“You cuddled with me last night.”
Damara shakes her head. “No, I did not. My body instinctively seeks warmth. It’s not the same as cuddling.”
“So you’re totally unaffected by sharing a bed with me?”
“Finally, you understand. This is just a contract, Magnum. Your contract. Actually, worse than that. Somebody drugged both of us. We shouldn’t lose sight of that.”
“I’m not losing sight of anything.”
“Go do something aside from bothering me,” Damara says. “I’m not talking about my love life anymore, and I won’t change my mind.”
Good.I finally pestered her enough that she’ll kick me out and think the whole thing was all her idea. Damara is exactly where I want her. I act all sheepish and meek.
“Do you want more water?” I ask her.
“Out of my face, white boy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I disappear to the bathroom, ready to collect her piss and test it.
Chapter Twelve
Damara
Three Weeks Later
I’m ignoring the obvious. Three weeks ago, I got suspicious after Magnum showed up randomly after our weird morning encounter with a bouquet of red roses. I thought he was going todosomething, but he didn't. My period still hasn’t shown up and now, I’m piecing Magnum’s behavior together.
I think I’m pregnant.We’ve been working on my business idea together ever since I moved in, but I have to keep my emotions in check before I mistake this means of survival as a real life plan. Out of Magnum’s unhinged list of business ideas, I chose a small event space for poetry readings, open mic nights and live music that uses the other half of the space as an officially licensed marijuana dispensary. I thought the slew of required licensing agreements would slow Magnum down, but all I’ve done is light his fire with interest for my so-called “creative ventures”.
He’s actually making it happen. I don’t want to get too excited in front of him, but it’s hard to avoid those jitters that come with opening a business. We have a preliminary openingbefore the grand opening to prove our idea and earn us some money during the months we need to wait for the official dispensary licensing. The CBD oil portion of our business will be ready to take online orders delivered locally in about two weeks.
We have ads in the newspaper, on the radio, across social media, and even a huge billboard on the segment of the highway which gets the most traffic from Route 66 travelers. The fact that we’re making this happen on such short notice is almost crazier than the way we crossed paths in the first place. Why have none of my other plans for my life come together this easily? It seems unfair that it took meeting Magnum to makesomethinghappen that comes this close to aligning with my dreams.
With Magnum’s connections, it’s so much easier to make my random ideas come to life. Is this what it’s like to have money? I’ve never had any point in my life where I don’t have to track expenses
The business planning makes it easier to take my mind off the “situation” growing between me and Magnum. What’s going to happen to me during this pregnancy? What if I have a miscarriage? I’ve been living in denial playing house with Magnum since he took me away from my life and brought me to Santa Fe, but this is real life shit.
It’s the first time I’ve thought seriously about escape and I can’t tell if it’s a rush of hormones telling me to do this, or a very real feeling of being trapped. Magnum wraps his arm around me as I try to roll out of bed and get a possible head start on at least planning an escape. His thick bicep curls around me and Magnum pulls my body back against his.
I try to work up some gas to fart on his leg again, but nothing bubbles up and Magnum is very clearly awake.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I fucking hate you.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Magnum asks, wrapping me up tighter in his grasp despite my obvious efforts to escape. I never asked for any of this. After all the shit I’ve been through, I deserve my freedom. I never expected to get pregnant. Foolishly, I talked myself out of the possibility, convincing myself that the likelihood of pregnancy was slim.
As if that man’s dick doesn’t make my pussy ache every night and sometimes for a day or two after – if I ever get that much time to recover. How the hell will a man who enjoys sex like that survive the parts of pregnancy where I’m unglamorous and unsexy…
I refuse to answer Magnum’s question. I grunt and try to push him off again. He kisses my neck, sending absolute fury raging through me.
“Getoff!” I yell at him. He flips me onto my back so fast the air knocks out of my lungs and instead of obeying my clear demands for space, Magnum pins my arms above my head by the wrists and uses his knee to spread my thighs apart so he can position his excessively large body between my legs and use his hips to pin me to the bed. As a curvier woman a few inches taller than the average, I never thought I would meet a man this much bigger than me who makes me feel petite and weak in his grasp.
“I’m not going anywhere until you quiet down and stop fighting me.”
“Or what? You’re going to ruin my life with a baby that I don’t even want?”
