Victoria The Billionaires Maid

I put the syrup down, pushed back from the table, and all but ran into the bathroom. I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet and began to heave. I was shaking and I could feel sweat beading up on my forehead and running slowly down the side of my face.

I emptied my stomach and reached up to flush the toilet before almost collapsing back against the cabinet behind me. I was light-headed and I could see gray spots in front of my eyes. I’d never passed out before, so I wasn’t sure, but it felt like I was about to.

I leaned forward and put my head between my knees while I let it pass. In the meantime, I heard Liz knock on the door.

“Hey, Vicki! Are you alright? What happened?” I didn’t answer her right away so she pushed open the door.

When she saw me on the floor she sucked in a sharp breath and said, “Oh my goodness, honey, what’s wrong? You’re so pale!”

“I’m not feeling so good,” I told her.

“Here, let’s get you up and back to bed,” she said. She helped me to my feet and I stood in front of the sink and brushed my teeth and rinsed out my mouth.

Then I mistakenly took a drink of water. As soon as it hit my stomach, I was hanging my head over the toilet again. “Jeez, honey.

You have something bad. Have you been around anyone with the stomach flu?”

“Not that I know of,” I told her, starting the teeth brushing process over.

“What did you eat last night?”

“Just the pasta salad. The same as you.”

“Hmm, at least it’s probably not food poisoning. I had that once after eating some bad salmon.

That was the worst. It was even worse because my periods were spotty back then and I thought I was pregnant.”

I saw the question in her eyes before she asked it. I was trying to do the math in my head.

When was my last menstrual cycle? Oh damn!

“I’m not pregnant,” I said, too quickly.

“Did you and Jason use protection?”

“Not condoms, but I was on the pill.

We both got tested regularly for STDs.

Jason hated condoms.”

“Did you remember to take them every day?”

“Yes, Liz. I’m not pregnant. It’s the flu.”

She seemed to accept that and said, “Okay honey, let’s get you to bed.”

I lay in bed, grateful once again for Liz who brought me some saltine crackers and a seven-up, and then after putting a bucket by the bed “just in case,” she left me alone with my smelly misery.

I nibbled on the crackers and after a while, my stomach began to settle down. I only took sips of the seven-up, although I wasn’t nauseated any longer, I was still cautious of putting too much into my stomach. I seriously despised throwing up.

By noon I felt better and I got up and took a shower.

While I was standing under the soft spray, my mind went back to Liz’s questions about the birth control had I remembered to take them every day? There was one week, right before Jason and I started our “break” where I’d messed up somehow and forgotten to take one.

But I’d doubled up the next day and the gynecologist had told me once before that was safe. I couldn’t be pregnant. I hadn’t had my period in almost two months, but that wasn’t unusual either.

My cycles were fickle and some months, if I was stressed out, I wouldn’t have one at all. I couldn’t be pregnant. I didn’t have the money to be a mother or the time. Babies are expensive and daycare is even more expensive. What would I do about work?

I thought back to when I was a kid and my mother worked at that strip club just outside of Seal Beach.

I hadn’t told Alex the day he and I talked about it, but that was why I spent so much time there. She would drop me off at the pier before she went to work from the time I was ten until I got to about fourteen.

When the sun went down, there was a little room in the back where I would watch television until she got off at two.

I was never allowed in the club area, but I heard a lot of “shop-talk” going on between the strippers since their dressing room was only separated from the room I was in by a curtain.

Over the years a few of the other women brought their kids too and we formed a little club and called ourselves, “Seal Rats.” It was corny, but none of us had much at that point.

I love my mother and the older I get, the more I am beginning to realize and believe that she did do her best. But I always promised myself that I wouldn’t have a kid until my best meant a nice home in a good neighborhood with plenty of food in the pantry and a mom who was either home or could afford excellent childcare for when she was at work.

Of course, there was always a father in there when I imagined it too. It wasn’t fair to give any less to a child. I didn’t want to bring a child into this world and cheat them out of what they deserved.

I wasn’t pregnant, that was all there was to it. I spent the rest of that Sunday in my room. I watched a few movies and slept off and on. I considered going and getting a pregnancy test but that would be a waste of money. I’m not pregnant.

Monday morning I woke up feeling good, even more, convinced that I had been silly for even considering I might be pregnant. I got ready for work and realized that we were out of coffee, so I left a little early to go through the drive-thru and get one on my way to work.

I went to my favorite little hole-in-the-wall shop down by the beach. They opened the drive-thru early for the commuters and surfers and I loved their coffee. I told the girl what I wanted over the speaker and then I drove up to the window.

As soon as she opened it and the smells of the freshly baked pastries wafted out, I knew I was in trouble. I began to lurch and gag handed her a twenty and told her to keep the change, and then drove around to the small parking lot.

I got out of the car and realized the sickeningly sweet smells were out here too, along with the smell of the salty ocean. It all cumulated in me holding onto the front of the car and emptying my stomach into the bushes. It was mostly liquid and a lot of it was bile. I felt disgusting afterward and almost called in sick.

I looked at the time and decided I had time to run by the 24-hour pharmacy and get a toothbrush and paste. I could use the bathroom there. I really couldn’t afford to miss a day of work.

I bought the brush and paste and went into the little bathroom. I brushed my teeth and as if incapable of learning my lesson, I took a drink of water and I was back on my knees and heaving again in no time.

When I finished and cleaned up again, I took a long look at myself in the mirror. “You have to take a pregnancy test,” I told the image in the mirror. “Fine!” she said back. “But we’re not pregnant.”

I bought one on my way out. I didn’t have time to do it now. I was already running late for work. I got to work five minutes late and of course, ran into Karen in the locker area. My luck had just been great lately.

“Good morning, Victoria,” she said, glancing at the clock.

“Good morning, Karen. I’m so sorry for being late.

The traffic was bad today.” I stuffed my big purse with the test in it in the locker and closed it. I turned and she was smiling at me.

“Please, Victoria. If all of the staff were as conscientious as you, my job would be a breeze. I think all the time you get here early and stay over late can make up for five minutes.”

“Thank you,” I said, smiling back.

“Are you okay though, hon? You look a little peaked today.”

“I’m fine,” I told her. “I was a touch under the weather over the weekend, but much better today.”

I was still fighting the waves of nausea that hit every five minutes or so but I wasn’t going to tell her that.

“Okay, well you have a good day. But Vicki if you start feeling poorly again, let me know, alright?”