Whatever the fallout was from this consequence of our actions would be what it was. The only thing I could do was keep my conscience clear and take the necessary steps to reassure that I did everything I could to keep this together.
To keep our family together.
I sighed and opened my eyes. Amsterdam. We’d enjoy Amsterdam, and once we got back I’d tell him. Even though Brett framed it as a pleasure cruise, I knew it would be a business trip. Something would pop up that would require us to meet with someone or get something done. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew the American citizens of Amsterdam were some of the hardest-pushing dual citizens regarding Greyson Consulting services. It didn’t take much reading through the notes and minutes of meetings leading up to the decision to go international that Amsterdam was one of the loudest voices in that rally.
This would almost assuredly turn into a business trip at some point in time.
That didn’t bother me. It wasn’t irked by it. But if it did turn into business, the last thing he needed was to be distracted by something like this—like an unplanned pregnancy. All the more reason for me to wait until we got back into the States.
The ringing of my cell phone pulled me from my trance, and I turned around to pick it up.
“This is Olivia.”
“Wow. Not even looking at the caller ID. You must be preoccupied,” Katie said.
“Hey there. Sorry. Long night. What’s up?” I asked.
“You doing anything for lunch?”
I felt my stomach roll with nausea. “I can’t honestly say I’m hungry.”
“Well, that doesn’t shock me. Given, well, your situation. Is there anything I can bring you?”
“No. I’m fine. I’ve got a business trip to prepare for anyway, so I need to keep my head down at my desk for now.”
“A business trip? When are you leaving? Where are you going?” she asked.
“Brett and I leave very early Thursday morning to go to Amsterdam. The American citizens that set up camp there have been very vocal about wanting Brett’s company to settle there first, once we go international. I’m sure there will be meetings and all sorts of things that take place.”
“Any pleasure scheduled while on this trip?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe? I don’t really know. I’m still working through a foggy haze right now,” I said.
“Well, do you have a few minutes to shoot the shit with your best friend, then?”
I looked over at the clock and saw it was only ten thirty. “Yeah. I’ve got a few minutes I can spare. What’s up?”
“You’ll never guess who I ran into this morning at my coffee shop.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Mason.”
My eyebrows rose. “You saw Mason this morning?”
“I did. After all these years. I didn’t know he had touched down in Seattle. Did you?”
“I knew he was around,” I said, sighing.
“Well, the two of us chatted for a little while as we were waiting in line, and he asked to walk me to work.”
“Katie,” I warned.
“I know, I know. He was a player back in college. We were nothing but a string of one-night stands. Yadda yadda yadda. But the connection was still there, you know?”
“I want you to be careful with him, Katie. You wanted stuff to be serious between you two in college, and he never gave that to you. I remember how it hurt you. Don’t let him do that again to you.”
“What? I can have a little revenge sex. Maybe. We’ll see how it goes,” she said.
“Revenge sex doesn’t work if the man still does one-night stands himself.”
“Well, how would you know that? You claim that Brett has changed and whatever. Maybe he’s changed as well.”
“Doubt it,” I murmured.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Nothing. It was nothing. I just… please be careful? I love you, and I know things have been rocky between us lately. But you’re my best friend. And I do care about what happens to you. I want to apologize for what happened when we last saw—”
“Girl, you know how I feel about apologies. I don’t care about them. It happened, we yelled and said things, I stormed out, and we slept on it. We’re good. You’re always good with me. You know this.”
“I just feel so bad,” I said.
“Yep. You’re definitely pregnant.”
“What?”
“I hear the tears in your voice. You never cry. Especially over some kitschy apology. Have you told Brett yet about what’s going on?”
“What do you think?” I asked.
“And there’s the switch of the moods on a dime. Oh, this is going to be lots of fun.”
“Will you stop with the jokes, please?” I asked.
“Well, one of us has to crack them. There’s too much tension flying around.”
“Yeah, well. Why don’t you focus on that tension between you and some guy that hates me,” I said.
Katie scoffed. “Yeah. And maybe you can focus on talking to Brett about the fact that you’re carrying his kid.”