The Ceo's Contracted Mistress
The Ceo’s Contracted Mistress Chapter 39

Bobbie and Grady were sitting on the floor in front of Everly who was sitting on the toilet with a white plastic stick in her hand, pale and in disbelief.

“Pregnant,” she whispered for what felt like the hundredth time to Bobbie

Bobbie grinned at her and rubbed her knee softly, “yup. The witch was right.”

“She said it’s going to feel at some point its going to all fall apart.”

“She also said,” Bobbie reminded her, “for you not to worry because this is meant to be. Let’s not get caught up in the craziness of a message and can we not just see how incredible this is?” She nudged Grady who had called her when he hadn’t been able to get Everly to stop crying while sitting on the toilet. “Tell her.”

Grady couldn’t stop grinning at his wife who was a tearful mess, “babe, she’s right. My swimmers finally completed a journey without mass suicide.”

“Funny,” Everly kicked him with a tiny hint of a smile. “I’m so scared. What if what happens last time happens again?”

“Nope,” Bobbie refused to let her consider it. “It could. It could not. We are not going to play in what ifs. We are going to play in realities. The reality is, right now, in this very moment you are pregnant. You’re allowed to be frightened and you’re allowed to be nervous, but you are not allowed to let those feelings overshadow the joy you should be feeling in your heart. You’ve been wanting this so long. Celebrate.”

A knock on the closed bathroom door made them all look up nervously. They had already agreed the kids couldn’t know until Everly hit the twelve-week mark. Last time there had been too many questions and tears.

Grady rose to open the door and pulled it open. “Hey Olivier.”

“Hi, everything okay?”

“We’re pregnant,” Grady grinned.

“He’s quite proud his swimmers made a complete trip,” Everly rolled her eyes.

Olivier smiled brightly, “congratulations. This is extremely exciting!”

“We’re not telling the kids yet, because of last time,” Grady said seriously.

“Okay,” he clapped Grady on the shoulder with a gentle squeeze, “I’m happy for you both.”

“Were you looking for me?” Bobbie said suddenly as she realized she had run off from her work desk without telling anyone where she was going. Fiona, Meri, and the kids had all been on the back porch and had seen her leave, but Olivier had been in the basement office working. He had slipped out of bed before she and the kids had even awakened.

“Yes, well the three of you actually. We have a problem. Well, I have a problem and I’m sorting it out.” He looked to Bobbie, “remember I told you we’d likely have a blip on the radar with the paparazzi when news of them hit?”

She felt her stomach flip at his words, “what happened?”

“Someone at the soccer field last night recognized me and they released video of us watching the kids playing and of Ollie’s head injury. It’s front-page news on every tabloid website imaginable.”

“Was it the lady who gave us the video?” Bobbie felt her stomach churning uncomfortably.

“No. Completely different angle. Riggs and Henri are working on it, and we have added a significant amount of security at the gates to keep reporters out. Your neighbors are annoyed, and I’ve chatted with a couple of them already. I’ve arranged additional security for the entire block. It’s the least I can do for usurping their peace.”

“You didn’t usurp anyone’s peace, Olivier,” Bobbie gritted angrily, “whoever the a*****e was wanting a payday from a tabloid did.” She moved to him and gripped his hand needing him to reassure her their lives were not over, “now what?”

“Now, we lay low for a bit. We’re both pretty dry boring people in terms of social activities and once they realize we aren’t going to be doing scandalous things, they’ll piss off.” He sighed, “it will be your call how you want to treat the rest of the kids schedule though. Ollie’s not able to do swimming and diving until her concussion symptoms settle and the wound in her head heals but Max was supposed to have a camp this weekend. Riggs is strongly suggesting we don’t go because he is worried twenty sets of parents will be pissed at an eight-man security team following us.”

Grady shook his head, “actually,” he gave a laugh, “we have the kid of a local politician in our troupe. We always have two of his guys with us. The other parents always say they’re happy to have their kids with extra security. I’ll send an email out to the troupe and get a consensus. If they want me to push back the camp, we can but I’m betting they won’t.”

Bobbie g*****d and rubbed her forehead. “It was just a matter of time, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” he agreed and pulled her into his arms. “I’m certain it will settle down.”

“Okay,” she rubbed her head, “Ollie and Max can skip Thursday night’s soccer game. We’ll figure out the camp. Swim lessons on Saturday we’ll skip this week too. The kids can play in the backyard for a few days. We’ll have to have a conversation with the three kids about talking to strangers. Ollie chats with everyone she meets. The last thing I want her to do is spill a story to a person she thinks is just a friend she hasn’t met yet.”

“I need to get to the office,” Everly said finally rising from the toilet seat. “Can we even get through the gates?”

“Yes. We have a team at the gates securing access for the community. You can come and go as you please but don’t be alarmed when you come back, and they want to check your trunk and under the car.”

“Are you kidding me?” Bobbie asked incredulously

“A friend of mine reached out this morning to give me advice,” he made a face. “He lives a bit more lavishly than I do and is always in the rags, but he had a kid a year ago and the attempts to get a photograph of the child’s face have been extreme. Riggs reached out to his head of security, and they helped him develop the plan. Thankfully, this is all happening during the summer holidays and not during the school year. I likely would have insisted we pull the kids from school for a couple of weeks because I can only control so much of the security in the school.”

“They go to school with the same politician’s kid. Max and Ollie were there on scholarship,” Bobbie said quietly. “The building is quite secure. Ollie is the biggest threat in the school.”

Grady laughed at Bobbie’s words, “it’s true. There was a special PTA meeting about how to handle Ollie’s temper after she kicked a security officer in the shins for demanding her hall pass.”

“Jesus Christ,” Olivier growled at the revelation.

“She almost got kicked out. The only reason she didn’t is because Max makes the school look good.” Everly was grinning now, color coming back to her cheeks. “He’s the first kid in like twenty years who hasn’t had a grade under ninety-nine.”

Olivier pulled his head in surprise, “really?”

“He’s brilliant,” Grady grinned at him. “Yeah. The only ninety-nine he’s had was a math assignment last year. Everything else he gets hundreds. They wanted to push him up two grades, but Bobbie said no.”

“Why not?”

“Because as brilliant as he is academically, emotionally he’s an eight-year-old boy with a twin and a best friend he’s never been apart from. We compromised. He stays in his current grade, but they give him more challenging assignments for him to complete weekly.”

Olivier frowned at her, “I skipped two grades and was fine.”

“You had a friend named Mr. Shadow,” Bobbie retorted with a snide grimace.

“You shouldn’t be robbing him of his education because you’re worried for him emotionally. He’s a strong kid.”

“Keyword kid,” Bobbie argued folding her arms over her chest, “this isn’t up for debate.”

“Why not?” Olivier argued.

“I had him assessed by a child psychologist before I made a decision. His identity is intertwined with his sister’s and Lark. There was more harm than good.”

“I want to see the report.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Hey, this was all supposed to be about paparazzi at the front gate. Can we get back on track?” Everly interrupted, “also, can we get out of my bathroom and bedroom. It’s weird to have Olivier in my bedroom with Grady. I already have enough dreams of them f*****g.”

Bobbie laughed as Olivier grimaced at Grady distastefully.

Olivier looked to Everly, “yes, we can leave here. How would you feel having a security agent assigned to you for the day?”

Everly glowered at him, and he shifted uncomfortably, “you were in the video and identified as were Grady, my maman and sister. If they think they can get a statement they’re going to chase you.” He looked at her stomach, “I would feel better to know you were safe. Please.”

“Fine but I don’t like it.”

“I understand.”

Bobbie didn’t miss the gratitude on Grady’s face at Olivier’s offer and sighed, “I’m working from home today. Prue was going to take the kids to a movie, but we’ll cancel that. I have a thing they can do in the back yard I’ve been saving for a while.”

“I’ll be home too,” Olivier promised, “I have a couple of meetings scheduled and Melisandre will be arriving shortly with some documents I need to sign off on.”

“Fantastic,” Bobbie grumbled and led the way out of the Hoffman house and through the back yard to her own house.

Olivier was clearly focused on the situation, and she watched as he studied the kids in the kitchen eating their breakfast together with serious intent. He was worried. He wasn’t saying much but she could read his body language. He paused to k**s both kids on the top of the head and then squeezed her shoulder before taking the steps back to the basement. In seconds Riggs was entering the house without as much as a knock and he too disappeared down the stairs after squeezing Bobbie’s shoulder. Their shoulder squeezes were getting annoying.

“Kids. I want you to just play in the backyard today or in the house. No playing in the front yard and no riding bikes.”

“Why?”

“I want Ollie to take it easy,” Bobbie said grasping her daughter’s head injury as an excuse. “Just for once, please don’t argue with me. I had a bad scare last night with my girl and I’m asking you, very nicely to give me today. Please.”

“Okay.” Ollie shrugged as if it made sense. “I’m kind of tired anyway. Mom snored all night.”

Bobbie ignored the comment. “Good. If you’re good and you stay in the yard and the house, I’ll let you do the giant canvas and paint project we picked up from the craft store a few weeks ago.”

The kids cheered with excitement, and she moved to grab the coffee she’d abandoned when she’d raced to Everly’s side. She let a small smile steal onto her face at the notion of her friend’s pregnancy. A new baby would be fun.

She encouraged the kids to finish breakfast and then replace activities to do while she did some work at her desk. After cleaning up the kitchen and loading the dishwasher, she knew she needed a distraction and work was going to have to be it. She was upset and Olivier and Riggs hadn’t come back upstairs and worse, Fiona and Meri had gone down an hour ago and nobody had invited her to come. They were discussing her children and the violation of their privacy and yet, she was the one sitting upstairs without any input on how to proceed.

She heard footsteps into the kitchen behind her and knew intuitively it was Meri. She was running water in the kitchen and puttering around. Bobbie knew she was concerned by the way she was wiping counters down behind her. The woman cleaned when destressing.

Bobbie sat at her desk overlooking the back yard and willed her anger to dissipate but it was still swirling under the surface. Someone had seen an opportunity to make a buck and had sold images of her children playing soccer. The quiet life her two kids had known were now disrupted in ways she and her friends had never considered. She gave an impatient kick to the wall under her desk and dropped her head into her arms.

The soft steps of Meri approaching behind her made her sit up and offer a sad smile at the older woman’s gentle touch to her shoulder and set a hot cup of tea in front of her.

“They will be fine, Bobbie. Olivier has kept our family safe for years. Sera, Shiloh, and Terra have never had an instance of threat to them.”

“Yes, but the girls aren’t Olivier’s hidden children. It’s salacious and scandalous for him to suddenly have twins.”

“Trust in him and Riggs. They know what they are doing.”

“Do they? I’m not sure Meri because quite certain neither of them has been in this situation before unless Olivier has other children he’s fathered, who have come out of the woodwork.” At Meri’s sigh Bobbie g*****d, “I’m sorry Meri. You’re trying to be supportive and reassuring and I’m freaking out at you. I apologize.”

“It’s okay, Bobbie. In your shoes I’d be shaking. I’ve been dealing with media and reporters since I was a little girl. I’m used to it, though it’s a hundred-fold worse today than it was when my kids were little.”

Fiona came upstairs from where Olivier was working in the basement. “Maman did you tell her?”

“Tell me what?” Bobbie asked Fiona curiously as Meri shook her head.

“I spoke with Olivier and with Walt and we’re going to head back to New Orleans. When things settle down, we will come back for another visit or maybe you’ll come visit us in New Orleans, but Olivier needs to put as many of his resources to keeping you and the kids safe. We are a distraction to his team. I’m satisfied maman is good and well.”

“Are you leaving too?” Bobbie asked Meri quietly. The thought of her leaving in the midst of the chaos felt alarming but she also understood why she would go.

Meri nodded, “I’m staying.”

“I don’t blame you,” Fiona let out a sigh. “I want to stay but Walt wants the girls at home until this settles, especially since I’m pregnant.”

Bobbie was quiet as she absorbed her words, “Walt is worried?”

Fiona laughed, “Walt always worries. He’s the guy who handles insurance matters for my Papa’s company. He’s the one who thinks of worst-case scenarios. Driest job on the planet but he’s good at it.”

“Olivier calls you tree hugger. What do you do?” Bobbie realized in all their chats she hadn’t asked.

“I work for the department of agriculture and environment as a bio-engineering specialist.” She grinned, “I am as much a tree hugger as he is a nerd.” Fiona looked out the window into the backyard where the kids were playing loudly. She sighed, “they’re going to be so sad to have to go home.”

“When do you leave?” Bobbie questioned her eyes trained on the kids.

“Olivier is arranging our flight home. I’m not sure what time we’ll be leaving but I imagine it will be this afternoon.”

The storming of feet pounding the stairs coming up from the basement made the three women look up in alarm as Riggs and Olivier tore out of the house through the back yard, “kids, in the house now.”

“What is going on?” Bobbie asked furiously as he didn’t even wait for them to answer and was in the yard with Riggs and Henri lifting the kids up and taking them into the house. “Olivier! What is happening?” Bobbie looked up in surprise to the buzz of humming overhead and she frowned and squinted trying to sort out what she was looking at. “Is that a drone?”

“It’s a god-damned drone,” Fiona said incredulously. “Someone is using a drone to get photos of the kids?”

Bobbie watched as it came down almost directly in front of the window to her back yard and hovered. She was in awe. She hadn’t considered this would occur. It had never dawned on her the depravity of the lengths a reporter would go to just to get a story. She watched as Riggs’ drew the blind down and then there was a crash as the drone hit the porch. The kids were all in the house now, asking what was happening as Riggs shut them into the house and the brutal crunch of him stomping on the device made Bobbie cringe.

“I heard a system alarm and happened to look up at the screen in the office downstairs just in time to see the f*****g thing come over the fence.” Olivier bit out furiously.

Riggs stormed in carrying the battered piece of equipment. He held up a sound card and what appeared to be a recording device. “Our guys got him, and I have the drone.”

“Daddy, I’m scared. What is happening?” Ollie asked as she pulled on Olivier’s hand.

He said nothing as he hugged her to his side and grimaced angrily.

“Someone floated a drone into my backyard to take photos of my kids?” Bobbie questioned breathlessly as she gingerly pulled her rolling chair from her desk and sat in it. Her hands trembled in terror. She looked to Riggs and Henri who were moving around and closing windows.

“Why did someone want to take our photo?” Max asked shoving his glasses up his nose.

Sera reached out and touched Ollie’s hand, “it’s okay, Ollie. Sometimes reporters try to take our photos and our security team has to make them go away. Don’t be scared.”

Bobbie swallowed angrily and looked to Olivier, “it’s not normal a child has to be worried about things like this!” she waved at Sera.

“I agree,” Olivier said through a clenched jaw as he brushed his fingers through Ollie’s curls.

“What do we do?” Bobbie asked quietly. “They were playing in the yard. Our yard. This is supposed to be our safe space. How do you keep them out?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted as the room was quiet. Ollie moved away from Olivier to sit on Bobbie’s knee, and she sniffed as she buried her nose on her mom. He stared at the child and then looked back to Max.

“I think you should leave,” Riggs said seriously.

“He’s not leaving!” Bobbie cursed at Riggs.

“Not him. All of you.” Riggs gave an impatient flick of his wrist. “I’ve been saying it since the story broke overnight. It’s hot. Take the kids and go do a family vacation somewhere, the four of you. Take the yacht out or go to the house in the Bahamas.”

“House in the Bahamas?” Bobbie asked curiously

“I own an island in the Bahamas.” Olivier waved as if it were nothing. “I’m not uprooting the kids from their friends and summer vacation to hide from paparazzi. They’ll still be here when we get back.”

“Olivier, take a couple of weeks. Let the story die down. We can handle a few reporters better than the hundred who are staking out the community right now.”

“There are a hundred reporters out there?” Bobbie interrupted the conversation. She was stroking Ollie’s back gently. It was evident the way the three men had rushed the kids into the house so abruptly had scared them and Ollie was still fragile from her situation the day prior.

“Who cares if they take our picture?” Max asked curiously. “it’s just a picture.”

“It’s not just a picture,” Olivier snapped, “it’s an invasion of your privacy.”

“Ollie,” Riggs spoke to his friend, using the nickname in a direct attempt at softening his stance, “you need to look at the big picture. A couple of weeks away and things will settle. If you want to live in a gated community like normal people, you need to allow us to get better plans in place. We’ve had ten days to prepare and even then, we weren’t prepared for this much of a fallout.”

“What if you release a statement?” Fiona asked. “One statement, one photo of the four of you.”

“Absolutely not.”

His phone rang in his hand, and he grimaced, “Gael.” He shoved the device into his pocket.

“What does he suggest?” Meri asked quietly.

Bobbie watched as the three men exchanged glances. “He thinks we should leave too.”

“Ollie has a head injury. She can’t fly.” Olivier offered another excuse.

“Did you ask her doctor already?” Bobbie asked him directly. Had he considered this already?

“No, I have not. I’m assuming,” he ruffled his hair frustratedly. “Bobbie, I’ve already flipped your entire worlds upside down. I can’t do it.” He looked to Riggs, “replace a way to keep my kids safe here in their home.” He motioned to the kids, “the five of you can play downstairs in the playroom for now.” As Riggs went to protest, he shook his head, “end of discussion, Riggs. Figure it out.”

He ushered the kids down the stairs, picking Ollie up out of Bobbie’s arms and carrying her unprotestingly down with him.

Riggs and Henri exited through the front door, leaving Meri and Fiona looking at Bobbie and a busted drone.