Terra looked mildly disappointed. “If you say so, but I think we should at least consider the option. You know, we could even level a threat against John for his part in your misery. I can’t believe he would ever think you could do something like this. I’m going to tell Lindsey not to publish that article about him. It’s all kinds of wrong to put him in a positive spotlight when he’s treating you like this.”
Thinking about John made Adrianna’s chest tighten and her stomach churn. She’d forgotten about the interview and the impending article. “Maybe we should ask her to hold off for a bit. I mean, everything could work itself out. Who knows?” She gestured around the room to all the paintings, both complete and in various stages of progress. “You don’t happen to need a manager or someone to do your bookkeeping or promotional stuff, do you? I might be looking for a job in a week or so.”
Crossing her arms, Terra screwed up her face. “You are not going to lose your job over this. I’m sure evidence against this slimy little snake is going to come out, and you’ll look squeaky clean in the end.”
Maybe, but… “What about John?” she asked quietly.
Terra came over and drew her into a tight hug. “If he’s going to walk out on you and your child because of a heinous, false accusation, he’s not worth mourning. You’re a strong woman, and you can take care of you and the baby. And you deserve better, so you’ll find it, when the time is right.”
But Adrianna had one of those awful thoughts that she knew all women who realized they were madly in love could have. I don’t want better, I want John. It was silly, but it was true.
“We’re going to have a girls’ night out. I’m going to call everyone, and we’re going to our favorite bar, and I know you can’t drink, but we’re going to find a way to cheer you up.” Terra was definitely determined to fix Adrianna’s mood, and while it was nice to have someone care that much, she didn’t feel like going out, and she knew nothing was going to make her forget her woes right now.
Still, she agreed and headed home to eat something heavier than yogurt and get ready for an evening out.
CHAPTER 27
Rather than letting her bow out on them gracefully, all the girls had come to Adrianna’s apartment and practically forced her out the door. They were exuberant to be out, most of them having been deep in their own personal drama, and they did what they’d always done – banded together to help out a friend. Adrianna had only been the cause of this once before, with Tyrese, and this time, her pain was so much more deeply ingrained in her that she could barely even appreciate the company.
Lindsey talked her ear off as they rode the train to their stop, having apparently finally met someone decent in her online dating explorations. “His name is Greg, and he caught his fiancé cheating on him the night before their wedding. That was about two years ago, so I don’t feel like he’s on the rebound. He’s a good looking guy, not a model, but I don’t want someone who thinks too much of himself or draws too much attention from other women. And he’s a banker, so he has a good, well paying, reliable job that doesn’t require travel or a lot of hours. I think it’s a match, Adrianna. We’ve seen each other four times now, and I’m not tired of him yet. In fact, I kind of look forward to seeing him again…”
She went on and on, and Adrianna tuned out, people watching as strangers climbed on and off the train car. There were lots of young couples, going out or home or wherever their paths took them, but there were more individuals traveling alone. She wondered where they’d come from, where they were going, if they had someone to go home to.
One man was plainly talking to his wife on his cell phone, and she envied them both, his smile genuine and his eyes sparkling as he told her he couldn’t wait to get home. John had given her that look so many times, and it made her lower lip quiver as she wondered if she’d ever see that expression on his face again.
Angela, too, had good news. She and Sean were going to move in together. It was a shock to Adrianna, since Angela had never taken that step or even considered getting that close to any man. Of course, Sean seemed like a great guy, and he treated Angela like gold. She had a new light to her, and Adrianna was glad she was happy, even if her own life was falling into shambles.
Corinne avoided the topic of love life, mostly because she was very sensitive to what people were feeling and likely didn’t want to further upset Adrianna. Instead, she tried distracting her with her plans for a trip to Jamaica. “You should totally come with me. I’m going in a month, which means you won’t be showing yet and can still rock a bikini on the beach. We’ll have so much fun, just lounging in the sun and doing absolutely nothing for five days.”
It was enticing, and Adrianna promised she would think about it. Inside the bar, she felt a little out of place and ordered a Shirley Temple just to have a drink in her hand that looked like it belonged in the setting. Eventually, she ended up sitting with Terra, who was probably the only person not gushing about something going on in her life, trying to cheer Adrianna up. Curious as to why Terra was so quiet, she asked, “So, how is life as a newlywed? You haven’t said much about it since you got back from your honeymoon.”
She shrugged, sipping on her cherry vodka sour. “There’s not a lot to say. Really, not much changes between dating and marriage, and right now, we’re just waiting for the actual deployment date. I’m trying to milk everything I can out of the next two or three weeks. I’m just glad it was postponed this long. I hate the idea of him shipping out and not seeing him every day.”
There was more to it than that. “You’ll also worry about his safety. Terra, I’m sorry. In all my mess I completely forgot about Tommy’s deployment. You must be beside yourself with nerves. I shouldn’t have laid all this on you.”
Terra waved it off. “Actually, I appreciate it. Tommy’s been worried because I’m having a hard time painting. You gave me the distraction I needed so I’m not sitting around fretting all day.” She pointed to the rest of their group, waiting for their drink orders. “So, how much do you want to bet on Angela settling down permanently with Sean?”
The change of subject was obvious. Terra had more on her mind than she was talking about, but Adrianna didn’t want to push her. Instead, she tilted her head and considered Angela, whose skin glowed radiantly. She was nothing but smiles. “I think this is the one for her, and if she doesn’t run with it, she’s going to hate herself for it later. He’s good for her.”
Terra nodded. “I totally agree. I’m just waiting for her to show up with that ring on her finger one day. I know Sean’s not going to skimp on that rock.”
Adrianna had to laugh. “Can you imagine her trying to do hair with that hand weighed down? She’ll be standing lopsided, and she’ll have to build Popeye style muscles in that arm to lift it.”
She had Terra giggling, and for a few minutes, everything seemed normal, the way it all had been the last time they’d come to the bar. It seemed like so long ago when she thought about it. That had been the night she’d decided she needed to find the passionate, mind-blowing sexual relationship that had gotten her caught up in the whirlwind that was John Merritt in the first place. Now, she wondered why she’d done something so incredibly immature. Look where it had gotten her.
Refusing to think about the consequences of her actions now, she put herself back in that place, back to the single life where she’d had nothing to worry about but advancing her career and enjoying her friends. Terra was going to need her soon, when Tommy deployed, and she’d be willing to bet Angela would keep them all busy planning a wedding, if Sean proposed. Lindsey, too, was on the road to love, if this Greg didn’t turn out to be a flake. And as for Corinne, maybe Adrianna would take the vacation with her.
She went home that night, knowing she needed a plan should she lose her job as well as John. As she realized how much thought was going to have to go into that plan, she was grateful for not having drank tonight, and she rubbed her stomach, feeling a connection with her unborn child for perhaps
the first time. They would be a family, with or without John, and they would work together to make sure they had a beautiful life.
CHAPTER 28
Adrianna’s phone rang early the following morning, actually waking her up. She squinted at the clock, seeing it was only eight o’clock, and she frowned. Who would be calling this early? She grabbed it as it rang a fourth time, not even looking at the number before answering, “Hello?” in a croaking voice. She cleared her throat, hoping she didn’t sound too sleepy.
“Ms. Meredith, this is Meryl Thorpe with human resources. How are you this morning?”
A large boulder settled itself in Adrianna’s gut, and she swallowed against bile rising in her throat. “I’m alright. How are you?”
“I’m doing well. It’s going to be a beautiful day, I think, and I’m going to take my son to the park after work.” The chit-chat was surprising, and Adrianna had no idea what to say in response. “I’m calling regarding the complaint filed against you by Mr. Andrew Gomez. Do you have a moment to talk?”
This was it, she thought. She was going to lose her job and could only hope for a little severance pay until she figured something else out. She had some savings, but she’d have to make some major life changes, including finding another apartment that wasn’t so expensive. That meant moving expenses, which would deplete a lot of her savings, and she would need money to live on until she formed her plan.
Taking a deep breath to try to sooth her sick stomach, she said, “I have time.”
“Wonderful. I should start with an apology for taking so long, but we wanted to be sure the claim was thoroughly investigated. We don’t want to wrongly terminate anyone’s employment, and we certainly don’t want to smear anyone’s reputation, but we also want to be sure justice is served. We take such accusations very seriously and do our best to dig deep and find the truth of the matter.”
The preamble was killing her, and Adrianna wanted to shout into the phone to get on with it. She needed to know how fast she had to move to find another way to survive and care for her child. She didn’t need wealth, but she had to provide, and all of that rested on what the company would do for her as they let her go.
Waiting silently and on the verge of vomiting, she sat with her head resting on her free hand, her legs dangling down the side of her bed. Meryl finally spoke again. “In consideration of all the evidence and statements of a number of people, it seems that Mr. Gomez’s accusations hold no weight against you. On the other hand, we have reason to believe that your claims against him are of great concern, and we’ll be following up on that to take the appropriate action.”
The words didn’t process at first, and Adrianna looked up, her jaw dropping. Did that mean she was free and clear? “Are you saying I’ve been cleared of suspicion?”
“Yes, ma’am, and I’m sorry if this has caused you any pain or concern. We’ve already contacted your superior and let him know that you’re cleared to return to work. He should be contacting you today. Mr. Gomez remains on administrative leave until we’ve determined what action should be taken. You may be asked to give another statement later this week. Hopefully, that won’t be too much of a burden.”
Ready to laugh out loud, Adrianna stood and started pacing. Her careered hadn’t been destroyed, and she didn’t need to find another job. This was fabulous news. “No, ma’am, it’s not a burden at all. Call anytime, and if you don’t reach me, I’ll get back with you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”
She could hear the smile in Meryl’s voice. “Thank you for your cooperation. It makes my job much easier. Have a lovely day.”
Adrianna hung up and couldn’t help but shout out a cheer of joy. She called Terra right away, even as she gathered a towel and clothes so she could shower and dress, and Terra squealed with her. She felt a sense of hope for the first time since all of this had started as she stood under the water, and it was almost like she washed off the whole incident. She stepped out to towel off, and she noticed that her phone was ringing just as it dropped the caller into her voicemail.
Frowning, she finished drying and took her time getting dressed, almost certain who had called and not sure she was ready to hear John’s voice yet. She had no idea what he was going to say to her, and she certainly couldn’t imagine how she would react. If he was all business, it would be painful, but if he said anything more about breaking up, she didn’t think she could handle it.
Finally, when she was completely ready to leave the house, she picked up the phone and dialed her voicemail. Sure enough, John had left her a message. “Hi, Addy. I heard from human resources late yesterday, and they asked me not to contact you until today because they hadn’t spoken to you yet. It’s been tough for me, with everything going on. I think you should get back to work as soon as possible. You’re probably going out of your mind with boredom. Just don’t hit Virginia Beach until all of this is cleared up. I’ll be back in town next Tuesday. If you want to talk, we can get together then.”
He had hung up then, and throughout the entire message, he’d sounded odd, his voice a bit gruff and without any sort of emotion. Adrianna didn’t know what to think. He’d called her ‘Addy’; that had to be a good sign, but it didn’t mean everything was going back to the way it had been. He hadn’t even apologized for doubting her.
She would have to set the drama between them aside for now. She needed to work, to clear her head of all the distress and just get back to the status quo. She left the apartment, heading to the nearest coffee shop for an infusion of caffeine and a pastry and decided to go see Scott and ask if she could borrow his office to get caught up on some things. She just didn’t want to sit at home, and it would feel much more normal to be in a real office as she got back into the swing of things.
CHAPTER 29
Adrianna had called John back from Scott’s office, but she’d had to leave a voicemail as well. She told him she was working and would be available on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Tuesday came faster than she’d anticipated, work keeping her busy locally and making time pass far too quickly.
At first, she wanted to look her best, but then she decided it might guilt trip him if she looked as hurt as she felt. Of course, she didn’t want to manipulate him, either, so she eventually settled on a new casual blouse and a pair of jeans she’d just bought that were looser on her stomach and didn’t feel like they were going to cut her in half. She put on light makeup and left her hair down. That was about as middle of the road as she could get.
She had no idea if he would even call or where they were going to meet, and she tried to relax and read to calm her nerves. But she checked her phone every few minutes, in case she’d somehow missed a call or text. She fussed with the volume to make sure it wasn’t muted, she checked voicemail in case she’d lost signal, and finally, she tossed it on the coffee table in frustration.
By lunch, she figured John had decided against seeing her today, and she grabbed her purse, deciding to walk off her irritation with a quick trip the couple of blocks to the deli where she could get a California wrap. She flung the door open and nearly fell over as she skidded to a stop. She gawked at John, who stood, looking just as shocked, his fist in the air like he was going to hit her. “John.”
“I was just about to knock,” he clarified, dropping his hand to his side.
She stared at him, not sure if she was glad to see him or angry with him. “You didn’t call.”
His expression became sheepish. “I was hoping I’d find you at home. I thought it would be better to talk face to face.”
She stayed in the doorway, not letting him in. She crossed her arms over her chest, wanting to look angry while also hiding her vulnerability. It was like facing him down and hugging herself at the same time. “You could have called and told me you were coming.”
John turned away, not meeting her gaze. “I was afraid you wouldn’t see me.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “I’ve been an ass. I’m not going to pretend I�
�ve been a good person through all this. Can we just talk?”
Stubbornly, Adrianna stood her ground. “That depends. Are you going to accuse me of sleeping around again and using sex as a tool or weapon, whichever suited my purposes better? Are you going to tell me that I used you like that?”
He clenched his jaw. “I deserve that, I suppose. And no, I’m not going to throw any accusations at you. Will you let me in, or for the love of god come out and get some lunch with me so we can talk?” She could tell his nerves were making him edgy, and she would have felt sorry for him if she hadn’t gone through the same thing for nearly two weeks. He could handle it for five minutes.
With a reluctant shrug, she motioned for him to back up so she could step out the door, locking it behind her and leading the way down the stairs. On the street, she waited, glaring at him in expectation, and he made a face as the sun made him squint, looking up and down the street as if trying to decide which way to go.
Rolling her eyes, Adrianna made the decision herself and started toward the deli. “I don’t have time to just stand around,” she grumbled. Her stomach was screaming for sustenance, and it was affecting her mood just as much as this whole situation in general.
She didn’t speak another word until they were seated, a large cup of iced tea and a wrap with spinach, avocado, and turkey sitting in front of her. She took a bite, and it was like heaven inside her mouth. She closed her eyes, just appreciating how good it felt to eat before the storm hit.
The Boss's Baby (Interracial with Baby) (BWWM) Page 12
