His Change of Heart: Unexpected Pregnancy Romance Page 4

  “Hello, Avery. This is Will Chandler.”

  She had smiled. He was actually introducing himself, as if he thought she had forgotten who he was. They had met, just over twenty four hours before.

  “Hello, Will. It’s nice of you to call,” she had told him, in a flirty voice. She didn’t even know she had a flirty voice. But her voice had come across as provocative. She also didn’t want to come across as desperate.

  “How is your day going? Not too hectic, I hope.”

  “Not at all. I’m actually on my lunch break.”

  “I suspect that. I timed my call to get you at lunch and not in the class room. Besides, I’m sure you can use a break from your wonderful colleagues, and the unnecessary chaos there.”

  “So you know what it’s like here?” Avery had asked him with a laugh.

  “Working with a bunch of women with different and strong personalities, yes I do. I also happen to be a very perceptive man. I know those lovely ladies aren’t always as pleasant as they appear.”

  Avery had laughed again, surprised that he had picked up on her co-workers’ cattiness without her having to say a word to him.

  “I haven’t been there for that long, but I think I’ve seen enough to make my assessment.”

  “I won’t elaborate on that topic.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Talk about which, I haven’t seen you here today. It’s not your day off, is it?” She knew it wasn’t.

  “Actually, no and yes—yesterday was my last day at Ellington. I’m needed here to prepare for an upcoming case. The firm wants to win this one big time, so they are putting their best people on it.”

  “I didn’t know you weren’t coming back.”

  “We were in such a rush yesterday—I didn’t have the time to mention it. The firm is sending another lawyer to replace me for the rest of the semester. Please pass that info on to the ladies,” Will had told her with a big chuckle.

  “I can’t guarantee that they will accept the news well. They seem to have a major crush on you.”

  “I’m sure they do!” She heard the sarcasm in his voice. “I will like to think that includes you as well?”

  “I prefer not to say.”

  “Should I take that as a yes, or a maybe, then?”

  Avery had tried to steer the topic away from her. She didn’t want to admit that she too, found him super attractive.

  “You sound relieve. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy your time here with us.”

  “I met you, didn’t I? That was a big positive. I’m glad we had that little fender-bender in the hallway when we did.” Will told her with a laugh. “I would have hated leaving Ellington without meeting you.”

  Avery was glad that he wasn’t there with her to see the horrified look on her face. She had found nothing funny about spilling her coffee on him. In fact, she was still embarrassed by the entire incident. And she didn’t want him to remember that one awkward moment when he thought of her.

  “Are you free for dinner tonight?”

  Avery, shocked that he had asked, stammered, “to...nig, tonight?”

  “Yes. Will you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

  “Yes, sure.”

  “Okay, will you mind staying on the line for a sec while I try to get us a table?

  “No, go ahead.”

  Will came back on the line in less than a minute.

  “Okay, it’s all done. We have reservations at Le Belvedere for eight. Is that fine with you, I mean the time. I know it’s a school night.”

  “No, that’s fine. I hardly go to sleep before eleven, anyway.”

  “I will call you later and arrange to pick you up.”

  Avery had said goodbye to him. Then she had sat on the bench outside for the rest of her lunch break, staring out at the melting snow on the lawn, thinking about Will, and her date with him later, with a dreamy smile on her face, her turkey sandwich, completely forgotten. She suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore. She had wrapped the sandwich back in the plastic bag and tossed it in the nearest bin on her way back to class. She really hadn’t expected Will to call her. She had thought that he would be one of the guys who said they would call, and never did. And she couldn’t wait to have dinner with him. She was looking forward to her evening with him.

  She had also heard of Le Belvedere. It was an upscale French restaurant on Fifty third, with a five star rating. It was impossible to get a table there, especially at the last minute. She knew, because a few of the teachers had been trying forever to get reservations there. She guessed Will was a regular. The maitre d’ and management probably knew him by name. And she wondered how many gorgeous women he had wined and dined there. And she couldn’t help wondering where she came in on the number scale.

  Was she the third or fifth woman he had taken there on a date? She wasn’t certain she wanted to know. She didn’t want to imagine him with other women. Heavens! What was wrong with her! She had just met the man! She didn’t even know how he felt about her, and she was already obsessing about him and the women he had been with. But she couldn’t help it. He was fine as hell—she couldn’t blame herself if her imagination was running wild about him.

  Will had offered to pick her up at her place, but Avery had declined, suggesting to meet him at the restaurant instead. She had this rule about never letting a guy pick her up at on the first date. She preferred to take a cab. This way, if the evening didn’t work out, she could easily find her way back home. She never gave out her address on the first or second date. It was her number one rule for dating in New York. And it had worked out splendidly for her in the past. She had gone on dates where she knew the evening was going to be a bust after the first five minutes. In that case, she didn’t hesitate to excuse herself and called a cab to take her home.

  She didn’t think that her evening with Will was going to end badly, but she was a slicker for sticking to habits. And she wasn’t going to give Will a free pass because she found him attractive.

  Six

  And that evening after they finished dinner, Will had told her that he wasn’t ready for the evening to end, and had suggested that they go back to his place to continue their date over a glass of wine, maybe. He had also given her the option to take in a late show at the Metropolitan. She had liked his first idea better, and she had accepted his proposal to go home with him.

  Usually she didn’t do this with a guy on the first, or even second date, but something about Will was different. He was different. Not only did she feel comfortable and safe with him, but she was attracted to him in a really big way. She wanted to be with him. She had enjoyed his company at dinner. He was the type of man she had spent many sleepless nights in bed fantasizing about. And part of her wanted to believe that Will felt the same way about her. In fact, every smile, touch and gesture from him had indicated that there was some mutual attraction there.

  And she had found him to be not only handsome, but intelligent, witty, attentive, and charming. He had proven to be far more interesting and engaging than she thought. She honestly was expecting him to be one of those self indulgent, narcissistic, boring rich guys who thought the world of themselves and no one else mattered. But Will had turned out to be quite the opposite. He had surprised her in a very big way. He had talked very little about himself. Instead he had given her his undivided attention. He had made her feel like the most important person in the restaurant. And she couldn’t help noticing the flirty glances he got from women who were there with their dates. Even the waitress had flirted shamelessly with him.

  He had asked about her job, her family, friends, her likes and dislikes. And the inevitable question about her parentage. Despite her light complexion, Will knew she was of mixed parentage, and he had seemed genuinely interest when she had told him the beautiful story about her parents. Her father had been a professor at the university in Kalispell, and her mother was the secretary in his department when they had met and fallen in love.

  And he
r father’s African American heritage hadn’t deterred her mother from loving him. They had dated for a month before her father had proposed, and they had gotten married. She was born two years later. And even though her parents had encountered their share of objections from family and friends, and the regular discrimination, it hadn’t prevented them from being together. The love they had shared for each other had surpassed every social obstacle they had come across.

  Will had been interested in what she had to say. He hadn’t reached for his blackberry or smart phone once. She wasn’t even certain he had brought his phone into the restaurant with him either. She hadn’t seen him with one. She wished some of the guys she had gone out with in the past had been half as decent. She had sat on edge, well, more like on pins and needles through many dates in the past, pretending to listen to hateful rants about unfaithful ex-girlfriends, unreasonable bosses and parents, how life in general was just so damn unfair and hard. So having a pleasant evening with a man of class was definitely a major step up and a huge welcome change for her, one she was more than happy to embrace.

  Will’s driver had been waiting for them across the street with the black Mercedes Benz when they stepped outside. Will must have called him from inside the restaurant, but she hadn’t seen him use his phone. He must have made the call when she had excused herself to go to the ladies room to redo her lipstick and fix her hair. She had asked Will about the car when they were waiting to cross the street, Will holding on tightly to her arm, guiding her across. She thought he had driven himself to meet her or had taken a cab. But Will told her he preferred to have a driver because he didn’t have the patience or time to sit in traffic, especially when he was expected in court.

  The car was his, though, he had told her, as an afterthought, with an uncomfortable small laugh. She didn’t think for a second that the black Mercedes belonged to the middle aged man standing next to it, holding the door for them with a polite smile on his clean shaven face.

  Back at his apartment, which turned out to be a luxury penthouse on the Upper East Side, and between sips of chardonnay, they had talked some more, about any and everything—the ongoing crisises around the world, the stock markets, the theater, sports, the best places they had vacationed—she in Mexico and Florida—he in Italy, Ibiza, France and St Barts, and other places around the world. And they had discussed possible candidates for the upcoming presidential elections and reality shows, of all things.

  She had been surprised when Will had mentioned that he was a fan of The Voice, Dancing with the Stars and Survivor. She couldn’t hide the huge grin on her face. And Will had quickly defended his choices as a way for him to unwind after a stressful day in court. Avery didn’t think high powered attorneys had time to sit and watch television, especially reality shows like the average person.

  Then she had asked Will about his job, and if he had enjoyed teaching at Ellington. Will had laughed, throwing his head all the way back, showing a perfect set of pearly white teeth. He told her, he had found the entire experience exhilarating and challenging, and he definitely would be sticking to his day job. Then he had confided that he was relieved that his brief teaching stint at the college was over. It wasn’t for him, he had said with a sly grin.

  “I don’t think I have what it takes to shape the young minds of future America. That honorable job belongs to you. I’m more than happy to stick with what I know, and leave that very important task in the capable hands like hers and others in the teaching profession who, I must add, I have the highest level of admiration and respect for.”

  “I thought you enjoyed your time at Ellington.”

  “I enjoyed meeting you,” he gave her a bold look. “It was the best part of being there. But I preferred to pick my fights in the court room and in arbitration. At least I know I have a good chance of coming out on top there.”

  “It was that bad, huh?”

  Avery had tried to sound sympathetic, and smiled, but she was far from feeling an ounce of sympathy for him. From what she had seen, he had appeared to be basking in all the attention that the women had been directing at him.

  “Let’s say I don’t have what it takes to deal with a classroom full of fastidious know it all teenagers who wouldn’t think twice about eating me alive.”

  “And there I was, thinking that you were having fun,” Avery had said to him, remembering the times she had seen him talking to the students and teachers on his breaks and outside class. There were also the times he had stayed back after his class to mingle with everyone, including the students in the recreation room. She had no idea that he didn’t want to be there. And there she was, thinking that he had been having the time of his life, especially with the ladies.

  “Looks, my dear, can be very deceiving.”

  “Does that mean you won’t be coming back for the next semester? The students and staff will be very disappointed. They have all taken a special liking to you. They will miss you terribly.”

  She was mostly referring to the women, especially the ones in her department.

  “Sorry to disappoint them, but I won’t count on it. Besides, it wasn’t all bad being at Ellington. I got a date with you, didn’t I? I’m here with you.”

  He had brushed his fingers lightly down her bare arm. Avery had looked at him demurely and blushed. He probably had acted the exact way with his professors when he was in college, she had thought, with another smile. And he was right about one thing—teaching wasn’t for everyone. Likewise, she couldn’t see herself doing his job—she didn’t have what it took to orchestrate big corporate takeovers, hammered out lucrative deals, or battled it out in court. She was more than happy to stick with her teaching job.

  Then, Avery didn’t know how it happened, how she ended up in Will’s arms and in his bed. It was just one of those things that just happened, she guessed. Will had said something to her, though she couldn’t quite remember what it was. But she had found it hilarious and she had laughed, giggling like a school girl, trying not to spill her wine on her dress or on Will’s pants. She remembered Will had been laughing too. Then he had reached in suddenly and kissed her full on the lips, gently prying her lips apart, his tongue searching deep inside her mouth.

  The kiss had surprised her, but in an extremely good way. Did she want Will to kiss her? Heavens, yes! It was what she had been longing for the entire evening. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, neither could she have thought of a better way to end their date. But she hadn’t been prepared for what had followed next. After he had kissed her, Will had taken the wine glass from her hand and set it carefully on the antique table next to the sofa. Then he had turned and stroked her face, her cheek, and her hair with his fingers, gazing admiringly into her eyes.

  “You have such beautiful eyes,” he had said to her, looking amusingly into her light brown eyes. “There is so much innocence and trust there. I can bury my soul there. You are a very fascinating woman, Avery—fascinating, and extremely desirable. I knew it the first time I saw you. Everything about you is just so damn beautiful—your face, hair, skin, body—everything.”

  He had run his fingers slowly over her cheeks and on her hair again, smoothing back the wayward curls off her face. He had kissed her again, his tongue probing inside her mouth, giving her a taste of the wine he had been sipping. Will’s kiss had both weakened and awakened parts of her that had long been dormant and starved. And he had kissed her with such passion that it had literally taken her breath away.

  And it had taken her a couple seconds to catch her breath, and to get back to reality, and what was happening between them in the room. And Avery had returned Will’s kiss with as much fervor, her tongue reaching deep inside his mouth, their tongues joining in sweet harmony, sucking and tasting each other.

  And she had closed her eyes and allowed herself to be swept away in the rapturous moment, as Will ran his hands gently down her back, his hand reaching up to pushed the tiny straps of the little black dress she had been wearing off her sh
oulders. And she had gasped in delight when he had lowered his head and planted light kisses on the top of her heaving breasts that were spilling out of her black push-up lace bra.

  And she hadn’t said a word when his hands had moved to her back again and he had unclasped the strapless lace bra she was wearing, completely freeing her full breasts. And neither did she resist when he had planted his mouth over her erect nipples and had sucked them ardently, taking his time with each breast, cupping them in his hands, nuzzling his face in the soft curves. Avery had gripped an edge of the leather sofa and moaned, hoping that he wouldn’t stop. It was what she had been waiting for all evening.

  After, Avery had held Will’s gaze, looking deeply into his passion filled hazel eyes when he reached for her hand and pulled her gently to her feet. They had stared at each other without saying a word, as if they had been the only two people in the world who had suddenly found each other. Will had drawn her close, his hand reaching up to pushed the dress from her body, along with her bra, allowing them to fall in a heap at her feet on the carpeted floor.

  Avery had stepped out of the dress and bra then. She had wrapped her arms snugly around Will’s neck as he had lifted her almost weightless body into his arms, and carried her into the bedroom. The room had been lightly lit, and there was soft jazz music playing on a sound system somewhere in the room. She had been vaguely aware of anything else, except for the magnetism of the man holding her very close against his chest, his warm breath nuzzling her cheek and neck, and the soft curves between her breasts, as he continued to lock lips with her.