Chapter 8
One week later . . .
I was bringing my nieces and nephews over for a playdate with Alicia’s kids.
Although Siori and Sahira were around Carsyn’s age, my soldiers loved kids just as much as I did, so they wouldn’t care how old they were.
I didn’t want to bring them on the job, but Alicia insisted since Chloe couldn’t stop talking about them visiting all week.
Alicia’s moms was something different, and nobody could help but to love her.
The way she kept making jokes about Alicia and I taking things further made me laugh, but I could tell Alicia didn’t like it.
She asked me questions about how I acquired my business, whether I liked working for her daughter, and how Alicia was single now.
All I could do was chuckle because she didn’t let up that she was trying to play matchmaker.
When Alicia fussed at her about it, in true Ms. Anika form, she said: “Hush, girl! I’m trying to secure my grandbabies a new daddy.
God knows that other one wasn’t worth the hairs between my—”
Alicia had to stopped her, fussing at her about the kids being in the car. At that point, I knew Ii had to throw Alicia a lifeline by telling her mother that I was engaged.
I watched the shocked expression cross Alicia’s face and hated that I had to lie to save her, but it was all I had and seemed to stop her mother from further embarrassing her.
For the most part, being Alicia’s manny was fun. She pulled Carlee from daycare, and I put her on a schedule. In the mornings, after getting Chloe and Carsyn off to the school bus, I fed Carlee breakfast, set up learning activities in the family room, and went over alphabets and numbers with her.
I’d then read to her animatedly, and she’d laugh the whole time. By noon, she’d take her nap while I did laundry, cleaned the house, and organized the kids’ room. By two, Carlee would be up, and I’d feed her lunch while preparing lunch for when Chloe and Carsyn got home.
Alicia called me multiple times throughout the day for the first three days, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
I knew she was nervous about leaving her baby girl with me, but I made sure to ease her worries every time.
I loved that she was cautious and concerned.
It showed me how much she truly loved her kids, and that was something I would always praise.
I pulled up to my brother’s house and got out. Before I could even get to the porch, Siori opened the door, raising her arms for me to pick her up. I scooped her into my arms and tickled her as her laughter filled the foyer.
“What’s up, little one?” I asked, kissing her cheek.
“Hi, Uncle Baye. Look what I got Chloe.” She held up a press-on nail set and some lip gloss.
“That’s cool, beautiful, but we’ll see if it’s okay with her mom first before we give it to her, a’ight?”
“Okay!”
I walked further into the house and saw my brother and Sheena in the living room. He held her around her waist, kissing her neck as they danced to the R she’s almost single . . . It just makes sense, ya know?”
I shook my head at her. “I’m going to be honest. I think she’s a beautiful, amazing woman, and I’d love to court her. But she’s still going through a divorce, and I know she’s not ready to start dating again. If it happens, then you’d be the first to know, sis. I promise.”
“I pray it happens for you. She seems nice from when I interviewed her.”
“She is nice, but I won’t put the pressure on her until she shows me she’s ready.”
“You better talk it, bro-in-law!” She snapped her fingers as the kids came rushing down the stairs.
“Ready, Uncle Baye!” Sahira yelled. I smiled down at her and nodded.
“A’ight, let’s roll out. I’ll bring them back around eight thirty,” I told their parents.
“A’ight. Y’all behave yourselves,” Lal told them as they both kissed the kids goodbye. We all loaded inside my truck, and I anticipated seeing the beautiful divorcee and her tribe.
My phone rang with an unknown number, and I swiped the bar to answer.
“Basil Cassidy.”
“Hey, stranger. It’s Sharnae.”
I frowned in confusion, trying to remember the voice and the name. “Uh, forgive me if I don’t remember who are you, mama.”
“You met me at The Loft a few months ago. The one with the birthmark on her inner thigh.”
Oh.
Yeah, I remembered shorty. That birthmark shaped like a heart on her inner thigh was the only reason I knew who she was. Crazy, but there wasn’t much else to remember her by.
“Oh, yeah, I remember now. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I was just thinking about you and wanted to see if you’d like to hang out tonight?”
“I can’t tonight. I’ll be on the clock,” I lied. My shift ended at nine every night.
“Damn, that sucks. Well, this is my new number. Call me whenever you’re free. I’d like to see you again,” she said, voice dripping with lust.
“You got it, shorty.” I hung up, grabbed my bottled water, and took a sip.
“Was that one of your jump-offs?”
My head whipped over to Brendan, and I almost choked on the water while trying to choke back a laugh.
“You okay, Uncle Baye?” Sahira asked me while leaning up and patting my back.
“Yeah, I’m cool, princess. Bren, what you know about a jump-off, Nephew?”
He shrugged with a smirk on his face. “I heard you talking to my dad one time about calling one of your jump-offs to come over.”
“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping, Neph. Not cool.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re good, man. Just never repeat that, a’ight?”
“I got you.”
I swear, kids said the darndest things and knew too damn much.
“Good. And to answer your question, yes, that was a young lady I was speaking to.”
“Not to be eavesdropping, Uncle Baye, but I really like you and Ms. Alicia together.” Brenton jumped in.
“You don’t even know her. You’ve only seen her one time.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at him.
“I know, but I felt her vibe. I know you said she’s married, but I don’t think she like her husband for real. The way she was looking at you in the store that day said she liked you.”
I shook my head. Kids swore they knew shit, and in a sense, they did. I felt the vibe and peeped the look in her eyes, too, but I wasn’t going to speak on it—not to a nine-year-old anyway.
“You stay trying to make it happen between us, Nephew.”
“Because I know it’s going to happen. Watch,” Brenton said as I watched him smiling in the rearview mirror. I didn’t say anything else while I headed to Alicia’s place.
I hope it happens, too, Nephew. I truly hope so.
I pulled into Alicia’s driveway thirty minutes later, and I frowned, seeing her in the front yard, arguing with who I assumed was her husband—or ex-husband, rather. Her mouth went a mile a minute as she yelled in his face.
I didn’t know if I should get the kids in the house or wait until he left, but to avoid my nieces and nephews being around anything they weren’t used to, I opted for us to stay in the truck.
“Is Ms. Alicia okay, Uncle Baye? She looks really mad,” Sahira said.
“She’s okay. Y’all sit back and put your headphones and AirPods in.
I’ll let y’all know when it’s cool to get out.
” They did as I instructed, and I continued to watch to make sure homie didn’t touch her.
I cracked my window some to hear a little better.
Ex-husband, kids’ father or not, all I knew was that he better not disrespect her.
I knew I had no right to think about yoking this nigga up, but one thing I didn’t play about was niggas disrespecting their queens. Granted, they were going through a divorce, she was still the mother of his kids, and he shouldn’t be yelling at her with their kids in the house.
“. . . And who the hell is this you have pulling up to my house? You just couldn’t wait to open your legs to someone new, huh?”
“First of all, this is my house. I pay the bills around here, so you don’t concern yourself with who—Leo!
” I watched as he stormed toward my truck, and I discreetly slid my hand in the pocket of the door to make sure my gun was there.
I had no problem running them ones with homie, but just in case he was carrying, I wanted to make sure I had my shit with me too.
“Who the hell are you? Are you fucking my wife?”
I didn’t say shit and just watched him.
“Leo! If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police!” Alicia yelled, pushing him away from my truck.
“Call them so I can tell them you’re allowing drug dealers around my kids!”
I opened the door and stepped out.
Alicia stood between us as we towered over her and locked eyes. “Basil, this isn’t a good time right now. I’ll call you when I’m done here,” Alicia said to me.
I looked down at her and shook my head. “You promised my soldiers a playdate with the gang. You do keep your promises, right? Besides, this is my job, and I take it very seriously,” I said, eyes going back to her fuck-ass husband.
“Job? What the hell did she hire you for? You some type of escort or something?”
I wanted to say ‘or something’, but I chose not to add fuel to the flames. If I had been fucking Alicia, his ass would’ve never pulled up to the house with that much hostility. I’d make sure his ass came correct when he came to visit his kids.
“Nah, . . . I’m the new nanny, my guy.”
He stared at me, then scoffed. “You’re a got damn lie!” he yelled.
“Aye, listen. Watch that tone. I’m not your child, so respect me, and I’ll do the same. Whatever beef you have with Alicia, you take that up with her—respectfully, of course. I’m here to do my job, and that’s it.”
“I don’t want him around my kids, Alicia!”
“Leo, you don’t even want to be around your kids! It’s been over a month, and they haven’t seen your face, but you have the audacity to come here after almost two months, saying what the hell you don’t want? Get the hell away from here before I call Anika to come handle your ass!”
“Bit—”
“Alicia,” I cut him off. “Her name is Alicia, and you heard the lady. Walk away.”
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”
“A weak nigga, obviously.”
“I’ll beat your ass right now.”
I chuckled menacingly and crossed my arms in front of me. I wanted him to try to get stupid with me. I didn’t want to lay his ass out in front of the kids, but I’d be damned if I let him think he could fade me and not get his ass mangled.
“You know what? To hell with you!” He backed away, which was smart of him. “I will be petitioning for full custody in court!” He turned and stormed toward his ugly-ass Fusion.
I could see Alicia’s shoulders slump as she watched him pull away.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” I offered her an apology.
She slowly turned to me. “You’re fine. I’m kind of glad you did. I don’t know what has gotten into him, but he’s losing his damn mind.”
“If you want us to come another time, it’s cool. I won’t even charge you for today.”
“No, no. The kids have been raving about them coming over. We don’t have little children in our family, so we don’t get much child play over here. They’re excited, and I don’t want to take that away from them. I’ll be fine. I promise.”
I nodded once, then retrieved the kids from the car.
I knew they saw the exchange and felt the vibe because all of them were looking at me to make sure I was okay.
I gave them a reassuring smile, then helped the girls out of the truck.
They spoke to Ms. Alicia, and then we followed her into the house.
As soon as the kids saw my nieces and nephews, they all gathered around in a huddle, hugging and slapping fives with Carsyn while introducing themselves.
It didn’t take long for them to forget about us, as I gave them all strict rules to behave and play nicely.
They rushed off to the family room, and I turned to Alicia.
“I’m going to pull something out for dinner and make them some lunch. You good?”
She nodded lightly and gave me a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“I’m going to go get some work done.” She hurriedly walked off without another word, and I watched her until she disappeared into her office.
I hoped like hell she didn’t fire my ass for stepping to her ex-clown, but I wasn’t standing for anyone to disrespect a woman.
Alicia was going to learn that, although I worked for her, I was a man who didn’t tolerate bullshit—even if it did cost me my job and the woman I wanted to get to know and heal.