Minnelli Love Stories

Challenged Thoughts

Stone doesn't immediately get up to go to the noises themselves. But instead stays in his office to finish the files at his disposal.

"Aww, look at his handsome self here!" one of the employees cooed over him. Roman is blushing in the attention. Mia bounces him in the break room with a smile.

"What's his name?" the woman inquires.

"Roman Henderson. Say hello..." she coos at him. Roman makes some noises that sounds like a hello.

"And he's smart." The woman pats his back gently.

"Okay, I have to get him settled before we're back to work." She stands and leaves the room. Greyson passes by her and looks down at the green-eyed baby. He almost spits out his drink. He instantly forgets why he went in the break room in the first place and high tails it to the conference room he and his cousins were sitting in.

"Dawg! Mia got a baby!" he announces with wide eyes. "And he got green eyes!"

"So? That's not unusual for biracial or lightskinned babies." Royce doesn't look away from his iPad. "What are we missing?"

"I guess nothing." Greyson sits down. "I just know it ain't mine...only our Bond can get pregnant by us." He sips his Gatorade.

Stone doesn't comment at all on the last statement. "I gave her permission to bring her son. She doesn't have night time care for him so..." he admits.

Nobody responds. A few minutes later, Mia, dressed in some jeans and a regular shirt, and the baby in question in a harness enter the room.

"The files y'all requested." She announces, flopping them on the table. The three who hadn't seen the child look up in shock. "Why y'all looking like that? Stone gave me permission. Say hello to the big mean CEOs, Roman."

Baby gibberish and a wide grin.

"Cute kid..." Royce comments. "Wouldn't you say, Stone?"

"Yeah, he aight." Stone is noncommittal in his tone.

"You just mad my baby looks better than you." Mia taunts him playfully.

"Shiiiddd."

"Once a hater, always a hater." She rolls her eyes as she leaves the room. The "brothers" wait until she gone down the elevator before going in a frenzy.

Royce cracks first. "It ain't my kid!"

"I got grey eyes." Everest immediately pulls himself out of the equation. "That leaves Royce, Stone, and Grey..."

"Chill...chill. Think...he's like three months old right? So that means he was born in May. When was she hired?"

"Last month or so genius. She wasn't pregnant at the interview." Grey admits.

"She had a stomach. I remember cuz I said she had an ass in the front and the back." Royce shrugs his shoulders. "I would remember her..."

"I guess we could maybe, I don't know, ask some questions!" Stone is over the hysteria. "There are plenty people running around with colored eyes..." The rest of them calm down.

Around eight pm, Mia and baby Roman are sitting in the meeting before free agency in the back. She is feeding him while recording the minutes to write down later.

Greyson is staring at the baby with intensity. Trying to find similarities in one of them. But himself specifically.

She releases the bottle from his mouth, and he sneezes. Just like Stone. His nose twitches...just like Stone.

Once he's burped, baby Roman yawns and blinks his eyes three times like his father, just seconds after him too.

Stone took the podium and started to speak. Grey noticed that the baby had stopped playing and listened with intensity. Then he started making gibberish noises and moving his legs. Like he was trying to get down.

"Stop making all that noise, Rome." Mia whispers but the baby is ignoring her. Moving his legs with more energy. Got to get to the man on stage!

Mia sighs and stands with the baby. She turns to leave and Roman starts crying, reaching for Stone.

Greyson is sold.

The meeting adjourns shortly after. Roman is screaming down the hall. His little heart is broken. How dare she take him away from the man!

"That baby is yours nigga!" Greyson grits his teeth as they talk in private. Stone looks at him like he's crazy. "He is JUST like you!"

"Impossible. I didn't fuck that girl..." Stone balks at the thought. Greyson grits his teeth harder. Clearly disappointed. Stone walks away. Baby Roman is still crying.

"Could you hold him so I could get the playpin together? I just need to add some more blankets." She thrusts the baby in Stone's arms. "It won't take five minutes." Mia is on the verge of tears.

An intense pull washed over Stone immediately. Roman stops crying and just releases a whimper. His eyes droop, he's exhausted. Stone sits in the chair with the baby. His heart doing all flips and dips as he stared in the baby's green eyes. A spitting image of his own.

"I am so sorry! He's usually so well mannered. I don't know what came over him. Ya know, being a single mom and all. It's hard...being twenty-five and away from home. I just-" she realizes her baby is quiet. Mia is suspicious as she takes in the scene.

Stone is holding the baby and rocking him. Roman held his thumb tightly, and Stone wouldn't dare let go. Not right now anyway.

"Where's his father, Mia?" he hands her the child. He takes in her infinity tattoo on her wrist. I feel like I've seen that before, Stone thinks.

Her eyes shift. "I can tell you right?"

"I'm all ears."

"I don't know." Her eyes are downcast. "I don't know...I just know I was pregnant. I don't-" a sob she'd been pushing down rose up unexpectedly.

"What do you know?" Stone's heart is going crazy. Could that be my son? He thinks. I know the Bond rules but...I'm not attracted to her.

"I know I didn't have time to get in my feelings over it. I had a son to raise and I didn't want to saddle myself with my ex. I spent hours in labor. Majority of that time was spent at 9 centimeters. I know I must provide for my son. That's what I know." She places him in the playpin and settles herself on the air mattress. Mia yawns.

"Don't worry, I just need about an hour and I'll be back."

Stone is silent. "Nah, I got it. Go to sleep."

His feet wouldn't leave the chair in the room. His mind kept saying it's time to go. But he couldn't, wouldn't.

"Believe me now?" Grey couldn't resist. Stone doesn't respond.

The next morning, Mia is moving around in the women's bathroom.

Roman has his worst night ever. Stone held him back to sleep while she slept on the air mattress. Mia also doesn't know that Stone held the baby all night while he finished his work. He's just finished placing the child in the playpin.

She is coming out of the bathroom when Stone is coming up the hall. "Morning." She tries to smile.

"I was thinking...maybe you should take some time off." He offers.

"That's not policy." She balks. "You said it yourself, you needed me here so I'm confused."

"I can handle myself just fine! Take the week off and come back refreshed. I'm donating my vacation time to you."

"What I gotta do to pay you back?" She squints her eyes suspiciously. Her watch buzzes. Roman is awake. She starts walking down the hall.

"Just answer my calls when I need you."

The demand hangs in the air. Her stomach flips. She could feel his energy. "I'll keep that in mind." Mia opens the door. "Good morning mommy's baby!"

Roman opens his hands for Stone instead. "No no, Mr. Minnelli is a very busy man. And you need to be cleaned up." She kisses his cheek. Stone felt that feeling get more and more intense as he stared at the child. "Is there something else we need to discuss?"

"Nah, security will help you move the furniture out." Stone steps back to leave. He takes one last look at the baby before shaking his head.