The Next Level: A BWWM Billionaire Marriage And Pregnancy Romance (13 page)

Chelsea
settled behind her desk before turning on her computer. She had a
list of emails she hadn’t even dared to look at while she was
taking her vacation days. She scrolled through them now, wishing that
she’d at least waded through them a little. There was a knock
on her door.

“
Come
in,” she called absently.

The
door swung open slowly revealing Mr. Whitehill. He walked into the
room slowly before he settled into one of her chairs. The man was out
of breath again. She wondered how fast he’d come running once
he realized that she was back.

“
Hello,
Mr. Whitehill, what can I do for you?”

“
I
just came to say congratulations on the wedding,” he said with
a smile.

“
Thank
you, I appreciate it.”

“
And
on your promotion.”

“
Promotion?”
She asked carefully.

“
Yes.
Kim and I discussed it while you were away and we think you’re
ready. We’re making you a partner.”

Chelsea
sat stunned. Her finger was still poised over the touchpad of her
laptop. Was she hearing things? It was surreal. Being partner had
been her dream for years, to see it come true made her freeze.
Slowly, she began to come back to the real world.

“
Really?”

Mr.
Whitehill laughed. “Really. I’m retiring soon. I’ve
been here for a long time and I’m more than ready for someone
to take over for me. I think you have what it takes.”

Chelsea’s
face broke out into a grin. She stood up so quickly, her chair nearly
tipped over in her excitement. She held out a hand which he took as
he stood as well.

“
Thank
you so much, sir. I know you’re going to be happy with your
decision.”

“
I
don’t doubt it. I have a meeting, but we’ll talk later
and make everything official. Congratulations again.”

Chelsea
couldn’t wait to call Matthew. She sighed, content. All of the
excitement gave her heartburn. She reached into her drawer, pull out
an antacid and called Matthew to tell him the good news.

Matthew
threw together a little celebration dinner for her that night. A few
close friends and family at one of their favorite restaurants.
Chelsea didn’t think she could smile anymore without
permanently damaging her lips. Her mom and dad even took time off to
show up. That was the best gift. After plates were cleared, they all
sat around at the table, talking while they waited for desert.

“
So,
it’s going to take a while for me to get some grandkids now
isn’t it?” Her mom asked.

Chelsea
laughed. “We’ll revisit the issue in five years or so.”

Matthew
pouted. “I’m more than willing to have a few now. Six,
maybe seven.”

Chelsea
glared at him. “Not even in your dreams.”

Chelsea
dug into her raspberry cheesecake and sighed. It was delicious. As
soon as she swallowed, her stomach turned. She held a hand over her
mouth, one on her stomach to calm it. Matthew looked at her
concerned, rubbing her back softly.

“
What’s
wrong?”

Chelsea
shook her head. “I’ve just been having awful heartburn
all day.” The feeling passed just as quickly as it started. “I
think we’d better call it a night. I have a long day tomorrow.”

They
said their goodbyes before Matthew helped her into the car. He drove
slowly as she fanned herself, her head pressed up against the cool
glass. When they got home, Matthew promptly stuck a thermometer in
her mouth as he touched her forehead.

“
I’m
not sick,” she tried to say around it, but he shushed her.

The
thermometer beeped before he slipped it from between her lips. He
checked it, then looked at her with concern written on his face.
Matthew pressed his hand to her forehead one more time.

“
If
the thermometer says I’m fine, I’m fine Dr. Rawlins. Too
much excitement, that’s all. I’ll be okay in the
morning.”

Matthew
gave her two more antacids before they slipped into bed together. She
drifted off quickly listening to him talk. The rise and fall of his
chest mixed with his heartbeat lulling her into an easy, deep sleep.

The
next morning, she didn’t feel better. Chelsea stumbled out of
bed, slamming the bathroom door as her knees hit the tile of the
bathroom hard. Matthew knocked softly, but she was too busy to answer
until she’d flushed her dinner down the drain. Taking a moment
to compose herself, she wiped her mouth and brushed her teeth. When
she opened the door, he watched her carefully.

“
You
don’t think you’re...you know?”

“
I
probably just have a bug. I’ll be fine.”

Chelsea
walked back into the room before she climbed into bed. The twisting
in her gut hadn’t stopped yet. She fell back to sleep before
she even knew she was tired. When she woke up again, there was a note
on Matthew’s pillow. She picked it up gently before opening it.

Made
an appointment for you at your doctor’s office and called in to
work to let them know you were sick. I went to get some soup for you.
Be back in a little bit. Love, your husband.

Chelsea
groaned. She really wished he wouldn’t have done that. She
hated going to the doctor’s, it was always a last resort.
Rolling out of bed, she pulled out a pair of her jeans before
slipping them on. She tried to zip them up, but it only went halfway
before it stopped.

”
Stubborn
thing. I must be bloated.”

Three
pairs of jeans later Chelsea threw them all to the floor in
frustration. She didn’t want to think...No, she couldn’t
be. Instead of trying and failing once more, she grabbed a pair of
yoga pants from her drawer, slipped on a t-shirt and waited for
Matthew to get home. Maybe it was time for that doctor’s visit
after all.

*****

“
Congratulations
Mrs. Rawlins,” Doctor Stevens said with a big grin on his face.

“
I’m
sorry?” she said as she let go of Matthew’s hand.

“
You’re
pregnant! Congrats. I’ll go and get you a recommendation for an
ob.”

“
How
far along is she?” Mathew asked quietly. He could see Chelsea
was having some kind of moment of utter disbelief.

“
By
my charts, about three months. Probably why you’re experiencing
all of these symptoms at once. You’ve even gained a little
weight. So far, everything looks good.”

As
Dr. Stevens left the room, Chelsea burst into tears. Matthew put an
arm around her, pulling her in until her head rested on his shoulder.
He rubbed her back softly.

“
Is
it really that terrible?”

“
Right
after I get a promotion? Yes!”

“
It’s
probably just the hormones talking, babe.”

Chelsea
gave him a venomous look. She picked up her purse walking out of the
office. He could deal with the rest himself.

“
What
did I say?” he called after her.

When
they reached the apartment again, Matthew decided to cook her some
lunch. She sat on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket, her eyes gazing
at the tv, but not really watching it. She wasn’t ready for a
baby. They’d only been married for two minutes. Matthew came
out with two plates full of eggs, bacon, toast and jam. She took the
plate from him gently.

“
I’m
sorry, about earlier.”

Matthew
kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

Chelsea
loved that he didn’t push her, didn’t force her to talk
about it at that moment. Instead, they sat in silence watching tv as
they ate. Chelsea didn’t want to view their baby as a burden.
It was hard not to when all she could think of was the years she’d
put into her job. She felt equally guilty when she considered handing
them off to a nanny, essentially not being in their lives. What if
they became all screwed up because their workaholic parents weren’t
around enough? She shuddered. Chelsea tried to push the thoughts out
of her mind, but they kept coming back. She was suddenly very tired.
Moving from the couch, she gave Matthew a kiss before falling into
bed.

The
next few weeks, Chelsea found herself snapping at everyone around
her. Everyday she went to work she felt like hell by the time she got
home. Through it all, Matthew kept his calm. He’d run her a
bath, rub her feet, make dinner. Chelsea felt horrible for how she
was treating him, but she just couldn’t seem to keep her
emotions in check. By the end of the night, he’d wrap his arms
around her, brush his fingers over her cheeks as she drifted off to
sleep, whispering to her that it would all be okay.

One
morning, after the usual bouts of sickness had passed, Matthew woke
Chelsea up gently. For a moment, she thought she’d have to go
to work, but quickly realized it was Saturday. She protested against
being woken up early, but he had already run her a bath and laid her
clothes out for her. She slipped into a cream sweater and jeans,
examining the every growing roundness of her belly. She ran a hand
over it, wondered if it would be a boy or a girl. She pushed the
thought aside as Matthew called for her to hurry up.

Chelsea
slipped into the car, the cool autumn air making her shiver. They
stopped for hot cocoa and breakfast first at a little diner. Chelsea
ate more than a few blueberry pancakes and bacon. When her belly was
warm and full she turned to Matthew, a small smile on her face.

“
Why
are we up so early?”

“
It’s
a surprise,” he said as he sipped on his coffee. He looked
thoughtful for a moment. “I’m glad to see you smiling.”

Chelsea
waved a hand dismissively. She didn’t want to talk about that
right now. With the bad feelings left at home, she didn’t
suddenly want to conjure them up here. She sipped at her water.

“
Can
I at least get a little hint?”

“
It’s
something you’ll really like.”

She
rolled her eyes. “Helpful.”

Matthew
didn’t say a word. Just grinned as he drank his coffee.

“
My
eyes hurt,” Chelsea whined.

“
No
they don’t, you baby. We’re almost there.”

Chelsea
sighed. She had to admit, there was excitement building in her, if
only because she had no idea where they were going. Usually when
Matthew said he had a surprise for her though, something amazing
happened. She felt the car come to a stop, his hand on her arm as he
helped her out of the car. They made their way slowly until he
positioned her.

“
Okay,
open them.”

Chelsea
opened her eyes, squinting against the sun. When her vision adjusted,
there was a large house in front of them. Red brick stood out against
a hunter green garage door and shutters. It was a beautiful house.

“
What’s
this? Did you buy this?” She asked breathlessly.

Matthew
shook his head. “I wanted you to see it first before I made any
decisions. I knew you would love this one though. Want to go inside?”

Chelsea
nodded her head vigorously. Matthew walked up to the door before he
pressed in a code on the box. He held out his arm. She took it
happily as they stepped into the house. Right away, Chelsea could see
why he knew she’d love it. The house was an array of creams,
light brown wood and antiques. He took her from room to room showing
her the huge kitchen that included a stove with more burners than she
knew what to do with, a double, stainless steel oven, island and a
bar. The entertainment room held a long, circular white couch, a huge
tv mounted on a wall. There was a corner in the basement designated
for wine bottles, another for storage. As they made their way back
upstairs, Chelsea peeked into each bedroom. There were four in all,
the master bedroom boasting an attached bathroom with a huge jacuzzi
tub and walk in closets. Besides the master bathroom, there were five
others. Everything looked fresh, clean and sparkling.

“
Can
we afford this?” She asked quietly.

Matthew
laughed. “Money doesn’t really matter, babe. Do you like
it?”

Chelsea
nodded, a smile on her face. “I love it, Matthew. It’s
amazing! Look at all of this space!”

“
There’s
even a space on the roof where you could garden in the summer, if you
like. I know you told me once that you liked growing things when you
were younger.”