Independent Women - the Complete BWWM Romance Series Boxset by Lena Skye Page A

whenever they could. She didn’t see him nearly as much as she wanted to but the moments that she got from him were well worth it. Once again, her phone went off after sex and it was Tamika saying that she needed to talk and was heading over “right now.”
     
    Kalena’s inner alarm went off because she still wasn’t’ ready for her friends  to meet Joseph. She looked over at him as she was checking and phone and told him.
     
    “Hey Babe, I’m so sorry but you’ve gotta get ready to get out of here.”
     
    “Wow, why?”
     
    “It’s complicated but it’s nothing scandalous, trust me.”
     
    He was confused, “Do you have a boyfriend or something?”
     
    She shook her head, “No it’s just a friend.”
     
    “Then why are you keeping me a secret?
     
    “It’s just complicated.”
     
    He rolled out of bed, put his clothes on and gathered his things. It sucked to see him leave.
     
    On his way out of the door he asked jokingly, “It’s because I’m white isn’t it?”
     
    She shook her head, “I’ll see you later.”
     
    “Bye sexy. I’ll text you later.”
     
    They kissed and he headed to the elevator.  After giving it some thought, she realized that she was being extremely silly about keeping their relationship a secret. Why was she doing it at all? There wasn’t a reason to hide. It seemed that he had a point. It was because he was white.
    Trying to uphold the ridiculous standards that her father set in place for her wasn’t going to get her far. Her dad and mom always wanted her to marry a black man. It was an unspoken rule in their household. It wasn’t a secret as to how her dad felt about white people and although she didn’t hold those same beliefs, she was ashamed. It was time for her to get the hell over it and finally be happy.
     
    *
     
    20 minutes later, Tamika was at Kalena’s door looking as if she’d seen a ghost. Her breathing was erratic and she looked flustered. Kalena hadn’t seen her look like that in a long time. Tamika always seemed to have it together so there was something seriously wrong.
     
    “Are you okay?”
     
    “No, I’m not okay,” Tamika said as she stormed into her house.
     
    “So tell me what’s going on.”
     
    “My period is late and I couldn’t do this myself!” She pulled a pregnancy test from her purse.
     
    “Calm down and breathe. Do you need me to get you drunk?”
     
    Tamika looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.
     
    “Oh right. I guess you probably shouldn’t, just in case. So weed is out of the question too?” She said it jokingly in an attempt to lighten the mood.
     
    “I swear you’re just too damned silly.”
     
    “How about you just go and get it over with. Go to the bathroom, pee on the stick and let’s see what happens. There is no use in freaking yourself out either way.”
     
    “Okay, I’m going to do it now.”
     
    Tamika slowly walked towards the bathroom the way that a pirate is forced to walk the plank. She felt like she was going to throw up. She was on the pill so there wasn’t any reason for her to be late. Sometimes life wasn’t fair even when proper precautions were taken.
     
    A few minutes later Tamika emerged from the bathroom, “I can’t look so in ten minutes go in there and look.”
     
    “Okay.”
     
    They sat quietly because it was clear that Tamika wasn’t going to be the best conversationalist, her body was full of nervous energy.
     
    Kalena eventually went to the bathroom and it said very clearly “Pregnant.”
     
    Kalena wanted to jump up and down in excitement. She knew how badly Tamika secretly wanted a baby even though she denied it. She came from the bathroom and said, “Congratulations, Mommy!”
     
    Tamika looked pale as a sheet.
     
    “What’s wrong?”
     
    “The dates don't make sense. I don't think the baby is Reggie's, it must be Jin's!”.
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
    THE
    INDEPENDENT WOMEN
     
    EPISODE