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

VEINTICUATRO

My night was spent tossing and turning. Sometime during the wee hours of the early morning, I flipped the covers off and decided to watch the sun rise. The office was locked up tight when I arrived. Kenny, the maintenance man, let me in. We chatted for a few minutes like we also do when there’s time between the hustle and bustle of working hours. Then it was straight to my office to work on the documents for Mr. Veira’s signature. They took longer than expected, but once I was satisfied everything was in order, I walked them down to the receptionist’s desk. Tearing a sticky note from the pad, I left short instructions. Plenty of time remained for me to make a courtesy call. Jeffrey, the claim specialist handling Ms. Burmingham’s claim was uncooperative and unprofessional. Not liking what I had to say, the clown hung up on me. Twice. He should’ve thanked his lucky stars that I had a baby appointment to get to.

Anyone’s first visit to a doctor has got to be nerve-wracking. I know mine was. The second I opened the door, couples were scattered. Whether they were happy or not, they were there together. Being alone had me wanting to turn tail and run for the nearest cave. I made my bed. The time had come for me to lie in it until I bought a new bed. The nurse behind the computer checked me in and handed me a booklet to fill out. Halfway through my life story, I heard my name. Frankly, it felt like a walk of shame. Before anything, a urine sample was requested. When the appointment was over, I had to go to the lab for a blood draw. The fun didn't stop. On the table sat a paper johnny. There I was on the wax paper-covered table, paper johnny open in the front, covered with a paper blanket. Did all women find their first time so weird? Who sat around thinking about how to make a woman even more uncomfortable than she already was?

A single knock and a male doctor entered. Introductions were exchanged. The deep creamy voice expelled from a man so young soothed some of my anxiety. Looking at my chart and with caution, he asked if congrats were in order. It was nice of him to assume nothing. Employing my biggest grin, I said my best friend donated. Poor guy was utterly confused at first. All the partial truths I’d spoken were destined to eat me alive.

The examination commenced with Dr. Roberts taking the time to ensure my comfort by going into extreme detail before touching me. My only grievance. It felt like he rummaged around in my stomach. Exam over. K-Y clean up began. A nurse waited outside my room to escort me to another room. Sonogram time. A million questions were asked before the tech began. The grapefruit-sized being on the monitor was our baby. Our baby. Wow. The realization of how fast life can change is like a bonk to the back of the head. It’s something you never anticipate. The tech drew me from my thoughts to ask if I was interested in knowing the gender. Who wouldn't?

Before telling me, I was handed a stack of photos. Baby’s first photo shoot. Girl. I was ecstatic. Theme picked? Done. Name? How adorable would it be to be named after her dad? A variation. Alixxandra Ryan Savage. Unfortunately, we are not a family in any sense of the word. Instead of bursting my bubble, I browsed through some shops. I wanted to buy everything I liked in every size available. Transitioning from expectant mother to lawyer took some doing. I had everything under control.

Ms. Burmingham’s accident may have been over two years ago, but an incident like that is not something a first responder, bystander, or witness will forget. I have the police report. Julius Caesar, not joking, the tow truck driver, was who I wanted to speak with. His recollection was straightforward. Like the officers reported, Julius said the key fob was in the cupholder. He never met the vehicle’s owner and was never handed a key. It was already there. I thanked him for his time, handed my card over and told him I'd be in touch. Alixxander collected this information. But his thoroughness and mine vary greatly.

“Miss Sanchez, nice of you to show up to work.” My spirit was not ready to deal with the obnoxious Travis Savage.

I’m tellin’ ya. He had some fcking nerve. Where was he at six this morning when I showed up? I closed one of his brother’s cases within hours of taking it home to work on. What did he get done? How many cases did he have? While I worked on his brother’s fcking divorce, my two cases, and the eleven others dropped in my lap, I managed to juggle my fcked up personal life. I knew what my job was and how to do it properly. Then I suggested that he take a few of his brother’s cases off my hands. Since he had so much free time on his own. If only I had stopped there. Nope. I told him it would benefit the firm if he settled out of court with acceptable amounts. To this day, I blame the outburst on hormones. If asked back then, it was PMS. The truth? You can’t han.... Nah, messing with ya. Travis hit my ‘self-destruct on a Savage man’ button.

Rounding the corner after my rant/meltdown, Román. That man had impeccable timing. He demanded to know the answers to the questions I asked. Travis stammered. His own father put him on blast over his less than stellar lawyering skills throughout the past year. Not only that, but Travis walked into the office mere moments before I did. His wife wasn’t feeling well. When someone points a finger, they should remember there are three pointing at themselves.

“I'm going to tell you the same fcking thing I told your brother. Let Miss Sanchez do her job. I am the head honcho around here. You fcking nimrods have forgotten that. You are more than welcome to join your brother if you need a break. Fcking grown-ass adult men acting like children, needing constant direction from me. Get your fcking act together and get out of my face.”

Román refused to accept my apology for speaking out of turn to Travis. Actually, he was proud I stood up for myself. Bullying females is high on his list of things men should not do. If that’s the case, why do his sons do it? I didn’t ask him that. Román praised my work ethic, which boosted my confidence. As if I needed it. Unlike his knuckleheaded sons, I did not crack under the pressure. Not yet. If my workload became too much, I would admit defeat. But not before pouring my blood, sweat, and tears into it.

Román asked to speak with me in private. Hearing him out before jumping to my death from conclusions was only logical. He apologized to me. Only after speaking with his wife about my lack of gumption regarding Carma, did he learn the error of his way. A woman I’d never met thought it showed my intelligence and respect. It made sense not starting a public war with Carma. God only knew what she had on Alixxander or his family that she would throw to the bloodthirsty media. For crying out loud, Carma is a thorn in everyone’s side. Every detail of the relationship and marriage would be scraped with a fine-toothed comb. Whoever else that woman entertained within the time frame would face the same scrutiny. Stooping to her level was what she wanted. I didn’t need to go there to win. Román also informed me that Mr. Veira was a happy camper.

“Your son slacked. People don't think before doing stupid things. It's only when they find themselves in an unthinkable situation. You might hate Carma, but your son truly loves her.”

“If only you were married to one of my pea-brained sons. Possibly carrying my grandbaby. All would be right with the world.” One out of two wasn't bad. Alixxander must’ve slipped up about us.

Out of nowhere, I began to feel unwell. I excused myself to retrieve my purse and briefcase. A last second thought was to grab two more client files before heading home to rest. Riding the elevator to my apartment worsened my nausea, but the cool stainless-steel walls kept the sizzling heat of my own body at bay. The thump, thump, thump of music reverberated around the sealed box I was in. The higher I rose, the louder it got. As soon as the doors opened, I stepped out and looked in the direction of Alixxander’s place.

His door was slightly ajar. Maybe he didn’t know. Cautiously, I walked over and knocked. A woman in lingerie opened the door wider, showing off her not-so good goodies. The chick was genuinely confused when I asked for Alixxander. Pushing her aside, I searched from room to room. He was upstairs with a tiny blonde bouncing on his pecker. Why didn't I turn around and act like I had never entered his place? Because I'm the biggest fcking joker to walk the earth. I watched the tiny figure disappear under him as he rolled. If it weren't for her legs, someone would assume he was humping the mattress. Alixxander finished, rolled onto his back, and slapped his arm over his eyes. Props for wearing a condom. Was it a compliment? You know. Not suiting up with me. Or did I fall prey and allow him to take advantage?

He yelled out. “Jackie, bring a bottle up.”

“Name's Harmoney. Guess I'm just that darn easy to forget.”

He shot up. Bet he never moved that fast before. He knew I was there. I saw. I turned and left. My name sounded different as his worry intensified. I don’t know what happened. I had temporarily gone deaf. I looked over my shoulder because he had fallen down the stairs. Alixxander popped up like nothing happened, so I continued my exit. Had my door already been unlocked, he would've never caught up with me.

“Would you wait?”

“I should've never entered your apartment. My bad.”

“Fcking Christ, Harmoney. Are you jealous?” Was I jealous? That woman reminded me of the Grinch’s heart. She was ten sizes too small for him. No, I wasn't jealous. More like disappointed. The little grapefruit made me rethink keeping him away. If he could do strange women, was he ready to be a father?

Inside my briefcase was a card to Alixxander. A sincere message that took forever finding just the right words was written inside. Also, a few of the sonogram pictures. “Here, I thought we could name her Alixxandra Ryan. Because of Carma.” I had to stop, or else tears would start.

“Are you saying that to hurt me?”

“The fact that you think I'm like her proves why we will never work. Or anyone, for that matter.”

That fcked up mind of his was convinced we could be together once his divorce was finalized. If I got moving on it. As for the name, who cared if Carma found out? His fairytale land must be nice. Alixxander is a big boy. His actions had consequences that he didn’t want to deal with. Unfortunately, Carma was both sides of that coin.

Being bogged down with the clients he forgot about put a damper on starting anything to do with his divorce. That’s life, and he needed to deal with it. Unlocking my door, I demanded he take care of himself, stop wasting money on ladies of the night, and do better because he was better. When he tried to protest their profession, I rolled my eyes, and he clammed up.

“You are Alixxander Savage. Just about everyone knows your name and face. The one that answered the door, she knew neither. I'm tired and going to lie down. Good night, Alixxander.” Why not get a kick in while he was down.