A Pregnancy, a Party & a Proposal. Teresa Carpenter

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СКАЧАТЬ “But everyone has an expectation there’s more between us.”

      “Exactly. We’ll just be ourselves and they’ll see what they want to see.”

      She tapped her fingers on the armrest as she considered his approach. “Still seems a little artificial.”

      “The power of illusion comes from a collective awareness. People believe what they want to believe. Directors use viewer expectations as a tool to manipulate the audience’s emotions all the time. It doesn’t make what they feel any less real.”

      “Do you hear the words you’re using? Manipulate...audience. This is your family we’re talking about, not a theater full of moviegoers.”

      She understood the concept he presented, and, yes, she expected it would work as well as he stated. The truth worked for her. Leaving his family with preconceived notions that went well beyond reality was more iffy.

      “Look.” His gaze earnest, he picked up her hand, swept his thumb over the pulse at her wrist. “I know the girlfriend front isn’t ideal. Ordinarily I wouldn’t even consider it. But you have no idea how upset my grandmother sounded.” Concern darkened his eyes to a soft azure. “If this plan lifts her spirits, it’s worth a little discomfort on my part.”

      “Okay,” she agreed. And again removed her hand from under his. Bottom line: his concern was genuine. And, if she were honest, it wasn’t as if she and Tori hadn’t occasionally manufactured events to gain their mother’s cooperation to get something they wanted.

      His family—his call. She’d agreed to come, so she’d do as he wished.

      “Teatime.”

      Julie had arrived with a cart. She reached past them to pull a table from a wall slot, trapping Lauren next to Ray. The sudden intimacy suffocated her. She wanted to protest. Of course she didn’t.

      She was too strong to give in to weakness, too smart to reveal it to the opposition.

      Onto the table Julie slid a tray, artfully displaying an array of bagels, both toasted and non-toasted, along with a healthy heaping of cream cheese, butter, and jellies. There were containers of yogurt and a lovely selection of fresh fruit. Next came steaming pots of hot water and a small basket of teas.

      A midsized plate and linen-wrapped silverware were placed in front of each of them. “May I serve you?” Julie asked.

      “We’ll help ourselves, thank you.” Ray’s charming smile caused the poised woman to blush.

      “Please buzz me if you require anything more,” she bade them, and then disappeared to her niche in the front of the plane.

      Lauren waited for her stomach to revolt. When it didn’t she reached for the basket of teas, chose a soothing decaffeinated blend and steeped it in one of the pots. When it looked the right color, she poured the brew into a delicate teacup.

      Ray slathered cream cheese on a cinnamon bagel and slid melon, pineapple chunks and a few blackberries on his plate.

      “Can I fix you anything?” he asked, after she’d taken her first sip.

      “Perhaps half a plain bagel, with a light spread of cream cheese.”

      He nodded and a moment later placed it on her plate. She cut it into quarters and picked up a corner to nibble on.

      “You know, I’m all for sticking to the truth and all...” She set her cup back in its saucer. “But the details are still going to be a bit sketchy. You do realize we’ve never been on an actual date?” She stabbed at a plump berry on his plate and ate it.

      His eyes narrowed in thought. He reached for a carton of peach yogurt, opened it and scooped in a few berries. He took a couple of bites before pointing his spoon at her.

      “We’ve kept a low profile.”

      Her brows lifted. “You’re a little too good at this.”

      He grinned and offered her the yogurt carton. “I’m a director. It’s my job to invent and interpret.”

      “Convenient.” Not even thinking about it, she accepted the yogurt.

      The flavors, peach and blackberry, exploded in her mouth. A few more bites finished it off. She sighed. A glance at her plate revealed he’d gotten his wish. She’d eaten all her bagel plus fruit and his yogurt. And she felt great. More energized than she had in forever.

      “Finally you’ve a little color in your cheeks.”

      She gave him a cool glance. “Saying I told you so is unbecoming.”

      He shook his sandy head. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

      “Thanks.” What else could she say without sounding petty? To his credit, he appeared sincere.

      To break the moment she pushed the button on her armrest. Julie appeared within moments to clear the table. But all too soon she and Ray were alone again. It was all she could do not to twitch in her seat. How to get him to move away?

      Turned out she didn’t have to do anything. Phone in hand, he stood up.

      “If you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make?”

      She nodded and he moved across the aisle and up to another row of seats. Able to breathe freely, she refused to acknowledge she missed the heat and comfort of his proximity. Some alone time to think was exactly what she needed. She felt the best she had in days—make that weeks.

      Maybe she’d actually be able to concentrate and come up with a course of action for this abrupt change in her carefully crafted life plan. So far she hadn’t quite been able to wrap her mind around the enormity of the fact she carried a child within her. And that kept her from making sense out of the chaos in her head.

      Which left her feeling out of control and desperate to get her life back.

      Panicked, really.

      The last time she’d given up control, she’d lost a part of her soul.

      Lauren couldn’t go through that again—especially when she had a child to think of. She required her lists, her goals, her plans. She craved order, needed to be in charge. Only then could she cope.

      She stared unseeing out the window.

      Some things were obvious. Once Tori returned Lauren would tell her family. She would continue to work. She would tell Ray. It all sounded simple and straightforward. It couldn’t be more complex.

      Even telling her family. Sure, they would love and support her. She had no doubt of that. But there’d also be disappointment and concern. And questions. Personal questions, not easy to answer.

      Continuing to work would require compromise and sacrifice. Deciding between daycare and a nanny was only one decision to be made requiring careful research. She also needed to consider housing—whether to sell the duplex and move to a bigger place in a family-friendly area. It didn’t need to be done now, but it was already on her mind. A part of the mix keeping her from finding the necessary peace to deal with everything.

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