11

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

 

Leroy looks frustrated when he arrives at the door of our office. “Headed to my 2 o’clock with Harry. You ladies need anything?”

Lisette hands him a stack of checks to sign.

“Bryn, have you been added as a signer on the bank account?”

“Not yet.”

“That’s changing today.” He huffs, takes them, and speed-walks down the hall back to his office. He returns moments later, tosses the folder of checks on the corner of Lisette’s desk, and says before he walks away, “Look out for an email from the bank.”

Lisette smiles and says to me, “You better not tell Mandy.”

“She shouldn’t care.”

“I’ve only known Mandy for a few hours and even I know she’s going to take it personally. While you were meeting with him, she stopped by and kept saying that Harry should have promoted her instead of hiring Lee. So, with Lee empowering you—”

“Don’t worry, he’s empowering her as well. She’s just resisting it. The reality is, it’s a good thing and she should be happy.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Lisette’s a sweet kind soul. She’s already looking out for a sista. I haven’t told her about Shane, even though I’m sure she must have seen the framed photo of me, Shane, and Harry hanging in Harry’s office. Harry wants me to get Shane to autograph it for him. I told him not to hold his breath. Shane’s weird about signing stuff if it’s not for a kid. But seriously, who on earth besides Harry would want or pay for a signed photo of the three of us? Nobody in their right mind.

Shortly after Lee leaves the office, I hear the pitter-patter of Mandy’s shoes making their way down the hall. “Lee made you a signer on the bank account?”

Lisette turns around in her chair and looks over at me and then back at Mandy.

“I think so. Lisette gave him a stack of checks because he was running out and appeared not to have time to sign them.” My eyes shift. “Why?”

“I got an email about it.”

I turn to check my computer and see that they cc’d the finance alias on their email. “Yup, this is the email.” I turn back towards her.

“This just isn’t fair.” She turns red in the face and starts balling her little fists.

“Mandy!” I shout. “You’ve got to let it go.”

She flips her hair back, taking a deep breath. “That’s the final straw. I’m leaving this bitch.” She storms off down the hall.

I look at Lisette, who turns back to her desk. I get up and rush after her. “Mandy!”

Reba, sitting at my recently vacated desk, looks up while thumbing through a contract binder and starts grazing on a handful of mixed nuts. “Yeah, she’s pissed.” She points at Mandy, who’s sitting at her desk with her eyes shut tight.

“No Bryn, I’m quitting. I deserve better.” Mandy’s eyes are wet.

“Don’t leave. We need you.”

“It’s either me—” she hits her chest, “— or him.” She points in the direction of his office.

I rub my face, forgetting that I have on a full face of make-up. “Hand me a tissue, please.”

“You know he drinks.” She tosses me the box.

I stare blankly at her then turn around when I hear someone walk in. “Oh, it’s you.” Lisette walks over to Reba.

“Ladies, help me talk some sense into Mandy,” I say. “We don’t want her making rash moves.”

“He’s a drunk! And I’m not working for someone like that.”

“Really? That’s some accusation.”

“He’s always running out of here and he’s always using mouthwash. What kind of man keeps constantly rinsing with Listerine?” rants Mandy.

“A metrosexual. I know. I used to date one,” snaps Reba.

“See. He’s probably just extra clean,” I plead.

“It’s not… I just need to go do my own thing. I’m tired of this anyway.” Mandy shuts down her computer.

“We finally have the help we need and you’re ready to leave.” I’m getting really frustrated with her now.

“We can run it without him. Right?” Mandy’s looking for back-up.

“We can do a lot of things, it doesn’t mean we should,” chimes in Lisette. She’s so smart. I knew I made a great hire. We think alike.

“I’m going tell Harry I need to meet with him, today.” Mandy grabs her phone. “I’m calling him now.”

“He’s with Lee. Leave it alone. The last thing you want is for this thing to backfire.”

“I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“Okay.” I shrug my shoulders and turn to leave.

“So, Bryn, when do we get to see that ring?” Reba smiles.

Tilting my head, I look at Mandy.

“Not me this time.”

“No, not Mandy. I want to date an athlete just to see what it’s like. Like my last boyfriend lifted weights. He was like a fake body builder. But I hear it’s not the same.” She winks and smiles. “So, I stalk this NFL girlfriend website and I just happen to see a thread on Shane Smith. It’s like really long. It mentioned a ring. I figured it was you since you’re seeing him. I saw the pic in Harry’s office.”

“Wow! That was totally unexpected.”

“I mean, why beat around the bush? You’re dating a millionaire and like, I want to see the ring and I like hearing about it. I’m obsessed with all of the housewives shows. Have you ever heard of WAGS? I have aspirations to be on one of those reality shows but until then, I want to live vicariously through you. Please?”

“I really don’t like to discuss Shane in the office.”

“Yeah, I hear you, but can you make an exception? I mean, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I won’t judge.” She shrugs her shoulders and rolls her eyes back. “All men cheat.”

I’m sure I have shock written all over my face. Reba has no problem with speaking her mind. “There are other women for sure. I don’t know if they ALL cheat, but… let’s just say there are lots of women and they don’t ask, don’t care, if the guy says he has a girlfriend, fiancée, or wife,” I answer matter-of-factly.

“I feel like we need to have this conversation over drinks. Let’s do dinner tonight. I mean technically, we didn’t have our new-hire lunch. That’s what HR said, so I say let’s make it a new-hire dinner. Besides, Mandy needs a drink. Just look at her.”

We all stare at her and she looks as if she just got released from a mental facility.

“I do.” Mandy nods helplessly.

“Fine, I guess.” I shake my head and text Jen, asking her to get Bailey and that I have a work function.

After work we meet at On the Boarder, located near our office, because Reba is convinced they have the best margaritas and guacamole in town. I’m not going to lie, from the lack of upkeep in their ladies’ room, I’m slightly afraid to eat anything from here.

Back at the table, our drinks arrive and our spritely waiter comes to our table carrying a bunch of supplies.

“Oh, he’s going to make it in front of us.” I survey his display.

“Yes.” Reba shimmies in her seat.

“I never had guacamole,” says Mandy. “You like it because you’re half Mexican, right?” she asks Reba.

“Ummm, I’m Latina.” Reba makes a face. “There’s a difference.”

“I’ve never seen a red-headed Latina.” Mandy, obviously tipsy, finishes her first margarita.

“Mandy, you need to get out more. I mean, you can be any ethnicity and have red hair. It’s from a mutated gene. Anyways…” she flicks her hair, “I love being a ginger. I frequently get mistaken for Cintia Dicker.”

“Dicker?” Mandy starts laughing.

Our waiter fights to keep a straight face but he can’t keep from turning red.

Mandy’s laugh grows louder. “Dicker!” She slaps her knee.

“I guess that’s all you’ve been thinking about since your husband got deployed,” Reba snaps.

“Jimmy? Nah, I keep a pink ‘dicker’ in my nightstand,” Mandy tries to whisper. “It’s nine inches too.”

Our waiter hurriedly places our chips and guacamole on the table and turns away.

“Mandy, you are embarrassing. We can’t take you anywhere.” Reba calls back our waiter. “Can you refresh her drink please?”

“I think we need to cut her off.” I reach in for a chip and take a scoop of the famous guacamole.

“Well, speaking of dick, how big is Shane?” Reba asks outright.

I hold my hand out to stop her.

“No, like seriously,” she insists. “I heard that, you know, black guys have larger dicks.”

“I can’t provide any insight. I’ve only dated black men. Mandy is better equipped for this topic.”

Mandy’s already nodding and smiling but when she opens her mouth to speak, Reba talks over her. “No, don’t say anything. Our waiter is on his way over here. You don’t know what to say out your mouth around company.”

“Mother, may I?” Mandy pleads.

“Ugh. No one will ever call me mom. I’m never having kids.” Reba smooths her shirt, highlighting her flat stomach. “I have a six-pack to maintain.”

“Is that the only reason? You can always lose the weight,” Lisette chimes in.

“I just don’t want them. I’m wayyyyy too selfish. I enjoy my freedom too much. My mom says there’s no use in me getting married if I don’t want kids so, you know?” She reaches for the salt. “I’ll be forever single. Besides, I’m too irresponsible. Just last weekend I accidentally locked my niece in the basement.”

“You what?” Lisette looks appalled. I think we all do.

“I know. I know.” Reba rolls her eyes. “I swear I thought my sister had put her down for a nap. So, when I heard her screaming and calling for her daddy, I just assumed she didn’t want to sleep. You know, I was just going to let her cry it out. Well, it wasn’t until my mom came in the house and was looking for her, she realized that she was locked in the basement. This is why I can’t be trusted with children.”

“Why didn’t you check on her to be sure?” asks Mandy. “That’s what I would have done.”

“I don’t know. I just don’t have that motherly instinct, I guess. My sister was pissed.”

“I’d be pissed as well. I’m assuming she’s okay.”

“I mean she was red from crying her eyes out but she’s alive.”

I shake my head. “That’s the thing. When you have kids you constantly worry about them. For the longest, I never wanted to send Bailey to daycare. As a working single mom, you really don’t have that many choices. Then, you’re so exposed. You become so vulnerable. I’ll tell you that. There’s nothing you love more than your kids. You would literally give your life for them. No doubt. I would run into a burning building if she were in it to try and save her.” I grab another chip. “Okay Reba, the guacamole is awesome. Let’s change the subject. I’m getting all emotional just thinking about it.”

“I want another before it’s too late,” Mandy chimes in.

“Ummm, didn’t you tell me that your husband jumped off the sixtieth-floor balcony to get away from your current kid?” Reba asks Mandy.

“What?” shouts Lisette.

Mandy turns red in the face and tries to contain her laughter so she doesn’t choke on her drink. When she finally swallows, she lets out a crazed laugh.

“Yeah, he like jumped out of the building to get away from a kid,” Reba continues. “That’s why I know I can’t deal.” She flicks her hair back.

“It wasn’t to get away from the kid. He planned on jumping that night and the kid was crying, so he was just joking,” Mandy says.

“Excuse me? What do you mean he planned to jump?” I raise one eyebrow, concerned.

“I didn’t tell you that Jimmy is a BASE jumper?”

“No, you failed to share. I knew about the military but not that he jumps for fun.”

“Well, to be considered a base jumper you have to jump from a building, antenna, span, and earth. Like a cliff, ya know. Well, he hasn’t done any buildings in a while and certainly can’t jump off a building during the day, so he usually does it at night. Well, he did.”

“That is the craziest thing I’ve heard. I would freak out if I was on the balcony and saw a man falling from above.”

“I’m with Jimmy. I’d jump to get away from a crying kid.” Reba eyes the dessert menu.

“Josh and I just had our first anniversary and I can’t fathom loving anyone more than him,” says Lisette. “We want kids, but we’re going to wait until he’s finished up with grad school before we start trying.”

“That’s sweet. I didn’t marry Bailey’s father, but a love between a parent and a child is completely different. I can’t even think of a word to describe it. I guess it’s like how God loves us. Or maybe we can’t even fathom that kind of love. Like, it’s not even possible to understand since it’s a divine love. I’m not saying you can’t love a spouse as much. I’m just trying to say that it’s different. And, I wouldn’t trade my life for no man. I don’t care how big his dick is,” I joke, hoping to lighten and change the conversation.

“Funny you say that. Josh and I were talking, and I presented him with a scenario where I had complications during childbirth. I asked him if he had to choose between me or the child, who would he choose? He said the child! I threw a pillow and yelled at him. He said he wouldn’t kill his child. But I was upset because I’m like we can always have another child. Men are weird. I would choose him.”

“You think you would. Give it time.” I smile. “We can have this conversation again after you spit one out.”

Our waiter returns with a round of waters and takes our dinner orders.

“Well, I’ve got both.” Mandy collects the menus and hands them over. “Bryn is right. It’s different. I love the kid more. I mean, what wouldn’t you do for your kid?”

“I’d do anything.” Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. “It’s an unconditional love.”

“My point proven. That’s why I’m not having kids.” Reba turns to the waiter. “I’ll have a hot fudge sundae with sprinkles.” Then she turns back to us. “I love myself too much.”