Chapter 10
Two Days Later
Today was our St. Patrick’s Day night out, and I had been trying to ask Cecilia if she wanted to go ever since Boss reminded me about it.
None of us were Irish, but we knew how to drink, and tonight, there would be a lot of drinking going on. Boss told me that if I didn’t ask her, he would, and I threatened to end his life. My brother played too much, and the fact that I knew for a fact her son was named after him didn’t make the situation any better.
I sat on the couch, staring at the stairs, waiting for Cecilia to come down.
“Hey. I thought you’d be at work. Are you off today?”
Her voice startled me, and she giggled at seeing me jump.
“Uhm, no. All businesses are closed today in preparation for our St. Patrick’s Day night out.”
“What’s that, and why do y’all need a whole day to do it?”
I laughed because we didn’t need a whole day, but at the same time, we did.
She handed me the baby and sat next to me to strap her sandals. The past two nights, we moved as if we’d been together for years instead of a short period of time. Now, if I could get her to move into my room, I would be good. However, I wasn’t one for pressuring women, so I relaxed and moved at her pace.
Cecilia was comfortable with me, and I needed to see if she could be that with the guys and their women.
“Technically, we don’t need a whole day, but a lot of the guys participate in the setup, so it’s what you do when you’re a nice boss. Where are y’all going?”
“Gotcha. Is it just for club members, or can I come?” She looked up and smiled. “We’re only going for a walk, to the general store, and we were going to visit you at the shop, but since you’re here, you can join us.”
I looked Cecilia upside her head because her coming out of her shell had her bossy ass thinking she could tell me what I was going to do. The problem was, I was definitely doing what she said. Any time I could get with her and it not be my idea was my type of good time.
“You welcome wherever I am, always. Also, how you gon’ tell me I’m going with y’all? What if I had something to do?”
Cecilia paid me no mind as she tightened Hendrix’s little jacket.
I paid extra for the stuff she wanted to come overnight. She seemed happier, and I couldn’t help but realize it was because Cecilia had never made a decision for herself in her adult life. Being sold to Gideon by her parents had to be a hard pill to swallow. I wanted her to live her best life, and if that meant doing things I wouldn’t normally, I was cool with it. This time had transformed not just her life but mine, and I wanted to see how I could continue to make things better.
I stood from the couch and looked at her hand when she lifted his harness up to me.
“Why are you making that face? Put this on, and you won’t have to hold him the whole time.”
“I’m not putting that shit on my body. You put it on, and when I get tired of holding him, I’ll just hand him to you.”
We had a staring contest for about a full minute before she sucked her teeth.
“You are so extra and annoying.”
It was time to leave for the clubhouse, and Cecilia was locked in the bathroom.
I was trying to be patient, but baby girl had changed her outfit at least five times and had yet to settle on an outfit. Every part of me wanted to blow up because, who was she trying to look good for? After five minutes of silence, I walked up to the bathroom door and banged on it.
Cecilia snatched the door open and recoiled at my stance.
“Shit, my bad. But come on, girl. You doing all this like you want to make sure you look good for somebody specific.” I raised my eyebrow, and she huffed.
“How about I’m trying to look good for me. I have never controlled my look, so I’m trying different things to see if they fit. Maybe I should just stay here and come to the next one.”
The next one leaving her lips gave me hope I wouldn’t address at the moment.
“Nah. You right, so please forgive my impatience. This is new for you, and you deserve to feel everything out. Honestly, though… a knapsack wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
Cecilia’s cheeks rose, turned rosy, and she dropped her head as the door closed.
I wasn’t trying to spit game to her but simply tell her the truth. I sat on the bed, lay back, and rubbed Hendrix’s back as we waited for his mother. This time, she only took fifteen minutes in the bathroom. When she came out, I blew out a breath and prayed my dick didn’t embarrass me.
I sat up slowly, and she looked down then back at me.
“Does this not work? I need to change?”
“Nah. You look good as fuck. If you don’t already, gone ’head get that in all the colors it come in.”
“Well… thank you.” She giggled. “Uhm, I’m ready.”
I needed a second, so I waited for her to turn around to get Hendrix’s belongings, and I adjusted myself.
She was the first out of the room. I scooped up the baby, and I followed her down the stairs. For some reason, showing up with her had me nervous. Cecilia was the first woman I took serious after Izzy. There had been plenty of women in between, but they were there simply for me to get off, nothing more. At my car, I helped her inside before strapping Hendrix’s seat into the base.
In no time, we were on the road, heading around the corner to the clubhouse.
“Before I came back to the house, I got him a baby monitor for the room y’all were using. We’ll be in the backyard, and no one will be allowed inside, but I want you to be able to hear him. They’ll be smoking and shit, and I don’t want that for his little lungs.”
“Oh, good. Since he’s been in bed with us the whole time, I hadn’t even thought of a monitor.”
In bed with us … It was clear she didn’t know what her words were doing to me.
“I got you… even on the little things.”
Everyone was turned up by the time we got there, and Cecilia looked around in amazement.
I wasn’t sure what type of gatherings she was used to, but the Rebels got down. “Slow Down” by Bobby Valentino played, and her hips moved as she bobbed her head. We walked over to where Boss was with Snoopy and Buck.
Introductions weren’t necessary since she had met everyone already. However, Snoopy played with his life and pulled Cecilia in for a hug.
“Hey, guys.” She beamed, and I mugged them all.
“Tighten up, little bro.” Boss cackled like the little girl he was.
Instead of entertaining him, I turned to Cecilia and asked, “You hungry?”
She nodded, and I led her over to the food table where she made our plates while I walked to the cooler to get us some water.
I wasn’t sure what she liked other than orange juice, so water was a safe bet. Once she was done, we walked over to the tables, and she dug in immediately. I could feel eyes on me, so I looked up, and Izzy stood with the wives and girlfriends, staring at me like she caught me cheating red-handed. I didn’t bother looking her way for more than a few seconds before I went back to my plate.
By the time Cecilia and I were done eating, Boss was in our faces, yelling about a spades game.
“I’ll just watch. I never played before.”
“Watch?” Boss asked. “Nah, you about to learn, and Arrow gon’ teach you.”
I whipped my head around and looked at my brother because he knew how serious I took spades.
“Is that okay?” Cecilia turned to me, and no matter how bad I wanted, I couldn’t deny her.
Instead of wiping the smile off her face, I nodded.
Boss, Snoopy, and Buck laughed as we got up to head to the spades table. It was filled with prospects who got up as soon as the five of us arrived. Snoopy was usually my partner, but he stood off to the side to watch. I ran things down for Cecilia and said a small prayer that we wouldn’t get our asses handed to us too bad. About six hands in is when Cecilia got things together, and the tables turned.
I was riding high because Snoopy and I were undefeated, and Cecilia didn’t break our streak.
“Sis, did you lie to me? You doin’ this shit professionally and didn’t want to say so?” Boss tossed down his cards, and Cecilia’s head fell back as she laughed.
“I promise this was my first time playing this game. It’s not hard once I learned through playing.”
“Don’t explain yourself to them. They thought having you partner up with me that you would end me and Snoopy’s winning streak.”
Boss had all thirty-two teeth showing because he knew I was telling the truth.
Cecilia grinned, leaned into me, and I couldn’t stop myself as I met her in the middle and kissed her soft lips. Just two pecks, then I pulled back to look at her face to make sure I hadn’t overstepped. There was a pout on her lips, but Buck clearing his throat and asking for another game snapped her out of the trance she had fallen in.
Cecilia cleared her throat and turned to him with a smile.
“I could use some more practice, so I’m down.”
Just as she said that, Hendrix started to cry, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
“I got him. Snoopy is almost as good as me, so y’all should win.” Snoopy flipped me off. I laughed and handed her the monitor.
Unable to keep my lips to myself, I kissed her forehead and left them to the game.
“Arrow, can we ta?—”
I kept walking, and Izzy knew better than to follow me.
When I reached the bedroom, Hendrix’s little whimpers turned into a big cry that had me rushing to his side. I scooped him up, and the crying stopped. Smiling down at him, I grabbed the monitor that had been watching him sleep and walked over to the sectional to sit down. Like I’d seen Cecilia do a thousand times, I checked his diaper to see if he was wet.
Once I had confirmation that he was indeed wet, I spoke into the monitor, telling her she was up.
“You couldn’t change him?” Hearing Boss’s voice, I looked up and smirked, seeing him irritated.
He and Buck must have been losing again and were mad their game was interrupted.
“Sorry, duty calls. I ain’t never changed no baby. I wasn’t about to practice now and have the shit messed up.”
“Whatever. Come take her spot then. We put three G’s each on this game, and I want my money.”
I laughed and handed the baby off so I could beat my brother in yet another game.
Like I thought, Buck and Boss were losing and thought they had a chance. After twenty minutes, Cecilia was on her way back to me, but this time, she wasn’t alone. Izzy beat her to me and sat in my lap. Without thinking, I pushed her off me and stood. She screamed, and Boss was out of his seat and in front of me with the quickness.
I had never put my hands on a woman, so I felt bad, but Izzy knew that I didn’t mess with her on any level, so her ass should have never met my lap.
“Arrow! What the fuck?” Boss pushed me back some.
I turned to Cecilia, and she was visibly shaking.
“It was a knee-jerk reaction. I do not under any circumstances put my hands on women,” I pleaded. “She knows how I feel, and she only did that shit to fuck with you and?—”
“I know. The situation between y’all was made clear the other day. The only one that seems to be unable to grasp the reality of the situation is the dummy on the ground.”
Izzy popped up, and Cecilia never took her eyes off her. I grabbed her wrist and put her behind me because the last thing she would be doing is fighting. Izzy chuckled, sucked her teeth, then walked off.
My heart was racing because I thought I had royally fucked up, but God saw fit to give me more time with the beauty glued to my back.