Falling For Her Billionaire Baby Daddy

"Are you ok?" Robert Lane asked his younger sister after spending nearly an hour in her company and not hearing a pip from her.

Rachel was a chatterbox, so it was super weird to be sitting with her in the dance studio on a bubbly summer afternoon and not hear her say anything at all. She always had something to say and that was why he found her silence a bit bothersome.

"I don't know if it's my imagination, but you've been acting weird since your birthday weekend two weeks ago," said Robert, trying to get his sister to talk to him. "Did something happen?"

"On my birthday weekend? Are you kidding?" Rachel scoffed. "I'm fine, Rob. You always complain about me talking non-stop, and now you are worried that I'm quiet. What do people want?" "Jeez, is this what I get for being a concerned brother?"

Rachel smiled at her brother. "Stop being dramatic, and thanks for your concern but there's no need for it. I'm fine."

She knew her brother's suspicion was correct but she wasn't going to spill her dirty little secret to him. How was she going to tell him about how she had shagged a complete stranger that she'd met at the nightclub?

She had sworn all of her friends to secrecy and pleaded with them never to breathe a word of it to anyone in her family, especially her religious mother.

Rachel guessed that her saintly father would probably roll in his grave if he heard about her wild birthday escapade too.

The siblings were in Rob's dance studio where he'd just finished teaching a vigorous session of salsa to his middle-aged 'students'. He was now getting ready to out to lunch with his boyfriend, Taylor Bates, who was a personal trainer and worked in the gym next door.

Meanwhile, Rachel was getting ready to welcome her little students who would be showing up in the studio soon for their bi-weekly ballet lessons.

Taylor shows up just then, dressed in an oversized singlet, a pair of spandex tights, and trainers. His brown skin glistened like polished brass and his long loss were tied up in a neat ponytail.

"Goodness, Taylor, but you look yummy," said Rob with an appreciative grin.

"Thanks, darling," said Taylor, kissing Rob on the lips. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Wait, don't you two live together?" Asked Rachel.

"He left very early this morning before I woke up," Rob explained. "And he's been out and about looking like hot, juicy cinnamon rolls."

Rob emphasized his words by spanking Taylor on the bum, eliciting an excited laugh from the latter.

"Ew, you guys. Get a room!" Rachel laugh. "I have little kids showing up in a few minutes with their parents, so you two better get your cheesy asses out of here quick."

"You're cute when you're jealous, Raych," Taylor laughed. "Come on, baby. Let's give the single lady some breathing space."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm only single, not infested with a virus."

"What's the difference?" Rob asked, and Taylor laughed.

Rachel was used to being teased by Rob and Taylor, but for some reason today, their jokes didn't quite sound funny to her. In fact, nothing seemed funny to her anymore since Derek.

She was becoming short-tempered with everyone, always getting irritated by things that she would normally overlook, almost everything people did or said appeared to get on her nerves.

"Are you two going to leave or what?" she asked in a snippy tone that killed their laughter instantly.

"Easy, babe. You know we're only playing with you, right?" Taylor said soberly.

She exhaled. "I know. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I think I'm just tired."

"Are you sure you can take the class today? Why not just cancel it and give yourself the rest of the day off?"

"Nah, that's not nice. I don't want to disappoint the kids, besides, it's not the physical tiredness I'm talking about. It's my mind that needs a break."

Rob couldn't hide his concern anymore. "You know you can talk to me if anything is wrong, don't you?" he asked her softly. "I know you Rachel, and I know something is bothering you. What is it?" Before she could respond, her first student arrived with her mom in tow.

"Saved by the bell," she sang under her breath and winked at Rob who replied with a slow shake of his head.

"Go on and enjoy your lunch, darling Rob. I'll be fine."

******

Six weeks later...

Rachel blew out a shaky breath as she walked into the reception area of the office building. She had been psyching herself up for weeks before this meeting, still, she wasn't ready for it but she couldn't postpone it any longer. "Hello, how may I help you?" Asked the pretty blond receptionist with a bright smile.

"Uh, hi," said Rachel, uncertainly. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and her palms were sweaty. "I'm here to see Derek Fraser," she said, trying to match the receptionist's dazzling smile.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Um, no, but it's very important that I see him today."

"I'm sorry, Miss, but that won't be possible. You can only see Mr. Fraser if you have an appointment with him. If you give me your name and contact details, I can send them to his personal secretary and she might set up an appointment for you."

Rachel tried to hide her frustration but she knew it would be impossible to see Derek without getting past this receptionist first.

It had taken her so much courage to finally come here and there was no way she was going back home today without seeing Derek first. She had to talk to him now!

"Look, I don't think I need an appointment to see my, uh, friend..." she quickly looked at the name tag on the receptionist's blouse to check her name. "...Cheryl. I know I don't have an appointment, but this was supposed to be a surprise visit."

Cheryl's bright smile dimmed a little. "Well, the thing is, Mr. Fraser is very particular about visitors having appointments before seeing him," she explained.

"Even for personal reasons?"

"Yes."

"Can't you just call him at his office and tell him someone is here to see him?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I cannot even call his secretary if I am not authorized to do so by my superior."

"Oh, my god..." Rachel groaned. This whole situation was ridiculous.

Why all these protocols just to see one person? If his family came to visit, would they have to go through this stress too? Would they have to book appointments to see him?

"You know what? I'll wait," she said and turned to go and sit on one of the comfy chairs in the reception area.

"You can just wait there all day," said Cheryl.

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"Why not? Do I need an appointment to sit on the chairs too?"

Cheryl cleared her throat quickly to mask her laughter. "No, Miss, but sometimes, Mr. Fraser doesn't go through the reception when he leaves the building because he uses other exit points. I know you really want to see him, but I'll suggest you do it the right way and fix an appointment instead."

Rachel sat heavily on the couch, unable to hide her disappointment. She was reluctant to book an appointment because she felt that Derek may not want to see her after how they'd parted ways two months ago.

He might think she was here to grovel at his feet and beg him to let her come into his life again, even though in reality, she wished the opposite was the case. For the billionth time in weeks, she asked herself how she had managed to get into this kind of mess.

She had always taken pride in being the most level-headed person in her group of friends; she was not a risk-taker and was never impulsive, not until that night of her birthday, and now she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions whether she liked it or not.

She stood up and went back to meet Cheryl. "You win," she said tiredly. "But, I will only give you my name and then you can send that to Mr. Fraser's secretary."

"Fair enough," said Cheryl with a sympathetic smile.

"My name is Rachel Lane, and I'll be back tomorrow to see Derek."

"I know it's none of my business, but I was wondering..." "Yeah?"

"Since Mr. Fraser is your friend, shouldn't you have his phone number?"

Bummer!

"Uh, yeah, I should, but we haven't seen each other in a long time and I've just recently realized that I don't have his number anymore," Rachel lied.

"Oh, that explains it," said Cheryl, scribbling Rachel's name on her notepad. "Ok then, Miss Lane. I'll pass this on to Mr. Fraser's secretary right away." "Great, thank you for your time," said Rachel before hurrying out of the building.