Theirs to Own

Robbin Jay

Christmas Eve 2024

I stared in the mirror at myself. My eyes danced over the colorful scarf wrapped underneath my long brown hair. I loved how my brown skin glowed. Baby, I didn't play about my skin care. I kept up with a facial routine that my mother made sure I curated in my thirties. She said all women should have one by age thirty, and I had mine. At my big age of thirty-five, I made sure I was healthy all around. I felt thirty-five when I woke up in the mornings, too, which was why I worked out with my partners as much as possible.

"Birdie! Birdie! What are you doing, girl?" my partner, Nine, shouted from the bottom of the stairs, interrupting my thoughts.

Speaking of partner. I chuckled at him. Nine and I were attached at the hip. If he wasn't working, then he was home and snuggled next to me.

"I'm coming, baby."

I added the last of my collagen cream to my face, then looked over the silk plum pajama set that Kanin got me a year ago. Why was I trying to be so pretty going to bed? My men loved me as I was, but I still wanted to look attractive to them.

"Robby, do I need to come and get you? I know your nighttime routine is over by now," Kanin complained from the stairs.

I laughed as I added my rehydrating gloss and then hit the lights in our bedroom.

These two killed me. I was only gone out of their sight for about two hours, and they acted like it was an eternity. Maybe it was because of the craziness we'd endured, or they were purely in love with me. By God's grace, we survived everything life threw at us.

I shuffled into the hallway in my furry brown slides and stared at Kanin as I walked down the stairs. His teeth sank into his lower lip as he eyed me with lust in his eyes. My eyes roamed over his tapered fro that held the sponged look and his full beard. To this day, he still had the most mesmerizing light brown eyes I'd ever seen. A black tee molded to his athletic build, and black pajama bottoms covered his legs. Dr. Kanin Drives and Detective Nine Huggs had owned my heart for the last eleven years, and I owned theirs.

Our love story wasn't a pretty one at all. It was actually quite tragic, but the love we'd held for each other all this time made our relationship so strong and worthy. I stopped at the last stair, and Kanin's arms immediately wrapped around my waist. We shared a deep yet brief kiss.

"I'm here. Where's the fire? You and Nine are rushing me like something is going on?"

"Nothing is wrong, Robby. You've just been gone for a while, and you know we got that detachment issue when you're gone for long periods of time," Kanin replied, licking my gloss from his lips.

"I know, love. We all have it." I kissed his thick lips again before I stepped back. "Where's my Nine?"

"In the family room waiting to start the movie. He's already turned on the fireplace. Come on, lady."

"Okay, cool."

Kanin scooped me in his arms like he always did and carried me into our grandiose family room. The walls were white with high ceilings. There was a crystal and gold chandelier that hung from the ceiling. We had a patio with glass doors showcasing the vast lake a few feet from our home. We had multiple recliners, but my favorite seat was the huge couches we ordered that set in the shape of a square in the center of the room. The walls were riddled with family portraits of us, our son Tanon, and our daughter Blue Jay. They were fed, cleaned, and asleep in their rooms. The fireplace was going. It was electric, so I was glad it operated with a simple on-and-off switch. Right above it was the massive TV that Nine and Kanin agreed to buy. I wasn't a big TV fan, but my guys were, so I indulged for them.

I smiled at the decorated Valentine's Day tree we all pitched in to bring to life. We decorated the tree for every holiday we celebrated, per my request. Since Valentine's Day was tomorrow, we decorated the tree in shades of pink, red, and white. Once I was done admiring our tree, my eyes flitted over to Nine as he laid shirtless on his stomach in our mosh pit of couches. He was toned, tattooed, and still sexy as hell. Nine was light brown, like a handful of cashews, with the most passionate and expressive russet brown eyes. He was such a lover boy, and even with life experiences, he never changed the love he had for us. Nine was loving, thoughtful, and overprotective as hell. He played no games. His long hair was gone, and he now rocked a tapered, wavy fade and full beard. It was absolutely sinful how fine my men were.

Kanin placed me inside the mosh pit, and I immediately straddled Nine's back before kissing his cheek. Kanin took his place next to us and flipped through the movie app until he settled on my favorite holiday film. He munched on his kettle-cooked popcorn as I placed kisses along Nine's broad shoulder and up to his neck.

Nine moaned and grabbed onto my wrist, pulling me under his big body. Nine rested between my legs and stared into my eyes. "Why are you teasing me, Birdie? I thought we were going to watch this movie, but if you're feeling some type of way, Kanin and I have no problem with taking you upstairs."

"Let me know before I get too relaxed. I'm on turkey duty in the morning, and y'all know I don't play about my holiday bird," Kanin stated, still watching the movie.

I laughed and signaled for Nine to let me up. He did, and I looked from him to Kanin.

"What's on your mind, Birdie?" Nine quizzed, stroking my thigh.

"Nothing serious. I guess I'm feeling kinda nostalgic or grateful to be here with you both," I responded, looking down at Nine's large hand on my thigh.

Kanin turned away from the TV and looked at Nine before they both looked at me. "Robby, you get like this around this time of year for the past eleven years. It was shortly after the New Year when we all returned to college and met in 2012," Kanin stated in a cautious tone.

I sighed because this was very much true. It was eleven years ago when our lives were almost taken. Although I'd made peace with it, I guess there was still a slight part of me that suffered from PTSD. If I had lost them that day in class or any time after, my life wouldn't be where it was.

"Thank you, my loves, for always being so attentive. You guys know me better than anyone else."

"We always have, and we always will," Nine spoke up. "Tell us what's on your mind."

"How we met."

"Tell us the story then, Robby. We're all ears," Kanin added, pulling me between him and Nine. Both of them held onto my hands and listened to me reflect on how we met.

January 2012

I blew a bubble before chewing on my unflavored gum loudly as my professor's large hands groped my breasts over my winter coat. His thumbs tried to tweak my nipples, and I blew another bubble. Anybody would assume he was the one with the failing grade the way he attempted to persuade me to sleep with him for a higher grade. That wasn't the case at all. I was in my senior year in college, failing horribly in my chemistry lab class. I needed an A in this class if I wanted to be accepted into the Illinois State of Chicago School of Medicine. Once I left here, at Illinois State of Chicago, with a great GPA, I could easily move right into medical school. However, I needed to pass his class, so I tuned back into his boring speech.

"So, as you see, Ms. Jay, you can easily pass this class if you give me what I want," Professor Richards whispered in my ear, then kissed my neck.

Rumors had always circulated on campus that Professor Richards had a thing for young college girls. I hadn't witnessed it until now. He was indeed a creep, but I couldn't speak for other girls. Maybe they wanted to indulge him, or maybe they didn't, but I had a choice, and it was no. The only reason I allowed him to touch me was because he was fine as hell, and he wasn't forcing himself on me. I was assuming Professor Richards gave me an option, like the others, but I was good on him. He was tall, fit, dark-skinned, with a bald head, mustache, and goatee. The professor had it going on, but it was still a no for me.

I slapped his hands away in a nonchalant manner and stood from my seat. "Thank you for your delightful offer, Professor, but I'ma pass. You're married with a family, and I don't want that on my conscience. I'll take my chances with the tutoring department." I grabbed my backpack from the floor and walked past him, but he stopped me.

"Robbin, wait! Are you sure you don't want to sample this dick?" He unzipped his trousers and removed his swollen and enlarged dick.

"Mm." I had to admit, his penis was pretty as hell. Chocolate with large veins was my type. I was a liberated twenty-two-year-old woman, and I believed in thoroughly exploring my sexual desires, but married men weren't my type. "Thank you for the show, Professor, but I'm good. Enjoy your day."

He quickly fixed his clothing as I snatched open the door and strolled out.

When I entered the hallway, Jade was seated outside his door and rocking her baby in a stroller. She was a hard worker, even having a child, and I admired that about her.

"Hey, Jade. You're up next. I love your boots, by the way."

"Thank you, Robbin. See you later," she announced and strolled into his office.

I hope he didn't try anything with her, especially with her baby being present. Whatever happened, I hoped Jade knew she was in control.

I exited the science building and headed to the annex where all the student services were. A few familiar faces waved as I passed by, and I waved back. This was the first week back since the holiday break, and from the lazy look on the student's faces, they were still tired. I wasn't. My face and demeanor screamed that I was determined.

All my life, I'd wanted to deliver babies. There was something prolific about God creating life and then helping him bring life into the world. My father was a retired surgeon, and Mama was a stay-at-home mom and wife. Daddy was skilled with a scalpel, but Mama was a true master at running a household and supporting Daddy and me. I remembered asking her on the night of my high school graduation if there was something else she wanted to do with her life. My mom smiled and hugged me tighter, saying her only dream was to be a good wife and mother. Well, she certainly was. Mama was the best. That was one reason I worked so hard for my dream to come true, and that was so she'd be able to see that her hard work wasn't for nothing.

Unfortunately, I was an only child. There were times I wanted a sibling, but I loved having all the attention on me. My parents couldn't produce more children after me, so they poured into me and showered me with so much love, affection, and care. I never went without or wanted for anything, so I wanted them to know that I took nothing for granted.

Climbing the last stair, I entered the hallway and approached the receptionist's small window.

"Hello. I would like to sign up for a tutor," I stated.

The bubbly girl pulled her headphones around her neck and paused her MP3 player. She was fair-skinned with vibrant green eyes and a natural redhead. "Hey, I can help you. What subject do you need help in?"

"Chemistry."

"What days are good for you?" she queried.

"Tuesdays and Thursdays," I replied.

"Okay, and times?"

"Hm." Tuesdays and Thursdays were my short days, so afternoons worked best for me. "Afternoons are good, so anytime between noon and three," I answered.

She went between fidgeting with the rolodex next to her and surfing on the square and beige computer monitor in front of her. A few minutes went by before she peered at me with a smile.

"Okay. The only tutor available for those times is Kanin Drives."

His name sounded so familiar to me. I pursed my lips to the side and squinted my eyes. My thoughts ran rampant until it came to me. He was a brother in my chemistry class. Kanin was a cutie, but he never spoke to me. He only talked to his friend, Nine, who was quiet. Nine was fine, too, but they kept to themselves. Had I conversed with Kanin in class, I could've simply approached him there and not made the trip here.

"Thank you so much. You can go ahead and sign me up with him."

"Great! I'll need your information next, and he's also available today if you would like to meet him and get a feel for how he tutors," she offered.

"Sounds good to me."

"Cool. Once I get you locked into the schedule, I'll let you in and take you to Kanin."

"Thanks," I expressed with a smile."

"Sure thing."

She went back to scheduling my visits as I gave her my information. When she was done, she buzzed me into the center. As she pointed out the services the center offered, I followed behind her and observed everything she made a note of. I nodded my understanding and responded when I needed to until we stopped outside a small yet semi-spacious cubicle.

"Hey, Kanin. I have a new student for you. This is Robbin."

"What's up, Amber? And thank you." Kanin stood and smirked when his eyes landed on me. His high-top fade was lined and faded perfectly.

My eyes roamed over his small, round-rimmed glasses, clean-shaven, deep brown complexion, and plump, light brown lips. He wore a white tee under his black sweatshirt and black cargo pants, and there was a small gold hoop in his nose. Damn, he was fine, but the most mesmerizing feature on his body were his light brown eyes. I could stare into them all night. Kanin cleared his throat, and I quickly snapped out of my perusal of him.

"Thanks again, Amber. I can take it from here," he expressed in a tone too deep for a young guy.

"You got it." Amber bounced away with her cheerful nature, and I watched her until she left.

"Come in, Robbin, and make yourself comfortable."

"You know my name?" I quizzed, taking the seat at the small table across from him.

He chuckled and took his seat. "Yes, I know who you are. We have class together. Trust me when I say I noticed you, although you sit up by the door so you can hurry and make a quick escape from class when it's over."

I blushed and rubbed my glossed lips together. "How come you never said anything to me?"

"Blame it on my fear of rejection. Although I'm a confident man, rejection from pretty women sometimes makes me hesitant."

"That's understandable, but I don't bite. Well, not unless you want me to."

Kanin raised his brow, and a smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. I winked at him before matching his stare. "You're a flirt, Robbin. Do you spell your name like the bird?" He grabbed his notepad and pen.