Unmasked: Friends and Frenemies Part V: The Deposition

5 Years Ago

I walk into the conference room where several of the city’s employees are gazing at me with hope and anxiety.

“They want to settle” I tell them.

“Settle for what?” Benny, the head of the union asks.

“10 million, to be divided between all of you.”

“10 million? There’s twenty-five of us!” He argues. I sigh, exhausted from the long legal battle involved with this lawsuit.

“What do you want me to put up for their offer?” I ask.

“I’d say no less than a million a piece. We’ve been working overtime without pay, dealing with the bullying of these so-called city leaders and getting fired because of this lawsuit.”

“Okay…I will see what they say.” As tired as I was, I knew that 10 million was bullshit. After some of these workers’ testimony, each of them deserved so much more, and I wanted to make sure it happened.

I appear back into the conference leaders who are eyeing me with annoyance.

“It’s a no go…” I say, simply. They all sigh in frustration as if they had rehearsed it while I was gone.

“What do they want? How can we keep this from becoming a media dumpster fire?”

“Two million each.” They all look at each other.

“That’s fifty million!” The head lawyer, Steven, exclaims.

“I know it is, and you know that your failure to control your supervisors was eventually going to cost you.”

“As much as I can’t stand you right now, I guess you’re right. This won’t go away unless they get it, huh?”

“Nope, we will fight it all the way, and you know that if we go public, you’ll have to pay tons more.”

“Fine. Fifty million it is, along with a gag order.” I raise my eyebrows.

“A gag order? Really?”

“If they want their money, they can’t talk about these proceedings or the amount of money they received.”

“I’ll take your gag order and raise you a firing of all the aforementioned supervisors. I think you’d be wise to take that.”

“Maybe you’re right, Mr. Paul. Let’s make it happen.”

By the end of the day, the settlement has been agreed upon and my clients are happy with the results.

I come to my quiet condo, greeted only by the sounds of my massive aquarium. I am absolutely exhausted. This case took months to settle on top of the months before when I was gathering evidence to make my case against the city. Add in the threats I received for taking the case, and I was done. I have never been happier to take a break.

Now that this case was done, I know I need to work on my social life. I was lonely, and tired of messing around with guys who had no intention of being serious about me. I had Maddie, my best friend, and occasionally Megan who was constantly busy with her medical practice. Other than that, I was completely alone. I have to get out more.

Suddenly, I have a brilliant idea. My new car would be delivered later today, and I know just who I want to call to celebrate…my Maddie.

Chapter 1

     “Mr. Paul, I have Madeline Marks on the line for you…” My secretary, Tina, buzzes in.

     “Put her through” I order, eager to hear from my best friend who had been preoccupied with her husband, three kids and business. She was one crazy, busy lady.

     “Maddie!” I exclaim as I answer the phone.

      “Hey stranger! I haven’t seen you since Aidan’s baptism, how are you?”

      “Oh, you know, same shit, different day.” She laughs at my response.

      “How’s Dimitri?” I smile, thinking of my significant other. We had our ups and downs, but this was the first time I was with someone who understood me, flaws and all.

      “He’s good, mad at the school district again.” Dimitri was an advocate for disadvantaged children, and the school districts he worked for were asses. They never wanted to work with him for the benefit of the children. Rather, they all wanted trophies for no work at all. He came home frustrated quite often.

     “What are they doing?” she asks.

      “Trying to segregate the school district. It’s all bullshit.”

      “Has…um…someone reached out to you yet?” She inquires. I’m puzzled.

      “About what?”

      “My sister, Vivi’s best friend. Her name is Laila Washington, and she and her co-workers are looking at taking legal action against their principal and assistant principal.” I’m intrigued, wanting to know more.

     “Can you tell me a little about what’s going on?”

     “So essentially, this new assistant principal took over their department at the beginning of the year, and he has been hell on wheels.”

     “How so?”

      “Threatening emails, discrimination against homosexual women, using teacher evaluations to discredit them even when they have evidence that proves otherwise.”

     “Wow, Maddie, what school district is this?”

      “The ISD.” I raise my eyebrows.

       “The ISD? Holy shit, Maddie, it would take a team of us to tackle that one!”

        “Look, I referred her to you because you are the best. They have followed the chain of command and filed grievances. No one is listening. Half the teachers are getting sick and stressed out, barely making it. I’ve known Laila since we were kids, and I was so shocked at how tired and frail she looked when she came to see the baby. She’s only 37, she shouldn’t look 50.”

     “Okay, okay. I understand, Baby, but the ISD is a demon. You get me? I’m gonna have to assemble a team for this, and I know that on teachers’ salaries, they won’t be able to afford it.”

     “How much would it be?” She asks.

      “You’re looking at a hundred grand or more.” She takes a deep breath.

      “Tell you what, send me the bill.” I gasp.

       “Maddie! You have babies and a house and a husband!” She laughs.

       “I’m also sitting on a few million dollars, and together Vince and I are worth a billion. Send me the bill.” For some reason I am overcome with emotion at her kindness and grip the phone tightly to hold back the tears at her sincere heart.

      “This really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

       “Look, I don’t know about the other teachers involved, but I know that Laila is a wonderful teacher. She’s the one who has taken the kids everyone gives up on and helped them to flourish, and I’ll be damned if I let some asshole on a power trip try to ruin her career.”

       “Tell her to call me immediately. I need all of the documentation and statements from the other teachers involved. If we’re going to do it, we need to do it ASAP.” She gasps in gratitude.

       “Oh, thank-you!” She sobs.

       “Maddie don’t cry, I’ll take care of them, okay?”

        “I know you will!” she cries.

         “Call her now and let her know, we need to get on this before the school year ends.”

          “I’m gonna call her right after I hang up.”

         “Good. Dry those tears. If they have the documentation, you know we will kill them.” She sighs happily.

          “I will never be able to re-pay you.”

          “Oh, you’ll be paying through the nose.” I laugh. She giggles in response.

           “Call my accountant. She’ll pay your retainer fee.”

           “Got it. I love you.”

           “I love you too, honey. Keep me posted.”

            “Of course, you know, since you’re paying the bill and all.” She scoffs.

            “Thanks again.”

             “Only for you.”

              Later that day, I assemble a team of the lawyers in my firm who are familiar with education law and policy. After I brief them, we take a call from Laila who tearfully explains the situation in depth to us. After she’s finished, all of us are in shock at the abuse of power that has happened at this school. No one should ever be allowed to bully those they supervise as much as this asshole has.

Lily, one of our team members looks at me with an expression of sympathy.

“This is absolutely against the education law as well as EEOC. He cannot discriminate against the teachers based on their sexuality nor can he use the evaluation method as a tool to bully them.”

“Lily, you’re our prime expert on this. I need you to research any cases you can on this matter. Now, we know that this will be a tough fight, and ISD is extremely intimidating. Those guys are almost like the mafia. Whatever we bring to a judge needs to be thorough.”

“Well, from the sound of it, they have plenty of documentation, and she said a couple of the teachers have video and voice recording” Jackson, another team member says.

“And we have to make sure he knew they were recording. We don’t want to break the law” Lily responds.

“Once we meet with the teachers face to face, we can file the suit” I say. They all nod in agreement.

“This is going to be a battle. Are you guys ready for this?” I ask.

“Why not? It’s about time we expose these school districts for their defunct leadership” Jackson replies. The others murmur in agreement.

“For now, everyone needs to do research, let’s find all of the cases and learn the law to the letter so that we’re ready for whatever they want to throw at us. The good thing is that the teachers followed protocol. They informed the principal and the superintendent when the principal didn’t respond. They’ve given us a leg up on that one.” I look at everyone who nods. I adjourn our meeting and prepare myself to go home and tell Dimitri that I’m about to have the biggest fight of my life with this one. I know he won’t be happy, but I have to do what I have to do.

Later that evening, after I’ve done some research of my own, I finally drag myself home and see Dimitri in the kitchen preparing dinner.

“Hey you…” He says, regarding the expression on my face.

“Hey…” I sit my briefcase down, loosening my tie.

“Rough day?” He asks, turning away from the stove.

“Yeah…I have to tell you something.” He corks a wine bottle, pouring two big glasses of deep, red wine. As I plop down in the kitchen chair, he sets a glass in front of me before taking his place across from me.

“What is it?” He inquires.

“We’ve had some teachers come to us from the ISD…about workplace bullying.”

“Hmmm…” He murmurs, taking a sip.

“Well, aren’t you surprised?” He laughs, before lighting a cigarette.

“No…” He blows out a thick plume of smoke.

“Why aren’t you? What’s going on in ISD that you haven’t told me about?” He sets his lighter down on the table, gazing at me.

“Look, ISD has had corrupt leadership for years. I’m more surprised that you have teachers coming forward. They’re usually scared shitless when it comes to speaking out.”

“I think this is absolutely the last straw for them. The teacher that called us was in tears the whole time.” He takes another puff.

“Well, it’s about time. You gonna take the case?”

“Maddie offered to pay for it all.”

“Maddie? What does she have to do with this?”

“One of the teachers is her sister’s best friend.”

“Well, Nate, be careful with this one. They will try to bully and intimidate you. Are you ready for that?”

“Please, I led a lawsuit against the city, I can handle this.” Dimitri leans in close to me.

“The city has nothing on ISD. I’m just telling you to be careful with this.” I nod with understanding.

“You with me on this?” I grab his hand.

“I’m with you. Now, come on, let’s eat dinner.” He smashes the cigarette in an ashtray and gets up, I follow him in realization that I haven’t eaten all day.

After dinner, Dimitri and I are enjoying a glass of wine on our patio. He gazes at me, his brown eyes shining.

“So, with you taking this case, are we gonna have to delay it?” I know exactly what he’s talking about. We had submitted paperwork to be considered for the adoption process. I knew Dimitri really wanted this, and I was excited at the prospect of becoming a dad.

“Nothing wrong with starting the process. Who knows how long this case will take?”

“Or the adoption. They might waitlist us.” I nod in agreement as I take another sip.

“Those have to go though, Dimitri…” I say, pointing at his lit cigarette.

“I know, but for now, humor me, please.”

“Don’t I always?” I give him a teasing smile.

“Not always, but you give me breathing room.”

“Well, take a deep breath because between this case and the adoption, we’ll be in for a ride.”

“Well, at least I have someone to brave the chaos with…” He grins at me.

“Yeah, you do.” I grab his hand.

The next afternoon, my team and I mull through countless documentation that the teachers have provided us with. It’s insane how detailed they were about the grievances against their assistant administrators. Hell, we didn’t have lawyers this thorough in their briefs.

“Nathan, take a look at this…” Lily hands me a sheet of paper that details an incident in which the assistant principal berated a teacher in front of the students and continued to do so in his office.

“Here’s statements from the students and the other teachers on the team.” She hands me a stack.

“Wait, so even the students have witnessed this?” Kareem, another one of our lawyers, inquires. Lily nods.

“Apparently everyone is aware of his behavior, but no one has given him disciplinary action” she comments.

“This is not acceptable…” I peruse the documents with trepidation. With all of this damning information, why didn’t the district take action? This was a lawsuit waiting to happen anyway.

“It’s pretty evident that everyone is banking on the teachers maintaining their silence” Lily declares. I shake my head.

“Nathan? We have a case. A solid case” Kareem says.

“Yeah, it’s solid, but we have to be careful. I’ve already been warned” I reply.

“By whom?” Lily inquires.

“My husband, you know he works closely with the school districts.”

“Well, intimidating or not, this is wrong. No one should be forced to work under such a hostile environment, and we’d fight for anyone else. I think these teachers deserve their day in court” Lily declares. Everyone murmurs in agreement.

“We have to have our I’s dotted and our t’s crossed, so I need every single one of you to be on your game” I tell them.

That afternoon, we have a face-to-face meeting with the ten teachers who made the complaint. Even initially meeting them, I can see the stress and exhaustion on their faces. Laila, the one who took the initiative to speak to us first, introduces her to her co-workers.

“We are all in the same department, science, and this is the first time that we have been bullied on this level by an administrator” she says.

“Ms. Washington, we are going to have to ask you some hard questions. Now, you guys have definitely done the legwork. We have the videos, the recordings, and the documentation. You’ve already put us miles ahead, but we have to consider what the district lawyers are gonna say about you.”

“We’ll answer any question you have…” she says. The others nod in agreement.

“Now, who is Mrs. Glenn?” I ask the crowd. An attractive woman with locs and definite sense of style raises her hand. I nod her way to acknowledge her presence.

“I am particularly concerned about you. There seems to be some undertone of sexual orientation discrimination, here.” She sighs.

“I don’t know if that’s it. I’m pretty outspoken. He didn’t even start fucking with me until I spoke out against their methods for testing. All of a sudden, I’m a bad teacher.”

“Has he ever said anything to you about your sexuality?” Lily asks cautiously. Mrs. Glenn shakes her head.

“He hasn’t said two words to me aside from his disrespectful behavior when he sees me in the hallway sometimes. All of his bullshit is on paper; luckily, all of my shit is too.” I have to smile. I like her spirit. Her co-workers seem to be fond of her as well.

“We will table the sexual orientation thing for now, then. We will attribute it to retaliation for voicing your opinion” I offer, she nods in satisfaction.

“Now…we received the most documentation from the Physical Science team…who is that?” Two of the young men and one young lady raise their hands.

“So, what started this?” I ask.

“He wasn’t pleased with our initial data, so he pretty much fucked us in the ass…” the young lady, I think her name is Ms. Casey.  

“What was wrong with your data?” Lily inquires. The whole team shrugs.

“Let’s be clear. We are dealing with a fucked up population of children. No one will listen to us when we tell them about their prior deficiencies, yet we get screwed because we can’t ‘deliver’” Mr. Acreman blurts.

“Do you guys have your prior evaluations?” I ask. They all nod, pushing fat folders of documents to the middle of the table.

“And in all of your careers, you have never received an unsatisfactory rating?” I look around the room. They all shake their heads. I eye Lily who purses her lips.

I lean down to the table, gazing at each of their tired faces.

“This is a gross misuse of power, and I can promise you that you will have your day in court. The fact that you all filed grievances and the district did nothing is alarming enough without you having to go to work everyday under a tyrant. No matter the outcome, we will make sure your voices are heard.” They all return my gaze in a state of hopelessness.

“Will we lose our jobs?” Laila asks.

“Not if they don’t want another charge brought against them for retaliation. Trust us, we’ve sued the city before, and we are ready to take on whatever they have in their toolbox. We just need you all to be completely honest about everything, and we’ll do the rest” Lily assures them.

“We’ve got everything on this motherfucker, and no one has listened…until ya’ll…” Mr. Leon, another member of the Physical Science team replies.

“If there’s anything else you can think of…call us. Meanwhile, we will be working with specialists in Georgia Education Law as well as the EEOC” I say. They all nod with understanding.

“This will be a hard battle, and I need you to stay with us. Don’t fold under pressure!” Lily warns.

“Oh, believe me, we’re ready for this. The motherfucker messed with the wrong ass department!” Mr. Acreman declares.

“Well, how are we gonna…pay for this?” Laila asks, timidly.

“Yeah, what are ya’ll charging? I got kids, you know” Mr. Long, another member of the Physical Science department, inquires.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Fortunately for you guys, Mrs. Washington has a very good friend who is footing the bill” I answer. They all turn to stare at Laila who looks surprised herself.

“Girl, what rich person you know?” Mrs. Glenn asks with interest.

“Vivi?” she inquires to me. I shake my head.

“Vivi’s sister, Madeline.”

“That’s crazy! She…she has a family, I couldn’t let her do that!” She argues. I hold up my hand.

“She is more than taken care of, you know what she does, and you know who her husband is. We’ve already received our retainer fee from her which is why we will get to work immediately. Don’t worry, she wanted to do this for you.”

“Not Madeline Marks?” Mr. Acreman regards me curiously. I nod.

“Yes, Madeline Marks, CEO of PharmaCo, has decided to pay for your legal expenses. So, you don’t have to worry about that. All you need to worry about is fighting your best battle.”

“Goddamnit, Madeline…” Laila whispers, shaking her head.

“Well, we owe her…” Mrs. Glenn says.

“Shiit, it’ll take us twenty years and our retirement salary!” Mr. Acreman exclaims. I laugh at the exchange, shaking my head.

“She doesn’t expect repayment, guys. I promise.”

“Well, hell, she can write that shit off on her taxes anyway!” Mr. Long laughs loudly. Finally, I see Laila crack a smile.

“Don’t worry about repaying her, just foot the bill for our celebratory dinner when we win…” I wink at them.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, we can do that” Mr. Long replies.

We bid the more cheerful teachers good-bye and I gaze at Lily who looks sure of herself and this case.

“What do you think, Lily?” I ask. She looks over at me.

“This is gonna be a hell of a case, but I think we might just make history.”

“We just might.” I touch her shoulder briefly before leaving out of the conference room to call Madeline.

“So?” She answers.

“Whoa! Not even a ‘hello’?” I joke.

“Oh, please. What do you think? Do you have a case?”

“Yes, we have a case, a big one. We may run into a few roadblocks, though.”

“Like what?”

“Madeline, I don’t have to tell you how powerful ISD is. They have the backing of major corporations. It’s gonna be a fight.”

“But do you think you’ll win?”

“Without a doubt.” She breathes a sigh of relief.

“That’s what I want to hear. Thank you so much, Nathan.”

“I wouldn’t take on a major school district for anyone but you, baby.” She laughs before we say our good-byes. I hope to God we can win this case.

Chapter 2

After I get off the phone with Nathan, I hear Aidan fussing through the baby monitor.

“Mama, baby brother crying…” My daughter Amelia comments from her place on the floor.

“I hear him Amelia. Stay here” I command as I walk swiftly to my baby’s room.

I pick him up, and his cries turn into coos when I hold him close to me and kiss his head gently just as the doorbell rings.

“I’ve got it, Mrs. Marks” Mrs. Lovett, our housekeeper says as she scurries down the stairs. I hold Aidan close to my chest as I walk downstairs to investigate who’s at the door. Mrs. Lovett brings in Laila, who is accompanied by four people I’ve never seen before. In my mommy t-shirt and shorts state, I’m a little embarrassed to be in the presence of strangers.

“Laila!” I exclaim, “I…uh wasn’t expecting you.” I say, adjusting Aidan’s position on my hip.

“I’m sorry to surprise you, Maddie, but Nathan told us you are footing our bill for this lawsuit, and we just had to come and thank you.” I smile at the gesture and look to Mrs. Lovett as I know we can’t leave the twins alone too long.

“I’ve got the twins” she says, heading towards the stairs.

“Well, let’s go in the dining room.” I lead the way and they all follow me, each sitting down at the table.

“Let me introduce everyone, Maddie. This is Mr. Acreman, Mrs. Glenn, Mr. Long and Ms. Casey.”

“It’s nice to meet you all, and please forgive me. I have three children, so it’s best to dress comfortably at home, you know?”

“I got kids of my own, I ain’t offended one bit” Mr. Long replies with a friendly grin.

“Can I hold him?” Laila asks, looking at Aidan on my shoulder.

“Of course.” I hand him to her willingly before taking my place at the table.

“Mrs. Marks, we wanted to come by and thank you personally for footing the bill” Mrs. Glenn says. The others murmur in agreement.

“We don’t know what we can offer you in return…” Mr. Long starts.

“You don’t need to repay me. When Laila came to me the other day, I knew I had to help out in some way. Short of putting a hit out on your AP, this was the least I could do.” They all break out in laughter.

“I like you!” Mr. Long exclaims.

“This motherfucker has been torturing us all year, I won’t lie” Mrs. Glenn adds. I nod in understanding.

“Laila explained to me that he’s been using your evaluations against you. As a CEO, I know performance evaluations are important and shouldn’t be played with. How has he been able to get away with it this whole year?”

“Our principal is a passive aggressive pussy” Mr. Acreman declares.

“Acreman!” Laila scolds glancing apologetically at me. I chuckle at her response to the offensive remark.

“Laila, I work with executives all day. What he said is tamer than what I hear on a daily basis.” She gives me a small smile as she rocks Aidan in her arms while the rest of them laugh at my remark.

“Mrs. Marks…” Mrs. Glenn starts.

“Oh, Madeline, please” I interrupt.

“Well, then…Madeline, what do you need to know about us to be secure in your investment in this?”

“I know what Laila has told me from her personal experience, and that was enough. However, if you want to share with me, I definitely would like to know how this has affected you all.”

“Look, we all have bills to pay. We ain’t trying to be vigilantes or any of that shit, all we wanted was for our evaluations to be corrected from that vindictive motherfucker’s pettiness” Mrs. Glenn responds.

“He won’t say shit to us, he just puts random stuff in our evaluations every time he gets mad” Ms. Casey says.

“What is he mad about?”

“His incompetency” Mr. Acreman remarks.

“So…none of the evaluations are valid?” I ask.

“None of them. He spent time writing us up for petty shit” Ms. Casey adds.

“He’s an abrasive asshole” Mr. Long finishes.

“Sounds like it” I reply.

“This is the killer thing, right? This year, our kids scored higher than they have in years on their tests. If we were really the shitty teachers he says we were, why did that happen?” Mr. Acreman tells me.

“So, let me get this straight: you produced the results they wanted, yet he still gave you unsatisfactory evaluations?” I ask. They all nod, and I sigh, not knowing what to think of the situation. I had shitty bosses before, but they couldn’t deny my talent even if they tried. How was this guy able to totally destroy these teachers’ evaluations?

“Look, I’m glad I can help with this. I mean, I don’t have any children in school yet, but I damn sure wouldn’t want them to be a part of an environment that hostile. Teachers should be treated with reverence and respect. This shouldn’t be happening. What has this done for your motivation? Your drive to teach?”

“Hmph, makes me never want to touch a fucking classroom again” Ms. Glenn comments.

“Motherfuckers get mad when you advocate for yourself. That’s the real reason he’s doing this” Mr. Long adds.

Suddenly, we hear the garage door open and I look towards the kitchen, knowing that Vince is home.

“My husband…” I regard their confused faces.

“We won’t take anymore of your time, we just wanted to thank you for your help” Laila says.

“If you need help with anything else…please don’t hesitate to contact me. Laila has my info” I tell them as they get up from the table all murmuring their thank-yous. Laila hands Aidan to me who looks disappointed at the sudden switch. As they file out of the dining room, I grab Laila with my free hand.

“I mean it, if you need anything else…” I start.

“I know, Maddie. Thank you.” She smiles at me, grabbing my hand briefly before she follows the others out of the door.

Just as I kick the door closed, Vince walks into the living room and my baby’s eyes light up at the sight of his father.

“Who are you entertaining this early?” Vince asks as he holds his hands out to Aidan who reaches for him. I hand him the giggling bundle and smile.

“Oh, I’m helping some teachers out.”

“Yeah? What, did you give them a donation or something?”

“You could say that…” I avoid his eyes and head into the kitchen to pour us some wine.

“Maddie…” He follows me into the kitchen.

“What?” I cork the wine bottle and pour two big glasses before turning to face him and my son.

“What did you do?” He asks.

“Okay, look, they’re suing the school district they’re working in and I…volunteered to pay for their legal fees.”

“You what?!” He looks perplexed.

“Laila is a friend of Vivi’s, I felt compelled to help.”

“Compelled? How much is that gonna cost us?” I swipe my glass of wine off the table, taking a hasty sip.

“It won’t cost us anything! It’s coming out of my money.” He shakes his head.

“Are you sharing or are you drinking both glasses, big spender?” He cracks a smile as I shove a glass of wine in his hand. Aidan who is intrigued by the deep, red liquid, reaches for the glass.

“Oh no, little man. You have to be 21.” Vince chuckles, placing the baby in his high chair which promptly makes him whine.

“You’re fine” I tell him, popping a pacifier in his mouth. He gazes at me in contempt for quieting him. Mrs. Lovett appears in the kitchen, together with the twins.

“I better get dinner started…” she comments, thoughtfully.

“Do you need help?” I ask.

“Oh, no thank-you. The chicken is already marinating.” She busies herself in the kitchen as I take the twins to the living room to play. Vince brings Aidan, sitting him on the floor with them. Taking his place on the couch, he gazes at me silently.

“I had to help” I regard his expression.

“I know you did. That’s what you do. Hell, it’s your money. You said so yourself.” He smiles.

“You know what I meant.”

“So, why are they suing?”

“They have an administrator from hell, and the district has done nothing about their grievances.”

“Harassment?” I nod. He shakes his head.

“HR should be whipped for that. It’s a huge risk to ignore claims like that.” I shrug.

“Maybe this needs to happen, so that other school districts won’t make the same mistake” I say. Vince shrugs.

“I’m not familiar with these antics. When my mother was a principal, she always supported the teachers. She said they were the brains and backbone of the school.”

“Your mother was probably a professional, unlike this guy…”

“Who did you hire to help them?” He inquires.

“Who else? Nathan.” Vince nods in approval.

“He’ll fight it to the death. That I know.”

“Of course.”

Later that night, after Vince and I are completely exhausted by our usual bedtime routine in which the twins refused to go to bed and Aidan cried until he tired himself out. We finally have time to ourselves for our nightly bath. I sink into his chiseled arms, gladly receiving the warm water.

“How was your day?” He asks.

“It’s almost time for quarterlies, which means we need to pay Mrs. Lovett overtime next week.” Vince sighs at my reminder .

“Yeah, I know. Late work nights ahead.”

“I feel guilty.”

“Why?” He inquires.

“You know being away from them all day. I haven’t done quarterlies since Aidan was born.”

“He’ll be fine. They’ll be fine, and we can take a nice family vacation afterwards.” I lean against him.

“When can I retire?” I move closer to him.

“You’re asking me?” He chuckles.

“It’s a rhetorical question…” I look back at him with a loving smile.

“I mean, we could both retire…and fool around all day while the kids are at daycare…” He savagely kisses my neck.

“You maniac.”

“You love it.”

“Mmm…that I do…” I turn around, giving him a deep, sensual kiss.

“Come here, girl…” He grabs me, turning me to face him.

The next morning, as I work through several mounds of paperwork, Lacy buzzes through my intercom.

“Nathan is on the phone for you, Madeline.”

“Put him through for me.”

“Hey, Maddie!” Nathan’s voice is surprisingly cheery.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“So…I need a favor from you.”

“Anything, what do you need?”

“So…Dimitri and I have decided that we’re gonna put ourselves on a couple of adoption lists. Do you mind doing a recommendation letter for us?” My heart flutters in my chest at the idea. Who would have known that my best friend would be ready to adopt a kid? Especially when he was so against it only a few years ago.

“Of course I will. When do you need it?”

“As soon as you can, Baby.”

“I’ll draft it today. Quarterlies are coming up and I will be unreachable until after.”

“Those damn quarterlies. They work you to the bone, Baby.”

“They pay me well” I reply.

“Well, aside from the adoption, keep an eye on the news. We submitted all of our briefs to the courts this morning. Your friend, Laila is a doll.”

“I know, she’s always been the mother. She and Vivi are the same age, but she’s the one who takes care of everyone else. I’m glad I could get the case going for her and her co-workers.”

“I’ll do my best to take care of them.”

“I know you will. Keep me posted.”

“I will, I love you! Just let me know when you’re done with the recommendation, and I’ll come pick it up.”

“Why don’t you and Dimitri come over for dinner tomorrow night?” I offer.

“That sounds good. Count us in.”  

 “I’ll see you both then.” I hang up and notice one of my lines is blinking.

“Lacy? Who’s on the other line?” I ask.

“Your sister…” she answers. I take a deep breath not knowing if I’ll get a thank-you or cussed out.

“Hello?” I say with trepidation.

“Maddie….I don’t even know what to say.”

“What, Vivi?”

“I can’t believe you’re helping Laila. You didn’t have to” she chokes back a sob.

“Yes, I did, and I was more than happy to do it.”

“Do you have the money? I mean, can I help you out or something?” I scoff.

“Vivi…you know better than that. What’s the point of having money if I can’t help someone? I’m fine, the kids are fine, and Vince is fine. I was happy to help.”

“It’s so much money!” She argues.

“It is, but I promise it’s okay. Just focus on supporting Laila. From what I hear, she may face retaliation. She’s gonna need your help if that happens.”

“I’ll be with her until the end. It just seems like it’s all happening so fast!”

“When she came to me, I immediately called Nathan, paid him and he got to work. You know he plays no games.”

“I know. I just…thank you, Maddie. What would we do without you?”

“Oh, ya’ll would be alright.” She laughs through her tears.

“I love you, Baby Sister.”

“And I love you too, you big emotional ball of nerves.”

“I’m coming to see you soon.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Talk to you soon.”

“Bye, Vivi.” I hang up a little touched by what she said. I didn’t think throwing a little money at a cause was such a big deal, but it was obviously one to many people. The thought humbled me in many ways.

Chapter 3

“Tonight, on Channel 3 Action News: What is the true cost of ignoring harassment and bullying claims against administrators? The ISD is in trouble over the lack of attention paid to an administrator who allegedly falsified documents in teacher evaluations. Five teachers have filed a lawsuit claiming that the school district ignored numerous grievances against this administrator. More on this story after the break” the attractive anchorman fades off the screen before a commercial comes on.

“Well, the wheels are in motion…” Dimitri comments. I nod.

“Quicker than I thought. Apparently, the judge is familiar with ISD and their misgivings.” He grabs my hand.

“You ready for the backlash?”

“I live for it!” He laughs.

“But…are you? I mean I know you work with the school system and all…”

“Hell yeah, I’m ready! I want everyone to know my husband don’t take shit from a fucked up school district.” I shake my head at him.

“You’re not worried your job will be affected?”

“No, I don’t work for them anyway, but I’m ready for whatever they want to dish out.”

“Oh, by the way, Maddie invited us for dinner tomorrow night…” I tell him, changing the subject. He chuckles lightly.

“What wine should I bring?”

“She didn’t say. Let’s surprise her. A good Pinot Noir, she loves her reds.”

“That she does. I’ll go to the International Store tomorrow morning and pick out something she’ll like.”

“Four bottles” I suggest.

“Four bottles?! Damn, are we gonna need a designated driver?”

“Maybe. It’s Friday night, you and Vince will retreat into a cloud of weed smoke while me and Maddie drink our asses off.”

“He does have some good weed.”

“The man is insanely rich. He can afford the best.”

“What about the kids?”

“They’ll be in bed by eight.”

“How parental. Getting high and drunk while your kids are asleep.”

“Aww, come on now, Dimitri. Parents need to have fun too.”

“I know, I’m only kidding. Maddie and Vince are great parents. They just both have their vices, and hell, as long as the kids are good, I’m good with it.”

“Do you think we’ll change? If we get to adopt?” I look over at him.

“You already told me I had to quit smoking.”

“Well, yeah, but we don’t have to be boring parents who do nothing but post our kids on social media all day.”

“When will we ever be boring? I mean, come on. We have a great life. Kids will just enhance it.”

“Kids? With an ‘s’?” I give him a shocked look.

“We might want more…” he explains.

“Slow your role daddy-o. It might take months, a few years even to get the first one.”

“Well, we’ll put ourselves on some more lists, how about that? Maybe we’ll have some options.” I shrug.

“Whatever you want, Dimitri.”

“It’s not just about me, Nathan. What do you want?” It had taken me awhile to realize that I didn’t have to be such a man pleaser. Maybe my history of abusive boyfriends had planted that seed.

“Honestly, whatever we’re blessed with is what I’ll be happy with. If that’s more than one kid, I’ll be happy.”

“Truly happy?”

“Truly happy.”

The next afternoon, Lilly comes into my office, laying a sheet of paper on the desk.

“We’ve been summoned.”

“That was quick!”

“Monday morning at nine. I’ll start calling the teachers.”

“Must have been the news reports.”

“I think so too. The district probably wants this to be over as quickly as it started.”

“Let me call Ms. Washington. I think I owe her a personal call.”

“Sure. I’ll call the others.” I nod and wave her off, picking up the phone.

A voice with a hint of sadness answers.

“Laila? You okay, Doll?” I ask, concerned that she’s been retaliated against.

“No. I’m not.” She lets out a shaky breath.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“They still haven’t put him on administrative leave, and he continues to have access to our Performance Evaluation System. He’s beaten us down the past few weeks.”

“Do you have documentation? I am going to write up a Cease and Desist letter. This is going to stop right now.”

“Yeah…look, Nathan, I’ve been teaching for almost fifteen years. I have never had an unsatisfactory evaluation until this guy came along. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m home sick now, my doctor put me on bed rest.”

“Oh my God, Laila, why didn’t you call me? Listen, we’ve been summoned for Monday. I will present the judge with this new evidence. We can at least make it so that he keeps his hands off your Performance Evaluation.” She lets out a shaky breath.

“That’s not all he’s done…” she admits.

“Spill it, I need to know all of it.”

“Mrs. Glenn was suspended.”

“She was what?!”

“A student attacked her, and she defended herself. I saw the whole thing! And he wouldn’t even take the other twenty-five students’ statements over that one student.” I slam my hand on the desk in frustration.

“What else, Laila? What else is this asshole doing?”

“Writing us up continuously. Took all of our leadership positions away, took all of our clubs away from us. Nathan, he’s killing us!”

“Okay, okay. I’ll handle it. Just please, take care of yourselves. You cannot fall apart. This is your fight, and you have to fight it every step of the way.” She sniffles.

“I know, it’s just really hard!”

“I promise you that this is the end of him doing this. Now.”

“I trust you. We all trust you.”

“That’s all I need. I’ll see you at 9 on Monday.”

“I’ll be there…” she whispers before hanging up. I immediately call Lily into my office who has just as much as a defeated look as me.

“After all this…the publicity, the lawsuit, he’s still allowed to torture them. I just don’t get it!” She exclaims, obviously shocked from hearing the same commentary I just did.

“Call the judge and ask for an emergency chambers meeting with us and their lawyers…today. Whenever he can squeeze us in.”

“I’m on it now.”  

Two hours later, we sit before Judge Williams in his chambers. The lawyers at ISD are brimming with both annoyance and a hint of anger.

“Okay, I summoned you for Monday, why are you sitting in my chambers today…during my lunch I might add?”

“Judge Williams, it is completely unacceptable that the administrator in question is allowed to continue to bully these teachers when there is a lawsuit pending. I am calling for a cease and desist.”

“And what does that entail, Mr. Paul?” I hand him the recent documentation emailed to me by Laila and her co-workers.

“I am requesting that he be locked out of the electronic Performance Evaluation immediately and that he be moved to another hallway or on administrative leave.”

“Your Honor, that is ridiculous! I mean, what is going on that they are worried about?” One of the ISD lawyers looks over at me.

“Are you kidding me right now? One of the teachers is suspended for defending herself even when twenty-five other kids vouched for her. Your Honor, one of the teachers is on bed rest because this toxic environment! Look at all of these ridiculous write-ups!” I face the opposing lawyers.

“Do you really want to pay for the death of a teacher because you failed to reign in this tormentor that you call an administrator?” Their expressions change immediately at the mention of the word “death”.

“Has your human resources considered this?” The judge asks the lawyers.

“We…were hoping to resolve this, Monday.” Another opposing lawyer says, guiltily. The judge quickly glances at the paperwork in awe of the mass of write-ups, vile commentary and falsified evaluations.

“Mr. Taylor, I am appalled that you did not advise HR to remove this man from the school environment once the lawsuit was filed. This is a disgusting misuse of power, and, given the language it’s written in, there is obvious evidence of retaliation. I am granting Mr. Paul’s request to cease and desist, effective immediately. Have your HR do what they have to do to lock this man out of the electronic evaluation system. You also need keep him away from the plaintiffs. If this is not done by Monday at 8 AM, I’m holding you and your HR department in contempt of court.” The ISD lawyers look defeated.

“Yes, your honor…we will notify HR immediately.”

“Good, I will see you all at 9AM on Monday.”

“Actually, your Honor, we would like to make a request of our own.” Lily and I exchange glances. For some reason, I’m not surprised and already know what they are about to request.

“We would like to request that press not be allowed in the courtroom. The reputation of ISD is at stake, and we do not need these allegations bruising the integrity of the district.” Allegations? With all of this documentation? They have to be kidding me!

“Very well, but I cannot stop them from reporting outside of the courthouse.”

“That’s not a problem.”

“Thank you, your Honor…” we all say in unison.

 Lily and I drive back to the office in tense silence.

“This is gonna be a hell of a fight…” she says, quietly.

“We can handle it. We have the evidence. There’s no way they can win when there was an obvious lack of action on HR’s part.” She sighs.

“I feel so bad for those teachers. They’re hanging by a thread right now. We’ve gotta get this case finished before they all have to go on medical leave.”

“Or worse…” I comment, genuinely worried about Laila.

Lily drops me off at my car in the parking deck. I was ready to go home, and I’m sure she was too. The disgusting denial of obviously tyrannical behavior made us both lose faith in the education system.  

“I’ll see you at 8 Monday morning?” She asks.

“8 sharp. Get some rest this weekend.”

“I’m gonna work on making sure we have everything together.”

“Don’t work too hard. I need you at your best.”

“Don’t worry.” I wave good-bye as she speeds out of the parking deck, probably heading to the nearest bar.

Later that evening, Dimitri and I join Madeline, Vince and the children for dinner.

As we look at the awesome spread of grilled steak, grilled veggies and red potatoes, I’m in awe that they were able to get so much done in so little time.

“How in the hell did you have time to cook so much?” I ask, laughing.

“Takes no time to fire up the grill…” Vince shrugs, passing me a plate of steak.

“So, did you guys see the news?” I ask the couple as I take a chunk of the meat off the tray and passing it to Dimitri.

“We did. I wasn’t expecting it to move so quickly” Madeline answers before taking a sip of her wine.

“Judge Williams takes these types of things seriously…speaking of which…have you talked to Laila?” I ask her.

“Not since she and co-workers came by the house, why?” Her curiosity is piqued.

“You know her doctor has put her on bed rest…” I respond, quietly. Madeline drops her fork.

“For what?”

“High blood pressure, I believe. They allowed the administrator to stay and torture them. I had to file a cease and desist letter just to get him off their asses.”

“Oh my God! I have to call her!”

“This isn’t the first time stuff like this has happened” Dimitri comments.

“So, this is like a thing now? Hiring assholes as administrators to torture teachers?” Vince inquires. Dimitri nods.

“Sadly so. A lot of teachers end up leaving or retiring early just to get away from the abuse…among other things.”

“That’s crazy. My mom was a principal for thirty years, and she never did that…”

“Probably because your mom was happy at home and had a fulfilling life. I find that many of these administrators put the frustrations of their personal lives into their jobs, and it includes taking it out on teachers and students.”

“Tsk. What happened to leaving home at home and work at work?” Madeline sighs.

“It got old…” Dimitri laughs. Aidan, seemingly enamored by the humorous man seated next to his highchair, reaches for him with a smile.

“Aww, he thought your joke was funny…” I tease.

“Can I hold him?” He asks the couple.

“Of course. You…might want to wipe his face first” Maddie laughs, handing him a napkin across the table.

After dinner, Dimitri and I help Maddie and Vince put the children to bed. I secretly eye Dimitri as he tenderly tucks Andrew in his bed. We had taken care of the twins before, but I guess since we were thinking about adopting, it was even more evident that Dimitri would be a great father. I just hope the same applies to me.

As Dimitri and Vince go to retreat into a cloud of smoke, I sit next to Maddie on the couch as she hands me a glass of wine and an envelope.

“Told you I would get it done.” She smiles.

“You really are superwoman…” I sit the envelope on the end table before taking a sip of my wine.

“Well, ask me again next week and I’ll be tired woman…” she says, gazing at me thoughtfully.

“Go ahead, ask me…” I tell her, knowing what she’s curious about.

“So, kids?”

“Do you think we’re crazy?” I ask.

“You’re asking someone who has three children when I wasn’t even sure I wanted one?” We both laugh.

“Well, yeah, seriously. Do you think we could do it?”

“I have no doubt. Do you?”

“I know Dimitri would be a great dad. I’m not so sure about myself.”

“Oh, Nathan. None of us know what we’re doing. Practice makes perfect.”

“Is this a ploy to get us to baby-sit more?” I laugh.

“I mean…it would be nice.” She shoves me playfully but grabs my arm in seriousness.

“I think you’ll be good at it, Nathan, seriously. It’s tough at first, but you’ll adapt just like you adapt to everything else.” I shrug at her comment but know she’s right. Hell, I never even thought I would be able to sustain a marriage, yet here I am.

“If you say so, Maddie.”

“I know so. Look at how good you are with our kids. You’ll certainly go above and beyond for your own.”

“You always believe in me…” I murmur.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She gives me a warm smile that makes me reminisce about our younger days and her eternal optimism.

“Jeez, did you ever think this would be us? Married, you with three kids, me…thinking about kids? Wild, huh?” She laughs.

“You know, I don’t think I know what I imagined life to be at this point. I’d get so discouraged with dating and boyfriends that I thought my peak would be getting a good promotion at the office and living happily ever after alone.”

“Did you really think that?” I look at her incredulously.

“Of course I did! I mean, all of our friends were getting married and my dating life sucked. I almost accepted that I would be alone.”

“Oh, Maddie.” I pull her close to me.

“You were never going to be alone.” I kiss her cheek as she lays her head on my shoulder.

“I know I’d always have you, but I always figured eventually, you would go away too. Find someone you loved and abandon me like all the rest.” She chuckles.

“I wouldn’t.”

“Well, that was my broken way of thinking. I know better now.”

“Because of Vince?” I ask.

“Not necessarily. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s an amazing addition to my life, but I’m glad he gave me room to grow, speak positivity into myself. That’s the only way I would truly be happy.”

“I can dig that.” We toast our glasses before refilling many more times that night.

Dimitri and I sit on the porch of our house while he smokes a cigarette and I drink one last drink.

“Hey…” I look over at him with a grin.

“Yes?” He asks.

“I’m ready.” I take his hand in mine.

“You sure?”

“More than sure.” One would have thought I had given him a check for a million dollars.

“We’re gonna have a great life…” He whispers.

“As long as we’re in it together.”

“Oh, I can pretty much guarantee that.”

Chapter 4

As Vince and I crawl into bed at a terribly indecent hour, he wraps his arms around me, tenderly.

“You know…” he croons into my ear.

“Yeah?” I ask, softly.

“I never told you how wonderful of a woman you were for doing this for your friend. She’s lucky to have someone like you in her life.”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything. Just tossed some money her way.”

“But you did more than that. You made it possible for them to fight this and for it to go public so that the rest of the city could see how these assholes are. You’ve always had a good heart, Baby.”

“Oh, you flatter me…” He turns me to face him.

“It’s more than flattery. I’m so amazed at the woman you’ve become. I mean…I always knew how incredible you were, I was just waiting for you to be in on it.” I smile at my husband.

“That is some powerful stuff you’ve been smoking” I laugh.

“You know this is more than the weed talking.”

“I know.” He pulls me closer to him.

“I never thought life could get much better than this…” he sighs deeply, and I give him a soft kiss.

“Me neither” I reply. Of course, things weren’t perfect, but they were perfect for us. Happily ever after stories usually never detail the “after”: the kids, navigating a marriage between two extremely busy people, but it worked, and I was happy. I’m glad to know that he is too.

The next morning, my phone vibrates loudly on the nightstand. I try to untangle myself from Vince’s arms to look at the caller ID and realize that it’s Mrs. Lovett.

“Mrs. Lovett?” I answer.

“Good morning to you, Dear. Why don’t you two get some rest today? I’ve got the children for the morning” She says in her thick British accent.  

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“I’m certain, Dear.”

“We won’t sleep too late. Thank-you, Mrs. Lovett.”

“Anytime.” I toss my phone back on the nightstand and face Vince.

“Who was that?” He inquires.

“Mrs. Lovett. She’s giving us some extra time to be in bed today.”

“Oh, really?” He croons.

“Yeah…” I smile as he pulls me on top of him which causes me to squeal in delight.

“I guess that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to sleep…” he brings me to him for a sensual kiss.

Later that afternoon, I convince my husband to be on daddy duty so that I can pay Laila a visit. I didn’t like how she sounded when I called, so I had to go check on her personally.

Her oldest son, Carlos comes to the door when I ring the doorbell, and he smiles brightly when he sees me.

“Hey, Ms. Maddie!” He greets me.

“Hey there, Carlos! Is your mom around?” I ask as I step into the house.

“Yeah, she’s camping in front of the TV.”

“How is she?” I gaze into his sad brown eyes.

“She’s okay. Just messed up about this job. I’m kinda glad the semester is over for me, so that I could help her around the house a little.”

“She’ll be fine. This is just a rough patch.”

“I know. She’s really trying to get herself together for Monday. She’s ready to fight this case.” I nod and touch his shoulder briefly.

“Do me a favor and bring your mom and I some wine glasses, okay?” I request. He nods, going to the cabinets while I venture into the living room. Laila is on the couch, surrounded by blankets and watching some sitcom on the TV. Her eyes light up when she sees me.

“Maddie!” She starts to get up.

“Oh, no, stay on the couch. I brought you something…” I pull a bottle of her favorite Chardonnay out of my purse.

“Just what I needed!” She exclaims as Carlos brings two glasses and a corkscrew into the living room.

“Mom, that’s the first time you’ve smiled in a while.” He sets the glasses on the table and expertly corks the wine bottle.

“Here you go…” He hands me the bottle and I pour two healthy glasses before handing Laila one.

“My favorite…thank you, Maddie.” She smiles at me as I sit beside her.

“I’ll leave you two to…do whatever it is ladies do when they drink wine” Carlos says as he steps towards the kitchen.

“How are you holding up?”

“As well as can be expected, I guess. My blood pressure is finally back to normal and we have court on Monday.” She takes a long sip from her glass.

“Are you ready?” I ask.

“I’m more than ready to bring that bastard down.”

“I know you are. Nathan is the best.” She sighs with a laugh.

“He is. It’s amazing how quickly he was able to do that Cease and Desist.”  

“I wouldn’t drop that much money for anyone else” I joke.

“Oh, Maddie…you have done a wonderful favor for us. You don’t know how much it means to have a friend…who knows when you’re sinking and need a lifeline.” I take her hand.

“I’m always here. You know that. Vivi practically demanded that I watch out for you.” She chuckles.

“Well, Vivi was always bossy.”

“Was? She still is!” We both giggle.

“Do you remember the summer that we took you and Crissy with us to Tybee Island?” I shake my head at the memory.

“And you two paid some guy to buy us some wine coolers?” She smiles brightly.

“Chrissy could not hold her liquor…”

“Not at all!” I respond remembering how we had to literally carry my childhood bestie to our hotel room after drinking all day on the beach.

“Oh, those were the days…” she sighs.

“Yeah, but the present isn’t so bad.” She shrugs.

“It’s been a long school year. I was almost thankful that the doctor immediately called the school and told my principal that I wouldn’t be coming back until my blood pressure was under control. I think I slept for three days straight.”

“That’s not good, Laila. Have you considered, you know, moving schools?”

“I want to keep believing things will change. You know, I’m always an advocate for my kids. This year especially, it’s bitten me in the ass. I only want what’s best for them, and no one in power understands.”

“But they haven’t. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to make a decision, even if you do win this lawsuit. Look, I’m not…I don’t know anything about education, but I do know Corporate America. When you’ve spent years hoping things will change and they won’t, you do the changing.”

“It’s not that easy, Maddie. Honey, you run a major corporation. I’m just a teacher.”

“You are not just anything. You’re an extremely talented woman, who has done what they said was impossible and you have a son back there who would be devastated if something happened to you.” Suddenly, I have an idea.

“I’m always looking for corporate trainers…” I start.

“Maddie, that’s very sweet of you, but I think that my place is with the kids. I agree with you that maybe it is time to switch schools…school districts even. I know that there are leaders out there who are genuinely concerned for the kids. I just don’t know where or who they are.” She pours more wine in her glass.

“You should have gotten a bigger bottle.” She looks at the almost empty wine bottle.

“Well, you know I’m driving.”

“Oh, you could have taken a nap…” Laila argues.

“In theory, that sounds good, but…I’ve got three babies at home and Vince.” I grin at her.

“I know, can’t be too long without Mommy.”

“Are you nervous about Monday?” I ask. She sighs.

“A part of me wonders if it’s even worth the fight. What gave me hope was that Nathan was able to get our AP out of the building.”

“The fact that it took a lawyer to get your AP out of the building is a problem in itself. This could have been resolved in the HR department.”

“Oh Maddie, I work in an environment of back scratchers. All of the ones who have no business being there have everyone on their side. I’ve never felt so helpless as a teacher in my life.” I set my glass on the coffee table and take her hands in mine.

“If my past situation hasn’t taught me anything else, it has taught me that even in the face of darkness, you have to move towards the light. No person should ever be able to take away your joy. You go in that courtroom and tell your story. I dare the judge to say anything except shame on the school district for allowing their teachers to be abused by their so-called leaders.” She takes a deep breath.

“I’m scared…” she whispers.

“Don’t be scared. There are more people behind you than you know.” I hug her tightly and she cries. I can offer nothing more than my ear and my shoulder.

When I return home, I see Vince sitting on the couch with a glass of scotch.

“Were they so bad that Daddy needed a drink?” I ask with a playful tint in my voice.

“Very funny. I can handle the kids, ya smart ass.”

“Where are they?” I ask.

“All napping.”  I look at my watch.

“We need to get them up. They’ll never sleep tonight if we don’t.”

“Oh, Mrs. Lovett has them. You, on the other hand, need to get ready.”

“For what?”

“We’re going out. Mommy and Daddy need a break.”

“Didn’t she just give us a break this morning?”

“Oh, stop. Just go get dressed.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.”

Jack, our security detail, drives us to the wine bar near the park, and we settle at the table before a waitress immediately appears with a rehearsed spiel of the specials for the night. Vince orders two bottles of Pinot Noir and a fruit and cheese plate.

“Okay, you’ve taken me out and ordered two bottles of my favorite wine. What is going on with you?”

“Well…I wanted to talk to you.” I knew he had something up his sleeve.

“About?”

“About starting a non-profit.”

“A non-profit? For what?”

“Maybe we could put together a network of people who could help teachers in distress. Give them a place that would advocate for them.”

“Well, they have unions…”

“Come on, you’re a southern girl. You know unions are no good here. We wouldn’t be a union per se, but we could provide a network of doctors, lawyers, counselors and advocates. They need more people on their side, hell, we have the money. Why not?”

“Neither of us know anything about education, how would we even get started?”

“Dimitri.”

“Dimitri?”

“And Laila and her co-workers. They could give us a vision and we could fund it. What do you think?”

“Is this some idea you and Dimitri came up with while you were smoking?” I cross my arms.

“Well, he mentioned it, and I decided to bring it to fruition. What do you think, Baby?” My thoughts go back to my conversation with Laila and how helpless she felt in her situation. Maybe the teachers in our state did need our help.

“I think it’s a great idea, but we need to plan.”

“Of course. I just needed you to be on board.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure how you felt about it.”

“Honestly after my conversation with Laila, I agree that something needs to happen. Our children are in their hands. They should be treated with more respect than they are right now. Especially here in our own city.” He nods.

“We have a deal, then?”

“We have a deal.” He kisses my hand with a smile.

After we’ve had a share of wine and food, Jack drives us back to the house. In our tipsy state, we are very unsuccessful at being quiet.

Mrs. Lovett greets us with a smile as she sees us stumbling in.

“Coffee?” She offers.

“Oh, no, I’m fine…” I answer as Vince shakes his head.

“How were the kids?” I ask.

“Oh, they were wonderful. All sleeping now” she replies.

“Well, I guess we better get to bed too!” Vince grabs me, picking me up.

“Vince! Not in front of Mrs. Lovett!” I scold.

“She’s seen it all before…” He says, carrying me up the stairs as I wave apologetically behind his back to a giggling Mrs. Lovett.

After a few rambunctious rounds, we both lay exhausted and happy on the bed. He pulls me close against his damp, hot skin.

“What are you thinking?” He asks.

“We’re all moving forward…” I murmur.

“What do you mean?”

“Look at us: you and I have three kids; did you ever imagine?”

“Not really, but it’s a pretty nice addition to our lives, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, the kids are alright…” I joke. He chuckles.

“You thinking about Dimitri and Nathan?”

“Yeah, I mean I never thought things would change so quickly...for us and all of our friends.”

“That’s what happens in life. We just have to make the most of it.”  

“Aren’t we?” I look back at him.

“We definitely are. Our friends are. Life is too short not to.”

“You’re right” I reply.

“Well..” He leans in for a kiss, “let’s make the most of it.”

“We will.” I return his kiss before settling into his arms. As we sleep, I think about how life might be for us in the future: running our businesses, raising our children, and living life. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but I was happy with my the way everything had turned out and hoped my friends felt the same way.

Chapter 5—1 Month Later

I answer my phone immediately, hoping that it means the judge has made his decision. We had tried to negotiate, but the lawyers from the ISD refused to budge, claiming that their human resources department did everything they could to ring in the abusive administrator.

“Mr. Paul, the judge would like you and the plaintiffs to come in at 10 AM this morning” the clerk says.

“We’ll be there…” I say before hanging up and picking up the phone again to call Lily.

“10 AM” I tell her. She sighs with anxiety.

“I’ll call the teachers.”

“Thanks, let’s do this.”

This case had progressed rather quickly, mostly due to the teachers’ willingness to provide every piece of documentation they had. I was amazed at the videos, voice recordings and documentation of all incidents involving their administrators. I was even more enamored with their bravery. Had they been in someone else’s hands, they might have suffered devastating consequences for going against The Machine. I hope and pray the judge sees their side of things and rewards them what they deserve.  

At 10 AM, all of us our teeming with nervousness as the court is called to order.

Judge Williams takes his place on the bench, he gazes at both sides.

“I have looked over all the evidence, and frankly, I am disgusted,” he looks over at the lawyers from the ISD, “you condoned the bullying of teachers who have nothing but glowing professional evaluations by refusing to issue any disciplinary action on the part of this administrator. This is a revolting misuse of power in the workplace, and you have failed to prove that you made decisions in the best interest of these teachers.” He gazes at us.

“I want to apologize for the health issues, emotional distress and unprofessional behavior you had to encounter during the past school year. I am awarding each of you two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars to cover your medical bills, days off from work, and lawyer fees. It is a travesty that we demean one of the most honorable professions by ignoring cries for help. Additionally, I am calling for the resignation of the administrator in question as he clearly needs to learn what leadership should be. This is the decision of the court.” He bangs his gavel and Laila gasps, covering her mouth to muffle her sobs. I take her hand in mine as the bailiff calls for us to rise as the judge takes his exit. Laila squeezes me in a big hug.

“Oh, Nathan! Thank you! Thank you!” She cries into my shoulder.

“It was you guys. You had the evidence, the documentation. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I have to call Maddie…” she sniffles, giving my hand one last squeeze.

“Hey, Man, thank you.” Mr. Long shakes my hand. After I get hugs and handshakes from the others, I plop down in the chair, exhausted.

“What a case!” Lily exclaims, sitting beside me.

“The quickest decision ever.”

“If teaching doesn’t work out for them, they should consider law. I have never seen such pristine documentation in my life!”

“Right?!”

“Well, Nathan, great job. Back to the grind Monday!” She gets up, grabbing her briefcase and I follow behind her as we exit the courtroom.

When I get home, I see that the house is dimly lit and hear music playing.

“Dimitri?”

“In the kitchen!” He calls.

I venture into the kitchen where Dimitri is sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of wine.

“Hey, you. Why the atmosphere?”

“I have some news.” He gestures for me to sit down as he pushes a manila envelope towards me.

I open it, and there are pictures of a precious baby along with legal documents indicating that we have been selected in the adoption process.

“See, I told you it wouldn’t be a waste of time to go through with the private agency.” He smiles brightly. I look at the picture again. The baby girl is absolutely gorgeous with jet black hair and green eyes. I suddenly start to choke up.

“I can’t believe it…this happened so fast!” I sniffle. Dimitri gets up, hugging me tightly.

“That’s our baby. Her name is Allison, isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is” I sob.

“We’ll get her in six weeks.”

“Six weeks?! Will we be ready by then?” I ask.

“I don’t think we’ll have anything to worry about.”

“Can I call Maddie?”

“You can tell whoever you want.” He grabs my hand.

“Can I have some wine? Champagne? Something?!” I laugh through my tears. Dimitri, grinning at my obvious happiness, gets up and pours me a glass of wine. We toast to this new adventure we will embark on and while I am crazy with glee, a little part of me is nervous about what the future holds.

On Sunday, Maddie and Megan take me out for a celebratory brunch. I was glad to go out with my two best friends, so that I could check the anxiety I had about Allison.

After the coo over the picture of the baby, they both gaze at me in question.

“Yeah, I’m nervous as hell” I reply to their expressions.

“I’d be more worried if you weren’t” Maddie says.  

“Everything will be fine, though. I mean, I don’t know about the prospect of parenting, but I deal with hundreds of nervous pregnant women every year” Megan offers.

 “Well, thank goodness I don’t have to go through that!” I laugh.

“Right.” Madeline smiles at me.

“I’m sorry Maddie, but I was there for the birth of the twins and let me just say…you’re superwoman.”

“Hardly” she scoffs.

“Well, you know you guys won’t be alone. You can always ask us for help” Megan says.

“I know. You guys are great. I just wonder if I’ll actually be good at this.”

“We all wonder, and then when the kids get here, we’re still terrified. What you have to know is that we’re all trying to do our best and raise children who will contribute something to this world” Maddie says.

“True” Megan agrees.

“Thank God for you two…” I take each of their hands in mine.

“We’ll be here for you, don’t worry!” Maddie squeezes my hand.

Six weeks later, we arrive at the agency to meet our daughter. My nerves are tattered, and I have an inkling that Dimitri’s are as well. I grab his hand, and we walk inside where a friendly, heavyset woman greets us.

“Well, hello there! You must be Nathan and Dimitri! I am Mrs. Johansen” she says in an exaggerated southern accent. We both nod nervously at her assumption.

“Come on in…” She leads us into a room with a few couches and elementary school decorations. She gestures for us to sit down before she disappears.

“Are you ready for this?” Dimitri glances over at me. I take his hand in mine.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I grin at him as Mrs. Johansen reappears with a tiny bundle in her arms.

“This…” she whispers to us, “is Allison.” She smiles as she hands the wriggling baby to Dimitri.

“Oh! She’s beautiful! More beautiful than I imagined!” Dimitri whispers, cuddling the baby close to him.

“Don’t hog her!” I scold and he chuckles, handing her over to me. I look into her deep green eyes, wondering if I ever felt as happy as I did now.

“Hey there, my beautiful baby girl. I’m your daddy…” I whisper to her and she answers with a soft coo, grabbing my finger with her tiny hand.

“It’s real, isn’t it?” I look up at Dimitri.

“As real as it gets.”

Author’s Note:

I thought this would be the last short story, but I couldn’t forget Ryan! If you enjoyed this and my other short stories from Friends and Frenemies, stay tuned for the final chapter! Thank you for reading, thank you for supporting me and thank you for delving into the world of Nikki Rose!