your boss says I can 't stay any longer. "
Simone nodded as Sam handed her back her bag. "You come back here if he comes home. You understand? " Sam asked.
" Yes. I 'll come back. "
He gave her a nod and walked away.
Simone squeezed her hand tight, the earrings dug into her skin. "Here. " She opened Regina 's hand that wrapped around her son. She slid the earrings into her palm and closed her fingers around them. "You use these and feed you and your baby. If you need to get a hotel room, use them for that. Then, I want you to call me in the morning, here at the clinic. I think I can get you a job with daycare. "
Regina stood before her, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "Why you bein ' so nice to me? "
" Every mother deserves to protect herself and her baby. You need to protect yourself. "
" And you 're helping me? "
" This is all I can do. "
Tears were forming in Regina 's eyes. "Thank you. You have the kindest heart. "
That nearly had Simone 's knees buckling beneath her. No one had ever told her she was kind.
" You call me in the morning. "
" I 'll do that. " Regina smiled and batted away the tears. "Thank you. God bless you. "
Cynthia sat at the nurses ' station leaned back in her chair when Curtis walked by. The smug smile on her lips had him stop. He realized he was smiling too just looking at her sitting there as if she was up to something.
" You have something on your face. "
She raised her eyebrows. "Do I? "
" Yeah, a grin that says you 're up to no good. "
She crossed her legs and bounced her foot which adorned bright pink Nikes. "Oh, well I 'm never up to any good. But that little princess of yours is. "
" Little, what oh. " He leaned over the counter. "What did she do now? Abandon that job already? "
" Oh, ye of little faith. " Cynthia moved in closer to him and rested her arms on the counter as well. "I 'll tell you what she did if you promise to go dancing on Saturday. "
" Dancing? " Cynthia nodded and he shook his head. "If I remember right I can 't keep up with you. But fine. I 'll go dancing. Now tell me what did she do? "
Simone paced in Zach 's office. She hadn 't had reason to visit him at work in months and when she 'd shown up with her hair piled atop her head, her makeup won off, and in scrubs of all things, his assistant Mary Ellen told her she 'd almost called security.
Other times she 'd have sat on his desk and crossed her tan legs so that it would have been the first thing he 'd see, even though he 'd never looked at her legs in all the years she 'd known him. He was absolutely the only man who looked her in the eye.
She sat down on the leather couch and gripped her hands together to keep them from shaking. Why was she so nervous? This was Zachary.
It had taken him twenty minutes to make it back to his office after his meeting.
" I swear I just witnessed you bite your nails, " he said from the doorway.
" Tais-toi! " She stood up and wiped her palms on the legs of her pants. "I need help. "
Zach quickly shut the office door and walked to her. He reached for her arms and looked her over. "Are you okay? What happened? "
" I need you to hire someone. "
Zach narrowed his eyes on her. "You need me to hire someone? " He shook his head and let lose a laugh that had her temper fume.
" I need you. "
" I offered you a job. And you turned me down. " He let go of her arms, walked to his desk, and began to go through the papers that lay on it.
" It is not for me. Will you listen to me? "
Zach looked up from the papers he shuffled. "Okay. Who do you want me to hire? "
Simone swallowed hard. "Her name is Regina. She needs a full time job. She is comfortable in housekeeping and she needs to put her son in daycare. "
He watched her carefully before crossing his arms over his chest. "What has gotten into you? "
" I am asking for help. If you are not going to help me then I will ask someone else. You are not the only contact I have in this city.
Simone nodded as Sam handed her back her bag. "You come back here if he comes home. You understand? " Sam asked.
" Yes. I 'll come back. "
He gave her a nod and walked away.
Simone squeezed her hand tight, the earrings dug into her skin. "Here. " She opened Regina 's hand that wrapped around her son. She slid the earrings into her palm and closed her fingers around them. "You use these and feed you and your baby. If you need to get a hotel room, use them for that. Then, I want you to call me in the morning, here at the clinic. I think I can get you a job with daycare. "
Regina stood before her, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "Why you bein ' so nice to me? "
" Every mother deserves to protect herself and her baby. You need to protect yourself. "
" And you 're helping me? "
" This is all I can do. "
Tears were forming in Regina 's eyes. "Thank you. You have the kindest heart. "
That nearly had Simone 's knees buckling beneath her. No one had ever told her she was kind.
" You call me in the morning. "
" I 'll do that. " Regina smiled and batted away the tears. "Thank you. God bless you. "
Cynthia sat at the nurses ' station leaned back in her chair when Curtis walked by. The smug smile on her lips had him stop. He realized he was smiling too just looking at her sitting there as if she was up to something.
" You have something on your face. "
She raised her eyebrows. "Do I? "
" Yeah, a grin that says you 're up to no good. "
She crossed her legs and bounced her foot which adorned bright pink Nikes. "Oh, well I 'm never up to any good. But that little princess of yours is. "
" Little, what oh. " He leaned over the counter. "What did she do now? Abandon that job already? "
" Oh, ye of little faith. " Cynthia moved in closer to him and rested her arms on the counter as well. "I 'll tell you what she did if you promise to go dancing on Saturday. "
" Dancing? " Cynthia nodded and he shook his head. "If I remember right I can 't keep up with you. But fine. I 'll go dancing. Now tell me what did she do? "
Simone paced in Zach 's office. She hadn 't had reason to visit him at work in months and when she 'd shown up with her hair piled atop her head, her makeup won off, and in scrubs of all things, his assistant Mary Ellen told her she 'd almost called security.
Other times she 'd have sat on his desk and crossed her tan legs so that it would have been the first thing he 'd see, even though he 'd never looked at her legs in all the years she 'd known him. He was absolutely the only man who looked her in the eye.
She sat down on the leather couch and gripped her hands together to keep them from shaking. Why was she so nervous? This was Zachary.
It had taken him twenty minutes to make it back to his office after his meeting.
" I swear I just witnessed you bite your nails, " he said from the doorway.
" Tais-toi! " She stood up and wiped her palms on the legs of her pants. "I need help. "
Zach quickly shut the office door and walked to her. He reached for her arms and looked her over. "Are you okay? What happened? "
" I need you to hire someone. "
Zach narrowed his eyes on her. "You need me to hire someone? " He shook his head and let lose a laugh that had her temper fume.
" I need you. "
" I offered you a job. And you turned me down. " He let go of her arms, walked to his desk, and began to go through the papers that lay on it.
" It is not for me. Will you listen to me? "
Zach looked up from the papers he shuffled. "Okay. Who do you want me to hire? "
Simone swallowed hard. "Her name is Regina. She needs a full time job. She is comfortable in housekeeping and she needs to put her son in daycare. "
He watched her carefully before crossing his arms over his chest. "What has gotten into you? "
" I am asking for help. If you are not going to help me then I will ask someone else. You are not the only contact I have in this city.
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