What happened in Vegas: Didn't Stay In Vegas! (32 page)

I think he felt
the same because he pulled away like he was shocked, electrocuted.
I got up swiftly and started to leave, he grabbed my hand and for a
second it felt like Bradley
’
s. Guilt came
crashing down on me like ocean waves. Blinded by tears I grabbed my
purse and went stumbling out of Starbucks bumping into a few people
on the way out. This was harder than I had ever
imagined.

If there was
any doubt before there sure wasn
’
t now. I knew I was
with the wrong man, and there was nothing I could do about it but
bury it in my subconscious.

Nick followed
me out of Starbucks and called out
“
Coco,
wait!
”
I got to Snowball
’
s door and
frantically tried digging my keys out of my pockets but I must have
put them in my purse. It gave Nick enough time to catch up to
me.

He pressed me up against my car rubbing
against me with total disregard that we were in public, and then he
cupped my face with both his hands because I had nowhere to go and
he pressed his warm lips against mine firmly.

My heart took over and I kissed him back
with a desperation I never knew I could feel and my brain began
pulling my body away from him trying to tear me from his arms. I
saw my hand like I had no control over it go up to slap his face as
I scurried into Snowball and locked the doors.

I looked out the window to find Nick in
tears. The site of him caused me to feel this crushing pain in my
chest. Air was being stolen from me as my blood turned cold. The
pain radiated into my jaw and down my left arm as I reached for the
steering wheel. I was hit with a sudden urge to vomit so I covered
my mouth with my other hand. I felt all hot and sweaty, like I was
about to lose consciousness. With a heavy foot and a broken heart I
bared down on the accelerator.

~46~

I kept my distance from Nick and Aria while I focused
on my own changes. Whenever Bradley or I weren
’
t working
we were constantly driving back and forth from the loft to his
house in Oakville delivering my belongings. When only the big items
were left, we called a moving company and had the remainder of my
stuff put into a storage facility located just on the border of
Oakville and Burlington. My grey sectional may it rest in peace was
left outside in front of the building for the garbage man to pick
it up Monday morning.

Bradley spoiled
me while I was moving in. He carried all the boxes, and unpacked
most of them. He cooked when I wasn
’
t feeling well and he
was gentle in our bed. I missed the wild intimate moments we had
but I guess it was a small price to pay while I was incubating this
child, which could have possibly been his.

It was a Friday
evening, the last day of the month when Bradley escorted me to his
brother
’
s penthouse to drop off the keys to the loft.
Chase answered the door and invited us in. He told us to make
ourselves comfortable and asked us what we wanted to drink. He
disappeared into the kitchen to prepare refreshments.

Bradley took my
hand and led me into the dark living room. He turned the light and
everyone called out,
“
Surprise!
”
I was shocked to find, Nick, Aria,
Dr. Thicke, Dr. Morden and some of the nurses we worked with were
all there. Shelly spoke up first,
“
We wanted to
congratulate you on your new job and wish you well
Chanel!
”

I looked
instantly at Bradley wondering if he knew about this. He shrugged
cluelessly looking at me,
“
I
’
m as
surprised as you are!
”
Everyone came up to me and hugged me.
I was floored that they would all do this for me. People were
asking me about my new job. Then someone asked if I heard back
about my exam results and I said I hadn
’
t. Chase entered
the room at that point and pulled an envelope from his inside
pocket and said,
“
You have
now.
”

I was too
nervous to open it and I couldn
’
t believe I would
have to do it in front of so many people so I looked at Chase and
said,
“
You open it!
”
He tore it open so
slowly it was painful to watch.
“
Come on Chase,
you
’
re killing me!
”
I yelped.

He slowly
pulled the letter from its envelope and read it smiling. He looked
up at me pointedly and said,
“
Sorry Doctor I
didn
’
t know you were in a hurry!
”
Everyone in the
room clapped and cheered for me and started hugging me as tears of
joy did more than threaten to come down, they just came down. Damn
pregnancy hormones! They make you look like a sappy emotional wreck
even at the best of times!

Chase being Mr.
CEO, and host extraordinaire, balled into one, hired a server to
make and pass around the rest of the cocktails and hors
d
’
oeuvres. Bradley came over to me while Aria was
standing close by and asked,
“
Drink?
”

“Juice
please,
”
I said.

He handed me an
orange juice and Aria commented,
“
No alcohol? I think
we need to go to the loo!
”
She grabbed my wrist
and took me eagerly to Bradley
’
s two piece
bathroom,
“
You
’
re pregnant, I just
know it! When are you going to tell everyone? Tell me the truth you
are, aren
’
t you?
”
She talked so
animated and loudly like she wanted the entire penthouse to hear
her. I shushed her frantically.

“Yes,
”
I whispered.

“Why the big
secret?
”
She stopped talking for a second. I could see a
light bulb turn on behind her eyes,
“
Has it been twelve
weeks yet?
”

“No,
less,
”
I said.

“Oh, that
explains why, for a minute I thought you might be having an affair
with Chase! Does Bradley know you
’
re
preggars?
”

She was the
second last person I wanted to know,
“
Of course he
knows.
”

She looked at
me slyly,
“
It is Bradley
’
s
right?
”

“Of course
it
’
s Bradley
’
s
”
I
admonished.
“
I
’
m not
having an affair! What do you take me for?
”

She smiled at
me putting her hands in the air like she was surrendering,
“
I have the utmost respect for you Chanel, just both of the
brothers are so hot! I think any red blooded female would do both
brothers if they could!
”

I wanted to end
the conversation so I started to open the door,
“
They
’
re going to miss us,
we better go.
”
I stepped out first and my eyes met
with Nick
’
s. He was standing close to the bathroom, too
close. He probably heard everything.

I tried to
remain casual as I searched out Bradley. When I saw him I went
straight over to where he was standing. I whispered,
“
Aria knows I
’
m
pregnant.
”
He went into damage control mode without having
to say a word back to me. If it appeared we were hiding it than
Nick would have become suspicious if he wasn
’
t already.
Bradley took a pen and clinked it against his glass,
“
Everyone, Chanel and I have another little announcement to
make. We were going to wait but now is as good a time as any,
Chanel and I are going to have a baby!
”

Chase was the
first one over to congratulate us. Everyone came over to shake
Bradley
’
s hand and give me a hug, except for Nick. His
face lost its blood as he turned white. He walked over to Bradley
almost solemnly and shook his hand to congratulate him while he
came to me and hugged me mechanically like he was just going
through the motions. Aria was oblivious to Nick
’
s
reactions, Bradley and I weren
’
t. There
wasn
’
t much he could do.

The euphoria of
becoming a doctor was only slightly tarnished by
Aria
’
s outburst in the bathroom and Nick
’
s reaction
in the living room. I had worked so damn hard for so many years to
accomplish that honor; nothing was going to ruin it for me. I stood
proudly at Bradley
’
s side as I basked in
the afterglow of becoming a medical practitioner!

~47~

The wedding was upon us. It was the first frost of the
season and there was a chill in the air that could be felt right
down to our bones. Aria and I were chauffeur driven compliments of
Chase to the salon that Shelly referred me to several months ago.
We had our hair, makeup, and nails, done leaving there resembling
Glamor Barbie
’
s.

The limousine
brought us back to Aria
’
s loft where we did
our final preparations and dressed for the wedding. I brought some
tea sandwiches we could snack on while we were preparing. I used
white bread with the crusts cut off, and put small amounts of meat
with cucumber and Swiss cheese on them.

Aria was in a
fit to be tied state almost bordering on panic trying to make sure
that nothing was forgotten. We went down to the front doors of the
loft where the limousine was waiting for us. The driver came out
and assisted us into the car. It was difficult managing the dress
making sure it didn
’
t touch the ground as
she got in.

I gave Aria a
five dollar bill which was blue, and told her I wanted it back
after the wedding. That was something borrowed and something blue.
She only needed something old and something new. I gifted a locket
in the shape of a heart with an old photo
’
s of her and
Nick in it. She was ready.

The limo driver
pulled into a drop off area so we wouldn
’
t be seen
entering the Old Mill. We were escorted into a holding room until
all the guests were present and the wedding was about to begin. I
wore a satin red sleeveless dress with a white faux fur around my
neck and my red Gucci pumps from Las Vegas.

There was a tap
at the door and Bradley poked his head in,
“
Ten more
minutes
’
girls!
”
He left instantly
and then I heard my phone vibrate in my little handbag. I took my
phone out and there was a text from Nick. He must have typed it
while Bradley gave us the ten minute warning.

Nick: Meet me in the back of the building
where the limo dropped you off now!

I deleted the
text and shut my phone off. I looked at Aria,
“
I have to
talk to Bradley, and I
’
ll be right
back!
”
I scurried from the room where we were, to find Nick.
He was pacing outside until he saw me and froze. His eyes took me
in from head to toe. I walked up to him and asked nonchalantly
trying to hide my apprehension,
“
Is everything all
right?
”

“No!
”
he seethed,
“
It
’
s not! I
’
ve been waiting for
you to say or do the right thing and so far you
haven
’
t. You
’
ve gone ahead and
passed this baby off as yours and Bradley
’
s and you were
just going to go ahead and let me marry Aria. When were you going
to involve me? When were you going to give me a chance to have a
say?
”

“It could be
Bradley
’
s,
”
I argued.

“It might not
be, right, Coco? Say it! The baby could be mine.
”

“The baby could
be yours,
”
I repeated.