A Wifey for the Bad Boy(11)

Glenn read the text message again. Message when you get in. We have to talk.

"We have to talk" was never a good phrase, in his experience, but he  thought that he and Melissa were rock solid. There had been a little bit  of a whirlwind to begin with, but they'd settled in to what he thought  was a great routine of dinner at his place a couple of times a week,  followed by TV or reading, and a couple nights at the club every week.  They'd explored each other in and out of bed, and Glenn couldn't be  happier with Melissa.

I'm home, he texted back. You coming over?

Give me ten.

She wasn't at home then. Her place to his was twenty in no traffic.  She'd known when he'd been returning home and though she didn't have a  key yet, she could have sat in the lobby of his building until he  arrived home. He needed to work on getting her a key, as long as this  wasn't a goodbye moment.

A goodbye moment? What the hell was he thinking?

Glenn paced around his apartment, trying to settle his emotions, trying  to make sense of what might be going on. He knew he hadn't misread the  situation; she cared about him as much as he did about her. He'd  banished Melissa's self image situation weeks ago, and she seemed not  only more confident, but more comfortable in her skin. They had to  figure out the work situation, but that would work itself out in time;  he was sure of it.

By the time Melissa knocked on his door, Glenn had worked himself into a  panic and when he saw the expression on his face, he had to work to  keep himself calm. What was it? Her mother? The office? Cathy? Frank?  What had happened?

"Hi," he said to her, pushing his panic aside. Shoving his feelings down  was part of his dominance and it served him well here. When she  hesitated, he led her into his condo, pulling her into a hug.

She wrapped her arms around him and sank into his embrace, her head  settling on his shoulder. Okay, they were okay. He could breathe, even  if it was in short, shallow breaths.

"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling foolish. It was pretty damn clear that she wasn't.

"No," she said, pulling back and cupping his cheek. "Glenn, honey we have to talk."

"Okay … " He followed her into the kitchen.

She sat down, reaching into her purse and bringing something out, a  tissue wrapped package that looked vaguely tongue depressor shaped. She  took a paper towel from the rack in the center of the kitchen table and  put the bundle on it.

"I haven't been feeling well for the last couple of weeks. It was  nothing I could put my finger on...Can you please sit down? You're  intimidating me."       

   





"Sorry." He started to sit beside her and then thought the better of it, taking a seat in the chair across from hers.

"Thanks." She gave him a smile and it was a glimpse of his beautiful  Melissa again, though he had the distinct idea that whatever she had to  say was going to be a game changer for them both.

"I took my temperature, and I was fine, and there have been no outbreaks  of any strange diseases that we need to worry about. Turns out that the  easiest solution is what it is."

"What?" he asked, resisting every urge to grab the package and open it.

"Glenn, I'm-we're-pregnant. It must have happened that first night when  we didn't use anything." She unwrapped the bundle and he looked at the  pink lines, strong and decisive. She was pregnant. They were expecting.

"Wow," he finally managed, tears pricking his eyes.

"What does that mean?" she asked, her voice trembling, eyes glistening with tears that threatened to fall.

"Knees," he said hoarsely and her eyes widened. They didn't do scenes at  home, and this would be the exception, but he had to be sure.

He had to be positive this was real.

"Hands behind your back," he instructed his own tears flowing. "Eyes on me."

"Yes, Sir." The uncertainty in her voice underscored her confusion, but  she did as he said. And that was the beauty between them, the bond he  knew would take them far, in and out of the scene.

"The safe word is no, Melissa. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Melissa, will you marry me?"

"Yes, Sir!" She jumped up and into his arms and made Glenn the happiest man in creation.

THE END