Sterling
“I’M COMING!”
I thought whoever it was would simply drop off whatever package they had but when they rang the bell for a second time I knew I had to get up before they woke Ami up from her nap. Apparently, the damn sign that said do not ring the bell sleeping baby wasn’t enough to deter people.
I snatched the door open with far more attitude than was necessary but I had to admit I was missing Aldrich and twenty-four-hour baby duty was a lot.
And I was horny. I was going on day ten without having had dick and after years of being celibate I didn’t think I would take to it like a duck to water so fast.
You also didn’t think you’d come across a Black Dominican, soul-snatching, thick dick, gentleman.
“Are you, Ms. Williamson?” I would’ve thought this person was a process server by the way they were posing the question.
I didn’t put it beyond my mother to disrupt my life by having me served with a notice to appear back in New York just so that she could put eyes on me.
She’d threatened it enough and I’d actually seen her do it to other people she wanted to control.
Something about the way this man was looking didn’t feel intimidating.
“I am, who are you?”
“Just making sure that I had the right person. I’m Noah and I work with the Desperados.
Well, I’m an intern.” He said the first part proudly so I knew this was a big deal for him.
Noah couldn’t have been older than twenty, if that and his slightly gangly limbs had me thinking he was probably younger.
His hair was cut in a low fade but he had an impressive design on one side and his white polo shirt had the team name embroidered on it.
“Nice to meet you, Noah and congratulations on snagging the position.” His face broke into a wide grin that screamed youth and had me smiling back at him.
He did this head tilt that was like a slight bow I’d seen a bunch of the men around here doing. Like they were tipping an imaginary hat as a sign of respect. “Thank you, ma’am.”
My smile dropped and I stared at him like he was crazy ‘cause that was so out of bounds. “Absolutely not. I’m only twenty-five don’t do that.”
“Sorry, ma—. Sorry Miss.” He looked nervous and I felt bad that I’d thrown him off what he came to do.
“Thank you. I can appreciate your manners but don’t have me out here feeling old.” He grinned like he was about to ma’am me again but I gave him a look and he just nodded and laughed before he righted himself and put back on his professional face.
“I’m just here to drop off your invitation.” He held out a thick white file and now I was wondering what the hell this really was.
My eyes flickered to the object in his hand before looking back at him. “Invitation?” My tone was filled with doubt because I’d never seen an invitation that looked like that and I’d been to fairly exclusive places.
He nodded but I could tell he was surprised I wasn’t enthusiastically taking this file out of his hand. “To the Desperados ladies’ luncheon. Since most of the staff is at camp, we are hand delivering the invitations to ensure they get to you ladies in enough time.”
“Why am I getting one?”
His brown eyes widened slightly and I knew I was taking this poor young man through the wringer but I was too tired to even keep on my game face. Besides, I didn’t think that, as his nanny it would be appropriate for me to go to a team event. And how these folks get my name, anyway?
“Because Mr. Dinero put down your name and information for you to receive it. Has something changed?” He looked around like he knew this was Aldrich’s house and I was sure this kid wouldn’t run his mouth but I wasn’t about to act like I didn’t know what was going on.
“Thank you. I wasn’t aware of how things worked with the team. I appreciate the invitation.” Noah’s smile was one of relief and I hated that I had scared this poor child.
“It’s no problem. The event is in less than two weeks so I didn’t want you to miss the invitation.
And I’m sorry for ringing. I read the sign but it’s kind of a big deal for me to put this in your hands.
” I could tell he wanted to make sure he did a good job and I couldn’t knock him for that.
In an age of people wanting to get famous on social media, he was out here doing physical, and I’m sure thankless labor.
I wasn’t about to interfere with him getting the best possible review he could so I took the large file from him.
“I understand. Thank you again.” He grinned and backed away with a wave to the car that was waiting in the driveway.
As I shut the door, I took note of the heavy portfolio that they called an invitation.
It was thick and I knew however they’d had to craft these wasn’t playing around with ensuring each woman felt special.
This was the type of thing someone framed and never threw away.
The person responsible for this had to be a woman.
While I was excited, I wasn’t sure why Aldrich would send this to me when we weren’t really…well anything to each other yet.
Fucking, yes. But still, employee, employer. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to have me at this thing just because we’d swapped fluids a few times.
More than a few, but nobody is counting.
I didn’t want to be the girl who started asking what are we to force a man’s hand because I was firmly in the camp of if he wanted to, he would. But this seemed like Aldrich wanting to and would-ing but I didn’t want to read too much into it.
Instead of being weird about it I went to the phone and sent him a text message. I sat the heavy portfolio down and snapped a photo of it with a question mark beside it. Immediately my phone rang in my hand and I was surprised because I thought for sure he was at practice right now.
“Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Nah, everything good?” He sounded slightly out of breath and now I knew I’d interrupted something.
“I knew you were busy but something. Just got delivered to the house that I had questions about.”
“What was it?” The way his tone elevated I realized I should’ve chosen my words far more carefully than I had.
“No! Nothing bad. It’s an invitation to the team’s lady’s luncheon.”
“Oh, damn they’re quick as hell. We just got the sign up a few days ago. They didn’t waste time.” I could hear the smile in his voice and I wondered what made him so happy.
Then I realized what it was he’d said. “Aldrich?”
“Yeah.”
“You signed me up for this?”
“Yeah. You don’t want to go?”
I looked down at the white envelope again because I hadn’t bothered to examine the contents. “I don’t even know what this is.”
“It’s a team thing where the women in our lives get taken care of and supported the way they support us.” He said it so matter-of-factly that I felt the need to inject a dose of reality into his thought process.
“Al—”
“Nah. You about to say something that’s gone fuck up my mental when I need to be focused on what’s going on right now. You're not going to overthink or underthink who you are to me or no shit like that. I won’t have it.”
I bit my lip because he sounded sexy as hell trying to boss me around. “You're making demands now?”
“You know I have ways to get you to do what I want you to, Ling. Had you calling me Money when you swore you never would.”
I felt my face get hot as my mind flashed back to the moment I called him Money. “That was just a slip of the tongue.”
When I heard him chuckle I knew he was going to say something slick. “Nah, it was just the power of my tongue and I ain’t got an ounce of shame in it either.”
“Aldrich, there might be people around you!” Why I was whispering in the phone was beyond me but I felt the need to keep my voice down.
He snickered and I was sure he wanted to laugh. “And? Ion’t give a fuck. They're talking to their girls too. There are too many dicks around this muthafucka. Anyway, have fun with that shit. Link up with Aphrodite and y’all do the girls thing or whatever. It’ll be fun.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?” He sounded hopeful and I knew this meant a lot to him.
“Yeah. It’ll be fun.” I was trying to convince us both because I didn’t believe it would be fun.
“You sound like you’d rather have a root canal but Imma take your yes and keep it pushing. Call me back when the baby is up so she can talk to Daddy.”
“I will.”
“Cool. And you video call me back after she carries her ass to sleep so you can talk to Daddy too.” His voice got softer but I didn’t miss the sensual tone in his voice that matched the request he was making.
“Of course I will, Money.”
It might not have been the best idea to come to this thing.
We’d been greeted well by the MVP Wives and the staff had been amazing, but leave it to a bitch who isn’t getting the worship she thinks she should to mess up a moment.
After I cleared that bitch who thought we were too damn stupid to know about game tickets and the other who tried to make me feel like a second-class citizen, I’d lost my appetite.
Despite Ami not being able to talk, I was sure she knew when my tone and my aura switched up and I didn’t want her to see me act that way.
Instead of going through the rest of the meal with these women, the ladies that I knew all got up and started shopping.
Rye gave us the details on the women talking shit and I locked that info into my brain in case I had to confront her again later.
“These are nice!”
Aphrodite’s voice held the same note of wonder in it that it had the last few times she’d picked up something this jeweler had displayed.
I was more than impressed by the red carpet that had been laid out for all the Desperados players’ partners. I wasn’t expecting to walk into this luncheon and get thousands of dollars to spend and despite my misgivings I was starting to relax and enjoy myself.