“I told you I was thinking of hiring her if that’s something she’s interested in.’
“I mentioned her opening up her own facility so she can be her own boss. Shit, she has the clientele for it. If it’s something she wants, I don’t mind paying for it. It’s her world.”
“This nigga sprung as hell.” Rome joked, shaking his head.
“That’s a good idea. Whatever she chooses, the team will back her. Aight, y’all, you got five minutes to get to the weight room. Pick a partner and go crazy.” Coach instructed before leaving the locker room.
I used my hand to wipe the bead of sweat from my forehead as I jogged on the treadmill. Rome was on the one next to me, running. I had my headphones on, listening to my workout playlist. We were nearing the end of our conditioning for the day, and I couldn’t wait to go home and relax. My knee hadn’t been bothering me the entire time we worked out. A call came through, interrupting the music. It was from a blocked number. I already knew who it was. I stopped the treadmill and stepped off it before answering the phone.
“Yo.”
“Meet me at Jerry’s so we can talk. Please.” Mariah begged.
“Hell no. Anything you have to say to me, say it to Teagan. We don’t have shit to talk about.”
“Saint, please. I’m pregnant.”
“The fuck you tellin’ me for?” I snapped. I knew for a fact that the baby wasn’t mine. Mariah never let me fuck raw. I didn’t even wait for her to respond; I just hung up and sent a text to my lawyer letting her know about the call. I’ll be damned if that bitch tried to pin a baby on me.
“What’s wrong?” Rome asked as he stepped off the treadmill.
I chewed the corner of my lips, annoyed, “That bitch Mariah just called me talkin’ about she’s pregnant. I ain’t never nutted in that crazy ass girl. She ain’t never even let me fuck her raw. I don’t know what the fuck she has going on, but she needs to leave me and my family out of it.”
“Niggaaa, she trippin. Oh shit! I forgot to tell you. That nigga Adonis got out recently. You know she used to fuck around with him, right? That’s probably why she’s been out in Brindleton Bay. Shit, that’s probably who she’s pregnant by.”
“So why the fuck is she bothering me and my lady?”
He shrugged, “I’m not sure. Shorty ain’t right in the head. Be careful nigga.” He dapped me up before leaving the weight room.
I let out a sigh of relief as soon as I felt the hot water touch my skin. I was finally home after being out all day. I’d stopped by my mom’s house after practice to chill with them for a minute. With everything that was going on around me, I knew seeing my grandmother would make me feel better.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped my towel around my waist. My phone rang as soon as I walked into my bedroom. I hurried to answer it, seeing it was the private investigator I’d hired to look for information on my father.
“Hello?” I answered, walking into my closet.
“Hey, Saint. I have a small update for you.” Bailey, my private investigator, said.
“Okay, what is it?”
“Initially, remains were discovered in a city about five hours away. During the time your father disappeared, a serial killer was active, targeting truck drivers, and your father might have been among the victims. I will have the detectives involved in the case contact you to collect a DNA sample. Additionally, there’s a John Doe in a Georgia mental hospital who reportedly wandered there by train. He was delirious and had no memory of his identity or origins. Authorities believe he fell and permanently lost his memory. We can set up a paternity test to see if he’s your father.” She explained.
“Wow.. I uh-“ I stopped and took a moment to process the information she’d just given me. The fact that there was a possibility that my father had been alive this entire time. “Can you give me a few days to talk to my mother about it. Then I’ll get back to you.”
“That’s perfectly fine. I know this is a lot to process. I have a feeling that the man in Georgia is your father. Talk to you soon.” She said before hanging up.
I quickly got dressed before taking a seat on the edge of my bed. I rubbed a hand down my face as tears formed in my eyes.It’d been over a decade since I’d seen my father. I could feel it in my soul that he was alive. “God, please let the man in Georgia be my father,” I begged, tears streaming down my face.
I pulledup at OCPT a few minutes before the disciplinary meeting with Mrs. Johnson. My head had been throbbing since I woke up this morning, and I knew the shit came from stress. I was nervous as fuck and didn’t know how this was about to play out. Saint promised to buy me a new building to start my own facility if I lost my job, but my reputation had also been damaged. That’s why I was cautious about crossing any lines with him. I could only blame myself; I knew the risks, yet I still chose to take them. I wiped my tears and grabbed my phone from the cup holder. Chanel and Taryn had sent supportive messages in the group chat. I spoke with Saint this morning while getting dressed; he was scheduled to record for the podcast today. I was glad he’d share his side, but I worried it might backfire and no one would believe us. My social media accounts were deactivated because of the harassment I received following Mariah’s live. I couldn’t believe her crazy ass went liveand spewed a bunch of fucking lies. She knew she’d broken up with Saint and hadn’t spoken to him since then. I was struggling to find her reasoning for the bullshit she was pulling.
I climbed out of the car and headed inside the building. Dejah was seated at the front desk. She looked up at me, giving me a sympathetic look. “Hey, girl. She’s already waiting for you in the conference room.” I nodded, heading straight there.
The door was open, and I could see Mrs. Johnson seated at the round table. I scoffed, noticing Mariah seated across from her. “I know you fuckin’ lying,” I mumbled as I walked inside. I took a seat in the chair furthest away from her. It was taking everything in me not to reach across the table and smack the taste out of her mouth.
“Good morning, Blessing. It’s good to see you. I wish it were under better circumstances, but” She sighed, folding her hands together on top of the table.
“Good morning…” I started, glancing at her, then at Mariah. “I was under the impression that this meeting was between you and me. Why is she here?”
“She requested to be here to ensure that the situation is handled properly. Look, Blessing, you’ve worked here for a very long time. You’re an amazing worker, and the clients love you. But you know the rules. There is a strict no-fraternizing policy here. That policy is here for situations just like this. The reviews have been flooded with negativity! I built this facility from the ground up by myself! The integrity of my business has been tarnished because of your recklessness. Because of your reckless decision, I have no choice but to terminate your employment, effective immediately. Your office has already been packed up. Please grab your things and leave your badge and any other equipment you have at the front desk. I wish you well, and I hope you make better decisions in the future.” Mrs. Johnson said. Her voice was laced with judgment. My eyes had clouded with tears,but I refused to let them fall. Mariah looked at me with a smirk on her face. I knew she felt like she had won.