But Why Daddy?

Chapter 3

By: Lizzie

©Lizzie 2002-2004

+*+The Marriott Hotel+*+

            Paula sat on the bed in her hotel room contemplating on whether she should call this whole baby thing off and just go back to California. She didn’t even tell Randy, her boyfriend that she was leaving and now she was going to be gone from him for 3 months. How was she going to explain this to him?

            Paula had gotten herself into quite a mess in the last 6 months. She in fact did cheat on JC with another man. Now the catch, she had sex with both JC and her new boyfriend within a 24-hour period so she didn’t know who the father of the baby was. Her boyfriend now didn’t even know that she was with anyone when they met, some 3 years before. Randy thought that he was the baby’s father, not knowing that there was a very high possibility that he wasn’t.

            Paula picked up the phone by the bed to call Randy. The phone at the house rang a couple of times before the answering machine picked up.

            “Randy and Paula can’t come to the phone right now because they’re off having wild monkey sex. Leave a message after the beep.” She waited for the beep and began her message.

            “Randy, I’m in Florida taking care of some business. I’ll call you later on tonight to tell you where I’m staying and when I’ll be back. I love you.” She hung up the phone and walked over to the TV and turned it on hoping to take her mind off things.

+*+

The next day JC called his lawyer and set up a meeting with him. He requested that Paula be present during their meeting so he called her too. At first her room phone rang 4 times then he tried her cell. “This is Paula McCarthy, I’m busy at the moment so leave a message after the beep and I’ll get back to you.”

This was becoming a routine thing for JC. He would call someone and the voicemail would pick up. He would listen to the message, wait for the beep and then leave his message. “Paula, is Josh, I need you to meet me at 3 p.m. at Robert Jamison’s office. It’s really important that you be there.” He hung up his phone and called a few more places and people, one of them being his publicist, Cathy Moriarty.

“Hello Joshua, how have things been going?“ Cathy said when she picked up her phone

“I’ve been better…”

“Oh having one of those days?” she asked

JC laughed, “I guess you could say that, but it’s actually more like one of those 3 months…Paula’s pregnant.”

“Paula’s pregnant?! I thought you two broke up?!”

“We did. She just showed up yesterday and said that she was pregnant with my child.”

Cathy sighed deeply, “You know the press is going to have a field day with this when they find out.”

“I know, that’s why I’m calling you now. I just found out and want to be open and honest with everyone.” He said, “I’m not going to hide the fact that I will have a child in 3 months.”

“Have you thought about your career? I mean you have a CD coming out in 5 months. By then you’ll have a 2 month old child and won’t have time to promote the CD and take care of the baby…is Paula going to help?”

“Nope, this all on me. She was going to give the baby up and I just wouldn’t feel right knowing that a child of mine is being raised but a complete stranger.”

“Josh, what have you gotten into?” Cathy sighed again, “We need to meet up soon…all 3 of us and talk about what we are saying and not saying.”

“Ok, I have a meeting with Robert Jamison in 1 hour so make it tomorrow at 11 am?” he said looking at his calendar

Cathy looked her desk calendar and wrote him in, “Tomorrow at 11 a.m. it is. I’ll see you then.”

“Ok see you tomorrow.” They hung up and JC grabbed his jacket and car keys and headed to his car to go to his lawyer’s office. He hoped that Paula got his message and was on her way to the office. At 2:45 p.m. he pulled in the parking lot and parked next to Paula’s car. He put his sunglasses on and got out of the car.

He walked into the office and knocked on Mr. Jamison’s door. He heard papers being moved around, “It’s open, Josh.” JC opened the door and saw that Paula was already there with another man in the room.

“I hope you don’t mind that I decided to have my lawyer present during this?” Paula said as JC took a seat on the other side of the table next to his lawyer.

“No…I don’t mind.” He said

“I’m Cole Paulson, Ms. McCarthy’s lawyer.” He held out his hand to JC

“JC…Joshua Chasez.” He said shaking it, “I didn’t know you could afford such a lucrative lawyer, Paula.”

“Oh I’m a friend of the family and I want to make sure that she and the baby are taken care of until she is given to you.”

JC had a puzzled look on his face, “I’m not following here, can you please explain this further to me?”

“You see Joshua, Paula has requested that she stay with you…in your house since she is in fact carrying your child.” Mr. Paulson began. He shuffled through his briefcase and too out some papers, “She will be staying with you for the next 4 months…3 months until she has the baby and one month after that.”

Josh’s mouth dropped, “I have to house her? I mean, can’t I just pay for her hotel stay?”

“Josh! I can’t believe you!” Paula said, “I mean just ship me back to California why don’t you! It’s only 4 months!”

“JC, it would be nice for you to help her out…you know, take her to the doctor, help with the getting of baby things…stuff like that.” JC’s lawyer said

JC nodded his head as Paula’s lawyer began to speak again, “She also requires $400 for her personal things. That comes to $100 a month.”

“I have to give her money too?” Josh began to get a little mad, “Is there anything else?”

“No there’s nothing else.” Paula said

Robert Jamison handed papers to Josh, Paula and her lawyer, Mr. Paulson, “In these papers you’ll see that we are asking for full custody of the baby once it is born. At which time, JC can decide if he wants Paula to have anything to do with the baby.”

“That’s fine with me.” Paula said, “I’m in no condition to take care of a baby. I know Josh will do a better job than I can.” She reached for a pen to sign the papers

“Wait, Paula…I have to know something,” JC said stopping her from signing the papers. She looked at him, “Are you sure this is MY child?”

She looked him straight in the eyes, “Joshua, I am 100% sure the baby is yours…I didn’t cheat on you.” She signed her name on the paper after reading it over.

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