Because of You
Baby Daddy Drama
After dropping off Layla, I headed to the shop. Today I had a some interviews for a store manager since I had to fire the last one. I caught her stealing from me so she had to go. I pulled up to the store and got my purse before getting out of my car. I got out of my car and hit the alarm while walking to my store.
opened the front door as Emma pulled up in her car ready for her shift.
"Hey." I turned around before opening the door going in. She walked in.
"What's up?" She asked.
"I'm interviewing store managers today and if you weren't getting married I would have promoted you." I said.
"What about Jennifer?" She asked.
"She's not responsible enough." I said.
"She's your cousin." Emma said.
"My point exactly." I said. "When my applicants get here come get me." I said as I left her to open the store. I walked into my office and put my bags down. I had some paperwork to finish and only Lord knows how long that would take.
By 1:00 pm. I interviewed 7 applicants and none of them seemed right for the job. I had one more girl coming in and I was praying she would be the one.
"Liv, your final applicant is here." I looked up to see Emma at the door. I got up and straightened my dress. I walked out of the office and saw this beautiful younger girl waiting for me. I plastered on my smile and approached her.
"Hello, my name is Olivia Sanders, owner of Liv." I introduced myself.
"Adele Manchi." She said with a genuine smile and I could tell I would love to have her working at my store.
"Step right this way and do you have a look book?" I asked.
"Look book?" She asked.
"Usually I like to hire people with actual style but since you don't have one we'll figure something out." I said.
"Okay." She smiled.
***
By the end of the interview I knew she was the one that I wanted to be my store manager.
"Is that your daughter?" She asked seeing a picture of me and Layla on the beach.
"Yep, Layla Brittany Sanders. 6 years old and the love of my life." I said.
"She looks like you especially with those beautiful eyes." She said.
"You think? A lot of people think I kidnapped her." I said with a smile.
"No, she's your twin except fairer." She said.
"Yeah." I said.
"Her father?" She asked.
"Non-existent. He doesn't know about her." I said.
"Well there's something we have in common. I have a 2 year old and he knows his father but his father doesn't know him." She said.
"Well, I have some great news you can have the job if you want it." I said.
"Oh my God, really?" She asked and I nodded. "Thank you so much! When do I start so I can find a babysitter?"
"Well you can start tomorrow and as far as a babysitter you can bring your son here. It's not a big problem. We single moms have got to look
out for each other, it's like a sisterhood." I said.
Little did I know hiring Addie was the best decision I've ever because I gained an amazing store manager and a very close friend if not a bestfriend.
****
A few weeks later,
I was at the store unloading a new box of shoes that finally came in. Layla was in the office doing her homework. Addie was working the register while Grayson was asleep in the back where we put together a little nursery. The door opened and I turned just to acknowledge a couple coming in. Something inside of
me was screaming to look closerat the guy because he looked really familiar but it couldn't be. Why would he be in my store in Los Angeles when he was supposed to be in New York?
"Liv?" His voice made me completely freeze and I dropped the shoes in my hand. I turned around praying that my mind was playing tricks on me but it wasn't.
"Tom?" I asked.
"Hey, wow you look great."He said.
"Yeah, so do you." I looked behind him to see his 'girlfriend.'
"Sorry, where are my manners. Casey this is Olivia, Olivia this is my girlfriend Casey." He said.
"Nice to meet you." I said without bothering to shake her hand.
"Mom, I need your help." I closed my eyes hoping that he didn't realize she was his.
"I'll be right there babe." I said.
"Okay." She walked away.
"You had a kid?" He asked and he started to look a little pale.
"Yeah, that's my daughter." I said.
Casey looked at him strangely.
"How old is she?" He asked barely getting it out.
"She'll be 7 in two weeks." That's when I saw the look that I knew that I knew all too well.
"Olivia, can we talk in private really quick?" He asked.
I swallowed hard and nodded. I started walking in the back with him hot on my tail. We stepped outside and Tom grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Is she mine?" He asked.
"As in your daughter? Yes she is." I said bracing myself for what was going to happen next.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded from me.
"I didn't tell you because you never came back. After you got with your girlfriend I was a distant memory and didn't matter to you."
"That's not fair. This is my child and you kept her away from me." He said.
"Tom-" I went to say.
"No, it's my turn to talk. I knew you could be a fucking bitch but I never knew you could be this evil. You are a fucking piece of work." He was being an asshole.
"You fucking asshole! You didn't bother to come home to even dump me face-to-face. I was waiting on you to come back and tell you because 'I'm pregnant' isn't ideal for phone conversation." I said.
"I want to meet her." He said.
"Okay." I nodded feeling tears stinging my eyes. "Please don't punish her because of me."
"I have nothing else to say to you. I just want to meet my daughter but not here." He said.
"Okay." I said.
"What's your address?" He asked. He pulled out his cellphone and handed it over. I typed in the address in his memo. I handed it back. He walked away from me and went back to the store. I really could use a cigarette right about now. Too bad I quit, I walked back into the store and instead of finishing up what I was doing I checked on Grayson who was asleep and then I went to see Layla.
"Baby." I said. She looked up and saw me about to cry.
"Why are you sad mommy?" She asked.
"I'm not sad." I lied. "How would you like to meet your father?" I asked sitting by her.
"Really mommy?" She asked excited.
"Yeah, I just talked to him and he's coming to see you tonight."
"Yay!" She smiled brightly and hugged me. I was upset but since my baby is happy than I would put on the front that I was happy.
opened the front door as Emma pulled up in her car ready for her shift.
"Hey." I turned around before opening the door going in. She walked in.
"What's up?" She asked.
"I'm interviewing store managers today and if you weren't getting married I would have promoted you." I said.
"What about Jennifer?" She asked.
"She's not responsible enough." I said.
"She's your cousin." Emma said.
"My point exactly." I said. "When my applicants get here come get me." I said as I left her to open the store. I walked into my office and put my bags down. I had some paperwork to finish and only Lord knows how long that would take.
By 1:00 pm. I interviewed 7 applicants and none of them seemed right for the job. I had one more girl coming in and I was praying she would be the one.
"Liv, your final applicant is here." I looked up to see Emma at the door. I got up and straightened my dress. I walked out of the office and saw this beautiful younger girl waiting for me. I plastered on my smile and approached her.
"Hello, my name is Olivia Sanders, owner of Liv." I introduced myself.
"Adele Manchi." She said with a genuine smile and I could tell I would love to have her working at my store.
"Step right this way and do you have a look book?" I asked.
"Look book?" She asked.
"Usually I like to hire people with actual style but since you don't have one we'll figure something out." I said.
"Okay." She smiled.
***
By the end of the interview I knew she was the one that I wanted to be my store manager.
"Is that your daughter?" She asked seeing a picture of me and Layla on the beach.
"Yep, Layla Brittany Sanders. 6 years old and the love of my life." I said.
"She looks like you especially with those beautiful eyes." She said.
"You think? A lot of people think I kidnapped her." I said with a smile.
"No, she's your twin except fairer." She said.
"Yeah." I said.
"Her father?" She asked.
"Non-existent. He doesn't know about her." I said.
"Well there's something we have in common. I have a 2 year old and he knows his father but his father doesn't know him." She said.
"Well, I have some great news you can have the job if you want it." I said.
"Oh my God, really?" She asked and I nodded. "Thank you so much! When do I start so I can find a babysitter?"
"Well you can start tomorrow and as far as a babysitter you can bring your son here. It's not a big problem. We single moms have got to look
out for each other, it's like a sisterhood." I said.
Little did I know hiring Addie was the best decision I've ever because I gained an amazing store manager and a very close friend if not a bestfriend.
****
A few weeks later,
I was at the store unloading a new box of shoes that finally came in. Layla was in the office doing her homework. Addie was working the register while Grayson was asleep in the back where we put together a little nursery. The door opened and I turned just to acknowledge a couple coming in. Something inside of
me was screaming to look closerat the guy because he looked really familiar but it couldn't be. Why would he be in my store in Los Angeles when he was supposed to be in New York?
"Liv?" His voice made me completely freeze and I dropped the shoes in my hand. I turned around praying that my mind was playing tricks on me but it wasn't.
"Tom?" I asked.
"Hey, wow you look great."He said.
"Yeah, so do you." I looked behind him to see his 'girlfriend.'
"Sorry, where are my manners. Casey this is Olivia, Olivia this is my girlfriend Casey." He said.
"Nice to meet you." I said without bothering to shake her hand.
"Mom, I need your help." I closed my eyes hoping that he didn't realize she was his.
"I'll be right there babe." I said.
"Okay." She walked away.
"You had a kid?" He asked and he started to look a little pale.
"Yeah, that's my daughter." I said.
Casey looked at him strangely.
"How old is she?" He asked barely getting it out.
"She'll be 7 in two weeks." That's when I saw the look that I knew that I knew all too well.
"Olivia, can we talk in private really quick?" He asked.
I swallowed hard and nodded. I started walking in the back with him hot on my tail. We stepped outside and Tom grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Is she mine?" He asked.
"As in your daughter? Yes she is." I said bracing myself for what was going to happen next.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded from me.
"I didn't tell you because you never came back. After you got with your girlfriend I was a distant memory and didn't matter to you."
"That's not fair. This is my child and you kept her away from me." He said.
"Tom-" I went to say.
"No, it's my turn to talk. I knew you could be a fucking bitch but I never knew you could be this evil. You are a fucking piece of work." He was being an asshole.
"You fucking asshole! You didn't bother to come home to even dump me face-to-face. I was waiting on you to come back and tell you because 'I'm pregnant' isn't ideal for phone conversation." I said.
"I want to meet her." He said.
"Okay." I nodded feeling tears stinging my eyes. "Please don't punish her because of me."
"I have nothing else to say to you. I just want to meet my daughter but not here." He said.
"Okay." I said.
"What's your address?" He asked. He pulled out his cellphone and handed it over. I typed in the address in his memo. I handed it back. He walked away from me and went back to the store. I really could use a cigarette right about now. Too bad I quit, I walked back into the store and instead of finishing up what I was doing I checked on Grayson who was asleep and then I went to see Layla.
"Baby." I said. She looked up and saw me about to cry.
"Why are you sad mommy?" She asked.
"I'm not sad." I lied. "How would you like to meet your father?" I asked sitting by her.
"Really mommy?" She asked excited.
"Yeah, I just talked to him and he's coming to see you tonight."
"Yay!" She smiled brightly and hugged me. I was upset but since my baby is happy than I would put on the front that I was happy.
