Arranged Baby

Part 23

[I apologize for the weird formatting]

"He's with her again?!" Sergio's voice booms as soon as his office door opens and the sound-proof barrier is broken.

I say nothing to interrupt his phone call, or his heavy-stepped pacing, just sat down in his office chair like the lady I am. I'm glad this current anger isn't directed towards me, maybe when he's off the phone, but I can't bring myself to tell him of my presence.

"What the hell is his excuse now?" He shouts angrily into his phone, facing his large office windows.
He shouts something about not learning a lesson, hangs up, and softly bangs his head on the glass.
"I was wanted?" I interrupt the silence.

He almost looks startled, then lets a smile take over his face. Pulling me in for a hug, as routinely and politely as Sergio is, he kisses my cheek and stands back to look at me.
"How are you feeling today, darling?"

I tell him I have an appointment today that I'm not so excited about, but he demanded that I take off two hours earlier than usual. Rest some before.

"You know, Sage, I'm not blind." He says after handing me a bottle of water. "And I understand you know about Taylor and Esperanza."

I can't even suppress the eye roll the two names together urged. If I hear that she-devil's name again from Taylor or his family, I will exclude them from every one of my children's parties. Not that I'd actually follow through, I love his family too much, but I'm so over the ill feelings she gives me.
"I don't want to talk about her," I say quietly, "I'm not going to intervene what they have."
"They have nothing," Sergio scoffs, "she's a gold-digging whore who Taylor is stuck on!"

I hold my hands up, "I don't want to get involved," I yawn, "Taylor is an adult who needs to deal with whatever is going on like an adult. I'm not his mother, I can't tell him what to do."
"What do you mean, Sage?" He looks confused, "you're not at all bothered by their relationship?"
I shrug and look away, "I have my own problems to worry about Sergio, we're not in a relationship. I don't even think Taylor likes me."

"That's absurd! The poor boy is in love with you."

I clearly have no influencing skills, because when I leave his office, he is still completely positive Taylor is in love with me. He doesn't know the way Taylor talks to me when he's not around, and I don't have the heart to tell him. I'm not a snitch. Taylor is just a little bitch.

It doesn't surprise me that Taylor is with Esperanza, I still don't expect anything from Taylor, but I still don't know how to feel. What am I supposed to feel? I'm a bit scared my children with have a father that will be too busy with his relationships to bother with his children, other than that I'm just hungry and tired.

I only take off an hour early, I need the money, and go to Sergio's house for a 15 minute nap. I don't go to Taylor's room, I'm too afraid that I would find him wrapped up in a certain she-whore, but the guest rooms are just as comfortable. I would have gone to my house, but that would have been one hell of a drive there and back. My doctor is closer to Sergio's house, no coincidence there, and their fridge is stocked with goodies. And the lime slices from yesterday, Lord knows how good they were, I snuck one before heading out the door.
And as if God was testing my faith in him at that moment, Taylor's sports car zoomed to park next to the car Taylor claimed to have bought for me. For all I know, it could have been given to Esperanza first and it wasn't enough for her. Thinking about him being with someone as evil as her disgusts me.

"Cara- I mean Sage, hold on!"

I get into the car without flinching, and he follows not-so-much-later after me.
I pretend to not listen to what he's saying as I drive towards the doctor's.
At first he says nothing, and I'm grateful because I loved the Rihanna song that was playing, and then he actually began talking to interrupt the tense silence. I sort of want to listen, but at the same time I still need time to myself.

My ears perked as soon as he started talking about my father. "They're moving him to the intensive care unit, you know."

"You guys pay the bills, but they still come to me for any decisions to be made. They called me two days ago for that." I turned the corner, barely missing the red light.

"Sorry," he said quietly, "I forgot about that."
"You forgot that you're not in control of every aspect of my life?" I say venomously.

He sighs heavily, "that's not what I meant."

"But it's true."
He sits quietly for a moment or two. He was once capable of giving me the silent treatment for the entirety of the car ride from his house to mine, now he is bursting at the seams to start something with me. I wonder if he realizes the change.

"I don't want to fight with you, Sage."

"Don't say stupid shit," I shrug.
"I didn't even say anything to offend you!"
When parking in the lot, I turn the car off and sit still. We still have a good 45 minutes before we have to check in. "I'm sorry," I say slowly, holding my hands up, "I'm just in a bad mood. I don't mean to take it out on you."

He smirks a bit, making that cute face he does where his eyes twinkle, "are you sure?"

"Shut up," I smile and hit his shoulder.
"Would you like to visit your father before we head home after your appointment?"

The doctor smiles kindly at me and Taylor, of course, and enthusiastically gets me hooked up to wires and lays me on the medical bed. She proceeds to ask me questions about my health or any concerns I have. I don't tell her that I have very limited appetite appeal towards food. I've eaten only yogurt and cheesecake for a few days now, I throw up all other foods and not even Taylor (who watches me like I'm the last meal on earth) has noticed. I can keep one thing from everybody at least, though I know soon enough she'll notice I haven't been getting  all nutrients recommended for pregnant women.
Taylor pays for an ultrasound, as I thought he would, and helps me get dressed.
I don't know if he knows that I know about him and Esperanza, or if he does and doesn't care. Either way, I shouldn't be upset. Nothing has changed between us.
"Are you hungry?" He asks, buckling his seat belt.

That was a stupid question, I tell him. Without commentary we drive to a food court. We stop at Sonic, I think, and a girl came to his car on skates with our food. That's wild.

"So," I say after we downed some nuggets in silence, "not trying to be a jerk, all hormones aside, but I don't want to do anything freaky with you if you're going to be with Esperanza. Common courtesy, woman to woman, you understand, right?"

He stops mid-bite, as if frozen, and after five seconds looks at me, "I broke it off with her today," and looks away.

"Really?" I asked, shocked and not at all bothered, "what was up with you and her anyway? No judgment."

He puts his food down and looks out the window. "I've known her since middle school, little blond girl with neon hair extensions," and smiles.

I sit quietly, drinking my slushie, and listen to their backstory while suppressing an eye roll.

"She made the first move, believe it or not, by dropping a pencil next to my locker. Lame, right?" I struggle not to agree. "And we were inseperable ever since. She changed a bit during high school, and for a while my mom wouldn't let me hang out with her. Said she was too much for a teenager," he chuckles, "I didn't care, I was the most popular in high school. Esperanza was the most popular girl, it only fit that we were together."

"Together ever since?" I take a guess.

He looks to me and smiles, "No, saw her for the first time in a long time on our first date."

"You mean the night you were so rude I walked out," I half-laugh.

"I didn't know you," he starts driving again, "you were a stranger. One of many who has abruptly came into my life, you can't blame me for being cautious of everyone who is somehow associated to my money."

"Well I will have you know I still don't want your money."

"That's helpless now," he laughs, "your father is like my bestfriend. A good uncle, at least. He's wise, you know."

"As is your father," I point out.

"It's different though," he says and we lap into silence after that.