12. Alisha
ALISHA
The second Shante announced she was pregnant, Grandma Lorraine damn near lost her mind. That woman started praising God so loud Brittany covered her ears laughing.
“I KNEW IT!” Grandma kept yelling while pointing her fork around the table dramatically. “Didn’t I tell y’all about that fish dream?”
“Yes Grandma,” everybody laughed.
“I know my gifts!”
Meanwhile I was so happy for Shante I could barely sit still because finally my best friend was getting the one thing she wanted more than anything, a baby.
And couldn’t nobody tell me Malik wasn’t about to be the best daddy ever. That man looked so damn happy sitting beside her, like Christmas came early.
Brittany climbed halfway into Shante lap grinning. “Auntie you got a baby in there?”
Shante smiled softly while rubbing Brittany little curls. “Yeah.”
“Can I hold it?”
Everybody burst out laughing.
“Not yet, baby,” I told her.
Brittany pouted dramatically. “I wanna cousin now.”
Grandma pointed toward me. “Well, have another one then.”
“Grandma leave me alone,” I laughed.
Deuce smirked slightly beside me while sipping his drink but even then, something about him felt off.
While everybody else celebrated loudly Deuce stayed quieter than normal.
Watching more than talking and every few minutes I caught him looking at Shante strangely.
At first, I brushed it off, it was probably stress from work.
Especially after those FBI questions earlier that week.
But Malik stood up suddenly lifting Shante right out of the chair. “My baby carrying my baby!” he yelled.
Everybody started laughing again while Shante squealed at him. “Put me down!”
“Nope.”
Lord that man loved her bad. You could see it all over him.
Watching them together honestly made me emotional a little.
Because me and Shante talked about motherhood so many times over the years.
Back when we were younger sitting on my mama porch drinking cheap liquor talking about the future, kids, marriage, and life.
And now here we were grown, and mothers. We’ll soon to be mothers in her case.
“You crying?” Deuce whispered beside me teasingly.
I elbowed him immediately. “Shut up.”
“You emotional.” He laughed.
“I’m happy for my best friend.”
Deuce wrapped his arm around my chair lazily. “I know.”
Eventually everybody settled back down eating again while Grandma kept talking nonstop. “Now don’t be one of them lazy pregnant women,” she warned Shante dramatically.
“Grandma!” Shante replied.
“I’m just saying. As soon as I got pregnant with y’all mama I was still mopping floors.”
“That explains why she was crazy,” Shante joked.
A little later while everybody moved into the living room for dessert, I caught Shante alone in the kitchen rinsing her hands. So naturally I followed her. The second she saw me coming, she smiled softly.
“There go nosy.”
“Girl shut up.”
I walked right over hugging her tight, and immediately something about her energy felt off.
“I’m so happy for you,” I whispered.
And Lord the way she hugged me back it almost felt like she was holding onto me for dear life.
“You gone be such a good mama,” I continued smiling.
Shante looked away quickly after that, like emotions hit her too hard all at once. “You think so?”
“Girl yes.” I laughed softly. “You already halfway raising Brittany.”
That finally made her smile a little because Brittany absolutely adored her.
“I can’t believe we about to be doing mommy shit together again,” I grinned.
“Yeah.” She half-smiled.
“And Brittany gone drive y’all crazy.”
“She already do.” She laughed.
“You okay?” I asked carefully.
Immediately she nodded. “Yeah.”
But her eyes looked glossy again, pregnancy hormones probably already kicking her ass. So, I didn’t think too much of it. “Malik gone spoil this baby rotten,” I teased.
That made her smile softer. “He already extra.”
“As he should be.” Then I grabbed her hands excitedly. “Ooooh we gotta go shopping.”
“Already?” She asked.
“Yes already!”
She laughed finally shaking her head. “You don’t waste no time.”
“Nope.” I was excited like the baby was mine.
That’s how close me and Shante have always been.
A few minutes later we headed back toward the living room.
And the first thing I noticed was Deuce watching us.
The second our eyes met, he looked away grabbing his drink again. That was weird, I thought to myself.
Later on while Grandma packed leftovers for everybody, I stood near the dining room talking to Malik, that man was floating.
“I’m about to have a son,” he grinned.
“You don’t even know what it is yet.”
“It’s a boy.” He let me know.
I laughed. “And if it’s a girl?”
“Then I’m going to spoil her forever and she’s going to be my little princess.”
That answer honestly melted me a little because despite Malik's being rough around the edges he genuinely loved Shante.
“You happy?” I asked him softly.
“Hell yeah.”
The way his face lit up when talking about that baby you couldn’t fake that kind of happiness. Across the room, I noticed Deuce again still quiet and barely interacting. I finally walked over toward him. “You okay?”
He looked down at me. “Yeah.”
“You sure?” I folded my arms.
“You acting distant instead of happy your finally about to be an uncle.”
“I’m tired.” He shrugged.
For a second his eyes flickered toward Shante standing across the room beside Malik then right back to me.
“Work shit?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He rubbed his beard slowly before forcing a small smile. “I’m good though.”
I nodded slowly but honestly, I didn’t fully believe him. By the time we finally left Grandma house later that evening, Brittany was knocked out asleep in the backseat with ketchup on her clothes.
“You excited about the baby?” I asked finally breaking the silence.
“Yeah,” Deuce answered. But his voice lacked energy, he didn’t even try.
I looked out the window quietly after that trying not to overthink, maybe I was reading too much into stuff.
Maybe everybody just stressed, maybe pregnancy emotions had Shante overwhelmed already and maybe the FBI situation had Deuce distracted.
Still that little voice in the back of my mind wouldn’t fully shut up, something wasn’t right.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that people around me were hiding things.
We finally made it home and I helped Brittany get into her pajamas and put her in the bed.
We were all tired, so I shut the house down and got in the bed.
The next morning, I woke up feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Probably because of the pregnancy news. Knowing Shante was finally getting the family she wanted genuinely made me happy and seeing Malik so excited about becoming a father softened me too.
I laid in bed scrolling through baby clothes online while Brittany snored softly beside me in one of her princess nightgowns. Meanwhile Deuce stood near the dresser buttoning his shirt.
“You smiling hard as hell over there,” he teased glancing toward me through the mirror.
“I’m excited.”
“You acting like you the one pregnant.”
“Boy please.”
He laughed softly. That laugh did something to me every single time. Maybe that sounded crazy considering how irritated I’d been with him lately. But one thing about Deuce when he wanted to turn the charm on that man could make you forget every issue for a minute.
He walked over toward the bed slowly before leaning down over me.
“You busy today?”
“My shop closed Mondays remember?”
Then a slow smile spread across his face. “Good.”
Immediately I narrowed my eyes playfully.
“What you up to?”
“Get dressed.” He smiled.
“For?”
“I’m kidnapping my wife today.”
I laughed. “Deuce…”
“Aht Aht get up.” He joked.
Then he grabbed Brittany's foot gently, making her squirm in her sleep.
“And we dropping little mama off at Grandma's house.”
About an hour later, Grandma Lorraine opened the front door wearing a robe and bonnet. “What y’all doing here this early?”
“Date day,” Deuce answered while handing Brittany and her overnight bag over.
Grandma instantly started grinning. “Oooo look at y’all trying to save the marriage.”
“Grandma!” I yelled laughing.
“What?” she shrugged. “Married people need sex and vacations.”
Brittany ran straight inside already excited. “Grandma making pancakes?”
“She sure is.”
“Yay!” Brittany responded excitedly.
Before leaving, Grandma pulled me to the side while Deuce loaded stuff back into the truck. “You look happier today.”
I smiled softly. “I am.”
“Then she leaned closer lowering her voice. “Keep your eyes open though.”
That caught me off guard.
Grandma shrugged. “A woman intuition don’t bother her for no reason.”
And just like that the weird feeling from last night returned again.
The drive downtown actually felt nice though.
Me and Deuce riding through Detroit with 90’s R&B music playing low while sunlight bounced off buildings around us felt peaceful.
I honestly missed this, missed him and the version of him that felt easy.
“You been acting different lately,” I admitted quietly while fixing my lip gloss in the mirror.
He glanced over at me briefly.
“Different good or different bad?”
“I don’t know yet.”
That made him smirk slightly. “You overthink shit too much.”
“Maybe.” But honestly, I couldn’t help it lately.
Still that man looked good as hell sitting beside me.
Black Dior shades white T-shirt stretched across his chest. His Cartier watch flashing against the steering wheel.
He had that same confident energy that made me fall for him years ago.
When Deuce wanted to, he could make you feel like the only woman in the world.
The spa he booked overlooked downtown Detroit. It was fancy as hell too, valet parking, champagne with soft music playing. It felt relaxing. It was the type of place I normally wouldn’t even think to book myself.
“You did all this?” I asked while staring around.
“What?” he smirked. “I can’t spoil my wife?”
I smiled because I needed this and him. The couple’s massage nearly put me to sleep.
For the first time in months, my body actually relaxed and the whole time Deuce stayed touching me.
Kissing my forehead, rubbing my leg and whispering slick little comments in my ear making me laugh.
That charming side of him came all the way back out.
And it reminded me exactly why I loved that man so hard.
Afterward we changed clothes and headed upstairs to the hotel suite he booked.
The room was beautiful. Floor-to-ceiling windows, huge bathtub with a city view. Rose petals on the bed. “You extra,” I laughed.
“You deserve it.”
That answer softened me because despite everything lately moments like this still made me feel chosen, loved and wanted. Deuce wrapped his arms around me from behind while we stood near the windows overlooking the city.
“You happy?” he asked quietly against my neck.
“Yeah.”
And I honestly was at least in that moment. Then he turned me around kissing me slowly. Like he was trying to remind both of us of something. While he was kissing me his hands started exploring my body, turning me on. He picked me up and carried me to the bed and ripped my clothes off.
“Did you just rip my clothes off?” I asked.
“Fuck them clothes. I’ll buy you some more they in the way.” He let me know while opening my legs and diving into his favorite place between my legs.
His tongue latched on to my clitoris and he went to work. He was eating my pussy so good I know the neighbors knew his damn name. He had a grip so tight that I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
He flipped me over and entered me in one swift motion. “Ouuuu Deuce.” I moaned.
“I know baby this shit so damn good.” He replied.
Not wanting him to out do me, I pushed him on his back and went to my favorite place.
I grabbed his dick and put it in my mouth and started going up and down.
I made sure to make sure my mouth was wet just like he liked it.
Now he was the one squirming. I was sucking his dick and jacking him off at the same time, that drove him crazy.
Once he shot all his babies down my throat I moved up to his lips and kissed him.
I thought it was over, but Deuce fooled my ass because he flipped me on my back and lifted my legs on his shoulders and he entered me. He was so deep I swear I felt that shit in my throat. Maybe I’m exaggerating but you get the picture.
“Damn baby you bet not ever give my pussy away you hear me?” He said while giving me long strokes and staring into my eyes. I could see the admiration and love he had for me, but I also saw fear. What was he afraid of?
“It’s till death do us part baby remember that shit. Ouuu shit, I’m about to cum all in my pussy. You gone give me another baby?” He asked before cumin inside of me.
He was making love to me so good I would have agreed to just about anything. We both laid there in our own thoughts and after we caught our breath Deuce hopped up and went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He came back and picked me up and walked me into the bathroom.
“Our day ain’t over baby. Let’s take a quick shower and get dressed and go grab something to eat after that a nigga hungry.”
“You always hungry.” I joked.
An hour later we left the hotel heading toward this upscale restaurant downtown. I stayed smiling the whole ride honestly. Probably looking goofy too but I didn’t care. It felt good finally reconnecting with my husband.
The restaurant was packed with Detroit socialites everywhere. The second we stepped inside, women immediately started looking at Deuce. But that was nothing new he always attracted attention without even trying.
“Don’t start,” he mumbled, noticing me looking around.
“I ain’t say nothing.”
He smirked slightly, grabbing my hand and just that small gesture relaxed me again, but then my mood changed. Because right as we reached the hostess stand, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“Hey Alisha.”
I turned around slowly and there was my client, Kim. What a coincidence I thought to myself. She looked pretty as ever too. Long dark hair flowing over one shoulder with a tight black dress hugging every curve and black Red Bottom heels.
“Hey,” I answered slowly.
Then naturally I looked toward Deuce, and I immediately noticed how his whole body tensed beside me. Kim noticed it too because a small smirk formed on her lips before disappearing.
“What y’all doing here?” she asked casually.
“Date night,” I answered.
“Aw,” she smiled. “That’s nice.” Then she looked directly at Deuce. “Good seeing you again.”
Deuce cleared his throat quickly. “Yeah.”
That one little awkward exchange flipped a switch inside me mentally. All those weird feelings I kept ignoring started rising back up again.