WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT WHEN CARMA'S INVOLVED?

VEINTITRÉS

“Miss Sanchez, it's been three days, and I've seen nor heard anything from you in response to her shenanigans outside this office.” I watched Mrs. Dipshit over and over because the news played her over and over.

My morning was not about to start by getting reprimanded because his son didn’t know his ass from his elbow. I assured Román that Captain Simmons knew Alixxander would have no part in his wife’s frivolous made-up stories, threats, or lawsuits. As for her, I sent over a revised copy of the divorce papers and was in the process of finding out who her new lawyer was because she fired the first one already. In the same breath, I respectfully asked him not to interfere again. My job is to get the desired result they require. If he couldn’t agree to my terms, I was going to bow out and hand the case over to someone else.

Did he like being firmly spoken to? You bet your booty he did not. Inhaling deeply, then exhaling loudly, he agreed to fully cooperate with my terms. Having him sneak around behind my back, like he did to Alixxander, cannot happen. He had Carma tailed and sent me excellent footage, but it was all from before they were married. It can be used to show a pattern, but Alixxander had first-hand knowledge of her escapades. While distasteful to normal people, Carma could claim they had an open relationship. It would turn into a back and forth of he said she said, and I want to avoid baseless accusations and having to be face to face with her.

My first appointment with an OB-GYN was coming up. I already knew how far along I was and the exact date of the encounter aiding in conception. I was also suffering from NVP. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Two of my sisters suffered from it and I thought it was funny because I would never have to deal with it. God's way of punishing and teaching me a lesson all wrapped up with a nice neat bow.

Coffee was no longer one of my favorite food groups, it made me sick. I'm good with salad and anything bland tasting. I managed to keep my condition under wraps, while staying away from Alixxander, and busting my ass on the twelve cases added to the three I already had. With that much work, I took home two cases of Alixxander's when I could. For a man that graduated at the top of his class, his work wasn't worth the money his daddy paid out in tuition. This sh*t required a bath before diving into the first of the two cases. Just as I got comfy on my chaise lounge, there was a loud bang.

Rushing to the door and looking through the peephole, I saw Alixxander standing in front of his door shaking his left hand. It was the first time I had seen him in the past few days. The loud bang was from striking the metal door to his apartment. I know because I witnessed him do it again before going inside. If I had gone over there, it would have been the caring thing to do. Staying put and avoiding him unless necessary was the safer alternative. Did his anger have something to do with me carrying his baby? It’s a possibility. It could be his wife too. With no impromptu television appearances, it might not be her either. Shaking it off, I had work to tend to. If only I could concentrate.

“Alixxander, I'm pregnant.” Fricken frack. That sentence made me smile and at the same time set my heart aflame and turned it to ash. Because of Alixxander, I canceled my date with Arianna, but rescheduled for lunch on Saturday. I hate lying, but I'm not ready to disclose my predicament to anyone.

Propping my feet up made me wish I'd taken Alixxander up on his offer for a foot rub. I still could. Making it to the door, I did a one eighty. Something as simple as a foot rub could lead to other things. When I told him I needed time to process, I didn't think he'd get drunk and spend a wild night with his wife. When he left, I cried myself to sleep. I'm an adult and was fully aware of what happens when sperm reaches an egg. Our first time wasn't the winner. He may have pulled out the second time, but there's precum, or he didn't exit stage left on time. Whatever it was, it is what it is. When he called me at one in the morning talking 'bout a club and needing a ride, I didn't know what to think. Before I could ask, the call dropped.

Seeing Carma bashing his windshield with the heel of her pump made me realize I didn’t belong in his world. It was never going to work in any capacity because his heart clung to that woman. She was the true holder of his love. I was too upset to ask him relevant questions. In my experience, the guilty often sing like a canary before a question gets asked. What I saw made me angry. My momma always said to calm down before talking things over, so you don't say things you don't mean and will later regret. Alixxander's drunk ass didn't want to stay silent. Since he wanted to squawk, I wanted to know why she was outside my residence when I came home from work. All he cared about was how I addressed him.

The plan was to let him sleep it off on my sofa. As I unlocked my apartment, he crawled across the hall to the empty one, pulled out his keys, and fumbled trying to line the key up with the hole. And there you have it, that's how I found out he was staying there. He had passed out and that gave me the perfect opportunity to snoop around. Everything was empty except his closet. I felt bad for him all over again. I came to my senses and figured the least I could do was give him a chance to tell me about the events leading up to the point when I showed up. It didn't go very well from the moment he woke up, and he walked away from me.

Before I could confront him at work, I found Kimmie with her ear to his office door. She had to answer the phone, but nothing stopped me from eavesdropping. Let's just say the more I heard how inarticulately he spoke about me and how he offered to handle the mess his wife was making, I became positive he was not the father I wanted for my child. I didn't bother to listen to another word. Coming back when the coast was clear of my boss was safer.

When I did return, Kimmie was gone, and the door was ajar. I had my orders, and I was there to collect his cases. As if I needed extra work. Trying to get him to do the things I needed of him was as difficult as getting him to see clearly through his mess. Then I slipped up. I was raised by two conflicting parents. My momma would tell me if I ain't got nothin' nice to say, don't say anything at all. My father told me to tell the truth, no matter what. I told a partial truth and a partial lie.

It wasn't him yelling at the top of his lungs about our sleeping together that bothered me. It was, “You're as bad as she is.” That drove the knife through my back and into my heart. To hurt him back, I told him Evan bailed his wife out. Did it work? I walked out, so I don't know.

Kimmie had done me a favor with the way she had the case files situated. Getting comfy once more, the first case had an offer higher than Alixxander asked for, but there were a few stipulations I didn't like. Looking at the date of the letter, I was furious to see it was sent two weeks ago. It was almost seven, but that didn't stop me from giving Mr. Veira a call. After explaining that Alexander took some personal time, he agreed to listen. After forty-five minutes of oversimplifying for his benefit, he was fine with the stipulations and happier than a pig in sh*t with the amount they offered. He agreed to come in and sign the papers tomorrow and I would call the insurance company to get the ball rolling on their end.

The next case wasn't as simple. Alixxander had a habit of making over-the-top demands and expected people to cave under pressure. Ms. Burmingham had been waiting almost two years for her case to be settled. She lost two limbs after being hit by a man in a stolen car that was being chased by police. Because the car was stolen, the insurance company refused to take responsibility. In the original statement, the owner of the vehicle said he left the key in the car, then recanted and said he had the key the entire time. I couldn't do anything more tonight because a ton of calls needed to be made. That freed me up.