Shoving it in his pocket he began to look back at the car, then the empty side walk, before he heard laughing inside and turned to see his son sitting on the counter with his feet swinging talking to what seemed to be a barista.
He even overheard him tell the young lady. "My momma let me eat those."
Which is a complete lie- his mother don't even fuck with him for real.
Zac let out a relief breath before walking over to his son. "You almost gave me a heart attack boy. What happened to the rules? You stay with me at all times especially during the holidays...these folks is crazy." He stated before his eyes peeped the young lady. "Oh sorry but still."
She giggled before shaking her head. "No worries. I was just keeping him company hoping sooner or later his parents came and got him. Never did I think his father was holding the door open for ghost to enter though." She slightly joked.
"Ha ha ha. You so funny." He sarcastically laughed. "But thank you for looking over him. Now what had your attention that you forgot about me?"
"The lady was decorating Christmas Cookies and I wanted to do some." He whined with his lip out.
Zac looked at his watch realizing he was very low on time. "We can pick up a set from Walmart but daddy really has to get going. So how about you tell the nice lady what cookie you want and then we can go from there...hmm?"
"How many can I get?"
"2"
"5!"
"You really want grandma to bust me huh? If I send you to her house with 5 cookies...you really would never see me again." He stated. "Point to the two cookies you want and let's roll."
After another 7 minutes of Junior choosing two cookies, they were finally ready to roll. Zac was a very patient guy but the bakery only had two kinds of cookies, either vanilla icing or chocolate and he never knew it would take his son 7 mins to decide.
"Thanks...Fatima." He stated reading off her name tag.
She gave him a toothless smile before heading to the back. Zac shoved the receipt in his pocket no longer caring for it before they headed to grandma house.
Zac used the key to unlock his mother's house before going inside, smelling the freshly lit holiday candle sent him haywire.
"Is that my sweet grandbaby I hear?" Momma Taylor yelled as she made her way to the kitchen, Junior was watching Monster University for the 12th time this week, Zac was over it but he didn't care as long as he was quiet. Zac felt like he could play any character and recite the words for all of them as much as Junior watches it.
"Damn your son huh?" Zac said jealous.
"And you too old for that lip to be out like that." Momma Taylor said pulling them both into a hug. "Go find grandpa honey, I gotta talk to your father."
She waited for Junior to run off in his adorable monster inc crocs before giving Zac a love tap. "Ow." He said comforting his head.
"You must've lost your mind hanging up on me yesterday."
"Ma..." He sighed. "It was too much going on and you weren't helping me."
"No. I was helping you but you don't like the truth. You know imma serve it to you straight. I have never liked that Hazel chick, only respected and tolerated her out of respect for you and my grandbaby. What kinda mother leaves their son for almost a month and a half to go chase her dreams across the country AND she hasn't spoken to her son in 2 days?"
"I know momma."
"You know nothing because you are allowing and enabling it."
"You know it's complicated though."
"Well uncomplicate it then. Simple. She is out there partying, hooting, and hollering like a college girl gone wild. I am all for women chasing their dreams and proving to old white men they can work and take care of kids, but she is not doing both and that is an issue. It is the holidays and Junior needs all the love and attention he can get. So yes you are enabling it because you haven't called her out on it."
"Yes I have!" Zac defended.
"Raise your voice again and I will be the Grinch that stole Christmas from your ass...now listen. She has been nothing but trouble since you first met this girl and she is continuing that same pattern. You are on your final year of your contract, Zachary. Your team is on a 3 game losing streak and you are the QB, which means the Falcons will look to replace you. You too busy chasing after that hot in the ass little girl of yours when you need to focus on what you can control."
"Which is your job and your son. When that girl get back in Atlanta, whenever that is, she will have to answer to you and God. Stop forcing her to be a mother when she has shown on multiple occasions she doesn't deserve that title."
"I hear you mom."
"You hear me but do you understand me?" She asked lifting his chin up with her finger.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good. I already packed your plate up and enjoy practice." She hugged and kissed him goodbye.
-
Back at the bakery, Fatima had just finished up her charity work with the bakery, she saw on an online ad they needed someone to cover a shift and she loved the holidays so she volunteered.
This was Fatima's second year spending the holidays alone, her family and didn't like Ian so which prompted a swift decision from him to just move them to a different state and not have to deal with it. Just as she was heading out she got a phone call from her long time boyfriend, almost 3 years to be exact.
"Where are you at?" He asked once the phone clicked.
"Just got off of work."
"You wanna try that answer again?" He asked with some bass in your voice. "You told me you didn't have work so where are you at and who are you with?"
"I saw an ad in the newspaper for a shift at the bakery, figured I could help them."
"Did you ask me though?"
"You were sleep and it was in the moment kind of thing, my apologies." She said sincerely.
"Save it. You know the deal when you get home."
"Babe...please don't start with this. I didn't think you would mind the extra money, that we desperately need."
"Heard what I said. What are you getting for dinner?"
" I actually was thinking about cooking. Maybe ham, fried cabbage, and mac and cheese?" She asked.
"Nah I don't have a taste for that...how about McDonalds." He asked.
She sighed before unlocking her doors. "Babe we had CFA yesterday and Chipotle before that and then Wing Stop before that. I don't wanna go into the new year with a big back...only a big ass." She joked.
"How you judging about what I am craving?"
"Not judging about your cravings just concerned about your fast food intake...if I didn't know any better I would think you were pregnant." She snickered and he smacked his lips.
"And what happened with you doing charity work with me? I could've sworn we decided this month we were giving back to the kids that didn't have anything." She asked as she made a quick stop at Walmart for cabbage. She would ask her boyfriend, Ian, but last time he came home with lettuce so she rather save herself the stress and time.
"Babe them kids ain't have shit all year long...another month ain't gon kill him." She tried to hold her laugh at how insensitive he sounded but his reaction caught her off guard.
"That don't matter. We have it so we should give it. Simple."
Fatima finally made it home bringing in the groceries by herself in the cold night as she watched her boyfriend in the living playing on his PS5 something he has done since she gifted it to him almost three months ago.
Their relationship wasn't the best but it was manageable. She actually met him in court where he was supporting his brother in a different court room but they ran into each at the coffee shop during their recess.
Once Fatima got situated in the kitchen, she rolled her eyes at the dishes that she asked him to clean before she left since she woke up a little early to make him breakfast. She made her way into the pantry area to grab a plastic bag for the left over ham, since she was only feeding two people, and that is where she also saw the laundry that he was supposed to do.
Once she returned from the pantry she was blindside with a smack to the face from Ian which had completely surprised her as she dropped down covering her face.
"Let me tell you something." He said kneeling down in front of her, grabbing her hair ever so painfully. "I am in charge. What I say goes, therefore you run shit by me. This outfit was not approved by me either. Laundry wasn't done, dishes wasn't done either...meanwhile you picking up work shifts as if I said you could do that.
She held her hands out in self defense trembling. "I-I'm sorry."
"Go upstairs."
"W-what about dinner?" She asked lowly, scared at his reaction.
"Fatima." He stated as his hands tightened around her hair. "What did I say? Hmmm?"
"To go upstairs." She said frightened.
"Exactly. So why would I care about some damn dinner right now? Hmmm? Now go!" He yelled and she quickly got up and ran upstairs.
Ian fixed his shirt before following her upstairs. Fatima's heart pounding as she took each step as she headed to the bedroom. Ian stood behind her with his hands wrapped around her neck, gently but firm. "Strip." Was all he stated in her ear.
"Honey I don't-
"Aht aht..." He shushed her. "I didn't ask you what you wanted...I told you to strip. Don't you wanna make daddy happy? Hmmm?"
"Y-yeah."
"Good girl. Strip down to your pantie set."
Ian removed his hands from her neck as he watched her every movement. From the smock she had on from the bakery, to the sweater, to the pants, to the undershirt, and all the way down until she had on a VS matching holiday set.
Ian followed up by taking his shorts off and walking over to the ottoman in their bedroom. He pointed to the floor in between his legs, Fatima walked up to the spot. Ian pushed her down onto her knees before shoving dick down her throat. This was her punishment in accordance to him. Sex. Rather she was in the mood or not.
"Fuckkkk." He moaned out as he felt the tip of his dick hitting the back of her throat. "Good girl."
He stood up as he continued to fuck her face in, as saliva continued to mount in her mouth as it crept from the sides and onto the carpet. "If you throw up on my shit...I'm fucking you up."
Once he nutted down her throat and made her swallow it, he grabbed her by her hair and tossed her on the bed. He positioned himself at her entrance. "I don't know why you insist on making me the bad guy...you have everything you need and you still can't act right. You saying we desperately need money as if I don't provide for my family...now you saying I'm not a man in my own household?"
Fatima just looked at him nodding away although she didn't agree with anything he was talking about, she was too scared to rebel against him.
"Why did you put the outfit on?" He asked as he pushed his dick inside of her. "I- I thought it was cute."
"But I didn't approve of it."
"I-I know."
"So you disobeyed me?" He asked as he began fucking the shit out of her, or so he thought. It was the same boring sex as always. One position and one minute. No creativity or spice for the sex. Only reason she was afraid was due to the physical violence he inflicts and how rough he can be inside of her- possibly ruining her insides.
"Fuckkkk." Ian groaned as he felt the tension at the tip of his dick. "You know the rules and yet you still did what you wanted too do anyways. Tell me the rules Fatima."
"No working. No talking back. No leaving the house without asking. No male friends. You choose my clothes and hairstyle."
"But yet...you disobeyed all of them but one? Hmmm..." He grunted in her ear as he felt his release.
She began to fake an orgasm because in the past he would beat her to a pulp if she didn't. He believed if she wasn't satisfied, it would emasculate him. He served as the dominant traditional alpha male where he believed it was his way or the highway.
Once he finished inside of her, he flopped down next to her to catch his breath. "Can I shower?" She asked.
"Yes."
She went into the bathroom, locking the door, and turning the water on. She finished herself off with the rose, like she has for the past several years.
Once she got her nut and she finished showering and popped a Plan B that she hid in the cabinet behind her hair stuff before she silently went back into the bed.
She got in the bed with her back faced towards him as she tried to be as quiet as possible so that she didn't upset him. When he was nice- he was really nice, almost the man she fell in love with. But when his temper shows...it's the worst and she can't escape it.
"I'm sorry baby...I just want you to listen to me." Ian said as he wrapped his arms around her in the bed.
"I just want you to love me....properly..." She muffled as tears ran down her face.
"I do. I just have a different kind of love."
12/21