Chapter 4
“I thought I turned that damn thing off.” I grumbled and blindly reached for my ringing cell phone.
With one eye open, I saw that I had four missed calls from my assistant.
I checked the time and shot straight up. Cursing, I climbed from the bed and slipped into the bathroom. It was almost eleven o’clock, and I needed to have Billie up, dressed, and out of this room in thirty minutes.
Before I could call Rocky back, she texted me.
Rock:
Hey, they’re here. Where you want me to tell them to set up?”
Truce?
Me:
My bad . . . Long night. All weekend we’ll be in room 1736. Let me know when they’re done setting up and have someone from the staff bring me the room key since we’re going to miss breakfast.
Rock:
Rock liked “My bad . . . Long night. All weekend we’ll be in room 1736. Let me know when they’re done setting up and have someone from the staff bring me the room key since we’re going to miss breakfast.”
Bet.
I set my phone on the vanity, started the shower, and relieved myself.
It felt like I was pissing for a good five minutes, and I somehow felt lighter once I was done.
I hopped in the shower and thought about the day I had planned for my wife.
Life for us had been on the go since Billie found out she was pregnant with TJ.
We still did things as a couple, but we hadn’t really taken a vacation.
I planned to show my Sweets the time of her life.
“Good morning,” I heard just as I turned off the shower.
“What’s up, pretty?”
Billie waved me off and sat on the toilet. As she used it, I dried off and stared at her. I knew she could feel my eyes on her because she refused to look up.
“My boobs are so damn sore. I need to pump something serious. Do they have a refrigerator?” She shook her head as she wiped and flushed. “Never mind. This fancy ass hotel definitely has a refrigerator in the rooms.”
I chuckled, kissed the side of her face as she washed her hands, then brushed my teeth.
Back in the bedroom, it didn’t take me long to get dressed.
While Billie got herself together, I laid out the outfit I wanted her to wear.
All weekend we would be in matching pajamas during our daytime activities and black tie for dinner.
The plan had been to bring the activities to us because my name and face were widely known in the media, and I didn’t want eyes on us.
Plus, Billie would appreciate having me to herself after having to share me with the world, our children, and families.
“Sweets, come on! We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry up.”
There was a knock on the door, and it was someone from the staff with the key card for the other room.
I thanked him just as Billie yelled, “Don’t rush me, Truce. I still need to pump. Why didn’t you wake me up earlier if you knew we had a schedule to keep.”
I smirked because I could hear the irritation in her voice.
Billie was used to being the one to keep everyone on their toes and rushing folks.
Now that the shoe was on the other foot, she wanted to catch an attitude.
She didn’t say anything else, to stop herself from going off on me.
It wasn’t my fault that after our movie she decided we should make one of our own, and we ended up falling asleep as the sun rose high in the sky.
I was tired too, but the show had to go on.
“You can pump when we get where we’re going. Just come on, woman.”
I looked at my burgundy silk pajama set in the floor-length mirror and smirked.
Although I wanted us to be comfortable, our underclothes and shit were still necessary. We would be around strangers, and I didn’t want no man looking at my woman, and I didn’t want some broad eyeing me either. Billie came out of the bathroom wearing a scowl.
I laughed, crossed the room, and took her into my arms.
“No, leave me alone.”
I kissed from her lips, along her jaw, and stopped when my lips reached her ear.
“No can do, Sweets. You know it’s whatever you want as long as I got it, but leaving you alone?” I shook my head and pulled back. “Nah.”
She smiled as her eyes rolled upward.
“Always slick talking somebody.”
I smirked and shrugged.
I pointed Billie toward her outfit for the day, and she looked at me up and down as if she just realized what I had on.
She grinned, did her moisturizing skin care routine, then got dressed.
As soon as she had her tank top on, I pulled her toward the door.
Her breast pump bag was already at the door waiting for her.
She scooped up the bag while I grabbed our cell phones, room key, and my wallet.
“Since we’re not going too far, I got us these slippers.”
“I’m nervous to see what you have up your sleeve. We have never worn our pajamas outside before. Margaret would surely kick my tail if she saw me dressed like this.” Billie giggled, and I took her hand and pulled her toward the elevators.
“We’re not leaving the hotel, so no need to get her involved.”
On the elevator, I pressed seventeen and leaned against the glass wall.
I pulled Billie toward me, and she landed against me with a grunt.
Chuckling, I dipped my head into the crook of her neck.
A few well-placed kisses had my Sweets pressing her body into me a little more.
She looked up into my eyes, and a lazy smile found its way to my lips.
Billie placed her hand over my heart, and I covered her hand with mine.
The elevator dinged, and I straightened up so we could step off.
“Is it crazy that I’m nervous? You’re good at surprises, but us not leaving the hotel nor being on the floors where the restaurant and spa are located has me curious.” Her eyes bounced around the hall as we approached room 1736.
“Nervous is good.” I pulled the key card out of my pocket and tapped it on the card reader. “When we go in here, do your thing while I talk to the people, and once you’re set up, we can get started.”
She smiled and bit her bottom lip.
“Okay, baby. I won’t be long.”
I nodded and watched her walk away.
Once Billie was out of sight, I walked over to the host for our first activity. I had set up a paint and sip for us. Instead of the traditional way, I catered to the baker in my wife, and the session would be with cake and cookies.
Billie loved all things sweet, so it was only right to do something that she loved to do.
“Good morning, I’m Truce. Do you need help with anything? The missus has a few things to handle, so I can help while she’s occupied.”
“Morning. No, we’re all set up. We’ll decorate the cookies first. They’re almost done. The cake is in the oven now, and by time we’re done decorating the cookies, the cake should be cooled.”
“Bet, thank you.”
Since I wasn’t needed, I went to find my wife in the other room.
Billie looked up and smiled. She was in her phone, so I dropped down next to her. Billie turned her phone toward me, and I laughed. Nana had successfully given TJ more money from the tooth fairy. My son was posted up with what looked like sixty one-dollar bills.
That boy was beyond spoiled, but like his daddy, he was good with money.
“I want to be mad, but at least TJ likes to save. Mommy said she gave him twenty dollars and Daddy gave him forty.” She shook her head. “How the hell did that boy make seventy dollars off one tooth, Truce? What is wrong with your family?”
I chuckled and took her cell phone.
“I don’t know, but you’re not a mom this weekend.” I looked down at her breasts. “Well, you are when it comes to feeding my baby, but no other time.”
Although Billie nodded, I didn’t miss the pout on her lips.
“You’re mean.”
Instead of verbally responding, I pulled her toward me and bit her chin.
I lay back on the bed and answered a few emails that had gotten through Rock.
If Billie could be in Mommy Mode, I could check a few emails.
I’d be off for the next two weeks, so this would be all I was doing.
I looked up when I heard the sounds of the pump stop.
Billie got herself situated, so I sat up then stood.
When she had successfully secured all the milk, I texted Rock to come get the cooler so the milk could go into the freezer I rented.
Billie handed me the cooler, and I headed toward the door.
“Ooh, y’all have it smelling good in here.” Billie’s excitement couldn’t be hidden.
I chuckled and handed Rock the cooler, then turned to head back to my wife.
“I figured we start our relaxing weekend with some sweets. We’ll be decorating some cookies and cakes today. Like the sip and paints you love so much.”
Billie grabbed my arm, squeezed, and jumped up and down.
“This is nothing but pure goodness. I wish were doing the baking ourselves, but this must have been the compromise since you don’t like baking.”
She giggled and I nodded.
The kitchen was Billie’s domain, and the boardroom was mine. I didn’t mind being in the kitchen while she cooked and baked, but doing any of the work was out of the question. Two people came out holding two canvas boards that held four cookies each.
Since Thanksgiving was coming up, the themed cookies made sense.
“This some corny shit you like.”
“Don’t be a hater, handsome. You’re about to have so much fun!”
I laughed at the voice Billie used and hugged her to me.
“I know I am, but you better know this is about to turn into a competition.” I looked at the host and his two helpers. “I’m the one who paid y’all, so I better win.”
Everyone laughed, but I was serious as hell.
Billie did this shit for a living, so I needed them on my side.
As my wife and I decorated our cookies, we talked about life and our goals for our family.
Neo Soul played in the background at a low volume.
The whole setup was nice, but about twenty minutes into decorating my cookies, . . . I was ready to eat it.
I’d done all this damn planning and hadn’t fed me or my Sweets.
“Don’t look over here, Truce!” Billie moved to the right to hide her canvas from me. “Focus on your own work and get ready to lose.”
“Ain’t nobody trying to copy you. I’m trying to see what the qualifications of our bet are. I’m hungry as fuck and about to be a cookie down, Sweets.”
Billie looked at me and burst into laughter.
“Truce, please leave me alone.” Then she frowned. “I just realized your ass didn’t feed me. You should be ashamed of yourself, husband. Can we order room service, or are they on a time limit?”
“It’s whatever you want it to be. They’re here until we’re done decorating our cookies and the cake.”
That was all Billie needed to hear.
I ordered us all something to eat, and we continued to decorate while we waited for the food.
Somehow, Billie ended up in my lap decorating for me.
I sat back in my chair and watched her work.
I had one hand on her thigh and the other on her stomach.
Watching my baby do her thing was some soothing shit.
She shifted in my lap, and I looked up from her hands to her face.
“Did you hear me?” She giggled and pinched the skin between my thumb and pointer finger.
“Nah, Sweets. I won’t even hold you. I was enjoying the music and you on me. What did you say?”
She blushed and licked her lips.
“The food is here.”
I nodded and leaned forward.
Billie slipped off my lap and onto her feet. I kissed the crook of her neck then headed toward the cart that had been dropped off. Billie handed out the food, everyone took a break, then we got back to the rest of our activity.
By the time we were done, the sleep we hadn’t gotten the night before had finally caught up to us.
“We have a dinner reservation, but I’m about to catch some sleep. I set three alarms on my phone and two on yours. Hopefully we don’t sleep through them because I’m trying to get fancy later.”
“I’m with you when you’re right. I had fun, baby, so thank you . . . But I can’t wait to close my eyes. I’m feeling like Tristian and about to cry I’m so damn tired.”
I chuckled and nodded.
“Facts. We ain’t as young as we used to be, so staying up until the sun come up can’t happen two nights in a row.”
“Exactly!”
We stripped, showered, and climbed right in the bed.
I didn’t think three full minutes passed before I was out. When I woke up, it felt like I’d been hit by a Mack truck, and I couldn’t move. However long I was out must have been too long. I rolled over and reached for my wife, but the bed was empty.
That put me on high alert, so I sat up and looked around the darkened room.
“Sweets?” I called out to her when I didn’t hear anything, now that I was fully awake.
“I’m in the living room. I had to pump again and didn’t want to bother you with all my moving around.”
“Got you.”
I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to handle my business.
By the time I made it back into the bedroom, Billie was back in bed.
A quick glance at the clock in the room let me know we had two hours left before it was time to get ready to head out to dinner.
We were going to RTX Lux Spot, our little hidden gem.
I knew Billie was unaware of what I had planned, but part of me believed that she knew we’d go there before leaving to go back home.
There was no way I’d bring us all the way out here and not go to the one place that held so many memories for us.
This weekend was about recentering my woman, and that place was a good place to start.
“What time do I need to be ready?”
“Start doing yo’ shit now. I want us walking out of here at seven thirty.”
“Ew, don’t say it like that. I was only late this morning because you kept me up all night.”
Billie smirked and pulled me to her. Our bodies clashed, and the look of innocence had quickly transformed into lust. I pecked her lips a few times, backed away, then winked.
If I indulged her, we wouldn’t make it out of this hotel room.