Page 24 of The Bad Boy's Good Girl

Chapter 8

Nola sat at her desk feeling worse than she ever had in her entire life. Her energy levels were at an all time low, her appetite had deserted her and taken sleep with it. It could be the effects of pregnancy or it could be stress, either way she just needed to make it two more days. Today she had her first appointment with the OBGYN and Wednesday the office closed at noon until well after Christmas. She could do nothing but rest for five straight days. With that little silver lining looming in the distance, she turned her attention back to the work she had to do, booking a party venue and setting up meetings for menus and decorations for after the holiday.

“Nola, we don’t have the updated lists for anything.” Martine Beechum, the head of the marketing department, loomed over her desk with a harried expression on her normally serene face. “No email blitz, press releases or lists of reviewers. Nothing!” Out of sorts, she still looked like a model with her sleek ebony bob and smooth porcelain skin.

“Sorry, Martine, but I’m not handling that, you need to get with Gabriela about it.”

She let out a surprising growl and stamped her foot like a kid. “That woman is as useless as tits on a bicycle. She doesn’t answer emails, doesn’t do any damn work and she just has no fucking clue!”

Nola felt her pain, she really did, having had dozens of similar conversations with Brooks since she was hired a year ago. “All I can tell you is talk to Bronx. That might help.”

Martine waited, hoping Nola would jump in and offer to help as she always did. When it was clear that wouldn’t happen she gave a half-hearted wave and walked away.

Nola shrugged and got back to work until the time came to leave for her appointment. The drive from the office took just ten minutes and she sat nervously in the office, unable to read the outdated magazines, her e-reader or even the posters on the wall. She’d just dozed off in her seat when a nurse called her name. She went through the motions of getting weighed, blood pressure taken and all other vitals, barely able to keep her eyes open.

She was half asleep when the doctor entered the exam room. “Ms. Boudreaux, you and I have a problem.”

She sat up, too quickly, and felt the room spin. “Excuse me?”

“I’m Dr. Cho and you are not taking care of yourself.” The small Asian woman in the white coat gave a stern smile as she stuck her hand out to Nola.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Cho. Why exactly do we have a problem?”

“Because you are severely dehydrated, your blood pressure is dangerously low and your weight isn’t where it should be at this stage in your pregnancy.”

Nola’s stomach clamped tight at the doctor’s words, stern and disapproving. She explained about her all day sickness and fatigue. “Am I going to be okay? Will my baby be all right?”

She nodded. “Yes, because I’m forcing you to take care of yourself,” she said with a soft smile that put Nola on alert. “You’re going to the hospital for two days or more, of rest.”

She would spend Christmas in the hospital. How depressing.So much for the fun dinner I had planned with Max. “Okay then. Will you be there?”

She nodded. “I’ll be there as soon as I see my last patient today, around five. Let me get that ambulance for you.”

“No, it’s okay. I swear I’ll go but if I leave my car here then I’ll have to get back here somehow to pick it up. I’ll call when I’m checked in if it’ll make you feel better.”

Dr. Cho grinned. “Not necessary. I trust you, Nola.” She didn’t bother saying that the hospital parking lot didn’t even require her to pull into traffic, just a half mile away.

Two hours later, she had an overnight bag and a fully loaded Kindle with her as she checked into the hospital. They had her and the baby hooked up to machines that made a lot of damn noise and reminded her too much of Grammie’s last months. “So what am I supposed to do, just lie here?”

The nurse, Valerie, gave a sympathetic smile. “You’ve got TV and I see that book thingy over there. You’ll be fine, just take it easy. Relax. Call if you need anything.”

When she was alone, she turned her phone on and found nearly two dozen messages from Brooks, Bronx, and even Gabriela. Instead of listening to each of them she deleted them and called Brooks. “Hey, Brooks.”

“Nola, where in the hell are you? I can’t believe you would leave like that and then not answer your phone!” She listened as Brooks went on and on, a furious tirade unleashed on her about being irresponsible.

Instead of responding, she let him go on for five straight minutes just so she could find out what he really thought about her. Finally, she’d had enough. “Stop!” Hands shaking, she fisted the blankets with her free hand until he fell silent. When she spoke her voice was soft, quiet. “I just called to let you know I’m in the hospital and won’t be in tomorrow, but if you really feel that way I think I should just quit now. Penalize me however you want, I don’t care.” She disconnected the call and cried about the sorry state of her life. Finally, her tears ran dry and a nurse came in to check on her. “May I have some water?”

“Sure, sweetheart. How are you feeling?” The woman’s kindness undid her all over again, sending more tears flooding her cheeks. “It’s not so bad. You’ll see.”

She appreciated the sentiment and told her so. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“I’m not up for any visitors, can you make that happen? A woman named Max might stop by once she gets my message but no one else, please?” Not that she had a lot of people who’d care enough to visit but she felt certain Brooks wouldn’t let her hanging up on him go without another conversation.

“Of course, but honey are you sure that’s what you want? It’s so close to the holidays and all.”

She nodded. “I don’t really have anyone anyway. My last family died a few months ago and I just met Max.” Wow, it had already been two months. It felt like mere days.

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