"Jarreau is something wrong? I was going to call him but I was in this case study. Please tell me I don't have to fly down there and kick Shae's ass again?"

I heard laughter on the other end of the phone.

"What's so funny bruh?"

Now there was silence on the other end.

"Jarreau answer me!"

"He can't come to the phone."

My heart stopped in my chest. The voice didn't belong to Jarreau but Sean.

"Hello Lizzy."

"He's told you I've spoken to him everyday?"

"He didn't have to tell me a thing. You just confirmed my suspicions."

"I'm going to strangle that asswipe."

"No you're not. What you are going to do is tell me what you have planned."

My hand was on my heart. Jarreau was a traitor and I would never share another secret with him. Ugh and they talk about women that blab."

"I have no clue in what you are talking about Mr. Gipson?" Hopefully that was convincing enough.

"I say we work together."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think we should bring Shae down together along with Aries."

"What?!"

"You don't trust Shae and I don't trust Aries. We have been friends since we were in the womb per say so now I think this will make our friendship even stronger."

"What makes you..."

"I know you better than you know yourself. The way we keep going, someone is going to get seriously hurt. You love me and I love you, that's a given. Only two people stand in our way and with them out of the way then there are no excuses."

He was so right? I had used Aries and Shae as the ultimate excuse.

"She started it Sean."

"I know. I didn't want her to hurt your career by losing your license. Plus you could have knocked her out, I've seen it done before."

I laughed. "You're right about that."

He chuckled on the other end.

"I hired a PI."

"For me?"

"Hahaha not. I did it to catch Shae."

"And what did you find out?"

"Nothing yet, but I'm gathering my information."

"So will you share if you find out something?"

"Of course."

"I will share what I know about Aries."

"How is this going to work?"

"Shae has a doctor's appointment later on this evening."

"Please tell me you are going in the room? Anything that looks suspicious you report it to me."

"Do you really think she would pull something?"

"Yes. You need to ask a lot of questions. I want you to seem interested."

"Why does it sound like you've been planning something like this?"

"Because she is a liar. She's not pregnant and I have this feeling."

"My agent recommended this OB. The doctor is in Uptown."

"Get his name, look for his license certificate and whether he is board certified. Make sure his name tag matches the degrees and certificates on the wall. Once you get his name, text it to me and I can take it from there."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. The doctor should do a pelvic exam and you should hear a heartbeat. A picture of the fetus should show up on the screen. Better yet video the appointment. I need an aerial view of the place. Just to make sure it's legit."

"Okay then what?"

"You need to have the doctor perform a Chorionic Villus Sampling or an Amniocentesis test on her depending on how far along she is. The doc may try to talk you out of it, but tell him you have a family history of chromosome abnormalities and you are worried. I need the sample. If he asks you to take a DNA test decline. It will throw Shae off. Then from you I need ten to twenty strands of hair but don't touch the follicles. Or I can use your clipped nails or a saliva swab. I need as much as possible to test. Put the specimens in a plastic bag and take it to Sanyo Labs. I have a friend there and she will process it quickly. If the doctor's name is Ausef Banda, text me."

"Do you know him?"

"I'm sure my trusty assistant spy told you how we followed her and she ended up at his practice."

"Like I said my agent recommended this swanky doctor uptown. She didn't tell me the name but gave me a address."

"Text me the address."

"Anything else Sherlock?"

"Yes you need her to let you sign for medical records. Just tell her if something should happen you want to be able to get information. That way, you can have them video her visits if you are not around. You have to convince her to let you have access, so I can gain access through you."

"Send me this in email, because if she sees the text she will know something is up."

I paused. "Sean?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry."

I could hear him breathing hard on the other line. "I am too."

"I really don't like fighting with you."

"Same here."

"But the only way to convince Shae that you are about the right thing is for us not to talk."

"I don't want to do that again."

"We have too. She will trust you more. She wants attention and I think you should give it to her until this thing blows over."

"Nope, we will have to find another way. I miss you and two weeks without talking to you was driving me insane."

"I know but it will be worth it at the end."

"Lizzy I need to know that you and I will be together when all this is over. No more games, no more excuses, no more lies I want you to be mine and I will be yours. If not all this will be in vain."

"Sean..."

"I'm serious Lizzy. I can't even begin to tell you how much you mean to me. Instead of next year and as soon as this is over I'm proposing, you are going to say yes."

"I still have a contract..."

"We will work that out. If you want to work, you can find a job here, if not I will just lock you up in the house and only I will have the key."

"You are nasty Sean."

"Call me what you want but I know one thing, wait another two weeks and not call your boy and I will be on the next flight to the Big BR, find you, put you over my knee and spank you, get back on a plane and come home."

"I wish you would," I said laughing.

"I'll pay the fines."

"We all not able."

"Once I make you mine, you will."

"Hahaha. My photoshoot is one day before Fan Day, and Aries Fan Day is the day after tomorrow."

"It was moved?"

"Yes."

"You're still coming to my Fan Day right?"

"I will be just finishing up in Hawaii."

"I will send a jet to come and get you so you won't miss it."

"It's not that serious Sean."

"Oh yes it is. I need to see you."

"There is this thing called FaceTime and Skype you know. People use it all the time."

"Are you going to see Aries for his Fan Day?"

"Yes. I have my ticket already. He made plans."

"Then you need to be at mine. I'm not going to tell you you can't go to see Butterfingers head Aries. He is your...," he cleared his throat, "turtleneck boychild, I mean boyfrank, I mean ugly pecan head friend, so I won't talk about him. You do need to make better choices in boyfriends though."

"Hahaha, really Sean? Besides beating you in the Super Bowl why do you hate him so much?"

"He's a weasel, a snake in the grass, ugly as all get up, even Fred Sanford is more handsome than he is. He's a jerk, an agitator, and a straight up punkass. I can go on and on to the break of dawn to give you reasons."

I had to laugh. "So it's not because I'm dating him?"

"Of course not. He's just a boy which I'm still waiting for him to be a man and many women have friends. So that just makes him a boy and a friend."

"He is still my boyfriend regardless."

"And?"

"Be nice."

"You weren't nice when Shae and I were together briefly."

"You see how that turned out."

"It's your fault Lizzy. All of this is your fault?"

"What you talking about Willis? Why are you blaming this on me?"

"We should have been together and married years ago. If so, we wouldn't even be in this situation or having this conversation."

"I don't have a situation, you do."

"Thanks to you."

"I can't believe you are blaming this on me Sean?"

"You only mad because the truth hurts."

"I was coming to Fan Day but I'm not coming."

"Oh yes your ass is going to be there. I swear if you don't show up..."

"Whatcha gonna do, uh?"

"Wear that ass out, that's what I'm going to do. I ain't playing witcha Lizzy, I will find you and they are going to call Missing Person's for you."

"You can't be serious?"

"Try me."

I swallowed hard. Somehow I got a sense he wasn't playing.

"Fine! I'll come to your old stupid Fan Day."

"You better."

"Since I'm coming, what are you going to do with her?"

"I will figure something out."

"I have an idea. It would make the perfect stage for you to propose to her."

"Say what! Run that by me again?"

"I didn't stutter. The more convincing the better the plan will be."

"Rewind."

"I need to know that Shae is not pregnant. If she isn't then everything is splendid. If there is truly a possibility then we need to rethink the possibilities Sean."

"I don't like where this conversation is heading Liz."

"I can't honestly be around Shae. She's like having staphylococcus, that soap and antibiotics can't kill."

"It sounds gross."

"It is. It's like a puss filled bump that won't go away."

"Now you tell me how you really feel," he said chuckling.

"If by some miracle or the Angel Gabriel came down from Heaven and told her she's pregnant then what will happen between us?"

I had been dreading this question. I've played it over and over in my mind. I didn't want to be a mother now, especially stepmother to a whore monger's innocent child. My career was literally getting cranked up and having to be around Shae more, I was becoming itchy.

"Talk to me Liz."

"She's not pregnant."

"Liz if she is."

"It wouldn't be yours. It would be someone else's baby," I said but my voice was beginning to crack.

"Elizabeth all jokes aside, if she is really pregnant then where will we stand?"

I put the phone down as I felt the tears running down my eyes. It was no way she was carrying his child. No positive way, it wasn't possible for the world to be that cruel.

"Liz?"

I put my head on the desk staring at the picture of him and I holding up our fishing trophies and bass. Shae and a child would ruin any chance for us. She would always have one up on me, always be around and make our lives a living hell.

"Lizzy talk to me sweetheart."

I continued to stare at the picture. I heard something ringing bringing me out of my somber mood. It was my pager.

"I got to go Sean."

"Liz don't end this conversation like this."

"I don't have an answer. Bye Sean," I said hanging up and sliding my phone in my pocket. I grabbed a few kleenex from the table and peeked in the mirror. My eyes were red and puffy and water at the tip of my nose. I didn't like crying, it was for wimps. I cleaned my face as best as I could. Walking out I stopped at the nurses desk.

"There is a consult in room 29 and another one in the ED Dr. Johnson. I will send you their progress notes."

"Thanks Jen."

"Are you okay Dr. Johnson?"

"I'm fine. It's just my sinuses." I pretended to sneeze.

"It is that time of the year," she said and I walked off.

"I swear every tangible step I make, I seem to fall three back," I said giving Jarreau his phone back.

"Okay what the freak just happened? I heard laughter and then a dead tone."

"I asked her how would she feel if Shae was really pregnant?"

"Let me guess it wasn't what you wanted to hear?"

"She said she didn't have an answer. The conversation went downhill from that."

"It would be a lot for her to deal with Sean. That's why you have to be careful. You gotta watch ya back and not trust anyone."

"I've been thinking and focusing on Liz's reaction about this so called pregnancy that I haven't thought about how I really feel. If this child is really mine, it's not his or her fault that they were conceived in this manner. I don't have the conscious to ask her to have an abortion because that goes against my beliefs. Children are a miracle and a blessing from God so I would never not accept it."

"If she is pregnant with your child, you are stuck with her ass for the lifespan of that child. You don't have to marry her but you are going to have to pay."

"Shae has been the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I would have never met her. Liz is right, she's like an infected abscess that won't go away."

"Well you have to figure something out, very soon."

"Lizzy thinks I should propose to her at Fan Day."

"Aaahwhaa, say that again?"

"You heard me. I can't even say the word without my stomach going in knots."

"I don't know about that, but maybe she's right."

"What?"

"If you do propose you will have more access to Shae and her shenanigans. The sooner you find out she's not, cut her loose and move on."

"I need everything I can find on Aries too."

"That should be easy. The NFL pipeline runs all over. I promise after tonight if Shae is pregnant, the gossip wheel will be turning in your direction."

"I don't need no more drama."

"Well all I can say is welcome to the big leagues," he said patting me on the back.

"Come on droopy downer Sean, let's go eat. I will even buy you a drink because I got a feeling this is going to be a long ass week."

...

"We had a deal Shaunte. You were suppose to get Sean to sign these contracts. Are you even really pregnant?" Michael King, Sean's agent asked.

"I am pregnant. That will be confirmed in about an hour. As far as the contracts I will get him to sign them."

"He has to sign them by Friday."

"It's the ProTech energy drink and the Lister High Protein weight loss system correct?"

"Yes. Just these two contracts alone are worth over three million dollars guaranteed with residual income."

"How many commercials?"

"Four for Lister and three for ProTech. There are a few appearances during the week that won't interfere with practice or game days. Look Shae, you best come through or we are breaking all ties."

"Michael I always come through."

"Sean Gipson is the biggest catch in the sea. If I lose him as a client, your ass will be back to stripping and doing porn. Remember I made you and I will destroy you if I have too and it damn sure won't be pretty."

"How dare you talk to me like this?"

"I know you not pregnant. Do I need to start with that?"

"You ass..."

"Watch your mouth honey. If those contracts are not signed, kiss that multimillion apartment goodbye, your car and credit cards goodbye, you will be back living with your drug addict peeps."

I was biting my tongue. I could taste the metallic of the blood in my mouth.

"Friday by nine am or all bets are off. Good luck with proving that fakeass pregnancy. Just think you always wanted to be an actress, this should be your Emmy Award winning performance. Break a leg," he said turning off his FaceTime. I threw the phone across the desk. I wanted to scream!

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I yelled. K'lisha, who I called KB since her last name was Benjamin she came in my office and closed the door.

"I just wanted you to know that I'm ready for the doctor's appointment. You seem mad, is everything alright?"

"Yes. I'm working on a project and my deadline has been moved up a few days. I'll get through it. You just remember to remain quiet, the doctor needs to take measurements and talking will only distract him."

"I know. He told me that at my visit the other day."

"Then make sure you follow instructions. Let me get my keys and we can go."

I shut down my computer and grabbed my phone sticking it in my purse. I prayed this visit went well because if not, my ass was grass and both Michael and Sean were going to be the lawnmowers. Help me Jehovah.

----updating next week----