Second Hand Waitress

Kira jumped up and moved into his path. When he casually stepped past her, she did the only thing she could think of—she rushed to the door before he could get there and pressed her back against it, spreading her arms out to block his way.

Tesah stopped right in front of her, barely a foot between them.

"Samia, don’t make me call security," he warned. "You're really starting to test my patience."

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out. His expression of shock would have been funny if she weren’t so anxious about how he’d react.

"What?" he rasped hoarsely. "What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry, I don’t..."

"I said, what did you just say?" he repeated, his voice sharp.

"You heard me," she said, lifting her chin defiantly. "I’m pregnant."

"And what exactly do you expect to get out of telling me this?" he asked, his voice cold. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"It’s not a joke. I’m pregnant."

"Alright then, let’s go along with this story," he said with a careless shrug. "Who’s the father?"

"You are."

"You’re lying! I know you too well for this." The way he suddenly slipped into rapid, angry Spanish made it clear just how rattled he was. He turned away and strode back to his desk, clearly trying to put some distance between them.

"You’re lying to me," he said, his voice low and tense. "And I don’t take kindly to being lied to—or manipulated."

"I’m not lying." She tried to stay calm, though she felt anything but. She had expected this reaction, but it still shook her. On unsteady legs, she made her way to his desk and dropped into a chair, unable to stand any longer.

"This is complete nonsense. I suggest you leave before I call security. And while you're at it, clear out your desk. You're fired."

Her entire body went numb with shock. Her legs shook so badly they could barely hold her up, and her teeth chattered as she tried to process his words.

"You can’t fire me," she whispered. "That’s completely unprofessional."

"Not as unprofessional as what you’re doing right now. You’re using our past against me, and that’s a betrayal. I can’t have someone like you working here anymore."

"I’m pregnant with your child," she said again, her voice firm. He swore under his breath, then grabbed his phone and punched in a number.

"Send security up to my office right now," he barked into the receiver.

"You need to listen to me, Tesah," she pleaded. This wasn’t at all how she had expected this meeting to go. She knew he would be upset, but this was worse than she had imagined.

"I am Mr. Clover to you," he corrected arrogantly, and she scoffed.

"Fine, Mr. Clover. One of your condoms failed, and now I'm pregnant." She spoke quickly, knowing her time was running out. He turned his back on her, staring out the window, refusing to acknowledge her words. But Kira kept going.

"I’m keeping my baby. I don’t want you in his life, and I don’t expect a fortune from you."

At that, he spun around, his expression full of disbelief.

"Not a fortune," he mocked. "But some money, right?"

"Well… yes. Obviously."

"Obviously," he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Not much. Just a small amount every month, to help with the baby’s health and well-being. I didn’t plan for this, and I didn’t expect to get pregnant. But now that I am, I can’t do anything but keep this baby and love them. But I can’t do it alone—I need some help."

"If you don’t leave right now, it’ll be embarrassing when security drags you out of here," he said icily.

"Tesah… Mr. Clover, please—"

He held up a hand, cutting her off instantly.

"Enough! That’s enough, Miss Samia. It was a nice attempt, but not a very clever one. I suggest you go find the real father—maybe that blond guy you’re always with? Unless the two of you cooked up this plan together?"

He thought Jake was the father? If the situation weren’t so tragic, she might have laughed.

She reached into her bag, pulled out an envelope, and dropped it onto his desk.

"Read these papers when you have time. I know this is a shock, but once you’ve calmed down, maybe you’ll be able to think about this rationally."

"I am being completely rational, Miss Samia. I see exactly what’s happening here."

"Either way, I’ll leave them here."

Just then, two large security guards walked in, and Tesah shot them a furious glare.

"Your response time is terrible," he snapped. "I could have been attacked while you were busy having coffee and doughnuts."