The Client's Proposal

The Dirty Details

*Mature Content Warning*

Alex

"Why did you wait so long to tell me, Jessie? Let's start there before jumping to any conclusions."  

I'd been holding my jacket before, ready to leave, but at some point in the short conversation I had laid it across the arm of the chair I sat in now. Jessie Holloway was sitting across from me. She had been a fling. No, a one-night-stand, to be exact, and it had been weeks before I had ever met Beverly. 

A very delicious one-night-stand, I recalled, but now the details didn't matter. Her green eyes narrowed on me now. I remembered complimenting them when I had met her...remembered looking up at them while in the throws of...fucking. It hadn't been anything serious. The soul purpose had been to get off-on both ends. 

"I'm not jumping to conclusions. I would have told you sooner but I didn't know who you were or where to find you, Alex. That's all I knew-your name-and not even your entire name." 

I let out a deep sigh, ran my palms over my face and through my hair, before standing up and walking back around the desk to stare out the window again at the surrounding buildings. I didn't know where to begin to think. Finally, I turned around and frowned. "You have to understand why I'd be a little apprehensive about this, right. This-" I pointed in her direction. "-is very big fucking inconvenience right now." 

If this didn't give Beverly the perfect reason to leave...

Jessie stood up then and her gaze turned cold. "Oh it's a big inconvenience for you? Really?"

I glanced at the clock and took a few nice breaths, thinking of what to say that wouldn't further piss her off. I had to go. "I'm not saying I won't take responsibility, if you're right, but I need a bit of time to process this, okay? I have somewhere I need to be. Leave your contact information with Mrs. Yates, the receptionist, and I'll have my assistant schedule a more private meeting for us." 

Jessie laughed and I'd never saw a look of astonishment so pure. "Wow. Incredible." Her head shook. "Like a business meeting? This is just fucking incredible." My jaw muscles clenched and I was fully prepared to suggest an alternative but she kept talking. "I didn't expect for this to go great but you are an asshole. Let me just sit by the phone and wait for your fucking assistant to call and tell me when-for you-the best time is to discuss a baby." 

A baby...the words leaving her mouth had my eyes falling to catch a great look at her protruding belly that was carrying-as per her claims-my child. Jessie turned to leave, a lot of red hair whipping through the air and I didn't stop her. The door slammed on her way out-one final "fuck you". 

Beverly 

Like every morning here so far, I found myself once again sitting at the breakfast bar with another one of Rita's feasts in front of me. The only difference was, this morning I wasn't really hungry. I wanted to blame it on my period giving me no appetite but in truth, it was from the shocking, awful dinner the night before. 

I wanted to be angry at what Alex had said...I wanted to scream at him and leave but I could only hold a little flare of anger for a few seconds and then it was gone. If the situation was reversed, there was no doubt I would have lashed out the same. Probably even worse. 

So I nibbled at my food and sipped on the tea I had asked Rita for instead of coffee. The jitters were the last thing I needed. She was just finishing up her task of putting away her ingredients when she looked at me and frowned a little. "Mr. Bell won't be having breakfast?" She asked me.