A Little More Than Convenient

|Carmen Remington|
Trent stared, mouth gaping at me.
“Say something, please,” I demanded.
“Can you...are you positive?” he asked.
Biting my lip, I nodded my head yes.
“She took two pregnancy tests,” Jessica told him.
He looked down at his feet. “Well, it makes sense.”
“I-I’m sorry, Trent. This is all my fault. I-we shouldn’t have ever went drinking that night.” Tears slipped down my cheeks.
Jessica patted my shoulder.
“Carmen, this is as much my fault as yours,” he said, “sure, maybe you suggested it, but I went along with it, knowing we shouldn’t.”
I started to cry a little harder. Then, tried to blink them away. “I’m sorry, hormones.”
He chuckled. “I understand.”
Jessica hugged my shoulders. She was a really good friend, and always would be. Why do you think I kept her around?
“So,” Trent said, sighing, “what are we gonna do?”
“Look,” I said, “I’m perfectly capable of raising the baby by myself. This is my mess, not yours.”
He shook his head quickly. “No, Carmen, it’s my baby, too,” then he smiled.
I raised my eyebrows. “What is it?”
“We’re gonna have a baby,” he said.
I chuckled. “I didn’t think that you’d react this way.”
He shrugged. “Once the initial shock war off, I guess I got used to the idea.”
The three of us stood there for a few, moments lost in thought, watching the entire mall go by.
We were interrupted when a woman ran toward us. It was Tara. “Hi, Carmen,” she said, “Carmen’s friend. Trent, what the hell?”
“Sorry, Tara. Carmen had some, rather...surprising news,” he replied.
“More important than your tuxedo for my wedding? I think not, little brother,” she said, glaring.
I looked behind me at Jessica. She looked as though she was ready to pounce on Tara. I patted her arm and shook my head.
“Yes,” Trent said.
Tara glared at him. “Like hell it is.”
“It is!” Trent argued, “Why don’t you just listen to me for half a second?”
“Because I-”
“No!” he snapped at her, “You’re going to listen to me!”
Her shoulders drooped. “Fine,” she replied, crossing her arms.
“Okay,” he began, looking at me.
I blushed and bit my lip.
“Tara, Carmen and I...we’re going to have a baby,” he spoke quickly.
“Ah ha!” she screeched automatically.
“What?” he asked.
“That’s why you and Carmen got married. She’s pregnant.” Obviously satisfied with herself, she nodded.
I shook my head. “How could she have been pregnant before we got married if we got married the same day that we met?”
“But-” she started.
“But nothing!” He shot at her. “You are accusing us because of your own damn pride!”
She narrowed his eyes at him. “This isn’t about pride!”
“Bull-fucking-shit,” Trent said.
His tone startled me. He’d never spoken to anyone, that I’d heard, like that before. Not even Tristan at Thanksgiving.
Obviously, Tara hadn’t heard him like that either, because her eyebrows raised and her jaw dropped.
“I’m sorry,” Trent said quickly. “but you’ve got to stop acting like you’re my boss. Because you’re not. And you don’t know everything.”
“I-I know that I don’t know everything,” she stammered.
It occurred to me that Jess and I were just kind of there. Trent and Tara were wrapped up in their own little bubble, arguing like crazy.
“No, you don’t,” Trent shot back. Then he sighed. “Look, you know my size and you know what tux you want me to wear. It’s that simple. I’ve got some stuff to do.”
“Oh-okay,” she replied.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you, but you’ve got to learn to listen, Tar,” he said, his tone softening.
She nodded, said goodbye, and walked away.
“That was a little...harsh,” I finally said.
“I know,” Trent replied. “I don’t like yelling at her, but it’s the only way she’ll listen to anyone.”
Jessica laughed.
“What’s so funny?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just never expected Trent to go off on someone like that.”
He chuckled and shook his head.
“So, what do we do now?” I asked.
Jessica shrugged.
“We schedule you a doctor’s appointment,” Trent replied, “we need to make sure everything is going okay.”
I was surprised at how calm he was being. “No doctors will be open until Monday,” I pointed out.
“Monday, then,” he said. “Who’s your gynecologist?”
“Gaidry,” I replied.
“Sybil Gaidry?” he asked.
I nodded. “She banks with us.”
“You remember all of your customers?” Jessica asked him.
“No,” he replied, “just some.”
Jessica laughed and shook her head.
“Should we go get something to eat?” Trent asked.
Jessica nodded. “Carmen, why don’t you pick. You’re pregnant and hungry and all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, let’s go to Longhorn.”
Trent laughed. “Steak?”
“And shrimp!” I replied.
“She’s never been a cheap date, Trent,” Jessica said.
He laughed. “It’s okay. She is eating for two.”
The realization hit me again. I was having a baby. Not just any baby, though. It was Trent’s baby.
“Think I should call Ross?” Jessica asked.
Trent nodded. “He loves Longhorn.”
“Guess I’ll go call him!” she said. “Carm, want me to wait on you?”
“You can ride with me,” Trent offered.
I nodded. “Yeah, Jess, I’ll ride with Trent. Meet us there, okay?”
“Okay!” she chimed.
She ran toward one of the many exits.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
I nodded. “Sure, let’s go.”
***
When Trent and I reached the restaurant, Ross and Jessica were there with Dr. Pepper and sweet tea. They were too busy looking at each other and chatting endlessly to notice us approaching.
We sat down, opposite them, and they finally looked at us when Trent cleared his throat.
“Oh! Hi, Trent. Hi, Carmen!” Ross exclaimed.
Jessica blushed.
“Did Jess tell you the news, Ross?” I asked him.
“What news?”
“Guess not,” Trent added.
“What is it?” Ross asked, propping his elbows up on the table.
“That’s bad manners,” Jessica warned.
I chuckled.
“Car-” Trent started. He was interrupted by the waitress.
“What can I get y’all to drink?”
“A coke?” Trent asked.
“Water,” I replied.
Ross stared at me as she left. “Jessica says that you don’t usually drink water at restaurants, though.”
“We’ll see...,” I trailed off.
“Carmen’s pregnant,” Trent announced.
Ross picked up his drink and took a long swig. “Is it yours?”
I blushed.
“Yeah, it’s mine,” Trent said.
“But-but I thought that you only got married because of-”
“Convenience?” Trent interrupted, “But that day we got married, we had too much alcohol.”
 Ross shook his head. “This is crazy. Ross doesn’t understand life sometimes.”
The waitress returned with our drinks. “What can I get you to eat?”
Ross and Jessica both ordered T-bones, Ross ordered a ribeye, and I ordered a ribeye. With shrimp on the side.
When she left, Jessica asked, “What exactly are you gonna do?”
I shrugged. “Look Jess, I’m only, I’m just guessing, five weeks pregnant. I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”
“Well, you’ve got nine months. I suggest you start thinking.”