Tempted by My Billionaire Boss(13)

"I told you this would happen," Melanie said.

"Not now Melanie," Krystal said as she shushed her. "Can't you see she is down?"

"It's alright Krystal," Selena interjected. "She is right. I knew this day would come."

"I don't know, something is off though. Why would he buy you expensive  gifts and share with you the things he has, and then walk off without a  warning?"

"Because he is wealthy and he could afford to," Melanie pointed out.

Just then Selena's phone rang. "Hello?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Selena, is everything alright? I didn't get a chance to follow up with  you when you asked for time off. You aren't sick are you?" Ethan asked.

"It's him," Selena mouthed to her friends as she pointed to the phone.  Instantly they rushed to her and pressed their ears close to the phone  so they might catch what he was saying.

"No I am not ill; I just needed some time to rest. I think my body was beginning to revolt."

"Okay, that's good to hear. Listen, if you need a place to getaway, you  could always use the beach house at the quay. The house is fully  equipped and there is always someone there. That is, if you like."

The girls' eyes popped after his offer. "Thank you," Selena said when  her voice returned. ‘I will let you know if I decide to. I have a few  days off."

"Okay. Take care," he told her. "I will check in later."

"I am officially confused," Selena said as she hung up. She went to the  sofa and sat down and her friends sat on either side of her. First he  flirts and seduces every girl who would stop to listen, then he wines  and dines me like I am the only woman in the world; then he reverts to  his old ways and...What was that?" she asked as she pointed to the  phone.         

     



 

"I have no comment," was all Melanie could say much to their surprise."I have to admit this behaviour is abnormal."

"I feel like I am on a roller coaster ride with him and I don't know which way is up or down. He is confusing me tremendously."

"Well why don't you be straight and ask him what he wants from you? You  do have a right to know. He can't keep flitting from Prince Charming to  the frog at odd intervals. If you aren't interested, then do it for me,"  Krystal grinned.

Selena gave a half smile. "Of course I want to know. Right now I am just  afraid of what I might hear," she said and her voice fell to a whisper  as she wrung her hands together.

"At least you will know how to proceed, but this can't continue," Melanie chimed in.

"I know," Selena said.

The girls did not persist in prolonging that line of conversation, for  the more they talked the further into depression Selena sank. After they  had gone Selena curled up in a ball on the sofa watching re-runs of her  favourite television programmed. Seeing Cole and Phoebe in love did not  help her mood and soon Charmed lost its appeal. She flipped through  some other movies she felt were more appropriate for lifting her spirit,  but somewhere between the browsing and selecting she fell asleep.

She woke the following morning with a queasy feeling in the pit of her  stomach she couldn't pin point. She got up and realised dawn was slowly  breaking and could hardly believe she had slept an entire night on her  sofa. She washed up and made some chamomile tea, and the feeling  subsided. She figured she must have eaten something that didn't agree  with her the day before.

Now that she looked around her apartment and realised she had to be the  one cooking meals and tidying house, Ethan's beach house seemed more  appealing. She was tempted to go there and continue the romantic  getaways she had grown accustomed to, but she knew she had to confront  him or she would never have any peace of mind.

Not wanting to delay the inevitable, she called him later during the day  and asked that he come see her that night. They were to go somewhere  quiet where they could be alone; the request put ideas into Ethan's mind  about the endless possibilities, and he watched the clock for the  entire day. Selena did the same and as the time came for them to meet  she grew so nervous she could hardly stand.

He took her to a cosy little garden restaurant where they selected a  booth in the back of the establishment. There was no one there but them.  "Is this private enough for you?" he asked.

Selena smiled. "Yes it is. It's lovely, as usual. You know the best places."

Just then a waiter approached with the wine and menu listing and Selena,  not feeling as hungry, ordered braised tilapia with a fruit and  vegetable salad. Ethan ordered T-bone steak and creamed Irish potatoes,  complimented with both a glass of white and red wine for each. Until the  food arrived he talked about how he spent his day, and some real estate  opportunities that had come his way. Selena barely heard a word he  said; her mind was consumed with trying to find the right way to put her  question across.

"Are you hearing anything I am saying?" he eventually asked.

"Hmm?" she said as she looked at him now. "Yes, you bought some stakes in a new hotel. I heard."

"You seem distracted," he said as he surveyed her.

She was about to respond when the waiter returned with the meal. Selena  was grateful for the distraction for she had not yet collected her  thoughts. Hastily she bit into her fish and chewed two bites before she  paused. She chewed slowly as she tried to detect the sensation she felt,  and she recognised it then as the same she had felt earlier the  morning.

"What is it?" he asked as he saw the puzzled look on her face.

"I'm not sure. I just feel..." she didn't get the words out before a  wave of nausea washed over her. She covered her mouth and he jumped up  as he hurried with her to the ladies' room. No sooner had she gotten  there when she spewed her insides into the face basin. With bloodshot  eyes she stared at her reflection in the mirror as she felt the urge to  regurgitate overwhelm her. She leaned over the face basin for what  seemed a considerable time until she felt she was better enough to  re-enter the dining area.

"Are you alright?" he asked and his face was a picture of concern as he stood there.

"I think so," she said.

"Would you like to go home?" he asked.

"No, I don't feel as bad now. I'm not sure what happened just now. Maybe it was the fish."

"Should we order something else?" he asked.

"No, that's fine," she said. "I feel much better now. Maybe it was nothing."         

     



 

But the moment Selena sat back down again, the queasiness she had felt  before rose to the surface again and she was forced to remove herself  from the table. This time she walked to the fountain in the garden  hoping the gentle flowing of the water would ease the unsettling in her  stomach.

"Are you sure you are alright?" he asked again, this time with more concern in his voice.

Selena stood there, until she elected to sit on the concrete wall  surrounding the fountain. "I came here tonight with the intention to  speak with you about what we are doing," she started.

"What do you mean?" he asked as he sat next to her.

"I mean the mixed signals you keep giving me; first you are with all of  these women, then with what appears to be just me, then back to the  women. I don't know what it is you want from me," she said to him.

"Oh I see," was all he said. "Not everything is as it appears to be sometimes."

Selena laughed. "And that's the irony. I wanted to know if there was any  possibility that you would be in my future. Now I don't even need to  ask you that anymore; I already got my answer just by being here  tonight."

Ethan looked at her quizzically. "I'm not sure I get your meaning."

"Ethan, I am pregnant."