Collecting my jacket, I’m shoving my arms inside when Gavin appears. He looks disappointed when he sees I’m about to leave.
“I’m too late,” he says walking towards me. “I thought you’d still be here for a while so I figured I’d come and see how you were doing and maybe take you for lunch.”
Pulling my hair from the collar of my jacket, I grab my purse and cell before looking back at him. He’s a good looking guy and if I hadn’t met Lucien, then perhaps something may have developed between us, but there’s only one Lucien. Still, I can’t help compare them. Gavin is blond, smooth and quick to laugh where Lucien is dark, rough around the edges and more prone to smoldering glances…which leave me hot and out of breath.
“I’m sorry, Gavin.”
“But you’re still in love with the other guy. I don’t like it, but I get it.”
He shouldn’t care one way or another as we’ve never dated, or spent time alone. It’s just weird.
“I’m going to grab a sandwich on the way home after I’ve found something to wear for the event.”
“You don’t have anything to wear yet?” he asks, walking out with me.
“No, I don’t.” I place my hand on my stomach and see the bell drop.
“Ah, you mean with the pregnancy?”
I smile in reply.
“Okay, well, if you’re sure about lunch?”
“I am.”
“I’ll see you at the final meeting next week.”
He waves as I head out of the hotel while I sigh in relief. I hate letting him down, but I’m not about to do what Eric suggested by using him as a date for the fundraiser. Lucien will have to take me as I am, plus I don’t think I have it in me to do something that might make him jealous. In fact, whom am I kidding? It would hurt him. This I do know.
The walk to the store is short, and the fresh breeze that is around is so welcome with my overheated body. Pregnancy hormones.
Opening the door to the store, I pause when I spot Lily inside. She looks up and sees me, which makes it difficult for me to quickly exit and act like I wasn’t shopping here. I’m acting like a jealous lover, which I guess is what I am. Lucien passed up seeing his child so he could stay with Michael and Lily so I have every right to be hurt by him, and them.
“Sabrina,” Lily says, finding her voice first. “Please don’t go.” She comes over to me. “Let me get dressed again so we can go somewhere and talk…Please.”
I’m standing in front of her acting stupid so I finally respond. “I need a dress as well. There’s no need to rush off if you haven’t finished. Let’s just get this sorted so it’s over with and then we can go and talk.”
“Still hate dress shopping?” she asks, a smile hovering on her lips.
I snort. Very unladylike, I know, but I seriously hate shopping for evening dresses—or any dress for that matter. More often than not it’s because of the high price the stores charge for them.
“C’mon, I’ll show you the maternity section.” She takes my hand and with a slight tug gets me moving with her.
I’ve missed having Lily to talk things through with. If only I could work out the relationship between Lily and Lucien, things might not look so bad. I mean Michael, who is possessive as hell towards Lily, accepts their relationship so perhaps I should too. Once Lucien explains it to me properly. I need to truly believe him first.
“Do you know what you’re having yet?” Lily asks, but continues before I can answer, “I’m only having one this time. Thank goodness. I’d have coped if it had been twins again, but it sure was a relief when the OB said one baby girl.” She grins. “Michael keeps saying he’s going to have a head of grey hair soon.”
Chuckling, I respond, “He’s going to have his hands full, that’s for sure…and no, I don’t know what I’m having. I didn’t want to know.” I avoid her eyes as I start looking through the rack of maternity evening gowns.
It only takes a minute of uncomfortable silence for me to take a gown in red silk from the rack. “I think I’ll try this one on.”
“Okay. I’ll get out of this one while you’re trying that on.”
Disappearing into our respective dressing rooms, I hang the dress up and dump my own things on to the chair in the corner of the room. The dressing room is large with two full length mirrors and wooden pegs on the wall, which I presume are for my clothes.
Slipping out of my clothes, I find the zipper on the dress at the side and slide it down before removing it from the hanger. It caresses over my skin like a feather as it falls to my feet. The red silk feels wonderful against my skin, and the halter style with black beads around the neck really adds to the dress.
With a bit of maneuvering due to my belly, I manage to get the zipper up and take a look at myself in the mirror.