Chapter 20.

On Sunday morning after a light yoga routine by herself, Megan decided to groom on a budget. While she was still trying to build her savings and couldn't afford to go to a spa, she had missed all the pampering.

Because her mother had gone out early to visit a couple of her friends, Megan had some long-overdue privacy.

First, she spent some time soaking her feet in warm water and tea tree oil. She noticed in the mirror that she looked heavier, her stomach was forming into that egg-like shape and even her body frame was blooming with pregnancy. Her skin was starting to glow too.

Even though she was still mobile, she could start to see how it would be difficult to reach her feet soon. She even indulged in a full face routine. She tried a clay mask she had been gifted by Salma some days ago.

She washed her hair and soaked herself in the tub, mixing some of her favourite bath soaps. For effect, she even lit a scented candle she found sitting on the bathroom shelf.

By two o'clock in the afternoon, Megan was in the kitchen and was cautiously trying a detox drink recipe Chloe wrote her. Surprisingly, it didn't taste like sandpaper. It was actually pretty refreshing for an healthy sugar and fat free drink.

She was just putting the cup away when her phone rang. She rushed to the phone, hoping it was Matilda and was surprised to see Roman. Even though he had texted her when she got home the night they had seen and apologised again, she was still cautious.

"Hello."

"Megan. It's Roman."

"I know. I have your number saved."

"Thought you just might have deleted it. I hope this isn't a bad time?"

"Oh, it's fine. I was just drinking a kale shake sort of."

"You're taking healthy drinks now! Come on, where's Megan?"

He said teasingly and Megan smiled. She was surprised he knew of her distaste for healthy drinks.

"So as I said, we need to meet."

"Yeah."

"I am glad you agree this time. I would choose a restaurant but I don't want you thinking it's a date and refusing me. The only other place I know where we could talk without distractions is my apartment. That's safe since we both know nothing will happen."

Megan hesitated but surprisingly had no problem agreeing with him. He was right, she couldn't possibly ask him to come here with her mother all over the place, and the coffee shop was filled with work colleagues.

"Alright Roman."

There was a brief hesitation on the end of the phone and Megan knew that she had surprised Roman with her agreement.

"Oh great then. I will pick you up by Five."

After she dropped the call, Megan had a nap. It had been a while since she had done that and her body was constantly demanding it.

By the time she woke up, she could hear her mother humming a 90s tune around the house, constantly interjected by the sound of pots and pans.

It was already four so she took a quick shower, and then tried to figure out what to wear. She was torn between a pretty floral dress and a beige dungaree. When she realized she was putting too much thought into what should be a meeting, she quickly settled for the dress.

This was Roman. She didn't even like him. Going to his apartment meant nothing. For this reason, she applied just lipgloss and powder and threw on her sandals.

'We are just going to meet him so that we can map out our future."

Megan had recently gotten into the habit of talking to the little one inside her whenever she was alone. At first, she had found it weird, but now, it gave her a sense of comfort.

By the time she grabbed her coat and her sandals, it was twenty minutes to five.

She found her mother frowning down at a plate of what was sure to be another failed attempt at a recipe. She looked up at Megan.

"Going somewhere, sweetie?"

"Yeah, mom. I am going to have a talk with Roman at his place."

"Roman?"

Megan immediately knew she had made a mistake. Her mother was team Anthony and no way would she understand Megan's need to connect her life.

"Yeah. We got talking recently and there are some things we need to clear up."

"Why would you need to go to his apartment?"

"Mom, nothing will happen. You ought to know that. "

"You know what I know? I know you shouldn't be meeting multiple men. I know you should get a DNA test and stick to the one man who has a right to the baby inside you."

Megan sighed "Mom, this is just a chat with Roman. And I don't get why you keep acting like I need a man to protect me."

"You are going to his apartment, Megan. You haven't even been to Anthony's place. "

"What does Anthony have to do with this?"

"Everything. You need to stick with Anthony. He has proven himself and no other man is acceptable at this point."

"Are you even listening to yourself, mom? This is my choice and you can't interfere and shove things down my throat."

"If you are so grown up, then you should never have moved in. If you can't stand me getting in your business, you need to find somewhere else to stay."

Megan was stupefied. How could her mom say such a thing to her?

"You know what? I can't deal with you right now."

When Megan stepped out, Roman's car was outside. He was waiting by the car pressing his phone and looked up with a smile when he saw her.

"Megan."

"Roman. To be honest, I don't feel so great right now and I would rather be left alone."

Roman searched her eyes for a few seconds and then opened the passenger door. They held a staring contest and Megan surrendered and stepped in.

Throughout the drive, she was so engrossed in thoughts of what her mother said that she didn't share a word with Roman. How could her mother treat her like a child? Telling her what to do. Yes, they had never gotten along so well but still, this was too much just because Megan was living under the same roof as her. Couldn't she trust her daughter to make sensible choices?

When the car stopped, she looked outside the window and saw that they were parked in front of an ice cream store. That instantly made her smile. She always took icecream whenever she was angry.

"You once told me that nothing could cool you down like ice cream."

Roman said as they sat down. Roman went for plain vanilla, something Megan considered a criminal offence, while she ordered chocolate chip mint ice cream.

The first taste made her worries melt away and she settled back in her seat to enjoy it. It had been so long since she had treated herself to this too.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. My mom is just a lot to handle sometimes. I would rather just enjoy this moment."

Roman nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"


He asked and Megan shook head.

"I'd rather not."

There was a short silence between them before Roman cleared his throat.

"You know, I once visited the coffee shop you work at, I wanted to apologize to you."

Megan was surprised since she hadn't seen him "You did?"

"Yeah. You were with Anthony." he paused and then looked her in the eyes "Are you guys together?"


"What? No!"

The genuine shock in her voice must have reassured Roman because he looked at her with a relieved smile.

As they got talking the rest of the night, Megan realized they shared a common interest in books. She never would have taken Roman as the kind of person who got down with a book, but he even liked Arundhati Roy, one of her favourite authors of all time.

When a song came on the jukebox, Megan started to hum along.

"No way!" Roman laughed.

"What?" She laughed back.

"Never would have taken you for an Enya fan. You seem more like a Taylor Swift kind of person."

"Not that anything is wrong with Taylor Swift, but come on, Enya is the light and the truth."

"You are absolutely right. And everything is wrong with Taylor Swift."

Megan laughed at how he whispered that as if he didn't want the person at the next table to hear him.

They somehow got talking about Greece and Meghan was surprised Roman knew about her college trip to Greece with some of her friends.

By the time they returned to his car, it was pretty late and Megan felt so much better than she had in a long time. Roman seemed to remember the smallest details, like the fact that she didn't like music in the car. And they got along so well that she wondered where the initial hostility had come from. Unlike how she had constantly searched for the chemistry with Roman, this one was just there. Free and thoughtless.


*******

Anthony knocked and was surprised when Elise opened the door with a frown. Usually, it was Megan who answered the door.

"Anthony, it's you."

"Hi, Elise. I was in the area and I just wanted to see Megan." It was a lie. He hadn't been in the area, he had simply wanted to see Megan.

"Well, she isn't here." Elise looked down at the bouquet of rose flowers he held in his left hand.

"If that's for her, it's a waste. She went out with Roman."

Anthony couldn't believe his ears. "Roman?"

"I am sorry, Anthony. I tried to stop her but you know how she gets sometimes."

Elise returned indoors after muttering a good night and Anthony remained on the pouch for a while, so angry with Megan. He had thought they were getting along after the date. How dare she go out with Roman Harrington? Was it because he was wealthier? How dare Megan play him for a fool!

He dumped the flowers at the trash can and kicked them before stepping into the car and speeding away.