Page 62 of Executive Decision

“You don’t?” He looked offended.

I giggled. “I do. I tried not to for years. But… I did.”

Cal smacked my ass. “Let me take care of this. Jesus, woman. You’re too much.”

23OLD HABITS

Cal

I headed home Sunday morning,not wanting to leave Daphne. She waved goodbye from her front door, wearing little more than short-shorts and a tank top. I hated to leave her. We spent the weekend in bed scheming about the list of people she needed to court if she wanted to shake up the C-suite.

As I returned to Chicago, all chaos broke loose. Once in my apartment, Kristy texted an SOS.

Kristy

I am so sorry to ask but can you take Laurie for a couple of hours?

The baby? Why would she ask me that?

Me

Why? What do you need to do?

Kristy

I have to run my sister to urgent care. And I don’t want to expose her to whatever ick is there. Can you take her? I can drop her off with everything she needs.

I don’t have anyone else to call, Cal. I’m sorry.

How was it that Kristy had a boyfriend, but I was her fallback? Sadly, I wanted to help Kristy and remained a sucker for a happy, fat baby. So, I gave in. I had no idea what I did, but I was doing my best to try to help her. She’d been there for me when I needed her.

Me

Fine. I can take her for a bit if you bring her here.

Kristy appeared twenty minutes later, handing the baby off with a very full diaper bag. I was left staring at a bright-eyed little human who rolled around on my floor, delighted to eat her own toes.

“You are very awake,” I noted. “And very happy.”

Laurie smiled, then giggled adorably, rolling over and kicking her legs. When my doorbell rang, I turned on the TV to catch up on a cable show. Assuming it was Kristy, I hoisted the baby and proceeded to the buzzer.

Albert, the front desk guy, said, “Sir, Miss Markham is down here requesting to speak to you.”

“My sister?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Uh… send her up,” I sighed.

Before too long, my sister appeared clad in a bright pink dress and heels a mile high.

“Chloe, what the hell?” I asked.

“Why are you holdinga baby?” Chloe tossed her handbag onto my kitchen island. “Do you have a love child, Cal?”

“God, no!” I said. “This is Kristy’s baby.”

Chloe approached, looking at Laurie like she was observing a rare specimen. “Nope. She doesn’t look like yours.”

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