Chapter Twenty-One
Rhythm
The sound of my phone going off woke me from my slumber. Last night started off sweet, then it went to shit. Then it went to hell before Channing took me to heaven. The way he handled me had me thinking, Raheem who? Fuck that nigga.
It really was fuck him.
I could kick my own ass for being so down over him for weeks. I should have gone with my first mind when pictures of him and Imani first began appearing online. But no, I wanted to believe my man was faithful. I wanted to believe him when he said that there was nothing going on between him and that bitch.
I couldn’t even be mad at her, because she really didn’t owe me shit, but him? I gave up way too much to be here at his urging for him to shit on me like this. He owed me his loyalty and respect because he’d always had mine.
I rolled over in the king-sized bed, void of Channing’s presence, and sat up, reaching for my phone. Picking it up, I saw that it was my mother calling me. I heaved a heavy sigh, knowing that she was probably calling about Raheem. I’d been lying to them for months now that everything was okay. Today, I’d have to come clean.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hey, Mama.”
“Hey, puddin’,” came my dad’s voice.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“I need to see your face. Answer this FaceTime call.”
He didn’t give me a chance to protest before the call came through. I covered myself with the sheet and answered the call. There sat my parents in my childhood living room with worried looks on their faces. Tamera and Timothy Baker played about a lot of things, but not about being parents. It didn’t matter that I was good and grown.
“How are y’all?” I asked.
“We’re doing just fine,” he answered. “I just need to know if and when I need to book my flight to come kick that nigga’s ass.”
“Timothy!” my mother scolded. “You promised me we were going to ease into this.”
“I ain’t easing into nothing when it comes to my baby, Tamera. Where are you, Rhythm?”
“At a friend’s house, Daddy.”
“Good. Can you stay there until we can come move you out?”
I sighed. “Daddy, I haven’t lived with Raheem for two months now.”
“What!” he and my mother exclaimed.
“You know Nique moved out here. We share an apartment.”
“Okay, that’s fine. But you mean to tell me this been going on for two months and you haven’t said anything?”
I could hear the frustration in his voice.
“It’s been going on longer than that,” I admitted. “I didn’t have concrete proof, but I got fed up, and I left. Why don’t I just explain from the beginning?”
“Please do.”
He and my mother listened attentively as I gave them a rundown of the events that led to last night. I could see the anger brewing in my father’s eyes. If there was one thing he hated, it was people fucking with me or my mama.
“See, now I gotta bust a cap in his ass,” he said when I finished.
I rolled my eyes. “Daddy, that’s unnecessary. Karma will hit him harder than I ever can.”
“Oh, I can hit him just as hard.”
“Timothy, stop it!” my mother warned him. “Are you sure you’re okay, baby?”
“I’m fine. I wasn’t perfect, but I was good to Raheem. My only regret is not leaving sooner. I love the arrangement Nique and I have. I’ve really missed her, and she’s made getting through this bearable.”
“You two were always inseparable,” my mother agreed. “I can’t believe both of you moved to California.” She shook her head and sighed. “At least, now, you have each other. Plus, Rhyon and Emerald are there.”
“Who’s this friend you spent the night with?” my father asked.
As if on cue, Channing walked through the door with a tray of breakfast food that made my mouth water. I was so distracted by the fact that he was only wearing boxers and socks that I didn’t answer my father. My eyes drifted to his dick print, and I inadvertently licked my lips, causing him to grin.
“Rhythm?” my father called.
I cut my eyes back to the camera. “Huh?”
“Who is this friend?”
“Um… his name is Channing.”
“He? You with another nigga? Put him on the phone.”
“Daddy!”
“Put him on the phone, Rhythm.”
I sighed as I looked up to see Channing pulling on a shirt. He didn’t look the least bit bothered as he came over and took a seat beside me.
“Mr. and Mrs. Baker. My name is Channing Watson. It’s nice to meet you.”
My mother’s eyes widened, and my father’s brows furrowed.
“Who are you?” my father asked.
My mother slapped his shoulder. “Timothy. Be nice.”
“I am being nice.”
“Then change your tone. Apologize.”
My father sighed. “I apologize. When it comes to my baby girl, I’m very protective.”
Channing chuckled. “I completely understand, sir. This is precious cargo.”
He leaned in and kissed my cheek, causing me to blush.
“How long have you two known each other?” my father asked.
“Daddy, you’re in my business.”
“You came outta me. You are my business.”
My mother scoffed. “She came out of me.”
“Well, I came in—”
“Daddy! Oh my God. Please stop. Channing and I are just friends right now. We’ve been getting to know each other. His grandmother is one of my clients. It was him that got me out of the club last night.”
My father’s face softened. “Well… thank you for taking care of my baby. I hate that she’s all the way across the country and I can’t get to her as quick. Do me a favor.”
“What’s that?” Channing asked.
“If opportunity presents itself, beat his ass.”
“You’re done,” my mother said, pushing him away from her. “Go find you something to do, Timothy. Just on here embarrassing us. I’m so sorry, Channing.”
Channing chuckled. “It’s okay, Mrs. Baker. If I had a daughter, I’d be the same way, no question about it. You two have nothing to worry about. Your daughter is safe with me. If it came to it, I’d throw hands behind her.”
“Good to know!” my father yelled in the background.
My mother shook her head. “I’m gonna let you go. Call me later so we can talk.”
I knew that meant that she was about to get in my business, too, but at least she’d be quiet about it.
“Yes, ma’am,” I said.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you. I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, puddin’.”
My mother blew me a kiss before we disconnected the call. I placed the phone on the dresser and turned to Channing.
“Sooo… those were my parents.”
“So they were. Your pops is a trip.”
“My father is a damn mess.”
“He doesn’t play about you, though.”
“Never.”
I turned to fully face him. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at him. Cupping his face, I kissed him sweetly.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“For not taking offense to my father’s attitude… and for being you. For future reference, you can’t walk in front of me damn near naked when I’m on the phone. You completely distracted me. My mother is going to ask if I slept with you.”
He chuckled. “Mine is going to ask the same thing when we show up for Sunday dinner together.”
“Sunday dinner!”
“You down to go?”
I thought for a moment. Would it be weird having dinner with his mom and grandmother now? Seeing them at work was one thing, but outside of work was another. I was actively breaking my own policy about not getting personally involved with clients or their family members.
I mean, I didn’t know he was Mrs. James’s grandson when I met him. When I found out, it was too late. Now that I did, I was choosing to break policy. But as I looked at him, I couldn’t help but want to spend time with him and get to know him better.
I found myself nodding. “Sure, I’m down.”
He smiled. “I’ll let my mom know we’re having a guest.”
He stood from the bed and moved to grab the tray of food from the dresser. When he placed it over my lap, I licked my lips. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten a thing since about six yesterday, and all that fucking we did last night had worked up an appetite. After breakfast and a round with Channing immediately following, we showered, and he gave me something to put on. We stopped by my apartment so I could change into something presentable. The moment Nique heard the door unlock, she was on my ass. While Channing waited in the living room, she followed me into my bedroom. First, she wanted details on what happened after the club. Once she had them, she had some tea of her own to spill.
Apparently, after I left the club, Raheem and Imani got into it again backstage, and it was all on video. As I dressed, she showed me the footage. They were in the back of the club arguing about how much she loved him and how he played her by trying to get back with me behind her back.
I had to laugh because, according to Channing, he’d talked about making things right with me in her face. The bitch had to be delusional, and that was coming from me. She cursed that man for everything but a child of God, and then she put her hands on him. Security had to restrain her and carry her out of the room. All I could do was shake my head. I didn’t feel bad for either of them. Karma was a bitch, and I had a feeling she wasn’t done with Raheem.
After all the gossip with Nique, I changed into a pair of fitted jeans, a graphic tee, and my favorite pair of Vans. I’d pulled my hair up into a messy bun then added a pair of white-gold hoops and a few matching pieces to complete my outfit. Grabbing my purse, I headed back out front to Channing.
“I’m ready,” I said.
He stood from the couch and reached for my hand. After saying bye to Nique, we headed down to his car and made our way to his mom’s. The ride only took about twenty minutes or so before we were pulling into another subdivision called Pivotal Point and up to a beautiful one-story brick home. The yard was well kept with flowers lining the driveway and surrounding the area in front of the porch.
“This is beautiful,” I said as we came to a stop.
“Thank you. This was my first big purchase once I started making good money. I wanted my mother and grandmother to have someplace safe to rest their heads and not have to worry about anything.”
I smiled. “I love how you take care of them. When I first met your mother, she spoke so highly of you. Now I see why.”
A hint of pride showed in his eyes. I knew he did nothing for them for recognition, but I was sure it made him feel good to know she bragged on him a little. We climbed out of the car and headed up the front steps. Channing used his key to get into the house. It was just as beautiful inside as it was outside. The smell coming from the kitchen was divine and had my stomach growling like I hadn’t eaten breakfast.
Koda came running around the corner and jumped straight into Channing’s arms.
“Hey, my pretty girl,” he said, scratching behind her ears as she rested her head on his shoulder.
It was the cutest thing and a tad bit funny. Every big man I’d ever seen with a pet was always so sensitive toward them. I could tell she loved him immensely, and he loved her, too.
“Mama! Grams!” he called, standing to his feet. “Where y’all at!”
“Boy, don’t come in here doing all that damn yelling!” Ms. Watson said, coming around the corner.
When her eyes landed on me, she froze.
“Dr. Baker! What are you doing here? Not that you aren’t welcomed.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Watson. Channing invited me to dinner. I hope that’s okay.”
“You’re the guest… ooooh…. oh!”
It was like it finally hit her. She smiled as she came over to hug me.
“Welcome to our home.”
Mrs. James came around the corner with a smile on her face.
“I thought that was you!” she said, coming to hug me.
“Damn, Grams,” Channing said, pretending to be offended. “You just bypass your only grandchild?”
She swatted his arm. “Hush up, boy.” Cupping his face, she pulled his head to her lips and kissed his forehead. “Better?”
He grinned. “Much better.”
“What are you doing here, baby?” she asked me.
“Channing invited me to dinner.”
“Oh! Did you two run into each other this morning?”
“Something like that, Grams,” Channing answered. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel good today. Now that my favorite person is here, I’m sure it’ll be a great day.” She looped her arm through mine. “Come on, baby. Come sit with an old woman. You can tell me what you’re doing with my fast ass grandson.”
I couldn’t help but to laugh as I followed her. She insisted that Channing was fast but had no idea that I had no problem being the person he was being fast with. She led me into the den, and I helped her onto the couch before taking a seat beside her.
“So, you and Channing?” she asked, jumping right into it. “I told my grandson he needed someone like you.”
I blushed. “He’s a good man. He put a few things in perspective for me and helped me see things clearly.”
She smiled. “He’s a good boy. You let me know if I have to get on him about you.”
I giggled. “Yes, ma’am.”
I sat talking to his grandmother for a little while before Channing joined us. He came right in and pulled me to my feet before claiming my seat and pulling me onto his lap.
“Fresh ass,” Mrs. James said.
“Grams, how do you expect to get these great grandchildren if I’m not being fresh?”
“Get you a wife. Don’t worry. My girl here is wife material.” She patted my leg reassuringly. “You do want children, don’t you, Dr. Baker?”
Even though we’d had this conversation before, I answered.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“See, problem solved.”
Channing chuckled as he shook his head. There would be no babies anytime soon, but I had to admit, if it ever got there, our children would be beautiful, and I knew they would be loved.
“Dr. Baker, would you come here, please?” Ms. Watson called.
“Yes, ma’am!”
Channing kissed my cheek before allowing me to leave his lap. I headed into the kitchen where I found his mother pulling a delicious-looking pan of mac and cheese from the oven.
“Yes?”
She motioned to the empty seat at the kitchen island. “Have a seat, dear.”
I slowly sat and waited to see what she wanted. She put the dish down and turned to the stove to turn the eye on low before turning back to me.
“Dr. Baker—”
“Rhythm,” I corrected.
“Rhythm… you really like my son?”
I blushed. “I do like him. It was unexpected, but I’ve grown to know him better over the last couple of weeks.”
“You and this Prince Cole character… I assume that’s done?”
My eyes widened.
“I saw the footage from last night,” she explained.
“Yes, ma’am. That’s been done for a while now.”
“Were you aware that Channing was his producer?”
“Not at first.”
“I’m only asking because I don’t want things to get messy with my son. He’s worked very hard to get where he is. Industry beef has a tendency to turn deadly sometimes. I don’t want my son caught up in that. I like you, Rhythm. You’re a beautiful girl with a good head on your shoulders. I think you two would be great together…. but he’s my only child. I couldn’t bear it if I had to bury him if things took a turn if your affiliation is discovered.”
I nodded. “I understand your concern. Believe me, I do. The last thing I want is drama between the two of them.”
“Just… be careful with him… for my sake.”
I nodded. I didn’t want any drama between Raheem and Channing, but in all honesty, it might be inevitable. They worked together. I was sure our budding romance wasn’t going to be a secret. Channing didn’t strike me as the type of man to back down if he was pressed about anything he was doing or had done. If Raheem stepped to him on some hot shit, there was bound to be a problem.
Ms. Watson called everybody into the kitchen for dinner. By the time we sat at the table, the little apprehension I felt in the air had left. We enjoyed a great meal and good conversation. Ms. Watson and Mrs. James told me a few embarrassing stories from Channing’s childhood to go along with what I already knew about him.
I’d spent half the night doubled over in laughter, at his expense, while he frowned at them telling his business. His mother promised me she had a million stories to share about him, and I was looking forward to hearing them.
“I don’t know how I like the three of you teaming up against me,” he jested as he drove me home. “I’m greatly outnumbered.”
“Don’t worry. Nique will gladly fill you in on some of my most embarrassing moments. I mean, shit, you’ve already witnessed one.”
“Nah, that was a lesson. If it didn’t give you what you needed, it taught you what you should know.”
“What I know is, I will never let another man play in my face like that.” I looked over at him as he pulled into a parking space. “Where do you see this going?”
He shut off the car and remained quiet for a moment. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing until he spoke again.
“I feel like we have great chemistry, and I want to explore that. I love being with you and around you. Moms and Grams already adore you, so that’s a plus. I told myself that the next woman I get romantically involved with would be my wife, so make no mistake that I’m going to be intentional. I don’t care what you had going on with that nigga. You just let me know if you wanna give this shit a shot, and we can move from there.”
I thought about his proposal. Sure, I was freshly single as of two months ago, but in all honesty, I’d been in a one-sided ass relationship for a long time. Why should there be a time frame for me to move on from something that no longer served me good?
I looked at him and nodded. “I’m open to seeing where things go.”
“Okay then.”
He beckoned me to him. Unhooking my seat belt, I climbed across the seat to straddle him. Our lips connected in the most sensual of kisses. His hands didn’t stray from my waist. Instead, he held me close to him in an intimate manner. I wasn’t sure how this became more than just fucking, but I couldn’t complain.