Tag: Romance (sweet)

Image acquired from the Interweb

“Tell me again how you have more in your 401K than I do?” Amanda asked with an edge to her voice as she nervously shifted the prenuptial agreement paperwork in her lap. “I’ve been working twice as long as you.”

Jeffrey glanced to the driver in their hired car, deciding that keeping his pregnant not-girlfriend distracted was more important than financial discretion. “I only have you beat by $20, but mostly I just been putting in the max since I’ve been hired.”

“So have I.”

“No, sweet cheeks,” Jeffrey said cautiously. At five months and on her second month answering to Jennings and without Aksel’s steadying influence, the barracuda never was far from the surface. He really wished Aksel came to Los Angles with Amanda, but he had stayed in Copenhagen to help the next manager. Or, more accurately, stayed with his wife and children in the country of his birth. “I started putting aside the full maximum by law, it’s like $15,000 or something crazy like that, as soon as I was hired. You’ve been flying around the world, making business happen, and setting aside the company match. Which for a manager is nice, but not the maximum allowed.”

Shifting through the paperwork again, she looked for something else to complain about. “My lawyer said you did everything utterly fair and reasonable.” She snarled at the legalize in her lap, working her way down the pile to their mutual wills.

“You told me what you wanted, and I did it.”

Amanda had shocked him with a ring when he picked her up with Mandi at the airport when she first arrived in America. She didn’t have time, working on bringing everything up and running for the new office and management, so he had arranged for the prenuptial and the wedding and the dozen of other tasks involved in combining two lives, three lives, or whatever the number was now.

“Of course you did. You are a god, and you always do everything perfect.”

Jeffrey leaned into the growling woman to whisper in her ear, “And I will prove that again tonight after I become Mr. Reid-Hall.”

A blush happened across her bosom and raced up both sides of her neck to color her cheeks. She whispered back, “How the hell are you making me feel sexy? I’m a blimp.”

“Yep, but I love blimps, my Mistress Troglodyte. Especially when I get to hold them close instead of just looking at them on the other side of the world.”

The car slowed outside of the chapel where Jeffrey had arranged for their wedding. Outside stood his mother. Mandi squirmed out of her arms as soon as she saw her parents climb out of the hired car. The toddler raced two steps ahead of her fall until she landed in her Daddy’s arms who swung her up and around. Amanda watched the brown, wiggling mass of giggles settle against Jeffrey with a bemused smile. The corners of her lips lifted up in what Jeff called her “gentle” smile, the one she saved just for Mandi and him.

Jeff turned to Amanda, the engagement ring on his finger sparkling in the Los Angeles sun, and asked, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Amanda rubbed her rounding belly.

“We don’t have to do this.” Jeffrey looked at her, concerned. “I don’t need it, and Mom can tell the Major to stuff it.”

“Yes, we do.” She shifted her shoulders, straightening the tailored white jacket. “It protects the children in case anything happens.”

Jeffrey understood that is what she convinced herself this was about, but a variation of prenuptials and wills could work just as well for the legal aspects of asset combination and protection for the children. No, she wanted to be married, and more importantly, wanted to be married to him. She insisted he find a house here and got his primary work location transferred here, even though she will be overseas about as often as she would be in town. The few hours she was here and not working, she wanted to spend with him.

He wasn’t sure he would ever hear the words, “I love you.” from her, not with what had happened in her past. But at least he could say them to her now and have her believe him. And for him, “You are a god.” works pretty fine.

Together Amanda and he entered the chapel, with his daughter on his hips and his son being carried by his wife. His mother there to act as a witness. Inside the electronics were set to send the ceremony back to Utah and Denmark to their friends, and across the world to the half-dozen countries his family lived or were stationed. Trish, the new technical division manager, nodded as they walked in, indicating everything was good to go.

And everything was good to go.

The End and the Beginning

(Words 818; first published 4/14/2019)

 

The complete Red Mug series:
3/17/19 – Red Mug
3/24/19 – Green Cheeks
3/31/19 – Copenhagen Blue
4/7/19 – Clear Glass
4/14/19 – Gold Bands

Image courtesy of africa at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“Hey, Amanda.” Jeff tilted the sleeping baby at the laptop, the five month old sound asleep. “Mandi says ‘hi’.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” Amanda eyes softened looking at the little girl.

“No, I distinctly remember hearing her saying ‘tell Mommy I love her’ between the diaper changes and spit-up.”

Chuckling, the woman on the other side of the world took a sip from a red mug she had stolen from his kitchen. “I don’t see how you get any work done with a baby around.”

“It helps to work from home.” Jeff shifted his daughter for a better hold. “Takes longer to put in an eight-hour day; I still got another hour before I call it a day. But I can still get the work done. The challenge will be two months from now during the installation in Los Angeles for the new VP; my mother is flying out to help with that.”

“I liked meeting them.”

“Yep, well, that was over the Internet. You haven’t gone through the Reid Grilling, Mistress Troglodyte.” Rocking the baby, Jeffrey continued. “My brother and sisters in-laws are still recovering, and Min-ju married in over a decade ago. So, what is the big news that kept you away yesterday?”

“Two pieces. First, I hate you.”

Jeffrey swallowed, suppressing the flinch from the pain the words inflicted. “Isn’t it suppose I’ve got two pieces of news, one good and one bad. Which one do you want first?”

“Nope, because you are going to think they are both good news.” Amanda snarled, though a teasing twinkle played around her eyes. “Aksel, not so much. In fact he and my doctor might just fly out to clobber you.”

“Why … You’re pregnant!?!” The baby’s eyes opened at the loud noise. Jeffrey immediately rocked and cooed at her until the eyes closed again.

“Yes,” she hissed.

“But we used a condom and everything.”

“Not everything. I wasn’t on birth control yet.” Amanda growled into her cup. “The doctor took me off caffeine immediately. And he wants less stress this time because of Mandi’s low birth weight.”

“Good luck with that.” Jeffrey smirked at the computer screen, while walking over to lay the baby down in the crib. He returned a moment later. “The less stress, I mean, sweet cheeks. I know you can kick your caffeine habit whenever you need to, and anyone else who annoys you during withdrawal.”

“You aren’t going to go all googy-eyes and demand I marry you and give up this life?”

“Why on Earth would I do that? If anything, I expect you to demand to marry me someday and keep me alive in the style I’ve become accustomed. Making you sandwiches in the kitchen and babies in the bedroom.”

“That would need a prenuptial.”

“Of course.” Jeffrey jerked his head back as if in surprise that anything else could possibly be considered. “Gods always have pre-nupts, can’t go mixing powers without them.”

She laughed. “You are crazy.”

“And a god. I have that on good authority.” Jeffrey’s voice dropped an octave into his pretend seduction voice.

“Yes, a god.” Amanda rolled her eyes in response, smiling just for him, before her watch went off. She slammed back the rest of her weak tea. “Got to go.”

“Wait, what it the other thing?”

“I’ll tell you when I get off work.” Amanda stood, reaching for the off switch on the screen.

Jeffrey hurriedly begged. “Don’t make me stay up all night worrying about it.”

She sigh and settled back into the chair. “You know John Tennyson, the head of the International Division, retired.”

“Yeah, it’s why I have to go to Los Angles.”

“Well I was on the short list until they found out I got knocked up.” Amanda voice lowered into a snarl. “When I didn’t bother taking significant maternity leave and Copenhagen worked like a well-oiled machine through it all, I was put back on the list. In two months, I will be moving to Los Angles.”

“No! You are the next Vice President of International Activities?” Jeffrey’s with teeth shined against his dark skin, the congratulatory smile going from ear-to-ear.

“With Americans choosing? What do you think?”Amanda’s lips curled to show all her teeth in a very different expression from her lover’s. “They are going to bring Brian Jennings on permanently, and I will be his second. The one to do the traveling, since I speak the languages and have the degree in International law.”

“Fuck.”

Amanda’s eyebrows raised; Jeffrey never cursed outside of the bedroom. “I know why I am angry…” Her voice faded out.

“And you are going to do amazing, and you still just got a great promotion, and you will be in America. All pluses.” Jeffrey clicked off the pluses on his hand, then switched hands. “But (1) you deserved the International Division and to hold you back because of the baby is just stupid. Still we don’t know all the factors about the Board’s decision, so maybe it isn’t stupid. But (2) Brian Jennings is a stupid, more than. He is a crony-oriented, fucking idiot.”

“Tell me how you really feel.” Amanda looked at her watch. “I’ll catch the next train. It’s not like Aksel is there until eight anyway. What has he done to you?”

“Not him. The crony he put in place over technical.” Jeffrey pushed back his beginning afro, he really needed to get to the barber sometime soon, “Ralph Miller is not only a fucking idiot, but a misogynistic fucking idiot. He already got two of our best females to quit before Darsh and I put in a redirect on his email so all his communications go through us before going out to the group or being returned to him.” Jeff started pacing, glancing at the screen. “I’ve been promising everyone only two more months before we can get rid of Up-chuck Ralph.”

“Do you want the job?”

“Hell, no.” Jeff froze, realizing she had a genuine interest. “No, really. I would suck at it. I can muddle through, but it’s Trish who is basically running our department with Darsh and me doing the interference. I want to be home with the baby. Babies. Making sandwiches and coffee for my woman.”

“So who is Trish?” Amanda smiled her shark smile. “I might be able to get a crony or two in myself.”

Jeff imitated the expression. “The files will be in your in-box by the time you get to work.”

(Words 1079, first published 4/7/2019)

 

The complete Red Mug series:
3/17/19 – Red Mug
3/24/19 – Green Cheeks
3/31/19 – Copenhagen Blue
4/7/19 – Clear Glass
4/14/19 – Gold Bands

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Aksel opened the inner sanctum, and Jeffrey dropped his bags inside the door before crossing the room to Amanda’s desk. Her dark eyes lit up seeing him come in. “You made it!”

“Like anything could stop me, sweet cheeks.” Jeffrey kissed her quickly on the lips, not giving her time to maneuver out of the chair.

“I thought they weren’t going to give you time off.”

“Yep. But, cool fact: when you offer to quit, they change their tune.” Jeffrey sat on the edge of the desk to stare down at his very pregnant not-girlfriend. “I’ve spent the last three days training interns.” He reached out to stroke a chubby cheek. “Now, as much as I want to play catchup, when I turned on the international phone after the plane landed, text messages started exploding. Do you have that room for me?”

Two more vibration-related pings shook his carry-on bag by the door, supporting his comment.

“Aksel?” Amanda looked toward her executive assistant. Next came a group of sounds out of her mouth Jeffrey assumed were either Danish or German, the more common languages for the Copenhagen office. If he remembered right, she spoke both of them fluently as well as English and had several more under her belt.

The white man in the expensive gray suit who guarded her door picked up the larger of his two bags. “If you would follow me?”

“And point out the bathroom if you can, that way I won’t need to bother you about anything else.” Jeffrey looked over his shoulder as he exited the room. “I promised to get back to you as soon as I figure out how to walk Intern Two through whatever they did back in Utah.”

A gentle smile crossed Amanda’s lips. “What happened to Intern One?”

“Hopefully a jettison into orbit. Because that guy had no Earthly reason for being hired.” Giving her a final wave, he said “Love you.” As the door clicked closed, Jeffrey flinced. He wasn’t suppose to say that, ever. She didn’t want love and its trappings; it didn’t matter if his feelings had evolved over the last nine months.

***

“Did you work through the night?”

Jeffrey jerked awake at the question, his tight curls on the left side smashed flat. “Night, day. Things are kind-of confused right now.”

“Well, why don’t you log off and go to your hotel.” Rubbing her belly, Amanda winced slightly before moving over to one of the work surface to half-sit. Getting up required a production clearly making her reluctant to sit unless she was staying for a while. She took a sip from the mug he had sent her.

“That would assume there is a hotel somewhere.” Jeffrey slapped his cheeks a couple of times. “Please tell me that is coffee.”

“Nope, decaf tea.” Amanda snarled. “Can’t have caffeine because of the baby. But you can find some coffee and strong tea down the hall.”

“Right. I remember that. Sorry.”

“Apologize to Aksel. He has had to deal with me for seven months with no caffeine.” Amanda frowned at the colored water before setting it aside. “What happened with the hotel?”

“Didn’t remake arrangements when the company jerked around my leaving time, again.” Standing, Jeffrey stretched, his hands touching the dropped ceiling. “Totally forgot about it after the second or third flight change.” He walked over and placed his hand either side of her belly. “Sorry, I couldn’t get here sooner.”

She shrugged, lifting the specially tailored jacket, “It’s more important for you to get the time off after the holidays when you have her to yourself.”

“Working full-time here is going to suck, but at least you have maternity leave.”

Amanda winced, then moved Jeffrey’s hands over the movement. His white teeth gleamed against his black skin as a smile took over his face. “Had to take it for the nursing. Breaking from meetings would have been too much during the first two months. I don’t like it, but I agree it has too many beneficial effects not to do try. Though who knows if my milk will come in.”

“You should take as least a month to recover even then.” Jeffrey stroked the hair she had pulled tightly back into a bun. “And after two months, it’s holiday season, so we can pop back to America while you get a third month of recovery. The paternity leave is already in place for when you have to go back.”

“Nearly four months of baby and parents one-on-one. Not bad for an American company.”

“Yep, so what is the normal here in Denmark?”

“Fifty-two week,” Amanda reported drolly.

He laughed. “HQ would die if you took off that much maternity.”

“It’s 52-weeks for either the mother or father, or if they want equal time, 26 weeks.”

Looking up from where he had been contemplating her belly, Jeffrey appeared truly shocked. “Half a year of paternity leave?”

“Or a full year, depends who in the couple has the maternity genes.”

“That would be me.”

“Exactly.”

She smiled up at him, that gentle smile which had never existed before her sixth month of pregnancy. Jeffrey wondered if the gentle Madonna smile will disappear with the baby fat once she gave birth. While he missed the shark smile and full-on barracuda attitude, he had grown fond of this new side during their long-distance communications.

“I promise I will take good care of Amanda Junior.”

She laughed, “You really are going to name her Amanda Maria Hall Junior?”

“Or the Second. If it had been a boy, I would have been required to name him Jeffrey Taylor Reid the Fourth.” Jeffrey darted in for a quick kiss. “So, which do you prefer, Junior or the Second?”

“The Second. Junior will have too many questions, I rather not do that to her.” She picked up the mug for a final sip to take it to the ‘Another cup’ level. “I can’t imagine having a family history so strong names are written in stone before the children are conceived.”

“That’s just because you are an only child of only children, Mistress Troglodyte. We gods have large extended families.” Jeffrey noticed her wince again when she set aside the empty mug. There had been no matching kick under his hands. He reached up to touch her face. “Are you okay?”

“Just a touch of indigestion.” Amanda muttered in annoyance.

“Right, so how far apart is the indigestion?”

The barracuda returned instantly, pushing him away. “Not you too. I’m not going into labor. Hell, the baby isn’t due for another two days.” She waddled with purpose to the door.

“Hey, wait.” Jeffrey grabbed Amanda’s arm. “Tell you what, why don’t I monitor your indigestion?”

She tilted her head while looking up at him, her eyes narrowing. “How?”

“There is an app. Let me download it, and you hit it every time your indigestion strikes.”

“I got a contract negation in,” Amanda looked at her watch, “an hour. I’m not leaving until it is complete.”

“How far do the contractions need to be?”

“The doctor wants me to come in when they are five to seven minutes apart.”

“So I will wait until then.” Jeffrey put out his hand for her phone, and she let him have it. “But this way you don’t have to keep track of the timing. I can do that.” With a few swipes, he uploaded an app and showed her how to use it. The app suggested using it to keep track of compliments in a day to raise self-esteem, work tasks completed, or even laps around a small track.

***

“It’s time.” Jeffrey said frowning from the office doorway, his voice creaky from a very, very long day. Aksel rounded around him, talking one of the freaky languages everyone around here spoke. Jeff probably upset him by strolling past the guard hound’s desk without stopping.

Amanda let out an answering stream, addressing whatever issues Aksel raised before responding to him. “I’m fine. The office closes in an hour. We can leave then.”

“Askel, what is rush hour like here?” Jeffrey pegged the smaller man with his dark eyes.

“Rush hour, Mr. Reid?” Aksel frowned a moment, translating in his head, before muttering. “Myldretid.  Ah, it is, bad. About one hour using the Metro. Ms. Hall usually works through it and heads home about seven.”

“And when do you leave?”

“About half an hour before her.”

“Excuse me, I’m still right here.”

Jeffrey rounded on the high level manager. “But not for long. Do you really want to go into hard labor on the Metro during rush hour?”

“No.” Amanda blinked at the sudden shift from Jeffrey’s normal laid back demeanor. “But we got the contract to do, plus I need to get everything ready if this really is labor and not a false alarm.”

“Right.” Jeffrey nodded to Aksel. “What does Amanda need to have done for the next three days that no one else can do?”

Aksel walked quickly to Amanda’s desk and pulled out several sheets of paper, plus one large clipped pile. “Ms. Hall, please read and sign these. The team can take care of everything else.” He gathered the rest of the items on her desk into a pile and removed them.

“But-”

Placing the pile on a credenza under the office window, Aksel interrupted. “My wife went into labor three weeks early with Josefine. I’ve made sure everything has been ready, just in case, for months.”

She looked from one male to the other.

“You have three contractions to finish that, then we are out of here.” Jeffrey’s flat voice brooked no argument.

“Men,” hissed through Amanda’s lips before she started concentrating on the papers and new contract.

Jeffrey came over to stand by Aksel. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

“Could you program into my phone how to get to the hospital from here?” Jeffrey offered the international phone the company provided for his travels.

Aksel quickly opened it up to the Metro app Jeffrey had downloaded on arrival. “Shall I also put in how to get from the hospital to her quarters?”

“That would be great.” Jeffrey leaned against the wall while Aksel entered the information. Exhaustion batted around his mind like a cat playing with a mouse. He had maybe three hours sleep in the last twenty-four. The plane ride out came with non-stop sleep, but that only made up for the abuse he had done training the interns and getting everything at home ready for this trip. Adrenaline would make up for the lack of rest, he hoped. “I’ll be back to pick up my luggage when I know she is okay.”

“Intet problem, I have the key and can drop your bags off on my way home tonight.” Aksel handed back the phone. “I’ve entered my number. Please text me when the baby is born. Everyone is going to want to know, and I can send out the announcement. Now if you excuse me, I arrange for one of the guards to escort you. We all are very proud of Ms. Hall.”

“I’ll pack up my stuff.” Jeffrey looked at Amanda, feeling her heckles continue to raise even from as far away as he was as others took control her life, and he knew the only reason while Askel and he hadn’t been eviscerated was she knew they were right. “I’ll be back in seven minutes. We are leaving then.”

(words 1,911 – first published 3/31/2019)

 

The complete Red Mug series:
3/17/19 – Red Mug
3/24/19 – Green Cheeks
3/31/19 – Copenhagen Blue
4/7/19 – Clear Glass
4/14/19 – Gold Bands