Read Online Working on a Full House by Alyssa Kress - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alyssa Kress
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with an ordinary sort of man, one who could conceivably be an integral part of that process. A man she actually knew.
"Okay, okay. Just go upstairs, pee on the stick. We'll put this question to rest." Valerie set her purse and keys down and shrugged out of her jacket. Her heartbeat began to calm. There was no way she could be pregnant. She didn't know why she was even worrying. They had been careful.
"Good, good. We'll just take the test, see that one pink line, and have a good laugh about it all." Valerie laughed a little already as she went up the stairs. It was silly to get all worked up over a few measly days.
Ten minutes later Valerie sat down, hard, on the off-white Kohler toilet in her pretty, hand-tiled bathroom. The white pregnancy test rod was in her hand and two pink lines were staring back at her.
Two lines.
Valerie swallowed, unable to stop staring at the two lines. They might have been careful.
But she was, indeed, pregnant.
"God," Valerie whispered. A baby...a baby .
Fathered by Roy.
Her stomach sank like a lead ball. She didn't even know Roy's last name, let alone how to get in touch with him... Assuming she even ought to get in touch with him.
"God," Valerie said again, and set her free hand on her belly. "Oh, my God."
CHAPTER SIX
"Roy! My man. Where on earth have you been?"
At the voice, Roy started. From his seat on a deep sofa in the sumptuous lobby of the Venetian, he glanced up from his laptop computer. Before him stood shaggy, blond-haired Kenny Doubletree, a brilliant card man who had the good fortune to look like a brainless beach bum. "Ahem. I've been around." Roy closed the lid of his laptop.
"Such a warm greeting," Kenny complained, but he was grinning as he dropped to a seat next to Roy.
Kenny was relentlessly good-humored. Roy had no idea why such an amiable person insisted on befriending a lone wolf like himself, but Kenny hadn't given up since they'd first met over a side action table at the Bellagio three years ago.
"I didn't see you at the Bellagio on Friday," Kenny remarked.
Roy shrugged.
Kenny gave him an odd look. "I didn't see you there last week, either."
"That tournament is small potatoes."
"True," Kenny had to admit. The charm of the Bellagio weekly tournament was the relatively small buy-in, only a thousand dollars. On the down side, you had to beat ninety percent of the players to get in the money. Nowadays, that was a lot of players. "Better to find yourself a juicy little side game," Kenny agreed. "Hey, and I know of one, if you want in tonight?"
Roy regarded Kenny sidelong. If the man was actually inviting him to a game, it meant he thought there'd be enough well-heeled players at the table to allow both of them to make a killing.
The opportunity once would have given Roy a happy jolt. Today it did nothing. He did his best to sound apologetic, however. "Nah. Maybe next time."
"Next time," Kenny repeated, and gave Roy the odd look again.
"I'm not in the mood." Noting Kenny's look, Roy added, "Is that a problem?"
"No." But Kenny drew the word out, as if he had to think about it. "I'm just wondering..." A broad smile split his face. "I'm wondering if your mood has anything to do with the brunette I saw you with — oh, must have been two weeks ago now."
It was a brilliant check-raise, although one would expect nothing less from a master like Kenny. On the other hand, Roy was no slouch at the game. His smile was bland as he asked, "What brunette?"
Kenny laughed. "You know what brunette. The one who was scooted up close while you stood watching the pirates get creamed outside of Treasure Island. Only you weren't watching the pirates, bud. You were watching her." Kenny's grin widened. "Like a man long gone."
Roy snorted, but the truth of Kenny's observation pierced him. That night he had been long gone, gone in a weird dream land, gone in a vain attempt to forget the emptiness of his big life achievement.
Kenny made a tsking sound. "I haven't seen
"Okay, okay. Just go upstairs, pee on the stick. We'll put this question to rest." Valerie set her purse and keys down and shrugged out of her jacket. Her heartbeat began to calm. There was no way she could be pregnant. She didn't know why she was even worrying. They had been careful.
"Good, good. We'll just take the test, see that one pink line, and have a good laugh about it all." Valerie laughed a little already as she went up the stairs. It was silly to get all worked up over a few measly days.
Ten minutes later Valerie sat down, hard, on the off-white Kohler toilet in her pretty, hand-tiled bathroom. The white pregnancy test rod was in her hand and two pink lines were staring back at her.
Two lines.
Valerie swallowed, unable to stop staring at the two lines. They might have been careful.
But she was, indeed, pregnant.
"God," Valerie whispered. A baby...a baby .
Fathered by Roy.
Her stomach sank like a lead ball. She didn't even know Roy's last name, let alone how to get in touch with him... Assuming she even ought to get in touch with him.
"God," Valerie said again, and set her free hand on her belly. "Oh, my God."
CHAPTER SIX
"Roy! My man. Where on earth have you been?"
At the voice, Roy started. From his seat on a deep sofa in the sumptuous lobby of the Venetian, he glanced up from his laptop computer. Before him stood shaggy, blond-haired Kenny Doubletree, a brilliant card man who had the good fortune to look like a brainless beach bum. "Ahem. I've been around." Roy closed the lid of his laptop.
"Such a warm greeting," Kenny complained, but he was grinning as he dropped to a seat next to Roy.
Kenny was relentlessly good-humored. Roy had no idea why such an amiable person insisted on befriending a lone wolf like himself, but Kenny hadn't given up since they'd first met over a side action table at the Bellagio three years ago.
"I didn't see you at the Bellagio on Friday," Kenny remarked.
Roy shrugged.
Kenny gave him an odd look. "I didn't see you there last week, either."
"That tournament is small potatoes."
"True," Kenny had to admit. The charm of the Bellagio weekly tournament was the relatively small buy-in, only a thousand dollars. On the down side, you had to beat ninety percent of the players to get in the money. Nowadays, that was a lot of players. "Better to find yourself a juicy little side game," Kenny agreed. "Hey, and I know of one, if you want in tonight?"
Roy regarded Kenny sidelong. If the man was actually inviting him to a game, it meant he thought there'd be enough well-heeled players at the table to allow both of them to make a killing.
The opportunity once would have given Roy a happy jolt. Today it did nothing. He did his best to sound apologetic, however. "Nah. Maybe next time."
"Next time," Kenny repeated, and gave Roy the odd look again.
"I'm not in the mood." Noting Kenny's look, Roy added, "Is that a problem?"
"No." But Kenny drew the word out, as if he had to think about it. "I'm just wondering..." A broad smile split his face. "I'm wondering if your mood has anything to do with the brunette I saw you with — oh, must have been two weeks ago now."
It was a brilliant check-raise, although one would expect nothing less from a master like Kenny. On the other hand, Roy was no slouch at the game. His smile was bland as he asked, "What brunette?"
Kenny laughed. "You know what brunette. The one who was scooted up close while you stood watching the pirates get creamed outside of Treasure Island. Only you weren't watching the pirates, bud. You were watching her." Kenny's grin widened. "Like a man long gone."
Roy snorted, but the truth of Kenny's observation pierced him. That night he had been long gone, gone in a weird dream land, gone in a vain attempt to forget the emptiness of his big life achievement.
Kenny made a tsking sound. "I haven't seen
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