Best Expectation

It was a Saturday, Annabelle was still in bed when Evan got up early morning and went for a run. The music blasting from his ear phones, sweat seeping through his navy blue t-shirt and his feet pelted on the concrete, as he breathed heavily as he increased his speed as he ran through the park.

His thoughts raced as to what occurred this week. He’d been flirted with and not just flirted with, practically almost seduced.

And worst of all, Evan liked it.

He couldn’t help, like it was instinct. He knew he would never act upon it but the thought made him still feel guilty. He should probably ask for a new assistant. But then thoughts of causing Laura unemployment caused further guilt. He may just be reading into it.

Thoughts raced in his mind, of Annabelle, Laura and his child. Never ending as he kept going and going – his heart thudded against his rib cage as he felt his feet smack on the ground.

As he made his way home slowing down eventually, knowing he can’t push himself too much. He got to the apartment building, and checked his phone, seeing a missed call from Annabelle.

He didn’t bother calling back and quickly caught the door as a neighbour walked out. He jogged upstairs, and let himself in, using the spare key seeing as he forgot his.

“Hey baby!” he hollered and he heard the shower going. Grinning at the thought of Annabelle naked, Evan kicked his shoes and peeled his socks off, pulling his shirt off and throwing them into the washer. He sauntered into the open bathroom and saw the curtain was pulled across.

He could see her silhouette, her beautiful curves and baby bump protruding. He smiled to himself:

“Mind if join you?” he asked huskily. Annabelle popped her head around the shoulder and grinned mischievously.

“Since when do you ask?” she teased, and Evan smirked.

“Since my lady is having a baby…” he joked back, and Annabelle seemed to glow at his words.

“Jump in, sailor.” She mocked, and Evan didn’t need to be told twice.
--

Evan was at work the following day, answering some emails when he heard a knocking on the compartment which cut him off from the rest of the office.

“Hey there….” Laura purred and Evan tensed as he turned around, smiling briefly.

“Hey Laura…did you get those files I left on your desk?” Evan asked hopefully and Laura nodded.

“Checked and sent…” she confirmed and Evan nodded: “Thanks” he replied appreciatively, feeling a wave of awkwardness wash over him.

Laura smiled easily: she had brown eyes – dark and deceiving and Evan found himself staring from her eyes, glancing over her generous chest and to those tantalizing legs of hers.

Damn it. Evan thought.

“So I was thinking me and you could go for lunch?” Laura chirped and Evan looked up surprised. He was planning to work through his lunch and leave early to get home to Annie.

“Lunch?” he repeated unsure and Laura grinned.

“Yeah, the meal after breakfast and before dinner…” she mocked, and Evan chuckled and leaned back in his chair, finally relaxing.

“I don’t know…” he said, looking at his computer worriedly. He had a lot of work to before the meeting next week.

Laura laughed: “Oh come on, Evan – it’s just Lunch.” Laura said so innocently that Evan was hooked, line and sinker.

He shrugged: “Fine…you’ve twisted me.” He joked, and got up, and bent over to his desk and pressed control-alt-delete on his computer, all while Laura stared at his tight ass, she smirked to herself, picturing him without clothes….then he turned around. She looked up abruptly and giggled.

“I’m feeling Thai…” she said, and Evan rolled his eyes but agreed. Thai did sound good.

Ten minutes later, at a nearby Thai cuisine bistro, Evan and Laura looked over their meals. It wasn’t till Laura ordered a glass of wine, Evan felt odd.

“On a work lunch?” he asked, confused and Laura shrugged.

“I like to live dangerously…” she teased, leaning forward and more of her cleavage could be seen. Evan willed himself not to look, and smiled awkwardly.

“I’ll just have lemon and water…” Evan told the waiter, and saw Laura frown slightly.

“Aw…scared of big ole’ Jim?” Laura joked, and Evan rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything. He knew
Jim would go mad if he knew Evan drunk in the day. Jim’s brother, Robert was killed last year by alcohol poisoning. Jim only ever mentioned it once, but you could see how saw Jim was whenever he looked at the framed picture of Jim and Bobby on the frame.

“No…” Evan scoffed, feeling the need to prove himself. “Just…it’s midday. Like my head to be clear.”
Evan reasoned and Laura nodded understandingly.

“I like a man who knows what he’s doing.” She dropped her comment and Evan chuckled, but looked at her, and saw the flirtatious smirk. He leaned forward slightly and straightened up.

“Look, I don’t mind the banter or whatever – but you are being very…what’s the word?” Evan drawled.

“Flirtatious.” He finished, and Laura looked at him, grinning: “So?” she asked, shrugging. Evan looked at her flatly.

“It’s unprofessional and I have a girlfriend…a pregnant girlfriend.” Evan told her firmly, and Laura, who was taking her first sip of wine, coughed slightly, choking.

“Pregnant?” she gasped, and Evan watched curiously as he put the glass down, and faintly traced the rime with her index finger.

“You’re so young though…mid-twenties…” Laura told him and Evan shrugged.

“Wasn’t planned but I’m excited…shit scared but excited. I love Annie.” Evan told her, as if he needed to make sure she knew. Laura was being full on and Evan had to resist, he had to remember his morals.

“Annie?” Laura asked, sounding a bit snotty.

“Annabelle…but she’s my Annie, we’ve been best friends for years and two years ago, we finally got together. She got me before I got married.” Evan told Laura, who’s eyes widened.

“You’ve been engaged?” she asked, and Evan nodded, his cheeks pinking slightly.

“It was rather awkward, I left her on the day of our wedding…to go find Annie.” Evan said, and Laura felt a knot in her stomach of how he spoke of her. He sounded genuine and in love.

“Bet the woman hates you.” Laura said, and Evan laughed awkwardly.

“Um, not really – we’ve spoken a few times since… and cleared the air. She’s living in Mexico now with her new boyfriend.” Evan said simply. Laura stopped tracing the glass and smiled at Evan, it was a smile of a woman who had a plan up her sleeve, but a man would be blind to it.

“So you’re in a relationship, expecting a baby and you’ve been in engaged….wrong order surely?” Laura teased, and Evan shrugged.

“Me and Annie have never managed to get it the right way.” Evan explained, smiling at the thought of her.

“But are you happy?” Laura asked, and without a second, Evan replied: “Yes, definitely” and Laura felt her hopes diminish. Evan would be a hard case to crack.