Part 9

I had to call Jamie and tell him all details from the dinner. Matt is at work and Jamie is for once actually reachable on his phone. He claims he is in a jungle somewhere with a lot of tanned light clothed actresses.

”You said your engagement party was when?"

”December 19th. It is three weeks from now on.” I answer him.

”Darlene,” he moans. ”You know I can’t come. I am stuck here till the 23rd.”

”Can’t you try?” I plead him not wanting to miss having my best friend coming.

”I can’t break my contract, we are already delayed as it is.” He sounds sad.

”I miss you, I haven’t seen you in months!”

”My mom is expecting me for Christmas, that is the only break I’ll have before I finish filming. I think you rather spend it with your boyfriend,” he says with slight jealousy.

”Oh right, whatever. But you can’t hide from me forever!” I threat him and he laughs and taps his fingers on something that sounds like a table.

”How is your song writing going?”

”It is improving.”

”Improving? Now tell me how a world famous singer and songwriter can improve?”

”You know, I write better things.”

”Better as in you will get a few million more fans and a larger bank account than usually?”

I must think before I answer him. I change my sitting position to something more comfortable for my big belly. ”No, I don’t think it will be that kind of changes. I think it will surprise them in a positive way so they keep admiring me.”

”Well, you can always go into the movie business if you fail.” he teases me so I moan with pain of the memory.

”That was one movie and it was a disaster!” I yell still scarred by the memories.

”Even though you hated it, Darling, you are damn of a good actress.”

I shake my head to keep the memories away. Whenever I come across that movie on TV I change it as fast as possible.

”It is a good movie, have you even watched it?”

”I did at the premiere.”

”Not a chance, you hid in my shoulder with your hands over your ears and closed eyes throughout two hours and fifteen minutes.” he says amused.

”Mind you, we were still dating back then so I had every right to be clingy.”

”Remind me some more now that I never have a chance to take you back.”

”Jerk.”

”Don’t talk bad around a baby!”

”Now you’re being silly.” I let my hand rest on my belly and I start smiling thinking about the life in there. ”You know, I sing for the baby when we are alone.”

”Aww that sounds sweet.” Jamie adds in a baby voice. ”Can you sing for us? I haven’t heard you sing live for a while.”

”Meaning you didn’t drive your car for a while.”

”Please?”

I can’t resist his begging voice so I change myself to half sitting in the sofa, praising the invention of hands free and start singing in a soft voice. The light tapping of his fingers in the background reassure me he is still there so I keep going for about three songs. It is nice, relaxing and it makes me happy.

”You sound like an angel,” Jamie tells me when I finish.

”Thank you. I will start recording a few of my songs soon. It is nice working at home and the studio and not be on tour for once.”

”It gets tiring.” he answer me understandingly.

”I should have bought my own house a few years ago.”

”You are growing up now. Everyone always took care of you but now you have to fix everything yourself. Don’t look back and regret.”

That’s true. I should look forward instead. I wonder if Matt and I really can buy a house without his mother trying to take over. It is bad enough that she started planning our engagement dinner, though I most definetly can do it myself.

The talk with Jamie made me feel a lot better. I miss my friend, it saddens me he can’t come though I know it would be weird to explain his presence. Suddenly I don’t feel like having an engagement party. I pick up the phone to call my other best friend, Anna. I am taking a slack day so who cares about everything else. I am not used to slack days, but I am starting to appreciate them.

After chatting one hour with Anna I feel a lot better because she agreed to come to the party. A knock on the door surprises me and I slowly open the door with the security chain inserted. I close the door immediately when I see who it is, force myself to take a deep breath while I remove the chain to invite my guest.

”Mrs Gregory, I didn’t expect you.” I said with a fake welcoming smile and moved so she could walk in.

”You were unreasonable over the phone when I called you earlier.” she said and put her hat on the shelf and I took her winter coat and hang it with the rest of the jackets.

”I am able to plan my own engagement party, though it is kind of you to offer your help.”

”Look at you, Molly. A pregnant woman should accept all the help she can get. I refuse to let you tire yourself when it is not needed.”

”Your grandchild is fine, Mrs Gregory. I am really sorry what Matt said at the dinner, I would never keep our child away from you.”

”Don’t worry about that. Do you have some coffee?”

”Of course, let me make some for you.”

It is weird to drink coffee with Matt’s mother. We are polite, and polite enough o not mention the great tension in the room. She kept talking and arguing and I let her decide the guest list and a few other things. Overall she didn’t manage to change my main idea about how I wanted it to be.

”I am twenty-three years old. It needs to be more relaxed so it doesn’t seem like a middle aged couple is getting married. I am aware that it doesn’t fit your standards Mrs Gregory, but you aren’t the main guest.”

”I don’t want to make a fool of ourselves in front of so many important people.”

”They will like it, trust me. I am more used to these things than you know.”

”If I can’t change your mind, then it is no point arguing about it. It is important for us you see, all our money is invested in the company, Matt doesn’t own that much. Connections means everything.”

She left irritated and a bit sad and I didn’t feel bad about it at all.

-

”What is that smell?”

I jump high when Matt’s voice suddenly appears close to my right ear.

”I didn’t hear you come in,” I laugh and lean back towards him. ”It is a roast with potatoes.”

”Lovely.” he answer and kiss my neck so I shiver lightly in pleasure.

”You are in time for dinner, it is almost ready.”

”I am hungry.” He keeps kissing me and I feel the tingles start burning all over my body from his touch. ”Hungry for you.” he adds.

”I refuse to let you ruin a dinner I spent hours cooking.” I tell him in a harsh voice. ”Save your lust for later.”

He helps me with the rest and soon we are enjoying the meal together.

”This is nice, having you home in time.” I add with a smile. He doesn’t smile back.

”Molly, there is something I need to tell you.”

His serious voice doesn’t mean any good. I put my fork and my knife down to listen to whatever he wants to tell me.

”All the late meetings I had lately, it is a small crisis in the company.”

”Does it have anything to do with the fact that everything Gregory own is in this company?” I ask him calmly. ”Your mother was here earlier, she mentioned it but I didn’t see anything unusual in her comment.”

”We are going bankrupt. We tried everything to make it better the last year, but the market is not good for us anymore. There are too many rival companies.”

”What is going to happen?”

”If it is alright with you,” he says in a low voice. ”You make me feel better, I forget all trouble when I see you.” It is hard for him to get the words out. ”You don’t mind if I stay home with you and the baby?”

”I would love to have you around more Matt. You are barely here at all. I will continue my career soon too, we better take care of the time we have. Why do you ask?”

”It is horrible of me, but I am not going down with a sinking ship. I am going to sell my share of the company while the market is still unaware of the crash. It is not a lot and it has dropped a lot of value already.”

I take his hand over the table to calm him down.

”Matt, honey, I understand you are upset over this since it is your family business. Whatever you choose it doesn’t matter. Money isn’t a problem for us.”

”It is your hard earned money.”

”And I give away millions every year in donations.” I point out to him. ”Don’t feel the need to support us, just focus on our life together instead of manly pride. It will be a completely different lifestyle for you. We can go on world tour together, did your parents ever let you have fun?”

”No they didn’t. They always claim it is a bad way to seek success in unless you are already famous.”

”That is why I grew up with my aunt. Can you see me getting famous growing up in the Williams family?”

”Are you sure you won’t feel like I am leeching off you?”

”We are getting married, we will share everything we own.”

”I am so scared that you will wake up one day and realise I’m not good enough for you. When my mom challenge you I just wait for you to give up and move on.” His expression is so sad. I can’t believe that the gorgeous man in front of me feel just as insecure as I am.

”Not good enough for who?” I ask in a gentle voice. ”Who are we really? It doesn’t matter what happens. We will always belong together. I will always be by your side, loving you. Whatever your mom calls me.”

The talk with Matt did clear up a few things. I think he is scared of his parent’s reaction too.

-

The following week did turn out to be a bit hectic. Matt sold his part of the company which created a huge conflict with his father. Speculations were going wild over the reasons why he would do such a thing, but Matt remained silent. He had shook the whole society deeply.

The invitations were sent out to our engagement party and people rang to our home phone and accepted it as fast as they could, they don’t want to miss out on this occasion to be in the spotlight of the scandal.

Suddenly me and Matt became the hot topic and I must say I find it uncomfortable when people point at me on the streets, I guess I have to live with another reason of fame. Matt tells me it will die out soon, there are always new scandals, more nasty things to gossip about. You would think that I am used to all this after seven years as a celebrity, but the truth is I can handle Darlene’s fame, but not this new adult situation.

-

”You could think people have better things to do,” I mutter to my sister in our father’s flashy apartment. She is the only one home at the moment since she is taking a free year before going to college. We are sitting in her large room in her soft bed and I watch as the thin white curtains lightly moves with the wind that is blowing through the open roof terrace door.

”They want to forget about their own problems, so they put their nose in other people’s butts instead,” she answer me in a cocky voice and not at all caring about all the hysteria. But I guess it is only hysteria in my world. ”Welcome to the society, do you like it so far?” she adds with sarcasm.

”Thanks,” I add shortly with a snort.

”Matt did the right thing. I mean he has a young pregnant fiancée and he can’t stay at that boring job if he want to keep your interest.”

”That is not a nice thing to say! He is not that old.”

”Old enough. I don’t want you to marry a guy who is never home. So how much did he get out of the whole affair? What are you going to do with the money?” she asks me in a more interested tone.

”I don’t know,” I moan. ” He didn’t own that much yet so he only got like one hundred thousand. We should buy a house. But the thought of it makes me shudder.”

”Yeah the responsibility of growing up.”

”More his devil of a mother. If she doesn’t get the answer in phone that she is looking for, then you can almost expect her to show up personally an hour later.”

”Like you did today,” Anne smiles.

”I don’t know where to hide. I can’t stalk Auntie everyday.”

”This is nice Molly. You never cared much to visit me and see here you are pregnant and all in my room.”

”Aunt Anne, that sounds old,” I tease her so she hits me lightly on my shoulder.

”So how is your and Matt’s story? Did you date a long time and how did you react when you found out you were pregnant?”

”I don’t know if I should tell you. It is not something I planned yet for like ten years. The attraction hit us like a brick wall and soon enough we had a very passionate and complicated love affair. I was scared to death when I took the test. We had only dated for a few months.”

”Love always sound better when other people talk about it,” my sister says dreamily. ”I just wait for my prince to arrive. How was your first love?”

The thought of Jamie made me smile.

”Jamie Allen. He broke my heart completely.”

”He breaks all girl hearts. I didn’t expect you to fall in love with an image though.”

I smile sadly towards her. Maybe I should tell her. But what is stopping her from telling all her friends the moment I leave?

”One minute I love him like crazy, the next I say I’m over him, and then it comes back. I think I always will have a crush on him even if I try to deny it. Sometimes I do feel like I got over him. It is confusing.”

”As long as it doesn’t bother Matt I don’t see the problem with it. Love is irritating like that.”

”How is it possible to love two people at once in so different ways?” I sigh and lie down to watch the roof. It is not white, it is made of dark brown shining planks.

”Really Molly. You shouldn’t let a small crush on Jamie Allen affect you this much.”

I let a tear escape my eye.

”I know I sound stupid, Anne. It must be my pregnancy hormones crying for what I never can have.”

”It is not stupid, you are just being human for once. You never show yourself weak, you just hold that stupid smile plastered to your face and let everyone treat you anyway they want. You have this big wall built around you and never let anyone in.”

”I never meant to shut you out, I’m sorry. Whatever happens I am here for you. Just call and I’ll be your big sister. Deal?”

”Deal.”