“My OB on call, Amber, and I will monitor my pregnancy. I have my old classmate, Dr. Kerrion Jacobs, as my emergency OB-GYN, in case I become high risk. He’s board-certified and willing to fly in at any given moment. I haven’t started my prenatal vitamins yet—don’t hound me, I will start—but my diet is well-balanced. Also, I haven’t done a full screening yet, including a sonogram. I’m doing that at my birthing center on Saturday. You’re more than welcome to join me.”
Gage looked at me, and I knew he was about to protesteverythingI just said.
“Fly in?” He shook his head. “Naw, Dollface, that ain’t sitting well with me. I need you to have an high-risk OB-GYN on staff here as well. I’m sure Dr. Jacobs is fantastic, but he’s not close enough. Prenatal vitamins need to starttoday. And what time on Saturday? Because I promise—I’ll beat you there.”
“Okay,” I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. “Next to me, Dr. Jacobs is the best, but I get it—I’ll make it happen. And as long as there are no complications, there wont be a need for a high-risk expert. My prenatal vitamins will be on my desk in the morning. I needed a special prescription because my iron islow. Just give me one more day, and I’ll start. And 11 a.m. on Saturday. The center is closed on the weekends, so it’ll just be us.”
Gage embraced me in the tightest hug and planted the most sensual kiss on my forehead. It wasn’t sexual. It felt like a promise sealed.
“Aight, baby mama,” he said, smirking. “Daddy gotta get back on set. There’s money to be made—especially since I got two new liabilities.”
“Oh, shut up,” I said, laughing.
Gage held the door for me, and as I walked out, he called after me: “You think you can send me a voice memo on how to improve that birthing scene?”
“I’ll need your number to do that,” I responded.
“Let me see your phone,” he said.
I pulled it out, and he took his, bumped it into mine, and transferred our contact information. Then he reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and removed an Amex Centurion card, handing it to me.
“Here. Take this and use it for whatever the baby needs—even if it’s something to make you happy.”
“Gage… what am I supposed to buy with this?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“Shit, I don’t know. Do you have a nursery at your house formybaby?”
“No,” I admitted.
“Well, buy one.”
“A nursery?” I repeated, still confused.
“Nah—a housewithone already built in. I’ll call Amex and pre-arrange the transaction and prove liquidity. That card will cover whatever you want.”
I looked for the joke. But this fool was dead serious.
“Let’s get through Saturday before we start signing deeds and shit, okay?” I handed the card back to him, but he simply looked at it… and at me… and walked smoothly away toward the set.
For that moment, in that small room behind the chaos of the world—
I wasn’t alone anymore.
Gage
Icouldn’t sleep.
Paris was curled up next to me in my Baldacchino Supreme bed, her skin soft like silk, her perfume light and airy. Her body looked appetizing as she rested, wearing one of my T-shirts, with nothing else underneath.
I met Paris on the set of one of Desmond’s projects. She was an extra in a book-turned-film calledA Ride to Remember, written by Neveah Jayne. Our first encounter was a bit confrontational—she was being cut out of the diner scene because her ginger hair was deemed too distracting, and she refused to dye it. She was a natural-born redhead, myself; I couldn’t blame her. She stormedinto Desmond’s office and called him everything but a child of God.
I was instantly drawn to her boldness, her refusal to be dismissed. She was also very attractive. After I made sure Desmond or Jason hadn’t fucked her (because that was usually how the extras secured roles), I got her number, and the rest was history.
Baby was cool for a while, but then I noticed her ambition dropped, and the swipes on my bank cards increased. I paid top dollar to send her to acting classes with some of the world's best coaches. I would bring home scripts and roles for her to audition for—although the audition was just a formality. She had the part as soon as I told the booking agent to give it to her.
But Paris would never do her part to seal the deal. Instead, she became a passenger princess and my damn shadow.
She was nothing like my Dollface.
