Baby Daddy (2 page)

Fifteen minutes later, I was clean and felt a little better.  I stepped out and grabbed the closest towel.  It smelled like Brandon which made me both sad and angry.  I
n a futile show of defiance, I used it to wipe my ass and between my legs, threw it in the corner and picked up a clean towel to dry the rest of my body.  I searched through the cabinet for the hair dryer, but it, too, was gone, which left me no option but to let my hair air dry.

I
dressed in a pair of short shorts and layered tank tops, then chose a more visible sign of insolence and picked up a bottle of nail polish called Ladybug Red.  Brandon hated it.  That made it the perfect choice.

Once my toes and fingertips were a vivid shade of shiny red, I hobbled back to the living room, being careful not to let anything touch the wet polish.

I made a mental list of things I needed to buy, like shampoo, Hot Pockets and other student basics like mac and cheese and Top Ramen, as long as it didn’t total more than twenty dollars.  That would have to last me until my first pay check…assuming I got a job soon.  Hopefully, that would be in a fast food place.  The pay would suck, but I wouldn’t starve.

One flip-flop was by the couch, but I was looking for the other one when a knock echoed through the apartment.

Brandon had come back, was my first thought.  I ran to the door, then stopped and took a deep breath.  I didn’t want to appear too excited.  After all, the bastard had to pay for being so mean to me.  I forced my expression to be calm as my fingers wrapped around the doorknob.  I pulled the door open…and gasped.

CHAPTER TWO

A gray-haired man wearing a black cowboy hat, an expensive pin-striped suit and ostrich-skin boots stood on the open porch that ran along the entire front of the apartment building.  He removed his hat and extended his right hand.  “Hello.  I’m Harlan Gooding.  I’m sorry…were you expecting someone else?”

How stupid
was I?  Never mind, it was a rhetorical question.  I already knew the answer.  “I thought you might be my boyfriend…my
ex
-boyfriend.”   I shook his hand.  “If you’re here to see Brandon, I don’t know where he is.”

“Oh no. 
Actually I’m looking for Killeen Ames.  That’s you, I assume.”

“
Why do you ask?”  Of course, he probably already knew Brandon was gone.  This guy was likely some high-powered process server that Brandon’s dad already hired to haul my ass into court to take my baby…or make me pay rent…or to keep away from his precious son.

“
Actually I just flew in from Austin today to speak with you about a very personal matter.  Do you have a few minutes?”  Harlan must have sensed my reluctance.  “We could grab a cup of coffee nearby if you would be more comfortable.  Here’s my card.”  He handed me a business card.

I took the card and read it. 
Harlan Gooding, Attorney
.  Real attorney or crafty Kinko’s customer?  As much as I didn’t know whether or not to trust this stranger, I wanted a public discussion about my baby even less.  No one can know about this until I have a plan.  I looked up at Harlan and smiled politely.  “No, here’s fine…come on in.  I was about to leave, but I have a few minutes.”  I held the door open for him.

Harlan stopped just inside the apartment.  His eyes glanced around the living room and eat-in kitchen.  He shifted on his feet and the sound of the broken clay donkey crunched under his cowboy boots.  He glanced down.  “
Maid’s day off?”

“We had a graduation party last night.  Brandon’s,” I added, although I had the feeling he already knew.  There was something in his eyes that told me he knew way more about me than I would have liked.  “
We can sit on the couch over here…” I knocked a couple beer cans to the floor, clearing a spot for him.

Harlan’s face remained expressionless as he started to sit, then stood back up, reached under the cushion and pulled out an empty tequila bottle.  Without a word, I took the bottle from him and set it on the coffee table.  He settled gingerly on the cushion
and set his briefcase on the floor. “Reminds me of my college days,” he said before turning to face me. “Let me get straight to the point, Miss Ames.  I’ve been retained by a man who passed on recently.  I have reason to believe that you are related to him and, if so, you have been named in his will.  I cannot, at this time, share with you who this person is, but I can tell you he had a very large, somewhat complicated estate.”

I stared at him blankly for a moment, then laughed. 
“Yeah right.  Someone on the team is punking me, aren’t they?  Who is it?  Shanna?  Morgan?  Brittany?”  I glanced around the room, half-way expecting to see cameras.  What a relief it would be if the last twenty-four hours were just a really bad joke.

“I can assure you, Miss Ames, this is no
prank.”

I shook my head.  “
These things just don’t happen…especially not to me.”  Still not convinced, I sat back on the couch and waited for the punch line.

Harlan
, too leaned back as if my skepticism was expected.  “I know this probably sounds really odd.  Frankly, in nearly twenty years of practicing law, this is a first for me.  I know I’m not going to convince you this is for real just by talking.”

He reached down
, picked up his briefcase and placed it on his lap.  He clicked the latches, opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper.  “Let me assure you this is on the up and up.  Here is a list of testing offices around Phoenix.  I need you to go to one of them as soon as possible and tell them you’re there for a DNA test. They’ll take a swab from the inside of your mouth and then run a DNA test.  I’ve pre-registered for you, and of course, it won’t cost you anything but a few minutes of your time.”

“Can’t you just do it now?  You know like they do on those cop shows?”

Harlan’s smile was indulgent.  “It’s a contamination issue.  I wouldn’t want anyone to be able to question the chain of custody.  All you’ll need is a photo ID…like a driver’s license or passport.  I’m afraid your university ID won’t do.”

I still knew the possibility that I was the person they were looking for was about as likely as me winning the lottery, but if it didn’t cost me anything, I had nothing to lose.  All I had right now was spare time.
“So, what if I am related?  Then what?”

“
Once your DNA match is confirmed, you’ll have to come to Austin for a couple of weeks.  I’ll make all your travel arrangements, and of course, all the expenses will be paid by this person’s estate.

“Of course,” I echoed as if I received offers like this every day.

“Now I know this imposes a real hardship on your ability to earn money for the summer,” Harlan continued. “I’ve figured you would likely earn about $5,000 for the summer, so I will send you a cashier’s check for that amount with the travel information.”

“$5,000?  No strings attached?” 
Okay, now he had my attention.

“No strings
.  Use it for whatever you want.  Rent?  Car payment?  Money for your fall semester?  Clothes?  It’s yours to spend.  Any questions?”

“Plenty
, but nothing you’d probably answer.  Except…if I do go to Austin, when would that be?”

“
Friday, June 13
th
if I get the test results back in time.  Will that work for you?”

Friday, the 13
th
?  Really?  Athletes, as a rule, were superstitious, and that seemed like a bad omen.  “I’ll check with my boss and see if I can get off.”  The lie slipped out.  I didn’t have a job or a boyfriend or a life, but for some reason, I didn’t want him to know that I was a total loser.

Harlan closed his brief
case and stood up. “I’ll be in touch.  If you have any questions or can’t get that swab done in the next few days, please call me.”

I
felt like I was in a trance as I stood, walked him to the door and opened it for him.  “Well my day just got a lot more interesting.”

He held out his hand again, and I shook it with more enthusiasm than before. 
“As did mine.  So long, Miss Ames.  I hope to see you in Austin.”

“I
t was really nice to meet you.”  I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to go to Austin, but I sure did want the $5,000.

“
Now that I’ve finally met you, I’m pretty confident how the DNA test is going to come out. I don’t mean to be forward, but your ice-blue eyes are amazing…exactly like his.  Good day.” Harlan smiled, put his hat on and dipped the brim toward me.

I watched as he walked
down the stairs, out to the parking lot and to the big black Lincoln in the visitor’s spot.  Nice car!  Probably a rental, but impressive none the less.

After I shut the door, I looked down at the sheet of paper still clenched in my hand.  If this was a joke, it was pretty elaborate. 
I would know soon enough.  If the DNA center didn’t have me registered, then it would all be over.  I didn’t want to get my hopes up because in my experience if anything was too good to be true…it
was
too good to be true.

At least it was a welcome distraction from the whole baby-boyfriend-softball dilemma.  Well, first things first.  There was a testing location just down the street from the grocery store.  If they’re open today, I might as well get this over with.

I returned to my search for the missing flip-flop.  Aha, there it was, next to the TV stand.  I matched it to the other one, slipped my feet into them, stuck my phone in my pocket and grabbed my purse.  I paused for a moment to look into the oval mirror with a seashell frame that Brandon had bought for me when we went to Cabo on spring break.  Ice-blue eyes, the lawyer had said.  They were one of my most striking assets and people often commented on their crystal blue color, like the sky on a hot summer day.  Was it possible that someone else had eyes exactly like mine?

I still didn’t believe anything would come of all this, but I was intrigued.

CHAPTER THREE

My feet were killing me and after two shifts
, I was ready to go home.  I limped over to an empty booth and sat down.  I think I pulled my hamstring earlier today when my foot slid on the grease near the fryers.  The Band-Aid on my heel had worn off and I could feel the ooze from my blister sticking to the back of my tennis shoe.  I should have replaced it, but I was too busy on Harry’s Kids-Eat-Free Wednesdays to stop waiting tables.  Actually, this was my first Wednesday working at Harry’s, but it didn’t take me long to recognize a bad thing when I saw it.

I
emptied my pockets onto the tabletop and separated the bills from the coins as I counted them.  I was a pretty good waitress, and I usually got generous tips.  Parents were better tippers than college kids, so tonight’s take of $27.75 was decent.  There would be another hundred dollars or so from credit card receipts.  That would certainly come in handy.  I hadn’t been able to afford shampoo, and I had to get this disgusting smoky barbecue smell out of my hair.

I looked at the clock on the wall in the kitchen.  Eleven on the nose.
We had been closed for an hour.  What the hell was I still doing here?  I just needed to cash out my tips and beg someone to drive me home.  The thought of waiting outside for a bus was mind-numbing.

I limped over to the bar where Jerry, the manager, was running totals on the tickets.  I handed him my tips.

“$27.75,” I told him.

He punched some numbers into a calculator
, then told me, “After tipping out the bartender, that leaves you a grand total of $89.75.”

I brightened.  “That’s not bad.”

“Oh, I almost forgot…the tray of drinks you dropped on that family at lunch?  I had to comp their meals.  Even with our discount, I have to deduct $40.25 from your tips.  Really sorry.”  He counted out $49.50 and pushed it toward me.

I could feel the tears well up in my eyes as I stared at the tip mone
y.  Less than fifty dollars for 16 long, hard hours.  That was barely three dollars an hour.  What happened to minimum wage?

“Did you hear me Killeen?”  Jerr
y prodded me again.  “Need a ride home?”

I knew it wasn’t his fault that my pay had gotten docked.  I could see he felt bad about it, but as the manager, he had to make sure all the numbers added up. 
“Yes, that would be great.”

“Give me about
five minutes to close up and then we’ll leave.”

“Okay.”  Jerry
had given me a ride home last night, so I knew his rule that no one who worked here could wear shoes in his new car. I didn’t blame him.  Once you get the grease and sauce stains in the carpet, they’re probably pretty hard to get out.  I had worked here only three days, and already I could see grimy tracks from my front door to the bedroom where I took my shoes off every night.  There’s no way Brandon’s going to get his security deposit back.  Fuck him.  He hasn’t even called to see if I am okay.

“You ready?”
  Jerry’s voice brought me back to the present.

I
gratefully took my shoes off and held them up for him to see.  “Yeah…shoes off already.”  I smiled as I got off the chair and followed Jerry out the front door.  He turned the alarm on, followed me out, closed the door and locked it.  I stepped carefully across the parking lot to avoid any glass or small stones and as soon as Jerry popped the door locks open I collapsed into the passenger’s seat.

“
You didn’t have to work that double shift, you know.”  Jerry looked at me as he started the car.

“
Yes I did.  I need the cash.  I’ve got to come up with rent money.”

“Have you heard from that guy?”

“Brandon?  Nah, he’s in Europe somewhere.  Asshole.”

“My psych prof would say that’s a healthy process to manage change.”  He smiled at me as he sped through the streets next to the ASU c
ampus and arrived quickly at my apartment house.

“I hate to ask, but could we stop at the grocery store?  I need to pick up a couple things.”

“Sure.  No problem.”

He turned into the parking lot and let me off at the door.  I had to put my shoes back on and my blisters screamed as I limped through the store, quickly gathering forty dollars-worth of essentials.

Jerry pulled up to the door as soon as I came out, and I gratefully took my shoes off before getting in.

“Hey thanks.  I couldn’t stand to smell myself after last night’s shift,” I told him.  “I’m hoping shampoo will take away the odor.”

Jerry looked at me steadily.  “You smell pretty good to me.”

I was startled at the intimacy of his gaze.  “Then you haven’t gotten that close.”

“I’d like to.”

I had suspected he was a little too interested in me, but this confirmed it.  The last thing I needed right now was a man in my life.  Of course, he had no idea I was pregnant and would probably head for the hills once he found out.  I didn’t care enough about him to let him in on the secret
…or take him up on his offer.

“The only thing I’m getting close to tonight is a hot bath and some
antiseptic for my blisters.”

We drove the rest of the way in silence.  As he turned into the apartment complex, I said, “Just drop me at the office. 
I need to pick up my mail.”

Jerry smiled as he stopped
his car.  “We’re both off on Sunday.  Maybe we can hang.”

“Maybe,” I answered noncommittally.  I knew it wouldn’t happen, but I didn’t want to make working together uncomfortable.  I opened the door and holding my grocery bags with one hand and my shoes in the other, I got out of the car.  “See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah.  Have a great night, Killeen.”

“
My feet thank you.  Later.”  I didn’t look back.  As I entered the office, I heard his car drive away.  I didn’t want to seem ungrateful because I truly appreciated the ride home.  I just couldn’t afford to have him misinterpret anything I said as encouragement.

I pulled the mailbox key out of my purse and opened the box.  I sorted through the mail over the waste basket. 
Brandon
.  Toss.
Brandon
. Toss. 
Brandon.
Toss.  One by one I chucked them all into the trash.  The last item was an Overnight Express envelope.  My heart skittered in my chest.  It was addressed to me.  I glanced at the return address. 
Harlan Gooding!
  I ran to my apartment in record time, forgetting all about my sore feet and sat on the couch.  I had gotten the test taken on Saturday afternoon, the same day I’d found the waitress job at Harry’s Barbecue Barn.  I hadn’t imagined the results could come through so quickly.  Was that a good sign or a bad one?  Wouldn’t a negative reading be confirmed faster than a positive one that would have to be verified?  Beads of sweat popped out on my forehead, and I wiped it off with the back of my wrist.  I felt silly that I was so nervous.  It wasn’t like I had a real chance at this.  Surely, my mother would have told me if I had any distant relatives.

Nervously, I
ripped the tab across the top open.  I noticed the envelope had been signed for by the manager.  That would mean it was important, wouldn’t it?  One way or the other, I had to know.

I pulled out a small packet with a letter on top. 
My eyes quickly scanned it, eager to learn my fate.

“Dear Ms. Ames,
  I have received the results of your DNA test and am pleased to inform you that you are the individual named in the deceased’s will.  As I mentioned to you when we met, I have enclosed a cashier’s check for $5,000 to cover your out-of- pocket expenses and to offset your loss of income from your summer job.  Please plan on staying for at least two weeks in the Austin area when you come.  I have reserved a flight for you on Friday, June 13
th
.  Contact Southwest Airlines for further details about Flight #930.  It departs at 10:50 a.m. and you arrive at 3:05 p.m.  There will be driver waiting for you with your name on a sign.  He’ll handle your baggage and transportation to a home near Lake Travis where everyone involved will be staying.  If you need anything in the interim, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  Kindest regards, Harlan Gooding, Attorney.”

That was
day after tomorrow!  How had he pulled it all together so quickly?  Then I shrugged.  Whatever!

I lifted the letter and saw a printed itinerary and a cashier’s check, as promised
.  A five followed by five zeroes.  It was a beautiful sight.  I couldn’t resist planting a big kiss on it.  This whole adventure might turn out to be a wasted vacation, but this money bought me time.

Time.
  I had very little of that to get packed and out of here.  I walked into the bedroom and sized up my worldly possessions.  It didn’t take me long.  First thing in the morning, I would take all my softball gear and school stuff to my on-campus locker and leave it there.  All my clothes and personal items would fit into my backpack and two suitcases, which I would take with me.  After that I would deposit the check in my bank and drop off my uniform at Harry’s.  That should send a clear message to Jerry.    Maybe I’ll get a massage and a facial.  I glanced down at my chipped nails.  And a mani-pedi.  I couldn’t go to this meeting in Austin looking pathetic.

I
stripped down and turned on the shower full speed.  I must have checked the temperature four times before I entered and shut the door.  The hot water cascading over my head never felt better.  The shampoo cut through the layer of yuck in my hair, and I scrubbed my body twice to get rid of the lingering odor.  I might never again eat anything with barbecue sauce on it.

Feeling cleaner than I had in a long time, I dried off, pulled on an oversized t-shirt and sleep shorts and
combed my hair.  I hadn’t been able to afford a hair dryer, but I added that to my list of “to do’s” for tomorrow.  Just an hour ago I had been so exhausted I thought I’d fall asleep on my feet, but now I was wide awake.  Thousands of thoughts tumbled through my mind as I looked around.

The apartment was slightly cleaner than it had been last week.  By Sunday, the
stink of sour beer had overpowered my resolution not to clean, and I had gathered all the bottles and cans into a bag and carried them down to the recycle bin.  I left everything else where it was, including the dirty dishes in the sink.  The landlord could deal with them, along with the overflowing garbage cans, pizza boxes, stained carpets and Brandon’s stupid Nikes.  No matter what happened in the next two weeks, I would never come back here.

“This is TODAY on NBC”
the announcer’s voice rose over the strains of intro music. I rolled over to find out where it was coming from before I realized I hadn’t turned the TV off last night.  I let myself lay there for a moment longer as I ran through everything that had happened yesterday.  I still couldn’t quite believe it, but I would know if it was real when I went to the bank.  Until that check cashed, I would hold my breath.

I hopped out of bed and got dressed.  I didn’t have to put on that god-awful cowgirl outfit that was the official Harry’s uniform.  Good thing, because I had wadded it up and tied it inside two plastic bags instead of hand washing it like I had the first two nights.  Instead, I pulled on my preferred
personal uniform of shorts, tank top and flip-flops.

I got on-
line and found the site for the spa and set up an 11 a.m. appointment. The required maintenance for my neglected body was going to take hours.

With my overstuffed duffel bag over my shoulder, I caught a bus to the campus.  Coach was in her office, and I called out a greeting to her as I passed.

“Are you going to Lake Powell?” she asked.

Our team was a pretty tight-knit group, and we’d all shared our plans for the summer.  Well, that was before I missed my period, bought the pregnancy test and decided to throw a big party for Brandon.  However, now was not the time for confessions.

“No, I’m going to visit a relative in Austin,” I told her.

“I didn’t know you had any relatives.”

I laughed, but it was more ironic than humorous.  “Neither did I.  I just found out and I’m going to check it out.”