Imagined Love by Diamond Drake Read Free Book Online Page A

Willa stopped in the food court for a chocolate doughnut and cup of coffee. The sixty-three-year old cashier complimented Willa like he did every time he saw her. She gave him a playful wink then made her way to the office. Willa was so hungry that she wolfed down her doughnut and drank most of her coffee by the time the elevator doors opened. It seemed as if a little breakfast might have been a good idea. And since she had decided to keep the baby, it was probably wise to start adopting some healthier eating habits. Doing away with the coffee would be a start, so Willa threw the other half of her drink in the trash.
    “Just the person I wanna see,” Leonard said, as Willa stepped out of the elevator. “Before you get settled in I need to speak with you, okay?”
    “Okay,” she replied.
    Willa was fairly certain she knew what he wanted to talk about. Ever since that afternoon they’d spent at the Radisson Hotel six months ago, Leonard had tried desperately to convince her to leave Miles for him. He didn’t seem to grasp that Willa thought of that day as the worst mistake she’d ever made and had no interest in being romantically involved. She was about to remind Leonard of that when he shocked her.
    “I’m so sorry, Willa, but they’re downsizing this office and we’re gonna have to let you go. I did everything I could to keep you, but the big boss decided that Ms. Gladys will be the secretary for the entire office instead of us each having our own. I’m really sorry.”
    Willa was beside herself with rage. More than anything, though, she was afraid. If she was unemployed Miles would definitely get full custody of Jade and the baby. And trying to get a new job would prove difficult being that she was five weeks pregnant and starting to get the first signs of morning sickness. Willa sat in her car for nearly an hour crying. She felt defeated and wondered if going back to Miles was the only solution she had.
    Eventually she pulled herself together and got out of the car to use the payphone. Willa called Cicely to ask if she could get Jade from school and let her stay over for a few hours. She didn’t mention losing her job or that she planned to spend the day trying to find a new one. Cicely told Willa to take her time and that Jade would be perfectly fine being there with them. And the girl was thrilled over the idea of hanging out with her friends again.
    Katrina sat on her bed frowning as Jade rambled on about how great Cicely was. “Your mom is cool. And she’s funny too. So how come you say all those mean things about her?”
    “Because they true! You just think she cool ‘cause you ain’t gotta live here with her. But you just wait. If you stick around for a while you’ll see past all that phony crap she be doing . . . outside playing kick ball with all of us and fixing snacks! She don’t never be doing junk like that ‘til other people come around. She always trying to impress somebody and be pretending like she love us so much. Then as soon as everybody leave she be beating on us for every little thing. Man, I can’t stand that stanky dog! I wish I had your mama. Now she is cool!”
    “What y’all in here talking about?” Honor asked, as she entered the room and plopped down on the bed beside Jade.
    “Mama old stupid butt,” Katrina sneered.
    “Can you believe her and her idiot boyfriend ate up all that food Jade’s mama brought? She brought that stuff for us but Mama gone sit up and give it to him like that low life some kinda king! She always calling other girls stupid for the stuff they be doing for men but she the one stupid! Reggie don’t do nothing but come over here a few times a month and eat up all our food!”
    “For real?” Jade asked, shocked to hear such things.
    “Yeah, for real! Quit trusting everybody all the time. You need to pay attention to stuff,” Katrina fussed.
    “I know you not telling me to pay attention! Who was the dummy on the playground talking to the wrong