All or Nothing (14 page)

‘Sorry to call you David but this is a
business call’ I soothe.

‘Well never mind it is lovely to hear from
you anyway’ he insists ‘what’s the problem?’

‘Well first off I am not looking for free
advice, I expect you to bill Grant for this’  I explain the situation as far as
I am aware of it and David advises that he meets with Grant and gathers all the
information first hand.

‘Oh great thank you David, can we set up an
appointment now?’

‘Sure, I can see him this morning if that
helps other than that we are looking at the end of the week I am afraid’

‘Oh that would be great, could you come to
the apartment as Grant is working from here today?’

‘Sure, what’s the address?’ I give him the
details and he informs me he will be there within the hour.  I make my way to
the office and tap lightly against the door which is ajar, ‘come in Abi’ he
calls gently his head in his computer, he glances up and assesses my outfit,
‘very nice, you have the body made for skinny jeans’ he purrs.

‘Why thank you sir’ I grin ‘I realize you
are busy but I have made a decision without running it by you I hope that is
ok?’

‘Go on’ he mumbles suspiciously.

‘You are so distrustful.  David is on his
way for an appointment regarding Amber, I discussed the basics with him but he
needs to get the information from you.  It was today or the end of the week so
I agreed to today, the sooner we get things sorted the better do you not
think?’

He nods, ‘I agree good call thank you Abi’
he pulls me and lands me in his lap ‘have I told you how much I love you today?

‘Not today’ I admonish him.

‘Well I do, very much’ and he drops a kiss
on my lips ‘now go woman before I lose concentration, let me know when David
arrives’

‘Ok, would you rather I went home today if
you are working, we can meet up later if you like?’

‘No!’ he growls ‘I want you here, I just
lost a couple of days this week being away’

‘Only I won’t be offended’ I express again.

‘No I like having you around Abi don’t
disappear on me please’ he looks anxious.

‘Ok’ I agree and move back to my laptop to
do some research on paternity tests.

The intercom buzzes and I move to the door,
‘hi’ I call.

‘Hi Abi, its David’

‘Come on up’ I invite opening the front
door and moving to the office, I tap again and Grant calls ‘you don’t have to
knock Abi’

‘David’s here’ I murmur.

‘Ok’ he stands and stretches his back and I
wrap my arms around him kissing his chin.

‘You want me to busy myself somewhere?’

‘No, I have nothing to hide’ he assures me
grabbing my hand and leading me back to the living area.  I move to the kitchen
area and switch the kettle on, with a gentle tap David calls,

‘Hi’ and Grant is there,

‘Hi David’ he shakes his hand ‘thank you
for coming on such short notice please come in’  David enters and moves to the
dining table with Grant, I move around and smile at him,

‘Hi David’ he bends to kiss my cheek.

‘Hi Abi good to see you again’ his eyes
drink me in similarly to Grants and I wonder about whether this was a great
idea.

‘And you, thank you again can I get you a
drink?’

‘Coffee would be good thank you Abi, just
black please’ he places his briefcase on the table withdrawing some papers.

‘Grant?’

‘The same please baby’ he hums and I know
it is for David’s benefit.  I leave them to it move to the kitchen area to prepare
the drinks as they seat at the table.  I place the drinks down and continue to
the fridge to check on food for lunch, I am within earshot of the conversation
but don’t feel it is my place to join them.  Who does Grant’s shopping I
wonder, I bet he has a lady that cleans and shops for him.

They were discussing dates and my ears
prick up, so when Amber informed Grant of the pregnancy it was before we met in
Vegas?  That somehow makes me feel uncomfortable, why did he start an affair
with me if he had all this drama going on?  I assumed that it was after Vegas
he found out. I push it to the back of my mind, I guess he was single and I was
single and we were both aware it was merely a holiday fling neither of us
wishing for anymore at the time. 

The more I contemplate it the more I become
anxious I need to just accept what it is and deal with it, we both felt better
last night after facing Amber.  My mobile rings and I move over to take it
moving into the bedroom, ‘hello’

‘Hi angel how are you doing?’ it was my
mum.

‘Hi mum, I am good thank you.  Everything
ok with you and dad?’

‘Yes all fine, you coming to see us
tomorrow?’ I think for a minute, ‘yes I will be down about 1pm is that ok?’

‘Sure, I will do dinner.  Where are you?’
she enquires naturally.

‘Erm at a friends’ I stutter.

‘Oh right a male friend by the cageyness’
she teases.

‘Yes a male friend mum’ I feel my cheeks
flush and I roll my eyes.

‘Well feel free to bring him along’ she
tempts.

I laugh ‘what are you like mum, I will see
you tomorrow’

I have a voicemail from Bella which I
listen to,

Hi, just checking you are still alive.

I am at Mike’s what you guys doing
later?

Call me.

I wander back into the living area and
David is putting his things away.

‘How did it go?’ I probe innocently. 

David glances at Grant, ‘Abi can know
anything regarding this case David, I am not concealing anything’ he informs
him.

‘Yes fine, we can set the wheels in motion
now for the paternity test but we do need to ascertain whether she is pregnant
and how far along by a hospital scan.  I imagine things are going to be tense
with the prospective mother for a while so we work by the book do not attempt
to contact Amber and if she contacts you write it down and send a statement of
the events over immediately’

‘David, thank you very much for your help’
Grant shakes his hand respectfully before turning to me.

‘Abigail, a pleasure as always’ he kisses
my cheek and Grant walks him to the door.

Once David has gone Grant saunters over to
me, ‘someone has an admirer’ he murmurs kissing my neck.

‘He is just a decent guy’ I mutter
embarrassed.

‘He is a good guy’ he agrees ‘who was on
the phone?’

‘My mum, it is my Sunday to visit them
tomorrow she invited you too actually if you are at a loose end’ I reply
flippantly.

‘What did you notify her about me?’ he
appears a little unsure.

‘Nothing really just that I am at a friends
and she suggested my friend is welcome’ I shrug.

‘Friend eh?’ he pulls me against his groin.

‘Good friend?’ I suggest and he growls his
teeth against my ear lobe.

‘How would you have me describe you, the
man that makes my knees buckle in bed……oh and by the way who is having a baby
with another woman?’

‘God that sounds terrible’ he mumbles
running his hand over his face ‘I am so sorry Abi, I should let you go I
realize that but I can’t, I shouldn’t invite you into all this chaos’

I wrap my arms around him ‘let’s just take
a day at a time’ I mumble into his neck my insides churning at the thought of
never seeing him again ‘Bella called she is at Mike’s they want to know what
our plans are tonight’

‘I thought we would take a drive out this
afternoon find a little country pub to eat in?’

‘Sounds like heaven to me’

‘So it’s probably best we don’t mention the
baby at this point’ I plead with Grant ‘my parents wouldn’t understand’

Grant regards me for a moment ‘Ok, I can
drop you off and collect you later if you would prefer’ he murmurs quietly.

‘No! I want you to meet them but there is
no point in sharing our dramas until absolutely necessary’ I express running my
hand nervously over my hair ‘I want their first impression of you not to be
tainted by all this, I want them to see in you what I did’

His face is strained I recognize he is
battling with all of this, it is one thing us locking ourselves away in his
ivory castle leaving the world behind us but in real life the world isn’t as
forgiving.

Mum greets us at the door of her and dad’s
small terraced house, ‘Hi angel’ she kisses me pulling me in for a hug.

‘Hi mum, this is Grant’ I stand back
introducing my green eyed beauty, Grant had dressed in jeans and a shirt with a
smart jacket and looked delicious.

‘Pleasure to meet you Mrs Stephens’ Grant
shakes her hand politely.

Mum pulls Grant down and kisses his cheek,
‘lovely to meet you Grant’ she smiles adoringly up at him and I smile.  We walk
into the kitchen where dad is stirring something on the stove ‘Hi dad’ I call
moving over to him wrapping my arms around him.

‘Hi precious’ dad hugs me back dropping a
kiss on my head ‘how’s my favorite girl?’

‘Good thanks dad, dad this is Grant’ I
gesture towards Grant who holds out his hand to my dad.

‘Grant, good to meet you’ dad retorts.

‘Mr Stephens thank you for having me’

‘Ray please!’ dad insists ‘you are very
welcome son’

I notice that Grant visibly relaxes as we
sit and enjoy mum’s roast dinner, my parents are extremely approachable and
soon we are all chatting naturally.  Dad talks cars with Grant and they seem to
bond over their love of fast vehicles, mum gazes up at Grant and I grin well he
has definitely charmed my mum.

‘My daughter seems to have forgotten to
mention you Grant, how did you guys meet?’ mum enquires and I flush.

‘I will leave that story to Abi’ he smiles
over to me his eyes expressing he will go along with whatever I say.

‘Abi?’ Mum frowns.

‘We met in Vegas mum when I went to that
awful wedding with Scott’ I decide honesty is the best policy.

‘Oh!’ mum appears confused, I informed mum
on my return that Scott and I had parted company but I never elaborated.

‘Scott ditched me on the plane over mum and
Grant rescued me’ I flush as our Vegas affair fills my mind.

‘Oh’ Mum looks furious ‘what he just left
you?’

‘Pompous arse’ dad fumes.

‘Mum, just forget it ancient history’ I
press.

‘Well thank you for looking out for my girl
Grant’ dad pats Grant on the back.

‘Anytime’ he murmurs his eyes sparkling
towards me.

I grin and mum smiles at the interaction
‘so you have been dating a few months then?’

‘Erm, sort of’ Ok this is getting complicated
now ‘anyway we should be thinking of making a move I have laundry to do’

Mum and dad are gushing all over Grant and
I find it amusing, after the kisses and please come agains we finally make it
into the car and drive off.

‘They are charming’ Grant mumbles as we
pull into the motorway.

‘They are, you definitely have a couple of
fans there’ I turn to face him and he smiles.

‘For now’ he mutters and I know he is
referring to Amber and the baby. 

I stare out of the window contemplating the
future, if only we didn’t have this hanging over us we would be so happy. 

‘You ok?’ he calls.

‘Yes just tired’ I reply suddenly feeling
sad.

‘You sure you won’t come back with me?’

‘No I really do have laundry to do, but
thank you for a great weekend’

‘Thank you Abi’ he whispers.

Grant drops me home but refuses to come in
explaining he is going to check in on one of his clubs on the way home.

‘We ok?’ he wraps
his arms around me at the door kissing my neck ‘you have been extremely quiet
during the drive back’

‘Of course’ I hug
him tight breathing him in, he tips my chin up to search my face.

‘You know I love you don’t you?’ he reminds
me perceptive to my mood.

‘I know’ I nod tears forming behind my
eyes.

‘Abi, what is it?’ his eyes are anxious.

‘I am fine’ I take a breath ‘probably
hormones’ I lie. 

He nods, ‘you sure you don’t want to grab
your things and come back with me?’

‘No thank you’ I lean up and kiss him
gently ‘I love you’

‘That’s not the problem though is it? Us
loving each other’ he sighs, I just stroke his face and pull away.

‘Speak to you soon’ I force a smile and he
does the same.

‘See you soon Abi’

I once again throw myself into my work not
leaving the office until 8.34pm on Monday, Grant had called briefly at around
6pm but I had to cut him short as I was going into a meeting with Richard and
the Managing Director regarding my new position.  I walk slowly out of the
building hungry and tired and notice Grant’s Jaguar parked outside.  He exits
the car and walks towards me his face tense and troubled.