My Married Boyfriend (4 page)

“Yeah. I told you I was scared to death.”

“Oh! You love lions but you're scared of a little bug?”

“African elephants are afraid of mice, ducks, and honey bees, Ms. Nicole. Google it.”

“Coming with the territory, my ass.” she whispered.

Nicole had had enough of this kid. She stood up and placed her hand on her hip.

“Never mind all of that, smart guy. You do realize that running electricity all night costs a lot of money, right?”

“I ain't got no worries. My dad has plenty of money. He can pay the bills, Ms. Nicole.”

She stared curiously at Myles. “How much money is plenty of money? Is he . . . is he like, a millionaire?”

“Yep. My dad is rolling like Dr. Dre.”

“Dr. Dre is a billionaire, though,” she said, proud that she knew something that Myles didn't. Even though she doubted the boy knew exactly what he was talking about when it came to Rashad's finances, she handed him the remote control. She told him, “Excuse me.” She ran to her bedroom and closed and locked the door. Nicole powered up her laptop and did a Google search on Eason & Son Contractors. She found out Rashad was listed as a HUB, a historically underutilized business for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. He also was a member of the National Association of Minority Contractors. She learned that the firm had been in business for well over thirty years and had been founded by his father, the late Derek Q. Eason. It wasn't the biggest company in the city, but Rashad had been awarded several lucrative contracts. Apparently, he'd garnered some reputable clients, including a few government contracts, and his staff was growing. Nicole then realized that when he oversaw the renovation work at her house last summer, it was because he wanted to be there and personally handle the job. She knew he could have sent his staff, but he didn't.

Nicole continued to research a list of Rashad's completed projects. He even had an impressive website with video clips of him participating in ground-breaking ceremonies and grand openings. She licked her lips and mentally calculated some numbers.

With the way things were going, she assumed that he and Kiara would split up and that the woman would probably demand fifty percent of all his assets. They had just made ten years of marriage, which bettered Kiara's chances for a nice settlement and a share of his pension.

“At least she was conniving enough to wait ten years,” Nicole said to herself. “She's about to get paid. But I can't allow that. Those are
my
coins now. She doesn't deserve half. She slept with her coworker, which makes her an adulterer. And a female adulterer is way more scandalous than a male one. She
had
to be in love with that redbone man to sleep with him.”

Nicole began compiling information about both Kiara and Eddison. By the time she was done, she was ready to help Rashad win his case in any way she could.

Nicole glanced at her watch and realized Rashad had been gone for hours. The length of time made her feel uneasy, but at least he had given her a heads-up about where he was going and what he was doing. When Rashad returned from his errand, Nicole gave him a questioning look.

“Hey, cutie. Don't be mad. This task took longer than I thought.”

She let go of her annoyance at how long he'd been gone and told him she'd be right back. She drove over to Kroger and bought a triple pack of ant and roach spray that she tried to sneak into the house. But Rashad saw her when she returned.

“What's in the bag? More food?”

“Oh, it's just a few items I thought we could use to make your son's stay as comfortable as possible.”

He simply grinned in amazement at her and felt grateful that she was going out of her way to be the perfect host.

Later, when Rashad was showering, and Myles was in the living room watching television and eating snacks, Nicole retrieved one of the cans and made sure to lightly spray the boy's room.

And hours later, after he went to bed, Nicole went and got Rashad, who insisted on sleeping on the couch so as not to let Myles know that he and Nicole were lovers.

“Come to bed, babe.” Nicole turned off the TV and dragged Rashad by the hand into their bedroom. They crawled in the bed and Nicole immediately started peppering his neck with lustful kisses.

“You sure are horny tonight.”

“Tonight?” She mounted him and pulled his wife-beater over his head. “Baby, I want you every night.”

“I see.” He laughed as Nicole gently pushed him until his back was pressed against the headboard. She leaned forward and began sucking on his nipples. “Um,” he moaned. “You are a good woman.”

“And don't you forget it.”

“How can I forget? You do just about everything I like.”

Nicole melted inside. All she wanted to hear was that as a woman, she was among the best.

“ ‘Just about' is cool, but that means I could do better,” she said and moved from his nipples to his dick. “Babe, what is something that I don't do that you wish I did?”

Before he could get any words out his mouth, Nicole pulled on his penis and started sucking and licking the tip until finally Rashad came all over.

She laughed and made sure to
ooh
and
ahh
so Rashad would see that she was having a good time. They entangled their legs around each other as Rashad slapped her from behind. She gritted her teeth and enjoyed how good he felt inside of her. She moaned and shuddered as her orgasm took over her entire body. She was sticky and sweaty, but she didn't care.

This is it,
she thought to herself.
There is no other man on earth that can give me exactly what I want except Rashad Eason.

After they both were worn out from making love, Nicole gave Rashad five minutes of rest before she started in on him.

She placed her head on his chest and sighed with contentment.

“Hey, babe, you were great,” she said.

“Thanks, you were—”

“May I ask you something?”

“Yeah, Nicole. What's up?”

“How is the divorce coming along?”

“It's in process.”

“When do you think it'll all be over, Rashad?”

“I don't know. These things can take time. It depends on if we can come to some agreement. If Kiara gives me a hard time about splitting assets and wants to contest anything, that'll delay the process. But from what I've been told, once everything is agreed upon, it'll take sixty days for the divorce to be granted.”

“Hmm, sixty days. All right.” Nicole mentally calculated whether she could get him to marry her before the end of next year; preferably a late summer wedding. Or maybe they could wed soon after she gave birth and once she lost all her baby weight. Her baby was due on June eighth. It was important for her to look sexy and fit and trim for her man if she wanted to keep a permanent hold on him.

Nicole paused, then kissed Rashad on his bare chest. “Question! How much is your McMansion in Fresno worth?”

He moaned with pleasure when she flicked his nipple with her tongue.

“How much?” she demanded again.

“Shit. In this current market, if I am lucky and get the right buyer, it could sell for a good half a million.”

Nicole already knew the house's market value, because she had gone on the appraisal website to see how many properties he owned. In addition to the house, she discovered that he'd purchased four small parcels of undeveloped land. She loved that her baby was doing more with his money than buying Escalades and Rolexes.

“Damn, that crib is worth
that
much?” she asked, feigning surprise. “So if she buys you out—?”

“I doubt it. She doesn't have that type of money.”

“But what about that money she had been stacking up and hiding from you? How much did she build up?”

Rashad had informed Nicole how he discovered his wife had maintained secret savings. Kiara quietly pilfered money from his contracting business and placed it into her own accounts. And on the day she got sick of him, she threw receipts in his face to let him know what she was capable of whenever he pissed her off. Rashad was stunned. It made him feel she knew their marriage wouldn't last; like she didn't trust what they had, even though she fought hard to have it.

“I don't know how much she built up; which reminds me. I gotta tell Lily to make sure and research any hidden assets Kiara has. That shit pisses me off.”

“Who the hell is Lily?”

“My ugly-ass divorce lawyer. She likes pussy as much as I do.”

“What?” Nicole shrieked, but she calmed down after Rashad explained that his attorney had a strong appreciation for females.

“Oh, okay,” she remarked, feeling relieved. “But you
used
to call her Ms. Tangaro.”

“She told me to call her Lily, so that's what I'm going to do. Is that all right with you, my crazy little Birmingham girl?”

Nicole giggled and felt happy that out of all the places this man could be, he chose to be in bed with her. The more she thought about how much of a catch Rashad was, the more determined she was to make him hers. Nicole whispered in his ear, “Call her Lily. It doesn't matter. I love you so much. We're going to have it all.” Then she began sucking every part of Rashad. She sucked him till he forgot about divorces, alimony, assets, and secrets, and remembered every good thing he could have from being with Nicole.

T
hat Saturday evening, Alexis McNeil had just finished eating dinner. She and her new man, Varnell Brown, had been invited to spend time with his sister, Carmen Foster, and her husband, Forrest, at their home in Missouri City. Alexis's daughter, Hayley, was with her mom, Mona Hooker, and Alexis felt satisfied to enjoy an evening away from her house.

Forrest had prepared an Asian shrimp-and-vegetable soup that they all devoured. Once they were done, Carmen suggested they kick back and relax.

They were seated at the dining room table. Forrest just dealt a deck of cards. He and Varnell were partners and were sitting across from each other. Alexis was on Varnell's right.

“So,” Carmen said to Alexis as she scooped up and organized her cards, “how long you and my brother been kicking it?”

Forrest jumped in. “What she's trying to ask is how long you've been giving Varnell some stankie on the hang-down?”

“Giving him some who on the what?” asked Alexis.

“C'mon, y'all,” barked Varnell. He was normally a calm-natured man who never sweated the small stuff. But taking a big step like bringing Alexis around his family made him somewhat anxious.

“Don't start, Carmen. It ain't even like that.” Varnell turned to Alexis. “My nosy sister loves to try and get in my business. And yes, she wants to know how long we've been . . . you know.”

“Oh, I see,” Alexis coolly replied. She was accustomed to the judgment and curiosities of others and she prayed she could handle herself so as not to embarrass herself or her man.

“I'm not sure why you'd want to know something like that,” she answered. “But for the record, nothing like that is going on. And even if it was, we probably wouldn't tell you.”

“Yeah, right,” Forrest yelped. He discreetly examined the beautiful Alexis McNeil up and down. Alexis had a reserved yet fiery demeanor, partially because she was extremely pretty and was accustomed to men groveling around her. She wore a twenty-two-inch weave, had pouty lips, and could have passed for Paula Patton's identical twin.

“My brother-in-law is a saint,” Forrest said in a loud voice, “but hell, even he can't pass up having sex with a younger Halle Berry. Even if she is crazier than a shithouse rat.”

“Hey, that's enough.” Varnell slammed his cards on the table. “Alexis, you shouldn't have even dignified that idiotic question with a response. Forrest needs to worry about his own household. And I apologize for his behavior.”

“It's all right, Varnell,” Alexis pleaded, not wanting to make the situation worse.

“We point blank crazy,” Forrest told her. “You need to know that from day one.”

“I kind of figured . . .” Alexis said with a wink. She hoped they meant no harm and decided not to overreact.

“Crazy or not, you two need to know this is a respectable woman,” Varnell insisted. “The fact that I brought her around you two lets you know everything you need to know. And, not to go deep into it, but she's been through a lot in her past relationships. I'd like the chance to offer her something different, if you two could just chill out and act civilized.”

“Awww,” Carmen said in a babyish tone. “Yep, my brother is feeling this beauty queen. Isn't that special?”

Varnell rose to his feet, clearly frustrated. “Come on, Alexis. We don't have to put up with this type of disrespect.”

“Brother-in-law, sit your Russell Wilson–acting ass down and let's get it on with these spades. Some people are just too sensitive. It was meant to be an icebreaker. Damn!”

“C'mon, Varnell, lighten up,” said Carmen with a laugh. “You know I don't get to hang out with you that much. So have a seat and take it like a man. If you are treating her right, that means she will be around for a long time. And if she does, she needs to know how Forrest and I roll.”

Varnell reluctantly sat down and picked up his cards. He slammed one on the table.

“Take your ass whipping like a man,” he yelled.

“Uh oh, partner.
That's
what I'm talking about,” Forrest said. “When a man ain't getting any, he gotta let out his aggression one way or another.”

Alexis smiled. “I like you two. Yeah, you are and your wife is crazy, but you're real. I actually hate pretentious people.”

“They make me itch, girl,” Carmen replied and she wildly threw out a card.

They resumed the game, throwing friendly shade and cracking obnoxious jokes. After the men thoroughly beat the women, they took a short break to use the restroom and get more refreshments from the kitchen.

The moment that Forrest and Varnell left the room, Carmen leaned across the table. “I know my brother, and I can tell he honestly likes and respects you. That's important in a relationship. Me and that silly teddy bear I got have been through relationship hell. Our marriage was rocky for a hot minute. I'm sure you couldn't tell,” she said with a facetious smile, “but this handsome fella was so charming and generous that it forced me to deal with side chicks. Women love my man, if you know what I mean. So a lot of really crazy shit went down in our marriage. Long story short, I can't believe I'm still married to him. But I am. The love is still there. We are going to make it to the finish line. But I have to constantly keep his ass in line.”

“Thanks for sharing that. I-I think I know what you mean.”

“Are you telling me you've dealt with side chicks in your past?”

Alexis looked Carmen dead in the eye. “I know the side chick life. I've been one. I was the queen and the princess. But I turned in my tiara, or crown, or whatever you want to call it. It's time to do something different. And I really believe that this is where Varnell comes in.”

Carmen stared at Alexis with new curiosity. “Hmm, we need to get together and talk. Does my brother know this? He normally doesn't like skanks.”

“Excuse me?”

“I'm sorry, Alexis. I guess this proves I still have issues.” Carmen laughed, then grew serious. “But this isn't about me. Just treat my brother right and you will never regret meeting him. And if he is saying no to sex, yeah, that is Russell Wilson in the making. So hold onto him and you can kiss the side chick life good-bye. We need to get together one Saturday when I don't have my two daughters. You like crawfish? Like with that suicide seasoning?”

Alexis told her she'd loved crawfish. They made a promise to meet up. And deep inside, Alexis agreed that if she had it her way, she would never relive her old ways again.

* * *

Sunday morning, Rashad woke up to the lovely aroma of French toast, crispy bacon, and fluffy scrambled eggs. He sat up in bed, noticing that Nicole wasn't lying next to him. He wandered into the kitchen and was met by a surprise.

Nicole stood in front of the sink wearing a red apron. She had learned that red was Rashad's favorite color; red was also the color of sex, passion, and love, and she planned to wear lots of it.

Myles stood on a tiny stepstool by the counter that stored the hearthstone canisters. One by one, he dropped lemon slices into a glass pitcher. Rashad saw the big metal spoon, a measuring cup filled with sugar, and six teabags that were sitting in a pot on the stove with steam rising over it.

“Homemade sweet tea?”

“I'm a Southern girl. You know how we roll.”

“Aw, man, that's what I'm talking about.” Rashad yawned and stretched. “I tried to enjoy my sleep, but all the noise in this kitchen plus the good smells wouldn't let me.”

“And it's about time Daddy woke up, right, Myles?” Nicole asked.

“He's a lazy bum.”

“Hey, watch that, son! Why y'all teaming up on me? I work
hard
. I deserve to sleep in once in a while.”

“If you had slept any longer, you would've missed all this good food. And I know how much you love to taste my stuff.”

“You damn sure right about that.” Rashad took a hard look at Nicole. She was getting her sexy on by wearing a pretty dress underneath her new red apron. She looked so beautiful that Rashad imagined she was naked, even though she clearly wasn't.

He enjoyed watching Nicole cook for him. The way to his heart was definitely through his stomach, among other things. Rashad learned the hard way that most women want to be valued. He wanted to do the right thing with this lady. So he came and gave Nicole an encouraging hug. She moved her face near his lips for a light kiss, but he shook his head as a stern warning.

“Why you trying to hide our relationship?” Nicole asked. “You know I'm hot for you whether little man is in the room or not.”

“Yeah, but—”

“In my opinion, if you are happy and you're doing what you want with the chick you really want to be with, ain't no need to hide it, right?”

“Can we eat now and talk about this when the time is right, babe?”

“Stop avoiding important issues, Rashad. Now
is
the right time to talk about it.”

Nicole called on Myles. “Hey there, son. Remember the conversation we had yesterday when your dad ran his errand?”

“Son?” Rashad muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, Ms. Nicole. I remember. What about it?”

“Um, like I already told you, whenever you come over here you'll be sleeping in your own room.” She lovingly placed her arms around Myles as she talked to him. “And the truth is your daddy sleeps with me in the bed that's in my room. I mean, in
our
room.”

Rashad cleared his throat. But Nicole ignored him.

“Yeah. You see, last night Daddy tried to sleep on the couch, but doing that isn't healthy for him. It hurts his back. And if his back is hurting, he can't work. And if he can't work, he can't make money. And if he can't make money, he can't afford to buy you all the helicopters you like to play with. And without enough money, he won't be able to buy you the foods you like to eat. And he definitely can't take you on a safari. That's why Daddy needs to sleep on a nice, firm mattress. You understand what I'm trying to say, Myles?” She released the little boy. She then winked at Rashad and walked over to him and physically closed his open mouth with her fingers.

“Oh, okay. I get it! To get all the stuff I want, my daddy gotta make his money.”

“Exactly. And your daddy sleeps with me on a nice comfy mattress and not on that couch, unless he's taking a nap!”

“Nicole?” Rashad shouted a warning.

“Babe, chill. He needs to know. Trust me on this one.”

Nicole poured the hot tea in the glass pitcher and let Myles dump in the sugar.

“Do you really get what I'm saying, son?”

Myles stirred the sweet tea and avoided eye contact. “Yeah, I get it. Why are you telling me that?”

“Because I don't want you to be alarmed and wonder where you daddy is. He'll be with me. I'm going to take good care of your father and of you whenever you're here. You'll be like my child.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“And after I have my own baby,” she pointed at her round stomach, “you will have a new brother or sister. Isn't that exciting?”

“Nicole—” Rashad yelled.

“Now, babe, I know you wanted to wait to tell Myles about our baby, but as the firstborn heir of Eason and Son, he really needs to be aware of these things. Stop treating him like a kid. Your child is intelligent. He sees things. He
sees
this.” She rubbed her belly. “Although Myles is seven, he shouldn't be kept from the truth forever. It's a cold, cruel world out there.”

Rashad nodded and tried to calm down. Nicole's pushiness annoyed him, but on the other hand her forcefulness helped him to deal with his truths.

“Yep, Nicky. You're right. I have been holding off on some topics when it comes to Myles. We ought to have more man-to-man talks. Thanks, babe, for taking on the reins . . .”

“No problem,” she answered, sounding self-assured. “That's what I'm here for.”

“Wow, that didn't turn out as bad as I thought.” He focused on Myles.

“Whaddup, my son? How'd you make out yesterday after I left the house? Oh, and sorry that it took longer than I thought.”

Rashad was gone so long that Nicole had considered baking the child another cake but thought it would be overkill, since there was still dessert left over from the day before.

“I felt good, Daddy. After you left, I had so much fun. We watched a movie and then Ms. Nicole helped me put together my Getaway Glider robot.”

“Did she? Man, that's cool. Thanks, Nicky.”

“Oh, it was nothing. I had a great time with him. He's a good kid.”

Rashad felt relieved that Nicole tried her best to bond with his son. He knew she couldn't stand Kiara and often wondered if she could ever manage to leave her ego at the door and treat Myles with respect.

Nicole resumed cooking breakfast, “Have a seat, my king. No. Wait. Wash those hands first. I can't forget where your hands were last night.”

Rashad blushed and went to wash his hands. He knew Nicole was referring to all of her parts he touched last night when they made love. He sure hoped she wouldn't give his son those details; he prayed she'd keep that to herself.

When he returned to the kitchen, neither Nicole nor Myles were there. He heard their voices in her small dining room.

She was setting up the nice dishes and tall glasses and cloth napkins.

“Damn, all this? Just for a basic breakfast?”

“Nothing is basic for us. We will go all out for all our meals.”