An Escort's Contract

Chapter 4

She hadn't been able to get an ob/gyn appointment until a week before Christmas, she was lucky because Ethan had called and stressed the importance to the poor receptionist. Of course heels were out of the question and she'd had to buy bigger well....everything, but she wasn't feeling as queasy as she had been the last few weeks. So she took snippets of advice from basically everyone and rested  during her lunch breaks whilst avoiding coffee and other such 'no no' things. As Ethan's business had wound up on the 15th, he'd even offered to take her to the appointment.

He'd been considerate, even giving her his mobile number in case anything happened. She'd been thinking through baby names when she came across a page called 'Miscarriage and Loss' on one of the pregnancy websites. Her hand shook as she pressed it against her stomach before she clicked on the link. She scanned it and froze at the 'sudden loss of pregnancy symptoms'. Adela read through the list and she looked down at Domino, her two toned companion looking back with those soulful eyes.

She pushed it from her mind before it crept back in and niggled at her. What if her baby died? She'd gotten so attached in the last few weeks and her heart seized up at the thought of no little feet pattering through the house. With shaking fingers she touched Ethan's name on her Contacts List and it rang for a few agonizing moments before he answered.

"Adela?" The deep timbre of his voice made her breathing hitch as she heard the dim thump of bass in the background.

"What if I lose the baby?" She blurted out, her own voice sounding much too high and paper thin.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.." He soothed before she heard the distinct sound of him saying good bye to someone and a door opening.

"But I didn't even know until a few weeks ago...what if I did something wrong without knowing?" His sigh did nothing to reassure her and she could almost imagining him running a hand through his hair as he tried to think.

"I want you to do something for me...I have to hang up so I can drive over, but for goodness sake could you get off those pregnancy websites until I'm there?" A stab of guilt hit her right in the kidney and she bit her bottom lip. He sounded so tired and she'd dragged him away from an event. She cleared her throat and closed her web browser, shutting her computer down for the night.

"Done...but you don't need to come over." She tried to think of an excuse to keep him out of her comfortable little house. However as she looked at the clock to check the time, Domino started to growl and she swallowed thickly as she saw someone peeking in through the window.

"Adela....Adela?!" She jumped and let out a panicked whine as her imagination ran away with her, Domino hopping down off the couch to keep growling as she stalked towards the window.

"There's someone at the window.." She whispered and Ethan swore loudly before the line went dead.

Her mind raced and then she realised that the face in the window was gone, only for someone's fist to start pounding on her front door. She ducked low and stood in a mass of shadows, creeping into the hall. The next sound she heard filled her with relief....Zephyr was snarling and barking out in her front yard, causing something to be shoved underneath the door and the sound of hurried footsteps fading.

"Adela!" Joan's voice sent her bolting for the door, pulling it open as she saw the other woman's expression through the peep hole.

"Did you see who-..?" Joan nodded without letting Adela finish, dread seeping in through her pores.

"Blonde, built like a stick insect and with eyes that could kill a Taipan." The description made her turn to look at the embossed envelope in the doorway. She hesitated for a brief moment before picking it up and opening it.