Noemi

by

Katia N. Ruiz

CHAPTER ONE

"I'm pregnant, Tony," she said calmly, and he stared at her in wide-eyed shock. His mouth dropped open, and he was completely speechless.

Suddenly, he jumped up, glaring at her after his initial shock. "Goddamn it, Terri, you were supposed to have been using protection! You were supposed to have been careful!" He exploded, pacing rapidly around her small apartment and waving his arms; but then he seemed to calm down, and looked at her strangely. "There hasn't been anybody else, has there?" he asked softly, sitting down and touching her arm.

It was her turn to explode as the mixed feelings she felt for him collided and enraged her. She jumped to her feet, slapping his hand away, and glared at him. "How dare you?" she hissed, her gray-brown eyes flashing dangerously; she pointed a finger straight at his nose. "You know you were my first, Tony, Goddamn you! You know you were my first." Her voice broke.

He put his most convincing act to date, and stood up, quieting her and holding her close to his large chest and smoothing a large hand over her back. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered against her forehead. "You know how I am, I'm sorry. It's just that I thought you were taking the pill or something like I told you, and I never expected this to happen. I just thought that since we've been careful, you know…" He pulled back and looked at her meaningfully, his thick blonde eyebrows arching as he gave her the sweetest look. "You know I love you, Terri, don't you?" he asked, and pulled out his best boyish pout.

She'd fallen for his boyish charm before, had become his friend even when she didn't trust easily, and she fell for that charm again.

She hadn't seen him since he left her place that same night. So for weeks, she struggled with the knowledge that he just might have disappeared from her life forever; she had never thought he would do that. Now she knew she should have seen it coming. She'd always known that he'd always been kind of a wimp. At twenty-three, he still lived under his parents' roof, still lived off their money. And now that the big R of responsibility was calling him, he disappeared.

So now she was here in front of his sister, in her office. She sat across the one and only Noemí Leone, who was staring at her as if she were crazy.

"I'm pregnant and it's your brother's," she said softly, as calmly as she could, to the woman sitting stiffly behind the desk. The truth was that Terri Bledsoe was just on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. She'd been struggling for weeks trying to decide if she should go to Anthony's family, or if she should wait until he decided to call her. Three weeks had passed since she had told her friend, Anthony Leone, that she was pregnant; he had not contacted her since those dreadful words came out of her mouth.

"What do you mean you're pregnant with my brother's child?" she asked, her husky voice remaining controlled, although a slight twitch began at her brow. She lifted a perfectly sharpened pencil from her desk and began to twist it in her tight grip; her hand shook a little.

Her ice blue eyes paralyzed with their intensity, her short gold-red hair fell attractively over her forehead. She and Anthony looked a lot alike, though her hair was a little straighter than his blonde curly waves. Her eyebrows, slightly thinner than his, had the same shape, though hers were more graceful. Her left eye closed more than the other eye, and a slight scar lay vertically along her left temple; to Terri, it seemed as if Noemí was looking at her very closely, though she was aware that it was only because of the scar that her eye closed a little. Where Anthony's nose was almost too large, Noemí's was aquiline and perfectly straight; her reddish lips were full and pouted slightly; her right eyebrow arched slightly more than the other. Her jaw was strong for a woman's and clenched reflexively, her forehead smoother than his was; if she were a man, she would be even more gorgeous than her brother was. As a woman, she was sensuously magnetic in her self-possessed handsome way.

Her attitude was also very different than her brother's was, though. Terri could see the tenseness in her body, the way she didn't even show any emotion at the news, other than that slight twitch of her brow. He was overly cheerful, energetic, and at times, way too happy. Terri suspected that he was into certain drugs.

Noemí wore black slacks and a white business shirt with the top three buttons undone; a black double-breasted vest was open over her shirt, revealing a thin waist. The way her clothes were carelessly worn, though neatly comfortable, betrayed the late time of the day. Terri had caught her just as she was about to leave for the weekend. She was a natural behind her desk. In her striking eyes, Terri could see with her perceptive painter's eyes the deep pain that was haunting her. She wondered at it, but soon forgot as she answered her question.

"I am," Terri repeated, and her voice shook a little. She was just about to give up, to just leave this woman's office and take care of her baby on her own.

If only she could.

She wouldn't be able to, without the help of Anthony or his family. It wasn't that she felt she couldn't be nurturing to her child, but without money and proper living arrangements, her baby wouldn't be comfortable. She lived in an apartment that was too small, everything was broken, and nothing worked right. She'd been told she painted beautifully, her pieces of work were hanging all over her tiny apartment, and she longed to return home to them. Sometimes she wished she could sell them and make some money off them, but with demands for painters so low, her prodigious talent didn't make her able to provide comfortably for her child. She sighed inwardly. "I am four months pregnant. I told him as soon as I knew for sure, and he promised he'd be there for me and the baby, I have yet to see him." She said the last bit a little bitterly; she tried to control her angry emotions.

The thought of Anthony now inspired anger, not the friendly affection that she'd come to know.

Noemí stared at her intensely, her pupils dilated. Her lips twisted a little, and the twitch on her eyebrow grew in intensity as she was reassured she didn't hear wrong. "You have not been with anyone other than my brother, Ms. Bledsoe?" she inquired in that controlled voice of hers, and she grasped the pencil in her hand a little too tightly, the muscle in her hand working double-time, the thin veins bulging. She was angry, Terri could see.

But Terri couldn't control her own anger, and she exploded once again, this time upon Noemí. "He's my first!" she snapped and stood up, pacing around the large office, fighting tears. Her anger at Anthony won out over the friendly feelings she once felt. "He took my virginity, Miss Leone. He gave me beautiful wine; his favorite, Chardonnay, and seduced my pride away from me." She had wanted to say these words all these weeks, since she realized that Anthony would not come back. "Your brother promised me he'd be here and that he'd help me take care of our baby." Her eyes grew moist, and she felt foolish because Noemí just stared at her with a stoic expression. She looked down at the floor and crossed her arms over her chest; she blushed wildly.

"And you've never been with any other man," Noemí stated, her voice controlled, though she couldn't control the slight sound of strain.

Terri glared at her again, shaking her head angrily, and turned to leave. She stalked to the large oak door of the office, and reached out to take the knob in her hand. She felt Noemí's hand upon her shoulder, and gasped as Noemí spun her around and pinned her to the door. Terri's ponytail flipped onto her face as a waft of soft cologne invaded her senses. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, indignantly trying to push Noemí away.

"I have to talk to you; I have to make sure that you're telling me the truth, before I go to my parents," Noemí said, her eyes looking deeply into Terri's. She stood too close for Terri's comfort and Terri squirmed. Noemí's strong hand was on Terri's shoulder, holding her pinned against the door, and the other arm was propped against the frame, holding her balance. She was tall like Anthony, though her body was lithe and muscular beneath the suit, where his was large and burly. "Now," Noemí continued. "Tell me why you decided to come to me."

Terri broke eye contact, and she concentrated on a spot over Noemí's broad shoulder, just as she'd done the first night Anthony had had his way with her. "Anthony always talked about you, about how you run a part of your parent's company, how you basically knew what to do when he got into trouble here and there," she explained, and realized too late how this would sound. Her eyes snapped up to Noemí's.

Noemí's face twisted into a cynical grin. "So you want me to pay you off, basically. How much?" she asked and moved away from Terri towards her desk. She walked around and sat behind the desk, pulling out a checkbook from her desk drawer. She looked up at Terri questioningly.

Consumed by anger at being deliberately misunderstood in that way, Terri couldn't help the furious shudder that coursed through her body. "No!" she shouted, and her voice trembled in barely controlled rage. Noemí's eyes snapped up from the checkbook to look at her. "That's not what I want!" She spun around and opened the door, propelling herself through it. She ignored the still-present secretary, who was staring after her in shock. She felt that large hand grasping her arm again before she stepped five feet out the door, dragging her back into the office. She struggled against the hard, almost painful grip on her arm, and pulled back. "No, let me go! I regret the day I decided to come here to see you. Anthony made you sound like an intelligent person, like you had better sense than he did. I'll take care of my baby on my own; I don't need your help. You're more of an asshole than he is!"

Noemí's dry chuckle surprised her; she didn't look like the kind of person who so much as smiled. "Then why did you sleep with him if he's such an asshole?" she demanded, her voice harsh as she pulled Terri back into the office and slammed the door behind them. Terri twisted her arm away from her hand, and she turned to the door again, not willing to hear any more insults. Once again, Noemí pinned her against the heavy door and grabbed a hold of her with both hands. She shook her hard by the shoulders and forced her to meet her eyes. "Why did you fuck him, if he doesn't have any sense?"

"Goddamn it!" Terri roared, her voice breaking and her eyes tearing. She pushed Noemí away with surprising strength. "I wanted to, is that what you want to hear?" she hissed through her teeth. "Well, I didn't want to, even when he told me it was supposed to be good, that passion meant everything, that you could not love anybody if you didn't give your body to that person. I just lay there and let him do what he wanted, because he wouldn't take no! After the first time, he would never take no, so I didn't say no. I needed love-" She choked on her words, knowing she hadn't needed Anthony's kind of loving. She knew she was speaking in a rush, and she breathed hard. The baby inside her shifted nervously, and she paused, grasping her slightly paunchy stomach and gasping, her eyes wide and afraid. This was the first time she felt any movement inside her. Suddenly feeling faint, she gasped again, and Noemí held her up, suddenly concerned, her hands on her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her light eyes darker with worry. She guided Terri to a chair and kneeled in front of her, each hand on each armrest, gazing up at her. "Want some water?" she offered softly. Terri shook her head and looked away towards the windows. Resting a knee on the carpeted floor, Noemí narrowed her eyes as she gazed up at her. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Twenty-two," Terri answered, and met Noemí's eyes boldly, challengingly.

Noemí's eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't help herself. After a long silence, she chuckled cruelly and looked at her incredulously. "And you were still a virgin? Give me a break," she retorted.

Terri felt a rush of hot anger flood to her brain and she stood. Noemí reached up and grabbed her arm, yanking her back down. Terri landed with a flop into the seat again. Noemí stared at her and shook her head slowly, while Terri's eyes shot gray-brown daggers at her. "Why are you so angry?" she asked softly.

Terri crossed her arms over her chest, and glared. "Can you really blame me? Your brother played with my feelings, my needs," she answered, and looked away, feeling vulnerable. Then she said in a whisper: "This is truly not what I wanted."

Noemí looked her over closely for a long moment, and then pursed her lips. She asked, not really knowing why: "Do you want an abortion then?"

Terri's eyes snapped back to her again, they narrowed and her glare intensified. "Fuck you!" she hissed venomously, and before she could stop herself, she punched Noemí across the face, sending her sprawling backwards.

Mixes of emotions flashed across Noemí's features. Her face reddened as first surprise, pain, and then intense anger flashed across her features. She jumped to her feet as Terri ran through the door and out of the office, frantically clutching her purse in her arms. "Come back here!" Noemí barked in an angry tone, frightening Terri. The elevator doors opened just as Terri reached them, and she jumped in. She frantically pressed the 'door close' button and the doors drew together and closed practically in Noemí's furious face. She could hear the sound of angry pounding and shouting. Taking a deep, relieved breath, she put a small hand to her chest when the doors didn't open. She couldn't believe it, that she crossed that line, that she lost her temper so quickly.

I must be going crazy! She must think I'm trash! She berated herself, breathing deeply, pressing her hand to her chest again. But Damn it, she deserved it, she shouldn't have suggested that I want to get rid of my baby, she thought indignantly, as if my baby was a piece of trash!

Control had been her strength all her life. She never showed her pain at being mistreated; she never let anyone see how much they hurt her. But she let this woman get to her, anger her to the point of physically striking out. Noemí made her feel victimized and she resented that.

She stepped out of the elevator at the lobby, and made her way quickly across towards the exit. She passed the security desk, expecting the guard to stop her as ordered by Noemí Leone, but nothing happened. She slammed the glass doors open, and rushed through them.

The bright sun outside in New York glared down at the people, warming them more than was welcome, laying a heavy cape of light over their eyes. It was hot, extremely hot, and Terri began to fan herself ten feet away from the door. The street looked busy, cars were moving along slowly, and pedestrians were practically running to their destinations. Terri joined the crowd moving south towards the City Hall train station. I should never have come, she thought reproachfully; this was stupid of me. What was I thinking-? A harsh hand grabbing her by the shoulder interrupted her thoughts. She gasped as Noemí Leone twisted her harshly around.

Her eyes met Noemí's, which were an ever-lighter blue in the street, as if the light of the sun were bleaching them white. Noemí was glaring down at her with those striking eyes, so much taller and imposing. A harsh red mark could be seen where Terri's fist met her jaw. If she had been wearing a blazer over her attire, she had forgotten it upstairs in her anger. "Where do you live?" she snapped at Terri.

Terri, recovering from her initial shock, tried to twist her arm away. This time, though, Noemí's grasp was really tight and painful. "Let me go," Terri said through clenched teeth, and continued to pull against her strength. "I will scream, Ms. Leone. I swear I will."

Noemí glared down at her, her lips pulled into a tight line. "The hell you will!" she growled, and pulled her up the street, in the opposite direction of the train station, back towards the building. Trying to anchor her feet against the concrete, Terri pulled stubbornly against her. Terri was slight of build, almost painfully thin. She was small, barely coming up to Noemí's shoulder, but she had an inner strength that belied her size. But Noemí was much stronger and she yanked her forward, making her feet drag against the concrete. Noemí stopped and glared down at Terri again. "Where… do… you… live?" she asked again, pronouncing each word slowly, shaking her.

"Let me go, damn you!" Terri yelled, and pulled harder, her arm was hurting intensely where Noemí's hand grasped it, the blood flow cutting off. Her fingers were numb already. She noticed that there were people watching their altercation.

"No!" Noemí yelled back, her voice powerful and thick with anger, her face flushed. It was obvious to Terri that she didn't care about yelling either. "No, damn it! You came to bother me, came to ruin my perfectly beautiful day, and nowyou think you can leave just like that?" She laughed harshly. "No, it doesn't end like this. You and I, missy, have to talk!"

"Don't call me missy!" Terri growled, and clamped her hand over Noemí's larger hand, sinking her strong fingernails intoher flesh and raking.

In painful surprise, Noemí let go of her arm, and Terri broke into a run down the block again. "I can't believe this!" Noemí breathed, momentarily looking at her scratched and bleeding hand, then breaking into a run after Terri. "Stop!" she called out to her. Her long muscular legs allowed her to quickly catch up with her and she reached out. She grabbed her shoulder and yanked her backwards, Terri screamed in pain and surprise as she crashed against Noemí. Noemí brought her arm around her waist, and she held her close against her, her other hand grasping her flailing hands together. She finally realized people were watching them with surprise and apprehension. She smiled awkwardly at them, embarrassed, and half-carried Terri up the block again.

Terri was stiff against her, breathing hard, trying to remove her hands from the strong grasp. "No, damn it!" Noemí let her go, and grabbed her arm again, pulling her along. "Scratch me again, and I swear I'll hit you, pregnant or not!" she hissed angrily, her cheeks flaming.

Terri's eyes widened at the biting words, and she felt herself go limp, her demeanor turning submissive. She allowed Noemí to pull her into the ten-story parking lot, which stood prettily against the building she'd just been in. They stood by the elevator, and when the doors opened, Noemí propelled her through the door, letting the doors close before letting her go. She stood right in front of her, powerful arms crossed, her eyes glaring. Terri wouldn't look at her any more, the anger gone from her posture, her eyes and face; her arms were crossed again, not in a hostile way, but in a self-protective way.

Noemí realized that she might be afraid of her, and her glare faded. She softened her voice as she asked again: "Where do you live?"

Terri was looking at the floor. "Two Hundredth Street and Jamaica Avenue," she responded in a quiet voice. "In Queens."

The doors of the elevator slid open, and Noemí reached for Terri's arm again, her hold gentle and strangely comforting. She guided her towards the area made for reserved spots. Terri knew the Leone's were rich, but she never expected Noemí's gorgeous brand new red Ford Mustang Convertible. She stared in awe as Noemí pulled her towards it, unaware of her admiration. She guided her to the passenger side and without letting go of her hand, slipped the key into the hole. She opened the door, and urged Terri into the car seat. The beautiful upholstery and the scent of Noemí's cologne invaded Terri's senses as soon as she sat.

She watched Noemí walk around the front of the car and slip into the driver's seat. After slipping on her seatbelt, Noemí stopped any movement and gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead.

Terri looked at her for a long time, while Noemí sat there and waited. "Well?"s finally asked, confused by Noemí's stillness.

Noemí brought her eyes to Terri and looked pointedly down at her stomach. Terri found herself blushing. "You need to wear your seat belt," Noemí said, her voice controlled again. "We don't want your baby to get hurt."

Infuriated by the inadequate way Noemí made her feel, Terri looked away from her, her pale cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment. "Sorry, you could have said something before I asked," she muttered, slipping on her seatbelt.

Noemí continued to stare at her. "I thought you'd know that,"s said, and took a deep expectant breath.

Terri rolled her eyes, her earlier bravado returning. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Noemí shook her head and looked away. "I'm testing you, girl!" She said the word girl with an emphasis, as if daring her to respond, and slapped the steering wheel hard, making Terri jump in her seat. She unbuttoned the cuffs of her sleeves, and rolled them up to reveal strong arms. Terri noticed a long scar running the length of her right arm, from her wrist and beyond the shadow line of the shirt. "You fall for the bait very easily. Why?" Noemí asked, and clenched her teeth, visibly working her jaw muscles.

Terri noticed the darkening bruise on her jaw, and realized once again that it was of her making. She didn't know how to apologize. "Can you take me home, please?"she asked instead, feeling suddenly wary. "I'm really tired."

Noemí looked at her for a long time, and noticed her suddenly pale cheeks. "You get angry too fast, Terri. You wear yourself out," she said, reaching out and touching her arm softly, tentatively.

"And you don't… smile," Terri retorted with a snort, and she felt Noemí's hand fall away from her arm. The truth was that holding her anger for so many weeks had left her feeling as if she was a walking explosive, waiting to be ignited. This woman seemed to know how to ignite her fury very easily, with her hard words.

Noemí started her car with jerky movements, and drove off in a lurch; she pressed a button and it brought up the roof of the convertible. "How is it that you haven't asked about my brother yet?" she asked when the windows were up and the air-conditioner running.

"I'm not interested any more," Terri answered in a monotone, staring pensively out her window.

"Unbelievable, considering the fact that he may be the father of your child," Noemí responded quietly. "You know," she said, feeling Terri needed to know, "He left on a vacation to Aruba, with a girlfriend. Two weeks ago."

Terri looked at her with emotionless eyes, and then glanced back out the window. "I didn't expect any less, I sort of knew when I tried to page him and the damn thing was disconnected." she said, and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the headrest.

"Why should I believe you?" Noemí asked suddenly, obviously struggling with believing her or believing that her brother was a saint, which she knew he wasn't. They were driving along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, very close to the Van Wyck Expressway. "I mean, you can be one of his many 'friends', taking advantage of his absence to try to squeeze some money out of us." She looked at her, keeping the car moving in a straight line and waited for a response.

Terri's eyes snapped to meet Noemí's, and Noemí suddenly feared she'd get another punch in the face. But Terri remained staring at her for a long time before answering, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Your brother has a big birth mark right above his-" She paused in an embarrassed silence. And then she said with a spiteful tone to her voice, deliberately nasty and sarcastic: "Right above his 'beautiful' penis. He shaves down there too, makes him feel fresher. He showed me a beautiful tiny scar right between his penis and his balls… What else do you want to know?" She glared at Noemí, leaning towards her.

Noemí blushed wildly, and she clenched her teeth. Her hands on the steering wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white. "I don't know," she said sarcastically. "The littlest things on his body are enough to tell me you've seen him naked, shit! All I know is about the scar. You are correct about it, he had a hernia when he was a young boy, and my parents had it removed. I don't know that he shaves, but I will go through this with my mother and father; he might know, they go to the gym often together." Her skin suddenly flushed a deeper shade of red, her face hard with fury. "Fucking asshole!" she shouted, and slammed her fist against the steering wheel over and over again. The car swerved to the side, car horns blasted behind them, and she righted the wheel quickly, cursing under her breath.

Terri grasped the headboard frantically and then stared at Noemí for a long time. She wondered at this woman's volatile temper, but just turned her head to stare out the window.

Noemí reached into the waist pocket of her vest, bringing out a little red address book and a small pen. She began to write down Terri's address in a fresh page, holding the cap of the pen between her teeth. "What's your phone number?" she asked Terri, her voice muffled by the pen cap, glancing her way. If she had any reaction to the area where Terri lived, there was no clue in her expression.

Terri shook her head and looked away. "I have no phone number," she replied quietly.

Noemí looked at her with narrowed eyes, for the first time showing her worry. She took the cap from her mouth. "So you're telling me that if something happens, there is no way for you to communicate with anybody?" she said doubtfully, already protective of the unborn child that may be her niece or nephew.

Terri began to play with the hem of her old skirt. "That's exactly what I'm saying," she replied evenly.

Noemí placed the cap back on the pen, and studied her closely. Her eyes fell to her small hands and she eyed the pale knuckles; her hands looked so delicate, but she knew they packed a mean punch. "Where did you learn to punch like that?" she asked suddenly, and brought a hand up to rub her aching jaw.

Terri's eyes lifted up to meet hers. "You try growing up with four abusive brothers and an abusive father. You tell me you wouldn't learn how to punch like that," she said sarcastically.

Noemí expression didn't change. "You live with them now?" she asked, and narrowed her eyes.

"I wouldn't be alive right now if I did," Terri said, and hugged herself as she shivered. "Sometimes I wish that were the case, though," she said before she could stop herself, and felt like she had revealed too much of herself.

Noemí bit her lower lip and straightened in her seat. "I will talk to my parents tonight, and I will come tomorrow, at around noon. We seriously need to talk," she said, looking pointedly at her stomach. "About that child."

Terri nodded and looked at her for a long time, obviously fighting for something to say. "Sorry about your jaw," she finally said softly, and pushed the door open, climbing out of the car.

Before Noemí could even get out of her car, Terri had already rushed through the dilapidated front door. She stood outside her car, and stared up at the half-boarded second floor window, instinctively knowing that that was where Terri lived. She shook her head; she clenched her hands into fists against her hips, and looked down at the ground.

It that baby is my brother's son or daughter, she thought with a grimace, I definitely do not want her living there.