by Cydney Rax
“Damn, that crib is worth that much?” she asked, feigning surprise. “So if she buys you out—?”
“I doubt it. She doesn’t have that type of money.”
“But what about that money she had been stacking up and hiding from you? How much did she build up?”
Rashad had informed Nicole how he discovered his wife had maintained secret savings. Kiara quietly pilfered money from his contracting business and placed it into her own accounts. And on the day she got sick of him, she threw receipts in his face to let him know what she was capable of whenever he pissed her off. Rashad was stunned. It made him feel she knew their marriage wouldn’t last; like she didn’t trust what they had, even though she fought hard to have it.
“I don’t know how much she built up; which reminds me. I gotta tell Lily to make sure and research any hidden assets Kiara has. That shit pisses me off.”
“Who the hell is Lily?”
“My ugly-ass divorce lawyer. She likes pussy as much as I do.”
“What?” Nicole shrieked, but she calmed down after Rashad explained that his attorney had a strong appreciation for females.
“Oh, okay,” she remarked, feeling relieved. “But you used to call her Ms. Tangaro.”
“She told me to call her Lily, so that’s what I’m going to do. Is that all right with you, my crazy little Birmingham girl?”
Nicole giggled and felt happy that out of all the places this man could be, he chose to be in bed with her. The more she thought about how much of a catch Rashad was, the more determined she was to make him hers. Nicole whispered in his ear, “Call her Lily. It doesn’t matter. I love you so much. We’re going to have it all.” Then she began sucking every part of Rashad. She sucked him till he forgot about divorces, alimony, assets, and secrets, and remembered every good thing he could have from being with Nicole.
Chapter 5
Nicole Takes Charge
That Saturday evening, Alexis McNeil had just finished eating dinner. She and her new man, Varnell Brown, had been invited to spend time with his sister, Carmen Foster, and her husband, Forrest, at their home in Missouri City. Alexis’s daughter, Hayley, was with her mom, Mona Hooker, and Alexis felt satisfied to enjoy an evening away from her house.
Forrest had prepared an Asian shrimp-and-vegetable soup that they all devoured. Once they were done, Carmen suggested they kick back and relax.
They were seated at the dining room table. Forrest just dealt a deck of cards. He and Varnell were partners and were sitting across from each other. Alexis was on Varnell’s right.
“So,” Carmen said to Alexis as she scooped up and organized her cards, “how long you and my brother been kicking it?”
Forrest jumped in. “What she’s trying to ask is how long you’ve been giving Varnell some stankie on the hang-down?”
“Giving him some who on the what?” asked Alexis.
“C’mon, y’all,” barked Varnell. He was normally a calm-natured man who never sweated the small stuff. But taking a big step like bringing Alexis around his family made him somewhat anxious.
“Don’t start, Carmen. It ain’t even like that.” Varnell turned to Alexis. “My nosy sister loves to try and get in my business. And yes, she wants to know how long we’ve been . . . you know.”
“Oh, I see,” Alexis coolly replied. She was accustomed to the judgment and curiosities of others and she prayed she could handle herself so as not to embarrass herself or her man.
“I’m not sure why you’d want to know something like that,” she answered. “But for the record, nothing like that is going on. And even if it was, we probably wouldn’t tell you.”
“Yeah, right,” Forrest yelped. He discreetly examined the beautiful Alexis McNeil up and down. Alexis had a reserved yet fiery demeanor, partially because she was extremely pretty and was accustomed to men groveling around her. She wore a twenty-two-inch weave, had pouty lips, and could have passed for Paula Patton’s identical twin.
“My brother-in-law is a saint,” Forrest said in a loud voice, “but hell, even he can’t pass up having sex with a younger Halle Berry. Even if she is crazier than a shithouse rat.”
“Hey, that’s enough.” Varnell slammed his cards on the table. “Alexis, you shouldn’t have even dignified that idiotic question with a response. Forrest needs to worry about his own household. And I apologize for his behavior.”
“It’s all right, Varnell,” Alexis pleaded, not wanting to make the situation worse.
“We point blank crazy,” Forrest told her. “You need to know that from day one.”
“I kind of figured . . .” Alexis said with a wink. She hoped they meant no harm and decided not to overreact.
“Crazy or not, you two need to know this is a respectable woman,” Varnell insisted. “The fact that I brought her around you two lets you know everything you need to know. And, not to go deep into it, but she’s been through a lot in her past relationships. I’d like the chance to offer her something different, if you two could just chill out and act civilized.”
“Awww,” Carmen said in a babyish tone. “Yep, my brother is feeling this beauty queen. Isn’t that special?”
Varnell rose to his feet, clearly frustrated. “Come on, Alexis. We don’t have to put up with this type of disrespect.”
“Brother-in-law, sit your Russell Wilson–acting ass down and let’s get it on with these spades. Some people are just too sensitive. It was meant to be an icebreaker. Damn!”
“C’mon, Varnell, lighten up,” said Carmen with a laugh. “You know I don’t get to hang out with you that much. So have a seat and take it like a man. If you are treating her right, that means she will be around for a long time. And if she does, she needs to know how Forrest and I roll.”
Varnell reluctantly sat down and picked up his cards. He slammed one on the table.
“Take your ass whipping like a man,” he yelled.
“Uh oh, partner. That’s what I’m talking about,” Forrest said. “When a man ain’t getting any, he gotta let out his aggression one way or another.”
Alexis smiled. “I like you two. Yeah, you are and your wife is crazy, but you’re real. I actually hate pretentious people.”
“They make me itch, girl,” Carmen replied and she wildly threw out a card.
They resumed the game, throwing friendly shade and cracking obnoxious jokes. After the men thoroughly beat the women, they took a short break to use the restroom and get more refreshments from the kitchen.
The moment that Forrest and Varnell left the room, Carmen leaned across the table. “I know my brother, and I can tell he honestly likes and respects you. That’s important in a relationship. Me and that silly teddy bear I got have been through relationship hell. Our marriage was rocky for a hot minute. I’m sure you couldn’t tell,” she said with a facetious smile, “but this handsome fella was so charming and generous that it forced me to deal with side chicks. Women love my man, if you know what I mean. So a lot of really crazy shit went down in our marriage. Long story short, I can’t believe I’m still married to him. But I am. The love is still there. We are going to make it to the finish line. But I have to constantly keep his ass in line.”
“Thanks for sharing that. I-I think I know what you mean.”
“Are you telling me you’ve dealt with side chicks in your past?”
Alexis looked Carmen dead in the eye. “I know the side chick life. I’ve been one. I was the queen and the princess. But I turned in my tiara, or crown, or whatever you want to call it. It’s time to do something different. And I really believe that this is where Varnell comes in.”
Carmen stared at Alexis with new curiosity. “Hmm, we need to get together and talk. Does my brother know this? He normally doesn’t like skanks.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m sorry, Alexis. I guess this proves I still have issues.” Carmen laughed, then grew serious. “But this isn’t about me. Just treat my brother right and you will never regret meeting him. And if he is
saying no to sex, yeah, that is Russell Wilson in the making. So hold onto him and you can kiss the side chick life good-bye. We need to get together one Saturday when I don’t have my two daughters. You like crawfish? Like with that suicide seasoning?”
Alexis told her she’d loved crawfish. They made a promise to meet up. And deep inside, Alexis agreed that if she had it her way, she would never relive her old ways again.
* * *
Sunday morning, Rashad woke up to the lovely aroma of French toast, crispy bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs. He sat up in bed, noticing that Nicole wasn’t lying next to him. He wandered into the kitchen and was met by a surprise.
Nicole stood in front of the sink wearing a red apron. She had learned that red was Rashad’s favorite color; red was also the color of sex, passion, and love, and she planned to wear lots of it.
Myles stood on a tiny stepstool by the counter that stored the hearthstone canisters. One by one, he dropped lemon slices into a glass pitcher. Rashad saw the big metal spoon, a measuring cup filled with sugar, and six teabags that were sitting in a pot on the stove with steam rising over it.
“Homemade sweet tea?”
“I’m a Southern girl. You know how we roll.”
“Aw, man, that’s what I’m talking about.” Rashad yawned and stretched. “I tried to enjoy my sleep, but all the noise in this kitchen plus the good smells wouldn’t let me.”
“And it’s about time Daddy woke up, right, Myles?” Nicole asked.
“He’s a lazy bum.”
“Hey, watch that, son! Why y’all teaming up on me? I work hard. I deserve to sleep in once in a while.”
“If you had slept any longer, you would’ve missed all this good food. And I know how much you love to taste my stuff.”
“You damn sure right about that.” Rashad took a hard look at Nicole. She was getting her sexy on by wearing a pretty dress underneath her new red apron. She looked so beautiful that Rashad imagined she was naked, even though she clearly wasn’t.
He enjoyed watching Nicole cook for him. The way to his heart was definitely through his stomach, among other things. Rashad learned the hard way that most women want to be valued. He wanted to do the right thing with this lady. So he came and gave Nicole an encouraging hug. She moved her face near his lips for a light kiss, but he shook his head as a stern warning.
“Why you trying to hide our relationship?” Nicole asked. “You know I’m hot for you whether little man is in the room or not.”
“Yeah, but—”
“In my opinion, if you are happy and you’re doing what you want with the chick you really want to be with, ain’t no need to hide it, right?”
“Can we eat now and talk about this when the time is right, babe?”
“Stop avoiding important issues, Rashad. Now is the right time to talk about it.”
Nicole called on Myles. “Hey there, son. Remember the conversation we had yesterday when your dad ran his errand?”
“Son?” Rashad muttered under his breath.
“Yeah, Ms. Nicole. I remember. What about it?”
“Um, like I already told you, whenever you come over here you’ll be sleeping in your own room.” She lovingly placed her arms around Myles as she talked to him. “And the truth is your daddy sleeps with me in the bed that’s in my room. I mean, in our room.”
Rashad cleared his throat. But Nicole ignored him.
“Yeah. You see, last night Daddy tried to sleep on the couch, but doing that isn’t healthy for him. It hurts his back. And if his back is hurting, he can’t work. And if he can’t work, he can’t make money. And if he can’t make money, he can’t afford to buy you all the helicopters you like to play with. And without enough money, he won’t be able to buy you the foods you like to eat. And he definitely can’t take you on a safari. That’s why Daddy needs to sleep on a nice, firm mattress. You understand what I’m trying to say, Myles?” She released the little boy. She then winked at Rashad and walked over to him and physically closed his open mouth with her fingers.
“Oh, okay. I get it! To get all the stuff I want, my daddy gotta make his money.”
“Exactly. And your daddy sleeps with me on a nice comfy mattress and not on that couch, unless he’s taking a nap!”
“Nicole?” Rashad shouted a warning.
“Babe, chill. He needs to know. Trust me on this one.”
Nicole poured the hot tea in the glass pitcher and let Myles dump in the sugar.
“Do you really get what I’m saying, son?”
Myles stirred the sweet tea and avoided eye contact. “Yeah, I get it. Why are you telling me that?”
“Because I don’t want you to be alarmed and wonder where you daddy is. He’ll be with me. I’m going to take good care of your father and of you whenever you’re here. You’ll be like my child.”
“Mmm hmm.”
“And after I have my own baby,” she pointed at her round stomach, “you will have a new brother or sister. Isn’t that exciting?”
“Nicole—” Rashad yelled.
“Now, babe, I know you wanted to wait to tell Myles about our baby, but as the firstborn heir of Eason and Son, he really needs to be aware of these things. Stop treating him like a kid. Your child is intelligent. He sees things. He sees this.” She rubbed her belly. “Although Myles is seven, he shouldn’t be kept from the truth forever. It’s a cold, cruel world out there.”
Rashad nodded and tried to calm down. Nicole’s pushiness annoyed him, but on the other hand her forcefulness helped him to deal with his truths.
“Yep, Nicky. You’re right. I have been holding off on some topics when it comes to Myles. We ought to have more man-to-man talks. Thanks, babe, for taking on the reins . . .”
“No problem,” she answered, sounding self-assured. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“Wow, that didn’t turn out as bad as I thought.” He focused on Myles.
“Whaddup, my son? How’d you make out yesterday after I left the house? Oh, and sorry that it took longer than I thought.”
Rashad was gone so long that Nicole had considered baking the child another cake but thought it would be overkill, since there was still dessert left over from the day before.
“I felt good, Daddy. After you left, I had so much fun. We watched a movie and then Ms. Nicole helped me put together my Getaway Glider robot.”
“Did she? Man, that’s cool. Thanks, Nicky.”
“Oh, it was nothing. I had a great time with him. He’s a good kid.”
Rashad felt relieved that Nicole tried her best to bond with his son. He knew she couldn’t stand Kiara and often wondered if she could ever manage to leave her ego at the door and treat Myles with respect.
Nicole resumed cooking breakfast, “Have a seat, my king. No. Wait. Wash those hands first. I can’t forget where your hands were last night.”
Rashad blushed and went to wash his hands. He knew Nicole was referring to all of her parts he touched last night when they made love. He sure hoped she wouldn’t give his son those details; he prayed she’d keep that to herself.
When he returned to the kitchen, neither Nicole nor Myles were there. He heard their voices in her small dining room.
She was setting up the nice dishes and tall glasses and cloth napkins.
“Damn, all this? Just for a basic breakfast?”
“Nothing is basic for us. We will go all out for all our meals.”
“But why?”
“Rashad, you just don’t understand. I-I-I’ve wanted this—a family—for a long time. I always wanted to be with the people I love, in a house that we share, eating meals together, cracking jokes, playing board games, and watching movies just like we’ve been doing ever since Friday. This is my dream. I’m on the cusp of living my dream.”
“Damn. I see.”
She made Myles go and clean his hands, too.
“Anyway, Rashad, I told you about my ex, Ajalon, and how he blew a ton of smoke up my ass about getting married just to get
himself arrested for dealing drugs. I don’t mess around with felons. That fool stole all my dreams.” Nicole shuddered at the memory. “And that’s why it’s been so hard for me to trust a man.”
“Aww, boo,” Rashad said. “That’s what you get for fucking around with broke niggas.”
“But see, I honestly learned my lesson. I am so grateful that we met and you’re helping me to believe in love again.”
He gently patted her on the shoulder. The more she opened up to him, the more he wanted to try to be a decent man; he was certain he could do better than her ex.
Nicole dabbed at a tear in her eye. “And once our baby gets here, it’s going to be an even bigger dream come true. I cannot wait. Moving to Houston was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Yeah. Right. Hmm.”
Myles returned to the kitchen and settled back in his chair.
Rashad stood near Nicole and reflected on all that was going on. Her optimism was great, but he felt caught between two worlds. On one hand, he knew that Nicole loved him. She understood he was still tied to Kiara and that it would take time for that relationship to legally end. He knew she’d wait. Yet, a tiny part of him wished he could still be with Kiara. They’d built so much together, and she really was his day one woman. She wasn’t such a bad wife. In fact, Rashad had to admit that Kiara had been an excellent partner. He agreed with her when she said she gave their marriage her all. But he hated that she had an affair with Eddison. It was a swift kick in his teeth and he didn’t like it, but he figured she only did it as revenge. She wanted him to feel her pain. So maybe their situation was his fault.
“Have a seat, babe,” Nicole said, noticing the faraway look in his eyes.
Every time Rashad appeared as if he was in deep thought, Nicole felt anxious. She knew she couldn’t control him, and he would always do what he wanted to do, but she could spot the look of a man traveling back down memory lane.
