Robert sat in his home office listening to Jazz in the dark.  He sipped Hennessy slowly from his glass as he allowed the music to envelope him.  Nancy didn't make eye contact with him all day at the office and he didn't try to make conversation.  He messed up big time; only time could fix that.  He even thought the two new Mac Laptops he bought her to replace her other laptop would at least get a smile.  He only received a whispered "Thank You" as she placed his appointments on the desk.  He tried to get her to leave the office with him, but she made up an excuse and walked out before he can counter it.   Robert sighed and emptied his glass and poured himself another.  He then thought it was best to call Darren and apologize for night before.  He had no choice but to accept it.  Just as Robert grabbed the phone it rang.  "Hello?"

"Hey baby, you still mad at me?"

"Karen, what do you want?"  Robert asked with annoyance as he realized who it was. 

"Why you got to talk to me like that Robert?  Come on now chill out."

"I can't chill out if you don't stop talking to me.  I want nothing to do with you Karen."

"After all I've done for you-." Robert cut her off.

"All you have done for me was in your job description.  Everything else you wanted to do for me, I didn't force you."

"Fine, if that's how you want to play it then fine!"  Karen said then losing her temper.  "Look Robert I am pregnant with your baby and you're gonna take care of it."  Karen said.  Robert could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Really, where did you come up with that conclusion?"  Robert said coolly.

"You were the only and the last man I messed with Robert!"

"Even though I don't find that hard to believe, no one wants to be with a desperate woman, I do find it hard to believe that is my child.  Now if you want help as far as getting rid of it.  I got you.  Otherwise, you need to find that father."

"Fine, you want to play hardball I see.  Well if you don't take care of what is yours Robert I will go to the tabloids and radios to get the money I need to take care of this child.  I will destroy you."

"It's hard for one man to destroy a monster Karen.  Think through your actions, before you act on them.  The consequences can be dire."  Robert said slowly to make sure Karen caught the drift.  Karen shuddered at the tone of his voice, but quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat.

"Robert, you take care of us, or else."  Karen threatened before she slammed down the phone. 

Robert dangled the phone by its cord as the dial tone sang through its receiver.

"I'll take care of you alright."  Robert clicked the button and dialed another number.  "Hey Jonathan what's up man?  Hey I got some work for you and it should be easier than your past jobs, but this one pays more."

Meanwhile Nancy sat at home with Tiffany purring in her lap.  She stroked her cat down its back as rubbed its face back and forth on her lap.  Tiffany meowing snapped Nancy back to reality and she realized she was watching a TV that was off.  She sighed and checked her blackberry.  Robert hadn't called.  "Why should he call?  I blew him off all day."  She said as she chastised herself.  She was excited when she saw the Mac computers on the desk, but knew he was passing her office at the same time so she couldn't show a reaction.  She was hoping he'd call to apologize and say that he also apologized to Darren whose bruises looked awful when he stopped by the office today.  He left without stopping at her office and he hasn't called her either today.  "It's only week two at this job Tiffany and I've manage to already be in deep crap.  However, it is better that no one is talking to me right now.  I can focus on my work and put men where they belong; out of my head."  Just as she picked up the phone her phone rang.  It was Karen.

"Hello."  Nancy answered coldly. 

"Good Evening Nancy.  How are you?"  Karen asked in a giddy voice.

"What is it that you want?  You need to stop by the office and drop off that blackberry by the way."

"Oh shut up Nancy!  I'm not giving the phone back okay.  I need it to keep in touch with my baby daddy."

"You're Baby's Daddy, what are you up to now?"

"What, your boyfriend didn't tell you?  I'm carrying his baby girl!  Of course this all happened before you, but it ensures my spot after you." 

"Well be my guest.  After me has already happened, you can have all of Robert.  Why are you calling me anyway; to rub in my face that you got knocked up when you weren't even wanted?  Girl don't you have anything to do?"

"Well actually I wanted you pass along a message to my child's father."  Karen said with a chuckle.

 Nancy hung up the phone.  She stared at the blackberry for a long time.  ‘I shouldn't call him, it's not my place.' She convinced herself.  ‘It was just sex for one night, he doesn't care and neither should I.' Nancy's got up and walked towards the sofa to try and get her mind off of the urge to call Robert.  ‘If he cared about me that way, he would've called to tell me.'  She kept arguing with herself internally as she grabbed the tub of ice cream from the freezer.  She grabbed a spoon and began to stuff her mouth.  Tiffany jumped onto the counter and sat down staring at Nancy digging into the ice cream.  "I know!"  Nancy said as she turned her back to the cat.  "I do like him, but he's all wrong Tiffany.  Just that gut feeling you know."  Tiffany rubbed against Nancy's back and jumped from the counter and sauntered off to her chair.  "Thanks girl."   Nancy said as she placed the tub back in the freezer.  She walked towards the phone on the coffee table when there was a knock at her door.  "Who could that be?"  She said rushing to the door hoping it was Darren to stop her from calling Robert.  She peeped.  It was Robert.  Nancy almost lost her breath at the sight of him.  She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.  "What do you want?"  Nancy said through the closed door.

"I need to talk to you. I want nothing." 

"There is nothing to talk about Robert.  I thought we were keeping this professional?"

"We have already crossed that line and there is no turning back.  So we might as well talk this out until we're blue in the face and decide to just be civil towards each other and drop the cold shoulder.  Or we'll decide to give it the right shot this time, go about it the right way and fall in love." 

Nancy looked down on the floor as if her heart was lying there.  She didn't know what to think or say.  There was nothing left for her to do but open the door.  "Thank you."  Robert said with a big grin on his face.  "I got you something, as a truce."

"Well the notebooks were enough thank you."  Nancy said trying to keep her voice stern.

"Well I said to myself, ‘I'll get her flowers' but I didn't know what you liked.  I said ‘How about a teddy bear' then I said she's too tough for a Teddy."

"So how long did this conversation between you and the voices in your head go on?"  Nancy said wondering when he was going to step inside.

"For quite some time; they're very talkative." 

"I see."  Nancy said a little curious as to what he finally came up with.  "So?"

"So what?"

"What did you decide on?"

"Oh yes, It is getting pretty chilly out here."  Robert pulled from behind his back a velvet case.  He handed it to Nancy. "Open it."  Nancy opened the case to see a silver pen sitting inside with her name inscribed on it.  She looked up at Robert.  "I know it looks lame. Let's say you're lying in bed and you're on your back you can still write.  It comes with replacement ink and the best feature no one can steal your pen.  You like that huh?"  Robert said with the goofiest smile Nancy had ever seen. 

"Umm it is a unique gift.  Thank you.  Are you coming in?"  Nancy said as she turned to the side giving him space to enter. 

"I would love too."  Robert said walking in. 

"You know I was just about to call you?"  Nancy said as she placed the pen carefully back into its box and placed it in her briefcase.

"Really. Well I thought you were on the phone or had company I heard you talking through the door."

"How long were you out there?"  Nancy said, hoping he didn't hear anything.

"Well about ten minutes before I knocked.  I didn't want to beat up anyone again."

"Well did you apologize to Darren when he came by today?"

"Yes I offered him my sincere apology, we talked for awhile and I promised him I'd take care of some things.  We're cool man.  We ain't like you girls who hold grudges for years or forever."

"Well he didn't even stop by to say hi to me today. I felt real bad."

"Well he's a little gun shy right now.  He's a good guy; you guys will be talking soon."

"Gun shy huh?" Nancy said with a snort.

"Can we talk about us now Nance?"  Robert said turning towards her on the couch. 

"Yes sure.  Let's start with your unborn child."  Nancy decided to get it out from the jump.

"Okay."  Robert said as he rubbed his face as if Nancy just threw sand at him.

"Okay explain."

"I don't believe it's mine, but I'll take care of her until I can prove otherwise."

"Really?"

"What you don't believe me?"

"No I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because, Robert.  You are talking to Nancy, the woman that watch you literally remove your last assistant and replaced her with me." 

"I know I can do some cruel things.  You know it's part of my reputation.  I can't help it, I am learning tact though."

"Well Robert, if you know there is a possibility.  Be a man about it.  Take it from a girl of a single parent okay?"

"I hear you.  For you I'll be all the man that I can be."

"No do it for your child. Believe it or not, your children are forever.  Women rarely are." 

Darren sat on Shaniqua's couch as her kids ran around him wild.  "Aren't you guys supposed to be in bed? It's almost midnight."

"You ain't our Daddy.  You only ‘pose to worry ‘bout what Mama doin'.  Don't be worried about us."  Said the eight year old.  Then he continued to chase his siblings throughout Shaniqua's apartment.  "Bad ass kids!!"  Darren said at the lack of their respect.

"You go ‘head make dem kids run up your blood pressure.  I ain't got time for that, they'll wear themselves out."

"Really and what do you have time for?  Because cleaning isn't one of them and neither is work.  When are you gonna find a good job Shaniqua and get out this ghetto and be better about yourself."

"Don't tell me how to live my life Darren.  You got roun' all dem rich people and you don't even know how to act no mo'.  I ain't neva gonna change.  This is me and if you don't like it, you can just ride.  Come up in here wanna talk all big and just finish getting your ass kicked by a suit.  You lucky he ain't just kill your ass."

"Whoa whoa, watch your damn mouth.  You hear me?  Got a lot of nerve..."  Darren said as he got up and got his things together. 

"Shoo I ain't lying.  You got your ass kicked!"  Shaniqua said laughing.  Darren stopped and looked at her.  Right then and there he made the decision.

"It's over!  I can't take you anywhere.  You ain't trying to go nowhere in your life.  What you think you gonna just ride with me huh?  You should fix your damn mouth when you got plans like that!"  Darren headed to the Kitchen and grabbed a garbage bag and packed up the few things that he had in Shaniqua's apartment.  Shaniqua watched as he packed and realized her ticket to the top was about to walk out her door. 

"Baby, why you gotta be so sensitive?"  Shaniqua said as she wrapped her arms around Darren's waist. 

"Get your hands off me!  Really man I'm tired.  Let's just be done with it. You know it was coming no way to pretend."  Shaniqua looked up into Darren's face and realized he meant it this time.  She slowly released her grip from around his waist and stepped back. 

She reached up and slapped him in the face.  "You're going to that woman ain't you?"  She said as angry tears filled her eyes.  "You leavin' me for that uppity heffa aint you?"

"What, what are you talking about?  You know what? I don't even want to know, bye Shaniqua."

"Motha-!"  Shaniqua said as she threw a vase after him.  He closed the door in time for the vase to smash against it.  Shaniqua pulled a Black and Mild cigar from behind her ear and lit it as one tear rolled down her cheek. "It's a long way from ova Darren. Trust that."  She said as she turned away to put the kids to bed.