“Lisa, it’s asecondcallback. I actually have a shot at getting this part. CJ is a great kid, but I didn't move to New York to be a nanny. I have to go."
“Theresa, you made a commitment. This is a child, a living, breathing human being—”
“This is an emergency.”
"No, it isn't!" I screamed, startling CJ, who began to whimper. "Shh, shh, shh," I quieted and bounced to calm him.
"Look, I don't have time for this. Are you going to take CJ or not?" She reached for him, and I took a step back, swiveling out of her reach.
“You’re fired,” I stammered.
“What?” She froze.
“You heard me.” I repositioned CJ on my hip and glared at her. She didn’t know how lucky she was that I was holding this baby.
“I don’t work for you. You can’t fire me.”
"That's so funny because I just did." I walked past her and entered the gate to get to my front door.
“Well, Cole owes me money for today.”
I threw my head back and laughed. CJ joined me.
"Good luck with that," I called over my shoulder, and I entered my apartment and slammed the door behind me.
I was still shakingwith rage when I sank into my couch, still holding CJ. I couldn't believe Theresa. What the hell would have happened if I remembered to go to the grocery store? Would he be crammed in an audition room with God knows who? Would she have taken him on the subway? She didn't even have his stroller or his diaper bag. I checked his diaper. He was dry. At least she did that.
I glanced around my sparsely furnished apartment, realizing I didn't have any of CJ's things. After snatching the comforter off of my bed and laying it on the living room floor, I set CJ in the middle of it and handed him the strawberry ice pop Cole had given me a few days ago.
I didn’t have Cole’s number, so I called Kimberly, hoping I wasn’t crossing some landlady/tenant boundary because this had nothing to do with the apartment.
She picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Lisa. Is everything okay? Is it the water heater again?"
“No, the water heater is fine. This is actually a more personal matter?”
I told her all about Theresa, and after about a dozen variations of "Are you fucking kidding me?" she told me she'd get in touch with Cole, thanked me about a half a dozen times, and gave me the code to his house in case of emergency.
After I ended the call with Kimberly, I dialed again. The line rang, and I held my breath.
"Mama's Lunchbox," a familiar voice answered, and I exhaled.
“Sasha, it’s me.”
“Hey, what’s up? Why are you calling me at work?”
“I can’t come in today.” I sighed and bit my lip.
"Is it your period?" she asked. The last time I had my period, I was in so much pain I couldn't walk, and Sasha covered for me.
"No." I told my story about Theresa for the second time in an hour to almost the exact same reception.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Wait until I see that bitch… Well, Mike is on a rampage today. Are you sure you can’t just come in late?”
“Four hours late?”
“Shit.” She let out a sigh.
