Hendrix #2
Knowing this couldn’t be decided in one day, I headed for my office to get some things straight and organized for a few upcoming events. My job as a videographer didn’t stop.
Sitting down in front of my computer, I busied myself until dinner by catching up on emails.
As a businessman, I knew the kind of time and energy it took in having your own, so my mind wondered to how Sorimah planned on running her business and taking care of my family.
That was a plate full with no room to relax.
Her time here was something I was unaware of as well.
I didn’t know her hours, rate, or anything about her reason for work.
I was clear on Avi not wanting to be the mother I’d been begging her to be for months.
It was going to break her heart in two when she caught wind of another woman playing her role and I had no doubt in my mind that Ri would fill that position involuntarily.
When I heard Princess shout out her mother’s name, I knew the chaos was about to unfold. Avi didn’t know how to hold an adult conversation, especially if she felt targeted. I never told her Sorimah was the woman I cheated on her with so that was the one good thing about this entire situation.
I exited the office with a mug to show my aggravation. Even though I wanted Ri here, showing anything other than me being upset would make Avi try something else outrageous. She was only satisfied with things that got under my skin.
“Let me holla at you right quick Avi.”
“Uhm, sure. Let me talk to Sorimah and Akeera right quick and then I’ll —”
“Now!” The tone of my voice was no longer at a respectable level.
“Okay beautiful one, let’s check on the food while Mommy and Daddy talk.”
Sorimah took over escorting Akeera to the kitchen while Avi took her time coming to me. I made sure not to move a muscle to keep up the facade. Her steps were small, but I stood my ground.
“What is it that you wanted to talk to me about baby? You look and smell good.” She was trying to butter me up.
“You got something you need to tell me?”
“Not that I know of,” she responded in a clueless manner.
“Who the hell is that woman in my house and why is she here?” My tone was elevated again.
“Sorimah is our new nanny. I hired her to help around here and keep my daughter busy. School is getting ready to let out in a few weeks and I wanted her to be able to enjoy her summer break.”
“If that’s the case, explain to me what your purpose is. What has your attention all day that you can’t give a few hours of it to our daughter? She misses her mother Aviana.”
“And she sees me every day. You buggin’.”
“Aviana, you walking on thin ice with me.”
“And your ass is on an even thinner one. Remember who the fuck stepped out on who. Allow me to spend your money in peace or me and my daughter can get the fuck on. Just say the words nigga and I promise you me and mine won’t be a bother any longer.”
I knew she was going to use my baby against me. She was now a pawn in this fight, and I didn’t want her to be tampered with. This lifestyle and comfortability were what caused her to wake up every day with a smile on her little face. I couldn’t interrupt that, not even for my own selfish reasons.
“How much are you paying her and what are her hours?”
“Don’t worry about it just know Akeera and the house will be taken care of. Is that all we had to fuckin’ discuss ’cause I’m hungry?”
Swallowing my pride was going to become my new norm because Avi was determined to have the last word.
For now, she was granted that because Akeera under the same roof as me at all times was the bigger picture.
I walked off and went back to my office.
She more than likely thought she would win this fight, but all I did was set it up to where Ri could stay for a while.
I stayed away from them until I was called in to join everyone for dinner. I sat at the head of the table with the ladies taking the other end. I guess they wanted their moment together, so I didn’t disturb them. The view was nicer from my end anyway.
The engagement between Princess and Sorimah was the one that gained more attention. My baby and her happiness were the most important thing to me. Her infectious laugh filled the room causing me to smile from her comfortability. They never looked my way, and I was cool with that.
“So, I was thinking that you can take a day off to make Sorimah more comfortable. She doesn’t know Akeera’s routine,” Avi spoke after taking a sip of juice.
Hearing Ri’s name is what brought me out of my trance. I looked toward Avi and mugged the hell out of her once more. She was doing any and everything to avoid our daughter and I truly didn’t understand why. Akeera was such a sweet spirited child. Avi was missing out on how great she was.
“I have things to do at work Aviana. Why can’t you show her? Oh, my bad that’s something you have no clue about,” I snapped.
Both Akeera and Sorimah looked between us awkwardly waiting to see how this conversation would go. I didn’t want to argue with her because talking to Avi was like talking to a brick wall. She didn’t care about what anyone else had going on as long as she was accommodated.
“You may be right, but I know a lot about sleeping beside a fuck nigga that can’t seem to—”
“Hey beautiful one, let’s go eat somewhere else and let your parents talk. This isn’t for our ears.”
Ri chimed in right on time putting a halt to the conversation so Princess wouldn’t hear how we spoke to each other.
She gathered both of their plates and stepped out back to the patio.
It was gestures like that that gave her an advantage.
She put my baby first and that was the quickest way to win me over.
Once the door was closed, we went toe to toe trying to get our point across.
I could understand her seeking out help like Sorimah if she was legit waking up every day doing what a kept woman was supposed to do.
The least she could do was put time in with our daughter if nothing else.
She was going to regret neglecting Akeera and I wasn’t going to be there to clean up the mess.
“What’s your problem Avi? Why don’t you want to put in time with our daughter? If I wasn’t around, there’s no telling how her life would be right now.”
“I don’t know how many times I have to keep telling you that my daughter is fine but I’m tired of repeating myself. I have things to do, and I can’t wait on her hand and foot or you for that matter.”
“What the hell are you doing all day Avi? And I dare you to lie to me, I’ll call in a favor and have your past locations pulled up right now.”
You could see the fear in her quickly present itself.
She was hiding something, but I was giving her the chance to come clean about whatever she was out here doing.
I was over this back-and-forth junk with her.
She had an easy life, and I wasn’t the type of nigga to hover, so I gave her space to move freely.
“Well, I wasn’t going to tell you about this until I had the prototypes back, but I guess you’re not going to give me that. I’m always busy because I’m designing my own shoe line. I’m trying to be more than someone who spends your money.”
I sat quietly and watched her expressions intently. She wasn’t known to be a liar but nowadays you never know what a person’s intentions with you were. The connection we started with wasn’t the connection we have now. Hell, she could’ve been out getting her revenge for all I knew.
“What’s the name of it?”
“Spades.”
I had yet to break eye contact. Her excuse fit for staying out all day long, but I was still curious as to why we needed a nanny. She was home by dinner every day and on the weekends, she tried to give a little time around the house. We didn’t need Sorimah.
Those seven days I gave her to think about us gave her time to go out and do more dumb mess.
She came back with a stranger in our home and thought that was okay.
She was playing with fire but in a way that would leave her burned.
If she ever saw how I looked at Ri or even felt about her, this whole thing would be over.
“Okay. Let’s say I believe this bull crap you spitting, who footing the bill for this?”
“That’s all you. You were paying for this shit whether you cheated on me or not. It’s something I want.”
“You don’t know what asking means do you?”
“Why the fuck would I ask to spend your money? I open my legs to you on the regular and that’s a fair fuckin’ exchange. Plus, you owe me this now more than ever. Stop cheating and you won’t have to do extra.”
“I messed up once. If you were going to hang this junk over my head, you should’ve gone on about your business.”
“And allow the bitch, whoever she is, to receive more than dick from you? I don’t think so. I gave you four great years and I refuse to get the hell out of something I made a home. Stop playing Checkers Hendrix. I been on the chess board.”
She stood and left me sitting alone at the table. She was here for the benefits, and she made that perfectly clear. Not once did she mention the love she had for me or the time I put into our relationship. I was a fool to believe she felt the same about me now as she once did before.