Chapter 16: Fight Back
Tamara
Two headlines were waiting for me when I woke up early the next morning:
Leslie Smith Hired PR Firm to Discredit Former Employee
Tamara Saunders Found to be on Antipsychotics While Working for Leslie Smith
"I'm going to bury that evil, conniving bitch," I growled, reading through the second article quickly. It wasn't very long, mostly claiming that I had erratic behavior during my time as her hairdresser. It tried to make me sound like a drug addict, but that was the most it could imply.
"What's wrong, Sweetling?" my baby asked so sweetly, gently pulling me down to his broad chest. I resisted at first, too pissed to lay down. But he soon had me lying on him, breathing in that masculine scent of his. Instead of answering, I handed him my phone. I felt his fury when he spotted the second heading.
"Add 'invasion of confidential files' to your suit against her. You never talk about your depression, how did she find out about it if not by breaking into your private account?" A grin broke out on my face as I considered this possibility. He was right, of course. My medical history was no one's business but my own. Turning this information around for a quick win was the perfect revenge. I grabbed my phone and scanned through the first one, making a mental note to call Quintan this afternoon. I hadn't spoken to him since that first meeting two weeks ago. It seemed he'd finally gotten the footage he wanted. I'd have to check YouTube for it later; apparently it was going viral. That part wasn't surprising either, people were desperate for information about me. Either to defend me or to berate me.
I got up after suckling his dick for a while. He came in my eager mouth and I worked him over, swallowing his thick essence happily. We got up to shower together after that, taking advantage of the early morning for another round of loving. We moisturized our skin and dressed, heading our separate ways for the day. I reached Amanda's firm in the Haight-Ashbury District bright and early, plastic robe in place. Even though it was early, the late summer heat was starting to build for the day. After trying the door and finding it locked, I camped in my car outside of the classy, Victorian office, grateful that I grabbed coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way here. It didn't take me long to finish my meal, and by the time I was done, Amanda had arrived, opening the door.
"Hey, Amanda," I called, not wanting to startle her. She whirled around anyway. Luckily I was a little ways down the street, so it's not like I was stalking her. "Sorry, I wasn't sure what you meant by 'first thing', so I took a guess. If you need time to get things started, I can come back later. My idea of early tends to be-"
"Don't worry about it, Tammy. Come on in. You can wait in the lobby while I get my shit together." She opened the door and gestured me inside. I locked my car up before heading for her. I was stopped by a tall reed of a man towering over my small frame.
"You Tamara Saunders?" the tall man asked gruffly.
"Yes?" I half asked, drawing my robe tighter around me in preparation. I never knew what to expect when asked this question. Seven times out of ten, it was a slap and/or a globule of spit in the face, which is why the hood of my robe was see through and covered my face completely. I'd learned that lesson the hard way. Apparently, this was one of the three out of ten times because he hugged me close.
"I'm so sorry for what you're going through. Stay strong and safe, sister." Without another word, he moved on down the street, leaving me flabbergasted.
"That… was unexpected," I blinked. I ran for the office, not wanting to take chances that this might be a trick of some kind. The gym's lawyer looked as shocked by this turn of events as I did. She was saved from having to comment on the random encounter by the arrival of her personal assistant. Penny brought up the rear as we crowded into the building.
"When you said we'd be getting an early start, you really meant it," the English woman huffed with laughter in her voice. "Come in, madam. Just give me a chance to fire up the coffee machine and we'll have a fresh brew while we work." She pushed me into one of the wingback chairs in the front room - otherwise known as the lobby - and walked off - presumably to fix coffee.
Once the woman left, Amanda turned to me with a serious expression on her lovely face.
"I need you to be 150% sure you want to go through with this lawsuit, Tamara. I don't want to scare you, but once you start the process, we will have to see it through."
"I ordered you a robe like mine in case you're serious about going through this with me. I'm not kidding when I say that Leslie's fans are spitters. One lady actually threw her dog's feces on me. She didn't even use gloves!" Amanda shuddered over the imagery. "You see why I'm determined to go through with this? My life is in shambles thanks to that horrible woman. The article about my drug use this morning proves that it can always get worse, but it's never going to get better unless I do something about it."
"What article?"
"You haven't seen it? I have an algorithm set up on my phone to flag articles about Mrs. Smith. Two articles popped. One I expected, but the one about my depression blindsided me."
"You're about five moves ahead of me, Hon. I need you to slow down and clue me in." I explained about my publicist and my mental health issues, showing her the articles. The lawyer was furious by the time I finished my explanation.
"Alright, little one. Let's get started." We spent the rest of the morning drafting my lawsuit as well as putting together a rebuttal to the drug use story. By the time Predator strolled in at noon, I was ready to post my video online.
"Whatcha posting, Tams?" he asked me, slinging a friendly arm around my shoulder.
"Just a little dose of reality regarding psychological issues and the medications that keep people like me from going off the rails."
"Mind if I take a look before you post?" the PI asked.
"Sure." He watched the whole thing, a frown on his face.
"Wow," he commented afterward. "Don't think I've ever seen someone cuss someone else out without using a single cuss word." I frowned.
"I wasn't cursing. I was raised better than that."
"I know you weren't cussing, sweetheart. That's my point. You sound very defensive and annoyed, as if everyone should know this stuff. That's not an attitude that will win support. Personally I'd focus on the violation of your privacy and let Old Leslie know that you are onto her about getting your private medical records without your consent. Did you ever mention your medicine to her or any of your coworkers?"
"I've been on my meds for 5 years. No one has ever had cause to ask me about my depression or how I'm handling it. I have a very bubbly personality and I'm very high functioning at my jobs. If I displayed any 'erratic behavior', it was from sleep deprivation. Mrs. Smith had me working all hours of the night and day. She'd mess up her hair so that I had to give her a new style every three to five hours on average. The traveling, the constantly interrupted sleep, the skipped meals, the helplessness that came from the constant physical abuse whenever she could get away with it, the pressure from crazed fans ripping at her clothes and hair to get a piece of her…"
"I was thinking of quitting for the preservation of my sanity around the time that she fired me. I don't think I would have lasted much longer as her hairstylist. I've spent my life dreaming of running my own beauty parlor. I want to make this world more beautiful, one person at a time! I'm not cut out for being one person's personal hair stylist. If this nightmare that is my life ever ends, I intend to search out a place to set up shop and search for like-minded hairdressers and barbers. That's what I truly want to do with my life." Ray smiled at me like I'd passed the SATs all over again.
"Did you get all that, Amanda?" I whipped around to see the lawyer putting away her phone.
"Every word. I've uploaded it to YouTube already."
"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.
"You are so good with spontaneous outrage, sweetheart! It's like that video someone posted last night. People are eating that shit up. This one should solidify you as a victim of Leslie's greed and ambition. Your preplanned video was condescending. What you just said was what needed saying. It'll probably end up going viral like the speech last night."
"What speech?" I asked, still not getting it. The MMA fighter pulled up a video of my response to Amanda's invitation to the club yesterday. My admission that people pelted me with spit, rotten tomatoes, and rotten eggs was all there, along with Keith's response to my impassioned speech. There were remixes, reaction videos… the Internet was going crazy over my words. It was… It was embarrassing to be honest. Especially with how earnest and desperate I sounded. I'd just wanted to protect my friends; I had no idea I was being recorded.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, dearie," Penny said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're very good at laying it all on the line and people respond to that. You are definitely winning in the court of public opinion right now. It's okay." My brain was overwhelmed and I just wanted to go home right now.
"Do you have anything to do this afternoon?" Amanda asked, finally seeming to notice my embarrassment.
"I set today apart to work on my lawsuit. I have nothing else planned today except my workout with Keith."
"Well, go eat some food and sleep the afternoon away, Sweetie. That's how I would spend this afternoon if I could. I'll take these papers to the courthouse. Hell, contact your family. When was the last time you did that?" My eyes bulged because I hadn't talked to any of them in days. Resolving to call Sandy to ask about her wedding plans this afternoon, I left without another word to anyone.
I went straight home and ordered food online to save myself the embarrassment of being spat at in public. No one was disgusting enough to spit in my food since the burger incident the day I met Leslie, but I'd rather not take chances. I was anonymous online.
An hour later, I was browsing my socials as I ate my BBQ chicken salad and drank my soda, all delivered to my door with no contact delivery. Kenneth messaged me for video chat.
"Hey Kenneth! You at a truck stop or something?"
"Long time no hear from, sis," he answered. "I've been following your journey on the net, but I was eating at Dennys and it reminded me of you." We shared a laugh at my constant requests to eat at the diner as a kid because I thought it was classy. "Tell me what's been going on." I spilled everything, not realizing just how much stress I'd been under these last few weeks. I still took my medicine, but I was under a tremendous amount of pressure lately. It felt good to unburden myself. It wasn't about finding solutions or anything, it was about admitting out loud that things weren't right. Arthur would be looking to sue everyone who ever laid a finger on me. Wilson would be ruining lives left, right, and center in my name. But my gentle brother Kenneth was content to be a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
"How long until you bury this bitch? I want to be there for the trial!"
Or not.
"I can't even imagine the kind of circus that will ensue when the trial starts. People are insane and like to throw things at me. I'd rather you not be in the line of fire, bro."
"Too late for that, little sister. All of your siblings have arranged for time off to support you through your court appearances. We're family. Hell, I believe Mom and Dad will be there too. You will not be suffering alone." I teared up at the thought of seeing my family again.
"I… I don't know when the trial will start. I just filed the paperwork this morning."
"So? Just tell us when and we'll be there. And I can already see the wheels in that brilliant mind of yours turning. You will not enjoy what happens to you if you try to get through your trial without us, Tamara."
"I won't," I said with a guilty start. My brother chuckled.
"Alright, Babygirl. I gotta get back on the road. I love you. I'll be looking forward to your call when you have a trial date."
"I love you too, big brother. I promise I'll call you." I was choked up as I hung up, so I can't be blamed for missing the caller ID when the next video call came in.
"Tammy? What's the matter? What happened?"
"Everything is fine, Jubilee," I rushed to soothe my future sister in law. "Just got off the phone with my brother Kenneth. I'm a little emotional, but it's in a good way, I promise. How are you doing today? Any closer to deciding what you want to do about that fetus?" If needed, I'd head down with her to the abortion clinic, though I hoped it wouldn't come to that. Her boyfriend had hurt her by breaking up with her over the baby, so there was every chance she'd want to get rid of it.
"Yes, I have. Can you please meet me at the free clinic, like, right now? I want to start my well child appointments. I'm already 3 months along and I have yet to take prenatal vitamins!"
Oh, Sweetie! Are you sure? This is not a decision you can take back. If you need more time-"
"I've taken plenty of time. Ryan did hurt me with the way he ran away from our love and his responsibility to me, but that's not the baby's fault. I want this baby. My idiot ex is just going to have to pay child support!"
"Attagirl! Don't let that jerk determine your actions. I'll meet you right now. Is it the one we've been scoping out?"
"Yup! And, um… I have one more big favor to ask. It's been so wonderful having someone to confide in. I really appreciate you not telling my overprotective brother what's been going on with me. I need you to swear never to reveal to anyone I was thinking of having an abortion. Mama would be devastated, Daddy would have a heart attack over the scandal, and Keith would likely end up in jail after he beat my old boyfriend to death. Can you keep this secret for me?"
"Of course. You know I'm all about confidentiality. I'll see ya soon." I signed off, lamenting that I wouldn't be getting that afternoon nap I'd been looking forward to. Still, it would be fun to check in with my new niece or nephew. I donned my robe and took off for the clinic.
"Hello, Ms. Rochester. My name is Dr. Robinson. I'll be your doctor today. What seems to be the problem?"
"Izvini chto otvlekayu. U tebya ochen' yarko vyrazhen aktsent. Ty govorish' na russkom yazyke?" I asked quietly. (I'm sorry for interrupting. Your accent is very pronounced. Do you speak Russian?)
"Da, na samom dele. YA rodom iz Khandygi. U tebya khoroshiy slukh," the woman laughed. (Yes, actually. I'm originally from Khandyga. You have a good ear)
"Da, spasibo. U menya pyat' brat'yev, starshiy i sredniy — russkiye. Mne nravitsya praktikovat'sya vsyakiy raz, kogda u menya yest' vozmozhnost'," I said happily. (Yeah, thank you. I have five brothers and the oldest and middle ones are Russian. I like to practice whenever I get a chance to)
"Vashi roditeli usynovili dvukh russkikh mal'chikov?" (Your parents adopted two Russian boys?)
"Vse odinnadtsat' iz nas usynovleny. Artur i Rendi okazalis' russkimi. Oni reshili vyuchit' svoy rodnoy yazyk, kogda Artur dostig polovoy zrelosti, i ya vyuchil yego, chtoby byt' blizhe k nim. Chestno govorya, seychas ya govoryu na etom yazyke luchshe, chem oni oba," I giggled. "I didn't mean to interrupt your examination. I just try not to miss an opportunity to practice my languages, doctor. (All eleven of us are adopted. Arthur and Randy just happen to be Russian. They decided to learn their mother tongue when Arthur hit puberty and I picked it up to be closer to them. Honestly, I speak it better than both of them now.)
"Please, call me Anya. Your phrasing is very proper. I doubt you'd be able to keep up with the slang of my motherland. But it is fun to converse in proper Russian. I'm very impressed. What seems to be the problem with your lover?" Jubilee coughed but I maintained my calm.
"My sister in law is - three months, is it?" I asked, inviting her back into the conversation.
"Yeah. I took a pregnancy test three months ago and it was positive. I need to know what to do to keep the baby healthy."
"I see," Anya said pensively. "And the baby's father?"
"He… Has opted to not be a part of his baby's life," she said stiffly. The doctor took the hint and immediately started examining her patient. I tried to stay quiet and out of the way, but either the doctor wanted to hear more in her native language or Jubilee wanted an explanation for some of the things Anya was saying.
"You're quite a healthy woman, Jubilee. My only suggestion for now is a regimen of prenatal vitamins. I'd like to see you again at the end of August. In the meantime, exercise and diet are your friends. You should be thinking about what type of birth you want. You will gain some weight, but try not to put on too much. Eat healthy when you can. Congratulations on your good news! I hope you come back with Jubilee, Tammy."
"Thank you, doctor," I smiled, pulling the pregnant woman out of the room. "I didn't mean to disturb your appointment, Jubes. I just-"
"You're kidding, right? That doctor was ready to write me off until you spoke up and engaged with her! It's probably the only reason she bothered looking me over so thoroughly. Please say you'll come to my next appointment? Please?"
"I… Jubes, don't you want your mother there or something?"
"Please?"
"I mean, I'm practically a stranger to you, and-"
"Pretty please?" I looked into her pleading eyes and caved immediately.
"Alright, Jubilee. I'll come with you at the end of August."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" she grinned, hugging me tightly. We made the appointment and left the clinic. I waited until we were well away from the clinic to ask her the question that was burning in my mind.
"Jubes? Why didn't you go to your family doctor with this? It seems kinda silly to use a clinic when you have a perfectly good private doctor that you're already paying for."
"My doctor is such a busy body. He would have either taken the news to my parents or the tabloids. I'm anonymous at the clinic. I like that. I might switch permanently and have my records moved. I don't have anything interesting in my records, not even allergies. But I don't want to go back to newsy Doctor Vespa. He won't do what's best for me and my baby."
"That sounds fair," I shrugged. "When do you plan to tell your family about the baby?" She thought about it, twirling her keys as I looked on. And a good thing I was looking for trouble. I spun her in front of me and turned my back to the asshole with a bucket of bright red paint. A moment later the splash hit my back.
"You're scum! You don't deserve to be bothering Mrs. Smith! I hope you die a horrible death in childbirth, you nasty, frigid-"
"So… You're blessing my union with my boyfriend and wishing our union fruitfulness?" I turned to the woman, pushing Keith's sister behind me and out of the line of fire.
"What? No! That's not-"
"Oh, you're right. You're cursing an innocent life by condemning my future child to grow up motherless."
"That's not what I meant!" The woman was twisting the handle of the bucket frantically, looking flustered.
"Isn't it? You went home to get a whole bucket of paint just to throw on me while spouting your horrible predictions about my future. You call yourself a Christian? Let me ask you this; what would Jesus do?" The woman suddenly looked stricken. "Did it make you feel better to pass judgment on me like a Pharisee? Get out of here, you horrible person!" She ran away sobbing at that. "Idiot," I muttered, turning to Jubilee. "Are you alright? Did any get on you?" The pregnant woman was staring at me in awe. "What?"
"How can you - Why would - How did you know she was a Christian?"
"She was exuding that 'God hates gays' energy. I took a chance and it paid off. Did any of the paint get on you?"
"No. Your coat is ruined from the back, though."
"Don't worry. I got it covered." I went into my trunk and pulled out a new one from the dozen I already had. Making a mental note to order a couple of new ones, I swirled into the new one so that I was covered at all times. Another thing I'd picked up from a horrible experience. Once I was covered, I rolled the robe inside out so the paint wouldn't get everywhere and chucked it in the garbage.
"We should get out of here before my presence attracts a crowd. Meet you at your house?"
"How about I follow you to your place? You have any liquor?"
"A little, but I have to work out later and you're pregnant, so who exactly will be drinking?"
"Damn, I forgot about that. How about mocktails and movies?"
"Deal!" I said excitedly. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching The Princess and the Frog and drinking a mix of fruit juices that would have been perfect with a shot of rum. Keith came in just as the Shadow Man was being dragged to Hell.
"What are you-"
"SHH!" We both hushed him as if we'd never seen the film before and had no idea how it ended. I ignored his fond smile as he sat down next to me, gathering me onto his lap and folding me into his arms. Honestly, I didn't care what he did as long as he didn't interrupt my view of the end credits.
Once the last credit rolled, I was willing to talk. "Hello baby. What's happening?"
"Someone ruined her coat this afternoon. We're watching movies and drinking to settle our nerves."
Don't you have your own news to share?" I asked as I tried to get up from his lap. His grip on my hips was suddenly like iron. I squirmed before settling down, knowing that I wasn't getting away until he released me.
"It wasn't a big deal," I said anxiously. "We were just-"
"Not a big deal? Some psychopath throws-"
"Shut up, Jubes!"
"Who was throwing things at my woman?" he asked with enough menace to shut us both up. I was suddenly very relieved that I knew nothing useful about that paint-toting idiot. Keith would likely have forced the details out of me otherwise.
"I was-"
"She dumped-"
"One more word out of you and I'm not going to your appointment. I mean it, Jubilee!" The woman finally shut her mouth with a mutinous look. One problem taken care of, I turned in my seat to face my boyfriend. Spilling the whole paint incident and my handling of the situation.
"I'm proud of you, Sweetling. But why weren't you going to tell me?"
"Because I handled the situation already and there's nothing you could do about it anyway! I'm a very independent woman. I tend to handle my own problems and keep my own counsel when it comes to what information I share. The last thing I want is you full of the same impotent rage I carry around daily. I'm attacked on the daily, sometimes multiple times a day, by idiots and assholes who are sure Leslie Smith needs their protection; by self-righteous twats who want vengeance on her behalf. Most I can talk down, like with the mad painter. Others have their heads stuck too far up their asses to be saved. It's a tedious process, changing the world one person at a time, so I tend to keep it to myself."
"You keep a lot of things to yourself," the MMA fighter said angrily. "What did I say about this just yesterday? I want to share your burdens. Your rage - however impotent - is my burden to carry too," he started nibbling on my collarbones, making me moan softly. "We're a team, my lady. I want to hear about your daily struggles so I can soothe you. Do we need to revisit my list of punishments for non-compliance?" I shuddered, remembering exactly what he was talking about. I was suddenly very choked up that he cared about me enough to want to know. Not even my siblings were close enough to me for that.
"Okay," I forced out around the lump in my throat. I snuggled against him, feeling some internal barrier shatter with the realization of the depths of his love for me. I suddenly felt warm and loved and protected in a way even my brothers and father couldn't manage. Not that they didn't try, but I had this whole inner world that I couldn't trust them with. An inner world that Keith had forced his way into the night he forced me to reveal what actually happened to Gretchen Landers. The memory of exactly how he'd gotten that particular story out of me had my panties wet. He smiled at me knowingly and turned to his silent sister.
"Now, what's this about you having news, little sister?" Jubilee suddenly looked guilty and uncomfortable. I giggled softly, knowing that she wouldn't say a word until I gave her permission to. She must really want me to come to that appointment.
"Just tell him, Jubes. Your brother is relentless when hunting for information."
"I'm p-p-pregnant," she stuttered, unable to look at him. I could see the wheels turning in my man's brilliant mind.
"That's why Ryan hasn't been around the last two months." It wasn't a question.
"I'd been feeling off and out of sorts for a few days, so I took a pregnancy test. I damn near had a heart attack when it came back positive. I was so eager to share my news with the father… He accused me of cheating on him, stating that he used condoms every time so it couldn't be his. I protested and he insisted that I get an abortion since he wasn't ready to be a father. I told him that I wasn't ready for motherhood, but this baby was coming, ready or not. He said to get an abortion or our relationship was over. Then he left me crying in our favorite cafe. It was the worst day of my life. I've been in limbo ever since, with only your girlfriend to confide in."
"You thought about it, didn't you? You actually thought about terminating the pregnancy to save your relationship with that piece of shit, didn't you?" She nodded slowly with tears in her eyes.
"And you," he said, turning to me. I backed away from him as much as I could while trapped in his lap. "You've known about all of this since you met my sister, haven't you?"
"It wasn't my secret to tell, especially when she couldn't decide if she wanted the baby or not."
"Not even to me?"
"Especially not to you," I shrugged. "Her body, her choice. But I wouldn't have told you anyway. I'm not a snitch."
"It's not snitching to-"
"Snitches get Stitches and end up in Ditches," I quoted without hesitation. "Besides, it was Jubilee's secret, not mine. My life is complicated enough without adding 'sister betrayal' to the list. The same way I would never spill your secrets to anyone, I would never betray your sister's trust. It's a matter of confidentiality." He kissed me tenderly, making me feel like I was drowning in him. Then he grabbed my face hard.
"Someday soon we are going to explore this ongoing theme of confidentiality in your life, Sweetling. You do not owe it to the people who hurt you." His touch was once again gentle as he let me go. "But I understand your reasoning this one time. You were right to keep my sister's confidence. Come, my love. It's time to work out. Should we drop you off at Mom and Dad's on the way, Jubilee?"
"No way," she said excitedly. I want to see what she's doing that's got her losing so much weight so fast!"
"I already told you, I eat better and exercise my ass off for an hour a day. That's all. I'd probably be losing more if I was more disciplined, but I figure this is manageable and it seems to be working for me. Plus, the stress of my plight is melting off the pounds. I wanted manageable and maintainable back when I started working on my weight. So, no fad diets, no strange supplements. This is just hard work and eating less and better. And I'm almost there," I said proudly." I've been dreaming about being 127 pounds since I hit 235 and kept gaining. I'm 133 right now. I'm so close to my goal I can taste it." Both siblings looked at me incredulously.
"Didn't think I could do it, did you?" I asked smugly. "I'm a couple of months early, but I am very close to reaching my goal and going on maintenance. I want to see the actual numbers on the scale before I stop."
"You have to call me when you reach your goal, Tammy," Jubilee smiled at me.
"Believe me, I'll be calling you and everyone else I can think of when I hit that magic number! Now, I need to get my gym clothes together. I'll be back."