Page 2 of Mr. Almost

I glance around the room. It’s a normal conference room. Nothing fancy. I almost wish it was glass like most of those fancy places you see on television. That way I could see him coming.

Oh great. Now I’m feeling nauseous again. I press a clammy hand over my mouth and pray for my stomach to stop churning.

Several minutes pass before the door opens. My heart skips a beat, ready to see Mason again, only he’s not who enters.

Instead, it’s the woman he was speaking with at the gala. She looks exactly the same as she did then. All made up and elegant.

“I’m sorry. I was waiting for Mason,” I tell her, standing.

She nods. “I know. Sit, dear. We need to have a talk.”

A lump forms in my throat. This can’t be good. No one ever wants to hear that phrase.

“I really need to talk to Mason. I have something I think he will want to know,” I tell her as I sit back down.

She looks down her nose at me. “That you’re with child. I’ve been told. Mason doesn’t want to have a child with you. He asked me to come here and let you know that he knows that he protected himself, so if you want to continue your lies, he will have you prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

My eyes start to tear up. He thinks I’m faking it. That I’m after him for what? His money?

I thought we had connected. Even if only for one night. How could I have been so wrong?

“Don’t be so upset. We get this a lot. If you would be willing to sign this paper agreeing to never mention this again, we will give you a large sum to terminate the pregnancy.”

My heart stops. They want me to kill my child?

Fuck no.

Over my cold, dead body.

Standing, I march over to the woman.

“I don’t want his money, nor will I need it. You tell Mason thathe’s a piece of shit. This is his child, but don’t worry. I’ll never seek him out again. Have a good day.”

I don’t look back as I stride down the hall, my head held high.

If Mason doesn’t want anything to do with this baby, that’s fine. My mom never needed a man to raise me, and I won’t need one to raise this little bean either.

Placing my shaky hands over my stomach, I whisper to my whole world.

“We are going to be okay.”

Chapter

One

OLIVIA

Four years later

“Are you sure that’s my only option?” I ask the recruitment manager.

“The only one who is offering what you said you needed to make. With your degree in hospitality, this would be the ideal choice for you. If you do well, they may even buy out your contract with us and keep you on full-time. The Williamson is a fine chain of hotels.”

I swallow hard. I know Williamson is the name in luxury hotels. I’ve witnessed it blossom and grow for the last four years. Not because I wanted to.

No, they are just the talk in the hospitality industry right now. A naive Olivia decided to switch her majors four years ago after one amazing night with a man who talked about making a family experience during the holidays in a hotel feel homey. I had stars in my eyes.

Then again, that was before I found out I was pregnant a monthand a half later. Before Mason cut ties with me for good, leaving me and our child all alone.

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