CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Destiny
From the Mouth of Babes
I didn’t feel too hot the rest of the day. I went and picked the kids up and we had a day in. I ordered a veggie pizza and a few movies on demand. I kept thinking about Justine’s light sentence, while the kids bragged about how much fun they had with their father the night before.
“And he…he took us to see the Disney on Ice and they was skatin’ on all that ice, Mama. It was so much fun!” Montana said.
My mother had dressed her in a pink tutu and white leotard with her pink dance shoes. She had a big pink bow around one large afro puff. I had no doubt that Mama let Montana pick her own clothes out. She had on all of her favorite things.
“When I grow up, I wanna be a skater,” Montana added as she pretend skated around the living room.
“You can be just that sweetheart. You can be anything you want to be,” I said, holding my arms out for a hug. When she hugged me, I kissed her on her chubby cheeks.
“Mama, we had fun with Dad, but…” Junior said, looking as if he had heavy thoughts weighing on him.
“Come sit beside me, buddy,” I said, knowing Junior needed to talk after all that he’d witnessed in the past few weeks. “Son, first of all, some of the things that happened here yesterday, you shouldn’t have heard or seen.”
“Mr. Jacob was hitting Daddy. Daddy didn’t do anything to him, he just started hitting him,” Junior said searching for answers.
“I’m not defending Jacob. He was wrong for hitting your father, just like your father was wrong for hitting him. It was a big disagreement that should have been talked out. You know how I always tell you that if someone bothers you not to hit?”
“Yeah. Like at school, when Brandon tried to take my cookie out my lunch box. I didn’t hit him. I asked him how he would feel if I took his food. Then I told the teacher and she made Brandon apologize and we talked about how it feels when people take something from us.”
“Well, that’s what should have happened with Jacob and Montie. But sometimes even grown people don’t handle things the right way.”
“Did Jacob apologize to Daddy? That’s what you tell me to do when I do something wrong.”
“He hasn’t yet, but I’m sure that he will.”
“I think you should tell them to come over here, so they can sit down and have a talk like my teacher makes us do,” Junior said as if he’d figured out the solution to all of our woes.
“I will see if I can make that happen, Junior.” It sounded like a good idea in theory.
“I just don’t want to see my Daddy and Jacob fighting. I love my Dad and I love Mr. Jacob too.”
“I don’t want to see them fight again either, Junior,” I said, knowing I had to figure out a way to get my family back on the right track.
After our heart-to-heart, Junior felt better. He went back to watching a movie with Montana as I thought about what he shared with me. He was right. We should all have a sit down and put everything on the table. I reached for my cell phone from the coffee table. I was about to call Jacob and run the idea by him, but my phone started ringing in my hand.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hey. What are you doing?” asked Jacob. I could tell by his tone that he wasn’t in a good mood.
“I’m sitting here with the kids talking. Are you okay?”
“Get dressed. I want to take you all somewhere,” he said ignoring my question.
“Okay,” I said without pushing the matter. “We’ll be ready by four.”
An hour later, I boarded Jacob’s private jet with two excited kids. On the drive over to the jet, Jacob had told me that we were going to take a trip, but he didn’t say where we were going. There was an oversized bag full of gifts sitting inside Montana and Junior’s seats.
“Go ahead and see what’s in the bags,” Jacob said as the kids stared at the gifts and then looked to me for approval.
“You can open it,” I said to Junior.
I walked with Montana over to her large pink bag and opened it for her. Inside was all eight of the American Girl dolls and what had to be all of the accessories. I smiled at how thoughtful Jacob had been.
“I remember you saying that you wanted to get her one for Christmas,” Jacob said.
“Yeah one. This is too much for her to have at one time,” I said, knowing that no toddler needed all eight of those expensive dolls complete with the accessories.
“No it’s not, Ma. I can have them all,” Montana said as she admired one box after the next.
“I had the other accessories shipped to your house. They were too big to fit in the bag. They should arrive within the next week,” Jacob said.
“My God, Jacob!”
“I wanted her to have it all. You can put some of it up and give it to her later, if you think it’s too much at one time,” Jacob said as he smiled widely at Montana, who was confident that she could play with all eight without a problem.
“Wow!! A PlayStation Five! None of my friends have this,” Junior said as he opened his box that contained the cutting-edge game console and a variety of never-released games for it.
“Well little buddy, this game is special. It was made just for you. It won’t be in stores for a few more years, but I have a few connections at Sony that put this one together for you. It has your name on it,” Jacob said as he pointed to the inscription on the front of the PlayStation that read “Especially for Junior.”
Junior hugged him and said, “Thank you so much, Mr. Jacob. What does this one do different from the PlayStation Four?”
The two of them talked about the game while I helped Montana get the doll she chose to open out the box. After a while, the pilot asked Jacob if he was ready for takeoff. We put away the bags and got the kids in their seats. Once the plane was in the air, I asked, “Where are we going?”
“A few places, but first I want to show you my family’s first office in Miami. I want to show you where it all began,” Jacob said as he slipped his hand into mine. I leaned over in my seat and kissed him as Junior and Montana giggled. It wasn’t long before Montana was asleep holding onto her Addy, the doll. Junior was busy reading one of the game boxes the entire flight.
When we got off the plane, we were ushered into the back of a limo where we were taken to see the first building that Turner Enterprises ever built. It was an old insurance company that Jacob said had been around in that same building, for over seventy years. He was proud that the first building his family built was still in use. From there, we went to see the first Turner Enterprise office. Then we went on a tour of the current hundred thousand square foot facility.
It was inspiring to hear all the stories Jacob told of his family’s sacrifice to get from that original building to the current facility. Junior and Montana’s eyes lit up whenever he showed us a new office or boardroom. We left Turner Enterprises and went for dinner. After dinner, I thought we were heading back to the jet, but Jacob pulled up to a huge house that had a For Sale sign in the yard.
“It’s twelve thousand square feet. Plenty of bedrooms,” Jacob said as he gazed at the house. “From the backyard, you can see the entire city,” Jacob added.
The intriguing villa-like home had tall glass windows surrounding it. The landscape was creative and immaculate. The elegance of the home reminded me of an Italian resort I’d seen in a travel magazine.
Every other place we’d been that evening held a special meaning, so I asked, “Is this one of your family’s properties?”
“No.”
“Well, what is it about this place?”
“I want it to be our home one day.”
“Oh,” I said, unable to say more. I couldn’t comprehend living in a house so big and pristine.
“As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for us,” Jacob said as he got out of the car and motioned for me and the children to get out. It was nighttime, but the exterior lit up as we walked up the driveway to the porch.
“It looks nice in there.” I glanced through the windows trying to see as much as I could on the inside.
“You don’t have to do that,” Jacob said. He took a key out of his pocket and opened the door. I walked in behind him in complete awe.
“Is this your house?” Junior asked as he took in the enormity of the main room.
“I hope that it will be, one day,” Jacob said as he looked to me.
“It’s pretty,” Montana said as she took off running around in the open area.
Jacob took us on a tour of the house, which included eight large bedrooms that were elegantly furnished. We then walked out onto the patio area and he showed me the circular heated pool and tennis court in the backyard. The most beautiful thing about the patio was that it overlooked the city. Every skyscraper, amusement park, or shining light could be seen from that backyard.
“This house is everything, Jacob!” I said as I stood beside him looking at the view. I could tell from their chatter that Junior and Montana were enjoying the view as well.
“Glad you like it,” Jacob said taking my hand into his.
We hadn’t discussed me moving to Miami or even us moving in together, but after seeing how much thought Jacob put into choosing a home for us, I was damn sure considering. With my business being portable, I could live anywhere in the country and service my clients. The only roadblock would be Montie. Moving our kids nearly a thousand miles away would not go over well with him.
When I left that mansion with Jacob, I felt like I was on top of the world. Justine’s trial, my mishap with Montie and Jacob’s two-week hiatus were the furthest from my mind. All I could think about was spending the rest of my life with Jacob.
We were on Jacob’s jet on our way back to Atlanta. It was close to midnight and the kids had fallen asleep when I said, “Jacob, I want you to come to my house tomorrow for dinner. I’m inviting Montie and Mama over too. I think we all need a good sit down to clear some things up.”
“That’s an excellent idea. I’m okay with meeting Montie, as long as he understands I’m not playing games with him. If he’s ready to be mature and discuss ways to make this work out in the best interest of his kids, then I’m all in. Same for your mother.” Jacob’s disposition told me that he was willing to go the extra mile.
“Thank you,” I said touching his hand. “Not just for coming to the dinner, but for making a day that started out horrible one of the best days of my life.”
Jacob kissed my hand. “As long as you are mine, this is what I have to offer.”
CHAPTER NINTEEN
Destiny
Honor Among Men
The next day Tasha came over to visit. She’d been in Atlanta for a few days visiting with friends, sightseeing and partying. She only had a few days left in town, so she decided to haul me along on one of her shopping trips. Mama had the kids and she was bringing them back to my house by six for the dinner I planned.
Tasha and I had been out since eight that morning, going everywhere from the Martin Luther King Monument to the Underground.
“Do you feel like going to Six Flags in the morning?” Tasha asked, as we walked out of the mall.
“Girl, after this dinner tonight I’m going to sleep for two days. I’m tired,” I told her. Walking around had given me plenty of time to think, but I was all walked, talked, and sightseen out.
“Are you sure you want both Montie and Jacob to come to dinner tonight?” Tasha asked.
“So much has happened over the past few weeks that I need to get everyone near and dear to me in one room so we can talk. What better way to bring people together than dinner? The dinner will show solidarity for the kids, but after dinner, we adults will have a pow-wow discussion,” I said convincing myself as I rattled on. “If Jacob and I are going to be together and Montie and I are going to continue to successfully co-parent, we have to be able to act civilized.”
“Sounds good. Are you sure you’re ready for all of that today though? That’s what I’m asking.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, I’m here as your support,” Tasha said as she clutched her various bags and offered me a half grin.
“I’m glad you’re here. That alone gives me strength,” I said as we continued to walk downtown in silence. My eyes wandered around the city landing on a young couple that looked to be happy and in love. They were making out, not caring who was watching them. I could tell by the way they were breathing that they took each other's breath away. I then focused on an older couple, nestled in each other’s arms and I thought back to when I believed Jacob and I had a relationship like that.
Fast forward to where I was. I had no idea if we would ever be truly content again. I glanced at another couple with two kids and I knew it would be hard, if I ever had to tell Montana and Junior that Jacob would never be coming back around. I hoped it did not come to that. I closed my eyes, picturing us together as a family.
“Mind if we sit down?” I said to Tasha. My feet were killing me, and my head was beginning to spin. We sat down for a while and then a lady, probably in her mid-forties, came and asked if we would mind if she sat beside us.
“Of course not!” I moved a little, allowing more room on the bench as she took a seat.
She heaved a sigh, closing her eyes. “It is exhausting visiting my sister and her family." She then smiled and glanced at me. “It’s entertaining though,” she replied with a laugh. I smiled, nodding, thinking that was the end of the conversation. “Six and ten years old…” she replied, quietly. It was like she was reminiscing and we weren’t even there. “They have energy…that’s for sure.”
“You don’t have any kids?” I asked, joining the conversation.
She laughed, “Never married. God knew what he was doing. I am not cut out to be a homemaker.”
I smiled, knowing I wanted to be a homemaker and have a husband come home to me. I wanted that husband to be Jacob and I didn’t have any doubt about it.
“Don’t you miss the real connection?” I asked, with hesitation.
She opened her eyes and glanced at me, then finally shook her head. “Not really, because I have cats.” A car pulled up to the curb to pick her up. “Thanks for the company!” She waved and headed off in the direction of the car. I stared after her and I knew that I would never be able to feel that way.
Tasha and I left downtown and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some fresh vegetables. I made it back home around four p.m. and I went straight to work preparing for dinner. I told everyone dinner was at seven, so I only had a few hours left. Mama had come over to help me cook, so she was stirring the last of the ingredients into the pot of chili.
I stared out the window of the kitchen, aimlessly slicing up vegetables. Thankfully, I’d chosen to make chili, which wouldn’t require much prep time. We were having carrots, celery and hot water cornbread as side items. It was a quick and simple meal that I knew the children loved. I’d left a voice message for Montie, but hadn’t heard from him. I hoped he would come, for our children’s sake.
“Is Jacob coming to the dinner?” Junior said, startling me. Mama looked at me too, as if she didn’t already know the answer.
“Ouch!” I accidently nicked my finger and put it to my mouth to suck the spot that was sore. I turned to Junior standing in the entryway of the kitchen. “He’ll be here. The whole family is coming,” I replied with a smile to mask the pain from the cut.
“Yes! He promised me he would take me to a football game.”
“Then I am sure he will take you soon.” I walked over to him and kissed his head. “We’re having chili tonight.”
“I love chili! Is my dad coming too?”
“Yes, your father is coming,” I assured him.
“Yes! Everybody is coming to dinner!” Junior said as he flew out the kitchen to go tell Montana.
“You’re a plum fool,” Mama said as I went back to chopping vegetables.
“Don’t start your mess tonight, Mama. I told y
ou the purpose of this dinner,” I cautioned Mama as the doorbell rang.
“I know the purpose! Tasha go get the door,” Mama ordered as Tasha was walking into the kitchen.
“Oh-kay,” Tasha said turning on her heels to go answer the door.
“It’s Montie,” she said walking back into the kitchen. The grin Montie wore when he walked into the kitchen was unreadable.
“Thanks for coming, Montie,” I said gauging where his head was.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Montie said. “Do you need me to do anything?”
“Sure, help me set the table,” Mama said. I knew the evening was a bust when she added, “Wouldn’t want rich folks to think we don’t know how to fix up a dinner table.”
Montie and Mama were just taking a seat at the table when the doorbell rang again. This time, I went to answer it.
“Hey sweetheart,” Jacob said as he pulled me in for a hug.
“Hey, are you ready for this?”
“Is it going to make you happy?”
“Yeah,” I answered with a half grin.
“Well then, I was born ready. Let’s go,” he said as we walked through the kitchen to the dining room.
Upon the sight of Jacob, tension suddenly made its way around the room. Ignoring it, Jacob went around the table greeting everyone personally.
“Hey Jacob! So nice to finally put a face with the guy that has so much buzz around here,” Tasha said breaking the monotony.
“I hope it’s a good buzz,” Jacob said shaking Tasha’s hand.
“Mostly,” she said giving me a wink. “Girl, I see why this man has been causing such a stir,” she said whispering in my ear.
“Hey Mr. Jacob,” Junior said giving Jacob a hand shake.
Breathless 2: In Love With An Alpha Billionaire Page 10
