A REASON FOR MARRIAGE

Simon stopped a few feet away from her; he looked so stern and grim that Sara felt a little scared.

“It’s me who should be sorry,” he surprised her by saying. “It was a very cold night and I should have brought you home earlier. You could have caught cold or anything. How are you feeling? I think we should go to see the doctor just in case. I was going to call her if you didn’t wake up soon.”

Sara couldn’t help laughing, and it completely defused the tension she was feeling. “Simon! Don’t be ridiculous; I’m fine. Being out on a cold night for a few hours will not bring on early labor or pneumonia.”

“All the same…”

He looked genuinely worried, and Sara’s heart clenched again. She rolled her eyes, ignoring her worrying reaction; maybe something was wrong with her? “Simon, really, I haven’t slept that well the last few nights, I’m sure that’s all it was. Here-” she reached out, took his hand and brought it to her forehead “-see? No fever. I’m fine.”.

His hand felt warm and strong on her head, and she could feel his pulse at his wrist. It had an immediate effect on her body, and she felt herself respond, her own pulse tripping. She hurriedly took his hand down again. If she kept it there, she would feel feverish in a minute. She stepped back to put some space between them and he looked utterly unmoved by the physical contact. She was still confused by this wall, this distance, that existed between them. It had to be because he just didn’t find her attractive any more, and that was becoming harder for her to bear than she’d imagined it would be.

He finally seemed to be satisfied that she was OK, and started to walk back to his office, throwing over his shoulder, “I’ve lined up some places for us to look at today.”

Sara followed him, glad of the distraction from her roiling emotions and hormones. “Places? What do you mean?”.

She followed him into his light, airy study and looked around the room she’d decorated for him. Shelves from floor to ceiling were packed with all sorts of books. A huge table stood in one corner, where he told her he sometimes held impromptu meetings. It was a hub of energy, but Sara knew that once Simon walked out, the energy would dissipate.

He was round the other side of his desk, and he gestured for her to come and have a look at something on the computer screen. She walked over feeling a little apprehensive and tried to stay as far away from his body heat as possible.

“What am I meant to be looking at?”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

He pressed a key, and what looked like a property page came up with pictures of houses and gardens.

“These are all houses and apartments for sale around New York, mostly around those areas you once mentioned that you liked,”

“I…well…I know, but what do you mean? Why are we looking at these?”

He looked at her as if she were slightly dim, and she could feel herself getting hot.

“I know you have an apartment already, but I was thinking you’d be more… comfortable in a bigger and better place. I don’t think that this place is going to be ideal for when the baby comes, do you? Even though we have the lift, we’re on the top floor, and it’s hardly kitted out to accommodate a baby,”

Sara started to back away, her belly churning again. No, she could imagine very well that this wouldn’t suit him. This apartment screamed ‘billionaire bachelor’. There was no room for a baby. Sara still felt a little too stunned to say anything else but, “I guess you’re right.”

“Good. Now, I’ve arranged some viewings for today, if that’s OK?” He didn’t wait for an answer, he strode over, took her arm and herded her out of his office, “You should have some breakfast and then we’ll head out to see them.”

_______

By that evening Sara’s head was spinning. She’d seen stunning art-deco ground-floor apartments. She’d seen beautiful town houses with idyllic gardens tucked away from prying eyes. She’d seen opulent, airy, studio-style apartments. Then she’d seen some more. All of them had the same thing in common: they were all exclusive and awe-inspiringly, jaw-droppingly expensive.

When she’d hissed to Simon about the cost, he’d waved her concerns away and talked over her head to the agents about what it would take to make the properties baby-safe.

Clearly setting up his ex-lover and his baby in a suitable pad was something he was prepared to pay for. And it was also quite clear to Sara that Simon meant to live in his own apartment and have her living independently, complete with family car, just across town or around the corner; if she liked the first apartment they’d looked at that morning. But she didn’t think he’d be too thrilled at the prospect of running into her and the baby with his new lover. There had been no talk of ‘we’; it had been all down to her to say if she liked a place or not.

Her life had transformed so completely in such a short space of time that Sara felt light headed as they walked back into Simon’s place. Compounding everything had been his careful restraint from touching her all day. Even if she’d brushed off him, he’d moved away as if he couldn’t bear to be near her. She stopped dead inside the door and Simon glanced back at her briefly.

“I have a business dinner to attend tonight. I’d ask you along, if you want, but I’m sure you’re tired after today.”

Sara could have laughed. She had so much adrenaline running through her body at that moment that she felt she could run a marathon.

“I’m fine.” She pushed herself off the door. “Tell me, have you done this before? You seem to have everything pretty well arranged for setting us up.”

He turned fully then and looked at her suspiciously. “Us?”

Sara’s hand went to her belly. A fear of the isolation that lay in store for her made her feel panicky. “Me and the baby. How do you know I even want to live in your fancy house, Simon? I never said I wanted a new place. I told you, I fully expect to go back to my own apartment at some stage.”