Tammy had plenty of time to herself that morning to prepare for her “meeting” with Victor Del Toro. What was the real point behind this meeting? Was he an old teacher looking to catch up or was it possible he saw Tammy as more than that? The idea scared her at least a little bit. Tammy had been a young girl when she first met Victor. If he were interested in her on a romantic level it seemed a little creepy. Even if it was technically creepy, the idea of such a taboo attraction turned Tammy on. But Tammy had already agreed to go and she didn’t have anything better to do anyways.
For the not-really-a-date date with Victor, Tammy decided to go for a tasteful outfit that looked more like what a mom would wear to a soccer match as opposed to what someone would wear when they were trying to impress someone. In case tongues were to start wagging, she wanted to at least have her appearance stay out of the local gossip. I shouldn’t care what these people think. Tammy thought to herself. But she did care at least a little bit. It wasn’t just about her; her reputation affected her son too. Tammy wore dark wash skinny jeans with a fitted, white J. Crew button down. She layered over it with a green LL Bean puffy vest and Burberry scarf.
Each color popped against Tammy’s gorgeous, dark skin. She looked very New England chic. Tammy’s hair was still in long Senegalese twists that hung down to her waist. Her outfit was appropriate since fall was descending upon them and before they knew it the ground would be covered in a thick layer of white snow. Staying warm was more of a priority than being a fashionista in a small New England town. Plus, all the most expensive clothing was for colder weather anyways. New England money could determine your financial status just from looking at your winter coat.
By the time Tammy arrived at Otter Creek Café, Victor was already there waiting for her. He was dressed well. He was wearing a collared shirt with a cashmere sweater layered on top and a pair of dark wash denim jeans complete with Clark’s desert boots. He looked like that sexy history professor some of us may have had in university. Besides his appearance, the first thing Tammy noticed was the smell of cologne. The arctic scent complemented the frosty blue color of Victor’s eyes. If this wasn’t a date, why had he bothered putting so much effort? Tammy had to admit she was a little confused.
“Good morning,” she greeted him. Victor stood up and gave her a big hug.
Again, Tammy was struck with the ambiguity of it. Was she imagining a spark because of her own attraction to Victor or did he really find her attractive as well? Tammy knew this could end badly. If she pursued things romantically with Victor that would be just another reason for her to be portrayed as the town slut. With that branding, Jabari would receive the brunt of the consequences. He could lose his place at Willowcrest Prep and Tammy wasn’t certain she was prepared to risk all that. She figured she would play it cool. This was just a meeting.
They both ordered large cappuccinos and Otter Creek’s famed chocolate croissants. Victor then began to ask Tammy more about what her life had been like since she left Willowcrest. Although the rumor mill had kept churning, the reality of Tammy’s life was a secret to everyone except her closest friends.
“So… Where do you work?” Victor asked. It probably wasn’t the best ice breaker considering Tammy’s financial situation. She often felt embarrassed explaining the truth to people.
Tammy felt the color rising to her cheeks. Great. Now she would have to explain to Victor but she didn’t have a job. Basically all she did was spend money.
Tammy took a huge sip of her coffee to prepare herself for this awkward topic. “Well… It’s complicated. I don’t really work right now,” Tammy said.
Victor smiled. “Say no more. This may surprise you, but I too came into a large sum of money when I was much younger. I only teach Spanish because… It is my passion,” Victor replied.
What a mysterious thing to say. How did he even intuit what Tammy meant from her statement? Victor seemed to understand her better than anyone else. Tammy had never known that her former Spanish teacher had inherited a large sum of money. In fact, when he started at Willowcrest, he seemed like a typical broke postgraduate. Perhaps there was more to him than met the eye.The way Victor pronounced the word “passion” caused Tammy to fantasize about what else he was passionate about too. But her silence had gone on too long; she still needed to answer Victor.
“Perhaps if I found something I was passionate about, I would work in that particular field,” Tammy wondered aloud.
Victor replied, “Well, You are passionate about your son are you not? Who said there was anything wrong with investing completely in your children. It’s an admirable thing really.”
Tammy had never felt so validated about her decision to invest completely in Jabari. She smiled. Victor noticed the gentle upward curve of her mouth and smiled back.
“You’re right…” Tammy answered.
Victor sort-of changed the subject. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s the story with you and Jabari. I’m sorry if this is forward but none of us teachers at Willowcrest expected you the first in your year to have a child. I know I approached this subject the wrong way last time… But I want to know more about you, the good and the bad,” He asked.
Tammy wasn’t surprised about Victor asking. She figured she would have to come clean about her past eventually. While students gossiped at Willowcrest, teachers seemed to gossip even more. With such closeness between teachers and students, sometimes the lines for what was appropriate blended together just a little bit. Students gossiped about the teachers’ affairs and broken marriages. The teachers gossiped about the students’ crushes and hook ups.
Tammy decided to trust her former Spanish teacher with the story of Randall Combs. It wasn’t a story that she had told many times and everyone who knew it immediately understood more about Tammy than anyone.
First, Tammy told the story of how she met Randall. She was 16 years old when a 25-year-old Randall Combs approached her and told her that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Tammy was 16 and naïve. Her parents made relationships forbidden so she didn’t know which way was up. She had no idea that when a man that much older approaches you and fills your head with these kinds of notions, he likely has poor intentions. It didn’t take long for Randall to find out how wealthy Tammy’s family was and when he did, he upped the ante. He pressured Tammy into having sex a year into their relationship even if she wasn’t ready. Of course Tammy justified it away by saying that was how all relationships were. As an inexperienced woman, she didn’t know how to distinguish between a healthy and unhealthy dynamic.
From the moment Randall found out how wealthy Tammy was, all he wanted to do night and day was fuck her. He had a plan to get his hands on as much of that money as he could. As a young woman who had previously been labelled a nerd, Tammy was ecstatic to finally have so much attention. Of course, she kept this relationship a complete secret from her overly strict parents. Maybe if they had known about it they would have been able to help her out. But the Powers’ were not a family of openness and honesty.
The Powers’ were also not concerned with vigilance. They figured their strict rules were enough and they didn’t pay attention to the reality of their daughter’s activities. Both Tammy’s mother and her father worked from eight in the morning until 9 in the evening. They didn’t have time to keep an eye on their daughter. Once she got too old for nannies, Tammy was on her own. They had their expectations and if she wasn’t living up to them they figured her report card would show it. So Tammy’s questionable relationship survived since her grades never slipped. She knew exactly how to play her parents.
When Tammy was a senior, she started to fuck Randall without a condom. He promised her that if she got pregnant he would take care of her forever. He promised her that she was the only woman in his life. He told her that he loved her and no girl at Willowcrest was as sexy, cool or smart as she was. All these sweet nothings went straight to Tammy’s head. She wasn’t very validated by her parents or her peers. The w
ords that Randall spoke were exactly what she needed to hear. She ate his lies like sweet candy.
When Tammy found out she was pregnant, Randall promised her that he would marry her. He told her that she just needed to wait a few months until he could afford the perfect ring. From then, Tammy should’ve been suspicious. She was pregnant and she needed to believe that Randall was going to be there for her. Otherwise, the wrath of her parents would be unbearable. They still didn’t know about her relationship with Randall and she planned to keep it that way until the last possible minute. Time was running out and graduation was near. Until she graduated, Randall was sweet as ever. He had planned out a name for the baby. He and plan what school they would send the kid too. He filled Tammy’s ears of ideas about international vacations and luxurious cars and clothing.
The day after her graduation, Tammy found out that Randall had been unfaithful. The joy of her diploma was nearly washed away. Tammy was 18 years old when Randall had cheated on her with a 16-year-old girl from the public school across town. At that point, Randall was 28 years old. Tammy should’ve known that was a major red flag. But she ignored it because she believed that Randall was her soulmate. Randall apologized and brought her flowers and treated her like a princess. He seemed truly sorry for the pain he had brought into her life and Tammy believed his appearance of sorrow. Once Randall was back in Tammy’s good graces, he continued doing what he had always done.
Then things took a turn for the worse. Tammy’s parents kicked her out and cut off her source of income. While pregnant, she was forced to work at an ice cream store. All the while, Randall convinced her that he had a big hustle I was going to help him become rich. That hustle was apparently selling marijuana. When Tammy found out she was furious but again Randall soothed her and promised her that it would never happen again. He said he was sorry and that he was just trying to help her. Eventually, things died down. Then Jabari was born. Faced with the reality of having a child, Randall’s interest in being a father plummeted quickly. He didn’t want the smelly diapers and late night feedings. Tammy might have left him if she wasn’t naive, but she was still in denial. She still believed that Randall loved her. She still believed that he was going to make good on his promises. That is, until he started to hit her.
Then, Tammy began to realize that all hope was lost. But it was nearly too late. Her parents were completely out of the picture and most of her friends had moved away for university. She was entirely alone with no one to turn to. Everyone in the town and in her Catholic community had vilified her. By the grace of God alone, Randall left having of his own accord. He was tired of his plaything once he realized that she had nothing to offer.
Once she was through with her story, Victor reached his hand across the table and rested it on Tammy’s arm. Not knowing what to say, at least the comforting gesture would help. A part of him couldn’t believe this woman sitting across from him was his former student. She had been through so much. She wasn’t a naive, nerdy prep school girl anymore. Tammy Powers had lived a rich and full life, far richer than her peers who would probably have looked down on her for being a teenaged mother. Tammy had been through some tough shit, and she was a survivor.
Victor expressed how sorry he was for Tammy’s experience. It was clumsy, but she appreciated the sentiment. Not many people sympathized with Tammy. She was glad to find someone who actually seemed to care about what she went through. Then Victor revealed something surprising.
“You know… You’re not the only one from your year to have a baby right after Willowcrest. The other instance is very hush hush because she pretended to go to college. But she’s back in town…” Victor started.
Tammy wondered who it could be. Carolina Rodriguez? Kaitlin Vance? Victor filled in the blanks for her.
“Stephanie Wagner… Although you may remember her as Stephanie Gardner, has a son who started at Willowcrest last year. She married military just after high school,” Victor finished.
Tammy couldn’t believe it. Stephanie Gardner was married? She was one of the most popular girls in Tammy’s year and one of the biggest sluts. Stephanie was famous for poaching boyfriends and bullying girls she considered “losers”.
“Really?” Tammy replied.
“Really… Hey… You might know her since she’s the head of the PTA,” Victor continued.
Tammy also choked on her croissant. Stephanie Wagner was the PTA head? Gross. Tammy wanted to be involved with the PTA but Stephanie was someone she considered a rival. Stephanie had mocked everything about Tammy when she was in school. She mocked Tammy’s braids and Tammy’s dark skin. She had bullied Tammy relentlessly but not specifically. Stephanie was just a plain mean girl and she dished it out to everyone. Tammy wondered if motherhood had changed her.
Before Tammy could reply, her phone rang. She wouldn’t have answered her phone except for the fact that it was Jabari calling. She let Victor know that it was her son before she picked up.
“Jabari, is everything okay?” Tammy asked it wasn’t difficult for Jabari to give her a call while he was out with his father.
Jabari’s tone of voice scared her.
Jabari spoke with a shaky voice, “No… Everything's not okay. Dad is… He’s getting mad. Mommy, he called you a slut and I think he’s drunk or high off something. Please… Can you come get me?”
“Do you feel safe where you are now?” Tammy clarified. She figured she would have to act fast and ditch this sort-of date with Victor.
“No,” Jabari whispered.
“Get out of that house. Head over to the convenience store and wait for me okay? Just get out and I’ll be there as soon as possible. I’m on my way,” Tammy said. Her son was in danger; Tammy was panicking.
Tammy hung up. She looked at Victor and began to apologize. Not only did she answer a call, she had to leave immediately after. It wasn’t a great look.
“You don’t have to say sorry. Go to your son. We’ll get a chance to continue this da… This conversation… some other day,” Victor said.
Tammy was grateful for his understanding. She dropped a ten dollar bill on the table and ran. When Tammy entered her Audi, she floored it all the way to the convenience store near Randall’s house. She was glad that it wasn’t too far away from the coffee shop. She was even more happy that no cops caught her running two red lights. When she pulled up outside of the store, she saw Jabari standing right outside shaking like a leaf. Tammy didn’t know how he managed to get away from his father. As soon as he saw her, he leapt into the car.
Tammy wanted to ask him what happened, but she figured she should wait until she got home. If she was in her car while Jabari told her what the hell his father had done to him, she was afraid she would drive right over to Randall’s house and do something foolish. Tammy didn’t know if she could take Randall Combs. That was the last thing either of them needed.Tammy went through a McDonald’s drive-through and bought her son a drink and some french fries to soothe him a little bit more until they arrived home. She was sure Randall hadn’t stopped terrorizing him to make sure he got some food in his belly.
Chapter 5
Once they were in the house, Tammy asked, “What the heck happened Jay?” she couldn’t hide how worried she was in her voice. Randall wasn’t above hurting people he claimed to love; Tammy was more than familiar with his willingness to inflict pain. Jabari heard his mother’s fear and he felt like it was his responsibility to calm her down. At the same time, he didn’t want to lie to his mother about what had happened. Tammy started to make dinner as Jabari forced himself to explain what went down.
Tammy was at least proud of Jabari for how he’d even handled arranging a meeting with his father. Although he was still naive in so many ways, he had a good head on his shoulders. Jabari had agreed to meet up with his father if and only if his father stopped drinking. Alcoholism had always been a big problem for Randall… But Jabari didn’t account for how much that man loved his booze. It was a mistake any eager thirteen year old c
ould make. Jabari still wanted to see the good in his father. Randall had lied to Jabari and messaged him for weeks and weeks with false updates about how well quitting booze had gone for him. He pretended to attend AA meetings and everything. Two hours into hanging out with Jabari, he started to take swigs out of a bottle of spiced rum and he hadn’t stopped until nearly every drop was gone. Once drunk, Randall had regressed to his usual self. He dropped the pretense that he was a good man.
Jabari tried to keep a low profile in an attempt to escape Randall’s wrath. Randall started ranting about Tammy and speaking poorly of her parenting skills. Jabari was shocked; he’d never heard his mother say a bad word about Randall throughout his life (and she had plenty of reason to bad talk Jabari’s father.) Then Randall started ranting about what a stupid whore she was. He then told Jabari that he had to get himself some pussy so that he could become a “real man”. Jabari knew this was talk his mother wouldn’t approve of. She’d made it clear that sex was for adults, boy or girl, no one in her house would be thinking about sex as a thirteen year old. Randall made inappropriate comments to Jabari surrounding sex which he must have considered “tips”. As Tammy heard Jabari explain what happened, she felt herself becoming angrier and angrier. She wished that there were some way Randall could be out of her life forever… Barring anything illegal of course.
Prepped For Love: BWWM Pregnancy Romance Novel Page 4