“You say that now but once he or she is here, you’ll feel totally different. It’ll be love at first sight.”
“First of all, let’s clarify that it better be a she. Secondly, I don’t believe in love at first sight. Or second sight. Not even third sight so I’m not gonna start pretending to now.”
“Whatever you say, girl. All I know is, you’re going on this date, even if I have to come over there and drag your ass.”
“Welp....I’ll be waiting on the floor.”
)~o~(
His lustful gaze was all I needed to solidify that I had indeed made the right outfit choice though Rich’s ogling really shouldn’t have meant so much to me. It was expected, what he was supposed to do, the exact reaction I would want from any man I had went to great lengths to get dressed for.
But coming from Rich, it felt different.
Somehow, I was transformed from a sex kitten to a sexy goddess.
The only sexy goddess on the planet according to his eyes.
Lawd, I’m in trouble.
He insisted on picking me up from my apartment but I told him I would meet him at the restaurant instead. The last thing I needed was him invading even more of my space; the space that was already fading away thanks to the little one.
“Sup MILF?”
“Excuse me? Is that how you would talk to someone on a first date?”
“Trust me, I’ve said much worse. But since you seem offended, let me start over. Good evening, Miss. Jasmine.”
“Sup DILF?”
He gave a little laugh as he rose from his seat to help me with my chair. I couldn’t help taking a glance at his midsection as the dressier pants he was wearing squeezed against his… “Do you always look at dicks like that on first dates?”
“Honest answer; yes,” I replied, as I sat down in the chair he had pulled out for me before he leaned over the back of it to give me a little peck on the cheek. When he pulled away, I still felt encased in his aura as his scent lingered around me.
He sat down in his chair, falling against the back as he gave me his usual smirk before he questioned, “Oh, so you like a little PDA, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“That kiss on the cheek. You’re still smiling and you don’t even realize it.”
Damn.
I definitely wasn’t gonna admit to that shit so I changed it up by asking, “Are you always so observant?”
“Always. It comes in handy. Oh wait, you know that already don’t you? I mean my observations are hella clutch when it comes to making you...”
“Reminder: first date.”
“You have no idea how much I’m filtering this shit for you; first date be damned.” The fact that he spoke of being so filtered made me wonder what the real, uninhibited Rich was like.
The bachelor Rich.
The ladies’ man Rich.
The Rich he would most likely be turning in to become Daddy.
Though I was giving up a lot of my...ways as well, I naturally empathized. I didn’t want Rich to feel like he was losing himself in all of this but I also knew there was literally no bigger buzz kill than an unexpected baby from a girl you hardly knew.
Hell, the unexpected baby certainly blew my high.
I quickly recognized that this was the kind of effort Ariel was talking about. Not that I had to do anything super special, but just enough for him to know that I was present, and willing, and open to the things that could potentially make this situation run a little smoother. I could give an inch if Rich was out here running marathons for me.
Instead of letting him fall into the daddy trap, I told him, “Give me an unfiltered line.”
“Do you really want that? I mean...I can’t guarantee you’ll even get dinner if I drop one of those on you. My lines are known to go straight to the libido. And straight to the libido means straight to the nearest private area.” His arrogance was grossly intriguing; part of what had got me in trouble in the first place.
“I’m sure I’ve heard worse. Lay it on me.” He gave me a nod, warning me that I was asking for trouble but that didn’t stop anything.
“Jasmine...baby...this may be our first date but I’ve got another first I can offer you. A better one. If you’re down.” I gave him the nod to keep going, forgetting that this was a test drive and not the real thing. “I got this new trick I can do with my tongue and I want yours to be the first pussy I try it on. It goes something like…” I watched as he manipulated his tongue like he was eating a messy fruit, trying to clean up all the juices, trying to…
My goodness.
“See, look at you. If I said let’s go you would’ve been outta your chair like the damn fire alarm went off.”
Faster than that.
“No I wouldn’t have.”
“Remember, I’m observant. Your eyes were glossed over as you went into a daydream about the shit. Your thighs, though under the table, are still clenched. I can tell by how straight you’re sitting up. And do we even need to talk about how flushed your skin is?”
Damn, he was better than I thought.
“So you got me. I’ll take that L.”
“Good choice. But back to first date, unless you wanna…” He let it trail off so I quickly answered him without giving myself a chance to think it over. Lord knows if I let down below speak for me, we would’ve been gone.
“First date.”
“Fine. First date. Umm...what do you like to do for fun?” I thought about giving him a boring answer like study or watch TV but decided to give him a little dose of my unfiltered side instead.
“I like to fuck.” I watched his eyebrow raise, surprised and intrigued all at once, before I continued on, “I’m kidding. I like to go out and party. Well I use to like to go out and party; not so much at the moment.” It was no secret that I typically hung out wherever the ballers were, whether they were locals or visiting. Associates were constantly calling and texting me to see what the hot spots were, but ever since the baby came into play, those calls had came to a complete halt.
Bitches.
“Don’t wanna be the pregnant girl in the club, huh?” Though I still wasn’t showing that obviously, there was no way in hell I was gonna be caught in the club with child.
“Exactly. What about you though? What does Richie Rich like to do for fun?” I watched as he took a short sip of his wine, making me a little jealous of both him and the glass he had put his mouth too. If I couldn’t have the wine, the least I could do was get that kind of lip action.
“I like to paint.” I remembered that little fun fact from the first night I met him though I had never gotten a chance to ask him more about it. Well actually, I never planned on having that conversation considering I really wasn’t suppose to see him again. But now that the opportunity presented itself, I could dig in a little more.
“What kind of stuff do you paint?”
“A little bit of everything. I especially like doing portraits, live or from a photograph.”
“That explains your naturally observant eye. You’re use to looking at people for their small details. You know how to read people so you can channel that into your art. That’s...dope.” I could’ve gone on and on but I didn’t wanna sound like I was boarding the Rich train already. Though I was already convinced that he was indeed fascinating, I didn’t want him getting too comfortable.
“Thank you. And for the record, there’s nothing wrong with being the party girl. Especially when you can pair that with sophisticated shit like being in law school. I’m sure your parents can’t wait to have a lawyer in the family.”
“Umm...actually they could really care less.” My response came out a lot faster than I intended. Talking about family on a personal level wasn’t exactly first date material so I quickly recovered with, “I mean they care but...on second thought, can we not talk about them right now? We can save that conversation for another time.”
“As long as that’s your way of confirming there will be
another time; whatever you want, Miss. Jasmine.”
rich.
I was at work but my thoughts were on anything but the financial reports piling up on my desk. I had been so busy trying to make sure Rae and Jasmine were good that I was just now getting the opportunity to digest the shit for myself.
I was getting ready to be a dad.
Not only a dad, but if left up to me, a husband too.
Two things I knew absolutely nothing about but would be willing to take on to make sure my family were good.
Richie Rich a family man?
I had no plans of trading in my BMW for a Minivan or spending every weekend doing family shit like going to the zoo or the children’s museum but I also wasn’t completely outdone by the idea of turning in my playa card.
I wasn’t old by any means - only a few months shy of my 27th birthday - but finding someone to settle down with didn’t exactly ruffle my feathers as much as it use to. Ass was easy to come by but to find somebody worth my time, somebody with some substance, somebody who had her own instead of being wrapped up in what I had; that was the real goal. And slowly it was beginning to appear that I was the one that had actually lucked out.
Though she always acted like she wasn’t thrilled about what was to come, I constantly caught Jasmine looking down at her belly and then at me and then back at her belly as if she was coming to terms with the situation. We had been spending at least a night or two out of the week together, playing get to know each other while sorting out things regarding the baby. She was so convinced that it was going to be a girl - that she had been dreaming about a girl - but I knew without a doubt it was a boy. Since God had decided to surprise me with a baby, he would surely be rewarding me with a Rich Jr.
Rich Jr.
My legacy.
I knew my parents were proud from above but I wished they would’ve had the opportunity to hold their first grandchild. My dad had passed away 3 years back after suffering a massive heart attack and my mom passed almost an exact year later from natural causes though I was convinced it was from the heartache of life without my dad. The two were inseparable from high school on according to their stories and apparently couldn’t keep their hands to themselves considering I was supposed to be an only child yet Rae showed up close to ten years after me when my parents were well into their forties.
It was a no-brainer to take her in after their passing though I had no idea what I’d be in for dealing with an already moody teenager. Rae was a good kid for the most part but every once in awhile I had to put her in her place especially as she was coming into the age of boys and dating and all the other shit she had no business doing but probably was getting introduced to. I had a feeling Jasmine would be able to deal with that part of the deal a lot better than me though I wasn’t sure how comfortable she would be doing it considering all of the other stuff that was currently coming her way. School, baby, work, me; it was a lot but I had no doubt in my mind she could hold her own.
With the way Jasmine kept coming up in my thoughts about everyday life, I could tell I was in deep. I knew life wouldn’t be lived without her once we had the baby, but I couldn’t help wondering what would’ve happened with us if the baby didn’t exist.
Was she interested in me beyond a sexual relationship from the jump?
Was she thinking about me after our initial encounter the same way I had been thinking about her?
Or was I just being hopeful?
It was crazy how much this woman was taking over every facet of my life.
What was even crazier was that I wasn’t complaining about it one bit.
jasmine.
I had to tell her.
There was no more hiding the little baby growing inside of me and though she had pretty much convinced herself that I was pregnant months ago, it was time for me to confirm her suspicions.
I rang the doorbell at Bailey’s house and wasn’t surprised when Chad answered the door. I was surprised by the extra pudge he seemed to be rockin’ and the lack of any grooming to his face. Chad had never been the cream of the crop but now he was looking more like the weeds than anything.
“What’s up, Jaz?” He pulled me into a half-hug and I couldn’t miss the hint of beer on his breath though it was only noon on a Saturday.
I guess it’s five ‘o'clock somewhere...
“Hey Chad. Where’s Bailey?”
“She’s upstairs in the room.” I brushed past him, letting him take care of the door as I headed upstairs to the master bedroom. When I didn’t see her immediately, I continued into the bathroom where I heard little sniffles coming from the walk-in closet.
“Bailey? Bailey, is that you?” I walked into the closet and found my big sister with her knees pulled to her chest, sobbing into her arms. Instantly I went into protective mode. “Bailey, I will go down there and fuck Chad up!”
She responded in a hushed tone, “Calm down, Jasmine. Chad didn’t do anything.”
“Well what is it then, sis?”
“I...I’ve been…I’ve been having an affair.” For a second, I couldn’t take a breath because that made what she said real.
I mean, Bailey?
An affair?
I wasn’t sure if I should’ve asked for the details right away or wait for her to calm down, but either way I knew my personal agenda was going on the backburner.
“Say something, Jasmine.”
“I don’t...really know what to say Bailey. I guess I just...never expected you to do something like that.” My sister had always been on the straight and narrow. So much so, that it didn’t even seem possible for her to commit such a sin. But then again, after looking at Chad, I really couldn’t blame her.
“I can’t be as perfect as everybody wants me to be. I can’t be the daughter mom wants me to be. I can’t be the wife Chad wants me to be. I can’t be the sister you want me to be. I just can’t...do that shit anymore.”
My initial, childish reaction was, Bailey said a cuss word, but I quickly realized what she was professing was something deep. She had been living up to everyone’s expectations for so long that she probably never had time to find her true self. And when she was given an opportunity to be her true self with whoever this dude was, she became addicted to it.
“I understand Bailey but you must know that our happiness is not more important than your happiness. If you don’t wanna be with Chad, get a divorce. If you don’t wanna be in the church every night, take a night off. If you don’t wanna be my sister, don’t answer the phone. In the moment, I may be mad but me being mad is not as important as your peace of mind.”
“You’re right, sis. I guess I just...don’t know how to take that first step. I mean, how does one properly say they want a divorce?”
“You must’ve forgotten that your baby sister is studying to be a lawyer. I know a million ways to do that shit; just say the word.” She gave a little laugh, nodding her head in understanding as she wiped her tears. I gave her my hand and she took it, using it to help her stand up. “Now, no offense to Chad but umm...tell me about this guy you’ve been having an affair with.” I knew he had to be the quite the dude to get Bailey to step out on her marriage.
“Not before you tell me about your baby daddy.” I gasped before she continued on, “Come on now, Jasmine. You were never fooling me. I’ve just been patiently waiting on this little visit.”
“How’d you know?”
“You’re my sister. I know everything about you whether you tell me or not.”
)~o~(
Damn, he is fine as hell.
I was supposed to be focusing on studying for the midterms that had snuck up on me but my baby daddy was stealing my attention from across the gym.
After Rich read the benefits of fitness on pregnancy, he practically dragged me to the gym with him setting me up on the treadmill while he hit the weights. I watched, and damn near drooled, as he looked at himself in the mirror, checking his form while he performed a set of bicep curls.
W
atching his muscles tighten up then release their tension had me tightening up and releasing my tension so much so that I almost tripped. I caught myself but I did drop my iPod which skirted across the treadmill’s belt before hitting the floor with a loud thump. Apparently a pregnant woman in the gym already had people cautious so once they heard the ruckus, all eyes were on me, including Rich’s. He dropped his weights and rushed over to me.
“Jasmine, you alright?”
“Ugh, yes. I’m good. It was just my iPod. Relax.”
“Maybe if you weren’t so busy checkin’ me out, you wouldn’t have dropped it,” he said, as he flashed his smug little smirk and went back to his place in front of the mirror. I rolled my eyes at him for being so cocky and at myself for getting so caught up like I had never seen a fine ass, sweaty man before.
But Rich was a different kind of fine.
Not just like sexy fine, or athletic fine, or business-man fine, or lowkey baller fine. He was like...a hybrid of all of those.
And on top of that, he was the father of my child.
One who had already shown his commitment to not only the baby, but to me as well.
I kept trying to remind myself that our situation was something we were forced into, not something either one of us picked but that line was becoming foggier and foggier by the day.
rich.
My life had officially been turned upside down.
I wasn’t spending my Saturday morning in the gym or fighting off a hangover or even with some girls legs wrapped around my waist. I was spending it with Jasmine, walking the aisles of Babies ‘R Us. We were only shopping for general stuff like a diaper genie, baby monitors, etc. since we wouldn’t find out the sex of the baby for another week but just being there warranted a punch on the ticket of Fatherhood.
“What do you think about this, Rich?” Jasmine rubbed her belly as she pulled a baby food prep system from the shelf. I quickly peeped game that even though they plastered pictures of babies all over the box, it was no different than a regular blender.
“I think it’s a waste of money.”
An Unconventional Love: A Novella Page 7
