“Are you driving back home?”
“No. We took the plane.”
“Spoiled,” I commented playfully, with a light laugh.
“I offered you the plane, but you turned me down.”
“Next time, I won’t. That was a long drive.”
“See, I’m always right.”
I frowned because most of the time he was.
“Call me later. And please be careful.” Max leaned down and kissed me. Then he did it again. This time, each spoken word was punctuated with a peck on my face. “Don’t...talk...to...strange...men. People...are...crazy...here.”
“Understood, Mr. Knight. I’ll call you later.”
Max looked over his shoulder, winking one last time before he closed the door behind him.
Chapter 4
Jenna
“So glad we had VIP passes. Can you imagine standing in that line?” Nicole asked, and took a bite of her smoked salmon.
I glanced at the line again. From where we were sitting, we had a clear view. “The buffet lines are crazy. I don’t remember it being like this the last time I came here, but then again, I was in high school and I came with my parents. We always ate early to beat the rush.”
“We did come around the time when everybody heads to the restaurants. It’s brunch time.” Kate looked like she was going to bust out laughing. “Some of us were ready for breakfast, and some already had breakfast in bed.” She cleared her throat.
Becky and I looked at each other and our cheeks turned the same color. “Sorry,” Becky said sheepishly. “I had no idea Matthew and Max were going to throw us a surprise visit.”
“That’s okay.” Nicole adjusted her tiara; it was made of plastic, and attached to a long veil. On the back of the veil it read Bride to Be. It was Kate’s idea. She also gifted us with T-shirts that read Bride’s Maid, which were decorated with pink trimmings. Though it was something I would normally never wear, we did it for Nicole and for the fun of it. It made Nicole happy and that was all that mattered.
“So, here is the plan …” Becky started to say between bites of her toast. “We’re going shopping after we eat, catching an early show, and going to dinner. We’ll be meeting some of Nicole’s friends, and we’ll all be out together for a fun night.”
“Sounds good,” Nicole agreed, glancing at me. “Jenna, how are you feeling? You look a little out of it.”
“That’s because she has something to tell you.” Becky nudged me underneath the table to reassure me that now was the time to let my friends know.
I couldn’t hold on to this news any longer. I should have told Max when I saw him that morning, but knowing how he felt I couldn’t. The fact that he had traveled miles to surprise me was even more reason not to dampen his visit. However, these were my best friends, friends I could trust. Why couldn’t I just say it? I was embarrassed...that was the main reason.
I swore I would never be pregnant before I got married, so what had happened to the promise I’d made to myself? Max happened. He gave me pleasure beyond anything I could imagine, and he gave me a love that far surpassed the pleasure. I shouldn’t be embarrassed. It was out of love that I was carrying his child.
I had to admit that a part of me was beyond exaltation. Never knowing if I could have children because of my mom’s history, I was thrilled when I found out I was pregnant. I could still recall the day I’d told Becky.
“Becky.” I rushed out, not knowing she would be just outside of the door, and almost ran into her.
“I’m right here, Jenna. Where would I be? I’m nervous as hell for you right now.” Becky looked as if she was the one who had to tell me the news, like she was holding her breath. I could almost feel her heart pounding hard against her chest, like mine was.
Holding out the stick with my shaky hand, I said, “I’m not sure how I’m feeling right now, but for whatever reason...this happened. I’m pregnant.” I bawled in front of her, not knowing if I was happy or upset over the news.
Becky reached for me and held me tightly. “It’s okay, Jenna. Things will work out. Max will embrace his baby.”
Nodding to agree, I cried harder. After I let it all out in Becky’s arms, I wiped my tears and gathered myself. “Sorry, Becky. I’m happy that I can get pregnant, but I’m also worried. Even if Max and I were married, he didn’t want to have children right away. He wanted us to travel the world and have an adventure before we started a family.”
Holding my hand, Beck led me to the sofa. “You don’t always get what you want. Sometimes, life just happens and you have to make new plans. Nobody is prepared for the unexpected. Knowing Max, he will be a great father. You’re already engaged, so there is no reason to be ashamed about this news.”