Chapter 3

Noah stretched on his bed. His Blackberry signaled an incoming call and he answered. "Hi, Rachel."

Oh, Noah ... I need to talk.

"I'm here." He heard her sniffling. "Have you been crying?"

Yes ... I don't know what to do. I'm trying to decide about an abortion. What do you think I should do?

"It's not my decision."

I know. I'd like to hear your opinion.

"I wasn't going to try to influence your decision," he replied. "I'm not going to try to influence it now. Since you asked me, I'll tell you how I feel. I am vigorously ... militantly ... pro-choice. I think it's wrong to coerce a woman into bearing a child against her wishes. Understand?"

Uh-huh. Does that mean you think I should have the abortion?

"It means I think it's your right to have one. The fact that I'm pro-choice doesn't mean that I'm pro-abortion. I think it's a dreadful thing. One thing people neglect about being pro-choice is that one of the choices is to carry the child. I'm not religious, Rachel..."

Neither am I.

"But I like to think I'm spiritual. I think you can be spiritual without being religious. A child is potential. The child in your belly could grow up to make a difference. I have to think this child ... every child ... is conceived for a reason -- as part of some grand plan for how the universe unfolds. If you terminate this pregnancy, you are denying the future whatever contribution your child is destined to make. If I were you, I couldn't bear to have that on my conscience."

He could hear her soft sobs. I understand. I think I agree with you.

"Rachel -- whatever decision you make I will support. Whatever decision you make will not change my feelings toward you."

Her sobbing grew louder. Oh, Noah ... It means so much hearing you say that. I think I have made up my mind.

"What is your decision?"

I'll carry him.

"I think that's the right choice."

So do I. But, I'm scared, Noah.

"Will you give him up for adoption?"

I don't know. I don't need to make that decision now. He heard her blow her nose. Noah -- I'm so sorry for disturbing you with this but I didn't know where to turn. I don't have family. The closest friends I have are the people I work with and they're such busybodies. I'm going to have to tell them soon. I'm showing more and more every day and I can't conceal it much longer. I think you're the best friend I have right now.

"Rachel -- I'm honored to hear you say that."

It's true... She sighed. I think I'm feeling a little better. Talking with you always makes me feel better.

"Don't you think that's a sign?" he asked

I can't get my hopes up. I got my hopes up once before and look what happened.

"I'm not like him, Rachel."

Oh, I know you're not, Noah. I know it. She sniffled. I got a call from that detective today.

"And?"

The trail is stone cold. They couldn't find anyone named Seth Brown whose details come close to what I know. They think it was an alias he gave me. Oh, God -- I feel so foolish.

"From now on, let's refer to him as S.O.W."

What's that mean?

"Seth, or whomever."

Okay ... One thing I did learn. It wasn't his old number the cell company assigned to your Blackberry. They don't recycle the numbers that quickly.

"That means, either you garbled the number or he gave you a phony one."

I'm nearly certain it was the latter.

There was a long moment of silence. "Rachel -- do you want me to stay on the phone for a while?"

I'm all right now, Noah.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow night? Five-thirty?"

Yeah. What should I wear?

"Comfortable and casual is fine."

I might have to buy something from the maternity department. I'm having trouble buttoning my jeans. At least I get a twenty percent discount as a Hubbard's employee. She started sniffling again. Oh, God, Noah ... I don't know how I'm going to make this work. He heard her sobbing. It just overwhelms me. I think I'm fine and then it hits me... She sobbed more. I can't stop crying!

"Just relax. You'll be all right. Everything will work out. Tell yourself that. Everything will work out."

I'm better now. Maybe some of this is my hormones raging. I'll see you tomorrow, Noah. I'm looking forward to it.

"So am I. Good night, Rachel.

Noah pressed the button marked R Drummond. "Noah?" came her voice through the intercom.

"Yes, it's me."

"I'll be right down."

She stepped through the lobby door wearing a lightweight, yellow cotton dress. "Is this okay?" she asked as she modeled her dress.

"It's fine."

"I've had this for years. It's an empire waist so it hangs loose through the midriff. Do I look pregnant?"

"You look beautiful. I hadn't realized what pretty legs you have."

"Thanks. But, do I look pregnant?"

"I know you're pregnant so I can't be objective."

"I was hoping if I didn't look pregnant, we could pretend I'm not pregnant and not talk about being pregnant. At least for this evening."

"Tonight if you say you're not pregnant, you're not pregnant." He led her to his car and opened the door for her. Then, he started his motor and headed toward the performance center. Noah touched her hand and held up his palm. She pressed hers to his and they locked fingers. "You seem in good spirits tonight."

"Oh, I am. Talking to you last night made all the difference. You have a way of directing my thinking. Before I called you, my thoughts were all over the map. I thought about what you said about a child being potential. I ran that through my mind as I fell asleep. When I woke up, everything seemed clear."

"Good," he replied. "Good-good. You said today was your day off. Are you off every Friday?"

"No -- my schedule changes from week-to-week; both the days and the hours. This week I'm off Friday and Saturday but I have to work Sunday. Today is my Saturday, so my weekend is half over."

"If I had known, I'd have planned something for yesterday evening."

He parked the car and, holding hands, they walked to the Loge Cafe. "Reservations for Warren," he said to the hostess.

"Right this way." She led them to a table and placed menus before them.

"Anything you want," Noah said to Rachel. "If you want the lobster -- go ahead and order the lobster."

She scanned the menu. "The seafood pasta looks interesting."

"It's all good here. In my opinion this is the sort of evening that calls for..." He scanned the menu. "The rosemary chicken breast."

A waitress approached them. "Would you like something from the bar or the wine list?" she asked.

"We'd better not," Noah replied.

"Don't abstain for my sake," Rachel said. "If you'd like a drink, go ahead."

"I don't enjoy drinking alone." He closed his menu.

"I'll give you another minute or two to consider," the server said. "The specials are on the card."

"We're ready to order," Noah replied. "The seafood pasta for the lady and the rosemary chicken for me."

"Very good."

Noah looked into Rachel's eyes and she smiled. "You have a pretty smile," he said. "I'm pleased to see you using it."

She reached across the table for his hand. "You were right."

"You say that like it's big news. The big news is the rare instance in which I'm wrong."

Rachel giggled. "You were right when you said going out would be good for my mental health. I'm having a good time."

"And, the evening is still young."

"I'm savoring every moment of it."

Their server set plates before them. Rachel regarded her dinner. "This looks good. It's so big!"

"The way you said that -- I can't tell if it's a complaint or a compliment."

"Silly..." She scooped a forkful. "Mmm ... It is really good." She scooped another. "I realized -- you know what I do for a living but I don't know what you do."

"I'm a big crack dealer," he replied. "No, seriously -- I'm an office drone -- one of the cogs in the machine. I work for an insurance company. My job is to clean up other people's messes. When someone misplaces a decimal point, transposes some digits or enters an incorrect code I step in and fix the problem."

"That's interesting."

"It's a good living, at least."

"I read more of your stories."

"What do you think?"

"I like them."

"Be honest. You don't have to humor me."

"Well ... Some are better than others."

"You can't expect to hit a home run every at-bat," he replied. "Sometimes you need to be satisfied with a bloop single. Sometimes you strike out."

"I do find it intriguing knowing the author. I can see how much of your own personality you put into your writing."

"I think that's inevitable. I'm not a real macho guy and I couldn't write a combat piece if my life depended on it."

"Reading your stories confirms what I know about you in person. You are a deep and caring man, Noah. I feel it in how you care for your characters and I feel it from how you care for me."

Their server returned and bussed away Rachel's empty plate. "May I take this?" she asked Noah.

"I'm done."

She set dessert menus before them. "I'll be back for your dessert orders."

"I can't believe I ate that huge plate of pasta," Rachel remarked.