“I’m with my dad. No ball.”
Good lord, it was a conspiracy to make me either crazy or completely incapable of doing anything. I knew they meant well, so I didn’t complain. However, if they kept that crap up the whole pregnancy I’d be putting a few Brooks men in their places. I was good for the time being, simply basking in the happiness of how everyone was with the baby news, the fact that Dodger and I got our home, and things seemed to be going better than I could have ever imagined. Sure to some, Dodger and me moving in together seemed like a jump considering we weren’t even together a month ago. But we had history, and now a family was being created. I was going to give it a real shot. I wanted it to work. And as long as I remained positive, positive things would happen. Right?
Right?
ALL WAS RIGHT IN Macie Land for the last two months. I was slowly starting to grow a little belly, we closed on the house, and morning sickness was definitely a thing of the past. I’d had two doctor’s appointments, which went completely uneventful. It amazed me listening to my unborn baby’s heartbeat. I was on track with growth and weight gain. I was pleased that the “pudge” phase didn’t last too long. For a while there, I looked like I’d over eaten at the China Buffet or something. Then it was like one morning I woke up and boom, there was an actual baby belly there. I’d stared at myself entirely too long in the mirror, deciding whether I liked it or not. My usual thin, in-shape-self wanted to revolt against these new lush curves. Not only had my stomach grown, so had my boobs and butt. Nobody told me everything would expand. But when I allowed myself to move past the extra pounds being put on, and the new sizes I was now having to wear, I really embraced the life that was growing inside of me. Crazy that a woman’s body grew a person. Like baking a freaking cake. Throw together a little lovin’, some baby batter, some moans and groans, and voila! You have a human. Okay, maybe it’s not that simple, but whatever. The explanation worked for me, and humored me at the same time.
A month after we’d learned about getting the house, and all of the papers were signed, Dodger and I wasted no time moving in. That was a crazy ass process to deal with, and frankly I’m not exactly sure how Dodger is still alive. The man wouldn’t let me move anything that weighed over five pounds. So basically I was in charge of shoes. He managed though with the help of his dad and Camden. Turner wanted to come home and help, but we said there wasn’t much to do that they couldn’t take care of themselves. Turner and Annabelle were currently doing work as traveling physician and nurse in South America. He wanted to show her different parts of the world, and she only felt okay doing it if she was helping people in the process.
Since being in the house, there has been a different set of hardships. It wasn’t so much that Dodger and I weren’t getting along. In fact, it was the opposite. While he was adhering to my self-imposed rules like a flipping champ, I was struggling to “keep it in my pants.” I knew the pregnancy hormones would make me hornier than I normally was, but I had no idea that it would make me feel like this. Dodger was sticking true to his word and not touching me, while I looked like a puppy in heat. If I wasn’t humping him, I’d gladly hump the nearest pillow to just make myself feel good. I needed the dick and I needed it now. I just wasn’t sure how I could seduce him enough to make him slip me the D. I was about to negotiate with him over it and say we could just do it once, and then we wouldn’t even have to talk about it. No matter how strong I wanted to be on the matter, I knew it was going to be me that would fold like a wet paper towel.
I was currently putting the finishing touches on my make-up, adding some gloss to my pregnant glow, and was heading out the door. Today was a big day. It was ultrasound day. The day we would find out if this little nugget was a boy or a girl. I had my own feeling what it was, but I’d kept it to myself. After reading those stupid Chinese calendars, and old wives tales, I was pretty sure it was a girl, but at this point, it was anybody’s guess. Paul and Keegan had a Brooks family pool going, which made me laugh. And I was shocked to find out that my dad put in on it. My parents were coming around. It took a solid month of news being dropped on them about the baby and the house before it sunk in. My mom has even sent me pictures of baby outfits when she’s been out shopping.
I was just walking in to the gym after the short drive to pick Dodger up so we could go together. Much to my dismay, Dana was still here. He had already told me he couldn’t just fire her because I disliked her, and I understood. But I still hated how she would call him sometimes to remind him about an appointment that I was sure he was aware of himself. Or how every time I came here, she was dressed extra slutty. How Camden felt her work attire was appropriate was beyond me. I’d bitched to Keegan about it, and she wasn’t happy either. But neither man said she was doing anything against the rules. Camden said she was polite to the gym patrons, kept the books up, and did the job better than anyone that he’d had working in her position. The one time I tried to convince him she was bad for the gym, he tossed back at me all of the “positive” things about her, to which I only heard Charlie Brown’s teacher coming out of his mouth.
And there she was, sitting at the front desk like she owned the place. She had a cleavage revealing V-cut black shirt that exposed her tattoos among other things. Dana’s attempt at a welcoming smile looked more like a how I pictured what a Great White would look like grinning at prey. I curled my lip in return.
“Hello, Macie.”
I grunted, giving her my back and leaned against the counter. I sent a text Dodger, not wanting to interrupt his current appointment, to let him know I was here. I might have included to hurry his ass up.
“So how have you been?” she asked.
I twisted around and glared at her. “Why are you talking to me?”
She shrugged. “I’m being polite.”
“You wouldn’t know polite if it bit you in the ass.”
“Yeah, well, I am to everyone that comes in here.”
I huffed a fake laugh. “Because you’re being paid to be. Let’s cut the act while I’m here though, shall we. I don’t like, you don’t like me. No need for niceties. Why don’t you go back to your tippy tapping on the computer and leave me alone?”
It got quiet besides the sound of metal hitting metal. Weights clanked together and music was playing throughout the gym. I impatiently tapped my foot, looking at the time on my cell phone. That man of mine had better hustle.
“Dodger said there was a really good place just outside of town to eat fried catfish.”
“What’s your point?” God, her voice was like a screeching cat.
“Dunno, maybe I should ask him to lunch one day so I make sure I have the right place.”