My Future With Mr White (6 page)

“
I know. Isn’t it great?” Natasha said excitedly. Rita frowned again.

“
I know I have said this before but you do remember that girl is only seven months old, right?” she asked.

“
Okay, please don’t tell me you have joined the ‘Alexis is only a baby’ bandwagon. I don’t need any more people on that train,” Natasha said.

“
Well, as your best friend I have to give you both sides of the coin. The first side, you doing this shows how good of a mother you are, but also how you get your head wrapped around something and never let go of a stupid idea, and at the same time, I know Mitchell hates all this. So this is more of a cons than pros situation,” Rita explained.

“
Well, he hates it now but I am sure he will come around,” Natasha said.

“
I hope so,” Rita said with a smile.

“
Is that everything?” Natasha asked pointing at the bag Rita was carrying.

“
Well, we cleaned up, packed up her books and clothes...so yeah, this is everything,” Rita said looking at the bag in her hands.

“
Good. Let’s get going,” Natasha said as she got out of the living room. As the two rode to the hospital, Natasha could barely hide her excitement.

*****

Mitchell looked around at the strong minds seated at his conference table to the board room. He had just made the pitch of his life and even though he was sure he had done a good job, he was still unsure of himself. He had not done a pitch in a long time. He usually left pitching jobs to the junior associates. What he did was just identify the people he wanted to work with and the associates would do the rest. But not this time. This time he was not just pitching to some random company. It was his grandfather’s closest friend, Ralph Peterson. At the time, it was the most profitable business decision he had ever made.

“
I must say, Mitchell, you are truly a direct bloodline from Nolan,” Simon Cryer, one of the associates at Peterson Parker insurance, said.

“
I’m glad you liked it. We are all about our client’s product and for a company such as Peterson Parker, we can make a campaign so big that it will blow your mind,” Mitchell said imitating his grandfather. The three associates laughed as they recalled Nolan’s comical voice.

“
You are right. He is his grandfather’s grandson,” Lawrence Simms, another associate said.

“
So, what do you say? Deal or no deal?” Mitchell asked. Normally he would not use that phrase but he knew he had nailed it. He would have danced naked on the table and they would have still offered him a deal.

“
We would be honored to work with you,” Cryer said as he stood up to shake Mitchell’s hand.

“
Good. I’ll have the contract drawn up and sent to your attorneys,” Mitchell said as he led them out.

“
Perfect,” Simon said.

“
Well, if you are not in a hurry I would like to indulge you in some of the best English tea and some pound cake downstairs,” Mitchell said smiling.

“
Of course,” Simms said, smiling.

“
Yes, we have been known for our sweet tooth,” Cryer said. Just as they were making their way past his office, his assistant came running up to him.

“
Sir, you have a call,” she said.

“
Take a message, please. Well, Peggy?” he said.

“
It is Lockhart Academic Complex and it sounds urgent,” she said. Mitchell pointed out the break room to his guests and then walked to his office. He had no idea why a school like LAC would be calling him. Perhaps they needed him to make a speech at one of their events.

“
This is Mitchell,” he said when he picked up the phone.

“
Mr. Schmidt. Hi, my name is Alicia from Lockhart Academic Complex. I am calling to confirm your daughter’s social security number,” the woman said. Mitchell shook his head.

“
I’m sorry but why would you need my daughter’s social security number?” he asked.

“
For our records,” Alicia said.

“
What records?” he asked wondering what the hell she was talking about.

“
Oh your wife must have not talked to you yet. Your daughter got accepted to Lockhart Academic complex,” Alicia said excitedly. Mitchell felt anger shoot through him when she said that.

“
I’m sorry, what?” he asked.

“
Your daughter Alexis will be going to school here as soon as she is of school going age. Now all I need is her soci...” Mitchell did not have it in him to listen to her anymore. He hung up and ran his fingers through his hair. He had already told Natasha to quit with the whole early admission thing but obviously, she had chosen to defy him. He rose from his seat and walked out of the office. By this time, he had forgotten all about his guests because all he could think of was having a long talk with his wife.

“Will you at least talk to me?” Natasha asked as Mitchell walked right past her and to the kitchen. He walked to the fridge and took a bottle of water.

“
What do you want me to say? I asked you not to do something and you went right ahead and did it,” he said before taking a sip.

The Schmidt household had been almost impossible to be in since Mitchell found out that Natasha had met up with Lockhart academic Complex officials. To Mitchell, getting into the school was not such a big deal and if anything, it was going to put unnecessary pressure on Alexis as she grew up. Mitchell had sworn to protect his daughter from the kind of childhood his mother had forced on him, because he had only been too lucky to get away from the disadvantages that came with that lifestyle, but his sister, that was another story altogether.

“Okay, so are we going to be one of those couples?” Natasha asked angrily. “You just want me to be seen not heard. Is that right?” she asked. Mitchell shrugged and took another sip of his water.

“
I never said that. Those are your words, not mine,” he said.

“
But all I did was make sure my daughter...”

“
Our daughter,” Mitchell interjected looking at her.

“
Fine. Our daughter. All I did was make sure she got in the best elementary program there is,” she said. Mitchell laughed cynically and shook his head.

“
Preschool does not matter, Tasha. If you are this uptight about preschool, I don’t know what you will be like when Alexis is going to college,” he said. Natasha rolled her eyes.

“
I already have that all planned out,” she said.

“
God damn it! Tasha. That is exactly what I am talking about,” Mitchell said. “You cannot force our daughter to live a life that she does not want. Let her grow up to become what she wants to be,” he said angrily.

“
Really? You can sleep at night knowing that your daughter chose to be a waitress?” Natasha asked.

“
Of course not. But I don’t want to force her into a career that she does not want and that is exactly where you are headed,” he said as he took another sip of his water. Natasha rolled her eyes and crossed her arms on her chest.

“
How exactly am I doing that?” she asked.

“
Remember how I told you about my mother, how she forced things on us that we did not want? This is how she started,” he said.

‘
But I am not your mother!” Natasha yelled angrily.

“
Not yet,” he said as he looked at her.

“
Okay, just what is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“
Well, in not so many words. Natasha, I love you but you are doing things that remind me why I sometimes hate being related to Nolan Schmidt,” he said. “I never wanted to learn piano and my sister never wanted to learn the violin. We never wanted to be the golden children and that is what pushed my sister to substance abuse,” he said. There was a long pause before he finally spoke again. “I will not let my daughter hate herself. Not in this lifetime,” he said before walking out. Natasha quickly ran after him and touched his arm.

“
We are not done yet,” she said. He turned around and looked at her.

“
What do you want to say now? Because if you are not about to tell me that you will forfeit that position at LAC, I have nothing else to say,” he said.

“
Why don’t you just try and see things from where I stand? Have you tried to walk a mile in my shoes yet?” she asked.

“
Let’s see if your shoe fits, Tasha. Let’s see, would you ever trade the life you had as a child, your childhood, to be in some quote unquote good school?” he asked. Natasha looked at him, unsure of what was expected of her at that moment. The truth was, she did not live a very privileged lifestyle but she still managed to carve out a great life for herself. She knew more than anyone that her life and career were the result of her father’s hard work...and hers, and she also wanted to do the same for Alexis.

“
No, I wouldn’t, but I would have done anything to help my dad out,” she said. Natasha looked into his eyes for any sign of Mitchell yielding but there was none.

“
And I must say, Eric and Estelle did exceptional work with you but my point is, you did not have to be in an over-glorified school, especially, preschool, to turn out the way you did. This, you being who you are now, had absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you went to a twenty-five thousand dollar a term preschool. It was all in you and in your dad,” Mitchell said.

Natasha shook her head and sighed.

“But I....” Mitchell put his hands up, silencing her immediately. He walked to the bedroom and undressed before he stepped into the shower while Natasha paced around the kitchen. She was dreading going to bed. It would be an awkward situation for both of them. She checked up on the baby and then took the monitor with her before finally getting into bed. Mitchell got out of the bathroom and walked straight to the nursery. He walked back to the bedroom and got into bed without a word. “So, you are giving me the silent treatment?” Natasha asked.

“
Tasha, not now,” he said without turning around.

“
This is not the kind of marriage I want,” she said in a low voice. Mitchell turned around and looked at her.

“
What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“
This, fighting and you ignoring me, this is not what I want,” she said.

“
So, what are you saying?” he asked. He was afraid of saying the exact words for fear that she would answer in the affirmative. She shook her head and shrugged. “Natasha! What do you mean?” he asked. She looked into his eyes as a tear threatened to roll down her cheek. He shook his head and got out of bed.

“
Where are you
going?” she asked.

I am sleeping in the guest room tonight,” he said as he walked out of the bedroom. Natasha felt the tear rolling down her cheek. There was no point holding back anymore. For the rest of the night, Natasha cried herself to sleep as she thought of the mess she had created. She would have to fix this but she had no idea how.

*****

When she woke up the next morning, Mitchell was long gone. He had left a note for her on the nightstand.

“He had to have been extremely quiet,”
she thought because she had not heard him leave. She took the note and sat up as she read it.

Hey. I had to leave the house early. Something came up at work and it could not wait. But we need to finish our talk. I will try and come home as early as I can. We need to work this out, the sooner we do it the better it will be for all of us. We cannot just disagree on stuff anymore. It is no longer just us, we have a daughter and if not for us, then we owe it to her.

She took a deep breath as she read the note over and over. She then glanced at the clock on her nightstand and sighed. She was late for work. It was already eight. She took her phone and called Stacy.

“
Hey boss lady,” Stacy said in a cheerful voice, like she always did.

“
Hey. Do I have any pressing matters today?” Natasha asked.

“
No. It’s a pretty free day. Why? Aren’t you coming in?” she asked. Natasha sighed.

“
No, I don’t think I can,” she said.

“
Are you okay, boss lady? You sound sick,” Stacy said. Natasha could hear the concern in her voice.

“
Yeah, I just need some personal time,” Natasha said.

“
Okay. I’ll hold down the fort for you,” Stacy said.

“
Thanks a bunch,” Natasha said before she hung up. She got out of bed and took a quick shower, then put on a pair of jeans and a top. She would probably go out later that day for some retail therapy so one of Mitchell’s shirts would definitely not cut it. She then made her way to the nursery where Alexis lay happily in her crib. “Look at you, not making any noise,” Natasha said in a mock baby voice. She picked her up and did a quick diaper change. She put the baby in the playpen and then walked to the kitchen. She found herself thinking of Mitchell as she poured herself some juice. How she longed for him to understand her and where she was coming from. Was that so hard? She took out a can of baby food and heated it up in the microwave as she took small sips of her juice. She had just taken the baby food out of the microwave when she heard the doorbell. She quickly walked to the door and opened it. She gasped in both surprise and happiness when she saw Mona standing at her doorstep.

“
Don’t just stand there. Give your cousin a hug,” Mona said with a smile. Natasha laughed as she threw her arms around Mona. She had not seen Mona in almost a year thanks to Leo’s busy travel schedule.

“
What are you doing here? When did you even get here?” Natasha asked when she pulled away.

“
I haven’t been here for long. I literally just got here,” Mona said with a smile. Natasha looked at her and smiled. She could not believe just how much Mona had changed. She was no longer the tomboy Natasha had always known. Mona had been transformed to a very ladylike person that Natasha didn’t recognize anymore. She had even given up her box braids that had long been her signature look. Instead, her hair had been straightened out and highlighted to perfection.

“
If I met you on the street, I honestly wouldn’t have recognized you. You look fabulous,” Natasha said as she stepped aside for Mona to walk in.

“
Well, I needed something new after ditching the old tired me,” she said. “So, where is my beautiful baby girl?” she asked as she walked into the living room.

“
She has grown so big and so fast,” Mona said as she picked Alexis up from the playpen.

“
Well, apparently, that’s a good thing,” Natasha said as she walked to the kitchen. “I hope you haven’t had breakfast yet because I am about to make us some,” she yelled from the kitchen. She was not very sure Mona had heard her since she was busy making goo-goo noises at the baby. She made some bacon and a spicy omelet before walking back to the living room.

“
That was fast,” Mona said looking at the tray Natasha carried.

“
Well, when you live with a toddler and you are still a working mom, you learn how to multitask,” Natasha said as she sat down next to Mona. She took a bib and the baby food from the table and looked at Mona. “Are you going to give her to me or are you going to feed her?” she asked. Mona nodded.

“
I’ll feed her. Give me the goo,” she said as she sat Alexis in her high chair.

“
Are you sure?” Natasha asked.

“
Why not? Are you forgetting that this is not my first dance?” Mona asked. Natasha smiled and gave her the bowl before leaning back.

“
You can’t say goo. When she learns what that means she won’t want it,” Natasha said.

“
But we call it what it is. Don’t we, Alexis?” Mona asked in a baby voice. Alexis chuckled.

“
She seems to like you. So you are officially on goo duty as I catch up with Alejandro, Miguel and Sonia,” Natasha said as she bit into a bacon strip. Mona looked at her and smiled.

“
Did you join a drug cartel and didn’t tell me?” she asked. Natasha laughed.

“
No, those are my favorite characters on
Sacrificio de Salvador,
my favorite soap on Telemundo,” Natasha said.

“
Since when do you watch Telemundo? I thought you hated soap operas,” Mona said as she fastened the bib around Alexis’ neck.

“
I did. I probably still do. It’s just that daytime television is just not as interesting as it used to be,” Natasha said. “Trust me, I did not begin watching it by choice,” she added with a smile.

“
Of course you didn’t and I am a virgin,” Mona said before she fed Alexis a spoonful of the mashed vegetables. “So, I called the office and Stacy said you were staying home today. She seems to think you are under the weather,” Mona said as she went on feeding the baby. She looked at Natasha and shrugged. I don’t know about you, but you look perfectly okay to me. So, what is wrong, mama?” she asked as she gave Alexis another spoonful of her food. Natasha leaned back and took a long deep breath.

“
That bad, huh?” Mona asked.

“
Well, not really,” Natasha said.

“
Come on. Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess?” Mona asked.

“
When did we start talking about me? We haven’t even gone through how you and Leo are,” Natasha said. Mona smiled.

“
Leo and I are fine. So, why are you at home and not at work?” Mona asked.

“
Just fine?” Natasha said ignoring her question.