Second Hand Waitress

Kira fell asleep thinking about those tiny, perfect hands.

It was the fingernails that did it. She couldn’t stop thinking about them. She had fallen in love with those tiny fingers and their even tinier nails. And over the next week, something shifted in her mind. It was no longer just "the baby." It had become "my baby."

It seemed like a small change, but it meant everything. The baby was hers now, and she couldn’t imagine anyone else taking care of it. There was no more doubt—she was keeping it.

And Tesah had the right to know.

But first, she needed to figure out how to tell him. She had to be clear—his responsibility would only be toward the baby. She wanted what was best for her child, and that meant financial support from the father. She wasn’t looking for a big payday, even though she was sure he’d assume otherwise.

Two weeks later, at twelve weeks pregnant, Kira sat in the waiting area of Tesah’s office, nervously smiling at Claudia. The older woman—now sporting a massive diamond ring from Mr. Whitman, who had proposed after only a month of dating—had gladly helped Kira sneak in to see Tesah. Kira didn’t want him to know she was coming. She didn’t want him to have time to guess why she was there. So here she was, about to turn his carefree bachelor life upside down.

“He’ll be done with his conference call in about ten minutes, dear,” Claudia informed her. “Would you like some coffee or tea while you wait?”

“No, thank you,” Kira said. As much as she would have loved a cup of herbal tea to calm her nerves, her bladder had been annoyingly small lately. She didn’t want to risk needing the bathroom and missing her chance to talk to him.

She was nervous about seeing Tesah again. Not just because of what she had to tell him, but because she wasn’t sure if that crazy spark between them would still be there. She didn’t understand their attraction—how could she want someone so much while disliking them at the same time? It made no sense. Well, whether the chemistry still existed or not didn’t matter. This baby would take care of any lingering feelings soon enough. Tesah was about to regret ever meeting her.

She was fidgeting with her hands when Claudia looked up at her.

“You can go in now, Kira. And take this to Mr. Clover,” she said, handing Kira a folder. Kira straightened her skirt before taking it with slightly shaky fingers.

She stopped outside the large wooden doors, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. After a quick knock, she walked in.

Tesah was sitting at his desk, completely focused on his phone. He didn’t even glance up when she stepped inside. She was so caught up just looking at him that when he finally spoke, she nearly jumped.

“Just leave the folder on my desk, Claudia,” he muttered, still not looking up.

She didn’t move. Her feet felt glued to the floor. After a few moments, he finally glanced up with a frown. That frown deepened into a full-on scowl when he saw her. Not exactly a good sign for this conversation.

At first, he just stared at her, and she wondered if he had forgotten her name again. But after a long, uncomfortable pause, he finally spoke.

“What are you doing here, Samia? I’m busy.”

“I know,” she said. “But I need to talk to you.”

“I don’t have time for small talk,” he said impatiently. “And honestly, I don’t care what this is about. If you have issues with Whitman or your new job, talk to HR. Just because we had a thing once doesn’t mean you get special treatment.”

“I don’t want special treatment,” she replied automatically. Then she hesitated, realizing that she kind of did. That moment of doubt made her defensive, and she struggled to get back on track.

She walked up to his desk and sat in the same chair she had once sunk into after they had spent the office romance together. The memory of that morning hit her hard, and her face warmed. The way his eyes darkened and his jaw tightened told her he was remembering, too.

For a moment, they both got lost in that thought. Then Tesah snapped back to reality.

“You need to leave,” he said firmly.

“Not before I say what I came to say,” she replied stubbornly.

“I told you, I’m busy.”

“I don’t care,” she shot back. She regretted her sharp tone immediately when he stiffened and his eyes narrowed in irritation.

“Look, I’m sorry for showing up like this,” she said quickly, trying to smooth things over. “But this is important.”

“I doubt anything you have to say would interest me,” he said coldly, leaning back in his chair. He rested his elbows on the armrests and pressed his fingertips together in front of his face. It made him look like a movie villain—probably on purpose.

“But if you think it’s that urgent, make an appointment. My time is valuable, and I don’t have space for this conversation today. That’s all. Goodbye.”

He stood up, grabbed his phone and the folder she had placed on his desk, and started walking around the desk, clearly intending to leave.

Kira just sat there, too stunned to respond. She had known this wouldn’t be easy, but she hadn’t expected him to dismiss her so quickly.