But she came forward and began putting pastries on her plate. Along with honey and cheese. He brought her a mug of coffee. And when she took a sip, she smiled. “Oh, this is heaven.”
“The doctor will be here today to administer a blood test,” he said.
“What?”
“To determine whether or not the baby is mine.”
She looked... Stricken.
“I didn’t know you could do them this early.”
“Yes. Blood tests have gotten very sophisticated.”
“I hate getting my blood drawn. I hate it. It makes me pass out.”
“Well, sadly for you, it is the way that they determine these kinds of things.”
“The baby is yours,” she said, staring fixedly down at her plate.
“What?”
“The baby is yours, I thought that I could... I thought I could get you to leave me alone if I told you I didn’t know. I thought that I could...”
“You lied to me.”
“I was freaking out,” she said. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never slept with a man before, and I... I gave myself to you, and it was a very big mistake. I didn’t think of protection, not at all, but you would think, that given that you are some kind of famed sex expert, that you would’ve thought to use condoms.”
“Stop,” he said, everything inside of him going quiet. “You’ve never been with a man before?”
“Well clearly I have been now,” she said.
“You were a virgin.” It was a roar of triumph in his blood, and he hated himself a bit for it. But he’d wanted her for so long, and to know she was his and his alone...
It made him feel every inch the conquering warrior.
“Yes,” she said. “I was a virgin. Not that I care much about that kind of terminology. I knew what I was doing. I’ve read a lot of... I like books that have... Look, I know how everything works. So I was pretty well... Primed on the topic by the time I actually... I needed to get you out of my system.”
“You’re moving too quickly for me now. You know that the child is mine because you were a virgin.”
“Yes. I don’t need a blood test.”
And he couldn’t trust her. Or far worse, couldn’t trust himself.
“Sadly for you, because the story keeps changing, now I require a blood test. Because I don’t know which version of you is real, Olive. I always thought that you were my rival, but I felt that you were a rival that had a sense of integrity. And now I find out you have engaged in corporate espionage, and also, that you have lied to me. Either now, or before.”
“Why the hell would I lie to you now? I would just tell you that I knew for sure the baby wasn’t yours if I was lying. Because that would actually benefit me. I want to get away from you.”
“It actually wouldn’t benefit you. As I would see you in prison under those circumstances.”
“I just... I don’t... You’re being ridiculous,” she said.
“I’m being ridiculous?”
“Yes,” she said. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this. Not this time. Not now.”
“You need to explain more clearly what led you to this point, because I have no idea what the matter is with you.”
And then, all of a sudden, steely, tough Olive burst into tears.