FEAR OF FLYING #2
“I can help with the kids if you want, while you get dressed. Just point me in the right direction and show me what to do,” Lotus offered sweetly.
“Really?” Toni wasn’t sure how to take that.
She didn’t have female friends. Her and Symphony lost touch a while back and Toni figured it was for the best. Outside of Bull, she didn’t have a lot of interaction at all with adults.
Now, here this beautiful girl was, offering to help her, and her chest tightened.
She didn’t know Lotus from a can of paint, but her genuine aura put Toni at ease.
“Yes. I have two nieces that I helped raise. It’s nothing.” Lotus waved her off and peeled her coat off.
She handed it to Jewel, and he hung it on the coat rack near the front door.
“Okay. Bull is in the basement handling some last-minute business, and I got like fifteen minutes to get myself together.”
“Point me in the right direction,” Lotus encouraged.
“Oh, you are like an angel dropping on me right now.” Toni dragged Breeze to the steps, and Lotus followed.
“I’m going to find me a damn drink and wait on Rhema.” Jewel moved down the hall through the last of the decorators and disappeared into the wide spaced kitchen.
Lotus admired the home vibes of Toni and Bull’s house as they started up the steps.
Toni was all over the place, yammering away a mile a minute while dragging Breeze along behind her as he continued to devour the brownie in his hand.
Stopping outside the door with Bijou’s name in wooden letters coated with pink paint, Toni reached for the knob.
“Breeze, go inside, sit at the table, and finish that brownie. Don’t move,” Toni warned with a finger pointed in his face.
He didn’t utter a word as he sat down. She pulled his t-shirt over his head while he continued to go to town on the dessert that was now all over his face and fingers.
Spinning in her Ugg slippers to face Lotus, who now stood beside Bijou’s crib as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her big, brown eyes, Toni sighed.
“Well, hello gorgeous.” Lotus scooped her into her arms, and Bijou barely batted and eye.
“Jou Jou, this is Lotus. Right now, she’s the best friend that Mommy has. So, can you let her help put your clothes on?”
Jou Jou nodded, and Lotus smiled.
“Okay, her dress and shoes are right over there.” Toni pointed to the rocking chair in the corner with Jou Jou’s little yellow shimmery dress and silver shoes.
“Let me go grab my stuff and Breeze’s suit, and I’ll be right back.” Toni fled the room, and Lotus tittered before looking into Bijou’s little sleepy face.
“It’s okay, baby girl. We here to turn up tonight. Lolo got you,” she soothed her.
By the time Toni came back with everything she needed, she was almost hyperventilating. Bijou was dressed and in the corner playing with her toys as Lotus finished wiping Breeze’s face and hands with baby wipes.
“Okay, here’s his suit. I’m just going to stay in here and get dressed too. I’ve been preparing for this night for weeks, and I should have known everything wouldn’t go as planned.” Toni shook her head and stood in front of the full-length mirror.
She quickly removed the spiral rollers from her head.
“Bull didn’t want a party to begin with, but I had to be the dutiful wife and try to put something together anyway, despite his stubborn ass.”
“He is your husband. I think it’s cute.” Lotus chimed in. “Come on, Breeze, let’s get you dressed so you can be handsome.”
“Cute damn sure ain’t the way to describe me and Bull.
” Toni applied a quick beat to her face, giving her a natural glow before she removed her robe, keeping her back to her as she snatched up her dress.
“But thank you so much for helping. I probably would be somewhere crying in a corner if you hadn’t offered. ”
“You looked like you were overwhelmed.” Lotus tittered.
“And I damn sure am. I just want everything to be perfect. He deserves it. He goes above and beyond for us. I just want him to know he’s appreciated.”
Toni slipped into her deep V low cut shimmery yellow dress and took a moment to take in her reflection.
Her long hair fell over her shoulder in layered deep waves.
Lotus couldn’t lie; she was beautiful tussling some of her hair.
She quickly stuck her feet into her silver platform heels.
When she turned to face her, Breeze was nearly dressed, and his eyes lit up before grinning.
“Pretty Mommy.”
“Yo’ mama is a baddie, Breeze,” Lotus corrected as she adjusted his tie.
“You don’t think it’s too much?” Toni checked, self-conscious as hell as she peered down at herself.
“Pssh, you the host. You supposed to look better than all the other bitches here,” Lotus quipped. “Just add a little mascara and another coat of gloss, and you are good to go. Just like Breeze here.” She finished with his tie and presented him to his mother, whose mouth spread into a pleased grin.
“Breeze, you look so handsome.”
“I look like Daddy?” he checked with her.
“Just like your daddy,” Toni assured him. “Thank you so much, Lotus. They aren’t used to dealing with anybody but me and Bull, but they seem to be comfortable with you.”
Standing tall, Lotus simpered and studied both kids with adoration. They were so cute.
“No problem. Glad I could help.”
“We better get downstairs.” Toni checked through the blinds of Bijou’s window and spotted more cars starting to roll up to their estate.
“Come on, Jou Jou.” Lotus held her hand out for the little girl to take, which she did with no resistance. “Are you ready to party?”
“I want cake,” Jou Jou declared.
“Girl, low key, that’s why I came too.” Lotus snickered.
“Don’t encourage her,” Toni muttered with sarcasm. “The cake is huge too. I made it myself.”
“Oh, so you’re Susie Homemaker on top of being gorgeous,” Lotus mocked.
“You’re sweet.” Toni blushed. “I just want this to be a good night.”
“I am sure it will be.” Lotus smiled warmly.
“I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink. I’m so nervous.” She grabbed the hand of each of her children and started toward the hallway with Lotus behind her.
“What is there to be nervous about?” Lotus queried.
“I don’t know. People from his job were also invited, and I don’t really know anyone here. This is all literally his circle and the people he deals with. I’m just the wife who nobody sees but probably heard plenty about.”
“Hmm, then we have that in common,” Lotus muttered, admiring the family photos and a couple of random art pieces on the walls as they approached the staircase.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I am a few years older than Jewel for one, and I spent the last few years away. I went to college and got my degree and worked a few jobs before coming home a couple of years ago. I’ve never met Bull, but Jewel thought I might need to get out and have some fun since I’ve been confined to my apartment the last month or so. ” Lotus rolled her eyes.
“Well, you are more than welcome to turn up here and stick with me if you want. Because I won’t know anyone here other than my husband and children.”
When they reached the top of the stairs, Bull stood opening the door for new arrivals.
Pitching it open, he found Eazy on the other side with Essence next to him in their best formal attire.
He shook hands with his boy and did a quick embrace.
Essence stood awkwardly beside her brother, wondering what the best way was to greet the man.
He was fine as hell in his black suit with a yellow tie and matching pocket square.
He, Toni, and the kids were all coordinated, and Lotus thought it was the most adorable thing ever.
“Thanks for coming through,” Bull told Eazy with a nod before giving Essence his attention.
Her dress was short, but the sheer covering over the bottom half flowed down to her ankles, revealing her feet in a pair of thick black clogs.
The top portion was strapless, showing off her shimmery skin as a diamond teardrop necklace dangled above her breasts.
Toni started down the steps with the kids, and Lotus slowly trailed her.
“You look good, E,” Bull complimented Essence with a warm, familiar embrace.
Toni couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was some odd tension between the two of them as she reached the landing with the children. The hug was very comfortable, and it lingered more than two people who didn’t share some kind of history should. Bull still had his arm slightly around her waist.
“Daddy, I look like you!” Breeze piped up, bouncing and bending his knees with a cute, lopsided grin.
“Yeah, you sharp, son.” He tore himself away from Essence with a proud smile on his face.
When his gaze drifted to Bijou and her pretty ass mama, he was immediately thrown by Toni’s attire.
In order to keep himself from drooling, he swiped the corner of his mouth.
She looked fucking good. There was absolutely nothing wrong with how she dressed on a regular.
She kept it simple and didn’t require a pound of makeup to be pretty, but this look was sexy and sensual.
“Daddy, I pwetty?” Bijou asked, looking down at her dress and waiting for his approval when she peered back up at him.
“Very pretty, Jou.” A little glimmer flickered behind his eyes when they focused on Toni, and everyone caught it.
Essence’s chest tightened, restricting her airway. His wife was drop dead gorgeous. The harder she searched for a flaw, she only found more perfection. Toni had this warm aura that couldn’t be denied, and Bull was fixated on her. He drank her in slowly, like this was his first time seeing her.
“You showing the fuck out,” he mumbled, causing Toni to turn red and lower her head with a smile.
“I told you,” Lotus piped up from behind.
She already had Eazy’s full attention in her tight little number, and he bit into his bottom lip and shook his head when Bull looked past his wife at her.
“Who are you?” Bull queried, a slight frown creasing his brow while admiring her beauty just enough to not be disrespectful to his own wife.