Taste of Love (6 page)

Austin pulled Madison into a tight embrace. "Shhh... sweetie, you don't have multiple personalities. There has to be some sort of reasonable explanation for this," he soothed, rubbing her back. "Don't hit me, but maybe it's just a bad case of PMS?"

Madison pushed him away, ticked that he would even suggest it. The look on his face was priceless though, and made her want to laugh through the tears.

She thought about it for a minute. It had been a while since her last cycle, so that could very well be what it was. She wasn't the kind of woman to keep track of something like that. She tried when she was in high school, but it was so erratic that she gave up. It was one area of her life that she wasn't able to control and schedule, so she tried to put it out of her mind and not pay any attention to it.

"Maybe you're right. I've just never felt this out of sorts before." She grabbed another tissue and blew her nose.

"Well, at least I finally got to hug you," Austin teased.

Madison smacked him, finally laughing. "I feel better already. And thanks for making me feel a little less crazy."

"Hey, what are friends for?" He kissed her cheek softly, then they headed back to work.

"Cameron honey, when are you leaving to tour the country?" Bunny asked her son as she talked to him on the phone.

"Well, the dates aren't set in stone yet because the album isn't finished, but most likely in about a month and a half or two months. Why?" he asked, almost not wanting to know the answer.

"I know you hate it when I do this, but there is this absolutely delightful woman that I want you to meet. I think you two would be perfect for each other, and don't worry, she runs a successful business and it keeps her quite occupied, so she won't be complaining about your touring," she told him.

"Mother! Do you remember what happened the last time you arranged a date?" he asked, not wanting to get into it with her again over Alexandra Lee. They had a pretty explosive argument two days after that date, mother upset at how he had treated her, and son upset that the girl had been obnoxious.

"You know, I've finally met Alexandra Lee, and while she is rather loud and unpolished, she's quite nice," Bunny tried to rationalize.

"Oh, come on!"

"Very well. She grated on my nerves to no end. I apologize. I didn't have the chance to meet her and went by what I was told about her," Bunny explained. "But I've met the woman I wish to set you up with. She's very refined, intelligent, pretty, and did I mention successful?"

"Yes, Mother. You did mention that." Cameron released a long sigh, and though his mother didn't hear him, she knew that he had done it. "Listen, now just isn't a good time. I'm too busy recording, then I'll need to prepare for the tour. If you're still hell bent on me meeting her when I finish, you can set something up for then. Okay?"

"Sure, honey," she said, and Cameron knew that on the other end of the line, she was rolling her eyes. "Now tell me, Mr. Rockstar, are you too busy to meet your old mother for dinner next week? It's been too long since I've seen you."

If he couldn't find the time to date, he would find the time for his mother, and that meant his mother would find time to play matchmaker.

No chance in hell am I going to let Sasha win this girl!
she thought with a smile.

"I think I can break away for a little while," he agreed.

"Good, I'll pick you up next Thursday at 7:30. And please, dress nice. I don't want to look like I just plucked you off the street," Bunny chided before hanging up. She'd get her way, one way or another.

On Monday, Madison still wasn't feeling any better, so she found herself sitting in the doctor's office, holding Austin's hand and waiting for her name to be called. Even though she thought there was something wrong with her mental health, Austin talked her into seeing her family doctor before jumping into it with a psychiatrist. He figured there had to be a reasonable explanation for her recent behavior.

When the nurse came for her, Madison stood up, Austin's hand tight in her death grip.

"Madison, you're going to need to let go of my hand, sweetie. It's kind of attached," Austin joked.

"No, you have to come with me. I can't do this alone," she told him.

He thought about it for a minute. Whatever was wrong with her was something private, but she would most likely tell him what was wrong with her anyway, so why not go in there and hold her hand while she waited?

He rose from the chair, and the two followed the nurse to a small examination room, where she took Madison's vital signs and left.

The doctor eventually made an appearance, fifteen long minutes later. Madison explained her symptoms to him, and asked if it sounded like she had a multiple personality disorder. The doctor smiled at her, making her feel even worse, then told her that it was most likely something different. He drew her blood, and told her they would run some tests and get back to her by the end of the day.

Still not feeling much better, Madison and Austin left the doctor's office and went into work.

By four o'clock, Madison was going out of her mind wondering why the doctor hadn't called yet. She was going to have to leave her office and head to the kitchen soon, so she hoped he would call her shortly.

At 4:15, Austin knocked on her office door. "Any word yet?"

Madison shook her head. "No, nothing. Want to come in and wait with me? I've got a case of the jitters."

"That bad, huh?" he asked, smiling sympathetically. He came in and closed the door behind him.

"Worse."

Another knock at her door almost made her jump out of her chair.

"Sorry boss, but the produce just came in, and they need you to look it over and sign for it," Carter, her sous chef told her.

Madison nodded. She had called them the previous week and exploded over the phone, angry that she hadn't received her full order. They reached an agreement that from now on, she was the only one authorized to accept their shipments. "If my phone rings, answer it. I'll only be a minute."

No sooner had Madison stepped out the door, when her phone did ring. Austin ran out to get her, but she was already wrapped up with the produce guy, so he ran back in and answered it.

"The TigerLily, Madison Drew's office," he answered professionally, just in case.

"Good afternoon, this is Dr. Rush's office calling for Ms. Drew."

"I'm sorry; she just stepped away from her desk for a moment. Can you hold?" he asked.

"Actually, I have other patients I need to call," the woman said briskly. "Is this her husband?"

"Ms. Drew is not married. I'm her emergency contact though," he told the woman, remembering that she had put Austin's name on the forms.

"Well, I really can't speak with anyone other than Ms. Drew. If you can't get her now, when is a good time for me to call back?" the nurse asked.

"Wait...wait! I will get her. Hang on, please."

He rushed into the hallway. "Madison! Madison, you have to get in here now. They won't speak to anyone but you."

Madison's eyes widened. She immediately turned to the produce man, signed the papers he shoved in front of her, and ran back to her office. She swept right past Austin and snatched up the phone. "This is Ms. Drew."

Austin watched as Madison listened. Then he watched as she wilted. She fell back into her chair as if in slow motion, her eyes wider than ever, her face going from red to pale. So pale, in fact, that it seemed he could almost see right through her. She said a few words: "Are you sure? Yes...no...okay. Thank you."

Then she hung up the phone and stared at it. She blinked and suddenly tears came to her eyes, making them bright as diamonds.

"Madison," he started, then stopped. He realized he was scared to death. "Is it serious?"

Madison laughed, a short, harsh sound that made him even more scared.

"Well, that all depends on how you look at it," she said, then burst into tears. Real, honest-to-God tears, the kind that came on like a waterfall and threatened to never stop.

Austin was at her side in an instant. "Tell me. What's wrong?"

Her voice hitched once, twice, three times. The words were stuck in her throat. She tried a fourth time and then they squeaked out in a whisper.

"I'm pregnant."

Austin sat on the floor beside her chair, stunned. There was nothing in his head beyond the words she had just spoken.

"How is that possible?" he asked. "You never..."

She laughed again, and this time it was downright creepy, coming from her at the same time as all those tears. "You're right. I never. But once, I did, and that must have been plenty."

"Madison..." He didn't know what to say.

"This can't be happening," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well...just think, it could be worse!" he said brightly."It could have been that multiple personality shit."

"I'm not so sure about that." She looked around her office as though she had never seen it before, then stood so fast she knocked paperwork from the corner of the desk. "I need to go home. Can you handle the restaurant tonight?"

"Sure. Whatever you need," he told her. "Do you want me to stop by after we close tonight?"

She squared her shoulders. "Thanks, but no. I just need to be alone right now."

"Call if you need anything, no matter what?"

She nodded, but she already seemed a million miles away.

"Thanks, I will."

Madison went home from work and crawled straight into bed. She sat there crying for hours. Crying for her future, her baby's future. What kind of mother would she be? And Cameron, where would he play into all of this? They had made a huge mistake, and she was sure that this wasn't what he wanted out of a drunken one night stand. Should she even tell him? Would she rather that he not know, or have her child endure the rejection of its father?

Everything was up in the air now. Could her business maintain its success if she had to divide her time between the restaurant and a baby? And on top of that, would she even have the energy for both?

She hardly moved from her bed until Wednesday morning arrived. She had played over all the scenarios in her head between bouts of crying, trying to decide what to do. Abortion was never even considered, no matter how unplanned this pregnancy was. She knew that for certain. In the hours that she lay there thinking, the only other thing she knew for sure was that she was going to make the best of the situation that she was in. She didn't know how to do that, but she wasn't the first woman who had found herself in this position and then figured it out.