Color Blind (BWWM Interracial Billionaire Single Mom Steamy Romance Novel) (3 page)

“
My blanket, please,” Nevaeh said, wrapping her arms around my neck.
 

I grabbed the blanket and headed for the living room. After I had her all settled in, I went off to start a pot of coffee and make her a bowl of cereal before I called the doctor.
 

“
Here you go Nevaeh,” I handed her the bowl of cereal. “I’ll call Dr. Herber’s office to see if they can get you in any sooner.”
 

I hated calling
in,
but I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I really couldn’t afford it, but I also couldn’t let my daughter suffer.
True
, Lorraine would’ve taken excellent care of her while she was ill, but my baby needed her mommy.
 

“
Kevin, this is Kimberly. I won’t be able to make it in today.” She explained to her manager.
 

“
What? Why not?” he asked.

“
Well, it’s Nevaeh. She’s been sick the last few days, and the doctor’s office said they can’t get her in until tomorrow. I’m going to find out if they can schedule her for this afternoon. She’s gotten progressively worse and I’m worried about her.”
 

“
You’re aware that’s a point if you don’t come in, right?” He reminded me of the attendance guidelines.
 

“
I know, but I never call in and I have no points right now. I’ll keep you informed and tell you what the doctor says.” I said, annoyed that my boss would try to make me feel threatened by the company policy.
 

After I had
hung
up with my manager, I went into the living room to check on Nevaeh. “How are you holding up?”
 

“
I’m okay momma. You won’t get in trouble for not going into work are you?” my daughter asked, overhearing the phone conversation.
 

“
No baby, it’s fine. Don’t you worry about
that.
I will call Dr. Herber now. I’ll be back.”
 

Nevaeh is so sweet
. My daughter was
suffering,
but she was worried about me getting into trouble at work. Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I dialed the doctor’s practice.
 

“
Dr. Herber’s office, this is Janice, how may I help you?”
 

“
Hi, this is Kimberly Harris again. I called yesterday
about
Nevaeh?”
 

“
Oh yes, did you still need your appointment or were you calling to reschedule?”

“
Well, I was trying find out if there’s any way you could get her in today instead of tomorrow. She ran a high fever last night, 101.6, and she’s in more pain.”

“
Let me see,” Janice looked, scanning the daily schedule. “I don’t have any open slots. Let me put you on hold while I go talk to the doctor and we’ll figure out how we can work you in somehow.”
 

“
Okay, thank you.” I uttered as I listened to the
hideous
elevator music that crackled over the phone line.
 

After a few moments, the assistant came back on the phone. “Okay, Miss Harris?”
 

“
Yes?”

“
Dr. Herber confirmed that we have nothing available today, but it sounds urgent. He asked if you will bring her in at
5 PM
when the office closes and he’ll stay after to examine her. Is that okay with you?”
 

I thought about it for a moment; I hated making her wait so long, but it was better than waiting a whole extra day. “I’ll take it. We’ll be there early.”
 

“
Okay, we’ll fit her in at five
o’clock,
” Janice said as they hung up the phone.
 

I walked back into the living room, “All right Nevaeh, momma’s working her magic and the doctor will see you, but we have to wait until the office closes. He can’t take you in until he’s seen everyone else. Do you think you’ll brave it out until then?”
 

She shook her head yes. “Momma, would you turn on Daniel Tiger? He’s my favorite cartoon. I don’t like these kid
cartoons
.” She commented as she watched Dora.
 

I chuckled at my daughter and her way with words. “We wouldn’t want
you looking at
childish shows! What was I thinking?” I changed the television channel and said, “Okay, one more call to my boss and then I’ll come hang out with you.”
 

I took the phone into my bedroom and called my work. “Kevin, it’s me again.”
 

“
And what did they say?”

“
The doctor indicated they’re all booked up today and he can’t examine her until the practice closes because they have no empty slots.”

“
When does his office close?” he quizzed me.
 

“
They said to bring her in at five.”

“
Good, you can make it in after all.”

“
Kevin, my shift started almost an hour ago. What do you suppose I do? Just leave my sick kid?” I challenged, angry at what he was suggesting.
 

“
We need you. If you come in, I’ll waive the point and just put you down for six hours on the schedule this afternoon so it looks like you were here for your scheduled time.”

I thought about it for a moment. “And what do you suggest for my baby who can hardly walk because she can’t bend her legs?”
 

“
Can’t your friend babysit her at your house? She does have a babysitter, right?”

I sighed, “I’ll call her and ask if she will drive over here.”
 

My heart broke when I hung up with my boss. I wanted to stay home with my daughter so
bad
, but I didn’t
wish
to get
into
trouble either. I felt like I was ditching my baby for work, but I needed
this job if I planned on paying bills and having insurance.
 

“
Lorraine?”
 

“
Yes? Where are you? Weren’t you supposed to be working almost an hour ago?”

“
Yeah, I was, but Nevaeh woke up last night. She was running a fever and was unable to bend her legs at all. Her knees appear more like knobs.”
 

“
Aww, poor thing. Is she okay now or is she still sick?”

“
Well, I have her on the couch with her blanket, watching cartoons. I called the doctor, and they said they will see her today, but it would be after office hours because they didn’t have any open slots this afternoon. I tried calling in to
work,
but Kevin is being a complete ass. He said I’ll receive an occurrence if I take the whole day off, or he’ll let me come in as soon as I can, change the schedule and not give me a point.”
 

“
What are you going to do?” Lorraine asked.
 

“
Well, as much as I hate to abandon Nevaeh, I will go in late. I was wondering if you would drive over here to babysit her
though
since she’s having
trouble walking, plus it would buy me a little extra time while I get ready for work.”
 

“
Absolutely. I’ll leave just as soon as I slip on my shoes and grab my purse.”

Later that day while I was at work, the same man came back in and requested to sit in my section. As I came out of the kitchen, I saw him sitting at one of my tables.
Here we go again.
I mustered a fake smile as I approached him.
 

“
Good afternoon, sir. What can I get you to drink?”

“
I’d like a Dr. Pepper, please,” he said grinning up at me.
 

When I returned with his drink, I took out my order pad. “What would you like today?” I tried not to sound annoyed.
 

“
Your phone number, and this time, I’m not taking no for an answer.”

I inhaled sharply, “I already told you. I don’t give my number out to strangers. What would you like to order?”
 

“
My name’s Dale Halloway. There, now I’m not a stranger.”

“
That’s nice Dale. Real cute. What would you like to order?”

“
I’d like to take you
out
if you’d quit being so God damned difficult. So tell me, where are we going?" he crossed his hands below his chin, waiting for her response.
 

I rolled my eyes, “Nowhere. Are you going to order or not? I have other tables that I need to attend.”
 

“
Yeah,” he said hastily. “Let me have…a turkey club with an order of fries, and your number.”

“
I’ll put your order in,” I said, tucking my order pad into my apron as I walked away from the table.
 

Rachel could tell that I was stressed out as I made fountain sodas for my
three top
table.
 

“
What’s wrong? You look pissed.”

“
That
guy’s
back! He’s sitting in my section and demanding my phone number again. He said he’s not taking no for an answer,” I sighed.
 

Rachel peeked her head out of the kitchen and immediately spied the hunky
rich
guy sitting in my section. “I think you should give him your number. If a man like that came demanding my
number
, he wouldn’t have to ask twice. He’s fucking hot! And girl, you know he’s got some money. Look at his clothes and his shoes.”
 

“
I better get back to my tables,” I said pushing through the swinging doors of the kitchen.
 

As I waited on my other tables, I noticed that he never took his eyes off of me.
Maybe Rachel was right; maybe I should give him my number
. Even though my family hated white people, I didn’t hold the same grudge. I was smart enough to know that not all cops are monsters, and not all white people are bad.
 

“
Do you need a refill?” I asked as I made my way past his table.
 

“
Yes, please,” he grabbed my wrist. “Tell me, why won’t you give me your number?”
 

“
Why do you want my
number
? How do you know I’m not already taken?”
 

“
I don’t see a ring on your finger,” he said eyeballing my hand.
 

I paused as I tried to find the right words. “How do I know you’re not some kind of psycho? I don’t know you from that guy over there,” I pointed to a man with a scraggly beard and dirty shirt.
 

“
One date. That’s all I’m asking for. After we go out, you can decide whether or not you want to talk to me again, but you will. I can promise you that,” he winked at me.
 

“
I’ll be back with that drink,” I said, breaking free from his grip.
 

As I made his drink, I waited for Rachel to come back into the kitchen. When she did, I told her what Dale had said.
 

“
I’m
tellin’
you,
girl, you better go out with that man. Hell, even if he is a psycho, he’s damn good looking. One date won’t kill ya. Go give him your number.”
 

Following the advice of my friend, I walked back out to Dale’s table and took out my order pad. “Here, I’m going to give you my number, but all you’re getting is one date.”
 

He took the piece of paper out of my hand and pulled out his cell phone.
 

“
What are you doing?” I asked.
 

“
I’m calling you to make sure this is really your number before I leave.”
 

The audacity he had pissed me off. “Who in the hell do you think you are? You’re not God’s gift to women, I can tell you that right now.”
 

“
Oh? I think I am,” he flashed his movie star teeth at me. My voicemail picked up. “And there you are, Kimberly. I’ll call you later.” He slipped me a hundred dollar tip as he walked away from the table.
 

Chapter Two

“
What did the doctor say?” Lorraine asked.
 

“
Well, he noted Nevaeh might have a bug, which would explain her fever. He also seems to think the way she plays on the floor all the time are causing her knees to swell and hurt from it,”
I explained.