Chapter 19 #2
Tunk was a different type of employee. I paid a security company to handle the business side of all of that. All I did was cut a check monthly.
This would be taking on the responsibility of someone else’s ethics and safety. I would have to offer healthcare, great benefits, and an even better pay range.
Can you afford that?
You’ll have to increase clients. Maybe more state care cases. Their insurance always pays more.
Which was another thing. I would probably have to increase my rates to ensure that not only did I get paid, but my cuddler as well.
Currently, my out of pocket clients paid between one hundred and two hundred dollars per session.
I knew the risk of raising the fee, but it was the only way I could see this working.
I nibbled on my bottom lip as I began to write down everything that I’d have to factor in as far as salary and health insurance.
I still couldn’t believe that I was even looking at the process of replacing myself in my position at my company, but I couldn’t take being without Highland anymore.
Too many days and nights and I wanted to be back under my man.
“Mommy, we’re bored.” I looked up to see Cece and Jo-Jo now lingering around the kitchen table with these long ass faces and Neela slowly trailing in behind them, holding onto a baby doll I had gotten her the other day.
“Bored? Between all the board and video games and outside toys you have, ain’t no way that y’all are bored. How about you read a book? Or color me a picture.” I wanted to finish my new business plan so I could at least tell Highland I was working on it for us.
“We did all that,” Jo-Jo whined, making me tilt my head as I smirked at his lying ass.
“Well I have to work so I can make our money. How about y’all watch a movie or something? I can put one on for y’all. Ooh, yeah, that new one with the little blue people should be playing now. Does that sound like fun?”
“Mommy, why do you have to work and make the money too? Daddy makes a lot of money already, you can just spend his so you can play with us.” I let out a high pitched cackle before I covered my mouth at Cece’s words.
“Because we have two houses and that costs us twice the money. I don’t want your daddy to pay for everything by himself.
I like to help him out,” I said as I thought about how my words would have Highland cussing me out.
If he had his way, he would pay for both houses and everything me and these kids needed and wanted.
Hence why that man thought I would just up and quit my job without another one waiting for me.
“Why do we have two houses? Now that you’re our mommy, shouldn’t we all live in one house, like a real family?” Cece asked. I swear I had to constantly remind myself that she was seven because some of the things this girl said were far too advanced sometimes.
“Not all mommies and daddies live together. That doesn’t mean they’re not your mommy or daddy though or that we aren’t family. Isn’t that right, Jo-Jo?” I recruited him to co-sign with me since Jasiel had never lived with us.
He nodded but even he was giving me a quizzical look, as if he too was wondering why we all didn’t live together.
I’m working on it y’all.
Which I was, I just needed to figure my shit out. There was no way I was losing Highland over my position at my job. I was so stressed out about us that my period was late as hell. I had to get us back so my body could relax and regulate itself.
“Anyway, so Mommy has to finish this so I can buy y’all everything you want. Summer isn’t over, we still have a lot to do. Jo-Jo, don’t you want to go to the beach?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, then that takes me working to make money.”
“Mommy, can we help make money too?” Jo-Jo asked, sounding too eager to enter the labor force at his young age.
“Ooh yeah, we can,” Cece chimed in, just as enthusiastic as Jo-Jo with her little browns wide with excitement.
I sat back and crossed my arms, preparing myself to entertain this idea.
“And how do you plan to make money? You need a business idea and a plan to execute it. Like how your daddy is the captain of his ships and the ferry. And I have my own business. What do y’all plan to do for your business?
” By now, Neela was making her way into my space, trying to climb into my lap.
I glanced at the time on my laptop to see it was close to the time she had been taking her naps, so I knew she would be out as soon as she laid her head on my chest.
I listened to Jo-Jo and Cece go back and forth over their different ideas while I rocked Neela in my arms.
Five minutes later, Cece spoke up, acting as their campaign manager. It was cute.
“Okay, Mommy, we decided on a lemonade stand. We can make lemonade and charge the people in the neighborhood. That way you and Daddy don’t have to work so hard and you can play with us more.” I smiled while I thought about her words.
While you’re cooking bacon, Olive, make lemonade.
I liked the idea, plus it would keep them busy as I finished outlining my plan. I was more than confident now that I could find someone to handle my clients while I moved in the background. I would have more time with the kids and Highland.
“Do you have startup money or is this on Mommy and Daddy?” I was already moving Neela around in my arms to get my phone so I could put in an order for their supplies. I thanked God for same-day delivery of their stand because I wasn’t a builder.
They looked at each other dumbfounded by the question, making me laugh.
“Whenever you don’t have the money to pay upfront, you’ll ask for people to invest or get a loan from the bank.
Today, consider your daddy your investor.
Now, since this is your idea, this will be your job.
Mommy will only help make the lemonade and set you up, but you have to get customers, okay?
So while we’re waiting on the lemons, go make signs to advertise your business.
There should be construction paper and markers in the playroom. ”
Cece squealed as she shook her tight fist in the air before they left me alone to finish my business plan to present to my own investor. I just prayed the Captain was as easygoing as I had been with their plan.
I chuckled as Neela yelled at passing cars with the sign that spelled out lemonade in an assortment of colors and letter sizes.
We had been out here for the past hour and a half and I must admit I was having way too much fun watching the kids work their stand.
Of course, I added cookies and brownies on the menu to help drive people to their stand.
My baby girl, who’d slept through most of the hard work, was their biggest supporter.
I was surprised by the amount of traffic they had at their stand.
I’d refilled their lemonade pitcher three times.
“Mommy, do we have more brownies? This lady wants two but I only have one left,” Cece yelled while Jo-Jo busied himself pouring the lemonade with Cece looking for more already packaged brownies.
“No baby, you can offer her two cookies though.”
I put my attention back on my tablet, scrolling through health insurance options I could offer my employees at a good price. Everything was coming together with my plan to expand.
“I leave you alone with the kids for a few hours and you put ’em to work.
I hope they at least turning a profit out here.
” I looked up to see Highland standing over me, still in his uniform, causing me to gawk at his fine ass.
I didn’t even want to think about the insane amount of time I stared at him without saying anything.
“Daddy!” the kids yelled in unison and I was glad too because a minute longer and my intrusive thoughts of attacking his ass were going to win.
“A lemonade stand, huh? And whose idea was this?” Jo-Jo and Cece both said “me” while Neela raised her lying hand.
“Mommy said we needed the money since we have two houses and we’re going to the beach. Cece and I just wanted to help out.” He shot me a stern look, which had me now avoiding his eyes.
Fuck, Olive, maybe you shouldn’t have said that.
“Daddy has a lot of money that he makes for you and Mommy to spend, y’all don’t have to worry about working, but if you want to learn how to earn money, let me get a cup of lemonade please.”
There he was again, including me in his plans.
Olive, maybe he got over the whole job thing and wants to work on y’all.
In my mind it was obvious at this point. Since that day I sent the picture of me and the girls and he said all his girls, I had been on cloud ten thousand with my overthinking, hoping maybe Highland was coming around.
After getting his lemonade, Highland made his way back over to me, holding his hand out.
I was pulled up, switching places with him putting me on his lap.
I was stiff, unsure of his sudden change.
It had been weeks since Highland and I were this comfortable with each other, and now here I was, on his lap, sitting too dangerously close to his fat ass dick that was brushing up against my thigh.
“Why do I get the feeling that you used the money I gave you for this summer project? That was your money to buy whatever else you needed to be comfortable when you come down to the Keys, Olive,” Highland said as he tried his drink. His slight moan had me grinning at him appreciating my lemonade.
I shrugged.
“They said they were bored and I had it to invest in them. I’m creating core memories, the money spent is worth it, Captain.”
Really, Olive? Again with the name slip.
It wasn’t my fault though. It was him and all this familiar comfort he was giving me.
Highland snuggled his face into my neck, groaning his irritation as he kissed me softly, which had my eyes snapping shut.
What in the fuck is this?
“Yo, I swear you’re so fucking hardheaded. Do you have everything you and Jo-Jo need?” he asked, still in the position that had my breathing heavy as my heartbeat in my clit was pulsating.
“Y-yes,” I pushed out. I was just saying shit because I couldn’t even complete a straight thought when Highland began to caress my thighs.
Highland was fucking with me and I couldn’t take it. I went to move so I could at least breathe normally but his strong arms held me back against him tightly.
“Please don’t. It’s been weeks, and I miss the fuck out of you, Olive.”
“I miss you too.”
Is our fight over? Do I still have to find an employee?
I couldn’t just be, I wanted to know before I let myself fall back into him.
Olive, you haven’t fallen out.
“Highland, as much as this…you feel good,” I paused for a quick moment as I shifted enough to look at him.
He…we needed to be on the same page with this.
I pushed out a sigh, “As much as I feel good back in your arms, and want to be here, I have to be sure about what this all means. Are you okay with my career now?”
“Hell no. But I realize you’re right. Well, Kelvin helped me see how much I fucked up by putting you on the spot with that ultimatum.
You shouldn’t make those types of decisions without considering every factor that will be affected.
I was insensitive to that, and I apologize.
Saying all that to say, I am here to help you figure something else out though.
Baby, I don’t like the job, and I will never be comfortable with you doing it.
But I also know I can’t—we can’t be without you in our lives.
It’s me and you on our forever type of shit, Olive.
I ain’t going nowhere and neither the fuck are you.
” Highland gripped my neck, pulling my mouth onto his.
I was trying to play it safe, it was only supposed to be a peck, but one taste of him had me locking my arms around his neck and Highland slipping his tongue in.
I moaned out of pure bliss from the familiarity of his mouth.
It was crazy how this time when Highland said my career was a hell no, I didn’t even take offense.
I attributed that to the fact that I was already perfecting a business plan to hire an employee or two.
Or it could be the fact that my soul hadn’t felt whole since the day he broke up with me.
I wanted to be with Highland, this I knew for sure.
And at this point, I would do whatever to make sure it happened.
“Fuck, Olive. Baby, you just don’t know how much I’ve been craving you. How hard these last couple of weeks have been for me,” he said against my lips lowly.
He reached down, and I thought he was going for my ass, but when his hand came back up holding a baggie of seashells, my smile spread wide across my face.
“Every day that I wanted to kiss you, hold you, or taste you, hell. even when I was fucking mad at you, I made a new one.”
I gasped as I noticed the gold anchor charm hanging from the bag.
“Oh my gosh, Captain, it’s beautiful. Thank you, baby.” I gave him another quick kiss.
“You’re welcome Olive.” I blushed as I took it off to see it was a necklace that Highland was already in motion to put on for me.
“Mommy, we sold out!” That was Jo-Jo yelling over at me. I glanced over at them to see a now empty pitcher and Cece counting the bills in the lockbox.
“Welp, I guess that was fun while it lasted,” I said as I got up so I could start cleaning up the lemonade stand.
Highland swatted my ass, making me turn to see him giving me a devilish grin.
“You handle that, and I’ll get started on dinner.”
And just like that, my heart beat for the first time in weeks without aching.