Dirty Little Secret

“I don’t understand why you’re making me go out tonight,” I said.

“How many times do I have to explain it to you?”My best friend, Caitlyn, sighed, “You need to find yourself a new man to take care of your baby.”

“What if I’m perfectly happy being by myself?” I said, “Did you ever think about that?”

She shook her head. “You’re just too stubborn to admit that you actually need help. Just wait until the baby comes. You’ll be begging for help.”

I adjusted my baby doll top. “My mom can help me.”

“But she can’t be a daddy,” she replied.

I turned to look at her. “Maybe my little girl won’t need a daddy.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone needs a dad,” she grabbed my hand, “Now let’s go find you man candy!”

Within twenty minutes, we were inside the bustling party. This scene was all too familiar. The last party I’d been to was when my baby had been conceived. I hadn’t planned to go to another party for a long time, but according to Caitlyn, a party was the perfect place to meet someone.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Everywhere I turned, there was a drunken couple grinding up against each other. I had never been in an equally awkward situation as tonight. Trying to find Caitlyn was impossible. The moment we stepped into the house, she somehow slipped away without my noticing. So now I was left to fend for myself amongst the group of horny teenagers.

“Lost?”

I turned around. The voice came from a guy with shaggy brown hair. He was wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt, nothing too out of the ordinary. He was fairly good looking, but I doubted he fit the criteria to be a solid father figure. Not that I thought anyone here was any better.

“No. Just out of place,” I said, wrapping an arm around myself.

He nodded. “I see. What brings you to a party like this?”

“My friend dragged me here,” I replied awkwardly, knowing he was noticeably staring at my boobs. I mean, could he be any more obvious? “She left me when we got here.”

“That’s too bad,” he said, closing the space between us, “Do you mind if we go somewhere a little more private?”

What is this-I don’t even… This guy is sick. Was he planning on hooking up with me? Of all people, me, a pregnant girl with a huge gaping belly?

“I’m fine here, thanks,” I said, turning around.

I felt his hand grasp around my wrist a little too hard. “C’mon. I’ll show you a good time.”

Is he really serious? “I said no!”

He pulled on my arm harder and my hand was starting to feel numb. “You stupid bitch! You’re already pregnant. You won’t have a problem with me treating you like a whore tonight.”

“Get the hell away from me, you fucking creep!” I screamed.

He didn’t reply.

Before I knew it, he was on the floor and another guy was on top of him. It was all a blur as I helplessly stood there, holding my bruised wrist. A circle formed around the three of us as their fight continued. Somehow Caitlyn had heard all the commotion and led me back to her car.

We were on the road for about five minutes when she finally spoke up. “I’m sorry I made you go.”

I sighed. “It’s fine. I know you just wanted me to have a good time.”

“But still. It’s no excuse to bring a pregnant chick to a keg party.” She kept her eyes on the street in front of her. I chuckled. All I wanted to do was forget about it. And I could never be mad at Caitlyn. It was like trying to hold a grudge against a puppy.

The rest of the ride home was quiet with the exception of the cars driving past. No matter how much I wanted to forget what happened earlier, the scene couldn’t slip from my mind. It wasn’t my pursuer that caught my eye; it was the one that pushed him away from me. I didn’t remember his exact features, but I knew he looked familiar. I just didn’t know where I had seen him before.

“What are you thinking about?” I heard Caitlyn ask as we walked to our apartment.

I reached into my purse to find my keys. After a few seconds of searching, my fingers finally clasped around the familiar shape. “Did you happen to see what the guy looked like?”

“Ugh, let’s not talk about that creep,” she replied.

I slipped off my flats and felt the lush carpet underneath my toes. “Not him. The guy that took him out.”

She followed me into the kitchen and sat down at the counter. “Oh, him. I don’t remember actually. Why do you ask?”

“I just thought he looked familiar.” I shrugged.

---

My stomach grumbled as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Although I had been a little wary about going out today, I had decided to go out to a near Starbucks for a much needed coffee. I wasn’t going to stock up on caffeine, though. I got enough nagging from my mom about how caffeine wasn’t good for pregnant women.

As I adjusted my top, I heard my phone ring. I grabbed it off my end table and touched the answer button, fully knowing that it was my mother calling to talk about Jack.

“Holly,” she sang. I rolled my eyes. How could she possibly be this happy already?

“What?”

“I have something to tell you,” she said. No duh. And did I mention she was a total gossip queen?

I rested my hand on my stomach. “What is it?”

“Jack’s in town this week. Then they’re off to LA for a few days to record their next album.”

“And how would you know about this, mom?” I asked.

“Their myspace page,” she said, as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

“Well, could you wait a little later to tell me what the next part of your plan is? I was just heading out.”

I heard her sigh on the other end, “You always ruin my mornings.”

I slipped on my cardigan, all the while balancing my phone between my shoulder and my ear. “What can I say? I’m not a morning person.” I chuckled.

After ending the phone call with my excessively talkative mom, I was in my car, blasting my mixed CDs. Soon, I was pulling into a parking space in front of Starbucks. I was thankful it was a weekday, because there were only a few people in line. When it was my turn, I ordered my usual and sat down in a booth to wait.

“Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino!”

I stood up to get my drink, but instead of the cold cup, my hands were met with another. My eyes trailed up his arm and met his dark brown eyes. He was tall and lanky, much too skinny for his height, and had an overly large nose. Who else could it be? Go on, I dare you to guess. That’s right; Jack fucking Barakat was standing in front of me with a huge smile on his face.

Just my luck.