Over two weeks had passed and I had not heard anything from Escobar. Just as I was begging to worry that had lost my only lead on the case, my cell phone began to ring non-stop. The calls were placed from two phone numbers I had never seen before. I was immediately suspicious because my phone number was unlisted. After dozens of calls, I decided to answer.
"It's about time ! You know if you don't want this job I can always find a girl who knows how to pick up her phone," Tabby complained.
"Where is Escobar, Tabby? I don't work for you."
"Oh, I see you only want to takes orders from the boss, huh. You're too good to listen to me. That's cool, princess, be like that. The rest of us will be making money." Tabby laughed.
"Don't call me again, Tabby" I said before ending the call.
Ten minutes later my phone rang again. After letting it go to voice mail for the third time, my phone chimed with a text message.
Please, please, please answer your phone for me,Pixie!
I answered the call on the first ring. The young girl's words were a frantic rush.
"You said to call you if I needed you and then you wouldn't answer. Tabby said you didn't care about me. She said you won't go. I don't want to be alone in NewYork. Tabby said I had to go, but I don't want to. She said she asked you to go too. Why did you say no," Pixie cried?
"Pixie, slow down. What are you talking about?"
"We are going to New York. I asked Tabby if you could go with us. She told me you don't care about me. Tabby said you think you are too good for us. I'm scared. You have to be there. She won't be mean to me if you are around," Pixie explained.
"What time do you leave?"
"Our flight leaves in 5 hours."
"Text me the information and I'll be there," I assured Pixie.
I spent the next half hour calling Tabby to let her know that I wanted to go. Tabby let her phone go straight to voice mail every time I called her. There was no doubt that she knew why I was calling. Tabby was a master at playing games and right now she was winning.
I knocked on the door to Blaze's office before lounging in a chair next to his desk.
"What's wrong," he asked quickly?
"I got a call and... "
"What time do you leave this time," Blazed interrupted?
"I have to be at the airport in four hours. "
"That's not much notice, Steph. I don't like this," Blaze sighed.
"At least I know where I'll be this time," I said as I texted him the flight information.
"Yeah, but where are you going after you leave the airport. You don't even know how long you are going be gone."
"I'll be fine Blaze."
"Yeah, I know," he said confidently. "Now get out of here. I have some important calls to make." Blaze said seriously.
When I hesitated, Blaze helped me to my feet and out the door.
"Hey," I protested as the door closed!
A few hours later when I arrived at the airport Tabby gave me her best-surprised act.
"Blanca, what are you doing here? I thought you only worked for Escobar. So does this mean you are planning on accompanying us to New York? I do hope we can find room for you on the plane. Oh, wait you can fly coach with and Pixie, Logan and Drake,"She sneered.
"Fine with me" I sighed.
It was no surprise that Tabby and her crew landed an hour and a half before our commercial flight. This gave them the advantage of getting to the hotel and settling in before going to the strip club. This was not a courtesy we were afforded. After a crowded flight pixie and I hiked across the airport with Logan and Drake to pick up the rental car. Both men were several inches taller than us. We had to run to keep up with the men. I could see both Drake and Logan laughing as Pixie and I struggled to keep up.
The strip club was small but clean. It was located in a nice part of Spanish Harlem. Even from the parking lot, you could tell there was a lively bachelor party going on.
"Took you long enough," Tabby hissed as we walked through the back door. "Since the two of you were the last ones to get here ,you will be the last ones to dance. You get to sit back here and wait. I'm sure the men will still be tipping."
As I looked around there was only a few girl waiting for their turn to dance. They seemed friendly with one another as they laughed and talked. Pixie gave them a friendly wave and one of the girls rolled her eyes.
"Hey girls, let's go outside and light up," another girl, said as she took out a pack of cigarettes.
"Sounds good to me. I don't like the company in this room."
"Sorry ladies I can't let you do that," a familiar voice said.
"Why not " the young woman complained?
"Because of them," the first girl interrupted! "Remember Tabby said no one leaves their sight because last time those two got arrested!"
"Always the trouble maker," Marcus said as he smiled at me.
" Great, my it's favorite bouncer. Just when I thought I had gotten away from you," I said sarcastically.
"You know you missed me, girl" Marcus joked.
"What are you doing here?"
"Same thing as you, upgrading my paycheck."
"Girls you are next," Tabby announced to the women standing around.
"What is she doing here, Tabby," Pixie shrieked?
"Mind your business," Tabby barked!
"Who?" I asked looking at the girls in the room. That's when I noticed Pixie was pointing to the car seat on the floor.
"Does Escobar know you brought ...?"
"Shut up! It's time for you to dance," Tabby hissed as she dragged Pixie out of the room!
As a Kid Barbies were more my thing than baby Alive. I had never been the neighborhood teen you called for babysitting. Nothing in my life had ever seemed to bring out my maternal instincts. My hamster Rex was as close to parenting as I got. Somehow this little girl instantly captured had my attention immediately. Most infants her age would have been asleep at this hour, but little Emily was wide awake. She was eerily quiet as I peeked into her car seat. Frighted eyes peered up at me and her bottom lip quivered. The baby started to whimper and, then her whimper turned into a gut wrenching screeching cry I had never heard before. Oh no, what did you do Stephanie?
"SHUT UP BRAT," Drake yelled!
Emily jumped in her car seat as her little body began to tremble. Still, she wailed louder.
"You better quit it now brat!" Logan growled from across the room.
Her tiny hands reached out to me twisting in desperation and fear, wanting to be comforted. My chest tightened and I could not help but to pick Emily up. As I cradled her to my chest, she instantly stopped crying. This baby was eight months old and still extremely tiny. She felt light as air. I patted her bottom and felt cold dampness squish out of the diaper and seep through her sleeper. While scanning the room I spotted the diaper bag. Balancing the baby on my hip I rummaged through the contents. I found a clean sleeper a onesie, along with some baby wipe and a dry diaper.
"Look here little one, I don't have a lot of experience changing babies. You are going to have to work with me."
Carefully I laid the baby down on the sofa and then peeled the dirty sleeper off of her. The sight I saw was heartbreaking. This poor baby had not had a bath in days she was filthy! What kind of mother could neglect an infant this way? Taking a baby wipe from the container I gave Emily a quick sponge bath. As I took off the urine soaked diaper I could not help but notice that it weighed a ton. She had to have been sitting in a wet diaper for hours. The skin on her bottom was an angry red color. I guess this is what diaper rash looked like. Now all I had to do was to figure out how to put on a fresh one.
"Come on kid help me out here."
The baby cooed at me and my heart melted. I figured out how to put on the new diaper. Then I finished by dressing the baby in a clean sleeper I found in the bag.
Emily grabbed two hands full my curls and playfully tugged on them.
"Hey, kid you are going frizz my hair" I teased.
Emily looked up at me and giggled. Something inside my stomach went all soft and pink. I have never ever fallen in love so fast. My heart had been thawed.
"You think that's funny little girl? You will find out when you get older," I joke as I smooth the curls on her tiny head. Emily let out a louder giggle.
When I snuggled Emily close to my heart I heard her tummy rumble. Her baby bag had an empty bottle and a binkie but no food.
"Wait here baby, I'll be back," I said placing the Emily back in her car seat.
I put on my sweat pants and a hoodie then slinked out to a Bodega across the street.
"Hey, do you have anything to feed a baby," I asked the woman behind the counter?
"How old," the woman asked as she angled around the cash register to help me?
"Eight months"
"Here, you are going want something green, some fruit and then some formula. I added a baby spoon and some diaper rash cream to the shopping list and then hurried back to the strip club.
"Hey, you," I said as I crouched down in front of the car seat.
Emily cooed then giggled and my heart did a back flip.
"Come on little one," I said scooping her up in my arms. "Sit here Emily."
I took the top off the strained peas and dip the spoon into the jar and offered it to the baby.
"I know it's green but the lady at the store said you had to have a veggie."
Quickly she finished the pureed peas and whined for more. Hungrily she ate until I scrapped the last of the food out of the jar. Emily stuck out her bottom lip and pouted when I put the spoon down to open the jar of apple baby food.
"Hey, there don't make the face. I have got dessert for you. Yes, dessert can you say dessert Cali?"
I gave her a spoon full and her eyes danced. Emily ate the second jar of food faster than the first. When she finished all of Gerbers Emily's tummy looked uncomfortable bloated. I hope I didn't over feed her. Holding her to my chest I gently rubbed her back. To my surprise, Emily let out a huge burp.
"Wow, that's not very ladylike little girl," I teased. That earned me another burst of laughter.
"Yo Blanca you're up" Marcus called.
A bubble of disappointment engulfed me at the thought of having to put down my new playmate. Carefully I placed Emily back in her car seat. After I kissed her forehead I tucked her blanket around her. I wish she had a toy or stuffed animal to keep her company.
When I came back from dancing my set Tabby was back. She was sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on the back of car seat while filing her nails.
"What's up Blanca? You change my baby " she asked accusingly?
"Yeah "I answered carefully.
"Guess you are good for something" she laughed.
"Yo Drake, she changed the brat."
"Oh yeah, way to go, newbie. We might have to keep you around.
"You like kids, Blanca" Logan asked?
" I have nieces back home."
"Not me. This brat is so needy. I can't stand her crying. Sometimes I just walk out the door get in the car and go somewhere until I'm sure she has shut up.
My nails dug into my palms I fought to keep my hands by my side instead of punching Tabby's lights out.
"If you don't want her why did you keep her? There is nothing wrong with adoption. I'm sure their is a mommy and a daddy who would welcome her into their family.
"Do you know how much the child support check her daddy sends is? This brat pays off better than a slot machine" Tabby bragged.
"So you had a baby for child support? "
"Yeah, Escobar could find you an affluent man to ... "
"TO WHAT, Tabitha" an angry voice boomed through the door!
"Escobar, I thought you were out of the country," Tabby stuttered.
"Yeah, I know! Why are my elegant ladies slumming at your budget affair? You know better Tabitha! We need to talk right now," Escobar growled!
We all watched in shock as Escobar dragged Tabby out of the room.
All eyes were suddenly on me.
"You did this! How else would he know where to find us? Tabby said to keep an eye on the two of you," Drake hissed!
"Yeah, now they got Escobar out here yelling at Tabby. One of you called him," yelled Logan as he glared at me.
Are you ladies going to let her get away with treating Tabby like this, tattling on her. These two think they are better than all of you," Logan told them.
"Hey, Ladies calm down, It was not Blanca. I called Escobar and told him. I was hired to be his eyes when Escobar is out of town. I ain't mean to get anyone in trouble." Marcus explained.
"You did this man," Logan shouted!
"Look, Escobar called and told me he had just landed. He asked me what was going on so I told him."
"Hey, you are not the first person he has gotten in trouble," I laughed.
When Escobar stomped angrily into the room. Tabby was not with him. "Pixie, Blanca, you are leaving with me" now he yelled.