I wondered about him, my fingers playing along my six months pronounced baby bump. With a yawn, I longed for Friday. Still a day off and only Thursday morning, I groaned, rubbing my hand on the tiny kicks taking place in my belly.
I adjusted my seat and decided to tackle my email before I got to a nodding-off stage. The first message was of little interest and I started to just day-dream of Ean and his bed as I typed an automatic reply.
When I clicked back to my box, I was greeted by a quick email from him. Smiling, my itchy finger clicked it.
To: Amy Black
From: Ean Hunter
Subject: Food
Sweetie, I’m at the station and very bored.
Can’t help but wonder, what you want to eat this weekend?
Love you.
Ean
“What I want to eat? What sort of the question is that?” I’d been hoping for something cute, sexy as another email popped up.
To: Amy Black
From: Ean Hunter
Subject: -
No cock jokes. Was being serious, due to your craving-issues.
- baby daddy
I smiled at his stupid need to cover himself and replied.
To: Ean Hunter
From: Amy Black
Subject: Seriously?
It’s only the morning, I’m exhausted and you’re asking me about what I want to eat on the weekend? I couldn’t answer you to save my life. I’ll likely change my mind twenty times by then, come on, Ean, you should know this . . . or were you this desperate to talk to me?
Why are you bored? Go save someone.
-Amy
As I hit send, the sound of a knock on the office door came.
“Come in!” I called, tucking my hair behind my ears and closing my email window.
The door opened and Doug walked in with a man I had never seen before.
“Morning, Amy.”
I nodded to Doug. “How’s it going?”
“Oh, alright,” Dough deadpanned, looking unamused but I was familiar that demeanor.
I ignored the tone, and stood, walking over to introduce myself to the young man. He looked barely twenty-one.
“Amy, this is Trace Burkins. He’s our new intern.”
My hand left Trace and I smiled at Doug in wonder. “Intern?” We didn’t have interns.
Doug shrugged. “We’re broadening our horizons.”
I lifted my brow, my brain catching onto what was suddenly going on. “Oh, okay.”
Trace smiled ear to ear. “Buying and inter-company relations are my specialties.”
“Those are my specialties.” I corrected.
Doug gave Trace a look and came back to me. “I would have formally done this but I’ve been busy, as you know. I need you to look after Trace for a bit here, Amy. Teach him the ropes, get him up to speed on everything. He’s all yours.”
I stared at Doug. “He’s all mine?”
Trace still beamed and I wanted to punch him.
“All yours.”
“You’re giving me an intern?” I snapped, I did not have time for this bullshit!
Doug sighed and glanced at Trace. “Give us a minute, Trace, would you?”
“Yes, sir.”
I almost laughed at the ‘sir’ comment as the kid left.
“I can’t do this, Doug. Where am I going to find time for this?” I said as soon as the door shut.
Doug smirked with his arrogant glare. “You have time to email your boyfriend.”
“What?” I growled.
“Don’t play games, Amy. We’re not dumb. You’re work-flow is gone, you’ve missed two sales and I’m not into it anymore, plus, you’ve gained weight.”
“Excuse me?” I shot.
“All in your stomach,” Doug commented. “If there’s something you’re not saying to us, you should get on it.”
I boiled. “That’s none of your business, though.”
Doug shrugged. “Well, whatever you want to play at, I’m not standing by and losing sales. I figured you needed help, so I got you it.”
My mouth went dry, I caught onto what was happening. “You’re replacing me.”
Doug creased his brow, he wasn’t going to tell me his final plan for me even if I had just guessed it. “Take on the intern, Amy, you already get paid more than you should.”
My mouth dropped as he exited my office, and seconds later, Trace was back in my office.
He sat on the white couch. “So, let’s get this party started.”
“What party? This is a company.” I felt light headed the more I looked at him.
“A company, you basically run, it’s got to be a party.” He winked, reminding me of myself years before when I’d stolen the exact same job from the woman before me.
My throat closed over at the thought.
“I’ll be right back.” I shot at him and left my office, speed-walking my way to the elevator and down five floors to Elizabeth, sitting in her corner cubicle looking up pictures of kittens.
“Oh my god, you okay?” She stared at me as she gnawed on a piece of dark chocolate—I refrained from telling her to put the junk food away.
“Amy?” She stood when I choked up on words.
I waved a hand at my face. “They . . .”
“What?” She put her hands on my shoulders.
“They’re-” I tried again, failing.
“Amy!” She burst, a few people around us stopping. I couldn’t let all the people below me see me as I was and I took her arm, pulling her towards the elevator.
“It’s not lunch time, preggo.” She chimed with a smile, waving her chocolate bar in my face, which I swatted away.
The doors dinged and I pulled her inside, as soon as they shut I shrilled with anger.
Beth stared at me, “Amy.”
“They’re replacing me!”
“What!” She screamed.
I nodded, panic overriding my ability to function.
“They fired you!” She burst.
“N-no.” I shook my head, “Worse—”
“They laid you off?” She tried.
“No!” I shot. “They got me an intern.”
Beth stopped, blinking at me as the doors opened to pick up people. She hit the bottom button. “What?”
I waited as the elevator descended down to the bottom floor. Once we got outside and over to the fountain, I exploded.
“This is what they do!”
Beth wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”
“Beth, they brought me in as an intern. I full well knew I was replacing Margret. They do it on purpose!”
“How can they do that!” Beth exclaimed. “Why are they, more importantly.”
I gripped at my bangs, my world crumbling apart and I felt helpless to it. “I worked so hard for this job and I get pregnant and it’s all over!”
“It’s just an intern,” Beth reasoned.
“Don’t be so blind!” I shouted, wincing at the fact I’d gotten attention from my outburst.
“Okay, calm down, it’s not good for you—”
I threw my hands up. “Exactly. I’m losing everything I’ve ever wanted for what!”
Beth blinked, falling silent.
Swearing under my breath, I began to mutter. “All for a fucking baby!”
“Amy!” Beth shouted, “They haven’t fired you, you’re overreacting.”
“I’m not teaching that kid shit!” I fumed. “They can fuck themselves!”
“Amy!” Beth grabbed me from my pacing. “Stop.”
I stared at her, shaking my head. “You don’t get it, do you?”
Beth let out a breath. “They didn’t fire you.”
That may have been true, but it was only a matter of time and I knew that. Every dumb idiot knew that.
“Amy, I have to get back to work before they ‘actually’ fire me.”
I looked at my friend and nodded. “Yeah, sorry for dragging you outside.”
She gave me a hug, promising everything would be okay and left. The single worst thing for me to endure at that moment, being on my own. My own had a way of spiraling out of control.
Reluctantly, I returned to my office to face the beaming, arrogant ass of a kid. Trying to think of what I should do, or say, nothing came. So I sat down at my desk as he stared at me.
“So,” Trace piped after a few awkward minutes, “Do you have any contracts, any paperwork you need looked over?”
“Nope,” I answered, not looking at him.
He huffed, as I popped his excitement bubble. “What are you doing now?”
“Client emails.”
Agitation in the room rose to a new level. “I must be able to do something.”
“Here.” I grabbed a sealed letter off my desk. “Needs to go the mail room. Also—” I pointed at him. “I could really use a bagel from down the street.”
He stared at me as I put him down a peg. “Uh—”
“I’ll think of something you can do for when you get back.” I shot, shooing him with my fingers. “Plain, cream cheese. Welcome to being an intern.” I forced a smile that told him all he needed to know about his new slave status.
The kid huffed, dragging his shiny toed feet as he left my private office.
~~~
The rest of my day was spent ignoring Trace and getting done as much work as possible. I couldn’t remember working like that since being an intern.
It walloped me when five o’clock came and I got to my apartment, feeling like I could drop dead at any moment.
With weak knees, I undressed and spent an hour in my room relaxing and pretending the day hadn’t affected me at all.
A knock at the door broke me out of the snuggled mess in my bed. “Uh, Amy?” Came Beth’s voice.
“Yeah.” I yawned, stretching out and still enjoying the comfort around me.
She poked her head inside my door. “Ean’s here. I just buzzed him in.”
“What!” I shot up. “What do you mean he’s here? It’s—”
She shrugged, swinging the door open. “You look exhausted.”
“Thanks.” I sneered, adjusting the spaghetti strap on my shoulder and getting out of bed. “What is he doing here?”
“I don’t really know but I’m assuming you never answered his calls because he called me at three saying you weren’t answering your phone.”
“He called you?” I snapped.
Beth shrugged. “I figured you would have answered your cell.”
“No! I was working all day!” I exclaimed, “I do have to work at work.”
We walked down the hall to Ean’s knock at the front door. Unlocking the deadbolt, I swung it open, dramatically arching my brow to show him how annoyed I was with him.
“Oh, that’s good, you’re alive,” he said with obvious sarcasm and stepped inside, moving me out of his way as he did.
“What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you’re alive.”
“Awe.” Beth smiled from beside me, buying into his charm.
“Unnecessary.” I clarified for him.
He lifted an eyebrow. “So is not answering your phone, dear.”
I slammed the front door behind him and stormed down the hall, shouting, “I was busy!”
“Busy being paranoid,” Beth added from behind as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. I wasn’t in the mood for his lecture on anything at that moment and I hoped he’d shut his mouth for once.
“What’s going on, Amy?” He pulled off his coat and I shook my head as I poked around the fridge, ignoring the sharp pain in my side from moving too quick.
“They got Amy, an intern.” Beth filled him in, “And she thinks that means they are replacing her.”
“Oh.” Ean paused, “Does it?”
Beth and I, in unison, agreed and disagreed aloud.
He blinked. “Uh. .”
“Argh!” I pointed at her. “Yes. It means yes!”
“No.” Beth shook her head.
“You don’t know what it’s like up there!” I snapped, “This is what they do—”
“Who?” Ean looked between us, trying to catch up to the conversation.
“My company! My dick boss! Who do you think, Ean!” I roared.
He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay. Sorry. I think you should lay down, we’ll talk about it in your room.”
A dizzy spell set in as he took my shoulder and pushed me towards my room, shutting the fridge. “But I’m hungry!”
“You can’t get this excited,” He grumbled, “Your blood pressure is likely ridiculous right now. Lay down.” He brought me to the bed and I sunk into it, mumbling to myself.
“I’ve been trying to call you since noon.” He sat down next to me.
“I saw a few missed calls but that doesn’t mean you have to drive here and check on me!”
He sighed. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Ean . . .” I groaned, “You knew I was okay.”
“But you aren’t really,” he argued. “Your stressed and exhausted.”
“I was working.”
“Amy . . .” He tried to reason.
“They’re going to fire me.” I almost broke into tears. “I know it.”
He stayed quiet.
“You don’t care do you?”
“No, sweetie, I care-”
“No!” I brimmed with tears, “Then I’ll just have to marry you and be a housewife!”
“Jeez,” Ean breathed. “Good thing to say to your boyfriend who just drove four in half hours to see you.”
I rubbed my tear stricken cheek. “This isn’t a joke, Ean, this is my career!”
“I know.” He snapped, “I get it. They got you an intern.”
“Oh, shut up!” I huffed, turning away from him and sinking into the blankets.
“Amy—”
“Just leave me alone,” I grumbled.
He leaned over me, rubbing my side and I knew that touch. He wanted us to make-up, he hated fighting while I almost thrived on it. “Come on, sweetie, it will alright.”
“I can’t deal with getting fired!”
“You’re not getting fired.”
“It’s a threat, Ean, don’t be so naive.”
“You’re fine,” he assured me but it only annoyed me.
“You don’t understand the basic embarrassment this is causing me. I was an intern too—”
He cut me off suddenly. “You slept with that professor so you could intern at this company?”
“Whatever. It worked.”
He lied down next to me and for minutes and minutes, not speaking to one another. I wanted to be angry with him for coming but I wasn’t. Even though I permitted minimal touching, his comfort was calming on my stressed nerves, like usual. Eventually, I turned to him, snuggling against his firm chest.
“I’m sorry, I ignored your calls. I was upset.”
“I understand.” His hand rested in the nook on my hip, rubbing.
The baby in my stomach jostled and for the first time that day since Trace had walked into my office, I remembered I was pregnant.
“The baby is kicking,” I whispered against his stubbled cheek.
“Hmm.” His hand paused on my side. “I can feel that.”
“We should have found out if it was a boy or girl at that ultrasound last week.”
“Nah.” He turned on his side to face me. “It’s a surprise.” His fingers trailed my cheek as his mouth gently pressed against my temple.
Moving closer to him, I tucked myself to his side. “I don’t like surprises.”
“Hmm, trust me, you’ll like this one.” Our mouths met for the first time since I’d last seen him, causing my heart to wipe clean my thoughts of work. This being the exact problem that plagued me, time and time again; my heart having more control then my head did around him.
“Will I?”
“I promise,” he whispered against my lips and a smile escaped me. Drawing me in for a more serious kiss, his hand slipped under my shirt to reveal my bare breasts. Lusting eyes followed his hands and he took a mouthful of my pert chest.
I giggled. “Ean.”
Grumbling, he tugged off my tank top. Aware he was about to make love to me, I allowed all further touching and groping that he wished.
“Like this.” He helped me on my hands and knees.
My cheeks reddened with embarrassment as he moved behind me, stripping his shirt and loosening off his belt.
“Does my butt look big?”
He hesitated from my random question. “No.”
“Oh, great, thanks,” I muttered.
He came to me, his arms wrapping around my shoulders from behind. “Shh.” One hand moving down my body till it met my not so ready folds.
With the first rub, I groaned, dropping my face to the pillows as he continued, my wetness following. In between his heavy groans, he slipped his cock inside me and I let him fill every bit of me.
With his continued rubbing and grinding into me, I began to swell and rise with only one need. My ears to my heaving chest went red and flushed as I panted my way through the motion of his thrusts.
He bit and sucked, taking me from behind with every bit he had. It was then, in his intense concentration he began to speak to me. “I missed you. A week is too long. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
I mumbled back, enjoying the way his cock caught along my walls, enveloping itself deep inside.
“Can’t you just . . . marry me?” He thrust deep inside me, causing a release of my nerves across my body. “I love you.”
“Ean, shut up.” I gripped at the sheets, my body tensing as I came undone beneath him.
He groaned from my massaging walls and stiffened against me, holding me tight, his palm taking a breast to enjoy the high with.
Both catching our breath, my eyelids grew heavy as a shiver prickled from him leaving me. He fell into the bed at my side and I turned away from him, relaxing, letting his touch run back and forth over my naked form.
“D-did you ask me to marry you?” Hearing his soft laugh of embarrassment, he admitted to it.
“Sort of.”
I turned to face him. “Ean, no—”
“I get caught up.” He grumbled, tracing his fingers over my chest.
I bit my lip from the touching. “Now, that is actually premature.”
He smiled. “Sure but first you have to say you love me. Again.” He joked.
I rolled my eyes. “Not funny.”
He grumbled, “True, though.”
“Ean . . .” I said in warning.
In surrender, he bowed out. “Won’t say another word.”
Moaning from the continued playing of my chest, I came into him and our mouths met.
“Touching?” He breathed.
I climbed on top of him and smiled against his lips. “That’s allowed.”
“What else is permitted?” He massaged me, bringing me closer.
“I need to think it through.” I giggled.
“Aren’t I a good boy? Always doing as I’m told.” He joked.
I smiled, “Very good.”
“Hmm.” He kissed me again as a high pitched scream filled the apartment.
“Beth!” I sat up, Ean already getting out of bed and pulling on his jeans.
I fumbled to get my tank top on as he left, hearing the shouting of voices down the hall, I ran towards them.
Beth was up against the wall and there, in the doorway, Ean had Steve by the shirt.
“What is going on!” I ran to Beth. “What are you doing here, Steve!”
“This is none of your business, Amy!” Steve shouted, trying to get around Ean.
“That’s enough of that.” My boyfriend made a real roadblock and didn’t budge when Steve threw his weight into him. “Get it together.”
Beth cried and I took her into a hug instinctively, still boring my eyes into Ean’s back.
“Are you okay, Beth?”
“I’m sorry.” She cried.
“Did he hurt you?”
Beth being unable to speak, I took whatever had happened as bad and made my own opinion on the matter. “Ean, get rid of him.”
Steve tried to protest but he wasn’t much of a match for my Bushman and Ean hauled him to the elevator, the rest of their words, I didn’t bother to listen to.
“Beth, are you okay?” I took her back into the apartment.
“I’m . . . sorry.” She cried for minutes, “I let Steve in . . .”
“It’s okay,” I assured her, sitting her down on the couch where she began to cry.
“H-h-he’s said he left her.”
My eyes widened. “Oh, no, no, Beth.” Hoping it wasn’t going where it sounded.
Ean was back, shirtless, annoyed but putting on a cool front. “Is she hurt?”
“I don’t think so,” I answered.
“I made sure he left.”
My eyes thanked him and that brought him more peace and he sat on the love seat as I comforted Beth.
“He . . . he wants me back and . . . I don’t know w-what to do.”
I squeaked, “You don’t take him back, Beth!”
Ean sighed, leaning forward, about to speak but holding his thought.
“Why did you let him up?”
“He said he wanted to talk,” Beth answered me.
“Why were you screaming?” I asked.
“He just . . . he grabbed me,” Beth admitted.
“Where?” Ean demanded.
His tone caught me off guard. “Ean . . .”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m okay, thanks.” She whimpered against me. “I just wasn’t expecting a love outpour.”
Ean got up. “I’ll go get my shirt on.”
I watched him leave as I continued to comfort Beth. “Please don’t take him back, you can’t trust that.”
“He said he wants to adopt,” she cried, “Wants to work it out.”
I felt my frustrating growing with her desperation. “No,” I repeated, telling myself this was for her own good and protection.
A confused, crying mess, it left us with no words and Ean in the kitchen, cooking supper and giving us space.
Sitting in silence for almost an hour, I promised to return and stopped to speak to him in the kitchen after I took a bathroom break.
“It’s almost ready,” He told me.
I walked to the stove and looked at the spaghetti and sauce simmering. “Looks good.”
He kissed my cheek as his hands came around my waist. “How is she?”
“She’s not saying anything,” I whispered.
He rubbed his nose into the crook of my neck. “She’ll be okay but you can’t stop her from what she decides.”
“Yeah, but . . .”
He groaned, cutting me off and pulling back. “Not your relationship, just try to help her through it. I don’t want you to be upset with what she decides.”
I huffed, turning towards him. “It’s not right.”
He nodded. “I know.”
Bringing my hands to his chest, I smoothed his shirt over his shoulders. “Thanks for taking care of Steve.”
“Hm.” He kissed my lips, not caring about how much help he’d been.
“Are you going to stay for the weekend?”
He nodded. “If you want.”
“I want.” I smiled, pressing up against him. “I do like you but I have to work tomorrow. I’ll try to get off early.”
“Okay.” He kissed me with gentle lips. “Maybe I’ll take you out tomorrow night.”
I smiled at him. “I missed you.”
His eyebrow lifted, “Really?”
Snuggling into his chest, I let him have it. “Yes.”
He sighed.
“What’s wrong?” I drew my chin up to him.
His hand cupped my cheek, looking a bit worried to tell me what he was. “I got asked to do a three-week job up north, its a lot of money, I wouldn’t mind the paycheck.”
“Oh.” I stiffened. “That’s fine.”
“Are you sure? I’m worried about you.” His hands rested on my waist.
“No, it’s not a big deal.” I played with his collar, feeling like a clingy-ness that made me uncomfortable.
He kissed my cheek. “Kay, go get Beth, we’ll have some supper.”
“Okay.” I parted from him, even if it hurt my chest in a way I wasn’t familiar with. Three weeks without Ean? I swallowed.
“I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Don’t be silly.”
He nodded, turning back to the stove as I went to get Beth. However, I couldn’t stop the random heart palpitations. I’d become accustomed to weekends with him and his comfort. This I knew would test me, even if I wanted to ignore that fact.