Confessions of a Queen B*

Untitled Part 22

The damn infant carrier got tangled in my seatbelt as I tried to get out of my car. And who else would be nearby to witness it than Brett? Laughter filled his dark eyes as he rushed to my side to rescue me like I was some damsel in distress. "Hold on a minute, Lexi. Let me help."

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that? And I don't need your help." I swatted at this hands while simultaneously tugging at the nylon belt wrapped around Junior. It was bad enough he insisted on calling me by that name. I wasn't going to offer him another opportunity to feel me up, especially since my treacherous hormones got some sort of cheap thrill from it all.

He stepped back, and after thirty seconds of graceless fumbling, I managed to free myself and Junior without tipping him out of the carrier and earning us both an F. I looked back at him, lifting my chin in defiance as I straightened the plastic doll that was quickly becoming the bane of my existence. "See?"

"Good grief, you're stubborn." He shook his head and headed toward the sliding glass doors of the supermarket. Without pausing for a second, he cut a direct path for the baby aisle.

It was all foreign territory for me. I stared at the neat rows of glossy diaper packages and brightly colored baby food pouches, and my heart immediately started pounding in the center of my chest like a base drum. I licked my lips. "Um, what were supposed to do again for this assignment?"

"Calculate a budget for the cost of Junior's first year." He rubbed the doll's head like it was a pet dog. "This kiddo's going to be expensive."

"What do you mean?"

"Take diapers for example. He'll go through about twelve of those a day for the first couple of months, then maybe get down to about six to eight a day by his first birthday." Brett pulled out his phone and entered some numbers. "If we average it out the eight a day, he'll go through almost three thousand diapers during his first year."

I eyed the price tag next to a pack of Pampers, and my pulse quickened. "Diapers cost that much?"

Brett nodded and pointed down the aisle at the white plastic containers. "Wait until you see how much formula costs."

I checked the price of it and immediately felt queasy. "Note to self: Win the lottery before having a kid."

"Of course there are cheaper alternatives like cloth diapers and breast-feeding." His gaze zeroed in on the center of my chest.

"Hey, eyes up here, remember?"

"What?" he said in mock innocence. His grin told me once again, he enjoyed getting a rise out of me. "You obviously have the proper equipment."

"You know, why don't I finish this part of the assignment alone so you can have a quick romp with Summer under the bleachers before football practice?" I pulled out my phone and started snapping pictures of the price tags for diapers, formula, and baby food. I'd figure it all out when I got home. Just anything to get away from him.

"What do you have against Summer?"

"Long story." I picked up a jar of pureed green beans and wondered who would feed the icky green mush to their child.

"I have time to listen."

He was standing so close behind me, I could feel the heat radiating from his body along the nape of my neck. I refused to believe it was a flush from anger or embarrassment or the attraction I was so desperately trying to keep in check. No, it had to be from him invading my personal space.

And yet, I didn't want to push him away. At least, not right now. "It's ancient history."

"It's more than that based on the jabs you take at each other."