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  “Just checking in to see how you’re holding up. Um, care to explain the hot girl in a cast who’s cooking dinner?”

  I let out a long sigh as I rubbed my face with my hands.

  “Dude, what’s going on? I recognize her. She’s the chick from the club.”

  “Yeah. She came over last night. She’s pregnant with my child, lost her job and was kicked out of her apartment.”

  “What?” He laughed.

  “I’m not kidding, Danny,” I spoke with seriousness.

  “Shit. You’re going to be a father?”

  “Title only as far as I’m concerned. Then last night, she tripped in the lobby and broke her foot. I was at the ER with her for over four hours. It’s been nothing but one clusterfuck after another. I have her to deal with, this project that’s miserably failing, and my father up my ass making threats if I don’t get it fixed.”

  “Gee, bro. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

  “Thanks. But no. I can’t deal with anything other than this coding issue.”

  “You’ll figure it out, Lucas. You always do.” He hooked his arm around me.

  “I’m not so sure this time.”

  After Danny left, I sat back down at my computer. Jenna had sent me a text message over thirty minutes ago that dinner was ready, and I lost track of time. Walking into the kitchen, I found her sitting at the table.

  “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”

  “It’s fine.” She snapped. “It’s cold now so you might want to heat it up in the microwave.”

  “Don’t get that attitude with me.” I pointed at her with a stern voice. “I’m a very busy man and I didn’t ask you to cook dinner for me.”

  “No. You didn’t. I did it because I knew how hard you’ve been working, and you needed to eat. Sorry for caring.”

  “Nobody asked you to care, Jenna. You just need to understand how much pressure I’m feeling right now with everything, and frankly, I’m going to lose it very quickly here. So, I think it’s in your best interest and mine, if you just did your own thing and let me do mine.”

  “Okay.” She got up from the table, took her scooter and went to her bedroom.

  I took my plate and put it in the microwave. Her attitude was the last thing I needed right now. When I finished eating the delicious meal she prepared, I decided to go and apologize to her. When I opened her bedroom door, she was sound asleep. I noticed she didn’t have her foot propped up, so I took the pillow from the floor and carefully placed it under her foot.

  Chapter 10

  Jenna

  Since I had fallen asleep so early, I was up at five a.m. Scooting my way to the kitchen, I was shocked when I saw it was completely cleaned up. I had expected to do it this morning, but Lucas pleasantly surprised me. I made a cup of coffee and set it on the island while I went back to my room and grabbed my laptop. I couldn’t stay here much longer, and I needed to find a job and a place. The more I thought about things, I knew what I had to do. Maybe I was just being rebellious to my parents. But now, I was going to have a baby and I needed to grow up and start adulting, the right way.

  “You’re up early?” Lucas said as he walked into the kitchen.

  “I couldn’t sleep anymore. Why are you up?”

  “I need to get ready and go to the office. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”

  “I’m fine. Do you think I’m this weak fragile little girl that isn’t capable of taking care of herself with a broken foot?”

  “No. In fact, I think the complete opposite, but I just wanted to ask. Listen, I’m sorry about last night and I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. It’s just I’m under so much stress and pressure.”

  “What is up with this project you’re working on?” I asked.

  “You wouldn’t understand.” He sighed as he held his coffee cup in his hand.

  “Try me.”

  “We signed a contract with a major company promising them something we can’t deliver. When I proposed it, I thought we could. Now, multi millions of dollars are at stake and I have four days left to fix it or else I’m screwed. I honestly don’t know what’s wrong and neither does my team. We’ve been working on this for six months and we thought we had it right. My father is threatening me with consequences and putting more pressure on me.”

  “Then I come along with my news which adds even more pressure.”

  “Yeah. I’m not going to lie to you.”

  “I’m sorry, Lucas. I’m looking for a job today and I promise I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

  “I can give you money, Jenna. I want to give you money to help you out.”

  “That’s sweet, but I won’t accept it. I don’t take handouts. That’s not why I told you about the baby.”

  “It doesn’t matter. That’s my kid and I’m responsible.”

  I looked at him as a small smile crossed my lips. “Technically yes, but to me you’re not.”

  “I have to get ready for work. We still need to discuss all of this,” he spoke as he walked out of the kitchen.

  I felt for him. I really did. I could tell by his eyes and his face that he was exhausted and mentally drained. After he showered and dressed, he said goodbye and left for the office. After a couple rounds of morning sickness, I placed my hand on the knob of his office and opened the door. Stepping inside, I stared at the large whiteboard on the wall that was filled with coding and formulas. Making my way to his desk, I sat down, hit a key on the keyboard and the lock screen appeared.

  “Shit.”

  Grabbing the notepad and pen that sat on his desk, I stood in front of the whiteboard and studied his coding. My knee was starting to hurt, as well as the excruciating pain in my foot from kneeling on the scooter, so I turned it around, sat down and propped my leg up on the sofa. Two hours later, I’d finally found something that didn’t make sense to me. Scribbling formulas and codes on the notepad, I stared at it and something finally clicked. A wide grin crossed my face as I scooted my way to the bedroom, got dressed, grabbed my purse and took the elevator down to the lobby.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Larson.” Russell smiled.

  “Hi, Russell. Please, call me Jenna. Can you get me a cab?”

  “Of course,” he spoke as he flagged one down.

  “Where to, Miss?” he asked.

  “This address please.” I handed him one of Lucas’s business cards I found on his desk.

  When the cab driver dropped me off at the building, I scooted inside and looked around.

  “May I help you, Miss?” A burly security guard asked.

  “I’m looking for Thorne Technology.” I handed him the business card.

  “Fifteenth floor.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled.

  When I stepped off the elevator, I looked around at the hustle and bustle of people and was instantly stopped by another security guard who stood in front of me with his arms crossed. He was tall, overly muscular and bald.

  “Can I help you?” His voice was deep.

  “I’m here to see Lucas Thorne.”

  “Is he expecting you?”

  “Um, no. But I have something I need to show him.”

  “Sorry, Miss. Not happening today. Mr. Thorne is very busy and doesn’t have time for random people who just show up at his office.”

  “I’m not a random person, buddy. I happen to live with him!” I got up in his face.

  “Come on, lady. Enough is enough. Step back into the elevator and go home.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that. So please just give him a little call and tell him that Jenna is here.”

  “He gave strict instructions not to be disturbed.”

  I closed my eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath for I was going to lose my shit. Pulling my phone from my purse, I dialed his number and put it on speaker.

  “Jenna? What’s wrong?” he answered.

  “Will you please call off your security dog and tell him to let me see you.”

 
“What are you talking about? I really don’t have time for this.”

  “I’m at your office, you idiot, and I need to see you. It’s very important. The problem is this big guy won’t let me through!” I spoke with gritted teeth.

  “Why are you at my office?”

  “I’ll explain when I see you!” I spoke with irritation.

  “Tell Andy I said it’s okay and to bring you to the conference room.”

  I looked at Andy and smirked as I raised my brow at him.

  “Follow me,” he spoke.

  I followed him to the conference room, and when Andy opened the door, I went inside.

  “Thank you, Andy.”

  “No problem, boss.”

  “For fuck sakes, it’s like a damn fortress in here,” I spoke as I set my purse down on the table.

  “What the hell are you doing here? You shouldn’t even be out of the house. You need to be home resting!”

  “I have plenty of time for that.” I pulled the notepad from my purse and handed it to him.

  “What is this? Is this the notepad from my desk?”

  “Yes. I found the error as to why your coding isn’t working. I rewrote it and I’m ninety-nine percent positive this will work.”

  “What?” His brows furrowed at me. “Jenna, this makes no sense,” he said as he studied the notepad.

  “It makes perfect sense, Lucas. Just put the coding in.”

  He took a seat at the end of the table where a large computer sat and began typing. After A few moments, his eyes widened.

  “What the fuck!” he exclaimed. “It worked, Jenna!” A happy grin crossed his face. “Oh my God. It works! I can’t believe this!” He placed his hands on his head. “How—” he looked at me from across the table.

  “Long story for another time.”

  He walked over to me and gripped my shoulders. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t. I have a ton of calls to make and I have to bring my team in.”

  “And I’m going home to lay down. I’m exhausted.”

  “I don’t know what to say but thank you. I’m at a loss for words, but we’re going to discuss this when I get home.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m going to walk you down to the lobby and have Thaddeus drive you back to the penthouse.”

  “I can get down to the lobby by myself. You just go do what you have to do.”

  “Are you sure? I can have Andy walk you down.”

  “Oh hell no. I’ve had enough of him for one day. I’m fine, Lucas. Just go take care of business.” I smiled.

  He pressed his lips against my forehead before we walked out of the conference room.

  “Be careful. I’m calling Thaddeus now. You just go down and wait for him.”

  “I will. Good luck.” I grinned.

  He gave me a wink as he ran down the hall.”

  Chapter 11

  Lucas

  I was still in shock. How the hell did she do it? How did she know? My team was just as ecstatic as I was, but I didn’t take the credit. I couldn’t, and I told my team who Jenna was, minus the fact that she was having my kid. That was nobody’s business, and I wasn’t ready for anyone to know until I figured out exactly how things were going to go.

  I left the office around five. Earlier than I normally did, but I needed to talk to Jenna. I stopped and picked us up some Chinese food for dinner. I didn’t know what she liked, so I ordered a few different things. As I stepped off the elevator and headed towards the kitchen, I found her sitting on the couch with her foot propped up watching a movie.

  “Hey.” She smiled.

  “I brought us some Chinese food.” I held up the bag before setting it on the island. “I really hope you like Chinese.”

  “I love it. Thanks.” She grinned as she got up from the couch and took a seat at the kitchen table.

  I unpacked the bag, set the boxes of food on the table and grabbed a couple plates and silverware.

  “I didn’t know what you liked, so I just picked up a few different things.”

  “Actually, I love everything you got. Thanks. I’m starving.”

  “Didn’t you eat today?”

  “Not really. I spent the morning in your office figuring out what was wrong with the coding, met you at your office, and then I came home and crashed for about three hours.”

  “You need to make sure you eat.”

  “I know and I’m making up for it now.” She smiled.

  I sat down across from her and plated my food.

  “And now we talk.” I looked at her with seriousness.

  “Yep. Guess we do.” She looked down at her plate.

  “Who are you really? Because I knew from the moment I met you, you weren’t secretary material. You sat down and figured out why my coding wasn’t working in a matter of what? Four hours?”

  “Two.” She glanced up at me.

  “Okay. Two hours. You did what neither me nor my team could in the last six months. And let me tell you something, my team is one of the best.”

  “Obviously not.” She bit into her egg roll.

  I cocked my head as I narrowed my eye at her. She knew I was serious.

  “Okay. Okay.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin.

  “My name is Jenna Larson, and I’m from Massachusetts. My I.Q. score is 165, and I graduated from M.I.T.

  “165? Are you kidding me? 165 is at a genius level.”

  “Yeah. I know.” I rolled my eyes.

  “So let me get this straight. You’re a genius, you have a degree from M.I.T. and you were working as a secretary making practically nothing? And you’re homeless?”

  “The pay wasn’t all that bad. And actually, I have two degrees from M.I.T.”

  “Okay. Wait a minute.” I set down my fork, got up from my seat and poured myself a much-needed drink. “What the hell are you doing? Why aren’t you using your true potential to make something more of yourself? Do you have any idea the money you could be making and the lifestyle you could be living?”

  “People treat you different when you’re a genius. Some are ass kissers and users, and some are just pure evil and jealous. I’ve dealt with it my entire life. That’s why I don’t tell anyone about me and that’s also why I choose to live a simple life. It’s not about money for me, Lucas. It’s about people and the relationships I form.”

  “And what about your parents? You said they disowned you? Why?”

  “I was nothing more than a trophy they showed off. Everything revolved around my superior brain. When we’d meet people, they would introduce me as their ‘little genius.’ Not their daughter or by my name. Everything in my life was a competition, even if I didn’t want it to be. I had to be better than all the other ‘geniuses.’ Science competitions, math competitions, physics competitions, swimming competitions. Every damn competition out there I was signed up for against my will. I just wanted to be normal. But I was robbed of a normal childhood. All I wanted to do was play outside with the other kids in the neighborhood. But I was forced to sit inside, studying and reading because that’s what ‘geniuses’ did. I wanted to attend a regular school where the normal kids went. But that was out of the question because what kind of parents would they be if they sent their genius child to school with the unintelligent and mediocre kids.”

  “I’m sorry, Jenna. I had no idea.”

  “I didn’t ask for this kind of intelligence and it sent me to some pretty dark places when I was younger. I was depressed, anxious, and practically suicidal at one point. My parents sent me to a therapist and I really liked her. I felt a connection to her. But when she mentioned to my parents that they were the cause of my issues, they made sure I never saw her again. After I graduated from M.I.T., I told my parents that I needed a break and I wanted to take a couple months off and travel around Europe with the money I had saved up over the years. They didn’t like the idea, but they knew they couldn’t stop me. I needed that time alone to really reflect on my life and to figure out who I really was behind the ‘genius.’
A couple months turned into a year. It was when I was in Italy that I met Bri. Her grandma lived there, and she was spending the summer with her. It was at the tail end of my travels, so I flew back to New York with her and then I rented a car and drove home to Massachusetts. I’d missed three interviews with large companies with a starting salary of $200,000 a year. My parents were livid, and my father told me I was stupid. A parent should never tell their child they’re stupid, but to me, it was the best thing he’d ever said to me. After that, I packed my things, and they told me if I walked out their door, I was never welcomed back, and they would cut me off.”

  “When was the last time you spoke to them?”

  “A year and half ago.”

  “After I left, I drove to Florida and stayed there for about six months and got a job working in the billing department of a car dealership. I wasn’t really happy there and that’s when Bri told me she was moving out of her parents’ house and asked if I’d consider moving to New York and share an apartment with her. So, I sold my car to the dealership, hopped on a plane and here I am.”

  “Do you like it here in New York?” I asked her.

  “I do. I really like it. And It’s time for me to start adulting now that I’m having a baby.”

  “I can help you financially, Jenna, but in all honesty, I’m not ready to be a father.” I downed my scotch.

  “I know you’re not ready to be a father, and I don’t want your money, Lucas. I’m going to get a job. A real job with a company that’s going to pay me a lot of money where I’m going to utilize my talents.”

  “But that’s my kid too, and I need to help you out. At least monetary wise.”

  “You know, after I found out I was pregnant, I went to an abortion clinic. As I was sitting there on the table waiting for the doctor to come into the room, I really questioned what I was doing. I was taking this child’s life before it even began and that would make me no better than my parents. The day they found out about my genius abilities, they took my life away from me. How could I do that to this baby? I’m going to have someone who’s going to love me regardless. Someone who will still love me even when I make mistakes.”