8. Holding It In
Holding It In
Nadine stared at her computer screen, numbers starting to bleed into each other.
The PharmaDigital acquisition of DigiCo was seeming to be going smoothly.
Except the numbers. Nadine couldn’t make heads or tails of the discrepancies between last quarter’s sales and the previous ones.
Something felt off, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it.
Math was never her thing, and she often relied on her forensic accountants for that kind of stuff.
But there was too much riding on this. Like her reputation.
She was the one who convinced the board that this merger was going to be lucrative.
But now, the numbers were seeming very fuzzy.
It was as if someone wanted to hide something. Nadine just wasn’t sure what it was.
Work, for the past week, had become a pleasant distraction from things.
After their weekend, Nadine had shut down, retreating into herself.
Eddie tried to ask her a million times what was wrong and eventually gave up.
Nadine didn’t know how to even tell him how she felt.
Each time she tried, her throat felt like it was on fire, closing in on her.
It shouldn’t be this hard to tell the man you love the truth.
A knock on the door from Nadine’s assistant, Devi, interrupted her thoughts.
“What is it, Devi?”
“I take it you haven’t seen the email from the building manager.”
Nadine raised a brow. “What email?” She closed her current document and went to her email. There, in bold letters, was an urgent notification from the building manager. Scanning the email, Nadine let out a sigh.
“Three weeks? Over an HVAC issue?”
Devi nodded. “Right. They’re encouraging us to work from home until the issue is resolved. Three weeks is a conservative estimate. It could be longer.”
Nadine scratched her head. “It’s fine. Move all my meetings to Zoom or Teams. Let the folks at DigiCo know.
Make sure Mitchell gets the invite.” It wasn’t ideal, but the building issue did give Nadine an excuse to be home to meet Glinda’s replacement from the agency.
They would be coming in the morning, and Nadine could be there to greet them, give them the lay of the land and the rundown of all of their schedules.
Sure, the agency probably filled them in on most of the details.
But the way Nadine’s type-A personality was set up, she still wanted to integrate this new person to the way she liked things done.
This morning, she’d given Glinda a big hug, wishing her sister a speedy recovery and to keep in touch.
She’d slipped $10K in an envelope into Glinda’s purse, knowing the woman would be too proud to take it.
Glinda was the closest thing that EJ had to a grandmother, especially since her mother had died and they’d been long estranged when EJ was born.
Then again, when Grace Davis was alive, she could be hardly classified as a doting grandmother.
Nadine stared at the photo of her family at her wedding on her bureau.
Her mother had a scowl on her face, disapproving of her daughter marrying a “worldly athlete” who didn’t go to church and had her and her grandbaby “living in sin”.
Living in sin was a stretch, given that she’d only moved in with Eddie about six months before the wedding.
Nadine thought her mother would be happy that she got married, finding a wonderful father figure for Alex.
But no choice she made was ever good enough for her mother.
“Don’t run this one away like you did the last one,” Grace had said on her wedding day, staring at Nadine as she stood there in her Vera Wang wedding gown.
“You must have forgotten I didn’t run Drew away. He thought he could beat me and cheat on me! You wanted me to stay with a man that hit me! My own Daddy never laid a hand on me!”
Grace frowned. “You just never learned how to forgive! Drew was a Christian man from a good Christian home. Surely, he was sorry and repented for his sins. God forgives Deanie.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t. And you don’t either.”
“And what does that mean, Nadine Paulette?”
Nadine wanted to say more. Remind her mother that she’d treated her like a sinner and a mistake ever since she was a kid. But she said nothing. She adjusted her veil and picked up her bouquet. “Nothing. I’m going to marry the man I love, Mama. I don’t need your approval.”
Nadine’s thought was interrupted by her cell phone buzzing. It was a text in her group chat from Alisa and Tatum. Nadine smiled, thankful for the interruption.
Alisa: I am officially over being on house arrest. Ya’ll come break me out!
Tatum: It’s bedrest, girl, not house arrest. You have a chef, a nurse and two doting husbands. Why are you complaining?
Nadine: Yeah you need to enjoy this time. Bedrest isn’t fun. Trust me, I know. Would you rather be on your feet doing hair all big and pregnant?
Alisa: I mean, kind of. I miss work. I miss being in the shop with Shaunetta and Ritchie talking shit. I miss running my businesses.
Tatum: Tresses is doing great! No need for you to worry. Shaunetta and Richie are amazing managers. Allen is handling the barbering. They have it all under control.
Alisa: Still, I’m bored. All I do is watch TV. Kadeem and Chris won’t even give me any dick.
Tatum: Unless you want those babies to come early, then I suggest you chill on the dick.
Alisa: But it’s so good though. They can eat my coochie at least, right?
Tatum: Sometimes I wonder if we’re related.
Alisa: Bitch me asking that is a clear indication that we are related.
Tatum: True. LOL
Nadine had to shake her head. Those two were ridiculous.
Nadine: Lis!! C’mon now! Can’t you wait until the babies come? I mean at least another 8 weeks
Alisa: 8 weeks! 8 weeks without dick!
Nadine: Plus the standard 6 weeks post delivery
Alisa: Oh my god! You’re fucking kidding me!
Tatum: You’ll survive, you freak. LOL
Nadine: Says the woman who has three gorgeous men on rotation.
Alisa: Word, Deanie! She got a lot of nerve!
Tatum: Whatever. I got a meeting. TTYL.
Nadine stared at the phone. What the hell was that about? Tatum was moving really strange these days, and it was unnerving. Nadine winced because that was really hypocritical of her to think given her own issues. Before Nadine could respond, Alisa was calling her on FaceTime.
“What the hell was that about?” asked Alisa, as she munched on a carrot, frowning. Alisa hated carrots, no doubt, forced to eat them by her Daddy-Zillas. They were too controlling when it came to those babies. It was kind of cute, actually.
Nadine shrugged. “Tatum is being really weird when we ask her about the fellas. Have you heard anything? I mean, she would have told us if they broke up.”
“I mean, now that Christophe is working at the firm with Miles, you’d think I’d get some kind of tea. Christophe isn’t one for gossip, so he hasn’t said shit. He’s no fun. But something is up. Do you think she’s unhappy? Is it about Frankie?”
“Maybe,” Nadine shrugged. “Grief can come in waves and at any time. That could be the issue.”
Alisa crunched on her carrot. “Well, I’m going to try and press Christophe. Even if I have to suck his dick.”
Nadine shook her head. “You were gonna do that anyway.”
“You’re right. I was.” Alisa chuckled. “And how are you?”
Nadine shrugged. “I’m fine I guess.”
Alisa raised a brow. “I can tell in your voice you’re lying too. What is wrong with y’all?”
Nadine didn’t feel like this was the time or the place to get into the shit show that was her life. “Now isn’t the time, Alisa.”
“Fine. But you and Tate holding on to shit isn’t healthy!” Alisa looked past her phone. “I gotta go anyway. I can hear the prison wardens coming now. Well, one of them.”
“I done told you about calling me a warden!” yelled Kadeem in the background. “You better not be out of bed, Alisa! You know better, sweetness.”
“What are you gonna do? Spank me?” The twinkle in Alisa’s eyes told Nadine that her friend was definitely up for it.
“You would like that, with your bratty ass.” Kadeem retorted. “Get back in bed Mrs. Bishop-Miller!”
Alisa rolled her eyes as she whispered into the phone. “See what I mean? Prison warden! Gotta go, boo. And listen, whatever it is, it’ll be ok.”
Nadine gave a faint smile. “I hope so.”