Hustle. (Book 2)

Chapter 9: By Chance

Lauryn P.O.V.

I was approaching six months and Thanksgiving was around the corner. My mother was pressuring me into inviting "the stupid boy who knocked you up" to come to at least one dinner. I knew I had to talk to him now.

Even though his number had been unblocked for three days, I didn't have enough courage to call.

What am I supposed to say? "Hey, I know I cut you out of the baby's, our baby's life for six months, but would you come by and meet my family for Thanksgiving?" Exactly.

All of this stress wasn't good for the pregnancy, so I decided to embark on one of my favorite pastimes: baby shopping.

Hopping in a local taxi cab, I asked the driver to take me to my favorite place, Baby Chic, a baby boutique on Grey Avenue.

"Hello Lauryn. How can we help you today?" Marcy, the sales attendant that was always here when I was, questioned.

"Surprise me," I muttered, plopping down on a soft cushioned chair.

"Cool! We just got new inventory on this BabyBjorn baby carrier. Kim Kardashian was carrying Saint in it last week!" she shuffled off to the back.

Suddenly, I heard the bells above the store ring and in walked a tall, handsome brownskin. What was he doing in a girly baby store? He looked familiar. All of a sudden, I realized it was him. It was Chris.

Hiding behind a display, I peered through an opening to see what he was doing. Marcy came from the back, baby carrier in hand, and approached him at the counter.

"Hiya! How can I assist you today sir?" she asked cheerfully. He pulled out a piece of yellow scratch paper and spoke.

"Do ya'll have any...uhh." He scrambled trying to read the name on the paper and finally ended up handing it to her.

"Ah! The Stokke Xplory Stroller! Purple or black?"

"Purple, please."

"I'll get it from the back." And with that, Marcy was off again.

Chris began to wander around the store and I prayed he wouldn't see me. With my almighty luck, my growing belly knocked over a box of blocks. Immediately, I dropped to the floor and threw the pieces back in.

When I got up, he was waiting there. "I could've helped with that," he said, grabbing the box and placing it where it belonged. All of a sudden, his head shot back up and he squinted towards me.

"Lauryn?"

I sighed heavily. "Hello, Chris."