27
K nox stepped out of the shower after his workout. He’d dropped Yasmine off at school that morning, stopped to check on a few of his businesses, and then returned to the condo, where he’d changed and gone to workout.
Drying off, he wrapped a towel around his waist, grabbed his lotion, and exited his en suite. He sat at the end of the bed and moisturized before getting dressed. He picked up the mail he’d grabbed on his way from his workout and leafed through it. An envelope from the city caught his attention.
Knox opened it and found his divorce decree inside. It seemed like another weight lifted. The first time was when he’d learned that the judge had accepted their divorce petition. Now that he was holding the decree, physical proof that his marriage was over, he realized he hadn’t felt this light, free in a long while. It almost made him want to frame it.
He placed it on his dresser and headed toward the front door. He grabbed his keys and wallet on his way out. Knox was sure Mia either hadn’t gotten hers yet or hadn’t checked her mail because he was sure she would have been blowing his phone up, and he didn’t want to give her that chance.
When he slid behind the wheel of his vehicle, he headed toward the bank. He had no intention of giving her a reason to call and hound him, so he decided to be proactive. Knox wouldn’t have ever thought he’d be excited to give away two million dollars when it wouldn’t work as a return in his favor. However, he supposed it would. The return would be not having to deal with Mia if it wasn’t concerning Yasmine, and even then, it would only be about visitations and when their daughter wanted to talk to her until she was old enough to make the calls on her own.
Knox walked into the bank and was greeted by the tellers. He gave them a wave as he went to the office of Mary, the branch manager. He knocked on the doorframe, and she looked up at him before standing.
“Knox, hey. How are you?” she asked, shaking his hand.
“I’m good, Mary. What about you?”
“Can’t complain. What can I do for you today?” Mary inquired, gesturing to a seat across from her.
Knox took it. “I need to make a wire transfer.”
“Usual place and amount?”
“Yes, usual place. The amount is different and coming out of my money market.”
Mary nodded as she turned her focus to her computer screen. Knox waited the few minutes it took her to pull up what she needed. He’d gone through this so much that typically, Mary could get the entire form filled out without asking Knox questions, and all he had to do was sign.
“What amount are we sending today?” Mary asked after typing for a couple of minutes.
“Two million,” Knox responded, and she halted to look at him for a moment before giving the screen her full attention again. “Can you add divorce settlement in the memo?” he requested.
“I sure can.”
There were more taps of the keys, and then Mary slid a topaz towards him. Knox picked up the pen and signed the digital pad, putting it back. She signed next, and a few seconds later, the printer came to life, and Mary handed him the two sheets from it.
“For your records, as always,” she stated. “This will go out today, and she should have it first thing in the morning since their incoming cut-off is in half an hour, and I don’t believe it’ll go out by then.”
“That’s fine.”
“Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“That’ll be all for today. Thank you, Mary.” Knox reached across the desk and shook her hand before leaving the office.
He checked the time when he got back into his vehicle. There was another hour before he needed to pick up Yasmine. He stopped by a bakery and picked up some cupcakes—a treat to toast the official end of his marriage.
Knox purchased twelve cupcakes and had six put in each box. He was pulling into the parking lot of Aiva’s firm fifteen minutes later. He stepped into the building as Finx was hanging up the phone.
“Mr. Chandler, nice to see you.”
“Please, Knox is fine. Is Aiva busy?”
Finx looked at his computer for a moment. “She isn’t with anyone right now, but she has an appointment in fifteen minutes. You can head back.”
Knox nodded and headed to Aiva’s office. He knocked on the open door, and she looked up, smiling at him.
“Hey, come in.”
Knox stepped into the office. “Hello, gorgeous.” He placed the box on her desk and rounded it, leaning down to kiss her.
“What’s in the box?” she asked once they pulled away, nodding to it.
“Celebratory cupcakes,” Knox responded, leaning against the desk.
“Oh? What are we celebrating?”
“My divorce decree came in the mail today, and I sent Mia her settlement. I can officially say I don’t have to deal with her unless it’s about Yas.”
“I’m surprised I haven’t received a call from Harvey yet, but just because you’ve gotten yours doesn’t mean Mia has gotten hers yet. Did you get a copy of your confirmation?”
“I did. Are you busy tomorrow night? I can call Yas’ babysitter, and we can go to dinner to celebrate.”
“I’d love to, but I’m having drinks with my little brother tomorrow evening. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize, baby.”
“I’m free this weekend. I’m going to the spa with my sisters Saturday morning, but I’m free that evening.”
“Saturday evening it is then. I know you have a client coming soon, so I’ll get out of your hair.” He gave her another kiss. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay. Tell Yasmine I said hi.”
Knox nodded and headed out of the office. His next stop was to pick up his daughter and enjoy cupcakes with her.
A iva walked into the restaurant at seven o’clock. She was having drinks with her oldest younger brother, but she knew she’d end up ordering at least an appetizer like she usually did. She found her little brother at the two-top pub table they preferred when they met there and headed over.
“Aiva, hey,” EJ greeted, and he stood and kissed her temple before pulling her chair out for her.
“Hey, EJ,” she responded, sliding into the chair.
“I ordered a couple of appetizers and drinks,” he stated, retaking his seat. “How’s work been?”
“Thank you. It’s been good. A lot of the usual. What about you? Did you find a new receptionist?”
“It’s good. The athletic department of the University of Texas has become a client, and no, I haven’t found one yet; I’m using someone from a temp agency.”
“That’s exciting, EJ. Your practice is steadily growing.”
“A few trainers thought the players would benefit from chiropractic services. It probably helped that I’m an El Paso alum and played during my time there.”
Their server came with their drinks and informed them that their appetizers would be just a few more minutes before leaving them to continue their conversation.
“Speaking of athletes, a little birdie tells me you’re dating one.”
Aiva took a drink of her martini. “Marreigh is the definition of an opp.”
EJ laughed. “I think she’s excited because he was one of her favorites to watch before he retired.”
“I guess, but yes. We’re dating.”
“Is it serious?”
“That’s a good question. We’ve only been dating for about two months. I enjoy spending time with him.”
“Do you get to see him often? Between your schedule and his? I know he owns several businesses since he’s no longer playing.”
“I do. I went bike riding and out for lunch with him and his daughter this past weekend,” Aiva replied, and her brother raised a brow at her. “What?”
“You’ve met his daughter, but you’re telling me you don’t know if the two of you are serious? Get real, sis.”
“I mean, I met his daughter accidentally the first couple of times. We just happened to be in the same place.”
Her brother opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by the server returning with their appetizers. They thanked her before she left them again.
“A bike ride and lunch sound like an intentional meeting to me.”
“You aren’t wrong.”
“Does his daughter like you?” EJ asked before picking up a slider.
“I think she does. She’s such a cute kid, and she’s so well-behaved. She asked me to go to Disneyland with them,” Aiva responded.
“Are you going?”
“Probably not. I don’t think we’re at that stage in our relationship yet, and even if we were, I wouldn’t want to impose on the time they’re supposed to spend together.”
EJ nodded. “I get that, but she invited you. What did he say when she did?”
“To let him know if I wanted to go.”
“I say go, but it’s your decision. Just keep in mind that trying to put timeframes on anything in a relationship never works out. It’s best to go with the flow and let things fall where they may.”
“Edison did that, and we have a colony of siblings,” Aiva retorted, dipping her boneless wing.
EJ snorted. “That was not going with the flow. That was being greedy and careless.” There was a brief pause. “On the topic of carelessness, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Aiva nodded, remaining quiet. She assumed that was the case when he’d asked her to meet him. While she spent time with all her siblings individually or in small groups. Whenever EJ asked her to meet him at this restaurant for drinks, he always had something he wanted advice on. Considering she and Meila were the only ones older than him, he came to them. Aiva always got the issues that required more sensitivity because their older sister’s advice would typically include bodily harm.
“I’ve been casually seeing this woman for the past few months. She’s cool, and we have fun, but I don’t see a future with her, and you know me, forever striving to be the opposite of my namesake, I sat down to have that talk with her, and before I could even say anything, she placed a pregnancy test on the table. She’s buzzing with excited energy, and I can only think, ‘Damn. Now I’m trapped with her, regardless.”
Aiva took a drink of her martini as she let his words settle. “Did you use protection?”
“Every single time, but condoms break, and I can admit I didn’t check to be sure they hadn’t.”
“I’m not trying to make it seem like she’s lying or that you shouldn’t believe her, but are you the only person she’s dating?” Aiva asked. The last thing she wanted to do was call this woman’s, who she didn’t even know, morals into question. She just wanted to have all the facts.
“I know she was dating another guy, but she says I’m the only one she slept with,” EJ responded with a sigh. “I should have been more careful. The last thing I need right now is a child and one with someone I don’t want to be with.”
“Does she know that? Did you still talk to her about it or drop it when she presented the test?”
“I told her. I didn’t want her to have any misconceptions, and I wasn’t about to pretend for a relationship I don’t want just because she’s carrying a child.”
“How did she take it,” Aiva asked.
“She was upset. She told me I led her on when, in reality, it was her that told me she wasn’t looking for anything serious when we met. Which was fine because I wasn’t either.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to get a DNA test done. It’s not that I think she’s lying to me. I want to be sure that the child I will take care of is mine, and we can come to a co-parenting agreement.”
Aiva nodded. She could understand that. He couldn’t be blamed for wanting to ensure he fathered the child he was taking care of, and Aiva did not doubt that he would take care of them. She hated to say it, but he got that from their father. While Edison was a no-good cheat. He took care of his kids. It was just that she and Meila had never had the desire to let him after finding out about his infidelities.
“The two of you could go to a DNA Diagnostics Center, and they can do a pre-natal test. It won’t hurt the baby, and you don’t have to wait nine months to know for sure.”
“That’s true. I’ll call her and see if she’s down to do that.” He paused momentarily. “I can’t even imagine introducing a child to our family dynamic. Hi baby, this is your grandfather, three grandmothers, and a host of aunts and uncles.”
Aiva snorted because her little brother was joking, but that was probably how it would turn out. He hadn’t included her mother in his introduction, and while her mother was cordial to her siblings, she didn’t partake in Edison’s shenanigans. She had no desire to co-parent as a village, since that was how her sperm donor spun it. It would be different if he and the other women were in an agreed-upon poly relationship, but they weren’t.
“Don’t stress over it until you get the results back. Then go from there.”
“You’re right,” EJ agreed, downing the rest of the liquor in his glass.
“I take it you haven’t told anyone else.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you first. Get talked off the ledge, if you will. I’m meeting with Ali this weekend, and I might tell him, but I won’t mention it to anyone else until I know for sure.”
Aiva nodded in understanding. Their little brother Ali was like the world’s best vault. You could tell him anything, and it would never see the light of day from him. It made him the perfect person to vent to. However, Ali was quick to tell you to fix the problem or figure it out yourself if you asked him for advice. It was best to steer clear of asking him for any.
The conversation shifted, and they talked about their upcoming cruise in a few months and the things they’d planned on doing at the different places they docked.