Page 48 of Cade

Before she could settle back into her next contract, Mark appeared at her desk. Annoyed with the interruptions, April gave him a tight smile and waited to see what he had to say.

“Can you join me in my office?” he asked.

Something was wrong. She knew it immediately. He was usually more friendly even if he had something bad to say. This was a problem and she racked her brain as she followed him into his office and he closed the door behind them.

She’d drawn a blank on anything that she may have done wrong other than miss some time last week, but she’d more than made up for it and was even ahead of her deadlines. Did a client complain?

“Have a seat, April. I have something that we need to discuss.” Mark sat behind his desk, his bald head reflecting the overhead light.

“I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” she asked, wanting to be put out of her own misery.

“I am actually doing you a favor. The partners want to speak to you today and you know I’ve been grooming you for the partnership.”

April cringed. She hated that word, grooming, it sounded so wrong.

“We got some disturbing news overnight and wanted to give you a chance to tell your side of things.”

“I really don’t know what you mean.” She twisted her hands in her lap wishing he would just come out with it already.

“We received information that you are expecting. I know it isn’t like you to make big decisions like that without thinking it through. It would certainly impact your future here at the firm.”

His phone rang and he stopped talking to answer it. She sat, reeling, and trying to decide how to even react to this information. It didn’t matter to her if she didn’t get partner, she didn’t want it anyway but to have it snatched from her because she got pregnant was insane.

“We can head in to the conference room now,” Mark told her as he hung up the phone.

“Okay.” April stood and followed him again, still confused.

As she turned the corner, she could see all the partners through the glass walls of the conference room. She was really going to have to announce to everyone that she was pregnant right now.

Why was she even concerned? She didn’t want to make partner, she reminded herself. It still hurt and she knew that she’d be treated differently because of not wanting it now.

She stepped into the conference room and took a deep breath. They asked her to sit and she took it, preparing to explain herself.

It took all of fifteen minutes before she was dismissed. They sent her home for the day and April didn’t bother to take her computer. So much for catching up or working hard. None of it mattered now.

She called the car back to get her and managed to hold it together until she was home. As soon as the door closed behind her, she let the tears fall. Cade called and she answered the phone with a sniff.

“Are you okay?”

“Someone told my boss I’m pregnant,” her words were full of tears, she knew he’d be able to tell.

“Where are you?” She heard him moving around.

“I’m home. You don’t need to come home now. I’m just being dramatic right now.” She was. It was uneccesary for her to be this worked up over a job she didn’t even want.

“Stay there. I’ll be home in a minute.”

“Okay,” she didn’t argue again.

Truth be told, she wanted him here with her. Wanted him to tell her it was all going to be okay even when neither of them could predict the future.

She pulled out her lunch and made herself comfortable in the living room before digging into her salad. It was satisfying to stab her fork into as her sadness and confusion moved to anger.

They had no right to question her being pregnant. Why had they done that? It wasn’t like they could fire her over it. They couldn’t even not offer her the partnership over it or she could sue them. They knew that, it was common knowledge and against the damn law.

“Hey, baby,” Cade said as he walked in. “How are you doing?”

“Fine.” Stab. “Just freaking fine.” Another stab.

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