by Tiana Cole
“You need to back the fuck up right now,” she countered as she snapped her fingers in his face, her urban patois bursting to the surface. She was taller than Phil, and glared down at him as she stepped toward him and unleashed her anger. “Zane’s twice the man you’ll ever be, and when he finds out what a sleazebag you are, you’ll be lucky to have a goddamn job.”
“Oh, feisty, I like that!” Phil chuckled, grinning wide as he backed up with his hands raised in mock surrender. “And you really think he’d take the word of a slut like you over a guy like me? I’ve done more for this company than you ever will. See, you might think you can sleep your way to the top, but it’s never going to happen.”
“You’ve got some serious mental problems,” Jenna spat, suddenly aware of a growing queasiness in her stomach. She’d been feeling nauseous all week, vomiting twice, and had chalked it up to food poisoning of some sort.
“Why don’t you just go back to the ghetto you crawled out of?” Phil sneered, his face twisted in disgust.
“I… I… I’m going… to be sick,” Jenna stammered, knees buckling as she clutched her abdomen with one hand and braced herself on a table with the other. She could feel her insides churning and knew she was going to throw up. Pushing herself past Phil, who stood with a look of confusion, she bolted from the room. She raced down the hallway and barely made it to the lady’s room where she dropped to her knees and vomited violently into the toilet.
“W-w-what the fuck?” she asked herself as her nose dripped and eyes watered. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, flushed the toilet, and was rising to her feet when another wave of nausea hit her. She fell to her knees once more and threw up for a second time, panic setting in as she clung to the bowl and heaved. Making her way to the sink, she splashed cool water on her face and composed herself in the restroom’s mirror. She knew Zane was working diligently in his office just down the hall, but didn’t want to interrupt him or cause undo concern over what she hoped was a simple stomach bug.
Acting as nonchalantly as possible, she retrieved her purse from the art room before ducking out of the building and hurrying to her car. She drove the short distance to Tucson Medical Center and checked into the emergency room with her stomach still in knots.
She kept an eye on her phone while she waited for her name to be called, hoping Zane wouldn’t call or text to question her whereabouts, and thirty minutes later a heavyset nurse guided her into a small examination room.
“Take a seat,” the nurse instructed while pointing at the exam table. Jenna did as told, the table’s paper lining crinkling beneath her as she hopped into position. The sizable nurse, who seemed devoid of any personality, took her blood pressure and jotted the numbers down on her clipboard. “A doctor will be with you shortly,” she mumbled as she darted off.
Jenna waited anxiously to be seen, occasionally checking her phone to see if her absence had been noticed. Ten minutes later, a doctor scurried in, carrying the same clipboard the nurse had presumably handed him, and immediately began his routine line of questioning while eyeing her paperwork.
“Says here you’ve had an upset stomach lately?” he asked as he scrolled through her information. He was an older man, Jenna guessed him to be in his mid fifties, and his hair had gone completely white. He looked tired, the dark bags under his eyes indicating he was at the tail end of a very long shift.
“Yes, that’s right,” she answered nervously. “I’ve been cramping pretty bad all week. I’ve thrown up a couple times. I’m not sure if it’s food poisoning or what.”
“Well, that’s what we’re going to find out,” he replied as he glanced at her and forced a smile. “You said this just started this week?”
“Yeah. Well, more like the end of last week. Came out of nowhere,” she told him as he began his examination.
“I see,” he muttered as he looked her over. “Have you ever experienced anything like this before?”
“No, never,” she shook her head.
“You’ve been feeling nauseous?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
“Did this begin after you ate something specific?”
“I don’t think so, no.”
“Any other symptoms?”
“I’ve been pretty tired lately.”
“Active sex life?”
“I… uh… yes,” Jenna responded, the question clearly catching her off guard.
“There’s a bathroom across the hall,” the doctor sighed as he pulled a small plastic cup from the room’s medical cabinet and handed it to her. “I need you to go pee in this. When you’re done, hand it to a nurse and wait for me back here.”
The doctor vanished as quickly as he’d appeared, leaving a concerned Jenna sitting alone with the empty cup. She crossed to the bathroom as instructed, her nerves allowing her to fill the cup with ease as her overactive mind pulsed with thoughts.
Why did he ask about my sex life? Do I have an STD? Oh, God, what if I have something? Am I sick? I’m probably dying. Cancer? Don’t let it be cancer. And why did he ask about my sex life? That was random.
Finished with her business, she handed the full cup to the same nurse who’d guided her to the examination room and returned to her seat on the table. Her mind continued to race as she sat waiting for what felt like hours until the doctor finally returned with the familiar clipboard under his arm.
“Well, you’re not dying,” he joked dryly as if he could read her mind.
“Okay…” Jenna replied, her heart pounding so loudly she thought it may burst his eardrums if he put the stethoscope to her chest.
“You’re pregnant,” he told her emotionlessly as he scribbled a series of notes on the clipboard. Jenna sat in stunned disbelief for a long moment while processing his words.
“That’s… that’s impossible,” she gulped. “That can’t be right.”
“Well, it is. Simple urine test confirmed it. Honestly, I could tell the second I saw you,” he said as he continued to write.
“You could?” she questioned, still unable to wrap her mind around the diagnosis.
“I’ve been at this a while,” he smiled warmly while looking at her with a fatherly comfort. It was the first genuine emotion he’d shown, and the unexpected act of kindness immediately helped to calm her. Clearly the good doctor had sensed her panic, and although he was obviously exhausted, he’d mustered the strength to lend her the emotional support she was in desperate need of. “I’ve seen it a million times.”
“How is this possible?” she asked out of denial.
“Well, either you’re the next Mother Mary,” he chuckled, “or I’d say you’ve been having some sex.”
“But I’ve been using protection,” she explained as her eyes began to well with tears. After giving herself to Zane and realizing how foolish they’d been to skip any form of prevention, she’d visited Planned Parenthood and had begun taking birth control. Even knowing the pills would take effect within a week, she still insisted that Zane wear a condom for the first month just to be on the safe side.
“Nothing’s one hundred percent,” the doctor shrugged and handed her a tissue.
“How far along am I?” she sniffed as she dabbed her eyes.
“We’d need a blood or ultrasound test for that,” he answered apologetically. “If you don’t have a local physician, I‘d suggest you find one. We can refer you to an obstetrician.”
“Thank you,” she wheezed as he helped her down from the table. Reaching into her purse, she found her inhaler and let its albuterol work its magic.
“It’ll be a bit of a wait, but we can get you the ultrasound today and you’ll know the baby’s exact age,” he offered.
“I can’t today, but I’ll schedule an appointment with somebody soon,” she replied, knowing she’d already been missing from work long enough.
After receiving a list of recommended obstetricians, she made her way back to the car Zane had graciously surprised her with and sat in a silent, motionless daze w
hile tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. She replayed the news in her mind, unable to believe the cruel hand fate had dealt her. Given the birth control she’d been taking, and the condoms she’d made him wear until she felt confident the pills were doing their job, it was clear that this pregnancy was the direct result of her first and only night of unprotected intimacy with Zane. She’d fought hard to avoid this exact situation by abstaining from sex, and by giving in to temptation, she’d managed to lose her virginity and wind up pregnant at the same time. It didn’t seem fair, and onlookers would have deemed her crazy when she unexpectedly began to pound on the steering wheel while sobbing uncontrollably and unleashing a barrage of profanity.
Five minutes passed before Jenna managed to calm herself. The time on her car’s stereo display read 3:06 pm. She knew her former roommate’s routine well and knew her friend would likely be home. Leigh’s shift at Family Burger ended at 2:00 pm, and the girl typically killed time at the apartment before heading to her 6:00 pm evening class at the community college. Needing the support of her only true female friend, she made the short commute to the familiar complex she’d lived in for nearly four years and was relieved to see Leigh’s car in her designated parking spot. She didn’t bother calling or even texting to announce her arrival. Instead she bolted up the flight of stairs and pounded frantically on the door.
“Way to scare the shit out of me,” Leigh jokingly answered, her face and tone abruptly turning serious at the sight of her friend’s distress. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked as Jenna stormed past her into the apartment and sunk down on the broken-in sofa that had also become a good friend over the years.
Jenna said nothing for a long moment, sitting silently and staring vacantly at the carpet before suddenly bursting into tears. Leigh rushed to her side and wrapped a comforting arm around her distraught friend’s shoulders.
“What is it?” a concerned Leigh questioned as she began to rub Jenna’s back in an attempt to comfort her.
“I’m… I’m…” Jenna began, but found herself unable to speak the words.
“Shhh… it’s okay,” Leigh assured her soothingly. “Just tell me what’s going on. What happened?”
“I’m pregnant!” Jenna blurted with a wail, burying her face in her hands and weeping loudly.
“Jesus,” Leigh quietly gasped. “With Zane’s baby?”
“Yes, with Zane’s baby!” Jenna cried as she lifted her head to shoot Leigh an irritated look. “Who else?”
Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks flushed, and her nose was running slightly. She looked like a complete mess as rivulets of tears ran down her face.
“Damn, that’s… wow,” Leigh muttered, unsure how to console her friend. “I take it you just found out?”
“Mmmhmm,” Jenna sniffled. Leigh hurried to fetch her a box of tissues and quickly returned to her side.
“How far along are you?” Leigh asked while Jenna wiped her nose and dabbed the tears from her cheeks.
“Three months, I think,” Jenna’s trembling voice answered. “God, I’m so stupid. We didn’t use protection the first night we had sex. I mean, we have every other time, but not that first night.”
“That’s really shitty,” Leigh remarked, still uncertain how to reply and treading as lightly as possible.
“I’m that girl who gets pregnant her first time,” Jenna sighed. “What are the odds of that?”
Thinking Jenna had misspoken or that she’d simply misheard her, Leigh didn’t probe and steered the conversation in a different direction.
“Does Zane know?”
“No. I just found out,” Jenna sniffled again. “I don’t know if I can tell him. He’s such a great guy, but he’s never said anything about wanting kids, and this could seriously mess up his life. Mine, too.”
“What are you going to do?” Leigh asked as she brushed Jenna’s hair from her troubled face.
“I don’t know.” After a deliberative pause, she continued, “He can’t find out. He just can’t. He’s trying to expand his business to the East Coast, and this will completely ruin his plans. He’ll hate me.”
“I’m sure he won’t hate you. You’re overreacting,” Leigh assured her.
“Well, he’ll resent me, and that’s close enough,” Jenna replied. “He wants to open a branch in New York soon. He’s worked years for this. He won’t be able to do it if he’s stuck here taking care of a girl he’s only been with for three months.”
“What about you?” Leigh prodded as she resumed rubbing her friend’s back. “What do you want to do?”
“I have no idea. I love Zane so much, but I don’t think I’m ready for a baby. Not yet. Not now. Hell, I just graduated. I have a good job. One that I really like,” Jenna’s thoughts came pouring out. “I always imagined having a baby when I was, like, thirty or something. This is way too soon.”
“It’s always way too soon,” Leigh joked, hoping levity would lighten the mood. “Nobody’s ever really ready. That’s just how life works.”
“I suppose…” Jenna nodded as she grabbed another tissue and wiped more tears from her eyes. “But I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, and Zane has, too. The timing is just really bad.”
“Well, if you’re really three months along,” Leigh began hesitantly, “it’s not too late to consider… other options.”
“You mean an abortion?” Jenna swallowed hard as she mulled over the suggestion.
“Yeah,” Leigh replied. “You’d be in and out. Zane would never have to know.”
“I don’t know if I could do it,” Jenna shook her head with a sigh. “I’d feel so guilty. And I’ve never lied to Zane.”
“You need to make the decision and soon,” Leigh pointed out. “But whatever you decide to do… I’m here for you.”
She wrapped her arm around her trembling friend and held her close, the two sitting in silence as Jenna’s sobbing chest heaved. The moment was interrupted by Jenna’s phone alerting her to a new text message from Zane wondering where she’d disappeared to.
She replied that she’d dipped out for a late lunch and would be returning shortly. It was the first lie she’d ever told him, and it certainly didn’t feel good. If she had this much trouble lying through a short text message, she didn’t know if she had it in her to conceal an entire pregnancy.
Chapter Eleven
“I really need to talk to you,” Ali whispered as she sidled up next to her boss with a manila folder under her arm.
After wrapping up a lengthy phone call with a potential client, Zane had ventured from his office to the firm’s design studio under the guise of overseeing the progress of his staff’s various projects. His real intent, however, was to discreetly steal a kiss from Jenna, yet he found her missing from her workstation.
He quickly checked the break room but didn’t find her there either, and headed back into the studio where he lingered by her computer under the assumption she was using the restroom. When she still hadn’t returned after ten minutes, he texted her out of worry and she’d replied seconds later to tell him that she was grabbing a bite to eat. Relieved, he popped his cell phone back into the breast pocket of his jacket and turned his attention to the head of his accounting department.
“Do you have a second?” she asked with a look of concern.
“I do. Follow me,” he politely smiled as they made their way down the hall and into his office. He closed the door behind them and gestured for her to take a seat while he took his place behind thedesk.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asked, folding his hands across his lap.
“Remember those two accounts I told you about? The Kroger and Tanque Verde Ranch accounts? The missing money?”
“I do,” Zane nodded.
“Well…” Ali began as she opened up the manila folder she’d been carrying. “I found one more.”
She pushed her horned-rimmed glasses up with her index finger and handed three printouts to Zane. She looked at him nervously while he r
eviewed the information she’d presented him with.
“Interesting,” he replied stoically as his blue eyes scanned the first page.
“Right? Another mystery account. This one’s more recent, too. Hotel Congress. Says we spent twenty grand on their account three months ago, but there’s no record of where that money went,” Ali explained as she fidgeted in her chair.
“I see that,” Zane muttered as he leaned back in his seat and continued to digest the documents while rubbing his chin in thought. “Hotel Congress. I didn’t even know they were a client of ours.”
“Me neither,” Ali shrugged, “but it says Mr. Miller brought them on board.”
“Indeed it does,” Zane agreed as he flipped the page and spotted Phil’s signature on the client contract form.
“Between this and those other two accounts, that’s one hundred thousand dollars we’re missing,” Ali gulped.
“Wait, that other eighty thousand was never accounted for?” Zane asked in shocked agitation.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” a flustered Ali squeaked.
“I assigned Phil to that months ago now,” Zane hissed angrily. “He assured me he’d take care of it. He didn’t stop by accounting to discuss it with you?”
“N-n-no…” Ali stuttered, her body beginning to shake with fear.
Remembering his accountant’s timid, fragile nature, Zane reeled in his emotions. He straightened his tie and flashed her a fake smile as he feigned a calm composure.
“I see,” he replied. “He was supposed to handle it. Perhaps it slipped his mind. I’ll meet with him and get back to you.”
“Thank you.”
“In the meantime, don’t mention a word of this to anybody, got it?” Zane insisted.
“Yes, sir,” Ali nodded.
“Not one word. Not even to Phil. You keep this strictly between us,” he reiterated. His eyes widened to express the importance of their confidentiality.
“Yes, sir,” she repeated as she readjusted her glasses again.
Rising from his seat, he guided her out of the room and asked his secretary to summon Phil Miller. He closed his office door and returned to his desk, turning his chair to take in the beauty of the shadows falling across the city’s mountainous backdrop. His view of the landscape’s setting sun was short lived, interrupted within seconds by the ringing of his office phone.
