Chapter 9
Nine
Tremaine
A ll of us sat on the floor waiting for Chasity to deal the cards.
As soon as I stepped in, Chasity made it her business to introduce me to Trina.
I could tell both were drunk. Vance sat next to her, watching her every move as she worked the cards.
Owen was on Chasity's other side, scrolling on his phone.
Trina was on Vance's other side, placing her beside me, and Mila on my other side.
The four of them were randomly talking about other things while Mila sat there quietly.
I wondered if my being here threw her mood.
I would understand if she wanted us to leave.
We popped up at her house unexpectedly and invaded her girls' night.
It also didn't help that I was her boss.
Chasity passed out the cards while still talking amongst themselves. I leaned over and got closer to Mila's ear. I didn't want anyone to hear what I had to say.
"You good? We don't have to play the UNO game. I'll jack these niggas up out of your space," I said.
When I told Owen and Vance that I needed to make a quick stop before we headed to our late-night hoop session, I didn't think they would follow me up the stairs to Mila's apartment.
After leaving Mila's house yesterday, I went to the store to grab a few personal items. Somehow, I found myself on the aisle searching for a pink footstool.
Next thing I knew, I was in the checkout line with my personal items and a pink footstool.
There was a feeling that had taken over my body, which was to make Mila's life easier, and I didn't know how to control it.
"Mr. Houston, you're fine. Believe me, if I didn't want you here, I would tell you."
"Oh yeah, I remember how spicy you can get," I teased.
She playfully slapped my arm. "Let's not bring up the past." She giggled.
"What's so funny over there?" Chasity asked. "We want in." She bounced her eyes back and forth between Mila and me.
"Man, Chas, just pass out the cards."
She sucked her teeth.
"I did. If you hadn't been having sidebar conversations with my cousin, you would see that everybody is ready but y'all."
I looked around and just like Chasity said, everyone was waiting on Mila and me. Vance and Owen had stupid grins on their faces. The entire ride over to Mila's apartment, they kept trying to pressure me to say I had a thing for Mila, but that wasn't it. Mila was now a single mother in need of help.
Don't get me wrong, Mila was beautiful. She was the type of woman I would want to bring home.
However, knowing what Mila was going through, she had sworn off men.
I wouldn't dare try to make a move on Mila with everything that she was dealing with.
However, if I could make her life easier, then I would do that.
I looked at Mila. She tried to hide her blush but failed. My heart leaped and flopped. I took a deep breath. I wasn't sure if a heart attack was coming on, but I had felt nothing like that before. I made a mental note to make an appointment with my doctor, then turned back toward Chasity.
"Whose go, is it?"
Mila and I ended up losing both rounds of UNO.
Because we were the losers, we got assigned the task of picking up the pizza.
It was now ten o'clock at night, and Mila and I were cruising down the highway.
She sat comfortably in the passenger seat as the Quiet Storm playlist I'd made played through the speakers.
She nodded her head and snapped her fingers to the music.
By the time we finished our games of UNO, Mila had consumed five glasses of wine, and I could tell she was feeling every ounce.
"This is a bomb playlist. Where'd you get this from?" she asked.
"I made it."
"Yeah right. I find that hard to believe."
I glanced over at her. "Why?"
She turned and faced me. Her eyes were low, and her words slurred.
"R&B music is about love. You get in your feelings when you listen to it. No shade, but I find it hard for a man like you to have any feelings or know about love."
My eyebrow raised.
"What do you mean, a man like me?"
She held her hands up in defense.
"I said no shade. All I'm saying is that a man with your career, money, and looks can have any woman at his disposal. You don't have time for love and feelings when you can buy whatever you want to make you happy, including women."
"I hate to break the news to you, Ms. Mila, but I'm actually a man who wants to experience love.
I want the wife, the kids, the dog, and the house with the yard so we can have family cookouts.
I want it all." I smiled at her. "It's just that I haven't found the starting point, which is the right woman.
Most women only want me because of surface-level shit. "
I took a deep breath and looked at her. Her eyes were trained on me, and I could tell she was listening to every word I had said.
"My wife has to be someone who still sees me and loves me for me. If I were to lose all this, she wouldn't be fazed because she loved me not for the money. So yes, I believe in love. One day it'll find me. Until then, I'm going to keep playing my R&B," I shared, tapping her thigh.
Mila sighed. "Well, I love R&B, always have. Shit, I used to love, love, but I don't believe in that shit no more."
Clearly, the wine had now made its way into Mila's thoughts. She was letting loose.
"You letting that nigga stop you from believing in something that's pure?" I asked.
She sucked her teeth. "How could I not? I thought what I had was true and pure love. That shit flopped."
I laughed.
"Nah, your ex-husband is a flop. Every man ain't like that clown-ass nigga."
"Let me guess, you and your boys are rare breeds?" She made air quotes with her hands. "Do you not remember I was in the car with you when you got that phone call?"
"First of all, my boys are good, wholesome men. Vance is a middle school principal. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Owen is a hood nigga, but he'll give the people he cares about the shirt off his back. Both are single and can do what and who they want, out of respect, tho'."
"Don't leave yourself out of the mix," she insisted. "Tell me about you."
I shrugged. "What you see is what you get. I'm a single-ass nigga. Eventually, I want to settle down, just haven't found the one to do that with yet."
She sighed. "Take my advice. Make sure you're satisfied with whomever you pick. I thought I was the pick of the litter, but clearly, I wasn't."
I sucked my teeth. "That nigga is a clown. I keep telling you that."
She giggled. "You're speaking as if you know him."
"Shit, I've seen all I needed to see. Any man who ruins his family is a clown in my eyes. Ain't no way I would've left you for that young ass girl. You're a grown woman, and you're fine as hell. Shit, that nigga is dumb as fuck."
I stopped. I didn't realize how much I was spewing until I heard Mila inhale.
"My bad, Mila."
She remained silent, but this time she looked forward.
I tapped her thigh. "Mila, if I offended you, I apologize. I have a tendency to spew shit out in the moment."
"Mr. Houston..."
"Yeah?"
"Can you?—"
Before she finished, Mila vomited all over herself.
"Oh, shit!"
I swerved onto the side of the road and jumped out. I ran to Mila's side, opening the door for her to continue throwing up. I rubbed her back while she continued emptying out the popcorn and wine in her stomach.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Houston," she said between dry heaving.
"Don't apologize. Just let it all out."
Mila continued to throw up for another minute until her belly was empty. She was now covered in her own vomit. She laid her head back on the chair and sighed.
"I'm so embarrassed. I can't believe I just did that."
"It's okay. It happens."
"I'm a mess," she whined, looking down at her vomit-covered clothes.
"Look, I've got a townhouse up here. You can go there and get cleaned up."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's nothing."
She hesitated but then agreed to my offer. I ran back to my side of the car, texting the group chat to let them know what had happened. These guys let me know they'd inform the ladies and worry about the food.
Five minutes later, we arrived in front of the townhouse. I looked over at Mila, and she had her eyes closed and was snoring softly. She had a look of peace on her face.
"Mila, Mila?"
She stirred in her sleep but didn't open her eyes. Instead of trying again, I got out of the car and made my way to the passenger side. I lifted her out of the car and carried her bridal style. I carefully took the steps and rang the doorbell. I waited a few seconds before the door opened.
"Trey, what the hell is this? Who are you bringing to my house?"
"Mama, let me in and stop with all of them questions."
She rolled her eyes and stepped to the side. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Thank you, little lady."
She sucked her teeth. "Is that throw up I smell? Trey, what the hell is going on?"
"Mama, this is my employee, Mila."
"Employee?" she screeched. "What kind of people are you hiring down there?"
"Mama, can you get her cleaned up? She's drunk and threw up all over herself."
"Trey..."
I sighed. "Mama, please. I can't leave her like this. She's already going through a lot."
My mother's eyes bounced between Mila and me. It was like she was trying to see if there was more going on.
"I'll get her cleaned up, but afterward, you're going to tell me what is going on."
"Thank you, Mama. I'm going to lay her in my bedroom. I think I got small shirts in there with shorts."
She sucked her teeth. "Boy, please. I got a couple of muumuus she can wear. Hurry and get her down. I've got a casserole on that I am bringing to the book club meeting tomorrow, and I'm not trying to burn it."
I nodded and took Mila to the bedroom. She was still asleep.
This time, her snores had deepened. I laid her softly on my bed and stared at her beautiful face.
Her short hair was disheveled, and her face was stained with tears.
I didn't care that she was currently covered in vomit.
All I wanted was to lay her down so she could get rest. I could still see the beautiful but broken woman.
I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
I immediately froze. I hadn't known what had come over me.
"Trey," my mother called from behind me.
I jumped back and looked at the petite woman standing in the doorway. She had her lips pushed out.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Mmm, she's your employee? Get out so I can get her clean."
I walked toward the door and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you, love you."
She swatted my butt. "Love you, too. Get out."
Thirty minutes later, my mother came down the stairs. She sat down beside me and stared at the side of my face.
"What is it?" I said, trying to mask my smile.
"Boy, don't play with me. Who is that woman?"
"I told you, she works for me."
"Works for you like how?"
I sighed. I gave my mama the whole spiel from day one. I even made it my business to explain how her ex-husband came at her. My mother sat in silence as I explained everything.
"But that doesn't explain why she's drunk," my mother interrupted.
I shrugged. "I was dropping off a footstool for her. She and her friends were drinking wine and eating popcorn. They invited us in for a game of UNO. Four bottles of wine later, Mila and I were on the way to get pizza but didn't make it."
My mother went quiet for a few seconds. I wasn't sure whether or not she believed my story. Still, regardless of whether she did or didn't, it was the truth.
"You're out here saving people?"
I shrugged. "I'm not saving her. I'm helping her. Everyone needs help."
My mother tapped my leg. "You're still a sweetheart."
"Thank you, Ma."
She went to stand but stopped. "But what was the kiss on the forehead about?"
I rubbed my hand down my face and sighed. "You saw that?"
She nodded. "Sure did. Care to explain?"
I shrugged. "I wish I could. I don't know what came over me. It just felt natural, but I know I need to get control of all this shit. Mila works for me. She's going through this messy ass divorce. I can't be involved with no shit like that. It's too much baggage."
"Ouch, that's selfish. It seems like she didn't cause a lot of the stuff she's in. Don't crucify her for the cards she's being dealt. You know better than that."
"Yeah, my bad. It's just an employee relationship, nothing more, nothing less."
My mother looked me up and down.
"You sure? I've never seen a woman around you. Honestly, I've never seen you care for a complete stranger like this. You sure you ain't feeling her?"
"Nah. I'm just me helping a person out. That's it."
"Hmm... if you say so. I can't wait to say I told you so."
She stood on her feet.
"Oh, you got jokes, huh?" I replied, laughing.
"Nah, just facts, baby boy." She walked off to the kitchen, leaving me with my thoughts.
I pulled out my phone to avoid thinking about Mila upstairs, but I failed.
I couldn't stop thinking about her. I hadn't stopped since the day I gave her the job.
It was something about her energy that was a magnetic pull.
Most men ran away from a woman like Mila.
She came with baggage, but it was baggage that I didn't mind carrying for her.