Chapter 7

DELILAH

Today I'm headed to the doctor with Derek to see if Little Boba is a boy or girl. I'm not sure I want to find out, but Derek is insistent I have the option. I'm exhausted after pulling an all-nighter to finish a logo and product launch for a new publishing company. Toxic Undead Publishing is trying to be the new up and comer in the market, so I made all their logos and commercial designs.

I'm supposed to pitch it to them tomorrow and I'm nervous but I got this. If I can sell water which is no easy task. Not when you can turn on a hose or a tap and get it for free. Then I can nail this for a publishing company. I need this money too, so I'm confident in my idea.

Hidden Gems let me go last month when I started to show and I had to come clean about being pregnant. Lenny, the manager, said I can get my job back as soon as the baby is here though. I have to admit I was thankful for the option to go back because with all the expenses being a single parent brings, I'll need another job.

I'm hoping to stop by a few places on my way home from the appointment and apply. Someone has to be open to hiring a pregnant bitch, right?

"Are you ready, babe?" Derek calls from the couch, where he's waiting for me to finish up with my hair.

"Yeah. Let's go." I step out of the bathroom and grab my purse from the table next to the couch.

"Well, let's go see what my godchild is then." He pops up from the couch, beating me to the door so he can open it.

"Derek, you know I'm not sure about finding out today. They can write it down and you can hold on to it. Hell, you can even look at it if you promise not to tell me unless I ask."

"Deal." He smiles. "But I'm going to buy the little shit all the things that he or she needs and hide it away in my duplex."

"You're crazy." I laugh.

"No. Just excited to be an uncle."

We get into Derek's car and I buckle my seatbelt as he pulls away from the curb into traffic.

"So you're going to come with me to this sham of a wedding in a few months, right? Please don't make me go alone."

He leans back slightly, his gaze playful and teasing. "I don't know if I can get off work," he replies, his tone light and deliberately nonchalant.

"Derek! Please! I'm begging." My eyes widen, and I reach out, grabbing his arm with a desperate grip. His smirk widens, clearly enjoying my reaction as he revels in the power play.

"God, you're fucking sexy when you beg," he growls.

"Derek!"

"Of course, I'm going with you. I'm not letting you face that demon, Claudia, alone. Plus, I have to meet the sap stupid enough to lock himself to her forever."

"I fucking hate you," I squeal while laughing, swatting his arm. "Don't tease me like that."

We spend the rest of the ride listening to music and singing at the top of our lungs with the windows down, just enjoying the breeze.

"Okay, we're here, babe. Are you ready?"

"Yup," I reply, as he parks the car. I unbuckle, grabbing the door handle. Derek comes around the car, grabs my hand, and walks with me to the door of the office. I'm so glad I have him to do this with me. I'm not totally alone which has made this whole thing so much better and not as scary.

Derek and I met in Vermont in middle school and became friends quickly. He went to college at the University of California, but as soon as he graduated with his Bachelors, he moved to Vegas to work and be closer to me. He got a job right away, which I knew he would because this is Las Vegas and he majored in hospitality management.

He's the general manager at the MayDay and loves it, minus all the women who flirt with him. They don't seem to get the memo that they don't have the right tools. He, like me, needs an older man. Call it the bond that keeps this friendship alive, our love for silver foxes.

We ride the elevator up to the fourth floor and I get butterflies when the doors open and we step out. Knowing the baby is a boy or girl makes this even more real. I'm nervous as hell to be a mom, but also excited, and well, doing it without Wells is pissing me off. Not at him because you know he has no idea I'm even knocked up, but I'm mad that I didn't get his last name or what club he owns—if that was even the truth.

Okay if I'm being honest I am pissed at him. But only because he promised to call and I don't like being lied to. If he wanted a quickie in the alley he just needed to say so or say nothing at all. Not like my feelings would be hurt. Wouldn't be the first and I'm sure it won't be the last. Maybe the last in an alley because I had road rash on my back from the brick of the building and I was not a fan.

"How can I help you today?" a sweet older woman asks from behind the counter, her glasses perched at the end of her nose.

"Appointment for Delilah Winslow."

"Okay, you're all set. Take a seat and they'll call you when they're ready."

We find a seat and mindlessly scroll our phones as we wait. I expect to wait for ages since that's how doctors are. I swear they get their kicks by seeing how long they can make you wait for them. Twenty minutes later, my name is called, catching me off guard. My head shoots up, thinking I heard wrong, but the nurse is looking at me.

I stand up shakily as Derek follows and we head over to where she's standing, holding the door open for us. "Right this way, please."

We walk down a hall behind her until she stops, ushering us into an empty exam room on the left. She follows us in and shuts the door. "Take a seat. I just have a few questions to ask and the tech will be in shortly."

Climbing up on the table, the butterflies flutter in my belly once more.

"No new medications or vitamins?"

"Nothing new except the prenatal you guys suggested," I tell her.

"What about the Lexapro? Are you still on that?"

"Yeah, 20mg every morning."

"Perfect. We are going to do a scan, not only for the baby's sex, but also what we call an anomaly scan. While that might sound scary, it's just to make sure all the baby's organs are formed. We'll look at his or her heart extra close to make sure there are no issues."

"Sounds good. I don't want to know the baby's gender, though. Can you write it down and give it to Derek to hold on to?" I ask and she smiles as she clicks on the computer.

"Yeah, we can do that," she reassures me. "Okay, I'm just going to check your blood pressure and take your temperature, then the tech will be in."

The sonogram tech arrives twenty minutes after she finishes and I lie back with my shirt lifted and my pants pulled down. She squeezes the cold gel on my belly and moves the wand around on it as she looks at the screen, typing on her keyboard with her free hand. Every few movements of the wand, she presses harder as she searches for the organ she is after.

I watch the screen in awe. I can't tell what is what, but it amazes me that there is a tiny human being inside of me. Derek's eyes are just as enamored with the screen as mine. The tech writes something down on a piece of paper and seals it in an envelope before handing it to Derek. "Here you go."

"Thank you." He smiles cheekily. "I can't wait to rip it open when I'm home alone."

"Just remember our deal, Uncle Derek." I wag my brows at him.

"Okay, so everything looks good. I took a few pictures and printed them for you, just in case you wanted them. Your doctor will call if anything is out of the ordinary, but from what I can see, everything looks perfect. Baby is measuring right at twenty weeks. We'll see you in three to five weeks for your gestational diabetes test. You can make the appointment on your way out," the tech tells us as she hands me a cloth to wipe the excess gel from my belly and straighten my clothes.

"We will, thank you," I tell her when she hands me the ultrasound pictures of Little Boba. I look at them, smiling, and can't wait to get home to add them to my fridge.

Derek and I walk hand in hand toward the front desk. The office lady looks up, her glasses perched at the tip of her nose. Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes, she adjusts her glasses with a sigh, her shoulders tense.

"How can I help you?" she asks, her voice strained as though she's been repeating the same line all day long.

"I need to schedule my one-hour glucose test," I say.

"Of course. Let me check your chart to see when they want you to come in." She clicks around on her computer, her fingers moving swiftly over the keyboard. "September twelfth," she looks at me.

Dang, that's so close to the wedding.

I make a mental note to ask the doctor if flying pregnant is even possible. Maybe there's a chance to escape Claudia after all. Although, seeing her face when she sees me pregnant in person will definitely be the highlight of my year—second only to pushing Boba out of my lady garden.

"Yeah, that will work. Do you have anything in the morning?" I ask.

"We do have one appointment left at nine AM."

"I'll take it."

"Okay, you're all set for September twelfth at nine AM." She hands me a reminder card. Thanking her, I turn to Derek who's waiting patiently behind me.

We head outside to Derek's car. The heat hits us like a wall; it's even hotter now than when we arrived, but that's Vegas for you.

Derek grins. "How about some ice cream?"

I nod eagerly.

Minutes later, I'm eating ice cream and mozzarella sticks as we head toward my house. I dip a stick into mustard and groan with delight as I devour it.

"You're gross and pregnancy is so weird," Derek comments from the driver's side, munching on his chicken strips.

"Don't knock it till you try it," I retort, shoving the last stick into my mouth. Just then, I spot a hiring sign outside a coffee shop.

"Oh, pull over!" I yell.

Derek whips the car into a parking spot, and I hurry inside. The girl behind the counter looks like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"How can I help you?" she asks, her tone flat.

"Can I get an application?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," I confirm.

She bends down, rummaging under the counter before popping back up with a piece of paper. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" I take the application, sit at a nearby table, and fill it out quickly. Handing it back to her, I add, "Can I also get two tipsy teas and a Cheshire muffin?"

"That will be twenty-one dollars and fifteen cents," she replies, her voice monotone.

I slide my card and step back, watching as she prepares the drinks. Soon she's handing them to me.

"Have a great day," she says without any enthusiasm.

"Thanks, you too," I call back, heading out to where Derek is waiting.

I hand him his tea. "What is this?" he asks, eyeing the drink suspiciously.

"It's a tipsy tea. It has peach and orange syrup, pomegranate tea, and muddled blackberries."

He takes a sip. "Kinda sweet but it's good. Thanks."

"No problem." I pull out my muffin and take a big bite.

"Damn girl, you're still hungry?" He raises both brows in mock surprise.

I flip him off. "It's not me, it's Boba, so shut up." My words are muffled through the mouthful.

Derek throws his head back, laughing as he pulls back out onto the road.

You're looking at the newest employee at Alice in Brewland, the new coffee shop in town. The one we stopped at after the ultrasound last week and I applied. Today, they called to tell me I got the job. I have to wear a blue dress with a white apron and black and white knee-high stockings every day like it's Halloween. But they didn't care that I was pregnant or that I'd have to take off the week of Claudia's wedding. So I'll take it while I continue to bust my ass working on my marketing business.

I went and picked up my uniform, filled out all my hiring paperwork, and came home to try the god awful thing on in privacy. Well, with Derek but that's almost the same thing.

I thought he was going to fall over laughing when he saw me in it, but after one scathing glare, he shut the hell up.

"I'm sorry babe but it's funny and ironic that you're wearing the exact type of outfit you despise, one that Claudia would have loved for you to wear in high school, and now here you are."

"I hate you so much right now." I glare at him.

"You wish you could." He smiles. "I better get going though. I just wanted to see you in… that." He motions his finger up and down and I bite the air at him.

"If you were having a gender reveal this could be your team boy outfit!" He laughs louder and I want to choke him.

"Har har." I narrow my eyes.

Derek has been well-behaved and hasn't spilled the beans on if Little Boba is a he or she. But he has used every opportunity to tell me he bought something and ask if I think it's pink or blue. I keep reminding him that genders don't have assigned colors and then he squeals at me for being logical and ruining his fun, but I know what he means.

My phone rings and I grab it, groaning when I see it's Claudia… again.

She's been blowing my phone up, wanting to talk, but I'm ignoring her. I don't feel like dealing with condescending words or verbal abuse. There are many more important things to do than talk to her. She did ask if she could throw me a baby shower, which I declined rapidly, but she wanted to know what I wanted her and ‘Daddy' to get me. I told her I'd let her know if I find something I think will fit her standards because Lord knows she won't just send diapers or swaddle blankets like a normal human being. She'll want something expensive to show off to her friends.

"That's my cue. Bye, babe. Bye, Boba! Oh and don't forget we have that appointment later this month to check out that labor coach!"

"I won't."

He hurries from my apartment and I flop onto the couch staring at my phone as it continues to ring.

My birthday is next month on the twentieth and Derek has taken it upon himself to find the best way for us to celebrate sober and Little Boba friendly. So far, I know we're going to the spa at the MayDay for a mani/pedi and a prenatal massage, but everything after that is a surprise. We've also started talking about baby names, which is funny since Derek knows what the baby is, so he knows which name will be chosen; well, unless I change my mind before giving birth, which is totally possible. But as of right now, if I have a boy, I'm leaning toward Channing Wells, and for a girl, Posey Grace.

I know Wells doesn't know he's going to be a dad, through no fault of his own, unless not calling the girl you fuck in an alley after she's done stripping is a crime. But I want the baby to have a piece of him. That way, if he ever happens to find out, he knows not telling him wasn't intentional. I just wish he'd call; he doesn't have to like me for anything more than a fuck. Even if he called to hook up when he was back in town, at least he'd be calling and I could tell him.

That's a problem for a later time. There's nothing I can do about it now. So I'm going to buy myself some baby stuff for my birthday online and call it a day. I want the Twelvelittle Peekaboo backpack bag in olive green. I think a diaper bag is a smart gift; I need it for the baby and I want it, so it's a win-win.

After I pay for my bag, I remember that one of the girls from Hidden Gems sent me a link for a stroller she swears by earlier today. So I find the message and click it.

Holy shit!

This isn't a stroller, it's a fucking luxury fancy-ass wagon. A stroller wagon, from what the website says. You don't pull it; you push it and it has a canopy and seats, and goddamn, it's nine hundred dollars. But now that I've seen it, I can't help but picture Derek or I pushing Little Boba in it at zoos, aquariums, and festivals.

I copy and paste the link into the message thread with Claudia.

Me: Baby and I would love this Wonderfold Wagon W4 in charcoal.

Claudia: Ordered, anything else I can get?

Christ, the woman just spent a thousand dollars and wants to get more?

Me: No

Claudia: Well think of something and send it. I will not spend a measly grand on a gift. Eden bought her niece that thousand dollar gift basket and a gift card with two grand on it. I will NOT be upstaged.

Me: It's not about the money Claudia. I don't need anything that lavish or luxurious.

Claudia: Well think on it and send me something else so at the next Euchre gathering I can rub it in her face.

Claudia: And you still need to tell Daddy what you want.

I gag and send a thumbs-up emoji before swiping out of the thread. Setting my phone on the arm of the couch, I fire up Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns.