“I’m just asking.” He threw two innocent hands into the air. “You’ve been huffing and puffing ever since you got here.”
That was because it bugged me that Octavia had asked if I wanted to take Aleesa to ballet. She knew I would if I could, but there was always shit interfering with my bonding time with Aleesa, like watching films and going to meetings, practices, and games.
Do not get me wrong; I love what I do. I love my career, and I love basketball. It is my heart and it is part of what centers me, but nothing centers me more than my family. I do everything for Aleesa so she can live a good life—one far better than mine was growing up.
I was not going to tell Deke all this, though. It was bad enough that he kept heckling me about Octavia. He said that I talked about her a lot. He assumed I was into her. But what else was I supposed to talk about when she worked for me and spent more time with my daughter than I did?
He claimed I never talked about my previous nannies as much as I did her. I called bullshit on that.
Some days, Octavia was amazing. On other days, she was a handful and I wanted to fire her simply because she agitated me. It was her mouth, really. So sarcastic and witty ...
It had been a long time since I came across a woman with such a solid spine. A woman who was respectable and understanding but also took no shit from anyone, not even her own boss.
Perhaps that was why I found myself constantly talking about her around Deke. She was not afraid of me like the others were. Likemany peoplewere, actually. Almost like she could see right through me, down to my soul.
Once the film was wrapped up, I walked with Deke to the parking deck so we could get to our cars.
“Davina’s got some meeting in LA. Everyone’s all over her lately. She says being engaged to me is a gift and a curse.” He laughed.
“How so?” I fidgeted with my car key as we stopped in front of my Mercedes G-Class.
“A gift because she’s getting hella opportunities for Golden Oil.” Deke plucked his keys out of his pocket. “A curse because she’s busier than ever and her sleep has been shitty. And, trust me, that womanneedsher sleep. She’s like a grizzly bear when she doesn’t get enough.”
“Do you think she has also not slept well because of the wedding?”
“Possibly. Her and Tisha have been planning in between working. I keep telling her to take it easy, but you know how she is.” He shrugged. “Always wanting to keep herself busy.”
“Well, the wedding is in four months. It is coming down to the wire, and all those little details matter.”
“Well, that’s why we hired a wedding planner—so she wouldn’t have to worry about all those little details. My girl has some control issues she has to work on.” He paused and looked around. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
I laughed. “Tell Davina I said hello. I should get home and check in with Aleesa.”
“Tell little Leese I said ‘What’s up.’ Octavia still giving you hell?” He grinned, like he wanted to laugh. Deke always got a kick out of hearing my stories about Octavia. He liked that there was someone giving me a taste of my own medicine, as he called it.
“She has Aleesa calling me GG now.” I scratched my head. “No idea what that means, but Aleesa giggles every time and Octavia thinks I do not notice when she tries not to laugh.”
“GG?” Deke mulled it over, tugging on his bottom lip. “Yeah, no idea what that stands for. I bet D knows.”
“Yeah, I am sure she does. Those two talk on the phone almost every day.”
“Y’all coming to the party tonight, right?” EJ’s voice echoed through the parking deck. I looked over my shoulder and spotted our starting point guard jogging toward us with a brown sweat suit and backpack on.
“Hell, no.” Deke walked to the driver’s side of his Ferrari.
“Count me out,” I muttered. “I told you I hate your parties, EJ.”
“Oh, come on. Y’all haven’t been to one in months!” EJ frowned as he looked between us. “It’s because both of y’all are pussy whipped now! Deke and his fiancée and Javier with that fine-ass nanny.”
I smacked the back of his head.
Deke busted out laughing.
“Bruh, y’all are gonna get enough of smacking me on the head.” EJ puffed out his chest. “Can’t be mad at me for speaking the truth. What’s her name again?”
“Octavia,” Deke filled in when I refused to answer. Then he smirked. I wanted to smack him too.
“Well, shit. If you don’t want her, I’ll take her from you, Valdez.” EJ did some weird thing with his face, biting his bottom lip and narrowing his eyes while running a hand over the top of his head.
