Chapter 6
SIENNA
Breathe through your nose, girl. There was no pep talk inspirational enough to slow my heart down.
If Synder’s hand touched me one more time, I was going to burst into flames.
His touch wasn’t even sexual. Just a tap here, or a “this way” there.
We sat at a dinner table with two prominent community leaders and all I could think about was the man sitting one seat over from me.
Whether it was his patience with his daughter, who sat between us, or the way he conducted business, I was starting to see that being around Synder wasn’t as easy as I hoped it would’ve been.
I had a minute of distraction when my phone chirped.
Daddy: How are you settling in?
Me: Everything’s great here. I’m at a dinner party.
Mommy: Ooh, what y’all eating?
Daddy: Yo’ greedy ass.
Mommy: *angry emoji*
Daddy: Yo’ mama putting her hands on me.
Me: *laughing emoji* Will you two stop it? I’m having steak, and yes, it was delicious.
“Are you okay?”
Glancing up from my phone, Synder’s eyes met mine. “Uh, yes. Sorry.” I placed my phone back inside my clutch and remembered where the hell I was.
“Nah, you didn’t have to put it away. Whoever it was made you frown, then blush.”
Grinning, I replied, “My parents can be a bit much sometimes.”
His eyes twinkled with satisfaction. “I thought it was ya man checkin’ on you.” He licked his lips and added, “If I were him, I would be worried.”
I wanted to respond, but thankfully, Whimsy had bigger fish to fry. Her teddy bear fell on the floor. Synder reached down to get it, then leaned down to kiss his daughter’s cheek.
“You gotta protect her, lil’ baby,” he said to her. “You don’t want some lil’ bum pickin’ her up and takin’ her from you, right?”
Whimsy looked at her daddy with the cutest grin on her face. She adored him, and it was evident.
“No, no!” Whimsy responded. The fact that Whimsy knew what a bum was tickled me.
“Exactly,” he stated. His eyes connected with mine. “We don’t like when people take what’s ours.”
Somehow, I didn’t associate his statement with the teddy bear. His smirk confirmed he’d ventured far away from the teddy bear. Clearing my throat, I broke eye contact.
Surely, Synder was tap dancing all over the thin line between safety and my boundaries. I imagined him doing the dougie while his toe grazed the line. I wasn’t even five hours in, and I was already losing this battle.
Two hours later, I removed my shoes and prepared for a shower. The dinner went well, and judging by all the smiling faces, the community centers made out with donations. Philanthropy was my middle name, and it took nothing for me to sow a seed into the community.
Inside the bathroom, I hummed This Christmas while making my bath.
While the water filled the tub, I went back to the room to get some pajamas, my loofah, soaps, and toiletries.
I started with brushing my teeth, then I hustled through my nightly facial routine.
It was simple and quick because I was ready to relax and check in with Domino.
He’d already texted me twice and was likely on pins and needles waiting for my response.
I sank into the tub and hummed a new song.
The holidays were my favorite time of the year, especially Christmas.
There was something about the sights, smells, and fellowship that I could deal with every day of the year.
Synder’s house was tastefully decked out in decorations that I had to tuck away as inspiration for next holiday season.
After a few minutes of soaking, I bathed, rinsed, then exited the tub.
I dried off, moisturized my skin, and threw on my pajamas and a pair of fuzzy Snoopy socks.
Back inside the room, I sighed heavily and turned the lights down.
The television was on The Black Santa Clause.
Turning it up just a little, I settled under the covers to call Domino so that I could get back to my movie.
“I was about to pop up,” he answered.
Giggling, I replied, “I was getting settled in.”
“Bullshit. Ya daddy said you were out hunchin’ on that nigga after he fed you some steak.”
I hollered so loud, it scared me. Throwing my hand over my mouth to catch the shriek that followed, I kicked my feet in laughter.
“I was not!” I defended myself. “It was a dinner party for a few community centers. I was on my best behavior and so was he.”
“Mm, hm. Was the steak good?”
“It was delicious.”
“Mm. And his daughter. She a Child of the Corn or what?”
Throwing my head back, I laughed again. “No! Absolutely not! Whimsy is an angel.”
“So… You’re staying is what I hear. Good for you, baby. I’m proud of you for finally letting go of whatever happened last year, which you refuse to tell me about.”
My mood soured a bit. Domino wouldn’t stop until he found out what happened. I couldn’t tell him, though. Aaron wouldn’t live to see the new year if I did.
“This is only my first day here. I won’t know if I’m staying until Sunday,” I responded, steering clear of Aaron.
“Aight,” Domino said. “Get some rest and call me if you need me.”
“Will do,” I replied. With a heavy sigh, I hung up and plopped my head back against the mountain of pillows behind me.
This was just my first day. I was already in over my head, though.
Having any emotion about Synder, other than him being my boss, was grounds for me to walk away.
I’d been around plenty of men, but none affected me in the way he did.
Just thinking about him made my heart two-step furiously inside my chest. That was a clear sign to decline this job offer.
My phone vibrated, gaining my attention.
Ellie: So… The lover of all things holiday is skipping out on Thanksgiving. That’s a little suspicious. Who is this nigga anyway?
Me: Ellie, go to bed. As far as I know, I am not skipping out on Thanksgiving. I’m just here for the weekend.
Ellie: Oh. Well, I still don’t care.
Chuckling, I didn’t even respond. Ellie was my blood, but she surely didn’t move how I did. Settling in to get some sleep, I turned my phone down low, snuggled under the blankets, and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, I prepared for the day and went downstairs in search of Synder.
He was nowhere to be found, so I figured he was still asleep.
Starving, I went into the kitchen to see if he had something I could cook for breakfast. His kitchen was just as expensive as the rest of the mansion.
After breakfast, I planned on giving myself a tour.
This place seemed like it was easy to get lost in.
I was grateful to find everything I needed to prepare pancakes, bacon, eggs, and even a pot of grits.
The grits were out of place, but I was hungry and feeling greedy.
With ease, I located the dishware and utensils I needed.
It wasn’t lost on me that Synder’s dishware seemed well-used.
That meant he was in his kitchen and often.
Because I loved to cook, the image of Synder and I cooking together caused me to smile.
“Damn, you beat me to it.”
Synder’s voice wiped the smile off my face. He walked into the kitchen wearing a gray jogging suit, sneakers, a sexy smile, and that damn twinkle in his eyes. I wasn’t sure why his eyes twinkled like that. He came to stand by me, sucking the air right out of my lungs.