Page 7 of Just One More Affair
Her flight was one day away, as they had today for their drive back to civilization. A one-night stay in a hotel tonight, a flight to New York tomorrow, and she’d settle into another hotel and see her girls. Then, she’d have to find herself an apartment and a job. But the twins were her priority, along with her newly discoveredsituation.
Though Noah lived in a much more exclusive area than she could afford, there were neighborhoods nearby she might be able to manage. Prior to the dig, she’d worked for a museum and though she hadn’t wanted to take money from Noah, he’d insisted on contributing for the girls, which had enabled her to compile a small savings. She’d refused to continue to take from him while she was away but he insisted on resuming his payments now that she was home. As long as she got a good-paying job, she’d be fine.
“Knock, knock!” Professor Jerome Wilson said, accompanying his rap on her open door. Jerome had led the dig and had been the person who hired her in the first place.
“Come in!”
He was nearing sixty, his hair a silvery gray, and he was a nice-looking man. He also had a wife at home who was even more understanding than Noah since he went from one excursion to the next.
“You’re all set to leave, I see,” he said, taking in her closed duffel.
“I’m ready to be home.”
“I can understand how much you miss your girls. But I have a proposition for you, and it would give you six months before you have to leave again.”
Leave again? Not happening, she thought. “Jerome, as much as I appreciate whatever it is you’re going to offer, there is nothing that can convince me to leave my daughters again. This dig was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. We’ve excavated and catalogued artifacts that would never have been seen otherwise and I loved the excursion. But I’m done.”
Disappointment flashed across his face, the twinkle in his eyes dimming. “What if I told you I’m heading a group going to Alexandria to search for Alexander the Great’s tomb?”
She stared in disbelief. “Not only has that been considered lost but people have searched for years. Calliope Limneos-Papakosta has been there for years.”
“And I’d like to meet up with her. Aren’t you interested?”
She closed her eyes and gave the opportunity serious thought. Not even a hint of desire. Would she be fascinated to read about it? Of course. But she was tired and would love to find a job like her mother had, and like she’d had before her dig, in a New York City museum.
“I’m sorry, but my main title is going to be mommy from now on. I’ll find a job and I have your letter of reference to help me.” She smiled, but he didn’t return the gesture.
He shook his head, his displeasure clear. “I’m quite disappointed.”
She raised and lowered her shoulders. “I have to do what is right for me.” She wouldn’t apologize for her decisions.
“Well, I respect your choice. I’ll see you when our ride arrives.” He tipped his head and walked out of the trailer.
She stepped toward the entrance and shut the door, locking it behind him. Sitting down on the bed, she dug into her backpack carry-on and grabbed the inside zipper, pulling out the plastic bag holding the pregnancy test she’d taken this morning.
Luckily for her, Layla, her closest friend and confidante on this trip, had joined one of their guides and gone to the nearest town for personal supplies and necessities. She’d picked up the test and Charlie trusted her to keep her request private.
She glanced at the stick in her hand and the two vibrant pink lines staring back at her. If the news weren’t so serious she’d have to think it was a joke. Who got pregnant by one-night stands twice in one lifetime?
She’d had her IUD put in after giving birth to the girls, and though she planned on having it removed and a new one put in once she was home, she thought for certain hers was still good.
She sighed. Despite not having had much time to adjust to the news, she wasn’t as panicked as she’d been with Noah. Back then, she’d barely had a grasp on her life. Now she was turning thirty soon, had a degree and experience that would qualify her for a well-paying job, and she was even excited to have another baby.
As for Jared? Her stomach flipped at the thought of him. Since her return from the wedding, she’d thought of him almost daily. She’d also had the fleeting thought it hadn’t been smart to sleep with someone she’d surely see at family events when she came home.
Now, she wondered how he’d take the news.
***
As per usual,Jared worked past five. He was CFO and his father was CEO. Though Jared was used to the long hours, tonight he was damned tired. Deciding to pack it up early—for him—he gathered some paperwork and walked to his father’s office, planning to leave the information for him to see in the morning.
The lights were on beneath the door, taking Jared by surprise. Another example of his father ignoring the strict rules given to him by the doctor.
Jared shook his head in frustration. He wanted his dad around for a long time, not taking stupid risks with his health. Jared had already restructured both his life and the company to accommodate his father. He’d taken on the bulk of Alex’s work and had promoted Brooklyn Snyder, the daughter of their housekeeper and now his father’s girlfriend, not to mention his sister Fallon’s best friend, to an executive position. They worked closely together and made a good business team. The only one not cooperating was his dad.
Gritting his teeth, he knocked once and walked into the office. His father sat in his leather chair watching a finance channel on the wall-mounted television screen, a lit cigar sitting on an ashtray.
Pissed, Jared stormed over, picked up the cigar, and snubbed it out. “Do you have a death wish?” he asked his father. “Working late, smoking… let me guess. You’ll shower here?” He pointed at the full bathroom in his father’s office. “And Lizzie won’t know the difference?”
