Destiny

Part 8

Michael was woken up by the sound of the hair dryer, muffled by the closed bathroom door. He rubbed sleep out of his eyes as he reached for his watch to check the time. It was too early for Stevie to be up and about. The noise soon stopped and she quietly came back into the bedroom, thinking that Michael was still asleep.

"I woke you up." Stevie said, giving him an apologetic look.

"It's okay." Michael replied through a yawn. "Where are you going first thing in the morning?"

"Oh, uh, dress fitting." Stevie answered, moving around the bedroom to collect some things. 

"Can I come with?" Michael rolled onto his side and bent his arm to rest his head on his fist. 

"No, you cannot come with. It's bad luck." Stevie added with a light chuckle, which sounded convincing enough.

"Of course I had to pick the most superstitious woman to marry." Michael joked, rolling his eyes. "Well, have fun? I don't know, what goes on during a dress fitting."

"Thank you." Stevie smiled and came to peck him on the lips.

Karen was already waiting in the driver's seat when Stevie walked outside, the engine running. She got in and fastened the seatbelt, she put on her shades and turned to her assistant. 

"We're not going to a dress fitting." Stevie informed Karen.

Karen frowned, remembering their phone conversation clearly the night before. "But you said-"

"I know, what I said." Stevie cut in. "I couldn't exactly talk with Michael around."

"Oh dear God." Karen exhaled heavily. "So, where to?"

"Lindsey's." Stevie said and looked away, indicating that the conversation was over.

During the past several weeks, Stevie had more than once lied to Michael about where she was going or what she was going to do. She did feel a little guilty, but she figured, it was better that way. She and Lindsey weren't having an affair, so she considered everything she had told Michael just little white lies. It saved them from fighting, she believed, she wasn't exactly doing anything wrong.

Lindsey had asked Stevie to do him a favor the last time she saw him a couple of days ago. I have some errands to run, he began, and since Will has already gotten used to you, he swallowed uneasily, I was wondering if maybe you could babysit him for a couple of hours. She expected nothing like that to come out of his mouth, when he suddenly became nervous before he started talking. It was important to her that he trusted her so much. Still, she was frightened just by the thought of it. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you could do it, Lindsey said.

"You must hate me for dragging you out of bed so early." Lindsey laughed, welcoming Stevie into his home. 

"I'll live, but don't get used to it." Stevie gave him a serious look before she smiled and opened her arms for half a hug since Lindsey had Will on his hip. 

"You have the most expensive babysitter there is, buddy." Lindsey turned to his son. "I'm sure, it's gonna cost me."

"A nice dinner will do just fine." Stevie said, following Lindsey into the living room. 

"Okay, so he's well rested, fed and changed." Lindsey said, handing Will to Stevie, who seemed more than happy to be in her arms. "You can just, I don't know, sit with him, put him in the playpen if he gets a bit antsy." 

"We'll be fine." Stevie assured, trying to convince herself as well.

"I promise, I won't be gone for too long." Lindsey continued, already slowly walking out of the room backwards.

"We'll be fine." She repeated and nearly pushed Lindsey out the door. "Won't we?" She asked Will, when it was just the two of them left.