She got out quickly and started walking toward the sand. I followed, trailing her by about ten feet. I didn’t like the idea of us being out in the open like this, but for now it was a chance I had to take. “Marie, what the hell’s going on?”
She finally stopped halfway to the water, taking off her sandals as she waited for me to catch up. I took her hand, deciding not to push the issue as we continued to the water.
“I never told you this, but it was love at first sight for me. When Orlando brought me to that jail, he had paid me to sleep with you, but I walked into that visiting room and that was all she wrote.”
“And here I am thinking it was the dick.” I laughed, and to my relief, she laughed too.
“Don’t get me wrong. The dick was good, but it wasn’t the dick I fell in love with that day. It was you. Matter of fact, I gave your brother his money back.”
“I heard. It’s probably the reason why we’re together today.”
She turned around, looking up at me. “I don’t wanna lose you, Vegas, but there is something I have to tell you.”
The way she said it gave me a little concern. “Tell me what? You know I’m not much for beating around the bush. Spit it out.”
She sighed. “You know we haven’t been intimate since we left Saint Martin last month, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that, baby. With everything going on with my Pops and this Muslim threat, I know I haven’t been taking care of business, but I promise, starting tonight things are going to be different.”
She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes again. “You only did what I allowed. I’m a madam, baby, and very good at what I do. If I wanted you, even in the middle of a war, I would have known what to do.”
“What are you trying to say?” I asked, not liking the direction this felt like it was heading.
Again she sighed. “I avoided having sex with you.”
“What?”
“One of my more wealthy clients insisted that he had to see me and no other girl. He was paying twenty-five grand. I couldn’t say no to that.” She was talking fast, as if she was desperate to make me understand.
“Marie, I know what you do for a living. It’s okay. You’re safe.”
“Yes, I usually am, but . . .” There was a long pause, and a million things went through my mind. She ended my suspense by finishing with “The condom broke.”
My stomach tightened into a knot.
“Baby, I went to the doctor and got myself checked out right away. They gave me all kinds of tests, and he didn’t give me anything. The main reason I stayed away from you was because it took a few weeks to get all the test results back.”
I stared at her, praying I wasn’t about to get devastating news.
“I got them back today, and they were negative. I’m clean.”
I wanted to throw my fists in the air and shout “Hallelujah!” but I played it cool. “Okay, so everything was good. Why were you just crying?”
“Because . . .” Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she couldn’t continue.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you? And you don’t know if it’s his baby or mine.”
She shook her head. “God, I wish it were that simple.”
“What do you mean?”
She turned her tear-stained face toward me. “I’m not pregnant, Vegas. The doctor told me I can’t have any kids.”
There was silence between us for a few seconds. I hadn’t processed my feelings yet, so I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. But I realized that I had to do something, so I pulled her in close and held her tightly.
Paris
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