Delivered in Sin

by Nicole Rodrigues

  Before I sit down in the chair, I hear someone getting sick in the bathroom next door, and I furrow my brows, looking toward Hilary, my hairdresser.

  "Who is that?" I ask.

  "No clue," she says, shrugging.

  I walk toward the bathroom, knocking as I hear a muffled "one minute" and patiently wait.

  I hear the toilet flushing and then the sink, and my stomach drops when Quinlin opens the door.

  "Quinlin, what happened? Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine. I guess my dinner didn't agree with my stomach. I feel better now."

  "Are you sure? You're so pale."

  I cup her cheek, and she closes her eyes.

  "I'm okay."

  She walks past me and sits in the chair next to Hilary as Wendy, our other hair and makeup girl, goes to work on her. Quinlin keeps her eyes closed as Wendy adjusts her turquoise wig and applies her makeup.

  Hilary finishes mine around the same time, and when I take the stage with Addison, Everleigh, and Eden, it doesn't feel the same tonight. Quinlin is on my mind, and even seeing Landry in the front row doesn't help. I perfect my autopilot moves, but I don't feel it tonight, and I know the girls can probably tell. Hell, Landry probably can too.

  When we finish our set together, I hop off, walking toward the locker room, but Quinlin is nowhere to be found.

  "Is Quinlin on the floor?" I ask one of the girls.

  "She was, yeah. Saw her walking off with a client."

  My heart stops, and I walk down the back hall and do our secret knock for Zeus. As soon as he opens the door, I push inside and slam him back into his seat. "Pull up Quinlin's room. Number nine."

  As far as I know, Quinlin hasn't done a private dance since she's started. I haven't been at the club as much as I usually am, though, so maybe this is normal for her now, but something doesn't sit right with me, especially lately. She's hiding something, something big enough that's making her physically ill, and I just don't like her being so vulnerable.

  Camera three focuses on Quinlin's room, and I watch as she dances for the man in the chair. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but when Zeus asks to cut it, I tell him to keep it rolling.

  "Something I should know?"

  "I just...somethin' is goin' on with her. I just wanna make sure she's okay."

  I keep watching, waiting for any sign she's not okay, and then it comes. Zeus turns the speakers on as Quinlin backs away from the man with her hands against his chest.

  "I agreed to a dance and a...and a blow job, that was it. I'm not having sex with you," Quinlin stutters.

  "Dammit," I mutter. “She’s too far away from the panic button.”

  "The fuck, you aren't. I'm not paying a thousand dollars for a blow job. I can get a whore on the street to do it for a bag of blow," the man growls.

  "Well, that's the price here, so if you don't like it, you can leave," Quinlin says, trying to keep her voice strong.

  Her voice is trying to be authoritative, but I can hear it waver, and then his next words cause me to spring into action.

  "Or I can just fucking take it for free."

  Not in my club, you piece of shit.

  "Page Rocko," I yell to Zeus as I bust out of the room and run down the hall to Quinlin's door. I jiggle the knob and thank the Lord she listened to me about not locking it.

  The man has her cornered, grabbing at her as she whimpers, trying to fight him off, and I run toward him, dropping my elbow down against the back of his neck.

  I anticipate the flying fist and duck, punching him right in his nuts as he leans forward, and I bring my knee up to connect with his face.

  "Not in my club, asshole. You're going to pay for that."

  "F-fuck you," he mumbles as he staggers back against the wall, clutching his crotch with one hand and his bloody face with the other as Quinlin runs into my arms, sobbing.

  "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Magnolia."

  I run my fingers down her hair, trying to soothe her as Rocko busts through and manhandles that asshole that put his hands on her.

  I pull her from the room, walking down the hall to mine, and shut and lock it behind us as she sits on the edge of my bed. "Quinlin, look at me," I whisper, kneeling in front of her.

  Her dark eyes take a few minutes to lift, but when they do, they're red-rimmed, and they break my heart.

  I slip her mask off her face and cup her cheek, running my thumb along her protruding cheekbone.

  "You have nothin' to be sorry for. You did nothin' wrong."

  "I...I shouldn't have even taken him back to my room. I didn't want to give him a...give him a…"

  "Then why did you, if you weren't ready? You're not forced to do anything, Quinlin. You know that, right?"

  She silently nods as the first tear trickles down her face, and I brush it away. "It was a thousand dollars, Magnolia. I...I need money right now, I…"

  "Are you in trouble?"

  She lets out a heartbreaking sob and closes her eyes before she speaks. "I'm...I think I...I think I'm pregnant."

  Well, that is the last thing I expected to hear. Crap.

  "O-okay, that's okay, everything is going to be fine. We're done for the night, okay? Let's go."

  I pull her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her as we walk back toward the locker room and get changed in silence.

  I send off a text to Landry, even though I'm sure the girls probably filled him in on what happened, and take Quinlin's bag as we leave through the back.

  "Crap, I came with Landry. Let me just—"

  "Take mine," Addy yells from behind us, tossing her keys to me. I give her a grateful nod, and she returns it. "Be careful and text when you're in," she instructs.

  "Will do. Love you."

  I link my arm through Quinlin's as we walk toward Addy's black Audi, and I start it, looking over at her.

  "Wanna give me directions? I realized the other day I don't know where you live."

  I see the panic for a quick second, but then she masks it, nodding.

  "S-sure, yeah. I live closer to Grove Park."

  I snap my head to her quickly before I focus back on the road. I remember all too well what Grove Park, Atlanta brought to my life: Vince Perelli. Eden's psycho uncle that dragged all of us into his messed up, twisted games. I shiver at the memory of what I walked into way too many times at that club and the abuse Eden silently endured for years at his hands.

  I don't think any of us have been on this side of the city since we burned that hell hole to the ground seven years ago.

  My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I recognize storefronts, some still the same, others boarded up.

  "It's up here on the right. I'm on the third floor."

  Looking at the building she points to, I shake my head, seeing a drugged-up woman sprawled out across the stairs. Addison's Audi will stick out like a sore thumb, so there's no way I can park this thing out here.

  "Do you live with anyone?"

  "No, it's a small place. Just me."

  I take a deep breath and let it out before I speak. "Quinlin, I'm not leavin' you here. Come and stay with me tonight. Do you need anything inside? I got clothes and extra toiletries, but…"

  She sighs, shaking her head, and I almost see relief in her eyes, but it's masked with embarrassment.

  "I don't mean to sound rude, and I swear that's not my intention but...why do you live here? I know what you make at the club, and I know it won't buy a penthouse apartment, but you can at least afford to live in a decent neighborhood."

  I take the next turn back toward my apartment and reach for Quinlin's leg, squeezing it.

  "Please don't be mad at my pryin', I just wanna make sure you're safe. As owners, we have to make sure all the girls are taken care of, and you're my protegé, Quin. You have a special place in my heart, and I haven't been there for you recently, and I wanna change that."

  "I'm not angry, just...embarrassed."

  "Why would you be embarrassed, Quin?"

 
; She's silent as I make the last few turns to our building and pull up front, tossing the keys to the valet boy as I link arms with hers. She still stays silent until we get into the elevator, and halfway up, we're alone, and she finally speaks.

  "I'm so lost," she whispers. "I've been a wife for three years, and now I'm not, and I don't...I don't even know what to do with myself. I'm twenty, pregnant, and live in fear that he'll...he'll find me, or someone will break into my place. I stay in a place like that because I save all my money in a backpack if I have to leave. I...I don't wanna run anymore, Magnolia, I like it here, and now I might have a baby to worry about, and I just…"

  She's breathing heavy, and I wrap her in a hug as she cries into my chest for the last ten floors before we finally hit the top. When the elevator doors open, we walk slowly to mine. I unlock it and lead her inside toward the kitchen.

  I instruct her to sit at the island as I make us both a cup of tea and push it toward her.

  "First things first, let's take a test, okay? Then we'll figure out the rest."

  She nods, taking a sip from her tea, and stands. "I...I have a test in my bag. I was gonna take it when I got home."

  I nod toward the hallway, and she follows me as I lead her inside the guest bathroom. "Holler if you need me."

  "Wait," she exclaims. "Can you...can you stay?"

  I nod, turning to face the door as I hear her do her thing and flush, then take a few seconds before I turn back around.

  The pregnancy test sits on the counter as Quinlin sits on the edge of the tub, cradling her head in her hands.

  "Listen, I know it takes time, but I want you to know when you're ready to talk, I'm here, okay?"

  Quinlin nods, smiling at me. "Thank you, Magnolia. Thank you for everything."

  "And we'll keep you safe. This apartment is big enough for both of us for now if you want it. I can ask a few of the guys at the club to pack up your stuff with you one night, and you can take the guest room."

  "I couldn't do that, Magnolia. You need to get ready for the baby and Landry, and you need privacy and…"

  "The baby's room and mine are both at the other end of the apartment. Like I said, there's plenty of room. Please just think about it."

  I put my hand on her knee, and she nods as we hear the beeping of the timer.

  "Can you look at it first?" Quinlin whispers.

  "Of course." I stand, walking over to the counter, and feel my stomach tighten when I see the two pink lines.

  She's pregnant. Crap.

  "I'm pregnant, aren't I?" she asks softly, so softly I almost don't even know she actually spoke at all.

  "Yeah, you...you're pregnant."

  "Crap," she whimpers, covering her face again.

  "Is it...is it your ex’s or…"

  "No, it can't be. He...we stopped a while ago."

  I wait for her to continue, but she doesn't.

  "So, it's…"

  She slowly picks her head up and then shakes it.

  "A...a guy from the club. I see him a lot for booth dances, and then we moved to a private one. You weren't there, so I went in with Candy, and then he kept coming back. We had a night where we fooled around but nothing crazy, and then the next time we...it happened so fast, and he used a condom, but I missed my period, and he's the only one it could be.”

  “It was...mutual?”

  She nods and I can tell by her look that it was. I let out a relieved sigh as she continues.

  “I just don't...I don't know how to tell him. He's not ready for this; I know he's not even close," she rambles.

  "I think you should at least tell him, though, give him a choice. Do I know him?"

  She nods but says nothing.

  "You ain't gonna tell me, are you?"

  She shakes her head, and I sigh.

  "Well, all right then. It ain't Landry's, is it?"

  I get a smile out of her, and she shakes her head again.

  "I'll tell you; I will. I just...gotta wrap my head around all this. I don't…" she swallows, and I see the struggle in her eyes. "I don't know if I could even do this, Magnolia. Maybe this is a mistake to keep this baby."

  I grab her hand and pull her to her feet as I wrap her into a hug, and she returns it, relaxing into my embrace.

  "You do what you think is best. Take into consideration every scenario and consequences, though, Quinlin. Once you make a decision, you'll never be able to take it back."

  She sniffles, wiping at her eyes, and I guide her to the guest room, tossing her a t-shirt and sweatpants and leaving out an extra toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash with a towel.

  "Get some rest. I'll be right down the hall if you need me."

  "Thank you, Magnolia. I can't say it enough."

  "Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out."

  I smile at her and shut the door behind me as I fish out my phone from my bag and see a text from Landry.

  Landry: The girls told me what happened. Do you want me to come over tonight?

  Magnolia: No, I think it's best if it's just us tonight. I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for understanding.

  Landry: Sweet dreams. I'll send over some breakfast.

  14

  Magnolia

  I look around the waiting room at all the curious stares the five of us are getting and groan.

  “Y’all couldn’t have waited in the car? Everyone is starin’ at us,” I mumble.

  “Who gives a shit if they are. Nosy assholes,” Addison snaps.

  “Right? Some people like to support their sister, who has a miracle growing in her belly right now!” Everleigh says a little too loudly for a doctor’s office waiting room.

  “Stop it!” I hiss. “Landry, can’t you do somethin’ about them?” I plead, looking to the right of me.

  He opens his mouth and looks around at the girls but then quickly closes it. “They’re harmless; they’re just excited.”

  “Oh, come on, they won’t really cut your nuts off. Just...make them go away,” I groan.

  “Hey, don’t speak for us,” Eden chastises. “I will gladly cut his balls off.”

  Landry groans, discreetly cupping his junk, and I shake my head.

  “Magnolia Giordano?”

  I stand quickly, grabbing Landry’s hand, and rush to the door, trying to shut it before the girls can follow.

  “Hey!” Everleigh gasps.

  “Just wait out here! Landry will come and get you when they’re ready to tell us the sex, okay?” I beg.

  “Laurent, you knock up one of us, you knock up all of us!” Eden says loudly, pointing at Landry.

  “Oh, good Lord,” I groan. “What the hell does that even mean?”

  “Wait, that came out wrong,” Eden backtracks.

  “Shut up,” I laugh. “I love y’all, but we’ll come and get you before we find out, okay? Give us a minute.”

  I see the look of understanding cross all of the girls’ faces, and they bring me in for a group hug as I try to keep the tears from falling.

  “We love you, Lia,” they all whisper.

  “Love y’all too.”

  I give their hands one last squeeze as I turn and link my hand with Landry’s.

  “Sisters?” the tech asks.

  “Yeah,” I respond with a smile.

  “Okay, lie back and get comfy. Lift your shirt and pull your pants down a little bit.”

  I nod, laying back as I lift my shirt and see the small belly I’ve come to love so much and pull my pants a little lower. The ultrasound tech tucks a towel down the front of my pants as she shakes a container and squirts some gel onto my belly.

  I flinch, thinking it’ll be cold, but it’s warm, and I relax, squeezing Landry’s hand in mine.

  “You excited?” the tech asks.

  “Very,” Landry says before I can even answer.

  She takes the probe, moving it around my belly as she clicks a few buttons on the keyboard and the black screen comes to life.

  “
There we go. Know what you’re looking at?” she asks.

  “She’s a labor and delivery nurse, so she probably does. I have no idea, though,” Landry says.

  “Well, right, there is the baby’s head. Nose right here, these two black spots are its eyes.”

  “Wow,” Landry gasps. “This is amazing.”

  “Wait until the 3D sonogram. Give me a minute for that.”

  I’m quiet, silent, and taking it all in because I feel like I’m dreaming. I need someone to pinch me because this doesn’t feel real.

  “Magnolia?”

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper with a laugh, wiping my eyes. “I... I’m okay, I’m fine.”

  The tech eyes me and nods, cleaning off the probe as she stands. “Let me give you two a minute.”

  She leaves the room, softly shutting the door behind her, and Landry stands, grabbing my hands. “Magnolia, baby, what’s the matter?”

  “Landry, I…” Tears flow down my cheeks now without stopping, and I wipe them away, trying to keep my breathing under control. “I just can’t believe this is really happening. I never thought I would be able to...and now this is…”

  “Oh, Magnolia. Things always happen the way they were meant to. I am so happy about this. Are you? Are you happy about all this?”

  “Yes,” I say quickly. “I’m so happy. It just doesn’t feel real. I’m tryin’ to wrap my head around it,” I laugh, cupping his cheeks.

  “I... I’m really happy, Magnolia.”

  “Me too, sailor boy.”

  I wink as the tech knocks and comes back in, showing us the rest of the baby and even the 3D images. Its little lips are pressed together as its hands press into its cheeks.

  “The baby’s got your cute little nose,” Landry whispers into the crook of my ear.

  I smile, and then the age-old question pops up, and Landry goes to fetch the girls. They pile into the room, their faces glued to the black and white screen, and when the tech announces it’s going to be a boy, they all gasp and hug each other, grabbing for Landry and me and congratulate us.

  “A son, huh?” Landry smiles. “I was kind of hoping for a little girl now that would have me wrapped around her finger.”

  “Y’all got plenty of time to try for that girl next,” Eden says with a wink.