by Cherry Kay
Emilia and Caryn kept him awake the whole night. He had rehearsed things to tell her, but barely any came out from his all-nighter prep. Nothing could ready him for the sudden news that he had fathered a little girl, one that had eyes that were a deeper shade of blue.
“Why should I believe this one?” Caryn asked him.
“You don’t have to believe in anything I say, but just allow me to do things that’ll make you feel at ease. Emilia’s welfare is what I’m after.”
“Things like?”
“Periodic visits to her, I deposit money under her name, you take care of everything she needs, or what you feel she deserves, you get it.”
Her eyes narrowed, skeptical. “You live in California, right?”
David nodded.
“And a six-hour flight every month doesn’t bother you?”
“Every week, if you’d let me.”
“I don’t want to make a circus out of this,” she said, stressed at the idea.
“Money isn’t a problem,” he reminded her.
“That poses as a problem. Your money will do the talking for you.”
“It’s not like money has changed me. I’ve had my own money since I was 19, kinda late, but I hope Emilia will get hers earlier,” David said. “I need your details, so I can have an account opened for you, apart from a credit card.”
She took a breath. “I’ve never owned a credit card.”
“You’ve always paid in cash?” he looked curious.
She nodded.
“Maybe if I tried to find you earlier, that would have been harder without credit score details,” David said with a smile.
She didn’t reciprocate, so he ended up clearing his throat.
“Look, if it makes you feel better, or more confident, everything I’m about to do is for Emilia, I’m not trying to win you back or anything, not that I even tried before.”He paused, wondering if that would work. He saw her nod, and he decided to stop there. “You get the point.”
Was she dating anyone, by the way? He had forgotten to ask. Would she still have time, though? She looked too stressed out to even contemplate dating. She was still pretty to look at, but it was clear she needed a break, only he couldn’t give that to her, because her pride dictated otherwise.
“Are you dating anyone?” she suddenly asked him.
He shook his head. “Didn’t have the time to date anyone, besides it took me a long time to get over the whole abandonment thing.”
She looked as though she didn’t believe him, that he was still single.
“Did you sleep with anyone else?” she pressed on.
“Would it matter if I did?” he told her.
Her eyes glowered. “You might have other children apart from Emilia…”
He almost laughed aloud, but he just took a deep breath again. “No and no. I hope that’s the last time you ask me that.”
“Me too,” she said, looking relieved.
“I need your bank details,” he told her, returning to the topic. He looked at Emilia who was busy chewing on her chubby little fingers.
“What are the setbacks for this?” Caryn said. “You just might dictate the way I care for her.”
“Do I really give off that megalomaniac vibe?”
“Yes.”
At least she was being honest about it, he thought, miffed.
“It’s part of who you are,” she added.
“Well, thanks for putting it ever so gently. Now, back to the bank details?”
Caryn put Emilia down in the stroller, and she took out her phone, scrolling through some notes. She handed him her phone. “Here., I don’t expect anything, actually. Even those proposed visits here—” “I’ll show you,” he said, determined.
*
Caryn’s eyes popped open, seeing the fund transfer to her bank account. Was this for real? He had transferred a few thousand dollars in three days, $50,000 to be exact. Was this going to be child support for the rest of the coming year?
She took a deep breath and called him as soon as she left the ATM, hurriedly walking for her part-time desk job. “What the hell was that?” she asked him as soon as he answered his phone.
“What was what?”
“The fund transfer.”
“I know it isn’t much.”
“No, it’s actually too much. I want you to take most of it back,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve computed our expenses for a year, I’ll only need an additional $20,000.”
“I don’t think that’s enough,” he replied, “for starters, I’d want for you to move out of that apartment, and into a better one, in a better neighborhood.”
“I knew you’d do this,” she said. “I knew there was a catch.”
“I just want you to be comfortable,” he sighed. “Is that so difficult to understand? It’s not like you’re losing your independence. I think it’s only right, seeing how hard it was to be on your own the moment you found out you were pregnant. That money is there to stay, whether you use it on yourself, or for Emilia’s needs. I trust you’ll be doing the latter, knowing how you are.”
She closed her eyes, her grip on the phone tightening. “I’ll send you the receipts.”
“For what?”
“Everything I’ll be spending on.”
“You don’t have to, really.” “I’ll send these to you, whether you read your emails, or not.”
She heard him sigh.
“Look, I don’t really care what you spend it on. I’ll send you a few more next month, let me just finish these things I’m reading, I’ll call you back,” he said quickly.
He abruptly ended the call, and she muttered under her breath. She most certainly didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but there was something in exchange for all of this. He was doing his best; that she would warm up to him. It wasn’t working now, was it? It made her even more cautious. What person in his right mind would transfer that much money? He hadn’t even asked for proof that he was the father, and that trust was reciprocated, at least.
She wasn’t going to do everything he asked of her, the whole move to a new apartment was too much for now. She still had work, and moving out would entail permission from work, one she couldn’t afford.
Caryn’s thoughts shifted to the night’s meal; and she stuck her chin up, knowing she would be having a treat for dinner, and Emilia would have a good one as well. Where was her pride? Everyone had a price, even a mother, desperate to give her child the best.
Chapter11
It had been three days since he had gone back to California, but his heart and his mind was in New York. Mere hours just went by, and he would ask how Emilia was, and it irked him that she responded late, even though he knew she had work.
He was itching to go back, surprised that he not only missed the little baby, but that he also wanted to see more of Caryn. Their entire conversation had been devoid of innuendos, and he didn’t even feel horny at all, until today. The thought of Caryn and those hot summer nights that they had spent together replayed in his mind, and he forced himself to work, disliking how he ended the call, but money didn’t grow on trees, and people needed watching over. His was a company that was people oriented, despite the nature of his business.
David rested his eyes for a moment, placing his protective eyeglasses down on the table. He thought about calling his mother, just to hear a few words of comfort, but he didn’t have to pick his phone. His secretary rang, telling him his mother was just outside. The woman had sixth sense, for all he knew.
In came Dr. Jane Pierce, with two cups of coffee cradled inside a recycled coffee holder. “There’s my eldest,” she said with a grin.
“Ma,” he breathed out, placing his glasses back on.
“I see I came just in time,” she quipped.
“Tell me about it,” he sighed.
Jane senses something was amiss. She quickly sat across him.
“Ma, why are you here?” he said.
&nb
sp; “The charity I was telling you about, the orphanage, remember?”
“Right,” he said, closing his eyes, “I’d nearly forgotten that was tomorrow.”
“You actually forgot, didn’t you?” Jane said, raising a brow. “I guess you aren’t going?”
“I’ll just send someone. I have stuff to do.”
“Like what? You already told me you flew to New York last week. I thought you blocked tomorrow just for the event?”
He took a deep breath, knowing there was no way out of this but to be honest. “Ma, I- I have something to tell you. I- I have a kid.” “Oh my god.”
“With someone I met a year ago,”
“Oh my god.”
“She’s turning 4 months now. So,”
“Oh my god.”
“Will you let me finish?” he said, irritably. “Yeah, so I’m apparently a father now.”
“And you only found out when?”
“When I went to New York, last week.”
“With whom?”
“Someone,” he said, not wanting to elaborate.
“I’ve never met her.”
“You might soon enough.”
“Where is the baby?” Jane demanded.
“In New York, with the mother.” “Why aren’t they here? Don’t I have the right to meet my grandchild?”
“It’s a long story, ma.”
It took over an hour of talking, and Jane got the gist of it. He didn’t want to talk about how their relationship had progressed, but he hinted he had wanted to date Caryn, and Caryn suddenly left, for reasons unknown. He told his mother about how Emilia looked, even showed her a photo he had taken, right before Caryn and Emilia left his hotel room.
“Well then, why in the hell are you still here?” she asked him.
“I transferred funds, and she doesn’t want me anywhere near her.”
“David, how sure are you it’s yours to begin with?” his mother suddenly asked with a tinge of concern.
“I know she’s mine,” he said firmly. “Emilia is mine, only I didn’t get the chance to be registered as the father.”
“Because this Caryn didn’t want to?” Jane interrupted him. “What’s her full name?”
“That’s enough for now,” David said, tired from the interaction.
“Emilia’s an adorable baby in the picture, what more in person?” Jane said with a sigh. “I hope I get to meet her soon.”
“So do I. Again.”
“I take it that it wasn’t such an amicable separation or reunion.”
“Of course not. She didn’t even want me spending money for Emilia.”
“What do you plan to do about it?”
“Be persistent, I guess,” he sighed.
“Like you’ve always been,” his mother remarked.
*
David had just gotten out of his office when he saw someone seated in the lobby, staring out into nothingness. He was surprised, as he had only seen her last week. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, but she still maintained that poise, still wore the kind of outfit that made her look every inch successful.
“Amanda,” he breathed out.
“David,” she said, standing up.
“How long have you been waiting here?” he said, assuming she did.
“Not too long,” she replied. “Are you busy?”
“I’m actually heading out for dinner with my family,” he told her.
“Do you have a few minutes to spare?”
David thought about it for a moment. He certainly didn’t want a repeat of that coffee shop conversation. It had been unpleasant for him, and he had better things to think about at the moment, like formally telling his family that he was a now a father.
“There’s a boardroom over there,” he said, motioning for the right, where rows of empty rooms were. He waved at the security guard, and the guard nodded back at him.
“You could’ve gone here during office hours,” he told her.
“I know that, but you know they’re not going to let me in, right?” Amanda told him with a sigh. “Your loyal team’s hated me since---”--“I know,” he quickly said, as they got into an empty room. “What would you like to discuss?”
“For starters, can you stop treating this like a business meeting?”
“We have nothing to discuss actually, so might as well treat this as one,” he replied, offering her a seat across him.
She took a seat, and took a deep breath. “I hear you’ve sued Charles.”“Yes,” he said harshly. “It was high time I did. What about it?”
“You know Charles and I are no longer together.”
“Then good for you,” he said.
“I have no one left to--”
“You have family,” David said, “Oh wait- did you abandon them the moment you did the same to me, too?” David gave a short, mirthful laugh, the moment he saw that flicker in her eyes. “I have a feeling you did. You always had it in you, didn’t you?”
“I’m a person, too, David, I have feelings and needs.” “Well, I’m not your shrink,” David snapped at her. “I don’t need to hear about your problems, when you gave me problems that almost made me lose everything I worked hard for.”
“I loved you, David,” Amanda began, trying to placate him.
“There’s a reason why that’s past tense, Amanda.”
“Don’t you feel any love left for me at all?”
He stopped, breathing in slowly, trying to come into terms with what was happening, with what she was implying. Whatever had happened in the past, Amanda had hurt him good, and there were moments that work could not compensate for the pain anymore. Now, here she was, ready to hurt him again, ready to screw him over. He wouldn’t allow it.
“Whatever I felt for you once, you threw it all away. You can’t expect me to just catch you because no one else will now,” he breathed out, disliking the fact that he felt sympathetic for her. He had been there, and he had begged for her love.
Tears began to well up in her eyes, and not his this time.
“David,” she said, between sobs, “I realized many things, after we broke up, and I realized many more after we met last week. I couldn’t stop myself. Deep down, I knew I loved you. It was a poor moment of decision making, I was a terrible person to you and --”
“You were terrible, terrible and cruel,” David affirmed, “but just because you’re asking for another chance now with matching tears, doesn’t mean you can have it. We don’t get what we want all the time.”
“Don’t you feel at least anything for me anymore?” she asked him, her hand reaching out for his.
He didn’t do anything to move her hand away as it rested above his. He stared at it, contemplating how it had come to this. He had his heart set out on Emilia. Caryn was another story. Could he still win Caryn over? It wasn’t like he had won it in the first place, but he had his own family now, no matter how broken or confusing the situation was.
“Get Charles back, you two are perfect for each other,” he told her.
“I don’t want to. I tried.” “But you didn’t try when it came to us,” he reminded her. “Charles was someone who made you feel more secure, because he took the credit, even if I worked hard for that. You of all people knew that.”
“I did, and I regret every moment of it,” she told him. “I regret every moment I didn’t love you as much as I should have. You’re kind, you’re loyal, you’re--” “I’m not any of those things you assume me to be,” he said, “I have to leave. I already gave you fifteen minutes of my time, time I can’t get back.” He stood up, his back turned against her. “I’ll have security escort you out if you’re still here by seven.”
“What happened to you, David? You weren’t like this before, you always listened to me.” “Life happened, Amanda, and I intend to move forward. Good night.”
*
“So, your mother tells me you’ve got something to tell us,” his father, Warner told him as he cut up his steak dinner.
“He has a girlfriend?” Daphne said, taking a sip of her wine.
“He’s getting married,” Charlotte guessed. “And we haven’t even met the unlucky lady.” “Charlotte,” Jane tutted about, “that’s not such a nice thing to say.”
“Just saying,” Charlotte replied, “he’s never introduced anyone to us, all except that little biatch.” “Charlotte!”
Charlotte and Daphne laughed, and even his younger brother, Cody chuckled.
“I don’t find that funny at all,” Jane sighed, but then she nodded once more at David. “Alright, David, your siblings won’t stop their nonsense if you don’t tell them.”
“I have a kid.”
“You’re pregnant? I mean you got someone pregnant?” Daphne gasped. “For real?”
“For real,” David confirmed. “She’s 4 months old now.”
“You mean we’ve got a niece and you never told us? Until now?” Charlotte looked suspicious. “It isn’t hers, is it?” she asked, dreading that she might have a niece care of Amanda.
“No, no, god no,” David said.
“Well, what have you done about it, champ?” Warren asked him.
“I- I met up with her,” David replied.
“Are you sure it’s even yours?” Daphne asked him, putting down her fork and knife.
“Of course, I’m sure “David, she’s right, what if she’s just in it for the money? She knows who you are, right?” Jane asked him, troubled.
“She knew, she was sent to write about me,” David said.
“Ah, the plot thickens,” Cody told his brother. “This sounds like a potential problem.”
“What do you know? You’re only seventeen,” David said, annoyed.
“I know when a problem becomes an even bigger problem,” Cody responded. “And you, older brother, are in deep shit- crap,” he finished, seeing his mother’s lips purse.
“Cody is right, David, and so is mom.”
“What? You’re suggesting a DNA test?” David began. “I contemplated that, but I figured what for? Trust is---“