CEO's Baby Mama

Indiyah

I slammed the door shut, and it rattled. Leaning against the weak wood, my heart thumped against my ribs. What the actual hell? Through the peephole, I could see Alexander's eyebrow rise in surprise. He was still standing there, looking dashing in a blue suit.

It took me a moment to decipher what was happening. Alexander was at my door. Not the driver—him.

A giggle from the living room, followed by Ramona's voice saying, "Jemaya, put that down," almost gave me a panic attack. Oh God, oh God, oh God.

I pressed my ear to the door, trying to hear if he was still out there.

He knocked. "Indiyah? Are you okay in there? You just slammed the door on me." His voice was low, and I could sense his confusion.

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. What was my excuse? What could I possibly say? "Uh... I thought you were a delivery guy?" No, that sounded too stupid. "I'm having a really bad hair day?" Ugh, even worse.

"Alexander, what are you doing here?" I tried to sound annoyed instead of utterly scared. "I told you to send the driver."

"Well, yeah, I know what you said," he replied. "I just figured, since I'm taking you out, it would be nice to pick you up myself. You know, old-fashioned." There was a slight pause. "Are you going to open the door, or are we going to have this conversation through the wood?"

My eyes wandered around the room. Jemaya's shoes were by the door, and her little backpack was slung over the coat hook.

"Just a second!" I shrieked, then immediately regretted it. It sounded too loud and frantic.

I spun around, trying to shove Jemaya's things into the tiny closet. The backpack wouldn't fit, so I kicked it under the console table, hoping it would stay hidden.

"Indiyah? Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes. Fine. Just... uh... putting on my shoes," I lied. My shoes were already on. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. This was it. He was already here, and Jemaya was here too. The least I could do was just face it.

With a shaky hand, I slowly and reluctantly pulled the door open again. Alexander stood there, and I noticed he held roses with a slight frown creasing his forehead. His eyes swept over me, taking in my slightly dishevelled hair, the black dress I wore, and my wide, panicked eyes.

"You look... stunning," he said, a smile playing on his lips as he held out the roses. "These are for you."

I took them, ignoring the tremor in my body when my fingers brushed against his. No one had ever brought me flowers. Not even my... No. Don't think about the past.

"Thanks," I mumbled, clutching the roses. From inside the house, I could still hear Jemaya's squeals.

Alexander's gaze drifted from me to the closed door. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Sounds like you have company," he observed in an unreadable tone.

"Oh, yeah. That's... that's my cousin, Ramona," I stammered, trying to sound casual. "And her niece. They're just visiting. Super last minute, you know how it is." I forced a laugh.

Alexander's eyes lingered on the door for a moment, then returned to me. He didn’t say anything, just gave me a slow, assessing look. He glanced at his watch. "Well, we should probably get going. Don’t want to be late for the function."

***

The hall was dimly lit, with soft music thrumming in the background. Light, warm decorations adorned the walls, while exquisite, extravagant ones graced the tables. Guests were chatting as we walked in, and Alexander's hands tightened around my waist.

"I'll just talk to some of my friends. Will you be fine all by yourself?" he asked.

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Yes, of course. Go on." As he walked away, I slipped my phone out of my purse and dialled Ramona. She answered on the first ring.

"Are you filling me in now or later? Since when do you go on dates, Indiyah?" Her voice was hushed, and I realized Jemaya might be asleep.

I glanced around and spotted Alexander in what looked like a heated argument with a woman, while a few reporters clicked cameras and recorded the scene.

"Uh... we'll talk when I'm home. Can you make sure Jemaya's stuff is stowed away before I get back? I... I mean, not in the living room. No toys, nothing." I rubbed my temples slowly.

There was a pause. "Even though I don't know why, I'll do it. But we are talking once you get back. And try to be home before midnight. For your daughter's sake."

The call ended, and I exhaled, putting my phone away. Alexander had stopped arguing, though he looked mad. His eyes scanned the room, and when they found mine, he smiled. Was this the part where I smiled back? The woman from earlier stood close to him as if claiming possession.

"To Alexander's date!" I heard a burly man say, raising his champagne glass high enough for the little circle of friends to follow suit.

I was here, and they were over there. They raised a toast to me. What was going on? I tried to catch Alexander's eye, but he was too focused on exchanging glares with the woman beside him. I was his date, not hers. I deserved to stand beside him and not her.

With one last caution to the wind, I sashayed over to Alexander and his friends. Men in tuxedos and perfectly tailored suits filled the room. Each man had a date, and the women were dressed in stunning gowns, holding their noses high as if claiming superiority over one another.

"I was thinking you'd never come," Alexander leaned in to whisper, sounding relieved as he pulled me to stand beside him.

"I see you are my husband's date. May I know you, Miss...?"

I was left dumbfounded, my mouth agape but no words came out. She was his wife. The reality of Alexander’s status had slipped my mind all day. My boss had a wife. From the look on his face, he knew very well that she would be attending this function, and yet he had brought me. For what purpose? To ridicule me?

"You don’t strike me as someone Alexander would get tangled up with. You're exactly his type of woman. Anyway, I'm Mrs. Rossi Graham."

My throat felt dry, and I couldn’t muster a response. Alexander’s warm hand in mine grew cold. Around us, the men watched with amused glances, some of the women laughed, while others whispered. I clicked my tongue in frustration and frowned. I was here with a married man while my daughter was asleep at home. Shame on you, Indiyah.

I withdrew my hand from Alexander's and walked away, embarrassment trailing behind me as I made my way to the door. It felt like the eyes of all the elites and businessmen were on me. A few reporters shuffled closer, which served as my cue to exit. I bolted out of the room.

Outside, the night was starry and beautiful. A light, chilly breeze tousled my hair, and I chuckled lightly. It was late, and my daughter would be asleep. I planned to call an Uber, get home, and pretend tonight never happened.

"Indiyah! Hey, let me take you home."

I raised an eyebrow and turned to see him there, looking completely unashamed. How could he act this way and not feel an ounce of remorse? He was offering me a ride home while his wife was still at the event, and he didn’t seem like he was going to apologise. He had brought me here just to embarrass me.

"Look, Rossi is just being herself... mean. You'll get used to it, I promise. Get in the car; Pedro will drive." He stepped forward and held the car door open for me, so I stepped inside.

We sat too close for comfort, and I could feel some of his scent mixing with mine. Alexander's palm on my bare thigh felt scorching. My face burned with embarrassment, a red hue creeping onto my cheeks. It was like the night we first met all over again. He leaned in, and I shut my eyes, ready to welcome his lips on mine.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I instinctively pulled away, digging into my purse to grab my phone. Ramona's name flashed on the screen. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," I told Alexander.

"She won't sleep without you, Indiyah. I'm so sorry. I tried, but she..." Ramona paused.

I held my breath, a panicked expression spreading across my face. Hanging up on her, I shut my eyes in despair. It had been so long since an episode of 'I want Mommy to tuck me in' had happened.

"Is everything alright? You look..."

"I'm fine. It's just my cousin filling me in," I lied. He nodded, and just then, Pedro stopped the car in front of my home. I exited without a goodbye or thank you for the ride.

"Think we'll do this again sometime?" Alexander asked before I reached my doorstep.

I merely shrugged in response. But the real answer was no; I wouldn’t go out with him again. I would not be the Janine who ruined his home. With that resolve, I entered my house.