Chapter 10
The next morning . . .
I exited my car after pulling into the garage, where Alicia directed me to leave my truck. I retrieved my bag from the back and headed up to Alicia’s door. It took her a minute to open it, and when she did, I had to pause for a second. This woman was breathtaking.
Her skin was beautiful and moisturized, her hair in pin curls, and those famous, beautiful lips were shining with gloss.
For someone to look so put together at five in the morning was an amazing sight to see.
I saw her put together on numerous occasions, but this look was different.
Instead of seeing her in a business suit, leggings, and a T-shirt, she was now rocking some fitted light-blue jeans, a powder-blue blouse that meshed well with her deep-brown skin tone, and gold sandals.
I didn’t try to hide the lust dancing in my eyes, looking at her sharp-ass curves.
Her ex was a dumbass.
This woman was beautiful as fuck.
Stay focused, B. This is your boss.
“Something wrong?” she asked, looking down at her clothes to check and make sure she didn’t have anything on her.
“He—no, nothing’s wrong. The kids up?”
“Barely.” She giggled. “They’re in the living room, lying on the couch, but they’re dressed, and their bags are packed.”
“Cool. The Uber is about to pull up.”
She nodded and led me into the living room, where the kids were knocked out, lying on each other.
I smiled and grabbed their rolling suitcases, taking them outside to the porch just as the Uber pulled up.
I took the luggage to the SUV and placed it in the trunk.
I headed back inside to help her with the kids, and we all piled inside of the Uber.
This past week had me feeling like this shit was our norm.
I knew I had no business getting too attached to her or her children, but my heart was huge, and I had a soft spot for these little ones.
Alicia was the added bonus because I met her before I even accepted the job.
I may not have known all the inner workings of her, but those eyes were familiar.
They held a sadness and pain that I knew she tried to hide, and used to match the ones belonging to me.
It took me a whole year to get over what Nyami did to me. I didn’t have anyone to help me heal and pick up the pieces of my heart, but now that I was at a place where I felt full, I wanted to help someone I knew deserved to smile, be healed and feel full too.
I wanted her.
I knew she would run with the narrative that she was my boss, and I was her employee, but even her moms was speaking us into existence and didn’t even know it.
I wanted to get to know Alicia outside of her pain, and with us being on this trip, I was going to treat it like this was our little family vacation, whether she liked it or not.
I wouldn’t push up on her yet, because I knew she wasn’t ready, but I was going to show her a good time, even if I was there as her manny.
The ride to the airport was quiet. I put in my AirPods to listen to Devon Roman’s podcast, Real Talk.
He spoke a lot about healing, manifestations, and feeding the spiritual man.
When Alicia asked me if I was religious, I told her I wasn’t, which was true, but I enjoyed a good prayer and to be affirmed.
I enjoyed Devon because he kept it real, on top of dropping gems on how to keep, love, and stay rooted with a significant other.
I may have been burned by who I thought was my one, but after detoxing her out of my system, I wanted to try again with someone who was mature, wasn’t selfish, and gave the same love I gave to them.
“Not gon’ lie. These women will take yo’ ass through there. And don’t get on their bad side, boy. Ya ass better put on some armor and be prepared to go to war. That tongue is a sword if you get you one that ain’t gon’ allow you to be on that fuck shit with them.”
I chuckled because he wasn’t wrong. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked over, seeing Alicia smiling at me. I pressed pause and gave her my undivided attention.
“What are you listening to? You’ve been over there, smiling and chuckling since we pulled off.”
“Just a podcast by Devon Roman. He gets me through certain situations when I’m feeling a certain way.”
“And what are you feeling now?”
I smiled at her. “Content.”
“That’s good.” She fiddled with her fingers as her gaze went out the window. I could tell she was struggling with something, but I wouldn’t press her to express herself. I was patient.
“I know this may be breaching the client/boss clause, but you did offer me your ear, right?”
“Absolutely. I may take care of your children and home, but I believe moms need to be taken care of too.”
She looked back over at me and smiled. “With everything that has been going on over this past month and a half, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated.
Even when Ms. Shelly was working for me, there would be times when I would step in and do what I hired her to do, so I was still overwhelmed.
I . . . with you, it feels different. I”—She paused for a beat then shook her head—“Never mind.”
“No, talk to me. I’m not just here for the kids, Ms. Alicia.” I could see her eyes misting, and I took her hand, caressing it with my thumb. I knew the act was intimate, but I wasn’t thinking at the moment. I just wanted to bring her comfort.
“Later?”
I nodded and released her hand. Like I said, I didn’t want to press her to open up to me. She hadn’t known me that long to let me see inside her heart, so I respected that she was hesitant to tell me whatever she was about to say.
We pulled up at the airport fifteen minutes later and filed out of the truck.
We hurried through the revolving doors, then went through customs. We had gotten off to a late start, so by the time we made it past check-in, it was time to board the plane.
Carlee had woken up and was determined for me to hold her the whole time.
It made me feel good that the kids were being receptive to me.
It was only getting me a step closer to their mother.
I wasn’t preying on her, but I was praying for her.
I knew I had the potential to be that safe space for her; I just hoped I wasn’t making a mistake by trying to pursue her while she was going through a heartbreak.
I was confident though—confident that I could heal her, whether she gave me her heart or not.
We arrived in Kissimmee around eleven that morning.
I had canceled the reservation she had at the Westgate hotel and copped us an Airbnb.
She asked me how I was able to do that, and I reminded her that she synced our calendars, and it only made sense to get an Airbnb.
She didn’t protest and was actually happy about being in a house instead of the hotel, although Westgate was one of the fanciest resorts in Kissimmee.
I made sure to top it by getting one of the biggest homes I could find.
It had eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, an arcade/game room, a billiard room, and a large chef’s kitchen.
When the kids saw the house, they got excited when they learned there was a pool out back with a slide.
I wanted everyone to be comfortable and feel as if they were at home while we were here.
Once we got inside, we allowed the kids to pick which rooms they wanted, and I chose the room next to the master suite, where Alicia and Lee Bear would be sleeping.
Since we were going to be here for a week, I made sure I had groceries delivered so we wouldn’t have to eat out much.
Alicia met me in the living room while the kids went to put on their swimwear for me to take them out to swim.
“Thank you for this. You didn’t have to do this,” she said, smiling at me.
“I did. I want everybody to be comfortable. They’re used to being in homes, so I wanted to give them that experience.”
“How much did this cost? I know it had to set you back. I want to help.”
“No sweat off my brow, Ms. Alicia, and that won’t be necessary. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself. I know you brought the kids to have fun, but I want you to have fun too. You deserve that.”
“I’ll try. Even when I’m not working, I’m working, so there’s that.” She giggled lightly.
“Not this week. Take a load off and recenter. You need that. Your job ain’t easy, Ms. Alicia. And with everything going on, you need this time to be free of stress. You already sent the emails out, so let’s focus on getting you back right and spending time with the gang.”
She stared at me with that light smirk on her face before saying, “Your job is to focus on the kids, not me, sir.”
“They are a part of you. I’m just the manny. They need you to be at your best so they can live their little lives and be happy and carefree,” I told her.
“You always like this?”
“Like what?”
“So . . . persuasive.”
I laughed. “Only when I know what someone needs and wants to be too stubborn to listen. Gotta get them to bend somehow.” I winked at her just as Carlee came sliding down each step, calling my name with her swimsuit in her hands.
“Baye-Baye, sim-soop!” I met her halfway and scooped her up in my arms, tickling her sides. I swore this little girl warmed my heart every time she said my name.
“You ready to splash, baby girl?”
“Yayyy!” She clapped excitedly as Alicia approached us.
“Let me help you get your swimsuit on, baby.” She took her from my arms and headed up the stairs.
“I’ll meet y’all out back.”
“Okay.”
“Aye,” I called out to Alicia. She turned and looked at me. “You make sure you put your swimsuit on too.”
“Oh, goodness. Okay, Mr. Bossy.” She laughed and continued up the stairs as I grabbed my luggage to take it up to my room. As soon as I was inside, my cell rang with my mom’s number on the screen. I quickly answered.
“Hey, Ma, we just landed. I was—”
“Nah, nigga, this ain’t yo’ mama.” The voice on the other end made me stop what I was doing as a big smile spread across my face.
“Trayvon?”
“You already knowing, my nigga. I’m back, bitch!”
“Trayvon! Don’t make me put soap on your tongue, boy!” my moms yelled from the background.
“My bad, Mama Glo.”
“Man. I thought you had a couple more months, G?”
“Nah, they let a nigga out early. I come to see my best friend, only to find out he out of town playing stepdaddy and shi—stuff.” He corrected himself. “Let me step out on the porch ’fore Mama end up poppin’ me in my mouth.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Damn, brodie. I wish I knew you were coming home this soon. I had a whole party set up for your return.”
“That can be pushed back now. When you coming back?”
“I’ll be back in town Friday.”
“Yeah, I heard you started some babysitting company. Yo’ ass know you love kids.”
“It’s a nanny agency, foo’. Can’t blame me for loving kids when you in the house with the woman who made me this way.” We both laughed. “I missed you, bro. Can’t wait to see you.”
“Missed you too, man. I hope you got me a stable of hos, bottles of Ace, and a year’s supply of condoms, because I’m about to smut all them hos out!”
I laughed. “I got you, bro.”
“Baye-Baye!” Carlee’s little voice called out to me.
“I’m coming, Lee Bear!” I yelled back. “Text me your number, gang. I’ma hit you later tonight to catch up.”
“No doubt. Have fun with your new family.”
“Fuck outta here.” We laughed. “Glad you home, G.”
“Same, man. I’ll talk to you later. Gotta go run down on one of my baby mamas.”
I frowned in confusion. “Nigga, what—”
“Aye, mind ya business. One.” He hung up as I laughed, feeling good now that my homie was back outside.
Trayvon had always been the ‘take no shit’ type of nigga.
Just like me, he didn’t like to be disrespected, and that was what happened one night at a kickback we attended in Southfield.
Some big-shot, football-playing-ass nigga who played for the Detroit Dubbs decided to get buck with Tray because his girl was choosing.
I guess nigga thought that because he was famous, Tray was supposed to bow down to him or some shit.
Tray, being who he was, beat his ass and put the pistol to his head.
Cops got called, and my nigga ended up spending five years for assault with a deadly weapon.
I tried everything I could to get him out, but the judge wasn’t having it after the pussy-ass “victim” pressed charges. It was fucked up, but I made sure my guy was comfortable in there and kept his books stacked. Now that he was back home, I planned to celebrate his return the right way.
I hurriedly put on my swim trunks and white tank, then headed out of the room.
Alicia and the kids sat in the hallway on the bench, waiting for me.
When Alicia stood, I fought hard not to lick my fucking lips.
The all-white two-piece she wore had those round-ass titties sitting up just right.
Her stomach was flat but had the marks that gave away her birthing three kids.
Those sharp-ass hips were sticking out, and that fat pussy-print was teasing my senses.
Fuck.
This woman was going to make me break all the fucking rules and cross all boundaries. I just knew that pussy tasted like something sweet. I ran my tongue across my teeth and diverted my gaze to Chloe and Carsyn.
“Y’all ready to go swim?”
“Yeah!” they yelled excitedly. They were always excited, and I loved that for them, especially after being walked out on by their extra-terrestrial-looking-ass daddy.
“Let’s gooo!” I yelled, taking Carlee from her moms and tossing her in the air.
Her little laughs filled the hall as we all traveled down the stairs and outside to the pool.
I didn’t know what Ms. Alicia was trying to do, but if she kept this shit up, things were going to get a little more interesting ’round here.