Custody Of The Baby

Ethan tapped his finger against the table, again and again. It had been almost an hour, and Nadine still hadn't replied to his text. She wasn't picking up his calls either. He couldn't help but worry about her, about the baby.

Every few seconds, he glanced at the phone lying in front of him. Still nothing.

"You good, man? You look like someone just crumpled you up and forgot to iron you out," Aaron said, walking up and patting his shoulder.

Ethan sighed.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

He grabbed it quickly, heart skipping, only to see it was a promotion text from his phone provider about some new messaging package.

Great. Just great.

He dropped the phone back onto the table, frustrated. Seriously?

"Is she avoiding me?" he muttered under his breath. "No… no, that's not her."

Aaron sat across from him, studying his face. "This about that girl from the restaurant yesterday?"

Ethan gave a small nod.

His bandmates had been asking about Nadine non stop since yesterday. But Ethan hadn't told them much. Not yet.

"So who is she, really? Cause for real... she's got you acting like this? That's kinda new."

"She's just a friend," Ethan replied, voice low.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you call a friend, I wonder what you'd be like if she were more than that."

Ethan shot him a look. Aaron instantly lifted both hands, backing off.

"Alright, chill. Just saying. Whatever's going on, I'm sure it'll be okay."

Then out of nowhere, Ethan smiled a little.

Aaron narrowed his eyes. "That look… you're planning something, aren't you? What is it?"

Ethan stood up and grabbed his phone. "It's a secret."

"Oh, come on... don't do me like that," Aaron groaned, but Ethan was already walking away, his mood just a little lighter.

***

Ethan stood in front of the tall building, staring up at it with a mix of nerves and determination. He held the business card Nadine had given him yesterday, fingers curling around the edge.

He hadn't expected this. Turns out Nadine worked for a major company, the kind with luxury hotel chains in multiple cities across America. Definitely not small time.

Judging by how she dressed, Ethan had guessed she worked for a fashion magazine or something more artsy. But clearly, he was way off.

Taking a deep breath, he walked through the glass doors.

The second he stepped into the lobby, the room went still. A soft gasp here, a stifled whisper there. Heads turned, necks craned. It was the kind of silence that buzzed. People nudged each other, wide-eyed, mouthing "Is that really him?" as if saying it out loud would break the illusion. No one pulled out their phones they were too stunned, too caught up in the surreal moment of seeing a celebrity in real life.

Ethan kept his cool. He walked casually toward the receptionist's desk like he hadn't just caused a mini ripple of chaos.

"Excuse me. Is it possible to see Nadine?" he asked politely, eyeing the name tag on the receptionist. Dianne.

"Nadine who, sir? We have several employees named Nadine," she answered kindly, though clearly surprised.

"Nadine McKenzie."

The moment the name left his mouth, Dianne's eyes went wide. Her expression shifted into something way more formal, like she'd just heard the name of a CEO.

Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly but didn't say anything.

Dianne quickly made a call. When she hung up, she smiled. "You can head up to the fifth floor, Mr. Ethan. Ms. Nadine is expecting you."

Expecting him?

Ethan frowned. He hadn't said he was coming. Had she somehow predicted he would? Or maybe Nadine was just always five steps ahead.

When the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor, a young woman was already there waiting for him.

"Mr. Ethan? This way, please. Ms. Nadine is ready to see you."

He nodded slowly, still a bit confused. Everything about this felt… too smooth. Too prepared.

They walked down a quiet hallway together. When they reached a sleek glass door, the assistant gave him a polite nod before turning and walking away.

Ethan stood still for a second, staring at the door.

Then he inhaled, lifted his hand, and knocked.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in!"

Ethan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Nadine was already waiting for him, arms crossed, leaning against the edge of her desk with a glare cold enough to freeze the sun. If looks could kill, Ethan figured he'd be dead about seven times over by now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she snapped. "Is it that important you had to show up at my office uninvited?"

"You ignored my texts. Didn't pick up my calls. So yeah, I came here," Ethan said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

His eyes didn't leave her face not even for a second.

Damn, she looked good. All sharp lines and businesswear, every bit the boss she was. The reading glasses perched on her nose? Honestly, unfair. She had no idea what that did to him.

But then something on her desk caught his attention.

A glass nameplate.

He raised an eyebrow as he read it.

Nadine McKenzie – Chief Marketing Officer

Ethan blinked, thrown for a moment. Chief Marketing Officer? Seriously? He'd thought she was just another mid-level exec or maybe a senior manager. But no. Of course not. Because Nadine didn't do "ordinary."

She never stopped surprising him.

"I came to collect your answer," he said finally, his tone serious now. "About what I asked you yesterday. I want your answer. Now."

Nadine's eyes flickered, something uncertain in her gaze but just for a second. Then they turned firm again as she stared straight at Ethan.

She had made up her mind.

"I can't marry you, Ethan," she said quietly, lowering her gaze with a hint of regret.

Ethan clenched his jaw.

He had half expected this. Hell, he had rehearsed every version of this rejection in his head. But hearing her say it out loud still stung more than he cared to admit.

"It's fine," he said, voice tight. "If you don't want to marry me, I won't force it."

Nadine's head snapped up. She looked surprised, maybe even relieved.

"Thanks—" she began, almost softly.

But Ethan cut in before she could finish.

"But I want full custody of the baby."

"What?" Nadine's voice rose, eyes wide in disbelief.

Got you.

***