Page 20 of Finding Jacob
“The truth. You were stupid enough to get the last digit of his phone number wrong and, yes, you’d love to meet up with him.”
I slumped back in my seat and closed my eyes. I reached blindly for my phone and then took a deep breath.
When I opened my eyes, Nathan was handing me back the letter. “I’ll wait until you dial, then I’ll leave,” he said.
“I’m not a child, I’m thirty years old.”
He had no need to voice his response, his smirk and raised eyebrows said it all.
I dialled. He left. I waited with bated breath.
“Anna,” he said, when he answered.
“How do you know it’s me?” I asked.
“Because you’re the only one who has this number, other than Nathan, and his name would show. It’s good to hear from you,” he answered.
“I owe you an apology, Jacob,” I said, not knowing where to go from there.
“You do.”
I was taken aback by the response and bristled a little.
“How about you offer that apology over dinner?” he added.
The tone of his voice, commanding, yet soft, demanding without menace, was like the finest silk. It slid against my skin, bringing goosebumps to the surface.
“Okay.”
“Have Nathan bring you to my house, say seven o’clock?”
“Okay,” I said, again, whilst wanting to say something else, other than just that one word.
He paused and I listened to him take in a breath and exhale slowly. “I’m glad you called; I didn’t think you would.”
“I did text, you didn’t answer and then—”
“Tell me this evening.”
“Okay.” I physically kicked myself for using the bloody word again.
He then clicked off the call without so much as a goodbye. I stared at mine. I also noticed the date. He’d said he was in London from June, but it was still May. I shook my head, not wanting to decipher that.
I pushed back my chair and walked to my office; it was time to have that meeting.
There were somewhoopsand claps after I’d told my staff I was pregnant and, for the moment, things were to carry on as normal. I explained I didn’t want to wait until I was three months to tell them, so would appreciate their discretion on the matter. I was congratulated, and all the while I kept smiling and accepted their comments. Inside, I was in turmoil. No matter what Jacob said or did, I was keeping the baby and I’d make it clear he didn’t need to be involved. It wouldn’t be practical with him flying all over the place, anyway, I’d convinced myself. I avoided questions on who the father was and agreed to some ‘games’ being played in the office. A due date game was already being set up. All I hoped was no one sat and calculated the conception date.
CHAPTERSIX
“Does this make me look fat?” I asked, twirling around.
Dory was lounging on my bed, eating from a packet of crisps. I would tut periodically. She knew I hated anyone eating in my bed.
“No, so far nothing you tried on makes you look fat! You don’t even have a tiny little bump, Anna. So can we quit with the smocks and shit?”
I rolled my eyes. The very last thing I wanted was to turn up to dinner and have him suspect I was pregnant before I had a chance to tell him. Not that I intended to tell him that evening anyway.
I settled on a floaty white cotton top and matching trousers. With a pair of wedge heels, my hair piled on top of my head, I looked like I was ready for summer. And I needed to be. I fanned my face as yet another wave of warmth spread over me.
