His Nasty Little Pussy

The laughter overtook my tears, and I wiped them away as he continued.

“I’m almost forty, a freaking billionaire, and I still haven’t found a way to deal with feeling like I’m not enough for them. Are you kidding me, Tess? Look at you. Look at all that you’ve accomplished. You fucking went and got your Ph. D. and invented something that will make people feel confident and amazing in their natural skin.”

A weight dissolved in my chest at his words. I sniffled and took a deep breath. “You know, my original intention was only just to help everyone get clear skin. The youthful elements of the cream, the reducing wrinkles, they were just a fortunate side effect.”

“Holy shit,” he whispered, jumping to his feet. “You’re a fucking genius.”

I sat back, confused. “What?”

“That,” he said. “Right there, what you just said.”

“What did I say?”

“Did you use your cream to improve your skin?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I mean…yeah. I was my own test subject.”

He threw his head back and laughed a deep chuckle that shook his whole body. “Holy fuck. Do you see what’s happening here?”

Before I could respond, an unsettling feeling rumbled in my stomach. Nerves, I assumed. “Not really.”

“Tess, it’s not just the photo I took. It’s you. You are the marketing plan.

Your story, your invention. That’s what’s going to sell this. Not a model.

Not a cliche line. YOU!”

Another wave of emotion slammed into me. “I don’t know what to say.” Brady took my hand in his. “Say yes. Say you’ll be my business partner.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

That you’ll be the face of this product. That you’ll tell your story.”

In my mind’s eyes, I took a snapshot of this moment, and I knew my answer. “Yes,” I said. It was a confirmation for the child who wanted to become like those girls in the magazine, the teenager who never felt like she was enough, and the adult who still struggled to overcome that feeling.

It was my life story, but it was always a million other young girls’ stories as well. I would do this for myself. And I would do this for them. “Seriously?” Brady asked, gripping my hands.

“Yes,” I chuckled. “Of course.”

He handed me the contract and a pen, and with trembling fingers, I signed it.

Brady’s grin was contagious. He grabbed me, pulling me into a tight hug that made my back crack. I chuckled against his chest, and as he leaned in to kiss me, the uneasiness in my stomach suddenly lurched upwards. My hand shot up between us, my fingers pressing against his lips to stop him from being the vestibule of the very fast approaching vomit.

“What’s wrong? You look pale.”

I bolted up from the couch. Knowing I had no chance of making it to the bathroom, I grabbed the kitchen trash and emptied the contents of my stomach into the bin.

The next day, I paced back and forth outside the doctor’s office in lower Manhattan, chewing my fingernails as I tried not to chicken out. When the taxi pulled up and Kate stepped out, I nearly burst into tears.

Her fiery red curls framed her freckled face, her smile instantly disappearing as I threw my arms around her.

“What?” she gasped. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Kate, I fucked up. I fucked up real bad.”

She gripped my shoulders and glanced around, a whisper slipping from her teeth. “Did you kill someone? Do we need to hide a body?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I missed you terribly.”

“What is going on?” Kate asked. “I thought you were doing better since the asshat and the bitch.”

The asshat and the bitch were Kate’s new names for Scott and Jenna.

“I have been,” I smiled. “And I haven’t talked to them since then.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh no…it’s not your dad, is it?”

“No, no, dad’s fine.”

“Okay, you’re killing me with the suspense. What is it?”

I glanced up at the building behind us, and she followed my gaze. It took her about thirty seconds to put it together. “You’re fucking pregnant!”

“Shh,” I said. “And no, before you ask, definitely not Scott’s.” “It’s the new mystery man? Holy shit. When am I going to meet him?” “He doesn’t know,” I said quickly.

“You haven’t told him?”

“No,” I said. “My test was positive, but this was my first appointment.” “You already went in?” she asked.

A knot formed in my throat, and I lifted the envelope from my ultrasound. “I told them I didn’t want to know any more other than if it was

really happening. I’m not that far along, but they confirmed it.” Kate’s eyes flicked to the envelope. “You want me to look?”

I sighed. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do. I was with him in the Hamptons and got morning sickness. I had to lie and say it was food poisoning and that I needed to go home.”

“The Hamptons?” She whistled through her teeth. “So he’s rich?”

I chewed my lip. “You could say that.”

“But…you’re keeping it, right?”

I hesitated and then nodded, swallowing back the tension inside me. I’d always known I wanted to be a mother, more so after my own mother passed away.

“I honestly didn’t think I could get pregnant,” I told her. “After my mom died from cancer, I started getting regular tests just to check, you know, since it hit her ovaries. They told me that the likelihood was incredibly low. So this might be my only chance.”

Kate squeezed my arm. “Then this is a good thing. Why are you upset? Is it not going well with him?”

“No, it’s going well. Really well. We haven’t known each other long, but I like him.”

“But you’ll think he’ll leave if you tell him?” Kate asked.

“It’s more complicated than that,” I said. “I’m finally in a place for my business to take off, to be financially secure, to actually be able to afford this,” I whispered, touching my stomach.

“Yeah, how’s that going?” Kate asked. “You said that Brady guy was a dick.”

“I have a meeting with him and the advertisers later today to put out the marketing campaign.” My heart raced. “To be financially secure, I need this product to sell. And Brady and his company…it’s the only option I’ve received so far. He is the only person who has shown any interest in the product. And he’s good at what he does. I believe in him.”

“Okay…” Kate whispered. “I’m sorry, but I’m confused now. What’s the problem, then?”

My throat suddenly felt dry. “The problem…is that I don’t know if

Brady wants kids.”

Kate’s face went slack. “Oh…shit. Well, then.” A smile pressed against her cheeks. “You’re fucking Brady Wyler? Damn, girl! He is hot. And rich as fuck!”

“Stop,” I laughed, shaking my head. “But don’t you see? If I tell him… and he doesn’t want kids…hell, even if he does…this could ruin our entire business relationship.”

“So, maybe just don’t tell him right away,” Kate suggested. “Have you signed the contract yet?”

“Yes,” I said. “And now I’m starting to regret it. It feels kind of duplicitous to sign it and not tell him I’m pregnant.”

“To hell with that,” Kate said. “Your business can be separate from this. Especially if he has a bad reaction and tries to back out. You need to look out for yourself…and your unborn child. Protect the product that you invented. Protect the child that you created. You already signed it. So you’re good.”

“You’re right.” A tear slid down my cheek as I realized Kate was right. Not only was I making the right decision, but I was also ready to confront this next phase of my life, a dream I’d never believed I could realize until now. “Will you look at the ultrasound with me?”

“Of course,” Kate nodded, stepping up beside me.

I took a deep breath, wiping my tears away, and then pulled the photo out of the envelope.

I squinted against the glare of the sun, trying to decipher what I was seeing.

Kate cocked her head. “Is that…”

Blood rushed out of my body. Everything froze, and the world around seemed as if it had slowed down. A ringing pounded in my ears as the word slipped out of my mouth.

“… twins.”