Loving Montie (Breathless 4)

“Yes, I think that’ll decrease the chance of making a billing error from getting kicked out because they had to stop and work on something else. That’s one of the things the billing department will need.”

“We don’t want any errors. It should be a foolproof system by the time we’re done.” She paused to think. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll get these updates back to you in the morning and you can work on any improvements on your end after that. If you can return the corrections tomorrow evening or the next day, I think we can have something finalized within four days. Right now, my other projects with a later due date have been put on hold and this is our main objective.”

“That sounds lovely. If this is done by Friday and I can get my tech writers to draw up a user guideline by Monday, we will look it over and test it out Monday and present it to the client on Tuesday.”

“I like that timeline. It’s stringent, but what’s a challenge to a couple of giants?”

“I like the way you think.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lissa

No Fake Friends

“Hey, friend!” I said to Shayla in a high-pitched greeting, when she waddled into my office that evening, carrying her eight-month pregnancy as though it pained her to the core. Shayla Davis and I became close friends when I rented out my office space in our building five years ago. Her psychiatry practice located downstairs made us the only two black women business owners in the plaza. We just clicked from day one.

“Hey girl,” she said, sitting down and taking a deep breath. “I can’t wait until Glory brings her jumpy butt on out here with the rest of us,” she rubbed her super pregnant belly. “She is giving me fits today.”

“Don’t rush my shugga bear. She’ll be here soon enough,” I said and laughed.

“Yeah, says the woman who still has her perfectly flat stomach and round booty that’s not inflated by pregnancy hormones and cravings.” Shayla shot me a deadly look. “Have I told you that you make me sick today?” she asked jokingly then sat down and pretend pouted.

“I’m not falling for your stinky mood swings today. All I will say to you, my beautiful friend, is thank you for giving me two babies to love on without the responsibility of carrying and caring for them around the clock. You and your baby-making womb are a blessing to me.” I giggled, and she rolled her eyes and blew out a gush of air.

“What are you in such a good mood for?” Shayla asked, as she finally settled into a comfortable spot in the chair. “And, will you please invest in bigger chairs? I’m stuffed in this tiny seat like a dough girl. I’m sure your clients are uncomfortable, too. You need to get some chairs like I have in my office.”

“Whatever, no one told you to grow a badonka donk. That has nothing to do with the chairs.”

I could tell she didn’t want to laugh, but she unwillingly let out the tiniest of a giggle. “It’s Glory. She has me eating like a mad woman, and my pant size just keeps on growing. If I hit sixteen, I’m going through the roof.”

“My god-baby has your fat cells by the collar,” I teased. “I bet you’ll stop and think about that the next time Antonio tries to jump your bones.”

Shayla’s husband, Antonio, seemingly couldn’t keep his hands off her ever since they resolved their issues with Rhonda Wilson, the girl Jameson dumped me for. She was also Shayla’s ex best friend that cheated with her first husband who tried and failed to seduce her second, Antonio. Since she couldn’t get Antonio to creep with her, she stole his sperm from the sperm bank and conceived his child without his consent. That woman was loopier than the whole ward of loonies in the state hospital.

“Oh, shut up,” Shayla cut into my thoughts. “I didn’t know I was already two months pregnant when we were going through that drama with Rhonda. God forbid, if I would have lost my baby dealing with her. My world would have crumbled down completely.”

“Karma is making right what Rhonda was trying to make wrong for everyone,” I paused. “Won’t she do it?” I snapped my fingers and humped my shoulders.

“Yes, she did, and yes, she will.” Shayla laughed.

“Since I have accomplished making you laugh, enough about Rhonda,” I said.

“Yeah, enough. That girl can put a damper on anyone’s day.” Sadness entered Shayla’s eyes as she thought about her friend. “I just hope the judge doesn’t let her out any time soon. I don’t want her to see the light of day for years, after what she did. I truly don’t think she needs to, because she’s always fixated on something delusional where I’m concerned.”

“The only thing worse than a true hater, is a fake friend. We both know she’s so jealous of you that she doesn’t know what to do with herself when she’s not trying to steal what you have,” I said, feeling steam rise up inside of me. “She’d better not bother you, if she knows what’s good for her,” I warned. I would go to war for my friend and put my range lessons to good use, if Rhonda even imagined harming Shayla again.

“I just worry about it sometimes. Especially since I’m pregnant and can’t really defend myself,” Shayla admitted.

“She’s locked up and not getting out any time soon. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“That does very little to calm my nerves after everything we’ve been through. Anyway, did you skip lunch today?” Shayla asked, notably changing the course of conversation. Her small hands rested above her rounded belly, letting me know the talk about Rhonda was causing her tension in her stomach.

“You didn’t call me like you usually do, so I ended up working right through it,” I admitted. “I thought you skipped lunch, too.”

“Nah, I didn’t skip it. I just brought something from home. I thought that maybe you’d be busy, since you’ve been out of the office this week in meetings. Maybe the reason you’ve not been in your office will be the answer to my original question.”

“What question?” I asked, confused.