Page 12 of Rah

“You probably have postpartum depression,” Kenyatta told me as we stood at the coffee machine.

“Huh? I thought women only got that afterhavinga baby.”

“Youwerepregnant. Even though you terminated the pregnancy, maybe your hormones are just out of whack. Ormaybeyou just really wanted your baby, Solae. And now you regret letting Rah talk you into getting an abortion.”

I sighed as I leaned against the counter. Kenyatta and Iwere whispering since the other tellers and bankers were busy working.

It was early on a Monday morning, which was usually a slow day for us. Yet, for it to be merely a week before Christmas, the lobby was surprisingly a ghost town. But I assumed the whole neighborhood had heard about the robbery, so customers were avoiding this bank like the plague.

Hell, I didn’t want to be there either. The branch manager had beefed up security, though. Now there were two undercover cops in the lobby.

A man walked in carrying a massive bouquet. It drew eyes from everyone in the bank lobby. He paused at the entrance and exchanged a few words with the new security guard. My heartbeat sped up when I saw the guard glance over at me and point.

The man with the flowers smiled and started walking my way.

I began to blush, thinking that Raj had to have sent them because he knew how bad I’d been feeling after terminating the pregnancy.

“These are for you,” the delivery man said as he extended the bouquet toward me.

I grinned as I took them. They were heavy in my arms, and so full and lush I had to set them down on the nearest table.

The bouquet was stunning. It was an explosion of red roses, white lilies, pink peonies, and purple orchids, with sprays of baby’s breath and lush green eucalyptus spilling from the sides. It looked like something from a high-end floral magazine.

As I leaned in to inhale the fragrance, I began searching for the card tucked somewhere in the blooms.

“Aaaaw, your man’s trying to soften you up with flowers,” Kenyatta teased,appearing beside me.

Together, we fished through the layers of petals until my fingers brushed the small white envelope.

Finding the card, I took it from the envelope and eagerly read it:

I hope you’re having a better day. If not, these should put a smile on your face.

Signed: Your Future Favorite Nigga, Priest.

“Ooooh, girl!” Kenyatta squealed. “Priest sent you these! He isnotplaying about you!”

I tried to play it cool, but my smile was betraying me. The flowers were beautiful, but the rush in my chest had nothing to do with roses or lilies. It was the fact that Priest had been thinking about me.

“Solae, can I see you in my office for a minute?”

The branch manager took my attention away from the flowers. He stood at the door of his office waiting for me to follow him inside. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I assumed he probably had his own questions about the robbery. We hadn’t been able to talk since it happened.I didn’t really feel like reliving it. But I abandoned the flowers and went to his office.

“Have a seat, Solae,” he told me as he gestured toward the blue leather chair across from his desk.

As I sat, I felt horrible cramps in my pelvic area.

“As you know, it’s that time of year when we perform employee annual evaluations,” Frank began. “I’ve been reviewing your account-handling metrics and transaction reports. There have been a number of… irregularities.”

I blinked at him. “Irregularities? What are you talking about?”

He avoided my eyes and glanced down at the folder in front of him. “Your drawer balances have been off on more than one occasion this year. And there have been a few instances where protocol wasn’t followed exactly when handling large withdrawals.”

I felt my jaw tighten. “Frank, my drawer is balanced at the end of every shift. If there was ever an issue, I corrected it before I left. And I’ve followed protocol every single time. You’ve never said a word to me about this before. Now, suddenly, it’s a problem?”

“I’m simply telling you what I’ve observed,” he quipped.

“No,” I shot back, leaning forward in my chair. “You’re suddenly finding problems. And for what? Because there’s no way you can prove these ‘observations.’ This has to have something to do with the robbery.”