My father’s name was Vincenzo. I kind of like it,” he said.
“How about Vincent?”
“Could work. What about Amelia for a girl?” he said.
“Amelia Taylor.”
“Taylor? Why would the baby have your last name?”
“Oh, right. I guess the baby could have your last name. I have my mother’s, but my father wasn’t in the picture.”
“Then I’d like the baby to have my last name. Amelia Killiano.”
“That sounds pretty.”
“I like it, too. Vincent Killiano works also.”
“Okay. Vincent and Amelia.”
“That was easy,” he said. “What other problems can we solve?”
She laughed. “I’m not sure world peace is so easily solved.”
“You never know. We haven’t put our minds to solving it.”
“I don’t think I’m up to that tonight. I shouldn’t be tired. I’ve just been in this bed all day.”
“Maybe the spotting you experienced was your body telling you to slow down. You’ve been under some stress because of Tory.”
She waved her hand. Tory didn’t really stress her that much. Well, okay, maybe she had. “I should be able to handle it.”
“You’re pregnant, Violet. You aren’t at your best because you’re tired and your hormones are nutty.”
Nutty? “Have I been nutty?”
“No. I don’t know how you are getting on so well. I think I’d be a mess.”
She was feeling off her game. “I’ll be okay. Plenty of women work during pregnancy.”
“True.”
“I’ll be back on my game after tomorrow. I promise.”
“I’m not concerned. You made a lot of progress while you were in the office. Carl is excited about what you’ve done to find the hacker.”
“He is?”
She hadn’t thought that she did much, but if Carl wanted to be happy, he could go ahead.
“He is.” Amedeo put his empty plate onto the tray. “You underestimate your abilities. If Carl is happy then things are good.”
“Okay.”
Maybe she had been taking crappy pay for jobs that she shouldn’t have. It was just tough to hold out for the right price if you needed to pay rent.
“Do you have any other clients at the moment?”
“No. I finished with everyone that first day I moved in here.”
“Then you should raise your prices,” he said. “You have some flexibility right now to pick and choose your jobs. Do it and start making more money.”
His advice seemed sound. He was a businessman who knew what he was doing. He’d sold two companies already. Maybe she had been underestimating her income potential.
With a baby on the way, she couldn’t afford to do that anymore.
***
Fresh off bedrest, Violet was back to work in time for it to be Friday. Amedeo had tried to talk her into staying home one more day, but she was having none of it. Afraid her brain would go to mush, she insisted on going to work with him.
Ensconced in her office, she was knee deep in code when her phone rang. Kalia?
“Hey, girl,” Violet said.
“Nice to hear from you. I’m down in your neck of the woods for something and I wanted to see if you could come out for lunch.”
“I can. What time and where?”
“Noon. Pick a place and text me. I don’t know exactly where you are.”
Three hours later, Violet met Kalia at a restaurant in downtown Princeton. The town was a mix of rich people and rich students. Violet had never seen anything quite like it.
Some of the architecture was new and some old.
Kalia hugged Violet. “You’re looking good. You really are glowing.”
“Thanks.”
The hostess led them to a table in the back.
“Tell me what’s been going on,” Kalia said when they had ordered.
“Where do I start? I’m living with Amedeo. We’ve heard the heartbeat and I’m working at his company to track down a hacker.”
“Wow. That’s a lot for one sentence,” Kalia said.
“In such a short time, right? It’s been a whirlwind.”
“How’s Amedeo been?”
“What do you mean? He’s been great.”
“Is he pushing for a paternity test?”
“I’ve already agreed to it. I have no fear that he is the father of my child. I didn’t have sex with anyone else,” Violet said.
“So he’s a man and he’s sticking around.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s had a European upbringing.”
Violet shrugged. Whatever it was, she was thankful. She’d probably be out on the street at this point if he weren’t around. Amedeo was being very good to her. She would never be able to repay his kindness, but she had a feeling he didn’t expect her too.