Page 79

I head upstairs to take a bath and don’t realize I’ve fallen asleep until the intercom rings again.

I put on my robe and head down to the door, paying for the pizza and sitting on the couch. I manage three slices before I’m asleep again on the couch.

When I wake up, it’s just a couple of hours before work so I groan and shower, putting on some light makeup and a skirt and blouse combo that I can still fit into. I’m gaining weight rapidly, losing my figure, and it’s making me grumpy.

Logan is at my desk when I arrive, and there’s a bouquet sitting beside him, but this time no roses–it's peanut butter cups. My favorite candy.

I groan out loud. “Logan.”

He grins sheepishly. “I know how much you like them.”

“I don’t need them. I’m getting big as a house already,” I complain, but grab one off the display anyway, opening it and popping it into my mouth.

Dina walks in behind me and startles at the present. “Who have you been sleeping with?”

An inferno sets off in my cheeks. “It’s nothing like that. I just have...generous friends and family. Celebration for me getting this job.”

The lie comes easily, and Dina relaxes, seeming to believe it.

She already knows about Logan, but I don’t want him to know that she knows. I like to keep my personal life personal, and I don’t want the whole office gossiping about me.

Dina brings me more paperwork, and I sigh.

“I guess I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

“You do. The phone’s been ringing off the hook all morning.”

“Before we officially opened?” Logan asks excitedly, standing up.

Dina nods. “It was ringing when I unlocked the door at seven-thirty.”

“You’re a good employee, Dina. I owe you a raise.”

“Remember that come bonus time,” she says dryly as he walks out.

She raises her eyebrow at me but doesn’t push, and I’m grateful.

I sit down at my desk and eatwaytoo many of the peanut butter cups before placing them far away from me on the table at the far wall.

My stomach hurts since that’s been my breakfast, and I end up throwing them all up in the bathroom.

When I clean myself up and come back out, there’s even more paperwork to contend with, and I throw myself into work.

The next morning, there’s more flowers on my desk–lilies this time, another one of my favorites.

Logan stays in his office all day, so I can’t chide him, and I feel like that’s on purpose.

It goes on like that all week, and my feet are starting to swell and ache, I guess from the baby, and I’m in an irritable mood, tossing this day’s candy–caramel popcorn–into the trash.

“Hey…” Logan stands in the doorway. “Thought you loved caramel popcorn.”

“I do, but this baby doesn’t seem to have an off switch, and I don’t feel like throwing up this morning,” I hiss. “Besides, you can’t keep doing this. It’s drawing all this attention to me, and I’m already having to hide my weight gain.”

“What have you gained, five pounds?”

“Twelve,” I say miserably, holding my stomach.

He shuts my door behind him. “It looks good on you.”