Fair Play

by Mia Ford

  "Don't worry, I'm sure my mom will love you," I told him, but I was trying to convince myself. My mom was an older woman and with this being said, she wasn’t that much older than Marquise. I would be graduating soon and I wanted both of them to be there supporting me so I needed this visit to go as well as it could.

  As the time approached for my mom to arrive, butterflies filled my stomach and I just couldn't relax. Marquise and I tried to act normally but there was an air of apprehension hovering right above us. Marquise had made a homecooked meal to celebrate my mom’s arrival that had taken him all day to prepare. When she called to tell me that she was outside, my heart skipped a beat. I felt conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I had missed my mom and it had been difficult going through all this drama without being able to talk to her about any of it. On the other hand, I was afraid that she wouldn't approve of me and Marquise's relationship. I valued my mom’s opinion highly and it would be devastating if she told me that she didn't feel that Marquise was right for me.

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as I ran down the stairs to get her. When I opened the door and saw her for the first time in months, a grin spread across my face and my eyes filled with joy.

  "There's my pretty girl!" She greeted me with a grin just as big, her arms outstretched to embrace me. She hugged me long and tight. It felt good to be in my mom’s arms. I almost felt like a little girl again. I was a spitting image of my mom, just a younger version. I got my blonde hair and clear blue eyes from her, as well as my smile. My mom looked really good. She worked out and was really fit, so if she wanted to, she could probably beat Marquise up. She held me at arm’s length to get a good look at me, and then she noticed my promise ring. She pulled it up close to her face, staring at it.

  "This is real!" She exclaimed. I blushed and smiled sheepishly.

  "Yea," I said simply. She turned her intense stare on me.

  "Who gave you this?" She asked me.

  "My boyfriend," I answered. Her eyes widened and her brows rose.

  "Boyfriend? You have a boyfriend and you didn't tell me? A boyfriend who can afford diamond rings at that! We have a lot of catching up to do! Where's your apartment?" She asked looking around.

  "On the second floor," I told her as I led her upstairs. My stomach was doing flips as we approached my door. When I opened it, we were immediately confronted by the delicious aroma of dinner.

  "Mmmm, it smells good in here," my mom said sounding pleasantly surprised as we walked in and I closed the door behind us. "Did you cook?" She asked me. Before I could answer, Marquise came walking out of the kitchen, removing an oven mitten from his hand.

  "No, I did. I'm Marquise," he said with a smile as he held out his hand to my mom. My mom looked caught off guard as she stared at Marquise and shook his hand.

  "Hello Marquise, I'm Monica, Dahlia's mom," she said politely. I had a smile plastered to my face as I watched helplessly from the side. "So, what did you cook?" She asked.

  "Come find out, dinner is ready and will be served in the kitchen," Marquise announced as he turned around and walked back into the kitchen. My eyes were on my mother but she paid me no mind as she stood up and followed Marquise into the kitchen with me following her. My mom sat down at the table but I hesitated.

  "I'll set the table," I said.

  "No no no. Sit. This is my jurisdiction," Marquise said. I sat down beside my mom. I couldn't read her. I had no idea what she was thinking and that scared me. Marquise set the table and placed the food in the center. There was a carved turkey, baked macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. "Dig in!" Marquise declared. My mom began helping herself, then I made my plate and finally Marquise fixed himself a plate of food. For some reason, Marquise and I were waiting for my mom to eat before we started eating. She stabbed a piece of turkey, brought it to her lips, opened her mouth and closed it around the fork. She removed the fork and we watched her chew.

  When she finished chewing, she swallowed and finally spoke.

  "This is delicious!" She said. "I'm impressed! How did you make the turkey? I've never tasted a turkey this juicy!" Marquise looked pleased with himself.

  "Thank you, thank you! I cooked it in a crock pot for twelve hours," he told her. At this, my mom looked genuinely impressed.

  "And what was the occasion?" She asked.

  "Your arrival of course!" He exclaimed. My mom laughed. I was grinning from ear to ear. We were off to a great start. Marquise's dinner was a success. But if I knew my mother, and I did, this was just the beginning. My mom was not easily distracted or impressed and I was sure there would be an interrogation. My mom took another bite of her food. Then washed it down with a glass of white wine.

  "So, Marquise, what is your relationship to my daughter?" She asked. And it began.

  "I'm her boyfriend," he answered. My mom watched him over her wine glass as she took another sip,

  "You're a little old to be a BOYfriend, don't you think? And how old are you?" She asked. My face went hot as I blushed. My mom didn't hold any punches.

  "I'm thirty-five," he answered. My moms eyes widened.

  "Thirty-five. So, you're thirteen years older than my daughter. And what are your intentions?" She asked.

  "I intend to marry her."

  "Did you give her this ring?" She asked motioning at my hand.

  "Yes."

  "So why not an engagement ring instead if you intend to marry her?" She asked. I felt like I was watching a tennis match, I kept looking back and forth from Marquise to my mother.

  "I didn't want to propose to your daughter before meeting you. Especially since I am sure that she would like you to be there for such an important moment," Marquise answered. I felt like he was handling himself quite well in front of my mother.

  "Do you have kids? Have you ever been married before?"

  "I do not have kids and I am divorced." My mom nodded and took another bite of her food. Marquise and I did the same.

  "Well, I'm sure that Dahlia has already told you that her father is no longer with us. Dahlia is all I have and I am very protective of her. I need to be sure that she is in good hands at all times. Are you living here?" She asked.

  "Yes I am."

  "Do you work? What do you do?"

  "Yes, I am a professor here at the university."

  "Ah," my mom smiled and nodded. "So, that's how you two met! Do you usually date your students?"

  "No, this was the first time," he assured her. There was an awkward silence. I stole a glance at my mom. She was finishing up the last of her food. When Marquise clapped his hands together, it made me jump.

  "So, who's ready for dessert?" He asked enthusiastically. My mom looked up in surprise. I guess she hadn't been expecting dessert.

  "Did you make it?" She asked him.

  "Yes, I did," he answered as he cleared the table. He served us each a plate of sweet potato pie with whip cream. "The whip cream is also homemade." He sat back down. Again, we waited for my mom too take the first bite. When she began chewing she closed her eyes and moaned.

  "This is delicious! Where'd you learn how to cook like this?" She asked.

  "I was also raised in a single parent household and my mom taught me everything she knew," he said.

  "So, mom, are you spending the night?" I asked her. This was the first time I'd spoken since we sat down. She shook her head and finished chewing.

  "No, I was. But now that I've met Marquise, I feel reassured that you are well taken care of," she said with a smile. I was so relieved that I started crying. The tone was much lighter after dinner. Our belly’s were full and our spirits were high. I was feeling good about my mom’s visit when I walked her to her car.

  "So, what do you think of Marquise?" I asked her once we were alone.

  "I like him. He's a little old, but your father was fifteen years older than me when we got married," she said with a smile. I smiled back.

  "I'm glad because he loves me mom and I love him," I told her.
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br />   "Well he better because I love you and if he hurts you, I'll kill him." We laughed, hugged and kissed goodbye and then my mom watched me go inside before driving off. When I got inside, Marquise was washing the dishes. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back.

  "Thank you," I murmured.

  Graduation

  I was finally graduating! It had been a long four years and a lot had happened but now I was at the conclusion and it felt so damn good! When I got my diploma, my mom and Marquise were there cheering me on and taking pictures. Afterward, Marquise treated us to dinner at an upscale restaurant on the pier. I was wearing a beautiful gold dress that hugged my curves and my hair was curled into spirals. As graduation presents, my mom had got me a new car and Marquise had got me a puppy named Delilah. I couldn't have been happier. After dinner, the four of us, Marquise, my mom, Delilah and I, went for a walk along the pier. The night sky was clear and the stars winked down at us. We walked along happily looking at the water. Marquise held my hand while my mom walked Delilah. We let them walk ahead of us a bit so that we could have a moment to ourselves.

  "I am so proud of you Dahlia. You deserve all of this and then some," Marquise said, holding my hands in his. "A while ago, I made you a promise and I've been waiting for the right moment to fulfill that promise. So, I figured, what better time than the present? Your mom’s here, this band is here," he said and out of nowhere, a small band started making music behind us. It caught me off guard and made me laugh. My mom was standing near the band, holding Delilah and smiling at us. "I know that we haven't known each other that long and in the short time that we have been together, it's been a rollercoaster, but you make me feel alive! Your love sets me free and I want to grow older with you," we all laughed at that. "I want to be there when you accomplish all of your goals and when you become the woman that you envision yourself being. I want to make you my wife, build a home with you and fill it with kids that look like you. I want to be your last." Marquise dropped down on one knee and my jaw dropped. I had to remind myself to keep breathing. Marquise held my left hand as he reached inside his suit jacket with his other hand. Out came a little black ring box. Involuntarily, tears filled my eyes. I had to blink them back to keep them from ruining my makeup.

  Marquise opened the box revealing a diamond ring that looked like a twinkling star in the moonlight. There were diamonds arranged like a rose with diamond petals. Around the platinum band were smaller diamonds. Marquise removed the ring from its box. He held my left hand as he slid the ring onto my ring finger. The diamonds sparkled in the light.

  "Dahlia Winters," he began. "Will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

  I nodded causing the tears to sprinkle out my eyes.

  "Yes..yes!" I said as cameras flashed. There was a photographer too! The band started playing another song as Marquise and I kissed and embraced. A part of our journey had recently ended but we were ready to embark on the next chapter together, for better or for worse. Till death do us part.

  THE BILLIONAIRE’S NANNY BOOK 1

  THE BILLIONAIRE’S NANNY (BOOK 1)

  Blurb

  Veronica Lawrence is a simple babysitter, who is content with her life with her boyfriend, Calvin. She has everything she could ever dream of and more- or so she thought. Without her knowledge Calvin sets her up with an interview for a job with the richest lawyer in the city, Frank Davenport, who Veronica discovers is incredibly attractive and alluring, almost to the point of distraction. She surprises both Calvin and herself by actually landing the job. There is a catch, though. If she wants to take the job, she must agree to move onto his large estate.

  While Calvin is reluctant, Veronica decides to take the job, and she finds herself surrounded by opulence and riches. Little did she know, though, that her employer would be quite so impossible to resist.

  Ch. 1

  Veronica heaved a sigh, readjusting the strap of her purse as she walked down the sidewalk. She had just finished up a babysitting job for one of the neighbors in her community. She had started doing as a quick way to make money in high school, and she had loved it so much then that she decided that was what she wanted to do for a living. Even as she earned her business degree, she had used babysitting as a way to get her through school.

  Even after she graduated, she had very little interest in picking up a job in the realm of business. Now that she was no longer in school, she had more time to devote to taking care of kids. In fact, in a way, that was sort of like a business in and of itself, and she ran it very efficiently. It didn’t bring in as much money as it could have, because often times the people she babysat for couldn’t pay as much as they had originally thought.

  While Veronica, too, needed the money, she couldn’t bring herself to demand money from people when she could clearly see they were just trying to get by and support their children. Veronica cut a lot people slack, and as a result she often had to live a lean life, but she didn’t mind it.

  That is, until she met her boyfriend, Calvin.

  Calvin was a young social climber, fresh out of law school. He frequented the same coffee shop that Veronica went to, and had taken a liking to her. Veronica had been interested in him as well, on account of his ambition and the fact that he was more than a little attractive. She could hardly resist flirting when he approached to talk with her one afternoon.

  It didn’t take long for them to start dating, and for a while Veronica was fairly happy with their relationship. They made plans for their future together, and Veronica could easily picture herself spending the rest of her life at his side, maybe even having some kids and buying a house. It only seemed natural when Calvin suggested that they get an apartment together and start making a life with each other.

  Veronica’s parents couldn’t; have been more thrilled for her. They loved Calvin, as he was a respectable young man who was steadily moving up in his career, and they knew he would provide stability in Veronica’s life. Veronica was glad they were both so supportive of her relationship with him, and she was eager to see where the future would take them.

  At some point though, after they had spent about a year and a half together in, Calvin began to voice his true opinions about her line of work. Even now, as she headed home to their apartment, she felt a tension creep into her shoulders as she wondered what he would say when she told him she was short on money again.

  Calvin had a good job at a law firm, so money wasn’t an issue for him. Even so, she could tell it bothered him that she didn’t have what he considered a “real job”. He often tried to pressure her into looking for a job somewhere at an office, or at least to collect the correct amount of money for her services.

  Veronica could only prepare her usual list of responses and pick the most appropriate one for whatever argument he chose to employ.

  Veronica finally made it to their apartment building, and she rode the elevator up to her floor. She then made her way to the door of her apartment and unlocked it. She stepped inside silently, looking around and carefully listening to see if Calvin was home.

  Veronica didn’t see or hear anything, so she heaved a small sigh of relief, turning to shut the door behind her. She placed her small bag on the hall tree just beside the door, and moved into the kitchen, taking a glass from out of the cabinet and filling it up with water from the sink.

  Calvin hated when she did this, as he said the water from the fridge was more filtered. Veronica had been drinking water from the time she could even drink water at all, and it was a force of habit that compelled her to do so even in adulthood. She sipped at it slowly, letting it refresh her.

  When she had consumed all the liquid, she washed the glass and put it back in the cabinet. Another thing that Calvin hated was leaving unwashed dishes in the sink, so she didn’t want to give him any more of an excuse to be irritated when he got home.

  With that done, Veronica decided to go ahead and start dinner. She knew Calvin would be wanting to eat
at around seven, and she knew it would take a couple of hours to get it all ready. So, Veronica changed into a set of comfortable yoga pants and a tank top and began the process of making their dinner.

  As she expected, Calvin came home around six. The door unlocked, and Veronica looked up as he stepped through the frame and shut the door behind him, offering him a smile.

  “Hey,” Calvin greeted her, moving over to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Hey,” she replied as he set his things down by the hall tree. “How was your day?”

  “Pretty good,” he answered. “Same story different day, as usual.”

  Veronica nodded, looking down into the food she was cooking.

  “What about you?” Calvin asked, moving to lean against the counter beside the stove and cross his arms over his chest.

  “It was good,” she answered simply.

  “Who were the kids today?” he asked, and Veronica tensed, knowing that he was setting her up for another set of inquiries.