James
I scrape a hand over my face.
It feels unreal.
Reality hasn’t settled in.
A father again?
At my age?
A baby girl?
A little boy?
Red-headed and fiery?
Dark like me?
Doesn’t matter…
Beautiful whatever…
She gave me this.
And so did he.
*****
Michael
I ease the bedroom door open, look inside.
They’re there, lying together on the bed. Normally she would be curled into the crook of his arm, but this time, he’s lying across her, head pillowed on her breasts, stroking her belly.
“I still can’t believe you did this for me. That you chose to do this.”
“You did everything for me, Master, up to and including saving my life. I wanted to give something back.”
“Oh, you did. Something precious. Something very precious.” He falls silent, still stroking.
Beautiful…
As quietly as I can, I back out and close the door again.
*****
Richard
The elevator doors swish open and I stroll in. “Morning, Francis.”
“Good morning, Richard.”
“Anything for me?”
“Just some mail.” She stands, offers me a handful of envelopes, but as I take them, Francis nudges me, rolling eyes to James’ office where the door stands a little ajar.
I mouth the words silently. Something wrong?
She shrugs but doesn’t look unhappy. Just perplexed. Rocking spread fingers back and forth, she looks more…
Bewildered?
Or what?
She shrugs and jerks her head back to James’ door, standing ajar.
Not helpful…
Feeling a little dischuffed at my P. A.’s unuseful attitude…
More information would be helpful…
… I head for James’ door, raising knuckles…
And I freeze…
Is that humming?
?
James?
?
Tentatively, I push the door wider.
James is there, stooped over a site-plan, his long frame bent all but double as he pushes spectacles up his nose to peer at some detail.
And yes, he’s humming.
More than that… I can hear words.
Do giraffes ski?
Do pigs roller-skate?
Does James sing?
James is humming.
No wonder Francis was unsettled.
“You sound cheerful.”
He jerks, then straightens up, rubbing at his spine…
Memo to self: Get him a better arrangement than that table before he buggers up his back.
“Do I?” He smiles and stretches. “Yes, I suppose I am. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”
I glance out at thin cloud and thinner sunshine. “I suppose so, yes. Spring’s on its way, at least.”
James’ face is sunny. I have never seen him wearing this expression before. As he sees me eyeing him, the smile broadens. My co-director is a man of many admirable qualities: intelligence, perseverance, courage, loyalty…
… but right now, he’s grinning like a cat with the keys to the sardine cannery.
“Whatever it is, James, spit it out. You’re unsettling me.”
“I’m going to be a father.”
The words echo around my skull, bouncing back two or three times before connecting with my brain. “You mean, Charlotte’s expecting?”
“That’s right…”
Skating around the edge of the lake, trying to avoid the thin ice of deeper waters, “Um, so you and Michael…”
“It’s mine.”
“How…?”
Don’t go there…
I stall. James’ mouth twitches and I swallow the impulse to ask a really stupid question. I hold up hands. “Forget it. I don’t want to know and I have no right to ask.”
“They set it up between themselves,” he says. “After Georgie. That she’d get pregnant by me.”
Jeez…
“That’s… remarkable.”
“Isn’t it. It’s not just the fact of her pregnancy. It’s…” James turns, leaning back against the table, staring down at the carpet. “She did it for me. And Michael helped. He’s her legal husband.” His eyes rise to mine. “Michael knew. And he helped.”
He leans his head so far back I hear his neck crack. “I can’t remember when anyone last did something like that for me. It’s one thing to have friends, but…”
“Actions speak louder than words, eh?”
“They do indeed.”.
Suddenly feeling jubilant myself, I rub hands together. “James, this calls for a celebration.” I nod down to the displayed plan. “Are you doing anything critical?”
“Well, the work needs doing.”
“Does it need doing today?”
“No.”
“Then put it away. I’m calling Elizabeth and Charlotte and we’re going out. What’s Michael up to?”
“I thought you had a meeting with the mayor?”
Every silver lining has a cloud…
“Even better reason. Fuck the mayor. He can wait ’til next week. He’s been chasing me for funding for the last month. It’ll do him good to wait.” I slap him on the shoulder. “Call Michael. Tell him I would very much like him to join us.”
Eyes crinkling, James reaches into a pocket, pulling out his mobile. As he taps in, I return to the reception desk. “Francis, call Charlotte would you. Tell her from me to drop whatever she’s doing and get her ass up here.”
“Yes, Richard… What..?” Her eyes slide the way of James door.
I lean close by her, drop my voice to a whisper. “Charlotte is pregnant. By James. She and Michael arranged it between themselves after the business with James’ daughter…”
My PA’s eyes flood. She raises fingers to her lips. “Oh, that’s beautiful. That’s so romantic.”
Is it?
“… And call Elizabeth would you… No, I’ll call her. You call Ross. Tell him to pick her up from home and bring her here. Then find some champagne from somewhere.”
Francis is nodding. “… and some champagne substitute, perhaps? For Charlotte?”
“Good thinking.”
*****