Playing Pretend

Kimberly had a mantra looping in her head as she stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. She was going to forget everything from the weekend and simply be professional.

The weekend and the night before had been chaotic and traumatic. She had not slept because of the two discoveries made over the weekend. She was pregnant, and not only was she that, she had uterine fibroids!

For the upteenth time that morning, she felt that jump in her heart that sent adrenaline spilling and her heart racing. Her nails dug into the hand of her bag as she squeezed tightly.

Never had she expected that. Not the pregnancy, or the fibroids. It was strange how one's life could so easily take a drastic turn.

"Good morning, Miss Campbell," Someone greeted and stepped into the elevator.

Lost in of her thoughts, she barely acknowledged with a nod.

She needed to stay in control and focus on her job. She had promised herself she wouldn't think about it, especially not at work, but the thoughts... it was almost impossible to completely put them off. But one thing she knew she had to do, was to stay focused.

Work was different from her private life, and much more important. So, she wasn't about to let one interfere with the other. Not now, not ever.

Drawing a breath, she relaxed her shoulders and flipped a blank sheet in her mind as she stepped out of the elevator.

A routine round of "Good morning, Miss Campbell," echoed along the hallway on her path to her office. And as usual, she responded with a perfunctory nod and smile.

"Rachael, I need those files for the buyouts." She said to one of the executive assistants the moment she arrived her office lobby.

"Okay, Miss Campbell. Good morning." The girl greeted, and with another nod, she responded and walked into her office.

The usual peace and spunk she felt whenever she stepped into her office every morning was nowhere to be found, but she wasn't going to dwell on it.

"Here's the file." Rachel soon returned with the document she had requested for, as Kimberly settled into her seat.

She carefully placed it on her desk. "Ms Campbell, Mr Vice has requested your presence in his office."

Kimberly looked up with surprise. "Mr Vice? He's in already?"

"Yes." Rachel affirmed.

Now, that was strange. In all her time of knowing Richard, he never came in early on a Monday morning, she mused.

"Tell him, I will be there shortly."

"Yes, ma'am."

Strange as it might be to have Richard early at work, she was excited to see his slowly aging face, grey eyes and silvery chunk of hair. His booming laughter which matched his voice always kept her in a good mood, and right now she needed anything to distract her.

Richard was her inspiration for putting in the work. He was her friend, and right now, the morale she needed to keep her head straight and deep in work. Desperate for some escape, she added some spring to her legs.

With a slight knock on his door, she stepped into his office. "You're early—"

That wasn't Mr Vice.

Her feet froze by the door and all sense of excitement she had borne disappeared as she met the gaze of the person sitting behind Richard's desk.

This wasn't... she wasn't hallucinating, was she?

Nicholas? Why was her one night stand on Richard's seat?

She trailed off as a thought suddenly popped up in her head.

He wasn't who she thought he was, was he? Nicholas Vice?

An image of a young Richard Vice with blue eyes she has long conjured during her many conversations with Richard, came running through her head and she stiffened.

That couldn't be possible, could it? But there he was, the father of the baby in her womb, seated comfortably on Richard's seat and staring at her with expressionless eyes.

Kimberly was utterly stunned beyond words. This certainly couldn't be happening right now, she mused as her gaze swept across the office in a search for Richard, but there was no sign of him. Only Nicholas.

She tried to assure herself that things might not be as they seemed, because situations like this were rare, and there might be some reasonable explanation for his presence in Richard's office. But from the way he was positioned and staring at her, she could tell it was exactly what she was thinking.

What other evidence did she need to know that she had undoubtedly made the biggest mistake of her life in that one stupid moment of weakness?

Nicholas who was seated behind his father's desk stared at her with calm eyes that belied his shock at seeing her and confusion as he wondered, why and how she was there in his father's office.

He didn't need to think too hard before he made the incredulous connection.

Kimberly! Kimberly Campbell. They've got to be kidding him!

"Good morning. I am Kimberly Campbell, a senior financial analyst here at Stratford. I'm here to see Mr Vice. He sent for me," she said very formally without meeting his gaze.

There was a slight raise of his brows that suggested surprise, amusement and arrogance.

Nicholas regarded her, carefully. He definitely wasn't expecting that, and he was certain that was his cue to introduce himself and satisfy her curiousity. Well, he wasn't taking it. Not when she was trying to play pretend.

He wasn't going to let her stand there and pretend like she didn't recognize him.

"Have we met before?" He asked, wanting to give her the chance to redeem herself.

"No, I don't think so. Where is Mr Vice?" She asked, trying hard not to shift from one foot to the other and give away her discomfort.

"I think so. I know you," he said, taking her by surprise.

"Excuse me?"

Oh, she was excused, but not from this. Not when she was about to ruin his life. However she managed it.

"And you know me too. Club D six." The arrogant raise of his brows as he intently watched her told her the answer he was waiting for.

"Sorry, but I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"I don't think so." He said with a chuckle, and hearing the sound of his laughter, Kimberly flashed back to that fateful night eight weeks ago, when she made the mistake which was now haunting her.