Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Baby and the Business
    The Baby and the Business
    The Baby and the Business
    Ebook154 pages3 hours

    The Baby and the Business

    By Tressie Lockwood

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    When Nakeisha's baby daddy disappeared without paying child support, she figured at least she could finally be over him. But bad turned to worse, and right when she was about to take a much-needed vacation, her boss laid her off. There was nothing to do except chase Colton down in the small town where he grew up. Instead of finding her son's father, she meets his cousin. Elias might look like her ex's twin, but he's on another level of temptation. Elias seems like he's out of Nakeisha's reach, but the attraction is mutual. Colton left her and betrayed his family. Can she trust Elias not to do the same?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTressie Lockwood
    Release dateOct 30, 2022
    ISBN9798215914779
    The Baby and the Business

    Read more from Tressie Lockwood

    Related to The Baby and the Business

    Related ebooks

    Multicultural & Interracial Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      How Reality Dating Shows Stoke Racial Tensions

      Jun 23, 2022

      Lauren and Cameron, Love Is Blind’s breakout stars, have succeeded not because of the show but in spite of it.

      12 min read

    • Article

      Just Passing

      Aug 17, 2020

      Zoe cracks the curtain in the bay window and watches as he bounces from one foot to another in the cold. Tap, tap, tap, he goes at the letterbox. But she shouldn’t even let him in. He’s trouble. He throws his arms out and shouts through the glass: “S

      5 min read

    • Article

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time

      Dec 1, 2023

      Proverbs Of A Faceless Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      Family Matters

      May 15, 2020

      Family Matters
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Gentle STIRRING

      Mar 13, 2024

      A Gentle STIRRING
      6 min read

    • Article

      Soul On Sale

      Aug 10, 2022

      I was waiting for the call at the telephone booth. I’d been waiting for fourteen or seventeen minutes and finally, I decided to leave. It was pointless. I only had a 20-dollar bill on me and no coins for the slot. Hard rain was coming, some type of s

      9 min read

    • Article

      Rediscover This Day

      Mar 22, 2022

      Rediscover This Day
      4 min read

    • Article

      We Don't Talk About That Here

      Nov 4, 2021

      We Don't Talk About That Here
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Good Samaritan

      Dec 6, 2022

      It was hot that day, hot for the morning and hot for April and with a stickiness in the air that suggested something had to break. I was headed up the street to ask my neighbor Meech to give me a jump when I heard a scream come from the fourplex next

      10 min read

    • Article

      Lobolo Intentions

      Apr 16, 2021

      Lobolo Intentions
      6 min read

    • Article

      Leaving HOME

      Feb 26, 2020

      Leaving HOME
      6 min read

    • Article

      After “The End”

      Oct 10, 2022

      I walked down the road with a hunched back and a wet cigarette in my mouth—the fire had died a while back. My hands were tucked into the pockets of my jacket, and my hair fell over my face, limiting my sight. But I wasn’t really seeing where I was go

      10 min read

    • Article

      The King’s passion

      Aug 11, 2021

      The King’s passion
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Space Between Us

      Oct 9, 2019

      The Space Between Us
      8 min read

    • Article

      The King’s passion

      Aug 11, 2021

      The King’s passion
      11 min read

    • Article

      Justanother Day

      May 31, 2022

      Justanother Day
      6 min read

    • Article

      Rediscover THIS DAY

      Apr 1, 2021

      Rediscover THIS DAY
      4 min read

    • Article

      It’s Her Day

      Aug 2, 2021

      She’s not naive enough to believe your wedding day is the start of a brand-new life, but she’s going to try like hell to make it that way. I’m getting married today! Jen would scream it to the few people on the street this early, below the hotel balc

      6 min read

    • Article

      Prey

      May 10, 2021

      As I drove slowly towards the mob of angry protestors and my meeting with 200, I thought of 199. The ashes of a once hard man, staring at me with wide eyes that pleaded for hope like a dog begging for treats. I’d somehow found a way to give him that

      41 min read

    • Article

      Leaving Home

      Jan 12, 2021

      Leaving Home
      6 min read

    • Article

      Tripping The Light FANTASTIC!

      Apr 3, 2022

      Finally, I can tell you! After years of politely declining the opportunity to appear on Dancing with the Stars – in fact, I think I wrote a column a couple of years ago as to the reasons why I simply couldn’t bring myself to say yes, even though I ab

      2 min read

    • Article

      Six Million Reasons

      Jul 9, 2021

      Six Million Reasons
      6 min read

    • Article

      Runaway Bride

      Aug 21, 2023

      It’s definitely a mistake to have worn the dress to the airport. Alana knows that the second she walks past the terminal’s Wetherspoons – rammed at 5.30am – and is greeted by a chorus of “Lost your groom, love?” by a bunch of drunk stags in matching

      6 min read

    • Article

      Gabriel & Holly

      Feb 8, 2021

      The first day was the most daunting. It helped that she’d arrived last night to settle herself in the cottage annexe before first contact this morning. Still, nerves attacked her as she stood before the door of the imposing but charming ivy-covered 1

      6 min read

    • Article

      Sounds Like FUN

      Jun 23, 2020

      Sounds Like FUN
      6 min read

    • Article

      Not Just For CHRISTMAS

      Nov 24, 2021

      Not Just For CHRISTMAS
      9 min read

    • Article

      After Sunset

      Aug 31, 2023

      As I opened my door, a man with a shock of red hair and broad shoulders gave a cheeky grin. ‘I’m Nathan,’ he twinkled. ‘Here to look at your leak.’ Wow, talk about a hot handyman… It was May 2021 and water had been dripping through my living-room cei

      4 min read

    • Article

      Metaphors

      Mar 10, 2023

      I’m knitting on my front porch when a car roars to a stop in front of my house. It’s a red Mustang convertible, top down on this warm Thursday afternoon in June. Two girls sit in the front, two in the back. They smile and wave at me. I smile back tho

      8 min read

    • Article

      Prey

      Mar 10, 2024

      As I drove slowly toward the mob of angry protestors and my meeting with 200, I thought of 199. The ashes of a once hard man, staring at me with wide eyes that pleaded for hope like a dog begging for treats. I’d somehow found a way to give him that h

      41 min read

    • Article

      THE Guest

      Sep 16, 2020

      THE Guest
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Baby and the Business

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Baby and the Business - Tressie Lockwood

      CHAPTER 1

      M r. Johnson, you can’t do this. I’ve been here for three years and—

      I’m sorry, Nakeisha. This was a hard decision to make, but the fact is, the company isn’t doing so well and hasn’t been for a while. Her boss spread his hands out in surrender. I have to keep it afloat, and that means layoffs.

      Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. Mr. Johnson wasn’t the type of man to be moved by tears. Not that she was trying to gain sympathy. Fear more than anything sent her emotions into a tailspin. How in the world could this happen right after Colton disappeared?

      She sat forward in the chair in front of his big expensive desk. It probably cost more than she made in a couple weeks of fulltime work. Can you wait a month at least? I need time to find something else.

      By law, I don’t have to give you notice. He tried to sound sympathetic but failed.

      You’re talking to me about law when you’re affecting my life and how I’ll be able to feed my son. Devastation morphed to anger. Last year when you cut everybody’s salary by fifteen percent, I bet you didn’t take a pay cut!

      Nakeisha, let’s not make this personal.

      "How is it not personal? She jumped to her feet. The tears did fall then, and she swiped a hand over her eyes. My son’s father decided to disappear after he stopped paying child support, and here you are making things worse. It’s not personal?"

      His hand hovered over the phone. She had the feeling he was about to call security. She spun on her heel and charged toward the door. Her ankle twisted, and she stumbled. When she righted herself, she found the heel had broken off her favorite pumps. That was just great. It put a period to a fabulous month.

      Don’t worry about calling security. I’m leaving.

      Nakeisha, I wanted to talk to you about—

      Goodbye!

      He called something else after her, but she wasn’t listening. Inside her tiny little cubicle, which she recalled hating every day she worked for the company and now regretted losing, she started to pack her things.

      The screen saver on her computer caught her eye, and her heart broke seeing her son’s smiling face. She jumped onto the computer and entered the code for unlocking the screen. The computer logged itself out, and her password didn’t work. Of course. She should have known. The IT department had probably disabled her logon as soon as she entered Mr. Johnson’s office. Resentment burned in her heart and stung her eyes.

      Ms. Havers?

      She ignored the man behind her and continued to pack her things.

      Ms. Havers, I’m here to escort you from the building.

      You know what you can kiss. I’m packing my things. Y’all can give me that much!

      One of her coworkers popped in. Oh no, this is awful. I’m so sorry, sweetie. What are you going to do?

      The older woman of sixty-five had been a work friend, who showed her the ropes when she started with the company.

      I’m going to land on my feet like I always do. Nakeisha scrubbed her face and turned around with a smile. It’s not a big deal. I should have seen this coming.

      None of us are safe, but they start with the last hired and all that.

      Yeah.

      The security guy frowned. Ma’am, you should return to your desk. This isn’t the time to socialize.

      Nakeisha’s coworker thumped a hand on her hip. Why don’t you mind your business? I’m old enough to be your grandmother. Don’t you come in here telling me what to do. I’m not intimidated by your position. You give her a minute to say her goodbyes. It’s the least you can do.

      His face reddened, and he snapped his mouth shut.

      Soon Nakeisha’s cubicle filled with coworkers wishing her well and expressing their sympathies. As hard as she tried not to, she cried some more and then escaped all the emotion to step into an empty elevator. The security guard joined her, hands clasped behind his back. She wondered what he thought, if he felt sorry for her or if he felt relief that it wasn’t him. Probably both.

      Rather than head home, she stopped at a coffee shop and grabbed a latte. The hurt and fear for the future threatened to consume her, but she swallowed it and dialed Colton. The loser didn’t have a cell phone, but he did have a phone at his apartment. Colton must be the last person in the country to have a landline at home. She was glad he did so she could let out her frustration on the recording.

      Colton, you piece of trash, do you think I’m going to let you get away? You’re wrong! I’m going to catch up to you, and you’re going to do the right thing! Got it? Me and Addy will be there tonight. If you’re still not back, then… Just be back!

      She ran out of words to say when she realized she wasted her time. He sent her a text last week talking about he needed some time and that he was sorry. What a jerk. She couldn’t take a break from their son whenever she liked. She wouldn’t just run off even if she wanted to. Not Colton. He’d never been there fulltime for their son.

      Fresh tears filled her eyes when she disconnected the call. The frustration almost choked her. Her stomach churned, and she felt like she would throw up. Her cell phone rang, and hope rose for an instant that Colton was calling to tell her he was bringing money. Yeah right.

      Hello?

      Hey, girl. You ready for vacay next month?

      Juanita. She swallowed hard to keep a sob under control. I’ve got more vacation than I want right now.

      What do you mean?

      She sniffed. I was just laid off.

      Oh no.

      "What in the world am I going to do? I’m dealing with this after Colton disappeared. And he hasn’t given me any money for weeks. I’ve got Addy’s daycare to pay for and the apartment. Plus, I was planning to buy another car and start insurance back up. I—"

      Whoa, slow down. There’s no use making yourself sick. You’re going to find something else right away. I just know it. Meanwhile, we’ll get through. It’s tough, but we always come out better, don’t we?

      Her best friend’s voice was like a balm to her broken heart and calmed some of her fears, even if she didn’t offer any solutions for right now. Nakeisha wiped her nose. Yeah, we do. Thanks, girl. I was about to lose it.

      I can tell. Her friend chuckled. How about I come over tonight and we go through your options. We can make a plan, and heck, maybe apply for some jobs online. Tomorrow morning you could be heading into an interview.

      You’re always so positive.

      Please, I can be positive when I’m not directly suffering. You’ve seen me when I’ve had trouble.

      You don’t cry. You scream like a banshee.

      Doggone right!

      They both laughed.

      Nakeisha agreed to her friend’s plan and ended the call. She decided to do just what Juanita suggested. The situation might not be as bad as it seemed.

      CHAPTER 2

      Elias rubbed his temple, attempting to make the pain go away. His phone rang, and he clenched his teeth. That only made the pain worse, and he tried to relax. What was his problem? Why was it so much harder to do his job lately?

      He ignored the phone and walked over to the window. The street beneath his office window was a hive of activity, people coming and going all hours of the day—nighttime as well. He had seen it on the many nights he worked late.

      A knock on his office door brought him out of his thoughts, and he winced against the sound. Come, he barked.

      His secretary stuck her head in the door. I’ve been trying to ring you, Elias. You have a call from—

      I’m in a meeting. He’d used that excuse countless times over the last few months. Diana knew how to get rid of unwanted calls and visits, but she could also be stubborn when she needed to be.

      It’s your grandmother.

      What? He spun around. Why didn’t she call my cell phone?

      Diana stepped farther into his office. I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her when you speak to her. My guess is you have your phone on silent and/or ignored every call.

      He glared at her, but she wasn’t intimidated in the least.

      He sighed. Fine. Tell her I’ll call her right back from my cell.

      Good. And by the way, she sounded like she’d been crying.

      Guilt hit him between the eyes. His grandmother answered on the first ring, and from the thickness in her voice and the excessive sniffing, he knew Diana was right.

      Mimi, what’s wrong? What’s happened?

      Elias, it’s Colton, she cried.

      He fell into his chair, dark thoughts crowding his head. Maybe there’d been an accident and his only cousin was killed. The idea sickened him, especially because he knew it would break his grandmother’s heart, not to mention Aunt Phoebe’s. What about him?

      He’s run off with this month’s lease payment, and we can’t afford to replace it. Things have been tough as it is with the business. I’m— She sobbed, and a stab of pain stirred in his chest. I’m not sure how much longer we can stay open.

      The Halloween store? He winced, recalling his family’s business in their small town back home. Neither the town nor the business was something that interested him when he graduated college, so he moved to the city as fast as he could and had been there ever since.

      "We’re in trouble, Elias. Please, can you go to Colton’s apartment and convince him to give the money back? I’m happy to sit down and talk to him. Maybe we can give him a small salary or something once we get back on

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1