He shrugs sheepishly.
“Congrats, you two.” Hannah’s been so quiet, I’d forgotten she was even in the room. “When are we due?”
“August eighteenth.”
She does the math on her fingers. “So that makes you… about nine and a half weeks?”
“Exactly.”
“Eep! So exciting!” She gives us each a hug before rubbing my flat stomach affectionately and moving toward the door. “Listen, I have to get going, but Ellie and I made dinner. Enjoy.”
“What has you running out of here like your ass is on fire?” my husband asks. “Got a hot date or something?”
“Yep!” She grabs her purse, rushing out before I have the chance to grill her.
“She wouldn’t tell me who it was either.” El rolls her eyes in dramatic fashion.
“She doesn’t need to tell you anything. You’re getting a little too big for your britches, young lady.” I shake my head and usher her toward the kitchen with a hand on her back, because food sounds really good right about now.
My bestie did not disappoint. While we were out, she tapped into her Cajun roots, whipping up one of my favorites, chicken and sausage gumbo with a side of potato salad. I almost forgive her for running off and leaving me in the dark.
“Can the baby sleep in my room?” Ellie asks midway through dinner.
“No, mija. Babies cry, and you don’t need him or her keeping you up all night. You’re way too far apart in age to share a room.”
“So, you’re giving up the office then? Where will you two work?” Why is she the one thinking of all of this? Why haven’t we thought of any of this?
I direct her to Liam for answers, because I have none, other than to shovel more of this delicious meal into my mouth.
“Well, the baby will sleep in our room at first, right?” He looks to me for approval. “Then… I don’t know. Maybe we can have an office building built in the back and move the baby when it’s a few months old?”
I nod. “Sounds like a plan. What your father said, honey.” I dip a blob of potato salad into my gumbo and then my mouth, savoring the rich flavors.
“I want it to be a girl.”
Liam grunts while he finishes chewing. “Don’t even put that out into the universe. It’s going to be a boy.”
“It could be a girl, you know.” I dab my mouth with a napkin. “What will you do then?”
He waggles his brows.
“Ew, Daddy. Stop talking about sex.”
“Ellie! That’s enough!” I cannot deal with this. First periods, now sex. It’s all just too much.
“I will love as many little princesses as the good Lord sees fit to send us, but we aren’t stopping til we have a son.”
I jerk back, eyes wide. “And you’ve just decided this all on your own?”
“Right now,” he agrees, grinning ear to ear.
“Oh my gosh,” Ellie huffs. “Sounds like we’re gonna need a bigger house!”
Liam
Meat sauce
“So, how are things at home with the baby momma?” Chance saddles up on the bar stool beside me. I’ve been expecting him. He called earlier and asked me to meet him for wings and a beer. Said we needed to talk. I assume it’s got something to do with the club.
“’Sup, bro?” I shake his hand before motioning for the bartender to bring over another Bud Light. “Good. Real good, actually.” I can’t help but smile when I think of my wife, with her tummy just starting to round out where our baby is growing. She’s finally over the first trimester nausea and horny as fuck. It’s great.
He nods, looking around the room anxiously.
“Dude, what gives? Whatever you brought me here to tell me, just spit it out.”
He nods, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “You know that chick I’ve been dating?”
“No.” I snigger. “Starting to think she isn’t real, with the way you’re keeping her hidden.”
“It’s Hannah.”
I choke, damn near spitting beer in his face. “Hannah Hannah?”
He nods.
“As in Nya’s Hannah?”
After taking a long pull from his beer, he clears his throat, slamming a fist into his chest. “Yeah.”
“Why?”
He stares at me as if the answer is obvious, pushing a hand through his dirty blonde hair. “She’s fucking hot, man.” He shrugs unapologetically. “We exchanged numbers at Christmas.”
“Lots of girls are fucking hot, man.” I throw back at him. “But do you have to go after the one who has a direct connection to my relationship? Did you for a single minute think about how bad this could be for Nya and me when the two of you split?”
“We’ve talked about it. No worries, we plan to keep the two of you out of our affairs completely.”
“Man, my wife is four months pregnant and hormotional as fuck. You better stick this shit out at least until after this baby comes.” I suddenly feel a massive headache coming on.
He gets lost in thought, a dreamy smile appearing on his face. “I think she might be it for me.”
“Great.” There’s no hiding the sarcasm in my tone. Chance is the biggest player I’ve ever known. Great guy—just likes a variety when it comes to his bed.
“I don’t see why this has to be a bad thing.”
“Nya’s going to fucking flip her shit when she finds out. That’s why it’s a bad thing. You’ve never had a relationship that’s lasted longer than two weeks. Another reason it’s a very bad thing. Need I go on?”
He holds out a hand to stop me. “Well, we’ll know Nya’s reaction soon enough. Hannah’s at your place breaking the news as we speak.”
As if his announcement conjured it, my message alert dings. When I see my wife’s name pop up, I narrow my eyes in his direction and shake my head.
Nya: So… Hanna and Chance. Tell me you didn’t know about this?
Liam: Just as shocked as you are, Babycakes.
Nya: Fish a little. Try to see how into her he is. I swear he better not break her heart. My girl is talking babies and marriage. This has disaster written all over it.
Liam: No can do. We are staying out of it.
Nya: The fuck we are. You better keep that boy in line, husband.
Liam: That’s what I meant to say.
Nya: Great. ☺ Would you mind ordering me some wings to go? Honey BBQ. Then stop at that little hibachi place and get some of their meat sauce for me to dip it in? Pretty please, with a blowjob on top?
Liam: Meat sauce? I got your meat sauce right here…
Nya: Maybe for dessert. Seriously, I NEED that sauce.
Liam: Let me get this straight…You want me to walk into a restaurant and ask for meat sauce?
Nya: It’s the white one. There’s a brown one for veggies and a white one for meat. Be specific. The brown one is gross.
Liam: Honey BBQ wings and white meat sauce, coming right up.
“Oh, I know what she’s talking about. It’s actually called yum-yum sauce.” Chance points to the screen, reading over my shoulder.
“Great. Even better.”