Little Pumpkin: A Halloween Secret Baby Romance Read online

  "He texted him? From within the restaurant itself?"

  "Yeah. From the waiting area. Anyway, the manager came storming out like a tornado and apologized to Handler and told him to go choose a seat and that the prettiest server would be sent over and Handler could grope her if he wanted to. Then he added that I would be fired. They both used language referring to women, to which I strongly object."

  "Did one of the words start with a ‘c’?" Sally asked, cautiously.

  "Yep."

  "Shit."

  "Indeed they are."

  "What did you do?"

  "I yelled at him."

  "You yelled at John Handler?"

  "No, but I should have, while I was at it. That’s my only regret, really. I only yelled at the manager."

  "What did he say?"

  "He made a sound sort of like a walrus. He’s obviously not used to being told off, especially in front of important customers. I got out of there before the paperwork was done. That's why I didn't exactly get fired or quit, I guess; there’s nothing officially on the books. He said I was fired but for something I couldn't actually be fired for but then then I did something that forfeited my position either way."

  "I'll say! They don't have your phone number, do they?"

  "Nope, it was an online ad. They only have the email I used, which is quite separate from my actual one. I learned from my last few, um, ‘fiascos’ at work not to give out too much personal information, in case it all goes bad, which things usually tend to do on me."

  "That's a relief," Sally said.

  "You're telling me. It wasn't even the shit they gave me. Not really. I can take it. I mean, I was pissed, but I wouldn't have yelled at my boss like that about it Even the firing of me, I could have fought. A clear case of wrongful dismissal. It was what he said about Erin."

  "Who's Erin?"

  "The pretty server I was talking about. He even said he made sure she was wearing a short skirt. Saying if Handler wanted to have a grab, it would be okay because Erin knows how to behave herself."

  "I'd have punched him, not just yelled at him," Sally said. “That was really vile of him to say.”

  "I know, right?" I said.

  "What are you going to do now?" Sally asked.

  "I've had my tea and am currently eating ice cream," I said.

  "No, I mean for a job," Sally said.

  "I hadn't really thought about that," I said honestly.

  I was still coming down from the excitement of it all.

  "You might want to get on that. Do you have an idea what you want to do?" Sally asked.

  "I'll come up with something," I said. “Let me celebrate being done with one awful job before I have to go try to get another one that won’t be likely to last much longer.”

  “Fair enough,” Sally said.

  My headache had mostly subsided by the time I hung up. Putting my phone back in my parka, I pulled on some sweats and got out my aged laptop, hoping it would still start up for me. The fan burst to life and the screen lit up.

  I breathed a sigh of relief and started the always-unpredictable process of getting onto the wifi network of the cafe across the street from my building. There was no password, so it wasn't stealing or even really hacking. It was just a tricky and unreliable way of having to get Internet access. I had to be in the right position by the window and sometimes it still didn’t work.

  This time, though, I just so happened to get on. I always made it a point to get coffee there whenever I had some extra money, to pay them back.

  I started a half-hearted attempt at looking at the job sites but when that failed, I went on Facebook to the group I had recently joined, for alumni of my high school, and posted that I was available for dog walking or pet sitting jobs. It seemed like a natural transition. I loved dogs and they seemed to like me; I would much likely work with them than with sleazy managers and asshole customers. And it wasn’t like I had much of a chance of getting hired by another restaurant again even if I wanted to, which I didn’t.

  Being only a few years out of high school, most of the people I knew were already in this Facebook group, and some of them were bound to need my services. It was pretty convenient actually.

  I didn't have to wait long. Less than an hour after I posted, Maya, a former high school classmate, messaged back and asked if I could dog sit that night, apologizing for the short notice. I wrote back, saying it was fine and that I would be right over.

  At least I’d have some money coming in while I figured out what to do next.

  Chapter Three

  Gia

  Maya's apartment building was huge, being one of those new luxury condo buildings that were springing up every few decades, usually in the spot that held several smaller, older ones. There was only so much room on Manhattan island, so there tended to be some turnover in terms of real estate.

  "Yeah?" asked Maya's voice, sounding both distant but also familiar, as she answered my buzz.

  "It's Gia," I said.

  "Oh, great! Thanks for getting here so quickly. Come on up!"

  It’s not like I have anything better to do, I thought.

  The door buzzed and I was admitted to the modern temple of pleasure, where even the elevators were new and special, being both spacious and silent. Maya hugged me when I got to the door of her apartment, her little dog running excitedly around my feet. I recognized instantly that he was a puppy.

  The hug took me a bit by surprise. I had known Maya in high school, but we hadn't really been close. We knew of each other through mutual friends and had a few classes together. We were also the only two girls in the chess club.

  I was good, but she was better and kicked my ass every time we played, the teacher who ran the club unable to fathom why I preferred to play against the boys. Other than that, though, we hadn’t had many memorable times together in high school.

  I guess she was so grateful to me for being able to watch her dog that she felt like hugging me. After she let me go, Maya picked up her pug and headed back into her apartment, leaving the door open for me. I dutifully followed her inside.

  "Anton is pretty easy to look after," Maya said, putting the pug into his bed, "Give him some exercise and he will quiet down and likely just go to sleep.”

  She looked around, as if trying to remember what else was important to tell me. I started to realize I should have brought a notepad, like waitressing. I was an inexperienced pet sitter, but at least I was eager.

  “His food is in the fridge on the second shelf and his treats are in the third cupboard on the right on the bottom row. I hang his leash on that hook by the door,” she said, gesturing. “He should be good for two walks before bedtime."

  "How do I get back in?" I asked.

  "Right, of course!"

  Maya reached into her pocket and pulled out a key-loop with two freshly cut keys dangling from it.

  "This one is for the front door of the building and this one is for door to my apartment," Maya said, pulling apart each nearly indistinguishable key and showing them to me as if I’d remember. I already knew I would be trying both keys indiscriminately until one worked. "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen."

  "Thanks!" I said, only having had the ice cream since lunch.

  "You really are a godsend; I'm so happy I saw your post,” she said. “I had someone else lined up, but it fell through at the last minute."

  "You’re probably not as happy as I am,” I confessed. “I'm getting paid to watch a dog, which I like doing away. That’s much better than working for assholes."

  "Amen to that! I know we never really knew each other very well in high school but I always admired your spirit and quest for justice. Don't let bastards get you down, right?"

  "Exactly," I said, that last part having been my personal motto before the harsh reality of having to earn a living had really kicked in.

  I had never really liked rich people, or at least the kind of greedy assholes who take advantage of other people, si
nce my mom got taken by a Ponzi scheme. It was a long time ago, before she met my dad and before I was even born.

  But the effects were so long-lasting that she told me about it. It looked so good on paper. She even had a lawyer look it over and he said it was sound.

  It turned out that the only people who made money were the ones running the scam. All the money they got came from the people lower than them on the so-called company's structure who ended up with nothing. And it was a guy who’d roped her into it, feigning romantic interest.

  Hearing about how she had to go through that difficult experience taught me that a lot of people are just out for money and not to trust them. Especially when it comes to romantic relationships.

  "It’s really good to be back in touch,” Maya said, pulling my thoughts back down to earth.

  Then, almost as an after thought, she added, “Hey, I'm planning a Halloween party if you’d like to come. It could be a good way for us to catch up and socialize instead of me just giving you instructions about how to care for my dog and then running out on you in a rush; some other friends from high school will be there. We’ll have more time to chat and reminisce."

  "Sure," I said, feeling kind of nervous about being around people from high school, but also flattered that she’d think to invite me.

  "Actually, I should have said that I am hoping to have a Halloween party,” she quickly corrected herself. “Whether or not it happens depends on if I have enough time to plan it, because I seem to be too busy to do anything extra these days, but it’s something I’ve mentioned to friends and if it happens, you are definitely invited."

  "Well, if you need help, I have a party planning business," I blurted out.

  I wasn’t normally so self-promotional but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  "Really?"

  "Um, yeah," I said and gave Maya one of the business cards I had printed up a while back in case such an opportunity arose.

  They hadn’t until now, due to my aforementioned lack of self-promotion.

  "Awesome!" Maya exclaimed, yet to lose her high school vocabulary.

  I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.

  "It's pretty cool," I said with a shrug that I tried to make look casual.

  "Can I book you right now? Or are you too busy?"

  "I think I can fit you in," I said, trying to hide my smile.

  "Great!" Maya said, taking me by the hand and lending me to the couch, Anton following happily along.

  I guess whatever had been so pressing was no longer so pressing. She suddenly didn’t have to rush out, but instead had time to talk to me. And I was glad for that.

  "When were you thinking?" I asked, as we sat down on the couch.

  "The thirty-first, of course," Maya said.

  "Right, sorry, reflex. I usually have to ask for a specific date," I said, trying to cover for my rookie mistake. “Plus, some people do Halloween parties early.”

  I said this last part as if I had planned a ton of them. Instead, I was just making things up.

  "It's cool, I get it," she said.

  "How many people?" I asked, taking out my phone to take notes.

  "At this point, about thirty."

  "Okay," I said typing it in.

  I was about to ask something else when an alert went off on Maya's phone, distracting her attention.

  "Shit, I really have to go, or I'll miss my flight, but make yourself at home, hey?” she offered. I guess she had forgotten how badly she had to leave. “Thanks again for doing this. You're going to be a huge help."

  "No, thank you!" I said, barely keeping it together.

  Maya kissed Anton on his tiny furry head and collected her bags, which I just noticed over by the door, and headed out, leaving me alone in her beautiful condo with a cute little dog and a set of keys. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real.

  I didn't know that part of the city very well, so I decided to run Anton around the block until he got tuckered out. Before rushing over here, I had changed out of my sweats and into a long, loose artisan made dress constructed out of ethically sourced materials with a pair of leggings, my Docs and my parka.

  The leggings were more a matter of weather than modesty. I didn't usually like things up against my skin; I was really sensitive, but the leggings were soft enough that it was okay, particularly when I wore them with panties.

  My panties had to be either cotton or silk for me to be able to stand them. Something that tended to become a problem when I wore bras. I liked to get sports bras when I could find them in my size.

  Anton tired out pretty quickly, his excited gallop slowing to a totter on the third time around the building. He sat down, panting, and I had to pick him up and carry him in. We had bonded quickly, Anton nuzzling his head against my chest.

  I placed Anton gently in his bed, the little dog already snoozing, and filled his bowl, approximating wet food to dry food, putting the wet food on the bottom and sprinkling the dry food on the top. I knew enough about dogs to know you buried the thing they would like best on the bottom.

  The dog accounted for, I started poking around the huge kitchen, which had its own entrance, looking for something that was already made. I located some chicken curry in the fridge and popped it into the microwave as I took the cork out of an already opened bottle of some very nice-looking wine.

  I hope she really meant it when she told me to help myself, I thought.

  I couldn't read the label, but it didn't look like French, so I guessed it was Portuguese. The cork came out with a satisfying pop. I knew it was sacrilege, but I poured some of the wine out into a mug, not wanting to take the risk with Maya's crystal wine glasses.

  Out of curiosity I went into Maya's bedroom while the curry heated. It was huge, of course, like the rest of the place. To be fair, the bedroom was the size of my entire apartment, which I could only afford because it was rent controlled.

  What I hadn't expected was the other door in addition to the one to the hall and the walk-in closet. I didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't what I found. Maya had an en-suite, which was not surprising. What was surprising was that it had a jacuzzi.

  I will certainly be making myself at home in that thing, I thought.

  I heard the microwave beep distantly, announcing that my curry was ready. After pulling my jaw up off the floor, I went to get it, taking my mug of wine with me.

  Checking on little Anton, who was still snuffling and running in his sleep, I sat down at the small but gorgeous dining table and ate and drank better than I had in months, savouring every bite, my mind still wandering back to the en-suite and the jacuzzi there.

  I washed the dishes carefully. Maya had a dishwasher of course, but I didn't feel right running it for so few dishes. It seemed like a real waste of water.

  I put the dishes away and headed for the bathroom, letting my hair down out of my signature ponytail as I went. Maya wasn't due back until the next afternoon, so she wouldn't catch me. Though even if she did come home, I doubt she would have minded.

  She had said I should make myself at home. And we all have to take baths, right? And hers was so much nicer than most.

  I pulled my dress up over my head and checked the water with my hand. With my complexion, you could never be too careful. My mom had told me about the time she had burned in a sauna. Dad said it was mostly apocryphal, but I had my doubts.

  When I was sure I would not meet a luxurious, bubbly end, I took the rest of my clothes off and got into the water completely naked. I had to put my hand over my pussy as I lowered into the swirling water; I was really that sensitive.

  After a few minutes, when my body had had time to adjust, I was able to take my hand away and enjoy the full pleasure of the jet-propelled water. I wondered if Maya ever brought her boyfriends in here. It would make sense, it being right next to the bathroom and all.

  Though maybe it was something she kept just for herself.

  Her own private pleasur
e.

  I could see either scenario. I had never had sex in a jacuzzi, or anywhere at all really. I'd never even sucked a guy off or had my pussy licked. All I knew about sex came from erotica, masturbation and porn, in that order.

  It clearly wasn't that I didn't want to.

  I was actually really horny.

  I loved the idea of sex, imagining it and the feeling when I got myself off. The problem was one of trust. It wasn’t just the money thing, like what had happened with my mom. It was also just that I knew too many stories of guys who had turned out not to have been what they seemed. Who had lied to girls to get into their pants and dumped them as soon as they got what they wanted, which was usually one thing.

  I knew this wasn't every guy, I wasn't an idiot, but there were still enough stories to make me really cautious. I didn't want to lose my cherry and then regret it later. I knew it wasn't supposed to be a big deal but it was to me. It was a really big change and not one I wanted to take lightly.

  I was often told that I was too serious and maybe I was, but it seemed to just be my default setting. The only happily married couple I knew were my parents, which really didn't surprise me because my dad was awesome. I was sure they must have fought at some point, but I never saw it. I guess it could have been because they agreed on everything but what seemed more likely was that they had found ways to respectfully disagree and not be mean or personal about it.

  All I needed was a guy like that. Cool, fun, able to take things in his stride. The willingness to let me fuck him senseless wouldn't go amiss either.

  I was getting over-heated so, carefully as I could, I got out of the jacuzzi and dried off. I looked at the piled of clothes on the floor but didn't really feel like putting them back on. It felt really good to be all naked and clean. Instead I wrapped myself in one of Maya's Egyptian cotton towels and went out into the bedroom.

  I had planned to go out into the living room, where the pup was. I listened for him and heard his snuffling as he dreamed. I looked at the bed out of the corner of my eye.