Beating the odds

[zydrate]

(closed for PaintsWithWords....enjoy!)

Name: Isabella "Bella" Russo
Age: 30
Occupation: Homicide Detective for NYPD


*****
"Come on...." Bella looked at her watch...another minute to go. "Please don't, please.." she said over and over to herself. Never in her life had she been so nervous, so...out of control until now.

She was so lost in her thoughts that it took her several seconds to realize her watch alarm was sounding. She turned it off as she walked back to the bathroom and looked on the counter... It was like her whole world stopped and she was walking in slow motion. She picked up the stick and saw the lines, confirming her suspicions right.

"Oh my God!!" She said in a high pitched, frightened voice...these tests didn't lie...at least not about 99% of the time...Bella was pregnant!

*~* One hour later *~*
As she walked into a sub contracted building for the NYPD, Bella kept her to herself, ignored everyone and their good mornings and went straight to her desk as her mind wandered back to how it all happened...less than 2 months ago the Governor's Ball, one too many drinks...isn't that how it always started...?

Of course this could've been a random guy but it wasn't. It was her best friend...her best friend since they were kids!

They hadn't seen each other in a long time and that night, they had talked and talked...oh my God, did they talk...then something happened...

What was she going to tell him? What would he do?

On top of all that, what was she going to do?

 

[PaintsWithWords]

Scott Jenkins

Scott Jenkins, 34, married and divorced, no children, works as a bodyguard for the Governor

Scott looks at his Blackberry while waiting for a meeting to begin. Scrolling through the calendar he uses to keep track of his appointments and events he sees a note stating "Call her." This reminder was entered sometime ago and if seen, it would mean just one thing. He hasn't heard from Bella so it's up to him to call her.

The last time he saw her was spectacular and so extraordinary. His image of her as his best friend since childhood was supplemented by the image of her as his lover. He has yet to reconcile these conflicting images of her but must. He wants to see her again, learn and experience her as a loving woman. Alas his job on the Governor's security detail takes him to various parts of the state and beyond. Working for the NYPD he knows she will be in NYC but he doesn't know where he will be from one week to the next when not in Albany.

The meeting starts and his boss begins with handing out the assignments for the next few weeks. The Governor will be in NYC for all of next week. This pleases him but not without a pang of concern over being rejected as a lover and relegated to the long time role as Bella's friend. His mind tried to focus on the meeting and when dismissed, he returns to his personal office and calls Bella.

One ring, two rings then her voicemail kicks in. Her electronically distorted voice was familiar enough for him. After the usual recorded message he leaves his own. "Bella, this is Scott. I'll be in NYC all next week and want to see you again. Call me." He states in a coherent almost business like tone and hangs up.

On his way to preparing for the trip and another meeting on protecting the Governor, his day is interrupted by flashbacks of the wonderful time he had in one of the rooms in the Governor's Mansion.

 

[zydrate]

1 VOICEMAIL​

Frowning, Bella opened up her phone, reading the display. She saw the number but didn't immediately recognize it. She keyed up her voicemail and listened to the message.

"Bella, this is Scott. I'll be in NYC all next week and want to see you again. Call me."

A week had all ready passed since Bella found out about her pregnancy... now, coincidently, Scott was going to be in town again... It was almost like a sign that she had to tell him. And now that he was going to be in town, she had no reason to not say a thing.

There was only one problem. She was afraid of his reaction. Would he reject her? Would he accept it? Would he run? Damn...the possibilities were endless. Of course, one way to find out for sure was to tell him...

Damn, but this was Scott! One of her best friends whom she had known since she was practically born! They went to school together, their parents did things together, vacations...camping...

What was going to happen now?

With a load of trepidation, Bella hit the redial command on her phone and was prepared to talk to Scott, but she too, got his voicemail. It was sort of a relief, but not really.

"Hey Scott...uhh..Well, that sounds great! Let's get together when you have time next week...here's my address..." she gave him her address and then hung up.

Now, the wait and see game.

 

[PaintsWithWords]

'Telephone tag' he thinks to himself as the latest message on his Blackberry is read. Nevertheless, he smiles and feels a twitch under the belt, the good kind. Her message is saved and her information is added to his phone. He doesn't want to lose either. Rather than attend to matters of his work, he uses a map web site to find her location and thinks of when and how he will visit Bella.

It's lunchtime so he leaves the office without inviting anyone for company. This lunch period will be spent by himself with serious thoughts over a burger and fries. Settling on the seat sculptured from steel and plastic, he starts with the fries and recalls innocent and not so innocent memories of his youth with Bella. Both supported each other, both educated each other in so many ways. Their first kiss was with each other. Spinning the bottle was a game they liked playing. So was show-me-yours-and-I'll-show-you-mine. But those childish acts didn't flourish beyond the rock solid friendship they established.

All that changed now. The tryst in the secluded bedroom in the Governor's Mansion involved more. He's not sure what came over him but has no regrets. He had a drink on duty, took an extra long break, mingled with guests and used one of the rooms for carnal pleasures. Any one of those acts would have him fired and the collection of such acts in the same evening would guarantee banishment from the security business. She had more than one drink and neither cared. After showing her the room as part the Mansion tour he turned off the lights, grabbed her, wrapped his arms around her and both fell on the bed kissing hard. Not one moment was spent still. It was a quickie with clothes pulled away just enough to copulate and orgasm but oh what an orgasm. From that moment on they looked at each other like never before. He wants to see that look on her face and in her eyes again and again. He wants to be with her, in her.

The slowly consumed fast food meal disappeared before his eyes. Paper and remaining food particles are dumped he embarks on a short walk back to the office along a three block path. On the way, he calls her again and this time her real voice is heard.

"Hi," he says without regard to the girlfriend he's dating.

 

[zydrate]

The phone rang sometime later, getting Bella's attention as she sat on the floor of the bathroom, right next to the toilet. Her morning sickness didn't bother sticking with morning, it happened all damn day and night...

Taking several deep breaths, she finally answered the phone, not bothering to look at the display to see who was calling.

"Russo." She said, short and too the point, how she answered her phone lately.

"Hi."

Bella frowned and looked at the display finally...Scott!

She cleared her throat, trying to put some good emotion in her voice, "Hey, Scott!" she said, letting her head fall against the tiled wall.

"No, you're not disturbing me..." the conversation went on, standard greetings, standard 'how are you', everything standard....

 

[PaintsWithWords]

It started as a normal conversation with conventional greetings and salutations. But Scott couldn't help thinking she sounds tired and down during mid day. He wasn't hearing her usual perky self. 'Maybe she didn't get enough sleep last night' he thought to himself.

"I'll be in NYC starting this Saturday. Want to do something Saturday night? Go to dinner or something? I don't have a mansion to show you this time." He says followed by hearty laughter while walking back to work. Nearing the building's entrance, the Chief comes out and orders him inside pronto. "Bella I have to go, the Chief needs me. I'll call you later." He says and abruptly ends the conversation before his phone is inserted in its holster.

The Chief starts talking inside the elevator. "Jenkins, you're going to NYC tonight and staying for two weeks. We think a new threat against the Governor developed and security will be escalated."

"Yes Sir," replies Scott and heads to his own office when the Chief says "Call me when you get there."

"Yes Sir," repeats Scott and spends just enough time in his office for essentials. Driving back home, he calls Bella again only to hear the recorded message again.

"Bella, my orders changed. I'll be in NYC tonight and for longer but won't be able to see you till Saturday. I'll call you again." This call is ended to begin another one, to Megan his girlfriend.

Upon hearing Megan's voice he calmly tells her he must leave for NYC and be away for about two weeks. Megan's response was nonchalant because she's used to his absences and feels doesn't she have much stake in a relationship with Scott. For them it's a friendship with benefits.

 

[zydrate]

At her desk the next day, Bella replayed the message over and over....

Scott was probably in the city right now. They were still going to get together but that wouldn't be until tomorrow.

Could she wait until tomorrow? Right now she'd have no choice since Scott was probably busy with what ever it was he had to get done. Well, she had a feeling she knew what it was since they had sort of caught up that night...sort of...

Damn, their actions of that night was something she hadn't been able to put out of her mind since...well, that night. It wasn't until the next morning that Bella realized what had really happened.

The sex wasn't on her mind back then. It was the friendship. They had known each other for so long, would this make them drift apart? Bring them closer? She didn't know...

*****Saturday******
The next day, Bella woke up just as she had these past few mornings... with morning sickness. After a quick shower, she felt a little better but not by much. She had to get to work to get a few things done, a few reports to file before her date...no, her get together with Scott later tonight.

They had agreed to meet at Milly's, it was a small restaurant downtown that was quiet and had great food.

On her way out the door that morning, Bella called Scott and tried to sound happy, which she was but it was also mixed with nervousness. "Hi Scott..." she started, "I just wanted to see if we're still on for tonight..."