The next morning. . .
5:30 a.m.
I exited my car after pulling into the garage, where Alicia directed me to leave my truck. I retrieved my bag from the back and headed up to Alicia’s door. It took her a minute to open it, and when she did, I had to pause for a second. This woman was breathtaking.
Her skin was beautiful and moisturized, her hair in pin curls, and those famous, beautiful lips were shining with gloss. For someone to look so put together at five in the morning was an amazing sight to see. I saw her put together on numerous occasions, but this look was different. Instead of seeing her in a business suit, leggings, and a T-shirt, she was now rocking some fitted light-blue jeans, a powder-blue blouse that meshed well with her deep-brown skin tone, and gold sandals. I didn’t try to hide the lust dancing in my eyes, looking at her sharp-ass curves.
Her ex was a dumbass.
This woman was beautiful as fuck.
Stay focused, B. This is your boss.
“Something wrong?” she asked, looking down at her clothes to check and make sure she didn’t have anything on her.
“He—no, nothing’s wrong. The kids up?”
“Barely.” She giggled. “They’re in the living room, lying on the couch, but they’re dressed, and their bags are packed.”
“Cool. The Uber is about to pull up.”
She nodded and led me into the living room, where the kids were knocked out, lying on each other. I smiled and grabbed their rolling suitcases, taking them outside to the porch just as the Uber pulled up. I took the luggage to the SUV and placed it in the trunk. I headed back inside to help her with the kids, and we all piled inside of the Uber.
This past week had me feeling like this shit was our norm. I knew I had no business getting too attached to her or her children, but my heart was huge, and I had a soft spot for these little ones. Alicia was the added bonus because I met her before I even accepted the job. I may not have known all the inner workings of her, but those eyes were familiar. They held a sadness and pain that I knew she tried to hide, and used to match the ones belonging to me.
It took me a whole year to get over what Nyami did to me. I didn’t have anyone to help me heal and pick up the pieces of my heart, but now that I was at a place where I felt full, I wanted to help someone I knew deserved to smile, be healed and feel full too.
I wanted her.
I knew she would run with the narrative that she was my boss, and I was her employee, but even her moms was speaking us into existence and didn’t even know it. I wanted to get to know Alicia outside of her pain, and with us being on this trip, I was going to treat it like this was our little family vacation, whether she liked it or not. I wouldn’t push up on her yet,because I knew she wasn’t ready, but I was going to show her a good time, even if I was there as hermanny.
The ride to the airport was quiet. I put in my AirPods to listen to Devon Roman’s podcast,Real Talk. He spoke a lot about healing, manifestations, and feeding the spiritual man. When Alicia asked me if I was religious, I told her I wasn’t, which was true, but I enjoyed a good prayer and to be affirmed. I enjoyed Devon because he kept it real, on top of dropping gems on how to keep, love, and stay rooted with a significant other.
I may have been burned by who I thought was my one, but after detoxing her out of my system, I wanted to try again with someone who was mature, wasn’t selfish, and gave the same love I gave to them.
“Not gon’ lie. These women will take yo’ ass through there. And don’t get on their bad side, boy. Ya ass better put on some armor and be prepared to go to war. That tongue is a sword if you get you one that ain’t gon’ allow you to be on that fuck shit with them.”
I chuckled because he wasn’t wrong. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked over, seeing Alicia smiling at me. I pressed pause and gave her my undivided attention.
“What are you listening to? You’ve been over there, smiling and chuckling since we pulled off.”
“Just a podcast by Devon Roman. He gets me through certain situations when I’m feeling a certain way.”
“And what are you feeling now?”
I smiled at her. “Content.”
“That’s good.” She fiddled with her fingers as her gaze went out the window. I could tell she was struggling with something, but I wouldn’t press her to express herself. I was patient.
“I know this may be breaching the client/boss clause, but you did offer me your ear, right?”
“Absolutely. I may take care of your children and home, but I believe moms need to be taken care of too.”
She looked back over at me and smiled. “With everything that has been going on over this past month and a half, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated. Even when Ms. Shelly was working for me, there would be times when I would step in and do what I hired her to do, so I was still overwhelmed. I . . . with you, it feels different. I”—She paused for a beat then shook her head—“Never mind.”
“No, talk to me. I’m not just here for the kids, Ms. Alicia.” I could see her eyes misting, and I took her hand, caressing it with my thumb. I knew the act was intimate, but I wasn’t thinking at the moment. I just wanted to bring her comfort.
“Later?”
