Stalemate (3 page)

“Okay come over here,” Tawny ordered.

Isa dropped her bag by the door, walked over to the sofa, and threw herself onto it heavily. She was too exhausted to argue, and looked at her bedroom door longingly.

Tawny snapped her fingers to draw Isa’s attention. “Eyes on me, G.I Jane.”

“That’s Army, I’m Navy,” Isa pointed out.

Tawny rolled her eyes. “Whatever, so tell me what the hell is the matter with you.”

“I don’t know. I’m just tired and seem to be fighting a bug.” Isa leaned back and covered her eyes with her hand. “It needs to go away. I’m dragging my ass here.”

“Sweetie,” Tawny said sympathetically, “you’ve been dragging from the time I got back. I don’t think this is a bug. Maybe you should see the doctors on base or get a doc here in the city.” She laughed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were pregnant. I remember how my mom used to be when she was. You know, before the crazy and the foster care.”

Isa moved her hand quickly from over her eyes and stared at Tawny in shock. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

“Nope, unless... Oh, Isa, you naughty slut, who did you hook up with and not tell me the juicy details?” Tawny said gleefully.

She’d never old Tawny what happened the night of the party and she felt like she should’ve, especially when Bryce thought she was Tawny.  But she feared her friend being upset or ruining their friendship.

“Bryce Forte, the night of the party,” Isa said quietly.

“The billionaire?” Tawny’s grin widened.  “How was he?”

“Amazing, but he thought I was you!” Isa cried out.  “And I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t because I wasn’t meant to be there, and we had this connection, this kind of gut-wrenching oomph. Next thing you know, we’re having hot sex, then he calls your name and I bolt.”

Tawny looked her with wide eyes. “Um, yeah, that’s a snafu.”

“Don’t be mad at me, please,” Isa begged. Tawny poked her hard in the ribs. “Ow, why’d you do that?”

“Because, dopey, it was my name, yes, but your personality he found the connection with,” Tawny pointed out. “Why would I be mad at that? Besides, he’s not my type, and I met a very handsome Greek guy that I’ve been chatting up. Fingers crossed it works out.”

“What if I’m pregnant?” Isa whispered.

“Would that be such a bad thing?” Tawny asked gently. “You’re settled now, not on a ship anymore. You get to come home every night.”

“I also can’t tell you much about my family other than being passed around then ultimately foster care,” Isa reminded her. “What if my genes are too screwed up and I totally fuck up a kid?”

“That’s not going to happen,” Tawny said firmly. “But first we need to know for sure and go from there. I’m going to go buy you a test from the pharmacy. Don’t pee till I get back.”

Isa clutched her hand. “Oh my God, if I’m pregnant... Bryce will—”

“Have to know,” Tawny finished. “I’m sure he’ll see the mistake and laugh about it. I’ve seen him at a few charity things he doesn’t seem like an asshole.”

“People put on masks to hide their true selves,” Isa replied. “Okay, go get the test and we’ll go from there.

An hour later, she looked at the test and burst out crying.
Oh God
,
I’m pregnant
. Isa started to panic and hyperventilate while Tawny rubbed her back.

“Isa, start taking deep breaths or I’m getting a plastic bag,” Tawny warned.

“Why, are you going to smother me with it?” Isa managed to get out.

“No, for you to breathe in.”

“That’s a paper bag, Tawny!” Isa cried out, and pointed from herself to Tawny. “We should not be allowed around children. What am I going to do?”

“Well, first you’re going to calm down because you panicking makes me panic and that never ends well,” Tawny said calmly. “Then after you wrap your head around this, we’re going to go see Bryce Forte. You need to call him and make a time to go see him.”

“This won’t end well,” Isa muttered. “He’s going to be pissed. I told you I never should’ve gone to that party.”

“I didn’t tell you sleep with the guy,” Tawny pointed out.

“God, what did he have to be so handsome and charming? Why did I fall into his bed like a cheap tramp?” Isa moaned. “My mom always said nothing good comes out of not thinking.”

“Yeah, she proved that, didn’t she? And Isa, you are not your mother. Will you please calm down? If he pretends it never happened, we’ll raise the baby ourselves. I’ll be your baby daddy.”

Isa burst out laughing through her tears. “Thanks for that.”

Tawny hugged her tight. “Don’t worry, We got this like we always do—together.”

“Thanks Tawny,” Isa whispered.

She closed her eyes as her friend tried to comfort her and the image of Bryce came to her mind. She thought about him every day even though she never planned to see him again. It seemed like fate had other plans, because now she had to see the man who’d blown off his own party to spend time with her and drive her wild with his kisses. She had to tell him that their night of pleasure resulted with a child, and her instinct told her he would not be pleased with anything she said. Especially the words, “I’m pregnant.”

* * * *

B
ryce walked to the family room with purpose in his steps. After his initial night of passion with who he’d assumed was Tawny, he went online and looked up her pictures. Imagine his surprise when he found out it wasn’t the woman he expected staring back at him, the one who’d shared his bed for one night. This was a completely different woman, and in the few weeks after his party, he endeavored to find out who he’d slept with. With his resources, it was easy to get a name—Petty Officer Isa Croix. No wonder she beat him at Battleship—she worked navigations on the deck of some of the United States’ finest ships.

Her record was exemplary and there was nothing in her past to raise alarms. Yet, after he saw the deception and he ran her name it gave no clue why was she at his party pretending to be her best friend? Their lives were clean and an open book to his investigators to find some kind of con, there was nothing. Bryce didn’t know, but he was sure as hell going to find out. He didn’t like being played for a fool, even though he couldn’t get that night out of his head.

She stood when he walked into the room and, from the look in her eyes, he knew that she knew he’d found out the truth. He took her in silently for a moment, the way she wrung her hand nervously. Her hair was pulled into a casual ponytail.  Gone was the sexy siren in the royal purple dress. Now she wore casual jeans, boots to her knees, and a long-sleeve white shirt. It was time to get the show on the road and find out the end game to the what they were playing.

“So Petty Officer Isa Croix, mind telling me what you were doing at my party?” Bryce asked bluntly.

“It was my idea,” the real Tawny answered.

He cut her off with a cold stare and crisp words. “I was talking to her. I don’t know you.”

Tawny blinked in surprise, but Isa’s eyes flashed fire and she stepped defensively in front of her friend. It was easy to see who protected who when they’d been in foster care. Bryce had done his homework.

“You don’t talk to her like that, ever.” Isa’s tone was hard. “Tawny was trying to get me out of our apartment after I’d been at sea for over six months.  What happened between us wasn’t her fault, it was mine. I should’ve made better choices.”

“Or said no and not show up,” Bryce replied. “My question is why are you here now? Did you take pictures? Want money to help with your struggling career? A new car to replace your old one?”

“Told you we shouldn’t have come here. Let’s go,” Isa said to Tawny. “Fuck you, Mr. Billionaire, in the light of day you’re just another asshole with too much money. I’ve worked for everything I have and I don’t need your handouts.”

“You have to tell him.” Tawny grabbed Isa’s hand to stop her.

Isa shook her head angrily. “I don’t have to tell him shit.”

He looked from one to the other. “Tell me what?”

“Nothing that concerns you. We’re leaving your house and—”

“She’s pregnant,” Tawny said quickly.

“Tawny!” Isa cried out.

The realization of her words washed over him. He’d heard of women trapping men with wealth like this, but never thought it would happen to him.  He’d had her vetted and Isa didn’t seem the type. Apparently, he was very wrong.

“So your Navy paycheck wasn’t enough and you whored your way into my bed and would use a kid for a payday?” Bryce asked angrily.

She moved so quickly he almost didn’t see her, but he felt the sting of the slap she placed squarely on his cheek.

“Fuck you, every way you can possibly think of,” she said viciously. “I know what it’s like not to be raised by loving parents and then tossed away. While people like you and your rich friends have kids to parade around or like an accessory—the new must-have—I know what a child feels not to be wanted. Regardless of if it’s your child or the plumber’s, this baby will be loved and we don’t need your money. I hope it keeps you warm at night.” She grabbed her purse and Tawny’s in a rush to leave. “Let’s go.”

“You can’t leave after dropping a bomb like that,” Bryce argued.

She glanced at him angrily. “Yeah, I can. I’ll have a JAG officer draw up termination of parental rights papers and send them to you. Have your lawyer look them over to see I want nothing, and I mean nothing, from you. This will be the last time you see me, Mr. Forte.”

Bryce didn’t know what to say as Tawny followed her quickly out the door. But from the balcony, he watched her get into the old car she drove. He sat down, trying to think past the anger to the matter of a baby. Was she even pregnant? How could he make sure? Isa said she wanted nothing from him, but were they playing a game hoping the thought of a baby would propel him forward? Did he even want a child at that point in his life?

He ran his hand over his hair and let out a long sigh. Nothing, not even his anger, could dull the fact that, regardless of if she was Tawny or Isa, he’d wanted to rush over and kiss her when he saw her in the room. One thing was sure, if she thought she could cut him out of her life and the life of their child, Isa was wrong.  He’d fight her in court if he had to, regardless of if they were trying to con him or not. He knew just as well as she did how it felt to be alone, even in a crowd.

It was later in the evening when he heard the doorbell ring. After the dinner he could barely eat or the brandy that sat on the desk without him even taking a sip, he was still reeling from the news of his impending parenthood. Roger ran the house, but he was already gone for a night of salsa dancing, so Bryce answered the door. Tawny stood on the step wrapped in a coat as the first drops of water falling from the sky heralded the storm that would break over New Orleans soon.

“What do you want?” he asked bluntly.

“To talk.”

He stepped aside and let her in and she didn’t move past the foyer.  Bryce didn’t invite her any further in because look where it had gotten him last time. Even with Tawny’s beauty, he didn’t feel a thing for her. She shifted from one foot to the next as the stony silence dragged between them.

“So, talk,” he finally said, tired of watching her squirm.

“You’ve got Isa all wrong,” she began. “She’s never taken what wasn’t hers, and being raised in foster care, we both could’ve ended up on the wrong side of the law. She worked for me and her and bought me my first set of clothes for a modeling shoot when she joined the Navy. She sent me most of her money from her first check and lived off ramen noodles for a month so I could get my big break. She was deployed twice in the war and served with honor.  She came home and cried for days for friends she’d lost, but never was more proud to put on a uniform.”

“You came to sing your friend’s praises?” Bryce asked.

“I came to tell you the truth. The woman can sing like a nightingale and loves books over shopping for shoes. Those clothes she had on were mine. She owns jeans and a few dresses, nothing fancy because she is so down to earth,” Tawny replied.  “She won’t come to you again, her pride won’t let her, and when she said she’d raise the baby without you, she was dead serious.  Even though she felt something when she was with you and, for Isa, that’s something big.”

“Why?” Bryce questioned. He didn’t know why he asked, maybe because he was seeing a new layer to Isa and wanted to know more.

Tawny gave a sad smile. “That’s her part of the story to tell, but she isn’t what you think and neither am I.”

“So If I pressed you up against this wall right now and kissed you, what would happen?” he murmured.

“She taught me to fight and I’d leave you singing soprano then go home and tell her what a dick head you are and that she’s better off without you. And if you’re that type she is definitely better off without you. I hope I’m not reading you wrong and my instincts aren’t off the mark.”

He nodded. “It’s not and your loyalty to her is admirable.”

“Her loyalty to everyone she cares for is better, and you can be assured that baby she’s carrying will lack for noting and won’t even know what’s it’s like not to have a father she’ll shower him or her with so much love.” Tawny met his gaze. “But then you’d miss out on an amazing woman and on the life of a child you both created. Trust me, if she wasn’t feeling you, you couldn’t have touched her that night. She could’ve broken your hand.”

Bryce inclined his head. “Point taken. Thank you for stopping by, you’ve given me a lot to think about.”

“Think about this, if you go after her, there’s a wall to climb. Isa doesn’t deal with hurt well and that emotional brick wall will be shored up tight after our meeting today,” Tawny said.

“I may have to play a little dirty,” Bryce murmured.

“Maybe,” Tawny said as she walked toward the door. “And maybe you’re exactly what she needs to shake her life up.”

Bryce closed the door after she walked out into the night and went back to his office. Tawny had given him a lot to think about and he planned to go with his gut.  His instincts said Isa was someone worth a second chance, and he wondered as he downed his brandy. Would she do the same for him?