contact with Dwayne. Just as her fingers found the front door, she heard her name being called.
"Erica?"
She turned, feeling her knees go weak as she saw Dwayne jogging towards her across the small plaza, wearing a dark gray business suit. Slightly behind him was his father, which filled Erica with loathing, but still, the sight of Dwayne left her breathless. Regardless of her emotions, her body couldn't help but react to his presence.
"Dwayne, I..." she got out, before he swept her up in his arms, holding her tightly. In that simple gesture, everything seemed to fall into place. All of the fractured feelings, all of the missing pieces in her life were filled there in his arms, and she rested her head against his chest for the moment she could.
"I've missed you," he whispered, as he set her down. "Why didn't you contact me?"
"I did," she replied, confused. "I thought you were the one ignoring me."
"How could I?" Dwayne said tenderly, stroking her cheek. "You've been in my thoughts every day."
Erica swallowed her fear, and looked him in the eyes. "Dwayne, I have something to tell you."
"Okay," he said with a look of concern. "Is this the part where you say we’re finished?”
"No. Dwayne, I'm pregnant," she said flatly, her nerves not allowing her to do anything else. She looked at him for any sign or reaction, her heart in her throat. "Did you hear me? I said I am pregnant Dwayne. And it's your baby."
"Well well. Hope your fun was worth the child support payments," Dwayne's father said snidely, making his way inside. "I do expect a DNA test to confirm your allegations by the way. I'm sure you've seen them before on Maury Povich? "
Erica was about to turn on him, but instead turned her attention back to Dwayne.
"Well?"
Instead of words, Dwayne's actions answered for him. He swept her up in his arms again, this time kissing her solidly, his joy sparkling in his eyes as he held her close.
"That's amazing news," he finally said as their kiss broke apart. He looked up at the tower, then at his watch. "Listen, I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes, so how about you come with me, and we can talk on the way up? This involves you anyway."
"I guess," Erica replied, looking down at her jeans and sweatshirt. She had dressed for comfort on the airplane, not for business, and thought she looked like a hobo next to Dwayne's custom tailored suit. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Dwayne replied, his voice firm and tender simultaneously. Making their way across the lobby, he headed for an elevator, taking it for himself and her alone.
Once the doors closed, he turned to her.
"I'm only going to have time to say this once, so please just listen. I'm not my mother and father. I don't care about where you came from, or anything else. I care about you. You and I shared something in London and then again on the island that I've never felt before in my life. The fact that I'm going to become a father to your baby fills me with a greater joy than I could've ever imagined.”
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open to reveal an office floor dominated by the Forrester Hotel logo. Behind the reception desk, a pretty redhead woman sat, typing away while talking on the phone. Dwayne greeted her with a nod as he took Erica by the hand, leading her down the hall towards a large conference room.
Inside, there were already four other people. Erica could identify Dwayne's father and mother, but the other people she didn't recognize.
"Oh for God's sake, what is she doing here?" Candace Forrester spat as soon as Dwayne led her into the conference room. "Honestly Dwayne, getting your side piece pregnant like your Father has just informed me is one thing, but letting her kind up here, and she isn't even in a service uniform...."
"Mother, shut the fuck up," Dwayne said icily, his steely tone cutting her off. "For my entire life, I've listened as poison poured out of your mouth towards any woman not of what you call proper breeding , which
"Erica?"
She turned, feeling her knees go weak as she saw Dwayne jogging towards her across the small plaza, wearing a dark gray business suit. Slightly behind him was his father, which filled Erica with loathing, but still, the sight of Dwayne left her breathless. Regardless of her emotions, her body couldn't help but react to his presence.
"Dwayne, I..." she got out, before he swept her up in his arms, holding her tightly. In that simple gesture, everything seemed to fall into place. All of the fractured feelings, all of the missing pieces in her life were filled there in his arms, and she rested her head against his chest for the moment she could.
"I've missed you," he whispered, as he set her down. "Why didn't you contact me?"
"I did," she replied, confused. "I thought you were the one ignoring me."
"How could I?" Dwayne said tenderly, stroking her cheek. "You've been in my thoughts every day."
Erica swallowed her fear, and looked him in the eyes. "Dwayne, I have something to tell you."
"Okay," he said with a look of concern. "Is this the part where you say we’re finished?”
"No. Dwayne, I'm pregnant," she said flatly, her nerves not allowing her to do anything else. She looked at him for any sign or reaction, her heart in her throat. "Did you hear me? I said I am pregnant Dwayne. And it's your baby."
"Well well. Hope your fun was worth the child support payments," Dwayne's father said snidely, making his way inside. "I do expect a DNA test to confirm your allegations by the way. I'm sure you've seen them before on Maury Povich? "
Erica was about to turn on him, but instead turned her attention back to Dwayne.
"Well?"
Instead of words, Dwayne's actions answered for him. He swept her up in his arms again, this time kissing her solidly, his joy sparkling in his eyes as he held her close.
"That's amazing news," he finally said as their kiss broke apart. He looked up at the tower, then at his watch. "Listen, I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes, so how about you come with me, and we can talk on the way up? This involves you anyway."
"I guess," Erica replied, looking down at her jeans and sweatshirt. She had dressed for comfort on the airplane, not for business, and thought she looked like a hobo next to Dwayne's custom tailored suit. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Dwayne replied, his voice firm and tender simultaneously. Making their way across the lobby, he headed for an elevator, taking it for himself and her alone.
Once the doors closed, he turned to her.
"I'm only going to have time to say this once, so please just listen. I'm not my mother and father. I don't care about where you came from, or anything else. I care about you. You and I shared something in London and then again on the island that I've never felt before in my life. The fact that I'm going to become a father to your baby fills me with a greater joy than I could've ever imagined.”
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open to reveal an office floor dominated by the Forrester Hotel logo. Behind the reception desk, a pretty redhead woman sat, typing away while talking on the phone. Dwayne greeted her with a nod as he took Erica by the hand, leading her down the hall towards a large conference room.
Inside, there were already four other people. Erica could identify Dwayne's father and mother, but the other people she didn't recognize.
"Oh for God's sake, what is she doing here?" Candace Forrester spat as soon as Dwayne led her into the conference room. "Honestly Dwayne, getting your side piece pregnant like your Father has just informed me is one thing, but letting her kind up here, and she isn't even in a service uniform...."
"Mother, shut the fuck up," Dwayne said icily, his steely tone cutting her off. "For my entire life, I've listened as poison poured out of your mouth towards any woman not of what you call proper breeding , which
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