The Meeting

Chapter 33 - A Walk In The Park

“No, this can’t be,” I mutter, pacing backwards and forwards in the women’s bathroom. “How could I have been so careless and stupid?”

“I’m sure your man will be delighted Miss,” the lady responds, passing me some make-up to touch up my face. I take it with shaking hands and spread some powder under my eyes and on my forehead which is moist with sweat. Will he be happy? I don’t know.

“This is just really bad timing,” I respond more to myself than to her. “Of course he’ll be happy. How can he not be? This means he’ll own me forever.”

The lady chuckles at me, passing me some lipstick.

“I’m not sure if men really do own us. As my mother used to always say, the man may be the head, but the woman is the neck and they can turn them whichever way they like.”

I give her a weak smile before putting some lipstick on. I think everybody’s heard that line from some movie at one point, I say to myself, rolling my eyes a little in the mirror at my reflection. I snatch up my purse of the counter and take a deep breath, smoothing my hair back into submission.

“Thank you for your help,” I say before exiting the bathroom and heading back to the table with shaking legs. I won’t believe it until I do a test, I think to myself. I can’t let myself get freaked out when I don’t know for certain. I just need to get my hands on a test without him finding out. Where is Damien? As I near the table, I see it is empty, but hear a voice behind me.

“Zoe! Are you alright?”

Damien’s arm comes around my waist and he helps me back to my seat, which I am grateful for as I don’t feel very stable right now.

“I’m fine. My stomach is a little off today I guess.”

“Do you think you will be able to eat anything more?”

I look at the remains on my plate and feel my stomach turn over at the sight of it.

“Definitely not,” I respond, turning my face away from it.

“Let’s just go then.”

Damien throws some cash down on the table and helps me back up and outside to the car. As we exit the restaurant, the cool breeze off the coast plays on my face, making me feel a little better. The fresh air has always made my upset stomachs feel better in the past.

“Can we maybe go for a walk?”

“I was going to suggest that as well. I was going to take you to the park,” he responds, helping me into the back seat of the car and hoping in beside me. “Lean on me,” he commands in a soft voice.

I do as he says and lean my head against his arm, closing my eyes and hoping with all my might that the nausea passes. The soft rocking motion of the vehicle doesn’t help much, but the ride isn’t too long, which I’m thankful for.

When we come to a stop, Damien helps me out of the back of the car and I look around at the place he brought me to. There are tall trees leaning over and rustling in the wind above a small, winding path. There are very few people about and the only light comes from the setting sun and a few lamps standing intermittently down the pathway.

“You know, if it were any darker out here, some girls might think this is a bit of a creepy place for a guy to bring them.”

“Nothing would happen to you whilst you’re with me, babe,” he responds, tightening his grip on my arm.

“Oh, I know that.”

As we walk down the path, the gravel crunches below our feet and I gaze up, noticing that some stars are finally starting to come out in the sky, twinkling serenely in the black sky overhead. They calm my rattled nerves a little and take my mind off the mystery of whether something grows inside me or not. God, that sounds so creepy. Okay, maybe they didn’t really take my mind off things.