Drama Queen by La Jill Hunt Page B

laughed.
    â€œThat’s because most of the time you are.” Her mother laughed. “Your father just asked had I talked to you. Hold on, I’ll get him.”
    â€œMama, no. I told you I’m about to leave out. I will talk to him later,” Kayla said quickly. “I just wanted to tell you Happy Mother’s Day and I love you.”
    â€œLove you too, Kayla. But you better talk to your father soon. No use putting it off.”
    â€œI will, Mama. Bye.” Kayla hung up the phone and headed to the door. She wanted to get a paper and go through the classifieds.
    â€œWhat do you want?” Kayla asked as she flung open the door.
    â€œI been trying to call you, Kayla. I called your house, your cell. You gotta talk to me. Where you going?” Craig asked her as she closed the door behind her.
    â€œNo you didn’t! What business of it is yours? I certainly ain’t going to see your wife and your son, though maybe I should.” She walked toward her car, Craig right on her heels.
    â€œKayla, I am so sorry. I was gonna tell you, but . . .”
    â€œSave it, Craig. I don’t even wanna know what you were gonna do. I can’t believe you got a wife and a kid! Where the hell were they on Valentine’s, huh? What? Did you take down all their pictures and hide all the toys?”
    â€œNo, I mean, that wasn’t my house, Kay. It was my brother Darryl’s crib. He’s a sport’s agent and he was working. Avis and Nigel were gone out of town for the weekend.” He looked down as he confessed. “But we are having problems. We are actually filing for a separation. It’s over between her and me. I promise.”
    â€œYou don’t have to promise me anything, Craig. What we had wasn’t even that deep. Believe me, there is no love lost here.” Kayla looked at him like he was crazy.
    â€œI need for you not to say anything about this, though, Kayla. Now do you see why I don’t need the stress of a baby? You are gonna be teaching at the academy and . . .”
    â€œYou can stop right there. Not that it’s any of your business, but I no longer teach at the academy, so me running into your wife at the school is the least of your worries.” Kayla folded her arms and glared at him. She could not believe she liked him at one point. He was pathetic.
    â€œBut I don’t need for you to tell anybody, either. If she finds out, she’s gonna haul my ass to court for real. I’ll do anything, Kayla. Please rethink this shit. Don’t do this to me. Don’t have this baby.” He began to shake his head at her. “I can’t take this stress.”
    â€œGet the hell away from me, Craig. What you should be worried about is how you’re gonna pay child support to two different baby mamas. If you gonna be stressed, be stressed about that. Because you are really gonna have to pay me to keep our ‘little’ secret.” Kayla got into the car and pulled off, leaving Craig standing in the middle of the driveway with his mouth hanging open.

10
    Kayla was determined to get a job and get one quick. She knew that it would have to be one with benefits because she would have to be out on maternity leave, preferably with pay. Theo, who was Tia’s new boyfriend, worked for an insurance agency and told her they were hiring. He passed her resume on, but Kayla had not heard anything and it had been a week. She found out the Human Resources person’s name and decided to go see her in person.
    â€œGood morning. Hunter Davis, please,” Kayla told the elderly security guard. “Okay. And you are?” He smiled and reached for the telephone on the cluttered desk.
    â€œKayla, Kayla Hopkins,” she answered.
    He mumbled into the receiver and then hung the phone up. “She’s in a meeting. Leave your number and she’ll call you back.” Kayla looked at her watch and saw that it was quarter to ten. She