To Have and To Hold

Chapter Two - To Hold

Nicole's POV

"Nikki the boi put it dung good last night, naw lie"

Andrea is sitting across from me on the other side of my desk, going on about her latest young conquest. For a 45-year-old woman with an adult child, she loves young boys bad.

"Andrea, try tek time talk before Mr Anderson hear yuh," I say, giggling as she recounts her experience from last night.

"Oh please Nikki, yuh know your boss out a back a smoke," She rolls her eyes and continues. "That man spends most of his day smoking, I don't know where he finds time to run his business."

We work at A&A Shipping, one of Jamaica's biggest shipping companies even though my boss spends most of his day on the back balcony smoking. He sits in his office for only a few hours to take calls from associates and then he's on the road for the remainder of the day. I am his secretary but I am more like a switchboard operator. Andrea is a Customs Broker Mr Anderson works with and one of my oldest friends.

"Anyways, Tariq not taking no for an answer so I'm trying to avoid him," her phone vibrates and she looks at it and says, "speaking of the devil."

"You say you want to end the relationship but you're still having sex with him. You're sending mixed signals."

She looks up from the phone then sucks her teeth. "He's the problem. I told him he needs to give me back my house key so he pretends to be dropping it off then start with his foolishness. See him text mi an ask if him a see mi later."

"Tariq clearly doesn't think it's over," I said laughing.

"Is not what he thinks. He and his baby mother naw lef, and I am not going to be any third wheel. Mi too old for the matey role," She rolls her eyes then gets up from the chair to walk to the window.

Andrea was having great sex but with way too much drama. I had a drama-free relationship but not the best sex. I guess you can't have everything. I would rather stay with bad sex than have my partner's baby mama attack me outside my workplace, which is exactly what happened to Andrea two weeks ago.

"He wants to see me tonight," she says while looking at her phone anxiously.

"Just tell him no," I don't think that is rocket science.

"You don't know Tariq, Nikki, he will come to my house if I just say no," she pauses for a moment then continues, "unless I already have plans with a good friend."

I start shaking my head, "no."

"Please nuh Nikki, please, I'm begging," she looks at me with her puss eyes and makes a babyface. I roll my eyes, the nerve of this woman.

Deno's POV
I guess I'll be cooking dinner tonight. Nicole just messaged to say she's going out for dinner with Andrea. This can never be good, for a big woman, Andrea is a source of drama. She's one of Nicole's few friends and is more like the big sister Nicole never had. But while Nicole is the smaller of the two she is the more mature.

"Boys, go inside and change your school uniform," I say as I look at our two boys in the rearview mirror, "Nicholas, help David with his homework and when you're done, I'll help you with yours."

"Yes, daddy."

He responds with his head still in the tablet and makes no move to do as told.

"Nicholas," I say more sternly, "don't make me repeat myself."

He picks up the tone and closes the tablet immediately. He opens the door and jumps from the car, he then holds the door open for David to follow. I hand him the house key and watch him lead his brother to the front of the house, open the door and disappear inside. Nicholas is ten and David just six, they are good kids but now and then I have to put on some extra bass in the voice to get their attention.