CHAPTER FOURTEEN
VICTORIA
The three weeks between the day I found out I got my job back and the day I reported back to work flew by. I was super excited to go back. I’d missed everyone. I had also missed having a job period, and I hated to admit it but most of all, I missed Alex. I did admit it to Liz. I had to ask her if she thought that was a really bad reason for me to go back, especially since he was back with his wife.
“Is that the only reason?” she said.
“No, not at all. I need a job and I really liked it there. My co-workers are great and the pay is good.”
“Then there is nothing wrong with accepting it. Honey, you can’t help how you feel. Your actions you have to be concerned with. I don’t believe you would ever have an affair with a married man, so I think you’re okay. Just watch your heart. Try not to let it get too broken or you’ll end up cynical like me.”
“At least no one takes advantage of you,” I told her.
“Anymore,” she said.
“Thank you, Liz.”
“It’s what friends are for,” she said again.
I received papers about a week after that day saying that the lawsuit had been dropped on Alex’s end. It was another thing I was apprehensive about. I kept wondering if bringing me back was some kind of stunt for court. I didn’t want to be paranoid, but it had been a really hard few months. The papers were filed the day I’d dropped mine. I guess we both had the same idea. I used the money I got to pay off my lawyers and my storage. That left me a little to live off of and help Liz and Gloria pay bills until I started back to work and got paid again. I had a check-up at the doctor and he said things were going very well with the baby. My life was finally back on track and I couldn’t be happier about it.
I was a little nervous about going to work after what happened the last time I was there. I was wondering how many of the staff knew what had really gone on. Plus, being seven and a half months pregnant was a little different in and of itself. When I got to the front gates, the security man greeted me warmly and welcomed me back. Karen hugged me and fussed over my tummy bulge and the cook wanted to feed me. But best of all, Alex was at the kitchen table and when he heard the cook offer me pancakes and eggs he said, “Yes Vicki. Please join me.”
I nervously sat down next to him and he looked at me with soft eyes and a smile and said, “I’m glad you agreed to come back. We’ve all missed you around here.” It was kind of surreal. So much had happened since the last time I’d sat at this table with him. The cook loaded me down with pancakes laden with butter and syrup. As I took a healthy bite I thought: If my mother could see me now, she’d have a heart attack and remind me how many calories were in what I was eating. I didn’t care. I was happy and it was delicious. “So how are things with the baby?” Alex asked me.
“Everything is good,” I told him. “I’m taking a semester off school after he is born and I’m working on finding someone reliable to watch him so I won’t have to take too much time off.” I had no idea how to hire childcare; it was one of those brand new things to me. I’m sure I’d have a million more of them before my baby was grown.
“Bring him with you,” Alex said, nearly knocking me off my chair. “You don’t want to leave an infant alone with a stranger.”
“No I don’t, but… I mean…”
He smiled. “I’ll hire a nanny. We can go through the agency where they are all background investigated and have references. We’ll make him a nursery. Please consider it,” he said. I was considering how expensive that would be. I wondered if the cost would come out of my wages. He looked like he was about to say something else but Cassandra walked in. In my mind it was like what Dorothy must have felt like the first time she saw the wicked witch. Cassandra gave me a look that said she didn’t approve of her husband eating with the help, but she didn’t seem jealous or angry at all. I had to assume that for all Alex’s big talk about hiring a nanny and making a nursery, his wife didn’t know the baby in my belly was his.
“I should get to work,” I said.
“Yeah, you probably should,” Cassandra said, dismissively. Alex glared at her and then he turned to look at me and again he smiled.
“Welcome back.”
I smiled and nodded at him and as I was walking away I heard Cassandra say, “You didn’t tell me she was about to pop. She’ll only be here a month and we’ll have to hire a replacement. What were you thinking?”