Have Your Cake

by Roi, D. S.

  Cyana woke from her exhaustion to the sound of raucous male laughter drifting through the opened door. They’d finally made it to Asher’s bed together, just where she wanted him from the first night of her stay. The long delectable journey had worn her down to the core. She spied two bottles of water on the nightstand, dripping with condensation; reminding her of how her pussy wept for him. A smile touched her lips while a mental survey of her body tingled with pending soreness she’d feel the next day. She shifted and grabbed a bottle to wet her cotton-like mouth. Her stomach reminded her she never got a bite of her turkey sandwich.

  She peeled out of the bed and freshened up with a shower before checking the time. Two O’clock. Her heart sank. If she wanted to make getting out of the mansion smooth, she needed to gather her things now.

  She brought the bag and CD player down, set them by the door and peeked out the front glass, spotting a blue Mustang. A smile touched her lips. The sports car looked much more at home out front than her compact. She followed the sound of the voices coming from the kitchen.

  “There’s my sleeping beauty,” Asher said.

  She smiled at him; then glanced at his company. “Oh my!”

  Asher followed her sight. “Oh yeah, sorry, Love. I’d like you to meet the owner of the Milway, Joshua Wilmington.”

  She entered the room and shook his hand with mastered professionalism. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Wilmington. Congratulations on your big day.”

  “Thank you, Ma’am.” He spoke with the same country twang as Asher and surveyed her tank and sweats.

  Asher snaked his arm around her waist and drew her closer to his side for a kiss.

  “Asher, you have a guest.” She gently scolded. Having the owner of the Milway knowing she’d been sleeping there could end terribly; even more so for him, since he made no effort to hide his obvious like for her. She was certain Josh could put two and two together but Asher didn’t seem to care.

  “Josh just wanted to stop by today. We have a lot to talk about concerning the house.”

  She nodded.

  “Rebecca is looking forward to sampling your cakes this Monday, Ma’am,” Josh said.

  “I’ve been telling him all about the crumble you made,” Asher said.

  “It will be a pleasure to meet your bride, Mr. Wilmington.” She nodded to Josh. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to provide for such a special occasion.”

  Josh smiled at her with enthusiasm gleaming in his gaze. The man was in love. The truth of it sparked in his blues, the same crystal coloring one of Asher’s eyes. The doorbell rang.

  The three of them exited the kitchen. Cyana knew who the tanned colored shadow behind the glass was. Exhilaration kicked through her.

  “Iona,” she squealed, rushing the door and swinging it open.

  Their arms entwined each other in a long embrace. Cyana stepped back to view her sister. She had taken more of their father’s genetics. Iona’s grey-gold eyes sparkled with happiness though she seemed tired. Her lightly tanned skin was sprinkled with freckles and her silky hair was secured in a tight bun.

  “Ce Ce, you look so good girl.” Iona hopped when she said it. “I was worried you wouldn’t find anything decent to eat in the iceberg.”

  “Iona, Chicago is not an iceberg.”

  “Nonsense.” She shook her head in dismissal.

  Asher cleared his throat.

  “Oh, Iona!” Cyana pressed a palm to the center of her chest. “This is Asher and this is Joshua Wilmington. Gentlemen, your catering chef and the best sister in the world, Iona Huffing.” She held her hands out to dramatically display her sis.

  Iona immediately straightened and put on her best professional look. “Nice to meet you, Gentlemen. I’m terribly sorry about the inconvenience and greatly appreciate you housing my sister under her unfortunate circumstances.”

  Asher smiled at Iona. “It was no trouble at all.”

  “Good. I’m glad she behaved herself.” Iona shot her a playful look. “I’ll take her off your hands now, if you don’t mind.”

  “I’ll walk you out, ladies.” Asher picked up the bag as if Josh didn’t exist. Cyana was certain the superstar wasn’t accustomed to being ignored.

  Iona led the way to her grey Civic and popped the trunk with the push of a button. Asher loaded Cyana’s bag while she put the CD player inside before closing the car. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “I know we’ll both be busy, but don’t forget about Monday.”

  She captured the spark of his stare. The vision of him made the rest of the world fade away. She nodded. He bent down to administer a leisurely kiss, seeming to convey everyone and everything could wait for them. She moaned into his arms before he loosened his grip.

  “I better let you go,” he whispered, “before the world gets a glimpse of how we rodeo.”

  She giggled and stepped from his hold, taking both his hands. “I’ll call you.”

  “You better, or I’ll come looking for you.”

  “Cowboy, you don’t know where I’ll be.”

  “Mm.” He tugged her closer, letting go of her hands. His arm swooped down around her lower back to hold her casually. “Guess I’ll have to follow the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar.”

  She smiled up at him. “You said blueberry this time. Remember?”

  He chuckled. “I did. Now, don’t make me have to burn up your sister’s minutes.”

  She giggled. “You speak pretty good sister-girl, Cowboy.”

  He kissed her forehead and ushered her to the passenger side of the car. She noticed Iona standing at the opened driver’s side watching their every move. When he opened the door, Iona hurriedly hopped inside.

  Asher ran a thumb across Cyana’s jaw before stepping away and closing the door. They had Monday. It was enough.

  Cyana sighed, leaning back against the seat with closed lids once Iona put the car in motion.

  “Did I just see what I thought I saw?” Iona asked. “Was that white boy totally diggin’ you?”

  “Oh, Iona,” she sighed, “Asher is so intense.”

  “Ce Ce, did you and him have a good time together?” Iona raised her eyebrows.

  “Oh shush. I’m the oldest. Besides, there hasn’t been anyone since Eric. I’ve been good.”

  “But, a white boy? Not only that, but the white boy.” Iona’s voice fluctuated up an octave on “the”.

  “Girl, you talk like this never happened before, and look at you.”

  Iona flashed a glance in the rearview mirror at her bright brown skin and silken loose curl pattern she’d slicked back. She patted her bun. “Um-hum. I am beautiful,” she boasted. “At least you know what your kids will look like.”

  They both snickered.

  “And what do you mean by ‘the white boy’ anyway?” Cyana said, emphasizing “the” as Iona had and crossing her arms across her chest.

  “Girl, you have been in the Milway for how many days? Do you know the man’s name?”

  “Asher?” She shrugged. “He introduced himself as Asher, the Milway Project Manager.”

  “You were tangoing with a man and didn’t know his full name?” Iona sucked her teeth. “Mama was right. You are such a bad influence on me.”

  “Mama would never say anything of the sort, Iona.”

  Iona burst with laughter at her offense. “I’m glad you had a good time. I was so worried about you. Things could have been worse.”

  “Iona?” Cyana needed to bring her sister’s wondering focus back to the subject at hand. “You haven’t answered my question.”

  “Oh!” Iona reached into the glove box and tugged out a replica of the leaflet stuffed in the foyer vases of the Milway Mansion. “Girl, open the flyer, look to the bottom of the last page in fine print and tell me what it says.”

  Cyana rolled her eyes at her sister’s drama, but followed the instructions and started to read the small print. “Owned and operated by Asher Wilmington and partner Joshua Wilming...” Her sto
mach dropped and jaw did the same.

  Iona glanced over at her from the road. She took her hand off the wheel, reached up and shut Cyana’s mouth. “Um, like I said, the white boy.”

  “Oh my god. Iona. Oh my god. Asher is a...a.”

  “Wilmington, girl. Um-hum. Joshua is his nephew. The wedding coordinator for this party is his mother.”

  “But he never—Iona, he didn’t tell me.”

  “And you didn’t ask,” Iona said. “How did you know you could trust him?”

  “He has good vibes,” she scolded.

  Iona nodded with a smile. “Yeah. You right. Tight buns, too.”

  Cyana dropped the flyer in her lap and covered her mouth with both hands. “Oh, I’m gonna be sick.”

  “Not in my car,” Iona squealed, swerving over to the curve.

  “No, don’t stop driving. Go go go. We gotta get outta here.”

  “You need to quit freaking out about sleepin’ with a rich white boy,” Iona admonished.

  “Oh no.” Cyana banged her head against the headrest. “This isn’t happening to me. It can’t be.”

  “What is the problem, Ce Ce? The last time you acted like this about sleeping with someone you made me an aunt.”

  Her hands went to her belly. “I lapsed on my pill.”

  “What! You never lapse on the pill. Ce Ce, you’re responsible, you’re level-headed, you—”

  “Ripped my purse. They fell in the road and got run over by a car.” She muttered, placing her hands to her temples. “We didn’t use anything.”

  “Nothing?” Iona asked.

  She shook her head.

  Silence stretched in the vehicle as regret coiled through her. “Well, Ce Ce, it was only once. Maybe the pill hasn’t worn off yet.” Iona patted her thigh.

  Cyana moved her hands from her temples to cover the burn of her face and shook her head again.

  “Oh. Okay. Twice.”

  She shook her head.

  “Oh girl,” Iona sighed, “looks like you done stepped in a whole heap of doo-doo this time, Fertile Myrtle.”

  Cyana sighed as her hands entwined in her lap. “Oh, I was so irresponsible. I got caught up in the moment. In him.”

  “In those gorgeous eyes and firm biceps?” Iona shot her a lighthearted grin and batted her lashes.

  Cyana gave her sister’s thigh a light tap. “Stop picking. This is bad enough.”

  “Oh jeez, Ce Ce. You got your family. We’ll be fine. Unexpected pregnancy isn’t the end of the world. You’ve been through it before when Eric came along. I’m in it now with Josiah. Chill, girl. It’s not like it was the first time. At least we’re grown now.”

  Cyana sighed and dropped her head back. “Yeah, but...I don’t know. He’s a client, too.”

  Iona shot her a sly smile. “Was it good?”

  “Oh, Iona,” Cyana sighed and stared at the ceiling of the vehicle while clutching her fists to her chest. They both burst in laughter.

  “Well, it’s about time you blew the dust off your stuff down there. Let’s celebrate your rich fling with collard greens, fried chicken and a bottle of wine.”

  “Mm, that sounds good,” Cyana said. “We can have strawberry shortcake for desert with bourbon whip cream.”

  “Girl, ain’t white cake your favorite?”

  She tapped Iona’s thigh again and gave her a scolding glanced before they laughed.

  15

  The biggest room at Mama’s house was her kitchen. The driveway entrance led Cyana into a small room where she could leave her shoes, and then into a hall going straight there. She stripped her shoes, set her purse in the closet and wiggled her toes against the cool tiles before strolling the short hallway. The enormous kitchen opened off to the left of the house. A stove lined the back wall with white cabinets. A gas range, a grill, fryer and additional range accommodated every cook in the house. A set of double ovens and a fridge sat left of the u-shaped area.

  Memory of working in the baking kitchen bubbled joy in her. Cyana sighed, spying her favorite workplace. A smaller countertop with plug-ins separated the baking space from the eating area big enough to have a childcare zone in the left corner. This is what she considered a real kitchen, unlike the pathetic corner of her kitchen in Chicago.

  The large back windows overlooked the yard with an array of colorful kick balls and toys. A large peninsula of dark brown countertop with an inlayed sink separated the traditional kitchen space from the baking section located directly behind the double ovens. The industrial freezer, fridge and a pantry dominated the back wall of the baking room with stools lining the peninsula where Mama Huffing sat.

  Mama smiled from behind the laptop before she stood. A short gorgeous woman with a salt and pepper curly fro, apple cheeks and loving eyes. “There’s my baby.” Her dark skin still glowed with supple softness and her hug was strong. “Oo, baby girl you’re getting too skinny,” Mama said, setting her hand on an ample hip.

  “I’m fine, Mama.” Cyana smiled.

  She ran her chocolate gaze over Cyana. “I’ll never understand why you new mothers insist on starving yourselves. You’re as small as your sister.”

  “We aren’t starving. My son is twenty. I’m not a new mother anymore.”

  “Oh girl, don’t make your mama feel old,” Iona said. She entered the room and kissed Mama’s cheek.

  “Mama, how about this cake?” Cyana asked.

  “Baby girl, you’re ready to get to work?”

  “Yes, I feel behind.”

  “I knew you would.” Mama Huffing shook her head. “You’re such a work-a-holic. Don’t worry, I took care of you. Come on in here and have a seat.” Mama gestured towards her place at the counter. “The computer’s up. You can look at the project form. I’ll set up your workspace.”

  “Thank you,” Cyana said taking the seat Mama had left.

  The laptop had the food service software opened up. The wedding menu print cards ready. To her satisfaction, Dolphins crossed the top of the menu cards. She clicked the shopping list and smiled. “Mama, you’re doing a great job with the software.”

  Mama emerged from the pantry with the cart containing an industrial mixer. “Yeah, baby. Learning the program was so much easier after spending some time with you. I just wasn’t gonna let you go upstate without understanding how to get full use out of the software.”

  Cyana opened the cake file and examined the ingredients list. She plugged in the party size to make the needed changes to the data.

  Mama finished her trips from the pantry and came to the island with three Illinois football jerseys. “Who’s ready to do some cookin’ while we watch the baby?”

  Pride swelled in Cyana’s chest. Mama had installed a flat screen in the kitchen just for the purpose of watching Eric play. “Oh, Mama, you didn’t.”

  “Of course I recorded the game. None of us were able to see all of it. I thought it might be nice if we watched it together.”

  Cyana’s smile grew at the memory of Eric’s touchdowns. “I watched enough of it.”

  Mama tossed her a jersey. “Well, don’t spoil it for the rest of us.”

  It was good to be home. The Huffing kitchen soon filled with soulful smells and laughter. A trip to the grocers made the day’s end a dramatic show of Huffing family antics, exhausting the group of ladies into a good night’s rest.

  Cyana woke with a longing in her chest for Asher. The birds chirped. The sun shone through the windows reminding her of the lake. She sighed against the satin covered pillows. The day just wasn’t quite as good when she knew Asher wasn’t downstairs waiting for her. Man, I have it bad.

  She took a long breath before rolling towards the other bed on the opposite end of the room. The cute cherub she’d shared the area with sat with a plush yellow duck in his arms and a thumb in his mouth.

  “Auntie, up.” Josiah kicked his legs as he bounced on the bed excitedly.

  He was gorgeously plump with almond-shaped gray eyes ringed with brown, toasted skin
with silky honey blonde curls atop his head.

  Iona’s ex had promised the world, got her pregnant and abandoned her with his son. Thankfully, her sister didn’t suffer under the hands of an abusive lover, but abandonment was its own form of wrong. Mama was right to warn them about the men in their lives. Seemed like Mama had been the only Huffing’s female lucky enough to find her true love.

  Cyana sat up, holding out her arms. “Come here, Josiah.”

  He hopped off the bed and came to her as if he spent his whole life in her presence, but she had left the state to support Eric shortly after Josiah’s birth.

  “What do you want to do this morning?” He pointed to the bookshelf.

  “Do you want to read?” He grinned at her with his small shiny teeth. “Okay, go get what you want.”

  She stretched out on the bed. He cuddled into her belly just as she had snuggled up to Asher the day before. She brushed a wild ringlet from his face and started the story about ducks.

  Iona appeared at the doorway towards the end of the book. She smiled and waited patiently for Cyana to finish. “Josiah, did you wake your auntie?”

  He shook his head vigorously. Cyana laughed.

  “Like turning back the hands of time, ain’t it?” Iona said.

  “He’s so perfect,” Cyana said while Josiah scooted off the bed and ran to Iona with the duck dangling in his grasp.

  “Maybe you’ll have your own some day.” She winked as she took the little man’s hand and closed the door behind them.

  Cyana fell back in the bed. To be a mother again wasn’t so scary. She wasn’t a teenager like the first time. She knew what to do if the child was sick or cranky. Iona’s practice with Eric made her a crack-shot mom for Josiah. Cyana sighed wondering what having Asher’s child would be like. The thoughts only brought a deeper yearning to be with him.

  Her throat tightened suddenly with the recollection of moments like these. She’d given her heart away before, tied so much of herself into the love of another being. The pain of the mistake twisted in her gut. Time and again she’d needed Jamal and he was nowhere to be found. In hindsight, having Eric’s father in the streets with his buddies chasing skirts was better than having him at home swelling her face and squeezing her neck, declaring the baby she carried wasn’t his. The truth spoke for itself. She was a virgin before Jamal impregnated her with Eric.