by Nikki Bloom
“You’re fired, Madeline! And you’re banned from this restaurant as long as I’m manager here!” Pausing halfway through a step, I slowly turned around as Benny’s shout echoed through the quiet restaurant. Every eyeball was on me, and the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. So many thoughts raced through my head, but I couldn’t help but think it wasn’t worth it. Benny was red-faced and panting, with a palm-print on his cheek, and I clenched my hands into tight fists by my sides.
“I’m fine with that.” Even across the room, I saw Benny’s face flash ghostly white, and a rash of whispers rose above the dense atmosphere. “Bye.”
Whirling around on my heel, I stalked out of the restaurant doors to take a huge, salty breath of fresh ocean air. Closing my eyes, I flung out my arms and flopped my head back to try to wrangle in my thoughts. Groaning loudly, I squeezed my head between my palms as I stalked towards the beach. The sun was still high and hot, and I pulled off my vest to drop it on the sand. Kicking off my shoes and socks, I dug my toes into the warm sand.
This part of the beach was private for the House on the Pier, and I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. The ocean sparkled under the bright rays of early evening, giving my mind something abstract to watch while I replayed what had just happened.
“Goddamnit...” Rocking back on my heels, I inhaled as deeply as I possibly could, and my sternum popped from the pressure. “I screwed up.”
“Maddie!” Twisting as Savannah ran towards me, worry hollowing her cheeks, my heart ached fiercely. “Are you okay? What happened!”
“I really just need a second.” For once, Savannah didn’t try to push me, and I sat down to pull my knees to my chest. She sat next to me, grabbed my hand, but we felt very far away as I got pulled by my thoughts.
Benny had been trying for so long to push his weight around with me, and I wasn’t surprised he’d reached the point of threatening me. Our arguments were frequent and public, and I knew he was getting more frustrated. Everyone else on the staff just did what he wanted because it was easier than arguing.
But I wasn’t going to let my job take over my life when I had another choice. Now, I worked part time because Carter was helping me out. He didn’t pay my bills or anything, but he took care of miscellaneous expenses like food or something small for my siblings. With camps in full swing, my electric bill went down, too, as I spent a lot of time with Carter at his place.
I spent eight months of my life practically living at The House, and Benny... Benny just took and demanded more and more.
“...At least I can file for unemployment.” Speaking up as the sea breeze rustled my hair, I pulled the strands back and cleared my throat roughly. “I can’t believe him. He said I was creating a toxic environment. Did you know anything about that?”
“W-well... it’s not exactly like that.” Tentatively answering me, Savannah sat back and propped herself on her arms. “Some people have been complaining that you’re not a team player because you and Benny butt heads a lot. No one went to him as far as I know, but...I mean, it’s basically the consensus that you should just put up with it and keep the peace.”
“If Benny didn’t ask me for ridiculous shit, we wouldn’t butt heads, you know.” My best friend simply nodded, and I stretched my legs to bury my toes in the sand. “We had an agreement when I went down to part time, and I damn deserve some leniency.”
“I dunno, Madds. I know you don’t wanna end up in a situation where Benny’s demanding all sorts of crazy hours and tasks of you, so that’s why you cut it off right in the beginning, but...it doesn’t seem worth it to lose such a good job because of it. I’m sure that you’d eventually get him to stop asking you without going so hard.” Savannah’s steady voice paved the way for doubt to blossom between my ears, and I reached to rub my face with a heavy groan. “I don’t necessarily think the other waitresses and staff are wrong for not liking the tension, but also, I don’t think any of them explicitly went to Benny and complained. I heard Steve bitching about being on bottle duty the other night during closing, but other than that...”
Savannah doesn’t know about the ownership change or the fact I’m pregnant. The realization struck me hard, and I looked over at my best friend. How good of a friend am I, anyway?
“You know, Savannah... I’m really lucky to have you as a friend. I know I haven’t exactly been around for a long time, but...I just want you to know that I really value you.” She barked out a surprised laugh, and Savannah reached to grab my hand and squeeze. Leaning over to rest my head on her shoulder, I closed my eyes briefly. “I’m sorry I’m such a shitty friend.”
“You remember when I asked you to help me out with this job after your mom’s miscarriage? It was because I knew you’d go balls to the wall, and I’d never see you otherwise. Madds, you put everything you are into everything you do, but you can’t do it all at the same time. You’re the best friend I’ve always wanted, and sometimes, that means knowing you well enough to take a step back and accept that something—or in this case someone else—is more important.” When did she get so philosophical? “That’s what my mom said when I complained about it to her.”
“...I hope you never change, Savannah.” I could feel her smiling, and I cracked open my eyes to gaze at the ocean.
27
Carter
Shuffling into my rental, I set down my backpack against the back of the sofa as music pumped from upstairs. I knew Evan wasn’t here; he was chaperoning for Michael and wouldn’t be back until late. Setting my keys on the kitchen counter, I headed up the stairs as fast, upbeat pop music practically rattled the walls.
Pushing open the door to the spare room Michael and Sophia used, my breath hitched in surprise. Madeline and who I recognized as her coworker were dancing around on the bed in just undies and shirts—they’re work shirts, too. For a moment, I debated interrupting, but Madeline twirled around and saw me before I could decide against it.
“Oh!” Clamoring off the bed, Madeline’s flushed cheeks darkened, and she swiped back her wild, red hair as she turned down the stereo. “Carter! I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”
“What’s up?” My gut clenched when I glanced over at the popped wine bottle on the dresser, but Madeline instantly held her hands up and shook them. “Madds—”
“That’s not mine. I gave Savannah the news that I’m pregnant. She can pack it.” Scanning her, I gave in pretty easily, and Madeline gestured me in with a strange half frown, half smile puffing out her cheeks. “I video’d it. Look.”
“Uh, okay. Weren’t you working until nine tonight?” Savannah... Madds had mentioned her a few times. We’d never been formally introduced, and maybe there was a better time than when she was tipsy and half naked. Holding out my hand for her while Madeline snatched her phone off the dresser, I smiled politely when Savannah grinned broadly at me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Carter.”
“Yuh-huh. I’ve seen you at The House sniffing around Benny’s office. If you buy the place, can you give me my job back?” I looked over sharply as Madeline froze. Sheepishly, her eyes met mine, and the shock really settled on my shoulders when she tilted her head.
“Did you quit? Were you fired? What happened?” Firing off questions, I sat down on the edge of the bed as Madeline groaned and paused in thought before speaking. “Did you get into another fight?”
“He pulled me into the office to tell me I was creating a toxic work environment, and that we needed talk about my ‘future.’ Then, he accused me of not taking initiative. I’m not gonna lie... I laughed in his face, and he got mad so I left rather than get trapped in a screaming match where no one would hear us. He grabbed my arm in the kitchen, so I slapped him, and then he fired me, and Savannah and I went to go get ice cream... and now we’re here.” I had to stop for a second to absorb all the information as Madeline’s recount filled the room, and she scoffed lightly. “He thinks that now that I’m only part time, he can treat me like a part timer. He fired me, so I can go on u
nemployment for a while and take some time to recharge before I start looking for another job.”
“...Do… I mean, Benny does know that he’s replaceable, right? Evan and I have the whole world’s worth of people we can connect with, and for him to physically assault you does not bode well for him.” The fact that we’re together aside... Benny put his hands on an employee. He allowed himself to get so worked up that he grabbed Madeline.
Benny and Madeline didn’t get along because she wasn’t going to bend over backwards to keep the peace. She had expressly written up her terms for reduced employment, and Benny kept trying to ignore it. Asking her to work overtime—asking her to open when she wasn’t on—asking her to do bar tasks that were supposed to only be done by the bar manager... Even when she was working her ass off, he didn’t ask her of this kind of shit.
“I’d hazard a guess he was too mad I laughed at him and walked away to consider the consequences. I know you’re not gonna make this about us, Carter, but seriously—it’s fine. Benny won’t contest the unemployment when he realizes that I can and will go after him for everything he’s worth. I also think that now that I’m not there, things will be smoother. I was the only one that didn’t roll over for him, but...not to make too fine a point, but everyone else just does whatever he asks because it’s easier than fighting.” I grunted lowly in acknowledgment, and Madeline turned to look at her phone. “It saves me the trouble of lessening my hours even more and stuff. My unemployment can float me until after the baby’s born.”
“Well, in that case...you should continue celebrating. I have some stuff to do, myself. Are you hungry? I was gonna grab some takeout.” Both women nodded excitedly, and I stood up with a mix of emotions swirling in my chest. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
“Tacos! Tacos! Tacos!” Why is it always tacos? Shaking my head as I shut the door behind me, my smile slowly fell as the music rose up against the thin, wooden barrier.
Fired. I could believe it, and I shuffled down the stairs heavily before pausing at the bottom to turn. If Madeline will just let me take her on...
“That stubbornness is why I...” Trailing off as my mouth dried, I shook my head with a sigh. “She’ll probably hear me and not believe me anyway.”
I grabbed my keys and headed out once again, and the salty air flooded my lungs as I gazed out across the lawn. Madeline’s words hung heavy behind my eyes, blurring the walkway on the short walk to my car. Reaching to clutch my chest, I smiled broadly as heat crept up into my face.
She would go on unemployment until the baby’s born. To say I was relieved wasn’t right, but excitement surged through my veins. If Madeline didn’t want to be a parent, again, there was nothing I could say or do to change her mind. Her body, her choice, right?
“But how wonderful is it that she does.” Murmuring to myself, I stared at my reflection in the window and grabbed the handle tentatively. “When the baby’s born...”
I climbed into my car to heave a massive breath, and my mind turned to Michael and Sophia briefly. Checking my watch, satisfaction raced down my spine; I had enough time to grab the food and eat on my way to get her from Providence. If this was what my life was going to be, I wondered how much better it would get from here.
Madeline was adamant about not being ‘Mom,’ but that didn’t stop me from hoping that Sophia and Michael would see me as a father figure. I’d grown quite close to Sophia, and Michael was a damned great kid, too. Backing out of the driveway, I flexed my hands around the wheel as they tingled wildly.
My phone buzzed insistently, breaking my thoughts, and I fished it out of my pocket to press the speaker button.
“What’s up, Evan? How’s the trip?” Evan wasn’t overly techy, but he sounded excited nonetheless when he spoke up. Holding my phone against the wheel, I turned before my best friend’s voice flooded my car.
“Do you want me to pick up Sophia? We’re back from the museum, and Michael went off with his friend.”
“Sure, that’d be great... how’s he doing?” Tentatively asking the question, I turned a corner as Evan grunted lowly in acknowledgment. “He’s good?”
“Uh—yeah. I mean, he was a little distracted during the ride there and back, but when I asked him about it, he just said he was thinking about his mom. I think he feels bad for what happened at dinner but can’t constitute it with his only experience of pregnancy. What about you? Are you driving?”
“Madeline wants tacos. She told her best friend about the pregnancy, so...” A long ‘oh’ burst from my phone speaker, and I smiled happily. “So, I’ll see you when you get back.”
“Sure.” We hung up, and I sat back in satisfaction and flexed my hands on the wheel. Madeline had told her best friend, which meant her few days of freaking out had come to an end. Now, she’d go into hyper-determination mode, which was a whole different monster to tackle.
28
Madeline
“Ugh...” Crawling into Carter’s bed, I held myself on my hands and knees, and déjà vu tugged up the corners of my mouth. “Madds...”
“Good morning.” Kissing his cheek, goosebumps swept across my chest, and Carter propped both his forearms under my ass to push me up. Straddling his upper chest, warmth spread through me when he buried his face in my abdomen. He groaned and nuzzled against my shirt, and I rolled onto my side. “Thank you for last night. I had a great time.”
“I didn’t do anything, and I’m being thanked? Credit where credit is due.” Mumbling sluggishly, Carter rolled up my tank top to kiss my abdomen. “How were your tacos and movies?”
“Amazing. How was your night?”
“Boring. Sophia ditched me for videogames with Evan.” He smiled against my abdomen, and I ran my fingers through his hair gingerly. “I was thinkin’... I think it’d be a good idea to design two nurseries instead of waiting.”
“Oh yeah? What else were you thinkin’?” Surprise heightened my voice, and Carter hummed against my belly warmly. Memories played behind my eyelids from last night, and Savannah’s excited blabbering rang in my ears. “Savannah and I fantasized all night. I don’t think much of it was realistic, but it was nice.”
“I was thinking build to suit.” My brows rose at Carter’s tentative grumble, and he glanced up under my breasts. “If you want to. I just thought it’s a route to go down.”
“...That’s...um...I mean, it’s definitely something to consider. I don’t have anything to sink into a build, but—” Squeezing my waist, Carter scooted up to my face, and I held my breath. Anxiety gripped my heart in a vice, and he reached to rub my bare belly with a warm palm. “U-unless you have a different approach.”
“I know you don’t want to, but I’d appreciate it if you took a leap of faith for me. I can handle the build if you want to handle the interior.” Cupping my cheek gingerly, he sent me such a sappy, hopeful look that I couldn’t think of anything to say. “No thinking you have to make up for it. No guilt. Build for both of us equally.”
“Um, okay. We can talk about it...but not this second. That’s a big thing...to build a whole house fully on your dime. It’s—it’s gonna take a bit for me to get over the monumentality of it.” There was a certain irony about my words, and Carter seemed to expect exactly my reaction. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Something less monumental like our baby...” Chuckling lowly, Carter wiggled back down to nuzzle my abdomen. “Which is less daunting because it’s a spanned expense rather than a lump sum.”
“Yeah. I know it’s terrible, but that’s an unfathomable amount of money for me.” I continued running my hands through his hair, kneading Carter’s scalp with my nails, even as guilt threaded through my veins. “What are you thinking of?”
“I hope our baby will be a redhead.” A small smile stretched my lips as Carter’s mumble surged up my front, and he tightened his arms around my waist with a groan. “I hope she’ll have your freckles...”
“She...” Breathing wistfully, I rolled onto my side,
and Carter draped himself over me on hands and knees to kiss my belly. “What if it’s a boy?”
“A boy... as long as he’s not a stubborn ass like you...” Laughing at that, I swatted Carter’s shoulder as he worked his arms under the small of my back. The atmosphere was so thick I could barely see the ceiling, and I blinked hard against the moisture blurring my vision. “I don’t care which it is, but if I had a preference...it’d be a girl. How awesome would that be? And when the kids are grown up a bit more, we can talk about more.”
“If you hire me, do we get insurance? Because we’re gonna do that before anything else.” Musing absently, a tickle slithered just under my skin when Carter dragged his nose up my abdomen. Shuffling up to kiss my lips firmly, he grabbed my ass in both his palms and squeezed greedily. His lips trailed fire down my chin, and he ducked into my neck to whisper sultry in my ear.
“If I hire you for a managerial position, your coverage would extend to your dependents. It’s a good thing you adopted them, otherwise it’d be a battle. With all the restaurants Evan wants to start talks with, we’re definitely going to need someone to liaise between them. I was thinkin’ you’d be perfect for that kind of job. It’s not for a long way off though. We have to get the buildings up, first and foremost.” Pushing himself up, Carter’s warm, firm hands left my ass to brace on either side of my head. Interest sparkled in his eyes, and I hummed thoughtfully. “When I’m with you, Madeline, I forget my net worth.”
“Good. I’m not with you because of how much money you have. I’m with you because you get me.” He smiled broadly, happiness lighting up his face, and I blinked back the sting in my eyes. “You’re a great guy, Carter, and I’m very aware how lucky I am.”
“Aw, shucks, darlin’...” Drawling dramatically, Carter thumbed the corner of my eye as I took a deep, stabilizing breath. “Everything you do, you put in one-hundred-thirty percent, and if I put in my seventy percent, it makes two hundred.”