Black Female

by Kim J. West

  There was a long pause. “Well, that’s a first. Why wouldn’t she sue?’

  “I suspect she doesn’t want me to find out.”

  “Well then, I’d hold out and wait for the lawsuit. They all eventually go for it.”

  “You don’t understand. I want to ensure my rights as the father of this child are protected and I want full access from birth. Full custody if possible. I need to know I will be able to gain unrestricted access to my child.”

  “Unless she’s incapable like on drugs or homeless then full custody, even with your money is difficult to get. Joint custody is possible, but will involve a lot of legal work and if you say she’s not bugging you for financial support, she might well deny that you are the father.”

  “To hell with that,” I snapped.

  “Are you sure it’s yours? I know you might think it is, but if she’s denying it then perhaps you should believe her.”

  The more and more I thought over the whole thing, the more sure I became; Lena was carrying my child; she had to be.

  “I’m pretty certain it’s mine.”

  “Well part of the process for joint custody where the mother denies paternity involves DNA testing anyway, so we will find out soon enough. When is she due so we know when to begin the process?”

  “I’ll get back to you; let me talk to her first.”

  ***

  Three days later I was on my private jet heading for Los Angeles with Jackson. My main reason for going there was Lena, but to maintain my privacy over the whole matter, I scheduled a few work appointments with the California office of one of our subsidiaries.

  Within hours of landing, I was off to attend a business meeting, wanting to get as much work out of the way before a visit to Lena’s on Saturday. That Thursday and Friday were both filled with my work schedule as I drove hard to complete all my initial commitments. I knew Lena was stubborn and I knew it might take time for her to confess. So I’d intended to remain there for as long as necessary, until I had the truth from her.

  Saturday afternoon, dressed casually in dark jeans, a grey t-shirt and trainers, I connected the GPS and headed out in my Range Rover that remained parked for my use while in California. I knew Jackson would be trailing me somewhere.

  As soon as I spotted her father’s house, I felt my anger creeping in; I didn’t care who I was going to encounter or what was standing in my way. If my baby was in that house, then Lena, her father or whoever was there, was going to have to deal with me.

  The house was a neat, Spanish style home, not far from the University of California in Los Angeles where her father worked as a coach. I parked my car, next to the curb, then headed up the driveway, to the front door.

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  I rang the doorbell, then stood back and waited.

  After a minute, I heard someone coming towards the door. It opened and there stood Lena. She was barefoot, her hair tied back in a pony-tail while dressed in yoga pants and a loose T-shirt over a large belly. Fuck. She’s pregnant. The reality struck me hard and I couldn’t help staring at her in shock now that the evidence of the pregnancy was right there before me. She was more stunning than ever; glowing and radiant.

  When she noticed it was me, she took a startled step backwards, dropping a water bottle. She tried to shut the door, but quick as lightning; I put my foot in the door.

  "Jonathan, please leave," she said avoiding my gaze, trying to keep the door from opening fully.

  Did she know who she was dealing with?"No. I'm not leaving."

  "Jonathan, my boyfriend is going to be here any minute and he’ll not be happy to find you here."

  I snorted in response, narrowing my eyes at her blatant lie. "What boyfriend, Lena? If there is actually a boyfriend then I’m staying right here until him and I meet to discuss this," I snapped, nodding towards her swollen belly.

  "What do you want?" she demanded.

  "I want the truth."

  My anger was at breaking point; I wasn’t going to play any of her games today.

  "Does your wife know you are here?" she retorted.

  What? Is she talking about Ashley? Probably those damn paparazzi pictures.

  "I don't have a wife, Lena,” I replied firmly.

  She seemed perplexed for a moment as she considered my words.

  "What happened to Ashley?"

  I shook my head. "I told you I could never go back to her; you know this." How could she not know this after the way she’d fucked me up?

  Just then, a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled up. Lena’s eyes widened in panic.

  "Shit. Jonathan, you have to go; my dad is here. I’ll call you." she whispered urgently, trying to blow me off.

  Good; her father is exactly who I wanted to see. I’d explain everything to him and if he was a real man, he’d understand why I was there. As I watched him come out of the garage where he’d parked and head towards the front door, I simply stepped aside out of his path and waited for him to approach. He was a tall guy; about the same height as me, looked younger than his age and had an authoritative air about him; like someone who is used to being in charge. That made two of us.

  "Honey, what's going on?" her father asked her, while sizing me up warily.

  I notice Lena being hesitant and decided to step forward and offered him my hand in a firm handshake.

  "Sir, my name is Jonathan Carter,” I began politely. “I'm here to visit Lena. I’ve been away for a few months and when I got back to Atlanta, I called her mother, Mrs. Williams, to find out how Lena is doing. Her mother told me Lena was pregnant by her boyfriend from Atlanta, an employee at her previous job. She asked if I knew him. As far as I’m concerned, Lena was my girlfriend in Atlanta and she left me. I knew nothing about this pregnancy. Lena has cut me off and won't speak to me and now I hear she's pregnant. I came immediately to LA to find out what is going on." I spoke firmly, adamant that neither the father nor his daughter would stand in my way if this pregnancy was mine. If this child was a Carter, I was willing to wreck lives to ensure I had access to my child.

  Lena was glaring at me angrily.

  "What are you doing?" she fumed.

  "Whatever it takes." I snapped back defiantly.

  Her father interrupted.

  "Are you saying you are responsible for this?" he asked, his hand waving towards Lena’s swollen belly.

  "That's what I'm here to find out, Sir." I replied, while Lena stood mortified just inside the door.

  Her father turned to her, his expression serious.

  "Lena, what do you have to say for yourself?"

  At first she opened her mouth to protest then, seemed resigned.

  "Dad, I'm sorry about all this, let me just talk to him and figure things out."

  "Okay, well let him in then,” her dad suggested.

  "No, I'll talk to him somewhere private, let me grab my shoes."

  After she’d gone upstairs, her father stepped just inside the door and I came in after him; I wasn’t being shut outside until I’d spoken to Lena.

  “So,” her father began, “you said your name was Jonathan?”

  “Yes, sir; Jonathan Carter.”

  “And you mentioned something about being away for the last few months?”

  “Yes, sir,” I replied folding my arms across my chest to match his stance. “I was in Europe for a few months, doing some hiking, tracking and fishing in Siberia and other places around Europe.”

  “So a young man like you could afford to leave work and be on vacation for that long?”

  “Err.. I’d saved up, sir.” I didn’t know what else to say; I guess it wasn’t the typical thing to do for most people my age.

  “What sort of fish do they get up there in Siberia?” I could tell he was still sizing me up, wary of the whole issue I’d brought to his home.

  “The best salmon and trout in the world, sir. There was no ‘catch and release’ on this trip; we ate almost everything we caught. We also spear-fished some huge Taimen i
n those waters, it was certainly memorable.”

  Just then, Lena came back downstairs, with her jacket and purse, focusing her attention on her father.

  "I'll see you later, dad."

  "Honey, are you sure you’re okay?"

  "Yes, dad."

  I offered him my hand again.

  "Thank you sir, I apologize once again for intruding like this," I said politely.

  "Well, I hope you kids resolve this sooner rather than later."

  I nodded in agreement then stepped aside for Lena to walk ahead of me out the front door.

  We walked in silence towards my car parked at the curb.

  I opened the car door for Lena and helped her in. I couldn’t help staring at her body; that swollen belly was most likely carrying my child. The thought of her not contacting me about this, had my disappointment and anger quickly surfacing again. After she was comfortably settled, I walked around to the driver’s door, started the car and drove off.

  She turned to face me, while I studied the GPS for directions.

  “What the hell are you doing, Jonathan?” she shouted angrily.

  What? The damn nerve of her, carrying a pregnancy she kept secret, then daring to snap at me.

  "Jonathan, are you listening to me?” she continued. “You should never have come."

  Never have come? Never? My hand came smashing down on the dashboard with unrestrained rage. Lena jumped in her seat, startled at my furious reaction.

  "Lena, how could you?” I seethed. “Don't even... Just... Let's get to the condo. We will talk there."

  "We have nothing to talk about," she snapped back at me.

  "Oh my God,” I muttered under my breath in disbelief. “I'm not putting up with any of your bullshit today. Not this time, Lena."

  I glanced at her, then her belly, shaking my head that she would still try to act like nothing had happened while sitting there with clear undeniable evidence. I was furious but kept a firm grip on the steering wheel, silently guiding us to the safety and privacy of the condo, where I’d grill her to pieces until she broke down and told the truth.

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  I headed straight into the underground parking garage of the condo building, hurriedly hopping out to fetch Lena from her seat. Despite my anger, I wanted to make sure she was safe on my watch and stoically ignored her irritation at being assisted out of the car. Fortunately she let me help her out and didn’t run her mouth.

  We took the elevator up to my floor and I led her into the condo. The last time I was here was when I made hot passionate love to her, which then ended with her abandoning me on my knees, begging her not to leave me.

  I shut the door and led her to the sparsely furnished living room. I helped her settle comfortably on the couch, then I sat down on the coffee table directly in front of her, leaning forward on my thighs with my elbows; tenting my fingers. As beautiful as she was, I couldn’t help focusing my anger and disgust at what she had done.

  I faced her directly. "Why would you do this?"

  She looked me square in the eye. "What have I done, exactly?"

  "Lena, don't fuck me around, I swear to God...” I stood up and paced, bringing my fury under control with a few deep, calming breaths, then came to stand beside her before I faced her again, my expression grim and serious. She was playing games. I wanted to hear her admit that this pregnancy was mine.

  “Lena,” I tried again, a warning tone in my voice. “I want to hear it from you. Who is the owner of this pregnancy?”

  "This is not your baby, Jonathan. I'm sorry."

  Before I could stop myself, I’d picked up an empty vase that was on a small side table then threw it at Ashley’s fake, ten million dollar painting on the wall; that she’d bought on a whim with my credit card. The painting crashed to the ground and its glass cover shattered.

  Lena stood up and began heading towards the main door. In a few quick strides I’d gone ahead of her, locked the door and bolted it. I was mad as hell. Where was she going with my child?

  "You are not going anywhere," I shouted, livid and pacing angrily. "We are not going to leave this place until you tell me the truth."

  "You have no right to keep me here as your prisoner, I'm not your damn slave!" she screamed back at me, tears beginning to bloom in her eyes. I hardened my resolve; I’d not be manipulated today.

  "Oh really?” I retorted mockingly. “The race thing again? Well, fuck it. Not after what you have done.”

  “You’re treating me like shit, Jonathan. So I want to leave NOW,” she demanded rattling the door.

  “And you’ve treated me like shit too, Lena.” I shouted back filled with rage.

  “Jonathan. Open the damn door!” she shouted hysterically.

  “No. I don’t give a fuck what you want anymore, Lena. You will stay here and you will tell me everything, or else."

  "Or else what?"

  "Exactly."

  "What are you planning to do, Jonathan? What is it you want from me?” she screamed in anguish, with tears streaming down her face.

  The minute I saw those tears finally spring from her eyes, I felt a protective emotion welling up inside me and before I knew it, I was rushing towards her to comfort her. At the last moment, my rational side regained control; I had to have this conversation. I put my arms down and set my jaw, looking at her with more determination than ever.

  "If this pregnancy is mine and you are keeping it from me, I will leave no stone unturned to ensure I get my rights enforced. I will spend every cent I have to fight for my child. So for both our sakes, I suggest you tell the truth about what is going on."

  I watched as her tear stained face became fearful and panic set in. She began to stagger backwards clearly having a panic attack. Shit; I’d gone too far. I lurched forward quickly and put my arm around her, leading her back to the couch to help her sit down. I sat in front of her on the coffee table again, wondering if perhaps she was in labor. I squeezed her knee.

  "Baby, are you okay?"

  "How can you ask me if I'm okay, when you’ve just threatened to take my baby away?" she snapped, dashing her tears away.

  I took a deep breath; she was right. I shouldn’t have said it.

  "Lena, look,” I began looking into her eyes. “I'm sorry. I'm just really angry, confused and overwhelmed. I... I just need answers. Why can't you just tell me the tru---"

  She cut me off mid-sentence.

  "It's your baby."

  Oh my God. My heart was doing back-flips as I slowly let her words sink in. I stood up and paced up and down agitated, with both my hands knitted behind my head. She was pregnant with my child. I was a father. Why the hell didn’t she tell me? There was no earthly reason she could have to justify that reasoning.

  "Why would you do this?” I demanded. “Why the hell would you keep this from me?"

  "Because it had to be this way."

  What did that even mean?

  “Didn’t you do enough when you broke my fucking heart and now you wanted to rip it out completely by keeping my child from me?”

  At those words, she had a pained expression on her face, before burying her face in her hands.

  "Were you ever going to tell me?" I demanded.

  "I don't know."

  "Don't you think I would have wanted to know?"

  "Jonathan, we broke up."

  "We didn't break up; you left me."

  "You were giving up your whole life for us to be together, Jonathan. I couldn't separate you from everything and everyone you love, just to be with me."

  Separate me from those I love? What about her? What about my child?

  "It wasn't your decision to make," I snapped angrily. "Don't I get to decide what I want? I wanted you, God damn it."

  "You were going to cut your parents off to be with me. You wanted to leave the empire your family built and that was going to be all my doing. I didn't want to be responsible for tearing your family apart,” she said, gasping the words through sobs. />
  I stood turned away from her, my hands on my hips listening to her ridiculous reasoning. She’d broken up with me because being with her was going to tear my family apart? This was beyond me.

  "And what about the baby?" I asked.

  "I got pregnant during our last time together.”

  So she knew from the beginning? I turned to her, swiftly.

  “My God, Lena. I don’t get why you thought it was okay to do this,” I shouted. “I would have taken care of you. You are carrying my child and that makes me responsible for you and your well-being and you took that away from me. Damn it, Lena!”

  “Your mother hated me on sight. She cried for you when she saw me and I knew if you found out I was pregnant you would never be able to move on. My baby and I would destroy your family."

  "This baby IS my family.” I shouted furiously. “I'm the father. I have God damned rights too. You can't just decide everything about my child without my consent." She was a total liar and I let her see that I could see through her; but my judgmental gaze was met with defiance.

  "I don't care about your millions spent suing me,” she retorted, “but I'm not letting my child grow up wondering why his father's family hates him for no other reason than being black."

  Him? She’s referring to my baby as a he?

  My anger transformed to bewilderment.

  "Him? Are we having a boy?" I asked as I walked towards her, and gently gripped her shoulders.

  She hesitated.

  "Yes, it's a boy." We made eye contact, then I pulled her to me, holding her tight.

  In that moment, I felt my fury simply dissolve as my thoughts became flooded with excitement. This was no longer just a baby she was carrying; this was our little boy.

  "My God, Lena; we’re having a son!" I said, fighting back tears and shaking with emotion.

  After a moment’s hesitation, she slowly hugged me back and we stood like that for several minutes, just absorbing everything that’d taken place. Just then, I felt what I can only describe as a leap of joy between us, coming from her belly. I pulled back quickly in surprise.