatal vitamins immediately.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, well, let's do an ultrasound and see what we can see.”

Butterflies fill my stomach as Dr. Raina squirts the goo on my stomach and turns the lights off. It takes a moment for anything to appear on the screen.

“There’s your baby,” Dr. Raina says, pointing to a small white bean floating on the screen.

“Oh my gosh, she’s so small,” I say.

---