Page 32 of Book Bae

When she finished and prepared to bag them up, I stopped her. “No. They’re not for me. The next three people that come through here to purchase a copy of one of those books, just gift it to them.”

“That’s very generous of you, Mr. Livingstone,” she declared, glancing at my credit card as she handed it back to me.

I bobbed my head, waited for her to complete the rest of my purchase, and then went in search of Myraj at the coffee shop.

“This is delicious.” Myraj groaned between bites. I had taken her to dinner at Dawson Castle’s Steakhouse. I had ordered a Porterhouse steak, sauteed mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and roasted potatoes. Myraj had opted for a rack of lamb, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli. A large plate of rolls sat in the middle of the table between us. I had already ordered strawberry cheesecake for our dessert.

Myraj had lamented the fact that she couldn’t have the white wine with her meal and opted instead for the sweet tea. When I had chosen to order a water, she insisted that I should order what I might normally order, so I had a glass of bourbon.

I requested a private booth so that we could have a conversation about the baby without others overhearing us.

“How are you and the baby doing?”

“Everything is fine. My bloodwork and oxygen levels look good, and I’ve been making sure that I stay hydrated for the baby.”

“And for you too. You should be taking good care of yourself whether you’re pregnant or not.”

“I know. Sometimes, I have the best intentions, but my schedule gets so busy that I forget to take care of myself. I’ve placed a schedule in my phone to keep me on my toes about eating and drinking.”

“You might take a midday rest too.”

She twisted her lips and waved her hand. “Chile, please. Nobody has time for naps around here.”

“Okay. I hear you, but if you feel the need to do so, you might have to do that. How is your office set up? Do you have a couch in there?”

“I do.”

“Take advantage of it. Uhm, do you know the gender yet?” I rubbed my sweaty palms down the front of my jeans.

A beautiful smile softened her features. “It’s a girl.”

“That’s beautiful. How are you feeling about everything? The changes in your mood, your body, and your life?”

“Honestly, Micaiah, it’s a welcome feeling. I’ve been wanting to have a baby for a couple of years now. I’m so excited. I mean, I know that I’m getting older and my chances at conception are growing slimmer with each passing year, so this works for me. It may not be the way I planned to have a baby, but I’ll take what I can get.”

“What do you mean it wasn’t the way you planned?”

“I found out that I was pregnant when I was attending an appointment for intrauterine insemination. They discovered during my exam that I was already pregnant.”

Something tightened in my chest, and I thought about what Arabella suggested, that maybe she did know who I was, and she had intentionally tried to get pregnant. I had thought it was odd that she was pregnant, knowing that I had used condoms each time we had sex. It was time to broach the conversation I had been wanting to have, but she spoke first.

“Micaiah, I know you must have some concerns—and I know this came at you from out of nowhere, so, if you want a paternity test, just know that I’m open to it.”

I cleared my throat. “I do, and thank you for understanding that. It’s no reflection on you. It’s about establishing firm guidelines and clearing up any misconceptions or confusion.”

She wore a tight smile but spoke pleasantly. “Sure, it’s no less than what I expected. I’ll look up some places Monday to⁠—”

“You don’t have to. I can make an appointment for us next Tuesday with a provider I know, if you’d like.”

“Okay, that’s fine,” she responded in a soft voice and looked away. I reached across the table and tilted her chin.

“Are you okay?”

“I am.”

I reached inside of my back pocket and removed my phone. She kept her gaze on me as I texted Joshua. I already had a conversation about it with him, and he linked me up with his best friend who had a clinic specializing in prenatal DNA testing.

“I’ll text you the link with all the details when I get it. I’ll send a car service to you to pick you up, and I’ll bring you back home.”