The Perfect Manny

Chapter 1

Damn Sundays.

My husband and father of my children, Leo, was a fireman. We had been together since our sophomore year in college, and our life together was amazing, up until I got pregnant with our last baby, Carlee. That was when things between us became complicated.

He was mostly away from home, supposedly putting out fires, while I was doing the same at the office. I knew why he stayed away from home so much. It was because he couldn’t handle the hustle and bustle of our chaotic home half the time, and I honestly didn’t blame him.

While our children were the best thing to ever happen to me, they were a handful.

They weren’t bad children; they were just busy bodies who couldn’t stay in one spot if they tried.

Trying to maintain a home, a marriage, a career, and children was rough on me.

So, I hired Shelly as a nanny, and she had been a lifesaver.

Sometimes, my mother would keep them, but as of late, she had been outside, living her best life, and I couldn’t be mad at her.

I just wished I didn’t have to utilize Ms. Shelly so much.

She may have been doing it for over twenty years, but I could see the wear and tear in her eyes. My children were a handful, and I hated having to pay Ms. Shelly to look after them seven days a week, even though she never complained.

I pulled the clothes from the dryer, then placed them inside the laundry basket while balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder. Nora Foxx, my colleague, explained the details of Boris “Blue” Howard’s case. He was on trial for murder, and we were extremely close to closing this case.

“The man is guilty, and I’m going to prove it. We already have the murder weapon with his prints on it. There is nothing that the defense can come up with that’ll save him at this point,” I said.

“Exactly. We got this in the bag.” I nodded, although she couldn’t see me.

“Anyway, how’re those beautiful babies doing?”

“Driving me to the crazy, girl. With this case and then my home life, I am long overdue for a vacation.”

“Is Leo showing up at all?” she asked.

“Leo shows up whenever he wants food and sex. I swear, if I didn’t understand his demanding career, I’d think he was cheating on me.”

Nora laughed. “No way! That man loves you way too much to even think about another woman.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes, I don’t feel it.

Like right now, he’s upstairs, knocked the hell out, while the nanny and I are getting the house and kids together.

I don’t expect him to help out, but at least acknowledge his children before he rushes off to work,” I fussed, grabbing the basket of clothes and taking them upstairs to fold them.

“Have you tried talking to him about it?”

“Psh, multiple times. I guess I have to accept what it is now. I can’t make him be a father if it isn’t what he wants.”

“That’s not fair, Alicia. He helped create them, so he should have the same responsibility as you do in helping raise them.”

“I know, Nora . . . I just don’t want to keep arguing about the same thing. Leo’s a good man. Maybe not the best family man, but I know he loves me and our children. I just have to do what I have to do as a mother. Just as I’ve been doing.”

“I hear you, friend. Let me finish up these notes. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

“Okay, babe. Talk to you later.” I allowed the phone to drop into the basket as I made my way up the stairs. As soon as I made it to the top, Carsyn rolled right over my foot with his hoverboard.

“Ouch! Carsyn!” I yelled, dropping the basket and grabbing my foot.

“Sorry, Mommy!” He hurried over to me, taking my foot in his hand and rubbing it.

I smiled down at him, even though I was in pain. “It’s okay, baby boy. But where did I tell you to ride your toy?”

“In the backyard, but Ms. Shelly said I couldn’t go out until I brush my teeth and get dressed.”

“I sure did, but that doesn’t mean I said ride it in the house, Carsyn,” Ms. Shelly said, coming out of the kitchen.

“I know,” he said solemnly. His cute pout reminded me so much of his father that it melted my heart immediately.

I bent down and kissed his cheek. “It’s okay, baby. Just go get cleaned up and dressed, then you can go outside and play.”

“Can I go too?” Chloe, my four-year-old, asked, coming out of the kitchen with chocolate syrup on her fingers.

“Oh, goodness, Chloe,” I said, shaking my head.

Ms. Shelly giggled. “Go on, Alicia. I got them.”

“Are you sure, Ms. Shelly? I can go put the clo—”

“It’s what you pay me for, Mrs. Alicia. Go on. I got them.”

I smiled and nodded as I picked up the basket and kissed my babies on their cheeks.

I headed upstairs to the master suite and went inside.

Leo was stretched out in the bed still, looking like a Grecian god.

I stood, watching, as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took.

He had a sandpaper-colored complexion, beautiful brown eyes, a head full of soft, sandy-brown curls, full lips, and a neatly trimmed goatee.

My husband was every woman’s dream. I knew Leo loved me, but lately, things had been a little tense.

Since I gave birth to our two-year-old, Carlee, his time at home had become less frequent than before.

He still made it home for dinner and played with the kids for a little while, but then he’d retreat to his man cave and stay in there until the kids were down.

I was all about him having his peace, but as a husband and father, I felt he could do and be more for our family.

They said the spark left marriages after having children.

I tried not to let the spark die, being that both of our careers were in high demand, but Leo wasn’t meeting me halfway.

I didn’t ask for him to get me pregnant three times back-to-back, but since Carlee was unplanned, I felt as though he withdrew more now than he did before.

I hated it.

I wanted the love we shared when we first met, when we couldn’t stay out of each other’s faces or go a day without talking on the phone for hours. Our anniversary was a week away, and I was going to bring back the spark we seemed to have lost between my pregnancies.

I set the basket of laundry on the floor and walked to the edge of the bed.

I stared at him for a moment before climbing on the bed and crawling up his tall frame.

I placed small kisses on his chest, then trailed kisses down his stomach until I removed the blanket and slid his boxers down.

My mouth watered as I looked at my favorite thing on him.

I wrapped my palm around it and circled the head with my tongue before wrapping my lips around it.

I could feel him stir, and a soft moan escaped his lips, which prompted me to go harder.

“Oh, fuck, Ali!” He groaned, palming the back of my head.

I sucked and slurped him for a good four minutes before he lifted and pulled me on top of him.

He slipped my gown over my head, ripped my panties, then mounted me over him.

I slid down on top of him slowly as his hands grabbed my hips to help guide me.

Once I hit the base of him, we both groaned, and my hips activated.

“Mmm, baby.” I rocked my hips until I got a steady rhythm and rode him as if time raced against us. He wrapped his lips around my erect nipple, making me roll my hips and wrap my arms around his neck.

“Shit, baby.” He moaned, grabbing my ass and helping me bounce. His arms came under my thighs, and he pivoted, laying me on my back and slamming into me.

“Mmm, Leo!” I yelled, my nails digging into his back.

“Mmhmm, I miss the fuck out of this pussy, baby. I need you to cum on it.” He whispered in my ear as his lips went to my neck and sucked.

“I love you,” I breathed out. He pounded into me until I came and screamed his name, and he followed behind, dropping his seed on my stomach. We both waited until we caught our breath before he lifted his head and slipped his tongue into my mouth.

I pulled away and smiled at him. “Mmm, good morning, my love.”

“A good morning, it is,” he replied, smiling down at me. We stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing like long-lost lovers, until he finally removed himself from me and headed toward the en suite bathroom. I lay in the same spot, feeling content and happy.

“Our anniversary is next week. I figured we can go up north to the cabin for a few days, . . . just us,” I called out. I heard the toilet flush, then him returning with a warm washcloth to clean me.

“I would love to do that, baby, but what about the kids? You know I don’t like us leaving them with Ms. Shelly for too long.”

“Ms. Shelly will only have them for one day. My mom agreed to keep them Saturday and Sunday.”

“Hm. I’ll see if I can make that happen.”

“Please do. We need this time. Don’t you agree?”

“I do, but we both have to be realistic. Our jobs are demanding—”

“The trial will be over by Tuesday, and I’m sure your colleagues can handle any fires that may occur.”

“Why do you do that, baby?”

I frowned. “Do what?”

“Make it seem as if my job isn’t as important as yours.”

“That is not what I’m doing, Leo. We haven’t spent any quality time together since Carlee was born.

We never do anything on our anniversary anymore, and let’s not talk about regular dates.

I rarely see you, and when I do, it’s always short-lived because you’re either in your man cave or out with your work buddies.

I just want us to get back to us. I don’t want us to lose sight of what’s important in our marriage. ”

“Look, I don’t want to argue. I’ll see what I can do, alright? I have to get ready for work.” He walked back inside the bathroom and closed the door as I sighed in frustration. I hoped after waking him up with good sex, he wouldn’t fight me on this, but obviously, I was wrong.

My mother never told me that marriage would be this hard.

It was work to get in and work to stay in.

The only problem with staying in it was that the other partner never put forth the effort to stay in.

I had no doubt that Leo loved me, but his lack of companionship and communication were starting to hinder our love.

I was stretched thin and all out of options for getting us back on track.

If we didn’t make it to the cabin for our anniversary, I was going to check out of this marriage.

I wasn’t going to be the only one trying and giving my all without reciprocation.

I loved my husband to life, but I would not be the only one trying. And that was on my life.