Nothing Personal [*Complete*]

16

Though it might have seemed like it when I got off the phone but Colin's words did have an impact on me. I didn't call and set a meeting up with Chloe immediately. The next day I woke up, as I had more or less every day since I signed that second NDA with a text message from Mr. Emery to my personal phone.

- Foliage.

I stared at the seemingly random word. It was the safeword for the day.

"Foliage," I spoke the word out loud as I stared at the white textured ceiling. A few minutes later there was a quick knock on my bedroom door. "Yes?"

"Are you feeling any better?" It was Mr. Emery of course. He tried the knob each turn of the knob as it clicked showing that it was locked made me itch inside and out. "What does it say about locked doors, Natalia?"

With his harsh words I stood and walked over to the door like a petulant teen and unlocked it before quickly returning to bed.

"I'm not feeling well, Sir."

He entered, surprisingly he wasn't dressed for his run and instead wore a robe and fleece pajama pants. Without hesitating he walked to my bed and sat beside me. He placed his hand on my forehead.

"You don't have a fever."

"I think I'm just a little stomach sick, Sir."

He wet his lips. "Do you think you could be pregnant? You've been throwing up a lot, particularly in the mornings."

"No, Sir. I mean..." I did the math in my head I should have been covered by my shot. I wasn't due to get another for a handful of weeks. "My birth control is current."

"Humor me and take a test?"

"I..." My mind raced as the possibility I always assumed was an impossibility entered my mind. What would that even look like? Did I want a ring and a wedding just because he'd knocked me up? "I'll take the test but I doubt I am, Sir."

"Nothing is one hundred percent, Natalia. Sit out the run this morning and I'll have Winston stop so you can run in and pick up a test."

Two hours later I was standing in a drugstore staring at the wall of pregnancy tests. Does it count as a pregnancy scare if only the person pregnant seems scared? I rubbed the back of my neck and grabbed the most expensive single test they had, and then grabbed an extra just to be safe. I had the person behind the register double bag it and I hid it in my purse as I left the store like I was smuggling something illegal passed boarder patrol. Resisting the urge to slap the hood and scream "Drive!" at Winston I crossed my legs and glanced nervously at Mr. Emery who seemed oddly calm.

When we got up to the executive floor instead of me running to grab coffee I went into his washroom as he locked the door.

For a good five minutes I stared at the instructions like I lost all comprehension of the English language.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yep. I just... give me a minute." After rereading the instructions seven or so times I finally felt as though I knew what they wanted and proceeded to pee into the tiny cup and dip the applicator's absorbent tab into it—on both tests. Then I washed my hands and opened the door.

"Your hands are shaking." He grabbed them and rubbed them gently.

"I'm nervous. I never... We agreed. Right? This wasn't supposed to be... that."

"What is that exactly? This is something we've done pretty much everything we can to prevent."

"We're not supposed to be... together like that."