Chapter 11
Solana Thomas
A Month Later
Marlo and Mikael giving so freely was new to me.
A part of me was still holding my breath waiting for them to demand something in return.
I really didn’t think they were those types of people.
Mikael was like a brother I never wanted.
He liked to pick with me and talk his shit, but he didn’t play when it came to Sunshyne.
He treated her the same way he treated his nieces.
I loved that and hated it because it made me think about Sonni’s stupid ass family.
A nigga that had known us for a little over a month treated her better than the niggas she shared blood with.
Sunshyne has real uncles who basically said fuck her since her dad passed away.
I would never understand how Sonni’s entire family moved on so easily, like Sunshyne didn’t exist. That’s why I did appreciate Mikael for giving Sunshyne the love of an uncle.
She lit up whenever Mikael was around and she’d gotten Mason and Mallory to call him unky.
Marlo has a special place in my heart. He’d gone beyond anything I could ask for from a stranger.
The initial thirty dollars an hour only lasted my first week of working.
Marlo and I had a conversation about me wanting to move Sunshyne and me into a house.
My pay was raised by ten dollars and I wasn’t complaining either.
If he wanted to give me a raise I was gonna take it.
Marlo did little things like making sure we had food, if we needed to wash our clothes, even taking our trash out without me asking him to.
He let me drive one of the company cars whenever I needed to get around so I wouldn’t have to drive my skoolie.
Which was another big relief. Having a skoolie has many pros however one of the biggest cons was finding a parking spot.
It was often a hassle, and it made something as simple as going to the store annoying.
I probably should have been a little less eager to receive all the extra help I’d been given from the brothers, but I wasn’t.
Although I didn’t get those vibes from Marlo or Mikael, I still wouldn’t put anything past them either.
I learned not to put my full trust in anybody but myself.
For the time being I would get everything I could and if Marlo switched up, I would be in a better situation to move around.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that I really did enjoy my job.
It was getting a lot easier now that I had a system in place to get everything in order.
I still had a long way to go getting everything organized.
Their old secretary needed her ass whooped because nothing in the last year had been filed properly.
I had my hands full, but it was keeping me busy and putting money in my pockets.
All the extra help I’d been getting lately had me feeling a hell of a lot happier.
With a little extra money in my pockets, I was able to finally go get my braids redone last weekend.
I ended up splurging a little on myself.
Getting my eyebrows waxed and my toes done too.
I felt like an entirely new bitch. I had to go buy myself a few new outfits that were more work appropriate.
That wasn’t to say I was just out here spending money going crazy because I wasn’t.
Most of my money went to my house fund. I wanted the home I moved Sunshyne into to be in a nice neighborhood and that would cost a pretty penny.
I at least wanted to have a year's worth of rent saved up before I moved anywhere. The little money I spent on myself barely put a dent in my pocket and Sunshyne really didn’t need anything.
When it came to clothes and shoes, she had more than enough.
Even when money was tight, I made sure she had everything and that was why most of the time I went without certain luxuries.
One thing sure, Sunshyne was gonna be taking care of.
As of lately I found myself stressing less and smiling more.
It made me want to thank Marlo over and over again.
Nothing would have made me believe he’d impacted my life the way he’d had.
I swear if Marlo didn’t have a girlfriend, I would have been all over him.
Although I had never formally met his girlfriend aside from the day at the store.
I believed whole heartily that she didn’t deserve him.
Yeah, you weren’t supposed to judge a book by their cover, Marlo’s girlfriend came off like she thought she was better than other people.
She was the type who looked down on people.
While Marlo was the humble kind of nigga that no amount of money could change him.
I didn’t get that only from our run in either, Mikael didn’t let his dislike for her be unknown.
As well as phone conversations, I’d overheard between Marlo and her.
Not to mention her favoritism between Mason and Mallory.
If I didn’t see it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it but being around Marlo a lot mean I got to see his kids more.
Sunshyne loved playing with Mason and Mallory with them all being closer in age.
However, Mason was around significantly more than Mallory and not because Mallory didn’t want to come.
Nope, every week it was a new reason why Mason wasn’t included in whatever Marlo’s girlfriend and Mallory were doing.
One week she flat out forgot to pick Mason up from school, claiming she was in extreme pain and had to go to the hospital.
I wasn’t sure of the exact outcome of that situation, but I did hear Mikael saying she was probably lying.
I really didn’t understand what the hell Marlo saw in old girl solely based on how she was treating Mason.
I don’t see Marlo being the type of nigga to put up with a female like that, but it also wasn’t my place to question or say anything.
We talked but over conversations didn’t get that deep and I wasn’t going to overstep any boundaries.
“What you doing?” I asked startling Rahmeek as I came from the bathroom in the back.
I eyed him suspiciously as I let out a deep sigh.
If there was one thing I hated about my job it would be fucking Rahmeek.
He had to be the most obnoxious nigga on this planet.
Rahmeek was the nigga who didn’t comprehend no and not in the good way.
He really believed in his twisted demented brain that I was playing hard to get and if he continued to badger me, I would give into his advances.
That was the furthest thing from the truth.
Rahmeek was the last nigga I wanted to be with.
I’d rather marry my rose than be with Rahmeek.
He has the type of aura that never allowed me to be fully at ease when he was around.
He always had those sneaky eyes that seemed like he was plotting or maybe I just didn’t like him.
“Fuck,” He grunted standing up to his full height. He was originally rummaging through one of the file cabinets. “Where you comin’ from?” His eyes darted around the room nervously.
“The bathroom,” I flatly answered, folding my arms across my chest. I had no clue what he was looking for but I doubted he was supposed to be doing what he was doing.
Rahmeek looked around the room before he looked back at me with an uneasy smile as he asked. “You be in this bitch dressed like you finna met the mutha fuckin’ president.”
“What are you talking about now?” I asked frowning at Rahmeek as he stood cockily in front of me. I was far from dumb it was clear that he was trying to get my attention off what he was doing.
I wasn’t going to push the envelope on what Rahmeek was looking for.
I didn’t need him getting mad and trying to do something to me.
There was no way I could beat him, but I would bring this to Marlo’s attention.
It was a damn shame a nigga so fine wasn’t worth shit.
When Rahmeek wasn’t running his damn mouth, he was easily eye candy.
Fine dark chocolate nigga with looks that could make any girls come outta their panties.
As long as he kept his fucking mouth closed the minute, he’d opened his mouth it was game over.
All positive thoughts of Rahmeek were gone like a faded memory.
“I’m sayin’ you be in here dressed fancy as fuck, but I ain’t gone lie you looked good in that shit though,” He said running his eyes down my body and I felt violated by his gaze.
My frown deepened as Rahmeek continued looking at me like I was food he wanted to devour.
This nigga had to be on the short but because for one I was dressed business casual with a simple fitted Black high waisted pencil skirt, a long sleeved dark green shirt tucked in and a pair of Black pumps.
If anything, today I was dressed down compared to the outfits I normally wore.
“Gee, thanks,” I sarcastically replied. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“You funny Bruh. You tryna hold out a nigga but let me be the one to tell you Lo ain’t finna leave his family for no broad. So, you might as well come on to a nigga that can treat you right,” Rahmeek smiled at me however the smile lacked sincerity.
“And you’re delusional Bruh; I really don’t like or want you.” I said while batting my eyes, keeping my sarcastic tone as I spoke.
“But you ain’t denying you want Lo. Bitches be slow as fuck.” His fake smile turned into a frown and hate filled his eyes. “Niggas ain’t slow, we see how you two be giggle and flirting and all that other shit y’all do. Lo might fuck you but he ain’t leaving his family for you. Dumb ass girl.”