Broken Lovers

Chapter 16

Six weeks later and I still couldn't get used to the presence of Nathan Anderson. He always made me feel freakish. I tried to avoid him, and whenever he spoke to me, I’d barely reply. All the other girls found him attractive, and if truth to be told, he was. But I wasn’t interested in anyone in that way. All I cared about was giving birth to my baby and eventually finding a proper job and moving out. I’d already spoken about that with Patricia, and we’d agreed to share the rent of an apartment.

It was Friday, and every Friday we had a briefing for the upcoming week. I thought it silly to have briefings in a house for single mothers, but Nathan, as a businessman, ran the home just as he dealt with all his businesses. As usual, I only half-listened, and came close to dropping off, but I was jolted back to the present when I heard him say, "And Maya will help me in the office."

Before I managed to react, another of the girls, Maria, expressed her dissatisfaction. "Why does Maya always get the easy jobs? She hasn't been in the kitchen since you came here… or in the garden… or on the cleaning… or in…"

"Every job is attributed according to a person’s skills."

"So you believe I have no skills!" I exclaimed.

"I believe you’re good at organizing and ensuring that everything is in place. That’s why I’ve assigned you the office duty."

Maria pouted in no uncertain fashion.

"I am not asking you, ladies,” Nathan said. “I’m informing you. This meeting is over." He got up and left the room.

The situation reminded me of the time I joined Liam's firm. Everybody liked me at first, but as soon as he started showing interest in me, everybody turned, even Cynthia, who I’d thought was my friend. And look what happened there. She was now engaged to Liam and I was in a house for single mothers.

*****

On Monday morning, I showed up at Nathan’s office, as instructed. He smiled when he saw me, then set me to work, showing me how he wanted things done. Later on, he let me leave early because I said I wasn’t feeling very well.

Patricia was already in our room, having finished her shift in the laundry. "How come you’re back so soon?" she asked.

"I was feeling queasy, so Nathan told me to get some rest."

"He’s got the hots for you.”

"Don’t be ridiculous!"

"He’s always looking at you and he only has you do jobs that require minimum to zero effort.”

“Rubbish!”

 “And he was asking me about you."

"Really?"

Particia nodded. "Yes. He wanted to know where you lived before coming here, if the father of your baby didn't want it and if that's how you came to be living here."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you lost your job and had nowhere to go. As for the father of the baby, I told him you don't like to talk about it."

I was annoyed. "You had no business saying anything."

"Can't you see the guy’s interested in you? It could be your chance to give your baby a father.”

“I’m not interested… especially in him. Besides, even if I was, he must have women falling over themselves to get to him. What would he want with a woman carrying another man’s child? You’re talking nonsense, and in future, do me a favor and don’t talk about me to other people!”