Page 74 of Bagging the Blueliner
Nodding, Amy confirmed, “He might be my guard, but he reports to Liam.”
“So, Liam doesn’t know?” Natalie asked.
Amy shook her head. “He wants this so badly that I didn’t want him to be disappointed if it took a while.”
Eyes widening, Natalie’s jaw dropped. “Wait. Does that mean he doesn’t even know you’re trying?”
Covering her face with both hands, she confirmed, “No. He wanted to try right after the state wedding, but things went sideways.” Amy’s gaze flicked to me before continuing, “So, I put him off some more. I got my IUD removed before Christmas but didn’t tell him.”
The way she mentioned the wedding gave me pause. What had gone sideways? I remember the palace going on lockdown due to a threat, but it turned out to be nothing in the end. The newsof Leo being committed to the mental institution came in the following weeks. Lucy had also left Belleston around the same time and refused to return. Were all those events related in some way?
Before I could ponder that further, Natalie asked, “What makes you think you’re pregnant? Are you nauseous?”
“No,” Amy answered. “For starters, I haven’t had a period since my IUD removal, and that’s been six weeks now. My boobs are so tender I can barely stand to wear a bra, and I’m tired all the time. I almost fell asleep in the middle of an engagement last week.”
“Did you take a test yet?” I leaned against the wall as Amy dropped onto the bench inside the dressing room.
Her only response was a heavy sigh. Natalie nodded knowingly, musing, “You can’t buy one without someone finding out.”
“Exactly,” Amy breathed out.
Taking charge, I declared, “I’ve got this.”
Natalie eyed me. “You’ve got what?”
“I’ll go to the pharmacy. We passed one a block or so back. Meet me back at the boat, and we’ll settle this once and for all.”
“That’s actually a great idea.”
I gave her a hair flip in response. “Thanks. I’ve got lots of them.” I winked.
“Listen, make sure to get the early response ones,” she instructed. “Without a period to track timing, we need the most sensitive ones on the market.”
I nodded, making a mental note. “Early response. Got it. Meet you back in Natalie’s room in twenty minutes.”
Natalie grabbed Amy’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
They left me alone in the dressing room, and I peeked through the curtain to make sure they’d left with Marcus. Confident theywere gone, I ventured from my hiding spot and exited the shop, turning toward the pharmacy I’d spotted earlier.
Locating it on the road that led back to the harbor, I ducked inside. Scanning the aisles, I found the feminine care section tucked in the back corner—probably to protect the delicate sensibilities of men.
I wasn’t a super fan of trolling the aisle myself, opting to source my products online in avoidance. It was awkward as hell, especially if someone else happened to be there. Then there was trying to hide whatever product you got under other items in your cart so other shoppers didn’t see. Not that it mattered because, at checkout, the clerk saw anyway. The workings of the female body were natural, but society conditioned us to feel ashamed. The only thing that topped buying period products in a physical store was realizing you needed one and being forced to ask strangers in the bathroom if they had any you could have in a pinch.
Scanning the shelves, I found the type Natalie had demanded I choose, throwing a bunch of the bright pink boxes into my shopping basket. I wasn’t sure how many she needed, so it was better to be safe than sorry. I wasn’t running this errand twice.
Walking to the checkout with nothing but a basket of pregnancy tests, the clerk—of course, it had to be a man—gave me a knowing look. He could fuck off right now with his judgment. He didn’t know me. I wasn’t some teenager in trouble; I was a grown-ass woman in my thirties. What kind of world did we live in where people went right to the worst-case scenario in their minds? Millions of women were excited to get pregnant, and the pitying look this guy was giving me had the power to kill their joy.
Tapping my credit card on the screen of the reader showing my total, I snatched the bag from his hands, resisting the urgeto give him a piece of my mind. Without further delay, I headed back to the boat.
It was time for Amy’s moment of truth.
Clutching the pharmacy bag to my chest, I knocked on the door to Natalie’s cabin aboard the yacht, feeling like a smuggler. It was ridiculous, but it felt like everyone I passed on the street had X-ray vision and could see through the thin plastic to know its contents.
“Let me in,” I whisper-shouted, knocking more insistently.
The door flew open, and Natalie snaked out an arm to pull me inside. “Did you see any of the guys?” she asked.
“No.” I thrust the bag at her. My heart hammered against my chest. Since when did going on a mission to buy pregnancy tests feel like I was in special ops?
