by Zi'ere
“Yea, your ass ought to be tired after you dumped all that chewed up grass in my lap!”
6
We were on the cusp of treading another stream of unfamiliar territory. Zoey still had not woken up from the coma even though her vitals were strong. Her pregnancy progressed and the babies were thriving. The doctor’s advised me that any day now her body would start the process of going into natural labor. My honey and I had taken every step expecting parents needed to take to prepare for a baby’s arrival. In our situation everything had to be times two. At first I was conflicted on the decisions I would be forced to make on my sister’s behalf. I prayed constantly for guidance to make sure Zoey’s views, dreams, and ideas were being brought to life. Picking out names for my nephews was by far the most stressful part. Thinking of suitable, Zoey approved names kept me and Liam up many a nights. The nanny had been hired. His background had been checked out yielding positive results. He had completed all of the necessary training I required such as infant CPR, first aid, early childhood development.
Ryan – was a twenty six year old college educated nanny. His marriage to one of my old friends did nothing but appease me even more about him being the right fit for me right now. And then fit Zoey’s needs eventually down the line. Because of Ryan’s constant fashion do’s, I also knew that my nephews were going to be dressed to the nines at all times. Ryan’s life partner, Tim was a high profile designer friend of mine. Ryan had a love for children while his husband did not. The natural decision for them both was for Ryan to work with children. Unlike me, Tim traveled a bit too much and Ryan was no longer interested in tagging along. While he waited for Tim to fly in to Chandler, Ryan had the space available to live in my house and also the option of returning to his personal home when he desired at night. If Liam was narrating this story he would say I chose a man because I didn’t want another woman in my house. I’m not going to lie, he would be telling the absolute truth. I had no shame about it. There was no way I was going to put a potential distraction in front of my man, end of discussion.
Just a few months ago I had made the affirmation that I wouldn’t go on sleeping alone. At that time the fire was being lit under Que’s feet. Funny thing is, for the man that slept next to me nowadays, I never had to convince Liam to stay. He made the affirmation that he was the man to give me everything I had ever wanted in a man. He told me that he would be my husband. Liam and I, waking up together was such a good idea and it came natural for us. As the days continued to pass I came to find out that the perfect man had been sneaking peaks at me in the rearview mirror for years. Once I saw Liam being exactly what I needed my entire world changed. My happiness was at the top of his to do list every single day, I came right after his religious beliefs. The man understood the life, the schedules, and the goals for the future for the brand. He was on board with it all.
My wildest dreams had come true. There was no way I could be pulled from sliding on the bright rainbow Liam had provided in my life. We both enjoyed the closeness we now shared that was put on display for the world to see. Of course I was still a hot topic in the media and the blogs, but for once I had even coverage across the board of all of the time highs. I had always been happy with my professional job, the public already knew that. Now they were getting the chance to see me happy in love for the first time ever. Liam still held the position of driver/body guard because to put it simply, I was his most cherished possession. No one was going to take that position from him. There was no way I could talk him out of it, even if I wanted to. And I was very aware that I did not want any other man in his position. It was easy for me to finally say that I was happy. In six short months he barely spoke about all the he would do as my man for years to come. He took the time to show me. Day after day, he chipped away the cinder blocks around my heart.
7
In true Laini fashion, we were on the fast track of love. On my special finger sat the Batella triangle shaped diamond I had always dreamed of. At the time I didn’t have a clue how a man in his line of work could afford such a stunning, flawless, and expensive diamond. What I did know was that the ring had been designed by and purchased at Pollnitz Jewels. George had designed my ring just like I knew he always would. Liam even knew about the ring I had purchased especially for Que. We were having a beautiful candle lit dinner on the roof top of an exclusive hotel when he professed to be a better man that I ever thought Que could be. It was then that he presented me with my dream engagement ring in a Pollnitz jewelry box. He’d said that he would be wearing the band I had purchased until our wedding day. On that day I would then put a smaller band in front of it. The plan was his own even though I thought he deserved something made especially for him.
“You were made especially for me. Quese never knew about the ring right?” He needed confirmation and I understood the importance of it.
“No one but George and I knew about the ring, I promise.”
“It’s settled then. You designed it with love in your heart for your husband. I am that man so it is my ring.”
The decision was sealed with a kiss.
In all of the years of our working relationship, Liam had rarely used smooth talking on me. It was simply exquisite and it fit me in every way I always knew it would. I could only smile as I was thinking about all of the people who knew Liam was the right man for me from the very start. So many people, especially Zoey knew there was a spark of chemistry between us no matter how hard I tried not to notice Liam. Now, he had my attention and I was not letting go.
I have been waiting but I still hadn’t received the phone call for George to cast doubt on Liam the way he had done with Que. With that fact, I decided to be happy with the present tense and forget about the past. With every hurtful scandal I had ever been involved in, it made me a better woman. I realized that I was seeking a love that would last beyond professional affairs linked into my personal affairs. I wanted that one man that belonged to me, and would always be with only me. Now that I had a little teaspoon, I couldn’t go back to anything less. It felt so good to be able to go home with and then chill with my man every evening.
Walks around the neighborhood, picnics on the lake, Liam cooking for me, and then still wanting to hold me in his arms at the start of every night were just a few of the many things Liam did on a daily basis with me. It didn’t take me long to begin to fantasize about what our kids would look like. Picture Boris Kudjoe, actor and husband of Nicole Ari Parker-Kudjoe. That was Liam, except with a low fade haircut instead of being bald. Liam had the hazel eyes that made me weak in the knees when he locked eyes with me. Even though he was simply gorge, he was still an alpha male, a manly man.
8
No man walking the earth could ever say that they had seen me not dressed for the camera. At home Liam watched tv in basketball shorts that stopped well below his knees, a wife beater t-shirt, footie socks and maybe Nike flip flops. There was no need for me to be in his presence in stilettos. In the last few months I had worn more Purple Label work out gear and teen lounge wear than I had even worn in my life. I felt bad that Zoey was missing out witnessing me wear my first pair of Jordan’s. Too many kisses and love making sessions required that I get my hair off of my shoulders.
I was then introduced to the hair tied, messy pony tail look. Sweats, tank tops, and slippers made Liam want me even more. I felt that I was in jeopardy of overdosing him on lovemaking so I tried to engage him in other ways than with my thighs being open whenever we were alone. It was then that we began to find out personal things about the other that we never knew about.
For example, I was always under the impression that Liam had taken my cars to the dealership to be serviced for oil changes or to be professionally cleaned and detailed. Living with him on a Saturday afternoon forced me to see him in the garage under the BMW while it was jacked up high in the air. The beautiful man with his hands dirty even though his nails looked like he had never done a day of hard work in his life was an instant turn on. He didn’t
know it but I watched him from start to finish when he washed he cars every weekend. Within a month of his address change, Liam also promptly fired the landscaping company I had hired years ago to keep the greenery around the house, well green. One afternoon Liam drove his own personal Ford F-150 truck with a trailer attached back to the house with a riding lawnmower and every other yard tool he would need.
My panties were soaked instantly. I was mesmerized by everything about him as I stood in the bay window, spying on his sexiness as he worked shirtless in the yard. The man had changed my life. The birds were chirping as soon as the sun slipped over the horizon. I was floating on air. The only thing that hadn’t happened to me was that the animals didn’t talk to me the way they did in all of the Disney fairytale movies.
Six months had now passed since my world fell apart in the span of twenty- four hours. Zoey had been involved in that life altering car accident and had slipped into a coma just a little under eleven weeks pregnant. I couldn’t even tell the doctors if Zoey even knew she was pregnant. She certainly hadn’t shared the news with me. But then again, at the time we weren’t necessarily on the best of speaking terms either. If ever there was a thing to rain on my beautiful parade of happiness, the thoughts of how I treated Zoey and Amina back then was it.
Add on that dealing with the heartache of learning who I thought was the love of my life, really didn’t even know me personally was another stab in the heart. With the emotional scars still open, I watched Que and Liam square off at the foot of Zoey’s hospital bed. Both ended up with misdemeanor charges that required bail money. To add insult to injury, Que was still trying to have communication with me every time I turned around. Phone calls, emails, text messages, social media inboxes, and such were beginning to be overwhelming for me.
Finding out Emani was my biggest enemy was another stab that landed in my back but it still pierced my heart. Not only was Zoey in a medical situation, Amina was fighting her own battle with heart disease. Getting my professional and personal affairs in order was all that I could think about for the longest. The more I thought, the more I started to have anxiety about the situations. After weeks of a numbing migraine, then came the scare that I was in medical danger as well. Purple Label, the Agency, in addition to Zoey, Amina, and Liam were all I was concerned with day in and out. Liam threatened to put a stop to it all if I didn’t start to take care of myself better. Instead of leaving me to my own devices, he stepped up and made sure I ate three square, balanced meals every day. He made sure I had healthy but still sinful snacks in the office and in my bags.
Our team of a solid eight had been chopped down to a team of a faithful and trusty act of four. I had no choice but to keep the Jefferies and Barton building shut down for three solid weeks. With dedicated employees enjoying a long and paid summer vacation, the team came back to work more motivated than ever once I had a solid system in place. That step forward was matched with a blow meant to knock me back ten steps. I began to hear rumors that Emani was suing me, Zoey, Amina, and Purple Label.
9
Emani’s actions made me want to cut all ties with anyone I didn’t have to deal with daily. The feeling of misplaced trust for everyone in the world made my meeting Liam’s parents, his baby sister, his older brother and his beautiful sister-in-law super uncomfortable for me. I had managed to get through the initial meeting which led to several lunch dates with his mom, just the two of us. The six of us also had triple dated a time or two. My new soon to be in-laws to be were an exact fit. Thinking back to when Amina told me that I would probably never get the kind of love where I was swept off my feet in a day or two, made me smile. Everyone was right about Que not being the one for me, but I had indeed fallen hard for Liam in a short time. I was only upset that I hadn’t seen him for who he truly was years ago. He was standing beside me, protecting me every day for years yet I never saw the possibilities. By now there was no telling where Liam and Laini could be in their lives had they looked at each other romantically years ago.
That was all water under the bridge now. Liam assured me that just like every other hurdle he would stand beside me to fight Emani as well. Getting our money machines back on track were priority number two after preparing our home for what I thought was the possible arrival of twin newborn boys without their mother. After I found out Zoey’s secret, the plan had been changed get her a wing added on to my home for her new family. I had been hearing in the rumor mill that Emani wanted full control of both situations since I had shut down the entire building to handle my personal affairs. She was totally overlooking the fact that her own sister was having her own issues keeping up with the pace with the Agency. I prayed that the rumors were just that but Emani would definitely need to see me in court if she thought I was going to give her anything that had my family name on it. From what I was told, she didn’t know that Amina had legally signed over and sold her shares to me. After Zoey woke up and then looking down the road at the future, she sold me her shares as well.
Apparently Emani would rather draw blood from a turnip instead of allow me to continue to do what I had always done for them: make the Agency relevant with many commas in the bottom line numbers and keep the Agency with notoriety. By taking over Amina’s shares in the corporation, I had more seniority than Emani. By me having three parts of the shares to Emani’s one wasn’t a good position for her to be in considering all that she had tried to do to those I loved the most. On top of everything else, Que was being a fly at the 4th of July picnic. He’d walked away so easily from me and Tory at the airport.
I couldn’t understand why he was still in Arizona popping up when we least expected. Liam had already gone to jail, paid his fines, and court cost. His patience with Que was at a high level of zero. Not only was Que violating my privacy but also my personal space, professionally Liam had major issues with him. While I respected my new relationship, I was beginning to wonder what in the world Que thought he could say to me after everything had gone down. I never told Liam, but I for damn sure planned to get to the bottom of how Tory’s plan was carried out so smoothly for so long. My cousin and I taking care of the slimy, belly to the ground, snake in the grass Mekhi was a relief. I wonder who told him I had turned into a good girl.
I was sitting in the garden tub, soaking in bath salt water thinking of my next move. I was down to actions that had to me made in a matter of days. I wanted to make sure more than ever that Liam was protected from any negative views from the actions I had already made and would continue to make. It was important for me that I still remained his delicate Laini that he had to ensure was taken care of. I never wanted him to know that if I was pushed the right way, I could be more ruthless than Emani on her best day. Zoey was the passive Taurus Bull. I on the other hand was a full- fledged mean ass explosive bull on a stampede when poked. Emani would get her final ass spanking from me in court if it came to that. The next blow was going to come from her husband, Darrell. There was nothing left for me to do but wait for the situations to present themselves. I would continue to move in silence. No one had a clue about the storm Laini Jefferies could cause, but all those in doubt were now seated on the front row.
10
“Babe, I’m just going to run up for a quick check on Bug right quick. I’m not gonna be five minutes because I need to get to the office. Wait for me here?” I wanted to speak to Zoey and kiss my nephews before I started my day.
That’s the way it had been for months. Liam and I would be at the hospital three times a day.
“Cool, sweetheart handle business I will be right here waiting for you. I need to make some calls anyway. Take your time, tell Zoey I said I’m still waiting for her to get up out of that bed, she needs to wake up! She needs to settle her debt.” Liam kissed me on the lips before I opened the door.
“What are you doing?” Liam looked at me with slight attitude in his question.
“I open doors for you, not the other way around. Don’t get cute cause you are riding in the front sea
t now!” Liam was smiling but I knew there was seriousness all over his words.
“Call me when you are coming back down, ok?” He gave me another quick kiss on the lips.
“You are an amazing man Liam. Please don’t ever change that personality trait. No matter what happens between us, please stay the same.” I caressed his cheek.
He hustled around the car and opened the passenger side door. Just like he had done for years, he made sure the paparazzi didn’t bother me too much as I made my way into the hospital. I could not believe that the media still wanted to snap pics of me going into Cedars after all the time that had passed. Once I got off the elevator, I Naomi Campbell walked to Zoey’s private room. Every stretch of path was a runway for a used to be model. My heels clicked on the hospital floor.
I was positively sure every member of the hospital staff knew that “The Laini Jefferies” had just made it to the third floor. I smirked to myself on the notion of anyone else that would be walking the halls of a hospital in six inch stilettos with such sure feet. I knew without a doubt Zoey could hear me coming. The doctors had said a long time ago that she could definitely hear what was going on around her. But her faking ass had been awake a long time. I still had issues for the few days she swore she was awake before she could say anything. She deserved a spot on the day time soap opera “The Young and The Restless”! She had done that stunt and was still playing the part.
Her sabbatical had been long enough. It was time to move on with our lives. I came to an abrupt stop in front of room three hundred sixteen’s oversized door. I did a courtesy three tap even though the door was already partially open. I was steadily pushing the door open as I knocked. I looked around the hospital suite. Next I checked the bathroom for visitors or hospital staff members. I then walked back to the door and made sure it was closed shut. I sat my purse down in the chair beside the bed. I walked closer to the bed that held my identical twin sister stretched out on her back. Her eyes were closed as if she were only sleeping. Her head was no longer bandaged since I had arranged her cosmetologist was now coming to the hospital once a week to keep Zoey looking jazzy. The doctors thought I was insane having her eyebrows arched and hair curled. After a while we all had developed a love and tolerant relationship with each other, the doctors and I. I ended the discussion with an “I worry about the outside fashion, you worry about the inside medicine.” No one ever spoke ill of my actions again.
