Page 11 of Mr. Cream
The smell of something sweet wakes me up. My mouth starts to water and my stomach grumbles from hunger. I open my eyes and spot Devon behind his desk, a tray of snack cakes in front of him.
“What’s that smell,” I ask, sitting up. I wait for a moment, hoping that I don’t have to hurl because whatever Devon’s got on his desk smells delicious.
Devon hums before he notices me. “You’re awake already? I expected you to be out for a few more hours.”
“Well, whatever you have on your desk woke me up.”
“They’re a new flavor of Dream Creams. Hazelnut.”
I want to ask him for one, but I fear it coming right back up. For now, the smell alone is keeping my nausea at bay.
“Devon, we need to talk,” I say softly.
He stands up and walks around his desk before sitting down next to me. “Yes, I think we do.”
“I think I’m pregnant,” I finally admit. Saying the words aloud is scary but also feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
“I suspected that when you puked all over my building.” He winks and nudges my shoulder gently with his. “Have you taken a test yet?”
I reach down and pluck the bag from the drug store from my purse. “No time like the present, right?”
“You can use mine,” Devon says, pointing to a door in the corner of his office.
Nervously, I stand up and Devon does the same. I take one step forward before turning back. Tears burn my eyes, ready to fall at any moment but Devon is right there with a comforting arm and a soothing word. “It’s okay, Ambrosia. I’m not going anywhere.”
I suck in a deep breath and all but sprint into the bathroom. The directions aren’t hard to follow. Unwrap stick. Pee on stick. Wait for lines to appear. One line equals no baby, two lines equals baby.
When I finish, I place the test on the counter and contemplate waiting alone for the lines to appear but I’m sure Devon is eagerly waiting to know the results too. So, I crack open the door and step out. Just as I suspected, Devon is hovering nearby and rushes over the minute the bathroom door opens.
“Tell me why you want to be a father,” I ask him.
“A child’s love is unconditional. My nieces and nephews don’t care how much money I have or what I can buy them,” he answers quickly and easily. “I’ve given up so much of my life to turn Shire Snacks around and make it profitable but I’m not willing to sacrifice being a father for this company.”
“But why use a surrogate?”
“I don’t have time for games, Ambrosia. Most women only care about my money and I don’t have time to search for that needle in the haystack, that one woman who sees me for me.” He reaches out and brushes his knuckles softly along my cheek. “And then I saw you and everything changed.”
“But why couldn’t you have just asked me out like a normal person?”
“Because I’m not a normal person, Ambrosia. And if you’re pregnant, then our child will not be a normal child. He or she will grow up with privilege and there will always be someone trying to hurt them simply because of me. So, I had to be sure that you weren’t some gold-digging Barbie before I even approached you.”
“And how did you know that I wasn’t?”
Devon tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and tilts his head to the side. “Because your parents are still married. Because you saved yourself for the right person but didn’t deprive yourself of experiencing pleasure. And because when we met, you had no idea who I was.”
“Those things didn’t require you to have me followed or to hack my bank account!”
Devon shrugs and holds out his hands apologetically. “What can I say, you made me obsessed. I’m so sorry, Ambrosia, for violating your privacy. Believe me, if I could, I would do things differently.”
He glances down at his watch and then lifts his eyes to mine. “Is it time? Has it been long enough?”
I check the time on my phone and nod. “Yes,” I confirm. “It’s time.”
