Three Girls and a Baby

by Rachel Schurig

  Jen arrived shortly later, and Annie turned off the TV so she could fill her in.

  “I can’t believe it,” Jen hissed once Annie had finished the story. “I cannot believe she fired you, just like that.”

  “It’s because of the pregnancy,” I said flatly. “I know it is.”

  Annie gasped. “Did she say that?” she demanded.

  “No, she was very careful about how she worded it. But she said…” I swallowed, hard. “She said she wasn’t sure if I was the most appropriate person to be around impressionable children.”

  Annie swore.

  It had been awful. The kids were already on their way to school, having been driven by a neighbor. Jill was upstairs. Kelsie wouldn’t even let me go up to say goodbye. And the way she had looked at me when she told me…it was a look I had seen countless times before. I had seen it on the faces of teachers, on the faces of other girls as they whispered about me behind their hands, on the face of my own mother. She thought I was a whore. She thought I was bad for her kids.

  “She can’t get away with this,” Jen said. “Firing someone over pregnancy is illegal.”

  “What am I gonna do?” I asked bitterly. “Sue her? Lawyers aren’t exactly in the budget right now. Besides, it’s not like the work arrangement was really on the up-and-up to start with.” Annie and I had always been paid under the table, meaning the families we sat for didn’t report paying us and we, in turn, didn’t have to pay taxes.

  “She gave her some severance too,” Annie told Jen. “Probably trying to cover her ass.”

  “Well that’s good at least,” Jen said brightly. “How much did you get?”

  “One month’s wages,” I said flatly. I suppose I should have been was grateful: I could have gotten nothing. But what was I going to do when the month ran out? Jen had finally succeeded in getting me to sit down and make some plans. She had been right: there were several programs I would qualify for to help me with expenses. I probably would have been okay if I would have been able to work until the baby came. But now…

  “Okay, so we readjust the plan,” Jen said firmly. “You have a month to find a job. You have a college degree; you’re going to be able to find something. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be some income.”

  I looked at her, surprised again at her ability to smooth things over for me, to take control of a situation and make it make sense for me. Jen had never been the most forceful of the three of us. I wondered what else had changed in the years I had been so caught up in Josh.

  “We’ll put your resume up online. I’ll help you.” Annie said. “You’ve always wanted out of that job anyhow. Well, now you are.”

  “But I’m pregnant,” I moaned. “I’m about to become a single mother and I don’t have a job. It would have been hard enough to raise this baby alone. How on earth am I going to do it if I’m unemployed?”

  “Hang on a second,” Annie said, holding up her hand. “What’s this crap about you raising the baby alone?”

  I stared at her. “Annie, Josh dumped me. I can’t even get the courage up to call him. I’d say that’s pretty much the definition of alone.”

  “I’m not talking about Josh,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m talking about us. We’re going to help you raise the baby.”

  “Duh. She knows that, Annie.” Jen scoffed.

  But Annie was looking at me closely. “I’m not so sure she does,” she murmured.

  “Ginny, don’t be ridiculous. Of course we’re helping you!”

  I felt tears start to well in my eyes. “I didn’t want to assume anything…”

  “Ginny, we’re all going to stay here together once the baby comes,” Jen said firmly. “We’ll help you take care of it for as long as you’ll let us. Okay?”

  “Yeah. I, for one, am really looking forward to being an auntie,” Annie said, nudging me with her elbow and smiling. “I’m going to teach this kid everything I know about music and art. He or she is going to be the coolest pre-schooler on the block.”

  I felt too overwhelmed to speak, so I just smiled back at them.

  “Something good actually happened last week,” Jen added, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “I didn’t want to tell you before, because I thought, well, because you’ve been so worried about money, and, well—”

  “Jen, spit it out already!” Annie demanded.

  “Well, okay. I got a promotion this week... and it comes with a raise. A pretty good one, actually.”

  “Jen!” I gasped. “That’s awesome! Congratulations!” Jen worked at an event planning firm downtown. She absolutely loved her job. A promotion would be a major deal for her. “Why on earth didn’t you tell us?”

  “I didn’t want you to think I was, like, bragging, or rubbing it in, when you’ve been so worried about things.”

  I felt horrible that she would think that way, but I didn’t know what to say so I just hugged her and congratulated her again.

  “But the point is,” Jen continued, “that I think it’s only fair that I pay some more into rent than before.”

  “No way!” I said. “Absolutely not. It is not your job to subsidize me.”

  “I’m actually not offering, Ginny,” Jen said flatly. “If you remember, the rental is in my name. I pay the landlord every month. If I choose to not cash your checks for a while, I am perfectly in my right.”

  My eyes filled with tears again. “I can’t let you do that,” I whispered. “Jen, I can’t.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Get a grip, Ginny,” she said. “Did you not hear everything we just said about helping you raise the baby? The money’s not that big a deal, and it’s not forever. ”

  “It is a big deal,” I argued, but she cut me off.

  “Listen, I didn’t want to get all cheesy on you, but you’re forcing me. You have no one to blame but yourself for the sappiness I am about to spout, understand?”

  I nodded, smiling weakly.

  “You’re like my sister,” Jen continued. “You’re family, Ginny. And so is this baby. So I have every intention of doing what I can to help you and the baby get through the rough patches. And there’s not much you can do about it. You have to take help from family, right?”

  “My family’s never been much in the helping line,” I muttered.

  “Well, we’re your family now,” Jen said firmly. “And this is how things are going to go in our family. Deal with it.”

  * * *

  Over the next few days, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved. I had enough money to live off of for a little while, particularly if rent wasn’t going to be as much of a concern. I still wasn’t happy about Jen’s offer, but I decided for once to stop worrying and just accept the help, particularly as there didn’t appear to be much I could do about it. And I had to admit: it was really, really nice to not have to go to work.

  I found that I felt much better—not just in the morning, but all day long, when I didn’t have to wake up so early. After a few good nights’ rest, my appetite started increasing, and foods and smells didn’t make me so nauseous. The ever-present body aches even started decreasing after a few days. I wasn’t sure if it was just my body moving further into the pregnancy, or the increase in sleep, or even the lack of stress. Regardless of the cause, I was feeling better than I had since finding out I was pregnant.

  I let myself rest for a few days before I started the job search in earnest. There wasn’t much to look at, to be honest. I had the bad luck of becoming an unemployed single mother in the worst recession in Michigan’s history. Even fast food places weren’t hiring. I turned in a few applications and sent out some query letters, but my efforts pretty much stalled there.

  Annie, on the other hand, came home with great news the week after I was so unexpectedly fired. The community theater where she had been doing some production work had offered her a position as a youth educator. The pay was miniscule, but it was a full-time, real life job in theater. She could quit nannying and fo
cus all her energy on the field she loved. I was thrilled for her, but I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter. Both of my roommates now had good news on the job front—would I ever get to join them?

  But then, to my great surprise, the good luck did not end with Annie and Jen. Two weeks after I was fired I got my first lead: Annie’s mom knew a woman who worked at a small independent bookstore. They were about to start looking for a full-time store clerk, and, if I wanted, she would put in a good word for me before the job was posted. I sent her my resume right away and kept my fingers crossed.

  I was thrilled, and more than a little surprised, when I got a call from the manager only two days later, asking if I would be interested in coming in for an interview. After setting up the day and time with the man from the book shop, and thanking him profusely for the opportunity, I immediately called Jen at work. She promised to come straight home at six and run through interview questions with me. It was strange to be excited about something work-related. It was certainly not a feeling I had much experience with.

  Chapter Ten

  The store, Just Books, was housed in an oldish brick building next to a small restaurant in Rochester, a cute little city about twenty minutes away from our house. Inside, the shelves overflowed with books, creating a cozy, cluttered atmosphere. There were several big, cushy chairs spaced throughout the shelves, and a few were filled with people leisurely reading. I fell in love with it immediately, and knew that even if I didn’t get the job, it would be a store I would frequent often.

  I approached the register, where an older woman with graying hair was reading a well-worn paperback. “Excuse me,” I said, causing her to look up. She smiled at me, and I continued. “I’m supposed to meet with Luke at two, for an interview? My name is Ginny McKensie.”

  “Of course,” she said pleasantly. “I’m Beth. I’m friends with Mrs. Duncan.”

  “Oh, Beth, thank you so much!” She smiled at me.

  “No problem at all; Mrs. Duncan has always been very fond of you.”

  “Well, I appreciate it. I was starting to get a little desperate!”

  “Don’t mention it. Just one moment.” She stood and weaved her way through the shelves toward a back door. I took the opportunity to browse through the display tables nearest me. From what I could see, they had a great selection.

  “Ginny?” A male voice came from just next to me, startling me and causing me to drop the book in my hands. I spun in his direction and immediately caught my breath. I was staring at the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life.

  * * *

  Luke Wright looked to be a few years older than me, though it was hard to tell as I immediately started blushing and had to look away each time he caught my gaze on his face. He was very tall, and had dark hair and eyes. He wore black plastic rimmed glasses and a soft grey sweater with jeans. He would look like your typical sensitive book store type, if it wasn’t for his athletic build. It had been a long time since I had been attracted to anyone but Josh, but Luke was completely and totally hot.

  We were sitting in a small, messy office just off the back of the sales floor. Luke was reading over my resume but any minute I would have to start answering his questions. I tried to gather myself and calm down. Drooling probably wouldn’t help my employment chances.

  “So, you majored in English and worked on a creative writing magazine at State,” he said, looking up at me at last.

  I nodded wordlessly. Smooth.

  “And what have you been doing since graduation?”

  I cleared my throat, which felt ridiculously dry all of a sudden. “I’ve been working as a nanny in Bloomfield Hills,” I said.

  “And why did you leave that job?” he asked politely. Jen and I had rehearsed this question several times. Under no circumstances was I supposed to tell him about the pregnancy.

  “Um, I got pregnant and the mother I worked for wasn’t happy about it,” I blurted out, then immediately slammed my hands over my mouth. Oh my God, did I seriously just say that? Out loud?

  Luke’s surprised face assured me that I had indeed said it out loud. “I’m sorry,” I said quickly, trying to get a hold of myself. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. I’m pretty nervous.”

  Luke smiled kindly. “Please don’t be nervous. And there’s no need to apologize for being pregnant. We do, on occasion, hire people who have had babies before, though we try not to make a habit of it.” He smiled again and his eyes flashed. He was teasing me! Somewhere deep inside, my well-practiced, but long-neglected, flirting instincts were firing up. I couldn’t help but smile back.

  “To tell you the truth, I was very ready to leave that job. Nannying didn’t fulfill my creative passions or talents in the slightest.”

  “And what would those passions be?” he asked, leaning slightly closer over the desk towards me. Was I crazy, or had his voice just dropped a fraction of an inch? Could he be flirting too?

  “I love the written word,” I answered, also leaning forward slightly. “Reading, writing, you name it. I’ll read just about anything you put in front of me. I like all different genres.” He nodded, so I continued. “I love your store,” I said intensely. “I can really see myself here.” I gave him my brightest smile.

  He smiled in response. “You know, I think I can see that myself,” he said. “And your resume looks pretty good. What kind of hours would you be able to work if I brought you in?” His words were benign, but there was something still flashing in his eyes, something I was responding to without trying.

  “I’m pretty much available whenever,” I replied, my voice sounding kind of husky in my ears. God, what was I doing? I was totally flirting with this guy, this guy that I wanted desperately to hire me. I was in danger of screwing this up, and I needed this job. I sat up straighter, pulling back from the table a little.

  “Good,” he said. Was I imaging things, or did he look slightly flustered? “So what we’re looking for here is someone to work the floor, primarily,” Luke continued, sounding more serious now. “You’d have to assist customers, put out stock, and operate the register. You’ve done those kinds of things before at your previous jobs, I take it?” he glanced back at my resume.

  “Yes, I could definitely handle those duties.”

  “I’m also looking for someone who might be able to help me with some of the office stuff,” he said, gesturing around the cluttered, messy room. “I don’t mind telling you, I’m a little overwhelmed here. Ideally, I’m looking for someone who wouldn’t mind assisting me with ordering, bookkeeping, that sort of thing. Does that interest you at all?”

  I tried to pull my mind away from listing the many ways I would be willing to assist this man.

  “That wouldn’t be a problem,” I replied.

  “Great.” He smiled and did that eye flashy thing again. My throat was feeling distinctly dry. “Well then, I’d be very happy to offer you this job.”

  “Really?” I practically squealed. “Mr. Wright, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much!”

  “It’s my pleasure,” he smiled. “And please, call me Luke. So, when would you be able to start?”

  “Does Monday work for you?” I asked.

  “Sure thing. We open at ten, so the morning shift starts at nine thirty. You’ll be training with me for the first week, and then we’ll see about you taking some shifts on your own. Sound good?”

  “It sounds perfect!”

  Luke stood—God, he was so tall. And gorgeous. I followed suit, and he led me back to the front of the store. When we reached the front door, he handed me a stack of papers. “These are your employment forms, tax info, that kind of stuff. There’s also details in there about your pay and benefits.” I felt like an idiot. I hadn’t even thought to ask about pay or benefits. Put a hot man in front of me and all thought and reason leave my mind.

  Luke held open the door and smiled down at me. He was standing very close to me, and his eyes seemed to burn into mine. I wondered if he knew the effect he was ha
ving on me.

  “It was great meeting you, Ginny. I’m looking forward to Monday.”

  “Me too,” I stammered, smiling back as I walked past him and out into the cold. My face felt flushed as I hurried to my car. Once I was inside, I immediately pulled out my cell phone. “Jen?” I said a moment later. “I got the job. And I think I’m in love.”

  Chapter Eleven

  For the next few days I felt like I was walking on air. I was so excited about the new job, and about the fact that I was actually sorting my life out—a little bit at a time. Jen and Annie seemed very happy for me, and probably relieved that I was coming out of the doldrums.

  The night after the interview, I told them all about Luke and his gorgeousness. Annie was very interested, but Jen looked at me so sternly throughout my story that I finally stopped talking.

  “Okay, what’s the problem, Jen?” I asked.

  “Do you really think it’s appropriate to be flirting with your boss?” she asked sniffily. “Particularly when you are pregnant with another guy’s baby? Who you haven’t even told about the baby, by the way.”

  “Give her a break,” Annie scoffed. “She’s allowed to look at other guys!”

  “I just don’t think it’s appropriate,” Jen insisted.

  “Jen, as you’ve never been pregnant, let me just fill you in on one little side-effect,” I said. “For the last four weeks I’ve been hornier than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  Annie snorted.

  “Seriously,” I continued. “My hormones are insane right now. And I haven’t gotten so much as a pat on the arm from a guy since this baby was made. A saint would have been turned on by this man, what chance did I have?”

  “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “I’m not going to get hurt. Of course nothing is going to come from it. He’s just gorgeous, and very fun to look at.”

  “You never know,” Annie argued. “Maybe it will be like a fairy tale. You’re single, desperate, pregnant. He’s gorgeous, successful. He’ll sweep you off your feet and save you from yourself.”