Chapter 9 #2
After rinsing his mouth and gargling with Listerine, Monroe grabbed the towel hanging nearby and wiped his face. Then he stepped out of his ensuite, crossed the room, grabbed his phone off his nightstand, and scrolled to Sienna's contact and pressed it.
"Hello," Sienna answered, shock laced in her tone. Not because she’d stopped hoping he’d call, but because she didn’t think he would.
"What's good, Sienna? You got plans for the day?" Monroe inquired.
"No, really, just washing clothes," she replied, then bit down on her bottom lip.
"Meet me at cha mama's restaurant for brunch at ten o'clock. I wanna talk to you," Monroe told her honestly, taking a seat on the side of his bed.
Sienna’s pulse quickened as she immediately sat upright in bed.
It had been a long time since she’d felt her heart race, but when it came to Monroe…
he still had that effect on her after all this time.
Relief kicked instantly once she gauged the time and realized she could take her time.
She had two hours to get dressed, drop Monae off to her mother's house, and make it to the restaurant.
"Okay, that works. I'll be there at eleven sharp," she confirmed.
"Already," Monroe replied before disconnecting the call.
For a few moments, both of them sat in silence, and though they were miles apart, they thought about each other, their daughter, and the life they lost. Monroe was a man who always controlled the board, so there wasn't much that caught him off guard.
He'd expected to make moves and then get back to life as usual, but when he'd hung up the phone, the split of his heart had caught him off guard.
Standing, he walked to his dresser and opened the Cocoa Butter Vaseline and smoothed it over his skin.
It was one thing he did religiously because nothing else worked for his skin.
About an hour later, Monroe looked like money without advertising it, he dressed in a short-sleeved cream Classic Polo, dark denim, designer jeans that were tailored, and a fresh pair of Jordan's.
The only indication of his wealth was the diamond-encrusted Patek peeking from beneath his sleeve, and the clear-framed Cartier glasses he slid over his eyes.
He sprayed Tom Ford's Noir de Noir, his signature scent all over, before grabbing his phone and key fob.
Once he secured his home, he quickly hopped in his whip and got in the wind.
Meanwhile, Sienna and Monae stepped into her mother's house together.
"Ma! Where you at? Sienna yelled from the door.
"I'm in the kitchen. Come on in here," Symie’s voice floated from the kitchen as she sipped her mimosa.
"Hey, Ma. I gotta make a run really quick. Can Monae stay with you for a little while?" Sienna asked, unable to hide her excitement.
"Of course. My grandbaby can always stay with me. You hungry?" Symie asked.
"Yes ma'am. Can you make me some shrimp and grits, please?" Monae asked politely.
Symie and Sienna laughed.
"That's my baby. We can always depend on her to know what she wants to eat." Sienna said, giving Monae a side hug.
"You ain't never lied," Symie agreed, standing from her seat. She was always ready to stir love in her pots. "Comin' right up, my baby," she said, walking over to kiss Monae's forehead. "What flavor you want in your lemonade today?"
"Umm, I'll take peach today?"
"Great choice," Symie winked before turning around to get busy.
"Alright, I'll see y'all when I get back. I won't be long," Sienna said, turning to leave. "Do y'all want anything while I'm out?" Sienna looked over her shoulder to ask her mother and Monae.
"I got everything we need here already. We good," Symie replied without looking back.
Sienna secured the door before closing it behind herself, then walked back to her car to meet Monroe.
Big Mama's Gimmie Dat pulsed through her car speakers as soon as she ignited her engine and pulled out from the curb.
There was so much more she needed to talk to Monroe about, so many feelings, but hope still stubbornly lived inside her heart.
Sienna just prayed that this would be a step towards putting her family back together.
It was well overdue, but God was giving her the time and space to take advantage of.
She turned the music up and vibed as she mentally talked herself into living in the moment, and letting things flow as naturally as possible because at the end of the day it's what her soul longed for.
To go back to the space and time in life where she was truly living. Truly happy. Truly complete.
"Lord, clear my head so that I can be present in the moment with Monroe, without the fear of Macie lurking in the shadows of every move I make.
Please just let this be a good day. In Your holy name I pray.
Amen," Sienna sealed her prayer, then turned the music up, Drake's new hit Shabang thumped through the speakers next.
It had taken Sienna a little longer than she'd anticipated due to the unexpected traffic backed up due to a head-on collision that had taken place on the expressway.
She was twenty minutes late, but she'd made it nevertheless.
She let out a shaky breath as she parked her car, and secured the locks as she stepped out.
She wore white linen pants, a soft brown tank top, and leopard print sandals, paired with big gold hoop earrings, gold bangles, and a gold dainty necklace Monroe gifted her fourteen years ago, and her hair was freshly done.
Monroe sat in the same spot inside the restaurant as he had when he discovered that she wasn't dead.
He observed her from head-to-toe and smiled to himself because from the outside looking in; Sienna had transitioned into the woman he'd always envisioned her to be without having to do too much.
Sienna was bad as fuck on her worst day, and though Monroe was still attracted to her aura, he still couldn't dismiss the bullshit.
She wasn't an angel. Monroe straightened in his seat as she entered the restaurant.
When their eyes met, Sianna walked over to join him in the booth he'd occupied.
"Hey, Monroe. Sorry I'm late getting here. I was caught in traffic," Sienna immediately explained.
"I know. It's cool," Monroe smoothly replied. "Have a seat. You hungry?" He asked, looking at the menu.
"Yes, I'm starving," she answered. "I was just about to make me and..." she paused, then started again. "I was just about to make something to eat before you called, but ended up just drinking some water since you wanted to do brunch.
Monroe studied her eyes. Studied her body language, trying to convince himself that she was indeed real. She hadn't lied to him yet, but she wasn't completely forthcoming with the full truth either.
"Hi, my name is Annie, and I'll be your server," she announced. "Can I start you two off with some mimosas, champagne, espresso martinis, or juice?"
"We'll take some apple juice," Monroe said, remembering Sienna loved apple juice just as much as he did.
"Got it. Are you two ready to order as well, or do you need more time?" Annie asked. Monroe looked at Sienna.
"Yes, I'm ready. I'll have the loaded veggie omelet with cheese, please," Sienna said, looking at Monroe.
"Let me get the steak, fried potatoes, and cheese eggs," Monroe stated, then handed Annie both menus.
"Coming right up," Annie replied before walking away to put their order in.
Monroe sat back and redirected his attention to Sienna. "You look different," he said, gazing into her eyes.
"So do you," she returned, straightening in her seat, smoothing out invisible wrinkles in her linen pants under the table.
"Your hair texture, skin tone, and voice is still the same," Monroe identified.
"But your eyes...the depth in your eyes have changed, and yo' lil' ass done got thick as fuck.
What caused that?" Monroe stated the obvious, but was trying to lead her to coming clean about their daughter.
He knew nothing had brought out those childbearing hips like motherhood had.
He was ready to address the elephant in the room because that motherfucker was bigger than anything in their past.
"Here's your drinks. I'll be back shortly with your food," Annie interrupted, sitting their drinks on the table, then walked away.
Sienna cleared her throat.
"I paid and went to your funeral," Monroe stated casually.
"I know I-" Sienna replied.
"Nah, I don't think you do." The hurt and disappointment in his voice was impossible to miss.
"'Cause if you did, you would've found a way to call a nigga, send a mu'fuckin' kite or something.
Instead a nigga ain't heard a peep outta you in a decade, but now yo' ass done popped back up, and I'm 'posed to be joyful 'bout this shit? "
Hard and uncomfortable silence filled the space between them. Monroe had spent years learning how to breathe around a wound that had just barely healed. Yet here she sat across from him, alive, breathing, and asking him to understand choices he still couldn't make peace with.
"Monroe, not a day went by that I didn't think of you. I swear I wanted to reach out, but your mother would've killed me, and..."
"And what?" he pressed. "Did she threaten to kill our daughter too?" Monroe quizzed, tired of waiting for Sienna to stop playing in his face. Skating around the real shit they needed to be discussing. Sienna's eyes filled with tears.
"Here's your food, but please be careful the plates are hot," Annie stated. Sienna turned her head and looked out of the window, not because something so great was outside, but because at that moment it hurt too bad to look into Monroe's eyes.
"Thank you," Monroe told Annie.
"No worries. I'll give y’all some space for now, but I'll be close by if you need me," Annie was well-versed on how to read the energy at the table. She knew when it was time to give people their space.