13. Changing Tides #2
Alisa nodded her head in agreement.
Nadine rolled her eyes. “Sort of. Well, not really. He just knows I’m attracted to women.”
“What did the therapist say?” asked Tatum. “How are you supposed to navigate this attraction?”
“Dr. Flournoy suggested to take this time to explore this.”
“Like a hall pass?” asked Alisa
“Sort of like a hall pass. Eddie agreed. I just…didn’t tell them it was with the nanny.”
“Well, sleeping with the help! You got more in common with them funny acting, rich, white women at EJ’s school after all,” Alisa bemused.
“Really, Alisa?” Nadine rolled her eyes.
The three of them burst out laughing. Nadine needed to laugh. She needed to release all the tension and angst she was feeling about everything.
“Stop making me laugh before I wet myself,” Alisa declared, wiping her eyes.
The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They looked up to see Christophe leaning against the doorframe, smiling. From the loosened tie and rolled up sleeves, ?it appeared that he was coming straight from the office.
“I see the crew is back together,” Christophe moved around, leaning down to give Nadine and Tatum hugs.
When he got to Alisa, Christophe lifted her chin and kissed her with so much passion, Nadine and Tatum swooned. That man knew he loved some Alisa and Kadeem and had no problem showing it. Audience be damned.
“Hey, princess. You look beautiful,” Christophe rubbed Alisa’s stomach. “Are my babies behaving? And by babies, I mean all three of my babies?”
Alisa laughed. “Christophe, please. You know I don’t behave. So neither are your children.”
“That is so true. This is the first time I’m seeing you sit down willingly. So I have Tate and Deanie to thank for this,” Christophe teased. “Tate, I haven't seen you around the firm in a minute. Miles is a cool lunch partner, but I think I’m just a poor substitute for you.”
Tatum gave a weak smile. “Yeah. I’ve just been super busy with the new department chair stuff. Miles knows. It’s fine.”
Nadine and Alisa looked at each other, confused. That was a super weak excuse, even for Tatum. She’d move heaven and earth to be with Miles, Deacon or Cassidy. Something was off for real. Christophe looked at Alisa, clearly sensing her confusion. She shook her head, letting him know to drop it.
“Well, enough about work. Princess, did you ask Tatum if what we discussed was cool?”
Tatum furrowed her brow. “Ask me what?”
“I was going to get to that, babe.” Alisa looked up at Christophe with a smile and he nodded, urging her to continue. “Well, we wanted to know how you’d feel about naming our son Franklin? We hadn’t decided if it should be a middle or a first name yet…”
“Yeah,” Christophe added. “I know he meant a lot to you all. I see how much he meant to Miles and Deacon. And in some strange way, he’s responsible for all of this. Kadeem and I wouldn’t have found our Alisa without him.”
Tatum’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “Seriously? Oh my goodness! That would be wonderful.” She jumped up, hugging Christophe and Alisa. “Wait, so you’re having boys?”
Alisa smiled. “Actually, we are having a boy…and a girl.”
Nadine squealed and jumped up to give Christophe and Alisa a hug. “Yes! I knew at least one baby was a girl! And Nadine is a wonderful name for a girl.”
“Hey now! So is Tatum,” Tatum interjected, pointing a finger at Nadine playfully.
“We haven’t settled on a name for the girl yet,” chuckled Alisa. “But trust me, you two are their godmothers so, some part of you will be there. Trust me.”
All three of them began crying and hugging, squealing with delight and talking over each other.
“So that’s my cue to bounce.” Christophe chuckled. “Let me go see what the other prison warden is doing.” With that, he kissed Alisa on her forehead and left the ladies alone to celebrate.
Tatum pulled back, her eyes still brimming with tears. “Alisa, I can’t wait to hold these babies. A little Frankie! Gosh, Franklin would be so happy if he were here.”
“Speaking of happy,” Alisa tipped Tatum’s chin up, her eyes meeting . “What is going on, cuz? Clearly, you aren’t happy these days. And stop telling me and Nadine nothing.”
Tatum shook her head as she sat back down. “They asked me to marry them."
“Who?” Nadine and Alisa asked in unison.
“Miles and Cassidy. They both asked me to marry them. On two separate occasions. It was a lot.”
“Who had the better ring?” Alisa asked, garnering a pinch from Nadine. “Ouch! Stop assaulting pregnant women!”
“Well, what did you say?” asked Nadine. “Did you say yes to one? Turn one down? Yes to both? How did they take it?”
Tatum wiped her tears with the pad of her thumb. “I haven’t given either one of them an answer.”
“Why not?” asked Alisa. “Don’t you love them?”
“I do.” Tatum sat back down on the ottoman. “That’s the problem. I love Miles. But…” There was a long pause. In the silence was the answer.
“You’re in love with Cassidy, aren't you?” surmised Nadine.
Tatum nodded. “I am. Fuck. I can’t even explain how that happened.
I thought my heart was big enough to love all three of them equally.
Miles is great and there is a level of familiarity that gives me comfort.
Deacon is so funny, fine and caring. He caters to me like no other.
But the more I time I spent with each of them, apart from the group, I realized that Cassidy is the one that makes my heart flutter.
We read books together. He gets the stress of being an academic and Black.
Cass gets that part of me that neither Deacon nor Miles understands.
But that’s also complicated because now we also work together. ”
“Uhm, in different departments,” reminded Nadine. “No conflict there.”
“Besides, working together means he can come into your office and bend you over anytime you want,” Alisa waggled her brows.
“It always comes back to sex with you, huh?” asked Nadine.
“I know you ain't talking when your old ass is trying to scissor your nanny!” Alisa shot back. “And that’s no shade because I've been with my fair share of girls too.”
A slight shiver went down her spine as Nadine thought about Zaire. “I mean, I wouldn’t put it like that. "
“We’ll circle back to you, Nadine.” Alisa smirked, turning her attention back to Tatum. “Ma’am, you ain’t answer my question. Are we getting bent over the desk or nah?”