Charlotte I knew that the door right next to mine was Brian's room because Melanie had informed me when she showed me where I would be staying as soon as we arrived at her house. I walked up to the door, driven by curiosity, and pressed my ear against it, but I couldn't hear any noise coming from inside, which meant he must already be sleeping. I silently walked past Melanie's room, which was right at the beginning of the hallway, until I reached the staircase landing, descending towards the first floor of the huge and incredibly elegant apartment. After leaving the kitchen, about to walk down the hallway towards the stairs again, I thought that maybe I could go to Brian's library and search for a book that could hold my attention since the only book I had in my suitcase hadn't managed to do so. I was walking towards the library when I reconsidered and decided that it wouldn't be right for me to invade a space where Brian also used for work. He might not appreciate knowing that I
Brian I needed to go out and find a real woman and get over those feelings Charlotte was bringing up, that's what I should be doing and not jerking off to her like the hormonal teenager I never was. Tomorrow, even though it was a Monday, I would invite Oliver and Douglas over for happy hour without fail! I needed to see women secure and self-confident enough for a night of sex with no strings attached. I didn't need any kind of emotional involvement at that moment in my life, while I was awaiting the arrival of my child and heir. But sex I could engage in freely, without expectations and based solely on a mutual interest in seeking pleasure. I forced a smile, as even as I thought about free, unattached sex, the only image that came to mind was Charlotte. And what's worse, it wasn't the Charlotte of my dreams, dressed in sexy and powerful lingerie, but rather the girl in teenage clothes, always wearing jeans and a T-shirt, with a distant look that didn't allow anyone to decipher h
CharlotteListening to Brian talk about the TV room made me choke on my own saliva, even though I wasn't eating anything. But the others didn't need to know that detail.So when the man who had made me utterly embarrassed left, I felt truly relieved because I couldn't even look at him directly. The shame had taken over me in that moment."Are you feeling better, Charlotte?" kind Melanie asked me.I looked at her, my cheeks flushed, feeling completely embarrassed because the lady had no idea that I had caught her nephew in a completely unexpected and compromising situation."I'm fine, Melanie," I replied, trying to reassure her."That's good, dear," she commented, smiling. "I'm quite relieved because sometimes these kinds of situations get completely out of control."I understood what she meant, as once again the memory of how my decision to go to the kitchen for some water had ended in a very unexpected and surprising way."So, now let's talk about your visit to the doctor," Melanie c
BrianWhen I arrived at the office after leaving my apartment feeling suffocated and with conflicting thoughts, I tried to completely disconnect myself from anything that reminded me of Charlotte.For some strange reason, my project of having a child through a surrogate hired specifically for this purpose was also part of the thoughts that led me to Charlotte. So when the person in charge of my personal accounting handed me a report with the expenses of the last month, including information related to that matter, I quickly disposed of it.Before doing so, of course, I had to sign the document so that it could be sent back to the appropriate department. As I did that, I quickly noticed the name of the clinic chosen by Oliver for the artificial insemination process, and consequently, all the prenatal appointments as well.That information caught my attention, but I merely memorized the name and placed the document with the others on my desk for my secretary to distribute accordingly.T
CharlotteWhen Brian left the room to meet Oliver, I breathed a sigh of relief, despite everything.I felt nauseated after vomiting everything I had eaten that morning just a few minutes ago in Oliver's bathroom. Taking all of this into consideration, it wasn't a good time to encounter Brian in any way, and when he looked at me analytically, I feared that he might see more than I wanted to show."I apologize for this," Nicole said, feeling bad. "Oliver didn't tell me that Brian would come here, otherwise, I would have suggested that we go to Eloá's room, Charlotte.""You don't need to worry about that, Nicole. I believe he didn't notice anything other than two friends talking," I tried to sound optimistic.Nicole noticed my feeble attempt at positivity and started laughing, as she always did when she was truly nervous."I think Brian is suspecting something," she said exactly what I was thinking now.The expression on Brian's face indicated something akin to suspicion, but I had a fee
BrianI was truly shocked by the discovery of Charlotte's pregnancy. It was something that could never have crossed my mind, as I firmly believed she was just a young, innocent girl alone in the world.I still felt the same way, after all, but now she had one more person to worry about besides herself, and that wasn't fair at all. I waited for the two girls to return to the room, anxiety taking hold of me, so that I could better clarify the situation."Aren't you happy that Charlotte is going to have a baby, Uncle Brian?" little Eloá asked me.I was so completely overwhelmed that I didn't even remember the girl was still in the room, sitting next to me on the couch, to be more precise."Of course, I am, Eloá," I thought it best to lie.Eloá would be sad if she heard any other response from me, and the little girl didn't understand all the implications of Charlotte being pregnant."I like babies," Eloá continued the conversation."And where have you seen babies, Eloá?" I asked, trying
CharlotteAfter Nicole returned to the restroom to inform me that Brian had already left, I felt extremely relieved, and even the dizziness I was experiencing began to give way to normalcy. We then returned to the living room and continued talking, now with more attention and care. To ensure Eloá wouldn't overhear our conversation, we took advantage of her private tutor giving her piano lessons, something she truly enjoyed, while we whispered to each other."Brian is going to want to know who the father is," Nicole pointed out once again, smiling ironically at the situation."Not that I think it's necessary to tell him anything, let alone explain it to Brian, but I'm fully convinced that he won't be the only one desiring that answer, and it will be easier if we come up with something to tell everyone right away."Nicole then suggested several different stories, and it was only at that moment that I realized how imaginative my friend could be, which made me laugh even when I felt so ap
BrianI couldn't deny it anymore, when just hearing her name made my chest tighten, which was utterly ridiculous considering I was a thirty-two-year-old man.Ridiculous or not, it was happening at that very moment as I listened, for over thirty minutes, to Douglas talk about Emily and, consequently, Charlotte's name being mentioned several times as well."So, your relationship is really getting serious?" I asked, but it was quite clear that it was."Our relationship has been serious since the moment I laid eyes on Emily and the children," Douglas said, smiling.My friend was recounting their latest encounter, which lasted the entire weekend, as he had taken Emily and the twins to his apartment, and they had done various family activities."Do your parents know about your girlfriend? And that she has children?"I knew I was being intrusive, but it was a valid question, considering Douglas' family was highly snobbish and one of the most traditional in New York."I don't care about what