Patrick

Patrick sat there staring after her with a smile on his face. It was going to be very interesting being married to her!

*****

“Mom, would you mind sitting down for a minute?” Carrie asked as her mother went about the homely kitchen preparing the meal. She had called her and asked if she could come over and see her. She had told her daughter that she had tentative plans with Donald, but she had told her daughter that it was later in the afternoon. Carrie had gone to work in the morning and had gotten off at three and came straight over. She was aware that she was going to have to tell Marty sooner or later and did not relish doing so.

Claudia poured hem both some lemonade and sat with her daughter giving her a searching glance. “Are you ready to tell me what’s been bothering you since the last time I saw you?”

”You knew something was bothering me?”Carrie sipped her lemonade thirstily. She had not been so sick since her visit to Doctor Whittingham and had to admit that the pills he gave her were doing their job.

“Honey, I happen to know you and you have a very expressive face. You have also lost a little weight.”

“Remember how we talked about me one day giving you grandchildren?” Carrie asked her, deciding to plunge right in.

“Of course. You met someone?”

“In a manner of speaking,” she said with a short laugh. “Mom, I am pregnant.”

“Oh.” Claudia looked at her daughter curiously. She had always been a very sensible girl and she had never had to worry about her, but she was wondering about that now. “Who is the father?”

Carrie wiped the moisture off her glass and avoided her mother’s eyes. “It just happened, Mom, and I had no idea how I could have been so stupid.”

“Honey, calm down. I am not here to judge you. I am sure that whatever it is we can work it out.”

“His name is Patrick Copeland.”

Her mother blinked and stared at her daughter as if she had not heard her right. “Patrick Copeland of Copeland Software?”

“The same.” She met her mother’s eyes. “And there is more.”

“Oh, I am sure there is.”

“We are getting married the end of September.”

This time the silence was a little longer. “Is this something you want?”her mother asked her quietly after the silence.

“No,” she said frankly. “I don’t fit in with those people, Mom.” She shrugged. “He took me to meet his parents, and you should see the house they live in. It can safely be called a mansion! They are different from what I am used to, and I am scared.”

“And yet you said yes.”

“A child is involved, and I have to think about it instead of my hang ups and insecurities.” She sighed. “His mother seems nice though. They want to have a private dinner with us at the mansion before it is announced to the world that we are engaged.”

“To the world.” Claudia shook her head in wonder as she looked at her daughter. “Your life is about to be changed in a very big way.”

“I know, Mom, and I am not looking forward to it. I am afraid yours is going to change by association.”

Claudia reached over and covered her daughter’s hands with hers. “I can deal with it and I will talk to Marty,” she said shrewdly.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said gratefully.

*****

Patrick idly stirred the drink in his glass as his blue gaze scanned the room. It was a charity function with the usual sets of boring rich stuck up people, and normally he would have passed, but his mother had reminded him that business associates would be there and it was for a good cause. His eyes narrowed as he saw Sophia clinging to the arm of Neil Peart, a nerdy young man who was set to inherit a fortune when his grandfather died. He was into networking and was dull beyond imagination. His eyes skimmed over the woman on his arm. Sophia was wearing a teal blue dress that clung to her body and left nothing to the imagination with a plunging neckline and a teardrop diamond settled into her cleavage.

“Not really a competition is he?” his friend Brad said dryly as he came up to Patrick.

A bored look settled on his face as his eyes met hers and he almost smiled as he saw her lean over and whisper something to Neil, her hand resting on his chest, giving the appearance of intimacy.

“I am not in the race,” he said abruptly. He had not told his friends about Carrie preferring to wait until just before their engagement was announced.

“So, she is fair game?”