Once I got her comfortable and grabbed our snacks, I started our movie. We looked on and laughed together, but thirty minutes later, her head landed on my shoulder. Fifteen minutes after that, she snuggled onto my lap, and I knew Poppy had fallen asleep.
I could have woken her up then, but instead, I simply continued to watch the movie and finger comb her curls. The feel of another presence caused the hairs on my neck to stand, and I turned to the entrance of the room. Syris’s latest whore, who’s shit I had rocked earlier, stood there and watched me with disgust. I rolled my eyes upwards because I really didn’t want to lay hands on her again and wake up baby girl, so I chose to ignore her.
“You really should be more careful with the company that you keep. It would be a shame if Syris caught wind of the male visitor who’s been snooping around your shop with his son.”
I turned and mugged her goofy ass. “And you should mind the business that pays you instead of mine.”
“That may be true, but you should just stick with your lil pottery because we can’t have Syris dragging is favorite up the stairs and practically raping her again,” she expressed with venom as a devilish smile covered her face.
That was a real low blow. Her jab definitely inflicted the hurt she intended because Syris did me in that day, but in true boss bitch fashion, I didn’t allow her to see me waver in any kind of way. “No, we wouldn’t want that to happen again, so how about you continue to focus on balancing his nut sack on your face while he grunts, no pussy is better than his Butterfly’s.”
She stomped off, and I smiled and waved after her. Although I was playing it cool, this bitch was tap dancing on my last damn nerve. I needed to handle her fast because she was keeping tabs on me, and I didn’t like that at all. Exhaling, I cut off our theater TV and woke Poppy up for her bath since it was getting late.
After sitting in the bathroom with Poppy while she bathed, I braided her long, dark brown curls into two long braids, then read her a bedtime story. She was almost five and growing like a weed. I watched as she snuggled down onto her pillow and under her cover, until she dozed off. Creeping out of her room, Temi stood waiting for me by the staircase as she quietly waved a bottle of tequila in my face.
“It’s girls night, baby!” she sang quietly.
“Yes! Let’s go!” I replied eagerly. We walked through the mansion until we exited the kitchen back door and headed straight for the well-lit gazebo.
I sat our glasses down, and I looked at her. “Where’s Sasha and Monet?”
Temi took her seat and poured both of us a shot. “Syris called them for duty at the last minute. You know he loves fucking them together.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, there’s nothing like fucking sisters.”
Temi handed me a shot. Together, we licked the lime salt and drops of hot sauce on our hands, then tossed back our shots. The heat from the liquor burned as it went down, but it hit the spot. I bit into a sliced lime then leaned back into my chair. It was such a peaceful night, and Temi followed suit as she relaxed in her chair.
“What’s new with you, sis?” she inquired, prepping our next shot.
“Between you and me, I have a crush on one of my students’ dad.”
Her eyes widened and a huge grin covered her face. “Do tell me more!”
“Well, he’s fine as hell first off. He’s quite the charmer, and his intentions seem pure. We had a brief encounter on me and Syris’s honeymoon. His brother was trying to talk to me and in typical Syris fashion, he knocked him out.”
She laughed. “Sounds about right. So, what’s his name?”
“His name is Muse Boxers, and it’s just something about him that calms me. I’m surrounded by noisy adults and kids all day, but the moment our eyes connect, I swear all I can hear are the tranquil splashes of waves. I want to feel that way every part of my day if I could.” I tossed back the shot she handed me then stared out at our garden.
Temi placed down her glass and looked at the starry sky. “That sounds a whole lot like love. Eric makes me feel that way. He’s my own escape. Trust me when I say, there are many days I want to run away with him, but I have too much at stake and intertwined with Syris. So, if anybody knows that feeling, I do.I say get to know him and spend more time with him, but you know you gotta tell Syris.”
We both exhaled because many of Syris’s laws didn’t apply to me, and I hated that shit. I was going to take the time to get to know Muse more and see how we vibed. If we showed potential, then I was going to tell Syris. I just prayed he didn’t lay hands on me.
“Sis, do you remember when Syris assaulted me and I asked why you were being nice to me and you said in due time you’ll let me know?”
Temi nodded. “I do.”
“What is it that you needed me to do?”
Temi smiled and rubbed the top of my hand. “Exactly what you’re doing now…Living.”
My face scrunched. “I don’t get it.”
“I wanted you to still live your life. Syris may call you Butterfly, but to me, you’re a real-life butterfly. I’d never seen a woman as beautiful as you, shaped curvaceous as you, and filled with so much life.
“Syris used to send images of the pottery pieces you made, and I thought wow, only someone truly special could create art so beautiful. I was born into this life. I’d never had anything special about me until Syris taught me how to run our businesses.
“Handling business is something I’m great at. But one look at you and I saw how majestic you are and why Syris is so obsessed with you. In the nutshell, you are a butterfly imprisoned, but you can still live. That’s what I wanted you to do. I wanted you to live and not give in to your grief and circumstances.”
