Imani #3
“Some more chicken and carrots. They taste like my Maw Maw’s. Oh, and I want this for lunch tomorrow,” he says and I smile. “No broccoli though.”
“Did you cook enough?” Daymir asks.
“I got enough for today and tomorrow. I’ll see what containers your daddy has and pack for your lunch,” I tell him before grabbing his plate.
I add another scoop of the carrots and another tender to his plate, then slide it back to him. Daymir grabs another energy drink from the fridge and we join DJ at the counter to eat.
“You cook at a restaurant?” DJ asks.
“No. Is it that good?” I ask, flattered as hell.
“Mm hm,” he utters before biting his tender.
“Thank you. I love cooking but just for fun. I like working in hospitals.”
“You a doctor?” he asks with stretched eyes.
“No but I help doctors in the operating room.”
“Oh,” is all he says before getting back to his food.
DJ has a healthy appetite like his father.
Daymir finishes all the food I piled on his plate and DJ finishes everything but his broccoli.
While I finish my plate, they work together to fix DJ’s lunch.
They have an adorable rhythm. As Daymir places two tenders, some macaroni and cheese, carrots, and honey mustard into a black four compartment container, DJ grabs a bottle of water, a drink packet, and some snacks from the pantry.
They place all the items into a lunch bag.
“Is that Marvin the Martian?” I ask.
“Yes, you like Marvin?” DJ asks excitedly.
“Of course, he’s my favorite from Space Jams,” I admit.
“Mine too.”
“You want to watch it?” he asks.
“Don’t try it. It’s time for bed,” Daymir says.
“Maybe the next time I’m over and it’s not a school night, we can watch it.”
“Okay and thank you for my food,” he says before walking over and hugging me.
“Aye, that’s enough. Don’t be hugging my girl too long,” Daymir teases and DJ laughs.
“I’m not,” he says before releasing me.
“It’s okay. I like your hug and you welcome for the food. Good night,” I tell him.
“Good night,” he says before jetting out of the kitchen.
“And he’s going to bed? Right now? I don’t know about that cause he seems too energized to sleep.”
“Nah. He’ll be sleep in about thirty minutes, especially after eating. We get up early for school.”
“How early?”
“Five thirty. He likes eating breakfast there with some lil friends he’s made. Breakfast is at seven and school starts at seven thirty-five.”
“Shit. I don’t remember school starting that damn early,” I scoff.
“Hell, me either.”
He reaches for my plate but I stop him. “I got it,” I tell him.
“Nah, I got it. You cooked and saved me from figuring out dinner and lunch. You sit right there and I’ll put this up,” he insists. “You want a drink?”
“If you got some tequila. I had that earlier and I can’t switch it up.”
“With Hazel?”
“Yeah. How do you know that? You keeping tabs on me?”
“Nah, I put a tracker on your ride,” he says with a straight face but his ass better be kidding.
“I know you lying,” I say with a frown. For a minute, his stoic expression doesn’t change but then I see the side of his mouth curling upward. “Stop playing.”
“Yo’ lil ass was about to curse me out,” he says, too amused.
“I really was.”
“Hazel told me ya’ll were going to the track today. Did you race?”
“I did and of course, I won.”
“I had no doubts, my lady driver.” After placing the leftovers in the fridge and my plate in the trash, he wipes down the counter and sink.” “A shot of tequila,” he asks as he walks towards his bar.
“Oh no. I’m trying to stay sober. I saw some OJ in the fridge, I’ll add that.”
“No, I will. Go in the living room and relax. Let me take care of you for the rest of the night. Over here, everything is the Daymir way. Remember that.”
“Yes, sir,” I say then slide off the stool.
He treks on to his bar and I take my happy ass into his living room.
I remove my Miu Miu’s and place them by the front door then sit down and get comfortable on his sectional.
I watch as he pours some tequila in a glass then pours himself something brown.
He takes both glasses with him into the kitchen and adds ice to them both.
After topping my glass off with OJ, he brings both glasses to the living room and places them on the table in front of me then plants a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Imma go check on him. Start without me,” he says.
“Take your time.”
He walks down the hall and I find the remote. I power on the TV, turn the volume down, then get comfortable. When he returns, I’m sitting with one leg under my ass and the other one partially on the sectional. He sits next to me, lifts my one leg, then taps on my other thigh.
“Give me your leg,” he says and I ease it from under my ass.
He grabs it then drapes both of my legs over his lap. His arm snakes behind me and he pulls me closer to him. I snuggle right in on his side then rest my face on his chest while his hand caresses my ass.
“Just say you want me all over you,” I say.
“I thought that shit was implied when I told you to spend the night,” he responds.
“I guess it was. Is he sleep yet?”
“Knocked the hell out and he sleeps through anything like a log. It’s hell getting him up in the morning,” he says with a smile.
“You two are so cute together. He’s doing good.”
“Nah. He really is. He misses his grandma sometimes but other than that, he’s a champ. Like I don’t know what the hell I was expecting but he’s good. You know?”
“What about his momma? What’s going to happen after rehab?”
“That rehab shit is a wrap. She checked her ass out already and her grandmother doesn’t know where she is. Makenna is down bad on that shit. I don’t know what happened to her,” he says while shaking his head.
“Oh man that’s not good. Shit,” I sigh. “Does he know?”
“Nah. I wouldn’t tell him that. All he knows is that she needs help but funny thing is he never asks about her and he don’t talk about her. All he really seems to know is his grandma and I guess that’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, cause he could have been exposed to some fucked up shit if it wasn’t for her.”
“Real shit; I’m glad he wasn’t though.”
“So, what are you going to do?” I ask.
“About what?”
“Her…If she comes back for him.”
“I don’t think she will but I’m not taking no chances either. I’m meeting with an attorney next week to handle that shit. Makenna at least put me on his birth certificate, so that’s already in my favor. She basically abandoned him and with her drug shit, I should be able to get custody.”
“God, I hope you do.”
“And you cool with that? Cause being with me means being with him,” he says.
At his words, I’m feeling some type of way-a little offended, actually. My head lifts and I stare into his face looking for something; I just don’t know what. So, when I don’t see anything but indifference, I speak.
“I know that. Why did you feel the need to say that?”
“Because you asked for a break.”
“So, you and him could have time together. You know, time to learn each other and adjust. That’s it,” I explain. “I didn’t want to interfere or interrupt. His whole little life was changing and so was yours.”
“But I saw you in my life. Look, I’m not the type of nigga to keep shit inside so I have to be honest and tell you that I took your break but I didn’t like that shit at all.”
“Daymir, I really thought it was best,” I tell him because I honestly did believe that it was needed.
“Imani, I’m feeling the fuck out of you.
Real shit, I have sense that first night.
I probably would have been cool with bandaging myself up but I wanted to spend time with you, get to know you.
And I did. I like you. I did some shit I never do.
I took your around my family and they are sacred to me.
I want every thing with you and that includes my son.
But as much as I do want you, I can’t fuck with you if you are going to need breaks because I’m an all in type of nigga,” he says while peering into my eyes like he’s staring through me instead of at me.
There’s so much more I want to say but I don’t know if it’ll matter. Based on his words and intensity of them, my initial intention and spirit of offering a break is irrelevant.
He didn’t like the break, at all.
He wants me, all of me, all the damn time.
He’s all in…and so am I.
I lift my hands and place them on sides of his face, gently demanding his attention. I need my words to have the same profound effect on him as his had on me. I felt each and every one of them as they penetrated my heart and mind.
Looking into his eyes, I say, “Maybe the break wasn’t the best call but I stand on my intent. It was purely to give DJ and you time to connect. In no way was I trying to be out of your life. You’re stuck with me. I don’t know what you’ve done to me but you have me. I’m all in too.”
“Prove it,” he utters with a sexy smirk.
“No, you prove it,” I challenge while smiling.
His big hands grip my ass then he leans in and kisses the side of my neck. His lips brush across my earlobe then his baritone tickles my ear. “Bet. Five. Remember that.”
“Five?” I question.
“Yeah. Five,” he repeats before lifting us off his sectional. My arms latch around his neck and my legs lock around him as he takes me to his bedroom.