Wandering Off

Hiding from the public

The weeks past way to fast and soon it was the end of April already and time for Gabriel's fortieth birthday. Of course he couldn't keep other celebrities and even several reporters from magazines and tabloids away forever and so he had Nathalie plan a birthday party for his most important clients, partners, rivals and acquaintances as well as a handful of friends.

And of course his family, meaning not only Adrien and, as he insisted, me and my maman, but also his wife's twin sister, Amélie, with her son, Felix!

His sister in law had of course heard about us, being a couple, yet just like the public, she had no idea about the tiny human, growing inside of me and we wanted it to stay that way for as long as possible.

The problem was, to find a dress for me for this night, because as his 'girlfriend', I most likely would be under observation the whole time, which complicated the choice of clothes even more, as I was by now fourteen weeks along and due to my still very skinny figure, had already started to show a little bit.

While Gabriel found that incredibly cute and even hot in some way, I simply felt like I was getting fat. No matter, how many people kept telling me, that I looked pretty and cute, I just didn't like myself this way. Well, I did like, that my baby was growing and obviously doing very well. And I liked to hold that small bump, when I was alone, or Gabriel rubbing it tenderly, when we were lying in his bed.

My problem mainly was, that where ever I went, I was followed by reporters or paparazzi, and I had no idea, what to wear most of the time, as I didn't own many things, that weren't skin tight.

As long as it wasn't too warm, I kept covering that small yet very visible belly under some kind of poncho, because this piece of clothes hugged me so nicely, that it gave me confidence and made me feel, as if Gabriel, who had made this for me himself, was hugging me all of the time.

But I couldn't very well wear this cloak at the dinner party to my boyfriend's birthday, right?

"How about something that would more fit into the summer? So it would be wide and floating?", my mother had suggested, but I had instantly told her, that I would stand out of the crowd like a flamingo in a swarm of crows if I did that.

Gabriel had specifically pointed out, that black was the dominant colour to wear for that night, just as the invited guests were used to.

Desperate as I was by now, having only two days left to figure something out, I asked Nathalie, what she was going to wear.

"Oh, I won't be there!", she said coldly, "it's only for invited guests and I am just Ga....Mr Agreste's assistant. It would be a scandal, if I showed up there!"

"But....", I began, to see her give me a kind smile.

"Believe me, I am glad, that I 'don't' have to be there! Would you, if you instead could stay in your private room and watch the whole thing on TV? If you could just give him your present and your best wishes on his actual birthday, the next morning?", she asked and I could only agree. That would be great.

"Yeah", I told her, "that would be nice. But, as I have to be there, do you have any idea, what to wear, that won't be showing this?"

I pointed down to my stomach. I was wearing a pair of jeans with a low waistband, so I could still close them and a very short, long sleeved shirt, so that the bare skin of my little baby bump was visible. I didn't care though, as the inside of the mansion was the only place, where I could actually walk around the way I wanted to, without being forced to cover myself with layers of clothes to hide from everyone, that I got knocked up by 'the' Gabriel Agreste.

"Maybe....", she began, but then shook her head, "no, that would be to risky! But if it worked.... Let's have a look at your closet. Maybe you can hide it, by making it visible. When you are dressed as you are just now, I can barely see it, while I can tell from afar, when you are trying to cover it. Would you like to give it a try? I really would like to help you find something, but we need to hurry a little bit, because you have that doctor's appointment, which had to be postponed last time, later this afternoon!"