A Rich Man's Baby. Daaimah S. Poole
10
Tanisha
“What y’all looking at?” I asked, as I noticed everyone huddled around Jeremy’s desk. I looked over and saw various pictures of a woman holding her breasts and ass up to the screen.
“Get that off the screen. That is not appropriate. Come on now, this is work,” I said, not able to mask my disgust.
“I told them that,” Alberta said.
“What? She sent me the picture and I just sent it out to everyone I know,” Jeremy said as he laughed.
“I’m sure she didn’t want everyone looking at her goodies. That’s real immature to send someone’s picture around,” Alberta said.
“She don’t care; she a freak anyway. Trust me.”
“Jeremy, get that off your screen. You can get fired for that. I mean it. Now!” I was not for it. I had to go to this stupid baby shower.
“Come on, Miss Alberta,” I said as I picked up my gift and headed to Jen’s baby shower.
Blue and white streamers decorated the room, and a big cake in the shape of a baby carriage was the centerpiece of the table. There was strollers, bassinets, walkers, and loads of Baby Gap. I felt like my baby bouncer I paid thirty dollars for was inadequate. But that was all I could afford, because no one would chip in. I spotted Jen. She had on a red maternity shirt, black pleated skirt, and black Frankenstein shoes.
I faked excitement. “Hey, Jen.”
“Tanisha! Oh, I’m so glad you made it,” she said, squishing her big belly into my ribs.
“Well, look at you” were the only words I could get out. “Oh my God, you are so damn fat” would not have been appropriate. I took in her unusually large stomach. Her pregnancy was in her ankles, hands, and thighs and butt. She looked like she was in desperate need of a nap. She was carrying a very nice, expensive bag, and her ring was an antique setting with a large diamond in the middle.
“When do you go in?” Alberta asked.
“In August. I can’t wait for the baby to get here,” she said as she coughed a little.
“So, are you coming back after you have the baby?” I asked.
Jen giggled a little, and said, “Of course not, I’m not going to be a working mom. A mother should be home with her baby, not sending them to day care.”
She went on and on about how that was what was wrong with the world, mothers not spending enough time with their children.
Oh, really? Must be nice, I thought as Jen got up to speak to other guests.
“I so don’t want to be here. Dr. Schmidt don’t know what she got in store for him,” a voice said.
When I looked up to see who was talking to me, it was Jeremy’s latest conquest and naked-picture poser. I felt so uncomfortable sitting next to her. She had no idea that illicit pictures of her were being passed around. But it wasn’t my place to say anything. They played a few baby shower games, opened presents, and cut the cake. My lunch was over; I had to get back to work.
“Jen, it was great seeing you. Good luck.”
“I’ll be up after I have the baby,” Jen said.
I walked out a little jealous. How did a fat chick with bad skin say she wasn’t going to be a working mom? Miss Alberta was staying the whole time; she wanted to see everything she got.
I went back to work. Nobody was back from lunch yet except Jeremy; he was on the Internet looking at BMWs.
“You buying a new car?”
“Yeah, I don’t know if I’m getting a 328i or 335i. The only difference is like five thousand. I’m going to get a silver one.” He stepped away from the computer and asked for a piece of my cake.
“No, you should have came up and got some. Plus, I’m mad at you. Why did you show Reginald and Miss Alberta those pictures? Miss Alberta is sixty years old. She doesn’t act like it sometimes, but she is old enough to be your mom.”
“Miss Alberta came over to the computer. I didn’t ask her to come.”
“It doesn’t matter. You have to be more respectful of her and me. I am your supervisor.”
“Okay, I got it,” he said as he reached on my plate for some cake.
I slapped his hand and then cut him off a piece of cake. I stretched a little and took a long yawn. I heard and felt a bone or two pop. I was ready to get the second half of my day over.
I sat down and called Horizon Health. I had to get some authorizations for an MRI done before three. Their rep was supposed to call me back and didn’t. I was on hold, as usual.
No sooner did a representative answer than I heard a loud smack and it was followed with, “Somebody call security!”
I ran out of my cubicle to see what the hell was going on. It was the nurse on top of Jeremy, punching him in his face.
“Get her off of me,” he yelled. He was curled up in a ball trying to block her shots.
I was trying to get her off him, but she was not letting go. She was crying and pounding on him. Her hair was shaking back and forth like a mop. She just kept hitting him and scratching him. She was like a wildcat. She was moving so fast I couldn’t get a handle on her. I finally got a hold of one of her arms, and she started punching and grabbing with the other. Reginald ran up and grabbed her other arm. She was still kicking. I let her go, and she tried to go after him again.
“Calm down, calm down. He is not worth it,” I said as I pulled her toward the bathroom.
She was crying and heaving, still in a rage. Once we were inside the ladies’ room, she began to calm down. I soaked a brown paper towel and gave it to her to wash her face. When she looked in the mirror, that must have been when she realized she was not only at work, but that she had attacked him. In that same second, security came knocking on the bathroom door and asked if everything was okay. I said yeah, but they could tell from looking at Jeremy that somebody had assaulted him.
When I came out the bathroom, they asked me if I saw what happened. I said no. Even though I was acting like I didn’t know what happened and Jeremy didn’t talk, security still escorted her out of the building.
When I got back to my cubicle, they were laughing at Jeremy. He had a red, busted lip, scratches everywhere, and a long welt running down the side of his face. I couldn’t believe everything that had just happened. I looked at Alberta, then Reginald, and I tried to contain my laughter.
“This not funny, Tanisha.” Jeremy frowned as he held ice to his face.
“You deserved it. I told you one of these days you were going to meet your match. She had every right to go off on you. You sent naked pictures of her around the hospital.”
“She is a slut anyway. She just broke up with her boyfriend and she had me all in her bed already sucking all over me. She don’t even know me like that.”
“I think she must have hurt your feelings. I never seen you act like this before.” Miss Alberta laughed as she touched one of his many scratches.
“I don’t know, I think it was some feelings involved with that one. You were taking her out and spending a lot of time,” Reginald said, teasing him.
“No, I wasn’t. Don’t lie on me, man.”
Chapter 11
Adrienne
On my way to the baby shower, I heard “Looking good” one too many times. I thought maybe my thong was hanging out or something, or my nipples were showing through my bra. The man who was mopping the floor even blew a kiss at me and winked. Then he asked me for my phone number. He wasn’t usually that forward. He was always