Second Hand Waitress

"So how does this whole paternity test thing work?" Tesah suddenly changed the subject, looking more uncomfortable than she had ever seen him.

"Well, since you're the one who needs proof, you'll have to arrange it."

"They have tests during pregnancy, right?"

"I’ll only agree to a non-invasive test. Anything else could put my baby at risk."

He grunted, which she took as agreement.

"And you're paying for it. I'm not spending money on a test when I already know the truth."

"I have to protect myself," he said, almost defensively. "You're not the first woman to claim I'm the father of her baby."

"Oh wow, so do you have a bunch of other kids running around out there?"

"Of course not! Those other women weren’t even pregnant."

The disgusted look on his face almost made Kira feel sorry for him. It must be exhausting to always be a target for women trying to trap him. No wonder he made them sign legal agreements before anything happened. Then again, how many decent women had he pushed away because of that? His personal life was a mess, and Kira was more than happy to stay out of it.

"Maybe you should think about sticking to one or two real relationships a year," she suggested. "With nicer women. It might make your life easier."

"What happened between us wasn’t a relationship, and it wasn’t—"

She held up a hand to stop him. To her surprise, he actually shut up.

"Spare me. I’ve heard it all before. Blah, blah, ‘you’re not my type.’ Blah, blah, ‘it didn’t mean anything.’ Blah, blah, blah. You sound like a broken record, Tesah. It gets old after a while. Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do. Please leave."

"For heaven’s sake, just call me Tesah," he said firmly.

Kira sighed and crossed her arms. "I prefer ‘Mr. Clover.’ It keeps things businesslike and impersonal. Besides, I hope never to see you again after this, so does it really matter?"

"I guess not."

He pushed back from the table and stood towering over her. She quickly got to her feet so she wouldn’t feel so small in comparison. The sudden movement sent her stomach into knots, and she barely had time to cover her mouth before running to the bathroom.

When she finally came back to her senses, she realized Tesah was crouched beside her, one large hand rubbing soothing circles on her back. Horrified that he had seen her like this, she jerked away from his touch and shakily stood up, ignoring his attempt to help her.

He let her have that small act of defiance, watching as she splashed water on her face—soaking the front of her robe in the process—and rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. She acted like he wasn’t there and walked back to the living room with her spine straight and chin high.

"Maybe you should lie down or something," he suggested.

Annoyed, she turned back to glare at him. "Why are you still here?"

She walked to her bedroom, pulled off her damp robe, and hung it on a hook to dry. But of course, he followed her. Did he not understand boundaries?

He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around her room. His gaze moved over the clothes draped over furniture, the posters of bakers and pastry chefs on her beige walls, and the worn recipe books stacked beside her antique four-poster bed. She had brought that bed from her old room when she moved out, and while transporting it was expensive, she would never part with it.

"I can’t tell if this room is a dream or a disaster," he muttered, then gave her a pointed look. "It seems a little childish. Are you planning to move out of this place before the baby comes?"

"That’s none of your business. Now, leave."

He sighed impatiently but finally walked to the door.

"My lawyer, Mike Lawson, will be in touch," he said over his shoulder.

Kira followed him into the living room, only to stop in surprise when he suddenly turned back around to look at her.

"Eat something. You look terrible."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving Kira feeling completely drained. Her legs felt weak, and she collapsed onto the couch.

The door suddenly swung open again, making her jump. She tensed, instantly on edge—only for Tesah’s head to peek through the opening.

"And lock the damn door!" he ordered before leaving again.

She stared at the door in shock before forcing herself up to do exactly that—not because she was worried about intruders, but to make sure he couldn’t come back.

Ten days and one simple cheek swab later, Tesah sat in his office, staring at the unopened envelope in his hands. He already knew what it said—he had known since his first conversation with his lawyer, Mike. A woman out to trap him would have demanded much more than Kira had.

"It doesn’t matter," he muttered to himself. And it didn’t. It couldn’t. This child would be his only in the biological sense, and he was fine with that. Completely fine.

Why should he give up his freedom for a mistake? Kira had chosen to keep the baby, and Tesah had chosen to stay uninvolved. They could both live with that.

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