Orlando had laughed at that but appreciated the honesty. Moreover, he’d been relieved when she hadn’t asked when or even if he’d be calling her again. She even insisted on taking an Uber home and not putting him out of his way. Even knowing it was technically his day off, she hadn’t even hinted about them spending the day together. In fact, Orlando got the feeling she was hoping he wouldn’t hint at it either. That had been just over five months prior. Obviously, he had called her eventually. He’d always had his doubts about fuck buddies, which he did get the impression she’d be okay with. That kind of shit never worked out, but he figured he could maybe hang with her every now and again. They’d made plans to meet again, and each time she’d spent the night, the next morning she’d been up before him, making something, even if it was just coffee and bagels. Orlando assumed this was just what she was used to. Unlike most girls who were clearly used to making a quick exit before he could even wake, something he’d always been grateful for, Felicia was different. Before he knew it, she gave into what just happened. She became his go-to girl. He preferred referring to her as that, rather than his fuck buddy.
Still, no promises had actually been made, but for the first time in like—ever—he’d found himself oddly annoyed when hearing her mention other guys in her life: friends and co-workers she occasionally hung with. This happened about three months into hanging out with her off and on. Felicia wasn’t drop dead gorgeous, but she was good-looking enough, and Orlando knew that’s all it took for most guys, if it was just going to be a physical thing. She didn’t bring up her guy friends often, but after hearing her mention who she’d hung with during a weekend he went to Vegas with the guys, he had to ask, “You sleeping with him?”
Her appalled expression had cracked him up as much as it relieved him. “Of course not. He’s just a co-worker and a friend.” But it opened the way to a conversation that had him regretting asking. “Are you sleeping with anybody else?”
Orlando had been honest because it’d been easy. He hadn’t slept with anyone else since he’d met her. Except he left out that it wasn’t out of loyalty. He’d just been too damn busy, and Felicia was convenient. He figured he was convenient for her too. It’s why he’d asked if she was sleeping with the dude she’d hung out with. Orlando had yet to presume he was her one and only. Even after the conversation, he dared not make such demands either, because, despite the slight annoyance he felt when hearing her speak of her guy friends, he still wasn’t sure he was ready for such a commitment. So, he hadn’t made any promises either. While he gave her the respect of behaving like her boyfriend in her presence, old habits died hard, especially when he’d never once committed to killing them in the first place. Despite his giving into the curiosity and asking if she’d slept with her friend, he hadn’t asked her to cut him off because, technically, he hadn’t cut off any of his girlfriends either, and he had no intention to. Felicia was the one who’d initiated the whole “I don’t have time for anything serious” disclaimer when they first started, and he was holding her to it. It was the closest they’d come to even touching on the subject of exclusivity. But it hadn’t been brought up since, except it felt like an unspoken precedent had been set. Both were okay with things staying as they started, but both would appreciate a heads-up if someone new came into the equation. It was absolutely the closest Orlando had come to being in an actual grown-up relationship. And since he was so busy, he could live with the understanding for the time being. Felicia was cool people to hang with, and given a choice of who to bring to hang out with him and his friends, he was more comfortable bringing her than any of the other chicks he knew. So, even his friends had jumped to the assumption that things were getting serious. Despite all that, it still didn’t take from how awkward as fuck today’s conversation was about to get. He stood in his small kitchen, having to give her the news about the baby. He hadn’t seen or really talked to her in days, since he’d been up to his eyeballs dealing with lawyers, social services, and being interviewed by the police. Now, days after he’d been hit with the bomb, he was just now getting around to giving her the details about it.
She stood across from the small kitchen island, staring at him silently as he told her everything he knew so far. The results from the paternity test weren’t back yet, so her first question didn’t surprise him. “Do you think it’s your baby?”
Orlando shrugged, not wanting to admit the truth. As crazy as it seemed, with each day that passed and he remembered what it felt like to hold that little guy, his heart yearned for it to be true. He’d already been gently warned by his mother and not so gently by Beast and Nine that this could all be a hoax. He shouldn’t be getting his hopes up for anything and instead be prepared to be disappointed. It wasn’t unheard of for unscrupulous women to pin kids on men who weren’t actually the father. “It’s no secret that you’re part owner of a shop that stays so busy our waiting list for restorations is huge and we’re now scrambling to find qualified help, O,” Beast had reminded him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if word’s already gotten out about the number of celebrities we now cater to and that we’re looking to expand. It’s pretty obvious we’re gonna have to. This could be someone down on her luck just trying to make sure she leaves a kid she can’t afford in good hands.”
“Yeah, but by that logic,” Orlando had argued, “wouldn’t her little scheme be over the moment the paternity test came back negative?” Beast hadn’t been able to argue, but both of Orlando’s two best friends were suspicious about the whole thing. He knew they just meant well and were worried he’d end up scammed or worse—heartbroken. Never in a million years would he have believed it if someone had posed the situation as a hypothetical question to him that he’d be feeling this way. But the more he thought about it, the more excited he got about the possibility.
Felicia was still staring at him, as speechless as he’d known she’d be. Until he found out for sure if the kid was actually his and what that meant for their future, he had no idea what else to say to her. When he didn’t offer more about his thoughts on whether the baby was his or not, she moved on to the next question he’d known she’d be asking. “Do you have any idea who the mother might be?”
Shrugging again, he exhaled sharply. “A few girls come to mind, but to be honest at this point I don’t think it matters. Push comes to shove and it turns out he is mine, I’ll make damn sure whatever bitch could just walk away from him so easily never gets him back. I’ll be raising this kid alone.”
Her brow arched, and for the first time since Orlando started telling her all this, she no longer looked as floored as he’d felt the day he found the baby at his doorstep. Now she seemed hurt. It almost irritated him. Was she expecting an apology for something that happened long before he’d even met her? It’s why her next question took him by surprise. “By yourself? What about me?”
What about you? The words almost slipped out until he realized what she was hurt about. He’d been so caught up in this insanity that he hadn’t even given any thought as to how this could or would change things between him and Felicia. In his defense, he’d expected she’d want out. And he wouldn’t have blamed her. Nine was the only person he knew that’d been more than willing to take on the role of stepdad to his girl’s kid. But things between him and Drew were completely different. Even if he didn’t admit it then, Nine had been balls-to-the-wall whipped over Drew almost as soon as they first connected. As long as Orlando had known Felicia now, he just wasn’t there yet. If the tables were turned here, he knew he’d likely take a step back, so he just assumed she would too. Clearing his throat and stumbling with his words, he finally got something out. “I, uh . . . well, I just meant his mom will be out of the picture if I have anything to do with it.” He reached across the kitchen island for her hand and kissed it. A part of him was warmed by the fact that she hadn’t made a beeline to the door when she heard he was very likely a single dad now. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about this, but I don’t want you feeling like you have to pretend to be okay with it.”