Her Rich Mature Lover

Her mind ran on Damon, things hadn’t ended well between them. She had been down right mean and bi*chy to him. She snuck out of his apartment like a thief in the night and called a cab and the poor man hadn’t even done anything wrong. She didn’t forward any explanations, his voicemail and calls went unanswered and his emails and texts weren’t returned. At the time it had felt right but now her behavior felt despicable in light of all that had happened. He would have every right not to answer her call and would never find out he had child. Since she wasn’t going to go out of her way to inform him should he not respond to her calls she solemnly swore.

Trina squeezed the sheets tightly between her fingers winding it around and around. Then she unwound and began to wrap herself up snugly in it as tears streamed down her face. Should her therapist see her now he would no doubt question her sanity. Damon would no doubt want to take control of the situation and like the weakling she was she would let him. No, she wasn’t a weakling she would fight him for independence every step of the way. She had to not think about herself but make the baby her priority now. She had watched enough lifetime movies to know that it always ended badly for the mother whenever she tried to deny the father the right to see his child.

She didn’t want the child to grow up lacking or feeling resentment at not knowing their dad. She didn’t want things to get anymore nasty than it was already between them. She had to believe that they were both conscientious and mature adults capable of raising a child between the two of them properly. For her baby she would swallow her pride and do what was best for the child. Before she could change her mind she quickly dialed Damon’s private line.

“Hello.” His deep voice resonated with her and sent shivers down her spine.

“Hello Damon, this is Trina speaking to you.”

“Yeah I know. I still have your number saved in my cell.”

“Oh okay. I hope I have caught you at a good time.”

“It’s no inconvenience was just browsing through some reports. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“I’m pregnant Damon.” Silence greeted her in response. “Hello. Damon are you still there?”

“Yes, I am still on the line. Just give me a few minutes to recover and allow the information to soak in, it’s not every day a man gets news like this.”

“I didn’t mean to shock you. I just found out myself and I’m here at the hospital.”

“Hospital? Which one?” Trina rattled of the address in response.

“Don’t panic now Damon. I fainted and Alexis called an ambulance when she couldn’t wake me or get a response, besides visiting hours are over but you can come and take me home tomorrow please.”

“Are you sure about that maybe I can have you referred to a private clinic just to get a second opinion.”

Oh no it’s starting Trina thought to herself. “No need if you look up Dr. Francis Benjamin you would see that he is well respected in the medical world and quite capable of giving good advice. Besides visiting hours are over and not even you Mr. Money bags can get past those beefy security guards.”

“Have it your way Trina. What time should I come and pick you up?”

“Midday is fine.”

“Well thanks for telling me Trina. I really appreciate it even though this conversation is far from over. It’s late so try and get some rest please.”

“I will Damon. Good night and see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight Trina.” He waited until he heard that soft click that let him know that she had disconnected the call.

*****

By becoming pregnant she felt like she did herself and that of her child an injustice. She and Damon were worlds apart, not just in terms of wealth and attitude, but their outlooks on life were totally different and shaped by their individual experiences. She found every excuse to discuss her past while his life was an open book he had nothing to hide. He worried about Trina and why she was so reluctant to have the baby. Why couldn’t she just trust in him and let him worry about whatever shameless secret she had hidden in her past. The truth would eventually come to light why not just tell rather than let him hear it from somebody else’s lips.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Not really.”

He looked happy and jovial despite the situation and she was tense and wanted out of the hospital. His face sank when she said that and he looked crestfallen at the lack of interest she displayed at the get well gift basket of goodies he brought her.

“Tell me something, did you know you were pregnant before you came to the hospital?”

“Nope. It was as much a shock to me as it was to you. To be honest I’m not even certain how I feel about it. Being pregnant changes everything for me I have the responsibility of caring for my child for the rest of our life. In some ways I’m happy, having a child gives a reason for living, a reason to want more and strive for more.”

“So what made you decide to tell me?”

“The truth is I’m also scared should anything happen to me, I don’t want my child to end up alone or a ward of the state. Even though you and I don’t always see eye to eye. I know you’re a decent guy and would love and look after our child.”

“So why won’t you give me the chance to do right by you, by allowing me to marry you?”

Of course, no answer. It was like she zoned out on him and went straight to her own little world. That was like going straight to the heart of the matter and she avoided his gaze like the plague. Trina’s body language showed that she didn’t feel like she was worthy of his attention much less his love. He disliked her emotional detachment and wished she would just end the suspense and confide in him. He wanted her to stop withdrawing from him in both body and spirit. It was like the more time he spent with her the more he understood the signs of her body. When she sat up in the bed and squared her shoulders he knew she was struggling with it internally.