Free BEAST by Pepper Pace

to her. He never said it, but he wasn’t married, no children and whenever she asked about his evening the only thing he ever said he did was play his guitar. He never mentioned any other people except his mother and father.
     
    “And he works with Homeland Security?” Kendra asked with interest. “It’d be nice to have some connections in Homeland Security.”
     
    “Well, I suppose if you are planning a career in international terrorism.” She swirled a tomato in the dressing and popped it into her mouth.
     
    “They make good money.”
     
    “I’m sure.” He certainly spent a ton on protein shakes. “He was telling me that he has to go out and bust drug dealers and gang members.” Ashleigh found herself grimacing. “He doesn’t like talking about it but it sounds dangerous.”
     
    “Did you ever find out about his face?” Lance asked. He was eating a bowl of gazpacho and Ashleigh kept eyeing it. She shook her head.
     
    “I don’t want to ask and he hasn’t offered to tell. It’s obvious that he has a hairlip , but the scar goes all the way up his forehead and into his scalp.”
     
    “Maybe he got hurt while he was on one of those dangerous missions.” Kendra said. She stared at Lance’s soup with interest , too . “Is that good?”
     
    He nodded. “Want some?” Both women lifted their spoons and began eating his soup to his surprise. He leaned back in his chair and smiled in amusement.
     
    “Rick and I are going away for the weekend.”
     
    “ Ooo !” Kendra exclaimed.
     
    “Romantic weekend? ” Ashleigh asked.
     
    H is eyes r olled up in pleasure . “Romantic…most definitely romantic.”
     
    “He is good for you, Lance.” Ashleigh said and sighed.
     
    He placed his hand over hers. “You’ re going to find your Mr. Right, Ash.”
     
    “Ivan still asks about you…” Kendra said while spooning more of Lance’s soup into her mouth. Ashleigh looked suddenly uncomfortable. “Damn, I can’t get enough of this. It’s so good.”
     
    Lance pulled his bowl away from her. “You are gaining all of the weight that Ashleigh is losing,” h e said. And then his eyes got big. Kendra glanced away guiltily.
     
    “What?” Ashleigh asked while one of her friends kept staring and the other tried to avoid the stare.
     
    “You’re pregnant!” Lance accused .
     
    “What?!” Ashleigh asked. “But when?”
     
    “God, you bitches ! You ruined the surprise. I was going to show you the ultrasound picture! Why did you have to go ruin it?!” She suddenly giggled happily and they hugged, knocking over Lance’s glass of Sangria in the process.
     
    “Oh my god, you’re going to be a Mommy!” Ashleigh gushed as they patted at the spilt wine with napkins. “Well how many months are you?”
     
    “I am five weeks.”
     
    “You’ve been pregnant five weeks and you haven’t told us!” Lance screeched.
     
    “I’ve only been certain two weeks!” She reached out and took her two best friend’s hands. “You don’t think I was going to hide my pregnancy for the full nine months, did you?”
     
    Ashleigh smiled but something inside of her dropped. Lance had Rick and they were falling in love. Kendra was going to have a baby. When was it going to be her turn?
     
    That night when she returned home from work, she slipped off her shoes, placed her jacket over the back of the dining room chair and curled up on her chez lounge still wearing her pencil skirt and silk blouse. She got up suddenly and slipped in Some Kind of Wonderful. She smiled as she watched Watts playing the drums.
     
    I wish I was cool like Watts, tough like Watts. I wish I was anybody but me .
     
    ~***~
     
    “Hey. You’re kind of quiet.” Christopher said, his accent heavy to Ashleigh’s ears. She was sipping her smoothie in deep thought. She glanced up and smiled.
     
    “Um… acai , cabbage and mango?”
     
    He chuckled. “Not even close.”
     
    “Not even one?”
     
    “Nope.”
     
    “I give