Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
“What?” She laughed. “Why?”
“He made an error balancing the books. I really wanted to fire him.”
“Because of the books.”
I turned to her, feigning innocence. “What else?”
CHAPTER 25
* * *
Abby
Track 25: “Secrets” by OneRepublic
A few days after I’d last seen Sig at the inn, Sean arrived at my cubicle so we could go to lunch together. I still hadn’t taken him up on his offer of another evening date. A platonic work lunch seemed like a much safer option while I sorted out my weird feelings for Sig and tried to figure out whether getting any closer to Sean was a good idea.
Just as I looped my purse over my shoulder, it somehow slipped from my arm, the contents emptying onto the floor. Sean bent to help me pick up the items.
“Oh no. You don’t have to,” I insisted. I knelt and scurried to get what I could, not wanting him to pick up a tampon stashed away in there from long before I was pregnant—or worse.
But it was too late. I panicked as I saw him lift the ultrasound photo I’d continued to carry in my bag. “What’s this?” he asked, staring down at it.
“It’s a…” I had no clue what to say.
“It says OBGYN and has your name on it.” He looked up at me. “Are you pregnant?”
I froze. I couldn’t deny I was pregnant. It was all there in black and white.
“Excuse me one moment.” I held up my index finger. “Stay right there.”
I rushed down the hall and disappeared into the bathroom to dial Sig as fast as I could.
After a couple of rings, he picked up. “Everything okay?”
“You’re gonna kill me,” I said.
“Don’t tell me you—”
“Whatever you’re guessing, it’s worse,” I said.
“What’s wrong, Abby?”
“I was just headed out to lunch with Sean. My purse slipped off of my arm and everything fell out. He was helping me pick it up, and he saw it. The ultrasound photo.”
“Shit.”
“He saw my name on it and the name of the OBGYN place. I can’t deny it.”
“Well, that’s just brilliant. What did you tell him?”
“Nothing yet. I excused myself to the bathroom. I don’t know what you want me to divulge. I can’t deny that I’m pregnant. Not sure if I should make up a story or—”
“Bloody hell.” He sighed into the phone. “Okay. I’m heading to your side of the office. Just keep him with you and try not to say anything until I get there.”
How the heck do I do that? “Okay.”
Thankfully, by the time I garnered the courage to exit the bathroom, Sig was already coming toward where Sean still stood at my cubicle. At least I wouldn’t have to stall.
Sig greeted him with an authoritarian tone. “Hello, Sean. Can you follow us into the conference room, please?”
Oh my God.
“What’s going on?” Sean asked as he took a seat across from Sig. “Are you firing me or something?”
“Not yet,” Sig muttered.
Sean squinted in confusion as I took a seat as well.
Sig locked his hands together as he bounced his knees. “Abby told me you saw the ultrasound photo in her purse.”
Sean looked over at me. “I did.”
“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Sig said.
“I figured as much.” Sean nodded.
I swallowed, waiting.
“Abby is a surrogate for my biological child, conceived using my deceased wife’s egg,” Sig explained. “Abby is working here while she’s in the UK for the surrogacy.”
Sean’s jaw dropped as he looked over at me again. “Holy shit.”
I forced some words out. “We hadn’t come up with a plan for how to handle things or what to tell people once I couldn’t hide it anymore. We were trying to keep it private for now, especially since it’s so early. I’ve been trying to live my life in the meantime.”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone until we’re ready to figure that out,” Sig told him.
“Of course,” Sean assured us.
“I’m sorry for not being up front about this,” I said. “I didn’t feel like it was fully my right to divulge.”
Sean shook his head. “No apologies, but I mean, I’m blown away. I can understand why you didn’t say anything.”
Sig’s mood was hard to read. He stood suddenly. “I don’t have much more to say here, except that I appreciate your discretion.”
Sean nodded. “You got it, boss.”
“Cheers, then.” Sig’s eyes moved to mine. “Have a good lunch.”
He’d started to walk out when I lifted my finger toward Sean. “One second.” Leaving him sitting there, I followed Sig out of the conference room. “Sig,” I called after him.
He turned. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry that happened.”
He pursed his lips. “It is what it is.”
“I—”
“We shouldn’t talk about it here, okay?” He looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice.
I looked down at my shoes. “Of course.”
He made his way swiftly down the hall toward the elevators, and I returned to the conference room where Sean was waiting.