Katherine's POV
I could barely wait for the lunch break. I didn't want to miss work the next day. People were going to think that the probable promotion was getting into my head and I was slacking off.
I couldn't afford that.
At this stage, I needed to be on the good side of everyone. I needed them to like me. If I got rejected which I hoped not, I needed a plan. Moreover, I needed salary for the next five months till I have to hide when I start showing.
"Are you coming with us for lunch?" Esther, one of my colleagues, asked as she walked to my seat.
"No," I shook my head, giving her a smile. "I'm eating out."
"Really?" she asked with her eyes wide.
I barely eat out. I wasn't surprised that she was surprised. I was a picky eater and preferred to eat at the company cafeteria because before I get to any outside restaurant, the time wouldn't be enough for me to eat before getting back to work.
That was the reason I always ate at the nearest place which was the cafeteria.
"Yes." I repeated, lying to her.
She didn't have to know that I was skipping lunch.
"I guess you've started celebrating already." She grinned, winked at me and left.
I returned her smile and watched as she left. The moment it was lunch break, I picked my bag and dashed out of the office. I had one hour to convince a stranger that he was about to be a father.
I hoped I do a good job of it. I couldn't hide how nervous I was and kept expelling short breaths from my throat. I convinced myself that it wasn't different from a business negotiation and I was good at that.
Katherine, convincing people to buy what they already want to buy is different from convincing them to accept a baby they didn't intend to have.
I swallowed and ignored the voice yelling in my head. I didn't need any discouragement. I was already shaking as it was.
I flagged the first cab I saw and slid into it. I gave the address to the driver and leaned my head back as he drove. That didn't help me relax and I hated how nervous I was.
I needed to put my shit together. I couldn't be nervous like this when I finally see him. He wasn't going to take me seriously.
I brought out the protein bar I had in my bag and snacked on it, rubbing my hand on my stomach in a promise to the baby to feed it better when I get home after work.
I already felt overprotective toward it and my eyes filled with tears at my bizarre situation.
My stomach rumbled as if the baby was protesting that it wanted proper food.
"Mummy will give you a proper dinner." I whispered, not interested in letting the driver hear what I had to say.
I didn't want another nosy stranger smiling at me and congratulating me for being pregnant. If another person made me feel that way, I might scream.
"We are here, Miss." The driver stopped and turned to stare at me.
I blinked. Again. I blew out a breath. I thought that I was fine but it seemed like the nerves were back, in full force.
"Thank you," I paid the driver and stepped out.
I blew out another breath as I stood, staring at the huge company building. Now that I was here, I realized how wealthy he was, and how intimidating.
My feet felt like wood stapled to the ground and didn't want to move. I could have stayed here for hours and wouldn't mind. That would be better than talking to the man, right?
Hours? Did I just say hours? That was the time I didn't have. I had only one hour and had used up ten minutes of it. I had forty minutes to be convincing and ten minutes to get back to work.
I forced my feet to move and headed inside. I met the secretary and asked if the boss was around. My bet on this visit was that he should be a workaholic who hardly goes for lunch. If he was out for lunch, that meant I would have to be back again.
I could have chosen another time asides the lunch break but didn't want to intrude on his scheduled meetings, and didn't want to be left waiting at the reception either.
I doubted the secretary, even though he was smiling kindly at me at the moment, would be so kind to give me a copy of his schedule so I could come when he was free.
"Do you have an appointment with him?" the secretary asked.
"I don't, but if he is around, he won't turn me back."
"Who are you?"
I knew I bluffed the other time and blushed that I'm about to be called on it. We hadn't exchanged names and I wondered what I could use to spark his memory of me, without giving too much information to the secretary.
"Tell him a wild cat is here to see him." I blushed as I told the secretary that, hoping that he remembered that.
He didn't bat an eyelash at what I said and I wondered how many crazy ladies had come to his office.
It was good that I knew I was crazy, right? How ridiculous it was to be jealous at a time like this. I was definitely crazy.
I prayed that he didn't turn me back.
"He says you can come in." He said as he walked out of his office.
I blew out a breath and thanked him as I made my way to the office. I refused not to be intimidated by how large the office was, or how powerful the man sitting behind the desk seemed.
He chuckled as he saw me. "I wondered who the wild cat was when Taylor told me I have a visitor. I suspected that it was you but wasn't certain. Was that night so good that you had to find me?"
I blushed at his words and sat down without waiting for him to offer me a seat. My legs were shaking so bad I might slump if I didn't sit. It was good that he was in a good mood, right?
This conversation wouldn't be as hard as it would be if he was hungry and cranky. I noted the files on his desk and realized that he wouldn't be rushing out for lunch anytime soon.
"The sex was good but that isn't why I'm here."
"Too bad," he grinned, leaning in his chair.
He stared at me with curiosity, wondering what I was in his office for if not to seduce him.
I gulped, placed my hands on my lap and squeezed them together. I had a speech ready but now that I was here, I could barely get the words out. Everything had flown out and I was left a stupid mute.
I stared at the papers on his desk and thought of asking for one. Maybe I should write it down rather than say it. I could watch his expression while he was reading, and decide if I should stay or run out.
"Why are you here, wild cat?"
I blushed at the name, remembering in details the night we had spent together. I winced at the image playing in my head. That wasn't helping me.
"My name is Katherine."
"That doesn't answer my question."
He didn't seem interested in my name or offering his name. He didn't have to tell me his name though. I already found on his internet when I searched for the businessmen in the chemical industry.
He arched his eyebrow at me, reminding me that he was a busy man and I was wasting his time.
"I'm pregnant," I gasped as the words escaped my mouth.
I didn't mean to say it like that, but his presence rattled me.
He didn't react, like I thought he would. "Why should I care?" he seemed annoyed that I was wasting his time.
I frowned. Why should he care? I couldn't believe he had asked me that.
"Katherine, why are you here to tell me that you are pregnant? This isn't a doctor's office." He gasped as he finally realized why I was in his office. "You can't be serious." He growled at me.
Yeah, that was the reaction I expected from him. Actually, that wasn't the reaction I expected from him.
"I'm carrying your baby, Jack."
He snorted. "You are damn right you are."
I winced, hating myself. He thought I was lying.
"You didn't use a condom the other night, remember?" I hated that I had to remind him of that.
"And you didn't tell me you were ovulating." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Did you do this on purpose?"
"What?" I gasped, feeling a stir of annoyance in my belly. "You think I want to trap you with the baby?"
"I think you want to trap me with someone else's baby. Did you intentionally seduce me that night?"
I gripped my hands so tight as I glared at him. It was either I did that or I was going to punch him in the face. I couldn't believe he dared to insult me like that.
"Why? Are you impotent?"
He hissed at my jab. "Don't you dare!"
"Don't you dare insult me too, Jack. I'm annoyed at being pregnant than you are."
"Then you should have gotten rid of it before coming to meet me."
My lips shook as I fought back tears. "I thought you deserved to know."
"Well, I don't care." He said and stood up, moving to the door.
I blinked back tears as I nodded at him that I got his message, loud and clear. He wanted me to leave his office.
No, he wanted me to get lost.