HIRAM’S POV:
“I have an art exhibition I would love to attend on Monday.” Juniper puts down her phone and glances up at me as I say this. “It’s just in Boulder City.”
Her brows crease, and she focuses on her phone without saying a thing.
“You won’t make a comment?” I ask, and she glares at me.
“Yeah, my husband is going to abandon me for an art exhibition while I go to school pregnant and in pain.” The sarcasm in her tone makes me chuckle slightly, then I walk up to her, sitting on the bed.
“It is just one day, and I will be back in the evening or the next morning. It will be as though I didn’t leave. Plus, Rhea is here to take care of you, and…”
“She isn’t you.” She stops me. “What if I come back from school and I need a hug from you because my back hurts? The fact my belly isn’t protruding doesn’t make me different from every other pregnant woman. Winter is here too, and it gets lonely.” I reach for her hand, caressing it softly.
“You know what? I will make sure I come back that day. I will just see the paintings and speak to a few artists, then I will be back, I swear,” I say to her. She pouts. “Seriously. I will be back.”
She nods slightly when I say this to her.
“I am hungry,” she says, and I lean in to kiss her.
“So, what do you want to eat? I wish I could make your mother’s soup, but I know if I tried with a recipe, there would still be something wrong, and you won’t let the helps cook for you. Like you can tell it isn’t me who made the food.”
“That’s a lie!” she interjects, crossing her arms over her chest. “But you make the food extra spicy sometimes, and you can’t blame me. Haven’t you heard of pregnant women’s cravings? I want your hand touching the food sometimes,” she says, then throws her feet off the bed, stretching her hands with a little yawn.
“Come on, let’s shower, then we can decide what we are going to eat,” I say to her, and she nods, standing up. I take her hand.
**
A driver takes June and me out. She rolls down the window, sticking her head out slightly.
“What are you trying to do?” I ask, reaching for her hand to pull her back.
“I am trying to use my pregnant senses to find the best meal. I think I can smell it already,” she says, and I sigh, leaning back in the car because I know better than to interrupt her “senses.”
After a while, she squeals in excitement. “Stop here!”
The driver comes to a halt, and she opens the door before me. I follow her, holding her hand.
“Where exactly are we going to?” I ask, and she points across the road to the restaurant opposite us. The surroundings are exquisite and very decent.
“It looks so beautiful, and I can sense the food will taste nice too,” she says. I wrap my hand tightly around her wrist, walking across the road with her.
Opening the door of the restaurant, a rush of cool air greets us. The entire place smells nice, but I glance at June to see if it’s affecting her, and all I can see is a cheeky smile on her face.
“Let’s find a table,” I say to her, then walk to a corner, choosing one of the soft seats by the window.
I help June sit, then I take the seat opposite her. I click the tiny bell on the table, and a waiter comes around to take our order.
“I’ll have the chicken soup,” she says, and the waiter scribbles down her order, then turns to me.
“I’ll have the grilled steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables”
The waiter leaves, and June stares at me with her hands on the table, supporting her jaw.
“What?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “Okay.” I raise a brow, and she chuckles.
“You do it to me all the time, so it is my turn now, so you know how creepy it feels when you look at me.”
“It’s different,” I try to defend myself. “I look at you because you are sexy and beautiful, but I am none of those things.” She rolls her eyes, leaning back on the seat, before swinging herself forward again.
“I think I need to pee,” she says, then gets to her feet. I attempt to stand.
“You do not have to come with me; I’ll be fine.”
I open my mouth to speak, but she beats me to it.
“I am going alone, and someone needs to get our food.” I lean back in the seat because the last thing I want to do is argue with her. My eyes remain on her until she disappears behind the door to the restroom, then I let out a sigh.
My mind wanders for a moment until I hear someone call my name. I look up to see Tatiana standing in front of me. She has a white fur jacket on, and her body is properly covered for winter.
“Tatiana,” I reply with a smile.
“Where have you been?” she asks, taking a seat opposite me. “I haven’t seen you in a hot minute.”
I do not want to engage in a conversation with her because I know June will be mad when she sees her, but she already took a seat, so I try to quicken the conversation.
“I have been out of town, and I have a lot of things on my plate at the moment. My life has changed in just a month.” She nods as I speak, then stares at me like she is trying to create some bond.
“I am kind of in a hurry, but do you mind if we catch up sometime?” I open my mouth to speak, but she continues. “There is this new cafe in town. We can grab coffee and some snacks. Just a light date, and…”
“Sorry, but he cannot make it.” We both tilt our heads to the left to see June standing with her brows drawn down.
“June.” Tatiana calls out with a smile hanging on her lips.
She ignores her as though she isn’t a lecturer and walks up to me, sitting on my lap. Then she cups my face and plants a kiss on my lips before turning to face Tatiana.
“Hello, Miss Tatiana,” she finally acknowledges her. “I have heard you would like to go on a date with my husband, but I do not think it is morally correct.” I watch Tatiana’s eyes widen, then she forces a smile on her face.
“I…”
“Didn’t know we were married?” June takes the word off her lips, and I sense something must have happened between the two of them.
June has made speculations in the past about Tatiana having a crush on me, but she wasn’t this rude to her.
“Yes,” Tatiana says, placing a hand on her chest. Then she reaches out for June’s hand. “I am happy for the both of you. I really had no clue you had gone legal.”
June’s face is void of a smile, and she withdraws her hand, giving a spine-chilling response. “Now you know, and we are expecting a baby, too.”
Her mouth hangs in awe.
“I know I have good genes, so no one can tell, and you cannot get the university to expel me too, because my husband no longer works there. Also, he is so rich that he can make things work.” I like how she claims me, and it strikes a lot of nerves in me. This almost makes me forget Tatiana is sitting in front of us, and I begin to kiss June’s neck.
Tatiana gets to her feet at once to avoid further embarrassment.
“I am really sorry for everything, June, and the misunderstanding. I hope you both have a nice day,” she says, walking out of the restaurant. June hisses as soon as she leaves.
June looks at me, and before she can speak, I kiss her lips.
“I do not care what happened, but I am sure she deserved it, and you were so sexy. I wish we could forget about this and just go home,” I say to her.
“I am hungry, but we can get takeout. Also, she slut-shamed me in class after you left.”
“I am sorry,” I say, trailing kisses from her fingers to her hand.
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago, and I have you. She doesn’t.” She shrugs, then wraps her hand around my neck. My hands roam around her waist, and I feel myself getting impatient to have her.
Soon the waiter arrives.
“Can we take it out, please?”