Arianne nodded her head as a sign of understanding and proceeded to push the buggy into the office.
Mark was drinking his tea. When his wife and son entered, he almost choked on his drink. “Cough! What the heck are you doing here? And why did you bring the baby? Did you come here alone?”
She sneered. “Alone? What, your son doesn’t qualify as a person? It’s not raining today, so I brought him out for a walk. Later today, Tiffie will return from Ayashe, and I’m going to go meet her,” she replied. “The main point, though, is you. What did your ‘intense contemplation’ tell you, hmm? You promised me an answer today, and I’m not waiting until you come back home. I want you to tell me right now.”
Mark put down the cup and rubbed his chin. “Hmm. My head’s blank. Answer tonight.’
She knew it. She knew this jerk would use this obvious tactic, so she pushed the buggy closer to him. “Stop bullsh*tting me, Mark. If you don’t give me an answer now, I’ll leave our son right here and go on my own. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” she cautioned. “He’s asleep for now, but when he wakes up, he’s not going to lie down quietly, I can tell you that. By then, you’ll have to babysit him while having your meeting!”
Mark ruled that Arianne was not the type to leave her son cruelly and walk away, so he smirked and goaded her. “Whatever. Do it, if you even have the heart.”
His provocation stung her. After one last look at Smore in the baby buggy, she clenched her jaw, summoned her will, and spun on her heels.
Mark was a little shocked, but he did not stop her from leaving. He was confident that the woman would soon return.
It was Davy who expressed concerns as he watched Arianne leave the child behind. “Mr. Tremont, the meeting is about to start. Ma’am has gone and left the baby here. What are we to do with him?”
“What are you looking at? Don’t any of you know what to do during a meeting?” Mark scolded with a frosty expression. He took his seat in the meeting and parked the buggy next to him.
The planning department representative began after composing himself, drawling on about the focal theme of their meeting. Only a few words in and Mark suddenly interjected snippily, “Can you turn your volume down? The baby’s writhing, for goodness’ sake! Should I expect you to pacify him if he wakes up, hmm?”
The whole room turned dead silent. The representative’s mouth was sealed so hard, nothing came out of it. Unfortunately, even with their gingery measures, Smore woke up and immediately launched into a bawling fit.
Mark held the baby up and began feeding him milk in a wooden, unpracticed maneuver. “And now he’s awake. Jolly. Keep it short.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride