Chapter 5 - Stepping Out

Trying to figure out how to take care of a baby is as crazy as hell. Getting the hang of this whole spin-the-baby-into-its-new-diaper thing is just...difficult.

But she's had enough of being a hermit for these past few days, and her maternity leave is about to kill her. She's got to get out of the house, or she's going to go crazy.

Rhiannon vows that she's going to get out there and prove to the world that she's still got it! Though, to be fair, she highly doubts she'll be getting much male attention when they find out that she's got a kid. The stretchmarks haven't completely disappeared yet, after all.

A babysitter is summoned.

Oh yeah. He knows EXACTLY how to work hard.

Rhiannon takes it upon herself to jog all the way to the fitness center. It'd be a nice change of pace from bars and lounges every night, after all, and maybe she could meet a few beefcakes, right?

In hindsight, jogging in stilettos might not have been the best idea...but man, it'll make her calves look great!

She's barely gone up the elevator before she feels eyes on her.

Rhiannon favors him with a quick glance over her shoulder before she smirks and continues walking.

Rhiannon's fooling herself, really. Her, coming to a fitness center to work out? Ridiculous. Instead, she scopes out the attractive men.

The one from the elevator favors her with a little checking out, too. Apparently her breasts pass inspection.

"Look, I know they're fantastic and all," she murmurs, quirking an eyebrow. "But the least you could do is ask for my name without expecting them to answer for me?"

The man chuckles, meeting her eyes confidently. "My apologies. That was...very rude of me."

"Rude, yes. Unwanted, no." Rhi smiles as she extends a hand. "Rhiannon. And you?"

"Alexy. A pleasure, Rhiannon."

The two stand by the windows and converse for what feels like hours, discovering thing after thing that they have in common. Hell, even their SIGNS are compatible.

This man alone makes the night a winner in Rhiannon's book. But, right before she can slip a soft-spoken invitation to her apartment into the conversation, she remembers one little problem.

Right.

"It's been fun, Alexy," she says instead, tugging a piece of paper out of her purse and scribbling her number down on it. "But I...have things I need to go do, unfortunately." She quirks her eyebrow once more with a smooth smile as she slips him the paper. "Don't be a stranger, though."

As she leaves, she catches sight of a bit of excitement off to the side.

Just to spite the gods of baby-making, she takes the elevator instead of leaving it for the pregnant Bianca Rubble.

"Kid," Rhiannon murmurs as she slithers out of her dress and scoops the baby into her arms. "I just wanted you to know that you're going to cost me getting laid at least six thousand times before I can get you out of this house." But, even if it's slightly against her will, she can't help placing a soft kiss against her downy head. "C'mon. It's your birthday. Let's make the most of it."

There's no need to have a party, not when your kid's unwanted in the first place, but Rhiannon's always been fond of birthday cake, so she purchases one anyway. Maternity leave means she's not been getting a chance at advancing in the work force anyway, so no reason to keep starving herself.

Glynnis, thankfully, grows up still looking similar to Rhiannon. Now that her chance for a promotion has passed, Rhi has no desire to mix the kid up in a scandal that could ruin Rhi's potential name in the future.

Much to Rhiannon's surprise, Glynnis snuggles close right under her chin, like she belongs there. She stares at her daughter for a long moment before she shakes her head. Kids. Freaky little things. What in the world was she supposed to do with one now that she was a toddler? Become Mother of the Year?

Well. At the very least, the kid had to learn how to be a productive member of society one day.

But raising a toddler is far harder than Rhiannon could ever have expected. Teaching her how to walk and trying to pottytrain her is enough to leave Rhiannon exhausted and wishing she could hire a full-time nanny instead.

As Rhi is rooting through the refrigerator for some baby food that night, there is a knock at the door. She sighs heavily and shoves her sweaty hair out of her face as she pops her head out of the refrigerator. "Come in!" There's no need to hide Glynnis anymore. The kid's known to everyone at the studio by now, if not the town.

Barry Tenderlove is the man who enters the house, and he admires Rhi's rear end happily as he strolls through the living room. "You know, I didn't think it was true..."

Rhiannon narrowly avoids breaking her skull on the shelf above her head with how quickly she backs out of the fridge. "Barry?" She's been keeping tabs with all of the men who have her phone number with a call every few days, but this is the first time one of them has dared to visit her with no warning. "Hey. What's up?"

"Not much. I just wanted to see if the rumors were true." He looks over Glynnis with a smile. "She's beautiful."

Is she? Honestly, Rhiannon's never taken the time to notice. She looks at the kid and blinks. "Thank you." It's true. She's precious, in her own way. How strange. "I, uh...I was just getting some food. I don't really have...anything to make a meal with to share with you..."

"No, it's no problem. I actually wanted to know if I could use your computer for a second? Mine just broke down."

Of all the people, he picks her computer to use? Rhiannon furrows her brow, but nods as she finishes getting together Glynnis's food, followed by a quick bowl of cereal for herself. "Yeah, sure. Lemme know if you need anything, cool?"

It's by far the most awkward meal of Rhiannon's life, including the dinner after her mom found out she was screwing the math teacher in high school for a better grade. For the life of her, Rhi can't even figure out why. But as she goes to wash her bowl, skin still prickling from the absolute silence, she realizes that this is the first time she's dined with a man who hasn't been expecting something from her at the end of the night.

There is still time for that, however, she decides, though her body is so exhausted that it can't comprehend a worse time for it.

In her distraction she breaks the sink.

EVERY. GODDAMN. TIME.

She calls a repairman and leaves it to him, instead, floating toward Barry with a faint sense of trepidation.

"Look, I...sort of doubt my computer's why you came here."

Barry glances over the screen. "Why's that?"

"...you've been playing Solitaire for the past hour."

"...ah." Barry looks away, grinning sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck. "Well. There is that." He scoots his chair back, looking up at her with warmth in his eyes. "Look, I really just came here to...see you, I guess."

She can't take not knowing anymore. She crosses her arms over her chest and looks at him seriously. "Did you come here for sex?"

He meets her eyes again quickly, a little startled, before he chuckles. "Well, if it came to that, I wasn't going to refuse it, but...I really don't know you that well at all, so wouldn't it be a little fast?"

All of the men in this town were monks. That was that. Rhiannon shakes her head and sighs. "Well, I mean...it's super late, and I'm way too tired for that. But you're welcome to stay if you want. We'll see how the morning goes."

"You're treating potential sex like an appointment? Do you need to pull out your Dayplanner?"

"Ha."

For the second time in a week, she shares her bed innocently with a man. Damn celibate monks. They'll always confuse the hell out of her.