"I... I have no idea," said Almasi. She wished that she could tell Yifeng the whole situation. She wished she could explain how this pregnancy was going to flush everything she had planned down the drain. Even with her million dollars, she didn"t have the energy or will to support a child on her own, and it wouldn"t be fair to tell Jacob, because then he would only stay with her out of pity.
If they were really going to call off the annulment, if by some miracle he truly wanted her to be his wife forever, she wanted his love for her to be the drive for staying in the marriage, not the obligation to raise her child.
"Of course he will love to have a child. Why would he not want a little son or daughter?" Yifeng took Almasi"s hand. "We have all seen the way the master looks at you. He loves you, Almasi. And you are married, and certainly old enough and rich enough to support this new adventure."
She smiled, trying to cheer Almasi up, and added, "And I will help you choose the baby"s little christening gown! Oh, it will be so cute! The prettiest baby, with such a beautiful mother and such a handsome father," Yifeng added, nodding solemnly. "The best and loveliest baby."
Almasi smiled, but then quickly began to cry again. She was pregnant. Pregnant. She would take a test later or tomorrow, but even without it, she knew it was true. It all added up. Her menstrual cycle was already a few days late, but she had not paid much attention, as there were more pressing matters on her mind. She had been crying more often than she ever had before, but again, she had chalked it up to the situation with Mr. Kofi k.u.mi.
And the nausea, the tenderness of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her strange appet.i.tes... it all made so much sense. She wondered for a moment how it had happened, since she and Jacob had been using condoms in bed since the start of the s.e.xual side of their relationship. Had one broken? She had learned in health cla.s.s a long time ago that condoms were only eighty percent effective as contraception, so maybe that was it.
But wait. No. She knew how this had happened... It was the shower s.e.x. The pa.s.sionate moments where she and Jacob had thrown their thoughts away, embracing naked, nothing coming between them.
Not even that important little sleeve of latex. Almasi shook her head, but the thought that her child had been conceived in one her favorite and most intimate moments was a sort of relief. It made her feel just the littlest bit better, knowing that her pregnancy had come from that warm, wet, wonderful place.
She was lost in her thoughts, but she had stopped crying, so Yifeng tentatively spoke up. "Madame?" she said quietly. "Your husband will be home soon, and you need to get dressed. Here," she stood up and walked to the large wardrobe in the back of dressing room.
"I will find you something looser, maybe with an empire waist. You will look beautiful, and n.o.body needs to know until you choose to tell him." Almasi looked up at last, meeting Yifeng"s eyes with grat.i.tude.
"That"s right," Yifeng continued. "This information is safe between you and me. I know how delicate this kind of a situation is. Pregnancy is a big deal. It changes your life. So I will not breathe a word. Not one soul in this household or anywhere else will know about this until you"re ready." She came out with a long purple dress, one with a high emperor style waist as she had promised. "Here, try this on," she instructed Almasi. As Almasi stood to go to her dressing screen, Yifeng added, "And I"ll get you a pregnancy test stick and bring it to you in the morning. If anybody sees me and asks, I"ll say that it is for Beatrice." Almasi laughed. "What?" said Yifeng, laughing too. "We all know that Beatrice gets around."
The two of them giggled together, and Almasi stepped out from behind the frame in the purple dress. It was perfect. "Thank you," said Almasi, "for everything." She"d been having such a hard time trusting anyone after what Mr. Kofi k.u.mi had done to her, but she knew that Yifeng"s devotion to her mistress was without pretense.
If Almasi really did decide to leave after the end of the contract, or to go back to Ghana with Mr. Kofi k.u.mi to spare Jacob the diamond deal, she would miss Yifeng a lot. Tears welled in her eyes.
"No, no, no more crying!" exclaimed Yifeng. "There, there. Now, here you go. It"s almost time for dinner. Come, Almasi," she said, leading her to the door. Just before exiting the room, she leaned down and whispered to Almasi"s tummy. "And you too, little Almasi baby!"
Almasi laughed, a little wearily, but with heart. This was going to be quite a night to get through, but if she kept her sense of humor, she might just manage it.
The dinner was one of the most lavish meals Almasi had eaten yet, and there had been some truly sumptuous food arrangements in the month and a bit that she had been staying at the mansion. Even Jacob was impressed, and he had been living with this kind of luxury for the entirety of his life. He noticed that Almasi had not touched her champagne, but he decided not to comment.
She joined in on the toast with everyone else, and she was being polite and cheerful with the guests. Her dress was also beautiful, and he noticed that her b.r.e.a.s.t.s looked especially big beneath it. He imagined that it was a tailor"s illusion, but he appreciated the view anyway. He couldn"t have guessed that the size of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s really had magnified, and that it was mirroring the small life that was rapidly growing inside her.
Also appreciating the view was Mr. Kofi k.u.mi. Almasi could see him leering at her from across the table, and too frightened to do or say anything that might make him push her to make a decision sooner, she was friendly and polite, responding to his questions and laughing at everything he said. She also noticed that Mr. Arko k.u.mi had become significantly cheerier since the meeting where he and Jacob had set down their plans and arrangements for the diamond deal.
He smiled throughout the meal, even throwing in a hearty laugh here and there when Jacob made witticisms about the stock market or the price of gold. Almasi pretended not to understand the jokes, because she knew that Mr. Arko k.u.mi still did not approve of women being involved in anything that he deemed to be traditional men"s matters.
However, she smiled at her clever husband, and he seemed to notice her loving gaze across the table, because he was smiling back and staring at her all throughout the night.
When the festivities were finally over, Almasi bade everyone good night and went up the many stairs to take a second shower for the day and relax in the water. When she entered the bathroom, she decided that her feet were too tired, and opted for a bath instead. The tub in the master bedroom"s bathroom e was enormous and deep, and she had the maid draw her a hot bath with bubbles.
When the tub was full, she dismissed the maid and eased herself in, smelling the different scented soaps and choosing to mix vanilla with lavender.
It was absolutely divine, and Almasi soaked herself until the skin on the tips of her fingers was wrinkly from being in the water so long. Eventually, Almasi decided to step out of the bath, wrapping herself in a big fluffy towel until she was completely dry. Then, she walked over to the mirror and dropped the towel on the ground, inspecting her appearance in the reflection.
Yes, Almasi concluded after a long look, she had gained some weight. It would probably be easy to pa.s.s it off as the result of her new rich lifestyle, at least for a few more weeks. The curve of her belly protruded only slightly more than it had previously. She had never been a skinny waif, so she had always had a bit of fat on her tummy. She had never minded it. She liked it, even. Jacob certainly adored touching the width of her body. As she thought of Jacob, she looked up at the reflection of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Yes, she decided. They certainly had grown.
She smiled at her reflection. Jacob would love that, she thought. Turning around, she saw that her backside was wider and rounder as well. She looked like a mother earth G.o.ddess, she thought. She was certainly beginning to feel like one. If she stayed with Jacob... well, she knew that he would care for her all through her pregnancy.
Not only was he loving, but Jacob had rapidly become a man who cared about honor, and doing the right thing. It was not as if he had ever even been a bad person. Almasi remembered how kind and gentle he"d been on that first day they had met, when he could have easily had her fired for cussing him out when he spilled her coffee.
And that was before he had sworn to be her husband. If she told him about her situation, she knew deep down that he would take care of her. He was Jacob. He was a good man.
But again, she thought, would he do it out of love, or out of duty? She had no way of knowing if he really wanted her, or if he was just a kind man who happened to need a wife for a diamond deal. She didn"t want to get too presumptuous, to get ahead of herself and later make her husband regret ever having married her. So perhaps it would be best for him if she did accept Mr. Kofi k.u.mi"s offer. It wouldn"t be terrible for her, either.
She knew that the k.u.mi family was rich, and although Mr. Kofi k.u.mi was conniving, he really did seem to want her. She could raise her baby and still be supported by a family. And when the baby came out pale, well, could Mr. Kofi k.u.mi really blame her? He would know what he was getting into when he took a married woman for his wife.
It could cause a scandal, having a mixed race baby out of a single race marriage, but they would deal with it. And although it would absolutely break her heart to pieces, it would save Jacob"s deal with k.u.mi Diamonds. And it would also save him from being trapped in an obligation to be a husband for longer than he had signed up for. Maybe it really was the best option.
But Jacob...
Almasi tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn"t help it. The thought of leaving the love of her life was too much. If she had to do it, she wouldn"t think about it yet. She closed her eyes and felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her chest began to convulse, and she sobbed out loud. She became a sad, horrible mess, tears all over her face, wiping them away with her hands only to have more spring from her eyes.
She pulled at her hair in frustration, and only stopped herself after it began to hurt her scalp. Almasi was shaking. She shook with anger, she shook with rage, she shook with fear and sadness and hopelessness and utter, utter despair, and...
"Darling?" The sound of Jacob"s voice made her jump. "Are you in there? May I come in?" He was so sweet, so kind. How could she be doing this to him?
She took a long deep breath, in and out. "One minute, dear," she called, hoping her shaky voice was not betraying her emotional state. "I"ll be right out."
She looked in the mirror once more. Keep breathing, keep breathing, she thought to herself. She drew a deep breath in, and then another. She lifted her shoulders and raised her head. She had been a queen, an angel, a G.o.ddess. Now it was time to be a warrior. Another breath. Another. Another. Her heartbeat was slowing down, her mind clearing. She could do this. She could do this. She could do this. She could do this. She could do this. She could...
"Almasi?" it was Jacob again.
"Yes," she said. She smiled to make her voice sound happier. "Sorry, darling I will only be a minute." And true to her promise, Almasi worked quickly to clean up the mess she had made of herself. She splashed cold water on her face, picked up her towel from the floor, and after hanging it up on the towel rod, reached for the fluffy pink robe hanging on the door.
She wrapped it around herself, tying the waist cinch high so that it would not squeeze at her belly. She looked down, imagining her little son or daughter sitting inside there. She smiled. "Okay," she whispered. "Time to do this."
And when Almasi opened to door to face her handsome, kind, and oh so caring husband, she was a beautiful, beaming warrior.
Chapter6.
Almasi stepped out of the bathroom. Jacob, who had been turned the other way, pivoted around, and beamed widely when he saw her. She was wearing that soft pink robe of hers, and she was smiling gently. She was beautiful. Jacob crossed the room and took her in his arms, drawing her in for a warm, tender kiss. He let go of her then and placed his hands around her waist, while her hands moved up to his shoulders to hug him loosely as they kissed. His fingers traveled up her waist and to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, gently stroking her and caressing the softness and roundness of her curves.
They were definitely a little bigger than they had been a few weeks ago, Jacob thought as he ma.s.saged her tenderly. It made him happy to know that she was gaining a bit of weight, because it meant that she was comfortable and no longer had any need to stress over food portioning. Jacob sighed softly into their kiss. He was so happy to be providing for his wife.
Almasi allowed herself to forget the business aspect of their agreement and get lost in the bliss of kissing Jacob, taking in that feeling of being so safe and warm and secure in his arms. She moved her hands down to unbuckle his belt, and he mirrored her, untying the cinch of her robe. Almasi had a fleeting moment of anxiety-was she showing? Would he be able to tell? But as heat began to rise in her, she let that go, choosing to fall into the simple bliss of being with the man she loved. That would be enough, for now. She could tell him later, if she even decided to tell him at all. Now was not the time to be worrying about the pregnancy.
She finished the buckle and worked at the zipper of his pants, as Jacob unb.u.t.toned his shirt with frantic fingers. When both of their bodies were bared, Jacob kissed Almasi full on the mouth and then guided her back to the bed, holding her hands in his own. Almasi lay back into the soft duvet and felt like she was lying on a cloud. Jacob pressed himself against her soft skin and kissed her, lightly at first, and then with more fervor as he went on. As they were kissing, his hand moved to circle her gently between her legs, and Almasi began to moan softly as he touched her firmly, moving a little faster as she became more breathless. His kissed moved from her mouth down to her neck, and then to her collarbones, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her stomach, and then to the warm wet place where she longed to feel him.
Almasi leaned back further into the pillows and grasped at the duvet beneath her, her legs beginning to tremble and her moans becoming more guttural as Jacob kissed and sucked and licked at her core with increasing intensity. Almasi let herself get lost in that bliss; in the feeling of being so close to the man she loved, in the ecstasy of all the little nerve ending in her body lighting up and the feeling of pleasure flowing through the entirety of her being.
Without moving his mouth away, Jacob brought his hands up to hers and laced their fingers together, and that small act of closeness put Almasi over the edge, and she cried out as she came, shaking and glowing and so full of pleasure. Jacob looked up at her, and she smiled. He moved to lay on his side next to her, cradling her closely in his arms. Almasi breathed deeply, and then, to her own surprise as much as Jacob"s, her breath hitched, and tears started flowing down her face. Suddenly her shoulders were shaking, and Jacob stroked her hand gently, a look of deep concern in his eyes.
"Almasi?" he asked tentatively. "What"s wrong?" Had he done something wrong just now? Why was she upset? Jacob knew that some people cried after s.e.x, that it was a normal release and didn"t necessarily have anything to do with whether or not they had enjoyed the experience, but Almasi was not one of those people, so the tears rolling down her face alarmed him.
"It... I"m fine," said Almasi shakily. She turned and looked into his eyes. "I promise, I would tell you if I were uncomfortable or hurt or anything like that, but that"s not the case at all, so please don"t worry. I just... I have no way of explaining it. I"m just so overwhelmed with everything right now. The diamond deal, the..." she stopped herself before giving away her other concerns, like the pregnancy and the blackmailing from Mr. Kofi k.u.mi. "...just, just everything. I"m sorry." She leaned in and kissed him sweetly.
"Hey," he said. "There"s no need for you to be sorry. As long as you"re okay, I"m happy, Almasi." He held her close, stroking her back gently as he murmured in her ear. "You"re safe here, with me. I-" He nearly said "I love you," but he realized what he was saying in time to stop, too afraid to admit it, and since she had already just been crying, he decided not to overwhelm her further, so he stopped. "I"m here for you, okay?"
"Okay," she said, smiling a little wanly. She looked up at him again and kissed him gently, more chastely this time, pulling back after a few seconds. "Thank you," she said quietly. Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the compa.s.sion, the-could it be love?-Almasi began to tear up again. She let Jacob wrap her up in his arms and hold her close, and he let her weep softly against his chest, stroking her hair and kissing the side of her cheek until the tears were gone and she felt whole again.
Eventually, Almasi"s breathing returned to normal; an even breath in and out, and then she was dozing off in Jacob"s arms. He smiled softly, and when he knew she was completely asleep, he leaned in and kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you." Maybe tomorrow he would say it when she was awake. Maybe tomorrow he would have the courage to tell her how he truly felt. For now, though, he was tired too, and with one last look at the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms, Jacob closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Almasi woke up still wrapped in Jacob"s arms and smiled. She didn"t move too much for fear of waking him up, but she yawned quietly and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Her face felt a little grimy from last night"s tears. She would wash that all up later. For now, she felt serene. She looked up at the clock. It was only seven thirty, and she and Jacob had no commitments until well after noon.
The maid wouldn"t even be around until ten for breakfast, as Jacob had requested to sleep in, and although Almasi"s body clock would not allow her to sleep as late as Jacob could, she laid quietly in his arms and let him get his rest. As much as her life had been a roller coaster lately, she knew that Jacob"s had not been a walk in the park, either. He deserved to get as much sleep as he could get.
Eventually, Jacob woke up, and he smiled to know that the first sight he had to see in the morning was his beautiful wife. Almasi, for her part, marveled at how wonderful he looked when he had just woken up, how sweet and innocent and soft he was in this vulnerable state. His hair was a mess, and he had a little crinkled spot on the side of his face from where he had been pressed into the pillow. His eyes were the most startling blue, and the confused, sleepy wonder of first opening them in the morning softened them in a way that made them even more beautiful to look at. It was a sight that Almasi felt privileged to see.
She smiled back, and touched a hand to his cheek. He was so, so perfect. Almasi loved him so much; so much that it almost hurt her to think about what would happen all too soon. Thinking about him put a lump in her throat, and it made her heart beat faster, and here he was, lying next to her, so quiet and perfect She leaned in and kissed him softly, and he responded with equal tenderness, hugging her closer as they laid together in their sheets in the morning sunlight.
Eventually, Jacob pulled away carefully, yawning. He rubbed his eyes a little, and noticing Almasi"s expression of awe and delight, he grinned. "Would you like to shower with me?" he suggested. Almasi smiled back and nodded. So the two of them moved to get up, pushing back the soft white sheets. They stood, naked and warm in the morning sunlight, and then together they walked toward their master bathroom.
Jacob turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up while Almasi went to the sink, splashing a little water on her face. She looked in the mirror over the sink, and decided that she looked good. Although she still held the weight of the previous day"s discovery and the situation with k.u.mi Diamonds, she was rested, awake and ready for the day. She smiled at her reflection, and then stepped away from the sink and walked over to join Jacob.
The water was hotter than usual today, which made Almasi smile to herself. She and Jacob sometimes bickered over the temperature when they showered together, because Almasi liked her showers and baths as hot as she could take them, and Jacob preferred the water to be warm, but not too hot. They had usually compromised to something in between, but today Jacob was clearly catering to his wife"s preferences. His skin had turned a little pinker than usual in the heat, and Almasi thought it was endearing and almost even adorable that he was putting in such an effort to please her.
She stepped into the large shower and kissed Jacob a little harder than usual. Was it the heat of the water, or was he blushing a little? Almasi did not have time to think about it, as she was far more interested in exploring the softness of her husband"s skin under the water, the firmness of his muscles, the feeling of his smile against her lips and she pressed their bodies together. She stroked his hair, kissing him intensely while he reached to touch her waist and rub her back. Their mouths opened to each other, and their tongues twisted and danced together in the heated exchange.
Suddenly, Almasi"s foot slipped beneath her, and as she stumbled to catch her balance on the slick marble of the shower floor, she accidentally bit down on Jacob"s lip. She pulled back to apologize, but as the "I"m so sorry" formed on her lips, she saw how dilated his pupils were, how flushed his face was (this could not just be from the hot water, she thought) and looking down, she saw how hard he was. She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she asked.
Jacob was both delighted and fl.u.s.tered. "Yeah," he said.
"Do you... do you want me to do that again?" Almasi was fascinated as much as she was amused and aroused. They had never tried anything like this, and Jacob had typically been the one who took charge, anyway. She loved it, but if he wanted something different... well, she would be all too happy to concede to her blushing husband"s wishes.
She stepped closer to him again, and with her hands on his shoulders, tentatively tilted her head up to kiss him. After a moment, she bit down gently on his bottom lip, not enough that it would break the tender skin, but enough that he could feel it. It definitely had the desired effect, as she could feel Jacob"s heart beating faster, and he made a little sound in the back of his throat that was a mix between a whimper and a moan.
Gaining a little confidence, and knowing that Jacob would tell her if she needed to stop, Almasi kissed him harder, and trailed gentle bites down his neck and to his collarbones.
She made sure that there would be no visible marks on his neck where they could not be covered by a shirt, but once she got to his collarbones, she began to bite harder, sucking and leaving little marks just below the base of his neck and across to where his chest met his shoulder.
Jacob moaned louder, and as Almasi kissed and bit him, she trailed her hand down, laughing a little to herself as his hips bucked in antic.i.p.ation. Grabbing a hold of him, she began to work her hand in the now familiar way that he had shown her when they had first gone to bed together, and soon Jacob could hardly continue standing, his knees were so weak with pleasure.
She stopped kissing and biting for a moment, and he took the opportunity to draw her close, squeezing her body firmly as he thrust himself into her. Their lips met again, and they kissed pa.s.sionately as they moved together, in a strange combination of gentleness and roughness that Almasi had not known was possible. Her pa.s.sion for him overcame her, and her body started shaking as she rocketed to her climax.
Jacob was not far behind, and as he came, Almasi drew his lips to hers and bit down again, feeling him moan against her mouth and the quaking convulsions of his o.r.g.a.s.m in her body. Panting, they drew apart, and Almasi looked at Jacob in awe and wonderment. This was a side of him she had never seen before. He had always made himself vulnerable enough during s.e.x, but this time he had let all pretensions go completely, trusting her not to hurt him just as much as she trusted him.
They smiled at each other, and then they drew each other close again in a hug. The rest of their shower was gentle and languorous, as they washed their own bodies and each other"s, not speaking much, but showing one another love through their gentle touches. When they were done, Jacob shut off the water and they stepped out, wrapping themselves in thick fluffy towels. Neither felt like getting dressed right away, so once they had dried themselves off, they climbed back into bed, facing each other and smiling softly as they stroked each other"s faces.
When Almasi looked at the clock and noticed that it was ten minutes to ten, she got up and got them each a robe to wear so they would be presentable when the maid came in with their breakfast. As Jacob wrapped his robe around himself, he touched idly at the fading bite marks Almasi had left, smiling to himself. He knew that hickies seemed kind of immature, but he had enjoyed it so much, and he got something of a thrill from being marked by the woman he loved.
Almasi noticed what he was doing, and she walked over to kiss him gently along his collarbone. Then Jacob touched his hand to her face, and they were kissing on the mouth again, so softly and tenderly. They sat back in their bed, and when the maid came, they were both smiling happily, with a small blush creeping along Jacob"s face.
They ate their eggs and toast together, chatting about the day ahead. Eventually, Jacob had to leave to go look over some papers with Mr. Arko k.u.mi, and Almasi got up when he did, slipping on a simple blue cotton dress. They kissed goodbye, and Jacob went down to his study.
Almasi decided to take a walk in the garden. It was a beautiful day outside, and she wanted to see the garden and hear all of the birds singing. She felt a little sad when she remembered that it might be one of her last days at the Adamson mansion. She tried to put that thought from her mind, and continued on her way down the path to where the sunflowers were.
The garden had grown more since Almasi had first come to the mansion and gone out back for the engagement photos so many weeks ago. She had become far more familiar with the place, and she often took long walks in the garden when Jacob was busy and she had nothing to do in the house. She had discovered an apple orchard about two miles out, although it was too early in the year for the apples to be anything but sour little buds.
It had been interesting, seeing how the flowers had changed, how they had bloomed and died in the time since she had been living there. The sunflower stalks that matched her engagement photo dress had grown even taller, and they provided some shade as she made her way along the path.
The tulips were gone now, withered away, but the purple freesias were just beginning to bloom, and there were red and orange gerberas and some lovely purple-blue irises. As she walked on, Almasi saw some dusky pink stargazer lilies, colorful zinnias and beds filled with many colored variations of snapdragons. She smiled a little, remembering.
Almasi knew the names of all of the flowers without reading the name-plated planted in the ground next to the flowers. She worked at a flower shop throughout her high school years, selling beautiful bouquets to the people who pa.s.sed by the store.
On Sat.u.r.days in the summer, she worked at the farmer"s market; standing in the hot sun and helping people pick out beautiful flowers to take home to their tables. At the time, she had not enjoyed the job. No fourteen-year-old liked to be out in the summer heat of July and August when she could be by a pool, drinking a lemonade and having fun with friends, or inside in an air-conditioned house. But the job had made five dollars an hour, and she and her family had needed the money. Besides, their house had no air conditioning, and Almasi didn"t know anyone in her neighborhood who had a pool.
The rich girls in her cla.s.ses had often talked about the summer trips they would go on, whether to London or Paris or Los Angeles, or even just to the cottages, their families owned out in the country. Almasi had always been jealous. It"s so unfair, she would think, that some people got so much luxury when others had to work for every bit of food and clothing they got. Her fate had changed now, and it was Almasi who lived in the mansion with the handsome husband, twenty servants, and a beautiful, beautiful garden.
As much as she had resented having to work summers back in high school, now she had the pleasure of knowing the seasonal flowers anywhere as if they were old friends, and they made her feel at home. So she continued on her walk, taking in the sight of all the beautiful life around her, humming a little song to herself.
When she got far enough away from the mansion to know that n.o.body would be around to hear her, she began to sing aloud. Almasi had never taken a music lesson in her life, but she used to listen to her mother sing in the kitchen while she worked, chopping peppers and peeling onions, preparing cheap but tasty meals out of beans and rice, making something wonderful out of next to nothing.
The songs her mother sang were an eclectic mix of folk songs, old jazz standards, and whatever she would hear on the radio. The radio in the kitchen was old and battered, and often the sound they got was fuzzy, but there was always music in the kitchen, with Almasi"s mother singing along or singing to herself.
Almasi had sometimes joined in, and her mother would always smile down at her little daughter, the smiling young girl whose braids were always coming out and falling apart. She was a happy little child who danced around the small kitchen while crooning along to Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald, often holding a pot lit and a wooden spoon in her hands and banging along to the rhythm of the music.
Sometimes, if she wasn"t too busy, Almasi"s mother would lift her up in her arms and dance around the room with her, and even when she was too busy with dinner preparations to play along, she would always have a kind word for her beaming little girl.
Almasi smiled when she thought about it, thinking of the smell of the old apartment kitchen and the cooking oil in the frying pan. It had been a cheap place in a sketchy neighborhood, but it was the home where she had lived for a good portion of her childhood. When her parents had faced eviction over rent issues with the bad landlord, they had had to pack up and live on the couches of family friends, surviving on other people"s good will for a long eight months until they had gotten another place to live. That had been one of the hardest times in her parents" lives, when both of them had been in between jobs.
They had continued sending her to school, making her promise to do her best and learn everything she could. Being in the United States meant having access to an education, and that education was what would save Almasi from ever having to be in that position again.
Her parents" firm belief in working hard and doing things the right way, had been part of why she had initially decided not to tell them the full story of her situation with Jacob. She knew her mother and father would be disapproving and disheartened if they knew that she had sold out like that; that she had let herself be talked into taking money from a rich man as a part of a deceptive scam.
Because of the nature of it all, and because of the rules of discretion in her contract, Almasi had bent the truth when she had told her parents about the arrangement with Jacob. She had told them that the owner of the company had needed an intern to come work for him on secretarial duties that would require her to commute too far for public transit to be a viable option.
She had explained that she had been offered this position based on her merit and reputation as a hard worker, and that it would be for a month in the summer while Mr. Adamson worked on a specialized diamond deal.
That part, she figured, had been true enough, and there was no need to elaborate about the real nature of her work. She had explained to them that it was too far away to use public transit, and since it was only for a month, she would take up lodgings closer to her place of work for the time being.
Jeremy had provided enough paperwork to make everything seem legitimate, and Almasi had promised that she would call them to talk as frequently as possible, and so far, she had kept her promise. She felt bad for lying, but she needed to do what she needed to do, and she had also told them, without being too specific, that it would pay well, so they understood. If worst came to worst, she would simply explain everything after the fact and ask for their forgiveness for lying to them.
The problem was that things were getting so much more complicated. Even without taking the whole pregnancy thing into account, she still had a heart-wrenching decision to make about Mr. Kofi k.u.mi"s advances. She couldn"t bear the idea of leaving Jacob, of breaking his heart and her own, but she would have to leave him at the end of the month anyway once her contract was complete.
If she didn"t go with Mr. Kofi k.u.mi, Jacob"s business would suffer for it. He would certainly lose the diamond deal once Mr. Arko k.u.mi found out about the deception. At least if she went with Mr. Kofi k.u.mi, she could save that.
The diamond deal was, after all, the reason she was there in the first place. If it hadn"t been for that, she would never have had her month of bliss with Jacob, and it was a matter of principle, too. Almasi never backed out on a deal, and she never abandoned a project halfway through.
If this was what she had to do, it was what she would do, but her heart... her heart was telling her otherwise. Her heart was screaming to her, Just tell Jacob, and everything will be fine. Jacob loves you! He loves you! She shook her head. He had never said that, he had never told her that, but she had felt it, oh, she had felt it every day.