Let's all admire Adonis some more. He's my screensaver and I just want y'all to see what I see daily. Ok enjoy!
Excuse any mistakes
Washington, DC
Same night, 7:32 p.m.
Adrian was staring at Adonis while sitting in Ascaria's lap. He invited Ascaria to his hotel room and hadn't expected her to bring him. Adonis couldn't help, but to stare back at his son. He looked just like him. Same skin color. Same hair texture. Same eye color.
I'm really someone's father.
He looked from Adrian to Ascaria, who wore a solemn expression. It looked like she was finally breathing around him, maybe because her secret was finally out. She had better ways of telling him, but she was glad it was over.
Still, she felt like shit, keeping her son away from his father. Ideas sound good in your head until shit hits the fan. After confessing to her parents when Adonis found out, they both expressed how disappointed they were in her.
They also told her that she needs to let Adrian meet Adonis, if she wanted to repair whatever relationship they had left.
Adjusting Adrian in her lap, Ascaria sighed and looked at Adonis. Her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears from falling. "I'm sorry, Don." She quickly wiped the tears off her cheeks, looking away.
Adonis hadn't expected her to apologize so quickly. She must have really felt bad because she was too spoiled and stubborn to acknowledge her faults. But, this looked sincere.
Adrian looked back at his mom, scrunching his eyebrows up. "Ma, why are you crying?" When she didn't answer him, he looked back at Adonis. "Who you?"
Adonis realized that Adrian was protective over his mom, just like he was. Glancing at Ascaria, she nodded her head. "He's yours. You have a right to."
He turned his attention back to Adrian who was still waiting on an explanation. Adonis was nervous, to say the least. He wasn't sure how Adrian would take it or would he accept it. Would he wonder why he was out of his life for so long? Would he hate Ascaria if he knew the truth?
Sitting up all the way, Adonis sighed and extended his hand to Adrian. "I'm Adonis."
Adrian didn't move to shake it or anything. "He's your father, sweetie." Ascaria said while rubbing his head.
He looked at Ascaria before looking back at Adonis. Moving out of Ascaria's lap, he walked towards Adonis and wrapped his arm around his neck.
Shocked by the move, Adonis looked at Ascaria. She didn't seem too shock by it. Adonis returned the gesture, securing his arms around the boy's body. "I'm Adrian." Adrian whispered.
The father and son shared a moment before Adonis pulled away slightly. "I won't miss another six years, ok?"
Adrian nodded his head. "Okay." He stepped back, and went to sit back in Ascaria's lap. She kissed his temple whispering something in his ear which made him giggle.
"Let me talk to your father." She said. Adrian nodded again, getting his Ninja Turtles out of her bag and going into the bedroom.
Ascaria's small smile faded as she looked back at Adonis. He sighed heavily, running his hand down his face. "Thanks."
Fiddling with the ring on her finger, she bit her bottom lip. "I should have done it sooner." She looked up at him. "You hate me, huh?"
Adonis scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head. "Honestly, no. I want to, but I don't have it in me."
"When you said that, all my common sense went out of the window." She reminisced. "I mean you said that you would want me to get rid of it. Yes, it was hypothetical and I shouldn't have made a decision off of it. But, I didn't want to hear you say it when the situation was real."
"I get it, but if I did then that would have just been on me. I would have made the decision to not be in his life. You didn't give me a chance."
Ascaria shook her head. "So, you really would have considered telling me to get rid of it?"
Adonis shrugged his shoulder. "Maybe. You were established. I wasn't. But, I still wanted to be with you. I probably would have married you even sooner if I knew you were pregnant."
"I wasn't established, Don. I wasn't going to live off my parents' money forever. I had goals and aspirations for myself, too."
"I.." Adonis hesitated, and sighed softly. "I probably would have told you to get rid of it. Is that what you want to hear?"
"No!" She yelled causing him to jump slightly. "I wanted to hear that I was wrong. That you would have told me that you wanted it regardless. That you we were going to be just fine. That you would have married me and we would have had more babies."
Adonis looked at her as the tears cascaded down her soft, brown cheeks. "I'm sorry, Aria. For that and for what I said yesterday."
"I never cheated on you." She looked at him. "Cheating never crossed my mind. Other men?" She shook her head. "They didn't compare."
"I know." Adonis nodded. "I was the fuck up. I was the one embarrassing you."
"Like I said, I was willing to look past all that and give us a clean slate. I figured that when you found out that we were going to be parents, it was going to be okay." She smiled slightly. "Even though I still should have told you, I knew that you weren't ready."
"I'm ready now." He said confidently. "I mean we can sit up here and talk about the past, but that's the past. We have another chance to make it right. I'm ready to be a father."
Ascaria was still unsure. "You're at your clubs often and you are with different women every night. Drinking, partying, sex.. that lifestyle isn't conducive to children."
Adonis rubbed his shoulder, knowing that she was right. He couldn't have different women around his son and he definitely couldn't go out as often as he is used to. "I know I gotta give up that, but I'm willing."
"Adrian is my world, Don. The center of my universe. We both know that I was a spoiled brat, but Adrian changed my life. I have no doubts that he will do the same for you. At least, I hope so." She looked at him.
This would prove to be Adonis's biggest test yet. Adrian seemed like a good kid and he didn't want to miss anymore time with him. But, he was used to being free. Truth be told, he was afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't be the parent Adrian needed.
"Are you still in love me?" Adonis asked, clearing his throat.
Ascaria looked away, shaking her head slightly. "Don, I think we should just focus on Adrian." She looked back at him. "Focus on co-parenting."
"Just answer the question. Please?"
She eyed him for a while before answering the question. "Yes." She responded. "I'm still in love with you, Don. It was the reason why I never moved on."
Adonis got up from his seat and walked over to sit beside her. "Same." He reached to wipe the tear that fell from her eye.
Ascaria sniffled, glancing back up at him. "All those women an—"
"Just sex, Aria. Really didn't mean shit to me." He spoke honestly. "I never thought about marrying them or anything. I just wanted you and that's it."
"That's why you came yesterday? To tell me that you wanted to get back together?"
Adonis nodded his head. "Yea. You didn't call me. I thought you had someone else or something. I really don't wanna go another six years without you either." Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and interlocked their fingers. "I know you wanted this six years ago. We both made some mistakes. We both wrong, but I'm willing to look past all that."
Turning her body fully to him, Ascaria scanned his eyes to see how sincere he was. To see if there was any sort of hesitation on his part. She didn't find any. "I'm taking care of my grandma which means I'm in D.C. for a while."
"I know." He nodded. "I'll make the trips here, if you want me to. Or, we can take it slow. Whatever you want to do. Just come back to LA, please."
She leaned her back slightly. "And Adrian?"
"I want to see him whenever I can. I'm busy these days, I can't lie." Ascaria removed her hand out of his, and moved away from him. "Aria.. This is a busy time for me. Cut me some slack, I just found out about him. It's bad timing."
"So, how long will it be before he sees you again?"
"Four months?" Ascaria widened her eyes. "Can you come to Seattle for Christmas?"
She ran her fingers through her hair and nodded her head. "Okay, that's fair. It's the least I can do. But, four months is pushing it."
"I'll try to work something out."
Silence fell over them, and he unfastened the cuffs on his white buttoned down shirt. She watched him, admiring his appearance. He just seemed to get better with time.
Her eyes fell on his lips, he licked them out of habit and his grey eyes landed back on her. Shyly, she looked away. Only Adonis made her feel like she was in high school, although, she was pushing thirty.
"So," Adonis cleared his throat. "Does he act like me or what?" He referred to Adrian.
A smile crept on her face as she nodded her head. She rests her hand on her neck, and leaned back on the couch. "He acts just like you and daddy. He's mean, though."
"Yea, I see. Lil man didn't move when I extended my hand." He chuckled to himself.
"Very protective." Ascaria added.
"Did your family know?" He looked at her. "That I was the father?"
Slowly, she shook her head no. "If they knew anything, it was all assumption. I never told them who was the father. I didn't want to burden them with my secret. I planned on telling you well before he turned six."
"How did you keep a kid out of the paparazzi?" He asked.
"After I had him, I wanted a more private life. It's hard, though. Especially since my parents and siblings command so much media attention. I honestly didn't see myself being the private one. I thought it would be Scar." She looked away briefly. "I just wanted Adrian to have a normal life."
"That's unrealistic, Aria. His grandad is the best player to ever to touch a basketball, his grandmom is a international icon, his uncle is a hall of fame player and his other uncle is a fashion icon."
"His mom is an architect and his father is a club owner. Very possible." She said matter of factly. "Eventually, the media will get a hold of it, though. I'm just protecting him."
"I get it." He nodded. "I'm just saying."
Ascaria leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs. "What was wrong yesterday? You looked really upset about something."
"I don't wanna talk about it." He stood up, removing his shirt off his arms. "Are you shouldering the load with your grandma?" He switched the topic.
She looked up at him, and shook her head. "No, I'm just acting as a physical power of attorney. My mom and aunts hired around the clock nurses. I'm just here making sure everything is running smoothly."
"How long?" He looked back at her while grabbing a bottled water from the frig.
"Until my mom gets her to LA."
"Doesn't your aunt live in New York?" He unscrewed the topic and chug the bottle down in seconds. "Why can't she take care of her?"
"They're all in LA now. When you get old, you want to retire in a warmer place." She snorted. "They've allowed her to stay in DC longer than they wanted to."
"Is her condition getting any better?"
Ascaria stood up, and walked towards the bedroom door. "Only a matter of time." She looked at him before peeking in the door. "Adrian, come on baby."
Adonis's eyes held an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Aria."
She bent down to help Adrian into his coat, glancing at Adonis. "I'm fine. Nana looks tired. She has lived an amazing life. Cancer sucks and I hate to see her in discomfort and pain. I want her to be at peace. And be with grandpa."
He watched as she buttoned his coat, wrapping his scarf around his neck and placing a hat on his head. "I'm here if you need someone. You know that right?"
She smiled at him, and nodded. "I know, Don."
Sticking his hands into his trousers, he walked over to where they were. "I leave tomorrow evening. I can buy you both tickets."
"Mm, that's sudden Don. Christmas is next week. I need to wait until someone gets here. Scarlett should be back in a couple of days. I'll look for tickets between now and then." She stood up, and grabbed her purse.
"I got it covered. Just let me know when you're ready." He stood in front of her as she put on her own coat and scarf.
"Okay." She looked down at Adrian. "Tell your father bye."
Adrian looked up at Adonis. "Do we get to hang out on Christmas?"
Adonis nodded his head. "Yeah." He bent down to his level. "You and your mom coming to where I stay. You get to meet your grandad, aunt and uncle."
"Are they nice?" He lifted his eyebrow.
"Your grandad is nice. Your aunt and uncle are crazy." He joked.
"Uh oh. Lokos." He looked up at Ascaria. "Like Papa Khari." Ascaria and Adonis shared a laugh as he looked back at Adonis. "Can I call you 'daddy?'"
Adonis smiled at him, running his hand through Adrian's head full of curls. "I'd like that."
"Okay. Bye daddy." He hugged Adonis again. "See you on Christmas?" He pulled back to look at Adonis.
"See you on Christmas."
...
The next morning
Silence.
That's all that could be heard in the car as Amir and Rayne drove to her doctor's appointment. Rayne made it a point to keep her eyes away from him. She was upset, highly pissed off.
She was so upset that she didn't sleep in the same room with Amir. He had a right to be mad about not sending the gift back in a timely fashion. But, him accusing her sleeping with someone else was over the top.
Almost two months into their marriage, she was starting to have doubts. They were still supposed to be in the honeymoon stage, but it seemed like they were arguing every other day. It was disagreements that shouldn't be as big as they were.
But, Amir didn't know how to control his mouth. Plus his drinking was getting back to the point when they first met. He had been real good up until this point. That was causing alot of issues as well.
The car came to a halt and she realized that they had made it to their destination. Immediately, she unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car. She didn't wait around for Amir. She just went inside, figuring that he'd eventually find her.
"Ms. Ingram?" The receptionist recognized her immediately. Rayne nodded and flashed a smile. "Dr. Montgomery is with a patient, she should be wrapping up."
"Okay. Thank you." Rayne took a seat, crossing her legs.
Amir walked into the office a few seconds later, and scanned the room for Rayne. He saw her sitting down, looking through her phone. Needless to say, he has seen Rayne when she's really mad. And this was a time when she was really pissed.
She hadn't said anything to him all morning, and he woke up in the middle of night to see her side of the bed empty. He fucked up accusing her of cheating. It was the alcohol talking.
He took a seat beside her, and she didn't make a move to acknowledge him. "Rayne?" Dr. Montgomery called out causing Rayne to look up.
Rayne immediately smiled and got up. "Hi, Desi!" The two embraced one another.
Amir stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. Desi looked up at him, and glanced at Rayne. "This is your husband, I'm assuming."
"Mhmm. This is Amir." Rayne looked at Amir. "This is my friend, Desi."
"Nice to meet you." Amir extended his hand.
Desi shook it firmly. "Nice to you meet you as well. Congratulations. Sorry I couldn't make it." She motioned for the two to follow behind her as she led them to the back. "Julius planned a getaway for the kids and I on the same weekend."
"It's fine. I totally understand." Rayne waved her off. "How are they?"
"Fine, fine. Lucas is starting football and I'm a tad bit uneasy about it. Julius thinks I'm over-exaggerating. I'm a doctor, though. What does he expect?"
The three of them entered the exam room, and Desi closed the door behind them. Rayne went to sit on the exam table while Amir took the chair near the door.
"Football is dangerous." Rayne agreed.
"Mhmm." Desi looked at Rayne with a small smile as she sat in the rolling chair. "What's going on? Why the sudden visit?"
"Well, I've been throwing up every day for about two days now." Rayne started. "I had an uneasy feeling this morning, but nothing came up. Just need a pregnancy test."
"Hmm, morning sickness. It is a sign." Desi rolled over to grab her clipboard and slipped on a pair of gloves. "When was your last period?"
"I'm irregular so it's been a few months."
"Taking any birth control?" She glanced up.
Rayne shook her head. "I was. I've been off for a few weeks now."
"Could be a side effect of you not taking birth control anymore." Desi sat the clipboard on the table. "But, always to be safe, we can do a pregnancy test."
"Okay." Rayne took off her coat.
"Do you want to be pregnant?" She asked, looking at her then at Amir. "Planned?"
"Hopefully." Amir said.
"Awww." Desi cooed and Rayne gave a half hearted smile. "Hubby wants to be a Daddy. Is other signs?"
Rayne looked up at her, and got off of the table. "Umm, breast tenderness and fatigue."
"Okay. Take this cup and go into the bathroom." She pointed. "Going to do a urine test."
..
While the couple awaited the results, Rayne placed her attention back into her phone. They were currently the only one in the exam room and she still hadn't said a word to him.
"Rayne." Amir called out. She looked from her phone to look at him. Still not saying anything, she just blinked and waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry."
"Of course you are." She began back scrolling on her device, responding to a few unread text messages.
He started to say something, but Dr. Montgomery walked back into the room. She had a folder in her hand which more than likely contained the results.
Rayne placed her phone back into her purse, and looked up expectantly. "So." Desi sat in her chair and looked between the couple. "You're not pregnant."
"Damn." Amir cursed.
"I know, I know." Desi pouted a little before looking back at Rayne. "It's probably side effects from getting off birth control. But, your blood pressure was kind of high as well. Stress, maybe?"
"Stress?" Rayne repeated. "Umm, I haven't felt stressed at all."
"You may haven't felt, but your body has." Desi responded. "We have to listen to our bodies. You've moved, planned a wedding and opened a shop here in Seattle all the span of a year. That's a bit much."
"You have been working alot lately." Amir added. "Helping me with my work and stuff."
And dealing with your temper and drinking.
"See? You're stressed out." Desi nodded, getting the confirmation she needed.
Rayne leaned her head back and sighed heavily. "Okay. I'll relax for a few days."
"Good girl." Desi rubbed Rayne's arm before looking at Amir. "See that she gets the rest she needs, hubby."
"I gotcha, Doc." Amir chuckled.
Desi looked back at Rayne, and smiled softly. "And keep trying. May not be pregnant now, but doesn't mean it won't happen in the future. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Everything happens for a reason."
Rayne gave her a tight smile. "I will. Thanks, Desi." She reached back for her coat and put it on before sliding off of the exam chair.
"No problem. We should get brunch or something. It's been a while since we've hung out."
"I would like that." Rayne put her purse on her shoulder. "Just call me. It looks like I'm not doing anything these next few days."
"I will. Be safe girl." The two shared a brief embrace before Desi looked at Amir. "And again, nice to meet you. Take care of my friend, you hear me?"
Amir stood up and nodded. "I will. Nice to meet you."
Amir allowed Rayne to walk in front of him as they exited the room. Soon they were outside of the office and he gently grabbed Rayne's arm, turning her towards him. He didn't miss the agitated look on her face.
"What?" She looked at him, adjusting the purse on her shoulder.
"You just gonna be mad all day?"
"Yes." She answered quickly.
Amir kissed his teeth. "I apologized. You know I am when I'm mad. Plus, I was drinking too."
Rayne nodded. "Exactly, Amir. I'm sick of it. You were doing well, what changed?"
He shook his head and looked away. "Just alot. Look, I don't even drink that much so it's not a problem."
"It's not that you drink much. You drink at the worst possible times especially when you're upset. Your temper is already bad and when you drink, it gets worse."
"You're gonna accept my apology or what? Stop worrying about me. That's why you stressed now." He looked back at her.
"Glad you know that you're the one stressing me out." She snatched away from him and turned to walk to the car.
Amir let out a deep breath before following her. Rayne snatched the car door open and slid into the passenger seat, not even waiting for Amir to open her door. He walked over to the driver's side and got inside.
He started to put the key into the ignition, but sat back and looked over at her. "I'm just.." He hesitated. "Fucked up about what happened to Naomi. Knowing my mom knew about the shit is fucking with me too. Plus Russell, Messiah. I'm mad I guess."
Rayne tore her eyes from the window, and looked back at him. "I understand, but drinking isn't going to solve anything. You need to go to anger management or therapy." She folded her arms across her chest. "Or both."
"I don't need no therapy mane or no shit like that." He waved her off.
"So, you're going to wait until you drink yourself to death? Or drink when you're angry and take it out on me? You don't see yourself when you're drunk and mad. It's scary, Amir. Maybe me not being pregnant is a sign. We're not ready."
Amir put the key into the ignition, and shook his head. "You just need to relax. I got this."
"If you say so." She murmured to herself.
Putting the truck into drive, he drove off and silence fell over them once more. "You hungry?" He glanced over at her.
"You know I'm hungry, Amir." Rayne answered without looking up from her phone.
"What you want?"
Looking up, she turned her heads towards him. "I want you to cook. I expected some food last night when I got off. But, I guess you were too angry to feed me."
"You know I ain't the cooking type." He focused back on the road. "I don't mind taking you out or nun."
Rayne shook her head at him. "You're starting a business, Amir. You need to save as much as possible. Spending money at a time like this isn't smart."
"It's just food."
"Go to the grocery store." She sighed.
He glanced back at her. "You cooking?"
"I guess I am. We need groceries, though. If you hadn't noticed." She replied in a sarcastic tone.
"Chill with the attitude, aight?" He shook his head.
"Amir, you don't get to tell me how to feel. You accused me of sleeping with someone else. You made an assumption that our possible child could be someone else's. Someone I've dropped all contact with for years."
"What you expect?" He turned his nose up. "You accepting gifts from that nigga and shit. Wanted to invite him to our wedding. Hard to trust you."
Rayne threw her hands up in defeat. "I love you. Only you. I'm proving it everyday. You've acknowledge how busy I've been and yet you still think I could possibly have sex with a man who lives in Italy. You make no sense."
"I'm sorry, damn." He raised his voice slightly. "I was just speaking out of anger. I know you not out here being stupid."
"So are you done drinking? Since you know that you get reckless when you do?"
"Man." He kissed his teeth, gripping the steering wheel. "I told you that drinking ain't the problem."
Rayne leaned on the arm rest, and stared a hole into the side of his face. "What happens when you're drunk around your kids and go off on them because they piss you off? You're gonna go ape shit?"
"That's not going to happen." He said calmly.
"So, you're suddenly going to get it under control? Or you're just going to continue taking it out on me, or Naomi? Or anyone else. You expect me to sit and take it?" He didn't say anything causing her to sit back in her seat. "You're a damn fool if you think that. Just putting that out there."
....
Dressed sharply like always, Zeke was standing in line for a cup of coffee. He wore a pair of creased, navy blue trousers with a dark maroon buttoned down shirt. A black tie complemented the outfit along with a navy blue suit jacket that matched the pants.
As an accessory, he wore a maroon fedora on his head, a maroon scarf around his neck and a light grey, heavy peacoat to protect him from the cold.
A woman in front of him, glanced back and did a double take once her eyes landed on him. He smiled down at her to be polite and she turned her body fully to him. "Hi, Zeke Ingram right?"
He looked at her, trying to see if he'd recognize her. She was a brunette white woman, maybe mid to late twenties. Zeke would be lying if he didn't find the woman attractive, but he knew better.
"Yes, we know each other?" He asked, hoping that this wasn't one of those cases where he smashed and forgot.
"No, no." She shook her head. "I'm a journalist at the news center. I'm sorry about what happened to you and Dr. Cartier. It's unfortunate. Reform needs to happen sooner rather than later."
"Yeah." He agreed.
"I'm Julie." She extended her hand with a smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you, Julie. You already know my name." He joked.
"Yes, I do." She smiled up at him before walking up to order. Once she paid for it, she looked back at him. "Going to the office?"
"Yeah, just need some coffee before I get there. Long day." He sighed dreadfully. Moving up, Julie moved to the side so that he could order. "I just need a medium dark roast. However much creamer and sugar to wake me up."
The lady behind the register laughed at him as he pulled out his wallet, giving her a five dollar bill. "I know how you feel. How's Dr. Cartier?" Julie continued.
He looked over at her and shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
"Rumors are that you two are seriously dating. Is that true?"
"You ask alot of questions." He chuckled to himself.
"I am a journalist." She responded in a duh tone, joining him in a laugh.
"We're minding our business. All I'm giving you."
She held up her hand in surrender. "Fair enough. I understand not wanting the whole world in your business."
"Good." He said, placing his wallet into his back pocket.
He and Julie grabbed their drinks, thanking the guy for fixing them. "Do you think you would ever want to do an interview?" She inquired.
"An interview about what?" Zeke asked before taking a few sips of his coffee.
Mm, perfect.
"Whatever you want. Maybe talk about what happened? Your career? Your next move?" She shrugged. "Whatever it is."
Zeke thought about it, and shook his head. "Not much to talk about. Plus, there's nothing that hasn't already been said. I'm a CEO. My life isn't as glamorous as athletes and pop stars."
Julie nodded in agreement. "Hm, you are a CEO. A CEO of a company that most people are involved with. Most of them have your cellular devices, tablets, watches, etc. I'm sure they're interested in knowing the man behind it all."
"Thanks." Zeke looked up at her. "But, no thanks."
"I understand." She reached down into her purse, pulling out a business card. "If you ever have second thoughts, you can reach me at any of these numbers or email, if you prefer that." She handed it to him.
Zeke looked at the card then back at her before taking it. "I doubt it, but okay." He stuck it into his pocket.
"Never know." She smiled at him. "Nice threads." Julie complemented him on his appearance.
He looked down at his clothes and nodded. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if this went well together."
"It's perfect." Julie reached up to fix his tie. "A little crooked, though."
Zeke cleared his throat, thrown off by her touching him. "Thanks."
"I'm sorry if that was too forward. I'm a little OCD." She joked.
While she fixed his tie, Naomi walked inside the establishment and removed her dark frames from her eyes. Placing her clutch under her arms, she scanned the place and her eyes landed on Zeke.
She squinted her eyes as she watched him and Julie interact. They were laughing at something, and Julie's hand was on his chest as she doubled over. Zeke seemed to be oblivious to it because he continued talking.
Naomi glanced at her watch to see that it was past ten thirty and Zeke already had a cup of coffee in his hand.
How long has he been here?
Deciding that she had been a fly on the wall long enough, her heels clicked against the floor as she walked towards the two. They hadn't noticed that she had walked up until she cleared her throat.
The laughing ceased as Zeke turned towards her. His eyes widened slightly, and he stepped back from Julie. Naomi was cursing him out with her eyes before she turned to Julie.
She plastered a fake smile on her face and extended her hand. "Dr. Cartier."
"Julie." Julie greeted, shaking her hand. "I was just telling Zeke that I covered you all's case. I'm very sorry about what happened."
Naomi glanced at Zeke, who was quietly sipping on his coffee. "Yeah, it's in the past though. I don't care to talk about it."
Julie looked at her, and an awkward silence fell over them. "Well," She cleared her throat. "It was nice meeting you, Zeke." She looked at him.
"Nice to meet you too." He looked at her, avoiding Naomi's extensive stare.
"You too, Nao—"
"I prefer Dr. Cartier." Naomi interrupted her sentence, returning her attention back to Julie. "More professional."
"Dr. Cartier." Julie corrected. Excusing herself, she walked past the couple but not before she and Naomi exchanged looks.
"That was rude, Naomi. She was being nice." Zeke said causing Naomi to look at him.
"I know when a woman is flirting, Zeke. And she was definitely flirting." She said before walking towards the cashier.
Zeke followed behind her, and shook his head. "She just wanted an interview, but I shot that down."
"She had her hands all over you. That's what I saw." Her eyes formed a slit. "What was so funny anyway?"
"She was fixing my tie." He corrected her. "And—"
"You can't fix your own damn tie?" She gritted through her teeth.
"Don't be that woman, Naomi." Zeke sighed, rolling his eyes.
With that, Naomi turned all the way around to face him. She folded her arms across her chest. "Don't be what woman?"
"That jealous girlfriend who don't want her man talking to other women." He looked at her.
"I'm about to be the loud black woman in a minute. Will that bother you?" He started to talk, but she cut him off. "I don't give a damn!" She yelled.
"Lower your voice." He whispered.
A smile crept onto her face. She was enjoying this, for some reason. "You found her attractive?" She asked, ignoring his plea.
"What?" His head jolted back, shocked that she asked him that. "You're crazy."
Naomi tilted her head to the side. "Answer the question."
"You have nothing to worry about Naomi. Does it really matter if I found her attractive? I'm not going to act on it."
Naomi shrugged her shoulders. "You're right." She finally turned back to the cashier. "Small light roast. Hazelnut."
...
Zeke waited until Naomi got her coffee, and walked her out to her car. She didn't say much which had him thinking.
Did I say anything out of line?
He opened her car door, and she slid inside. Placing her coffee in the cup holder, she threw her clutch onto the passenger seat. "Naomi?" Zeke called out.
She looked at him with a grave expression on her face. The dark frames were hiding her eyes, but he knew she was glaring a hole into his soul. "Yes?"
"I wasn't flirting with her." He admitted. "I wasn't even aware she was flirting with me."
"I believe you." She said simply, attempted to close her door. But, Zeke held onto it. Agitated, Naomi sighed. "I have to go pick up Messiah so we can go to the car dealership."
He looked at her in disbelief. "You're buying him a car?"
"Uh, ya."
"For what?" He asked the question before he could even stop himself.
"Because it's my money, Zeke and I can spend it however I like. He depends on people who have demanding jobs to get around. He needs his own car." She looked at him.
Why am I explaining myself?
"What kind of car?"
"It doesn't matter. Can I go?" She asked with a hint of attitude. "Is that all? Anymore questions?"
Leaning his head inside of the car, he smirked at her. "After the other day, I thought the attitude would be gone."
Naomi leaned her head back, and fought the grin that was forming on her face. "I cannot stand you." Moving closer to her face, he looked down her blouse and she lifted his head up with her finger. "Eyes on me."
"I'm sorry. You right. That's your money and your bro." He looked at her.
"Trying to control me will be a task, Mr. Ingram." She smirked. "I can only be controlled in the bedroom. Well, sometimes."
"I'm not trying to control you."
She fixed his collar, and his tie to her liking. "It's the suit. You're not this way when your wave cap is on your head." She joked.
He laughed lightly. "The suit or the wave cap? One makes the money."
"The wave cap, any day." She responded seriously, with no hesitation. Zeke looked at her, and cleared his throat.
"I'll call you." He said.
Naomi pulled him by his coat and kissed him passionately. She gently bit down on his bottom lip and he gave her tongue an entrance. Reaching down, she gripped him through his trousers causing him to grunt lowly.
"If you let another woman touch you like that again, you're going to see crazy." She mumbled against his lips, pecking them before letting him go.
Zeke fixed his clothes, grabbing his coffee off the top of her car. "Grab me like that again, and you better pray we're not in a more suitable car."
"I pray we do." She winked at him before closing the door. He shook his head and laughed at her, watching her pull off.
"I love that woman." He said to himself, immediately realizing what he just said.
I love her?