Month: November 2022

Chapter 12

 

Sabrina walked into her condo and walked to her under the counter wine rack and opened up a bottle she was saving for a special occasion.  She reached up into her cabinet and grabbed one of her favorite wine glasses and poured herself happy.

 

She turned on her sound system and pulled her phone out to click on her favorite H.E.R. playlist.  She sat her wine down and reached for her jar of pre rolled relaxation.  She looked around just for a second for her lighter before she just decided to use one of the flames from her candles to light up.

 

She inhaled a few financial woes and exhaled financial stability.  She inhaled a few other frustrations concerning her career path and exhaled a clear view of her future.

 

Sabrina leaned back on her couch and closed her eyes envisioning a future big enough for her and everyone else she loved to fit inside.

 

With her eyes still closed she said, “Alexa, Call Fal!”

 

“Hello, thank you for calling.  This is Fallon Rae.  Please leave a message or send me a text.”

 

Sabrina said, “Alexa, hang up.”

 

“Alexa, text Fal ‘Girl I can’t believe this is my life, thank you so much.  Call me as soon as you get this.  Don’t hurt that driver too bad with his fine ass.  I know you girl.  I know why you got that phone off.”

 

 

~~

 

“I mean she ain’t super fine or nothing but she super sexy bro!”

 

“So, what you gonna do?”

 

“I’m pretty sure your little sister don’t want me messing with anyone that works here.”

 

“Yeah, she don’t want you just running through the women, but do you think she is someone you can be with for real or what?”

 

“She seems like the wife type I think, and to be honest I’m ready to settle down for real for real.”

 

“She smart too!  I would just wait a little, watch her and see what’s up.”

 

“Thanks Taj.”

 

“Yeah man.  If lil sis ends up having a problem with anything concerning you and ole girl, just tell her that I told you to go for it.”

 

“Oh, you better believe I am if there is ever a problem.  I cannot have boss lady upset with me.  No sir!”

 

“I know that’s right, lil sis don’t play.”

 

 

~~

“Hello.”

 

“Hello, may I speak to Miss Rae?”

 

“You may be looking for my mother.”

 

“No ma’am, I’m looking for Danisha Rae.”

 

“Oh, well then that’s me.  How can I help you?”

 

“My name is Tanai Fisher.  My CFO told me about your mother and then he told me a little about you.  I just wanted to reach out to you and talk to you for myself.”

 

“Okay, are you one of my mother’s clients or something?”

 

“Or something.  What would you like to do with your life?”

 

Danisha looked at her phone and saw an incoming call.

 

“Hold on one second please ma’am.”

 

“Hey Auntie Brina.”

 

“Hey baby, where are you?”

 

“I’m at the house, what’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong.  I’ll be there in a minute okay?

 

“Hold on one second, someone’s at the door.”  Danisha sat the phone down before Sabrina could say another word.

 

“Nooooooooooooooo baby don’t-”

 

 

Chapter 11

 

Danisha walked through the house and couldn’t find her mother.  “She should have been home by now and her phone is dead.”

 

Danisha opened the refrigerator and pulled out a cold pressed fruit drink.  She sat down as she cut the television in the kitchen on and saw that people had been shot in the department store downtown.

 

Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered how she felt just three years ago when she just knew that she and her mother was going to die.

 

~~

 

“Dani, I am so proud of you girl.  I can’t believe you are Dr. Smith’s best patient right now.  Your A1C is so much lower than it was our last visit.  You really have been taking your insulin like you are supposed to girl.”

 

Danisha smiled and nodded her head.  Fallon said, “Dr. Smith said that you are the best 10-year-old she has ever had.  Please keep up the good work.  I’m so happy that you are adjusting to this so well.  I felt horrible when you got diagnosed with diabetes and for a long time, I blamed myself.”

 

Danisha said, “Mama, you know that it’s not your fault.”

 

Fallon held her head down and said, “I know that now but for the longest time I cried every night.”  Fallon realized that the conversation was going in the wrong direction and said, “We going to the mall.  You can get whatever you want. I’m so proud of you baby!”

 

 

Danisha walked into her favorite store and started grabbing stuff off of the racks. She loved to shop.  Smiling and walking with more bags than she could comfortably hold, her smile was snatched from her face.

 

A gunshot sent the mall into a frenzy.  Another shot invited death to the mall’s corridor.  Blood splattered on the Foot Locker glass front.  Two people were on the ground dead.  Danisha would never forget how she felt as the gunman looked as he pointed the gun towards her and her mother.  She saw the fire explode from the gun as she saw her mother fall to the ground.

 

Danisha’s heart stopped for a second as she saw her mother fall to the ground in slow motion.  She looked away from her mother and towards the man with the gun that was now pointing it at her.  She wanted to close her eyes, but she was frozen with fear.

 

She didn’t understand what happened next.  She saw the man with the gun head fly backwards and he dropped his gun.

 

Danisha looked around and saw a man walking up from behind her holding a little girl’s hand while he had a gun in his other hand.

 

She noticed he had another gun tucked into his belt when he bent down to check on her mother.

 

The man never let his little girl’s hand go as he spoke into his phone.  “We need an ambulance, she will be fine, he just hit her arm.”  He turned to Danisha and said, “Your mama gonna be alright, the man just shot her in the arm.  I’m going to stay her with you until the police get her okay?”

 

The little girl reached her hand towards Danisha.  Danisha took a few seconds before she understood the little girl wanted to hold her hand.  When Danisha touched the little girl’s hand her heart calmed down.  In that moment she felt so safe.

 

Danisha’s shock faded and then she realized that her mother had been shot.  She fell to the ground and held her mother’s head in her lap.  Fallon blinked her eyes quickly and smiled when she looked up and saw her daughter.

 

Once she realized what happened, she sat up quickly and said, “You okay baby? Are you hurt?”

 

“No mama, I’m okay.”

 

Fallon said frantically, “Where is the man with the gun?”

 

The man with the little girl said, “He’s dead ma’am, and here come the police now.  You are going to be fine.”

 

Fallon began to feel lightheaded but noticed the man walking away with the little girl had two guns tucked into his belt.  Right before she passed out, she wondered, “Where in the world did he get those Jordan’s from?”

 

~~

 

Danisha remembered how she felt the day that she thought she had lost her mother and wondered where she was at right now.

 

Chapter 10

 

“Hey boss lady, I found the best sistah for the job!”

 

Tanai sat in the massage chair with her feet submerged in the scolding hot water and smiled at the news.

 

Tanai’s friend named Dimples looked over at her and said, “What are you smiling about girl?”

 

Their girl Elsa said, “Maria, you see what I’m saying about Dimples?  She always asking dumb questions.  Here we are sitting in a nail shop.  Tanai is the richest 20-year-old in the world.  Her father is the richest man in the world, her mother is the finest woman ever, and her brother is the smoothest man alive.

 

She about to pay for everyone’s service in here like always.  She don’t have a care in the world.”  Elsa looked over at Dimples and said, “The answer is everything dammit, she smiling at every damn thing!”

 

The four of them laughed out loud at Elsa’s delivery.  She had the best comedic timing.

 

Dimples never paid Elsa any mind, so she stared at Tanai and raised an eyebrow as to say answer my question.

 

Tanai smiled at her friend and held up a finger and said, “I can’t wait to meet her Mr. Scott.”

 

Scott got tired of telling her that she didn’t have to call him Mr. so he just said, “I can’t wait for you to meet her either boss lady.  I hear that her daughter is even better than her, but she is only 13.”

 

Tanai raised her eyebrows and said, “Yes, I’d like to meet her as well.  Set that up please.”

 

“Yes ma’am.  Count it done.”

 

Tanai said, “Thank you Mr. Scott, talk to you soon.”

 

Tanai then looked at Dimples and said, “We just found a new accountant.”

 

Dimples smiled and said, “Let’s go black girl magic!”

 

All the girls smiled as they knew at that point that their friend had hired another black woman to a position of power.

 

A white customer that was getting her feet done and sat diagonally away from the girls said, “Excuse me, can I ask you a real question without us getting upset with each other?”  She looked right at Tanai.

 

Tanai smiled at the woman and said, “I can guarantee you that I will not get upset no matter what you say.”

 

The older white woman smirked and said, “I hope that is true, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation because ya’ll were so loud.”

 

Tanai raised her hand and said, “Let me apologize about how loud we were.”  Tanai lowered her hand and waited for the lady to continue.

 

The nail techs all said, “Oh hell nah T!  You don’t have to apologize to that b-“

 

“It’s okay ya’ll,” Tanai interjected.  She looked at the woman and said, “Ma’am you may ask your question.”

 

The woman looked around with her hand on her chest as she said, “Oh my.”  She took a deep breath and nodded her head and said,  “Don’t you think it’s kinda racist for you to only hire black women.”

 

Tanai smiled as everyone looked at her.  Tanai smiled and said, “Racism is about power, and racial hierarchy, therefore black people cannot be racist.”

 

“Okay, but you and your family are the most powerful people in the world and ya’ll are black.”

 

“Thank you for acknowledging that, but my family is just the exception to the rule.  In addition to that if you must know.  I hire only the best people for certain positions, a lot of them just happen to be black.”

 

“Thank you. That answers my question completely.  You and your family seem to be really stand up people.”

 

Tanai didn’t respond to the lady verbally she just flashed a weak smile and then turned to her girls and said, “What we eating after this.”

 

The owner of the shop looked over at Tanai to ask as the ‘question lady’ was preparing to pay for her services if she wanted to pay for her as well.  Tanai frowned her face up and shook her head yes adamantly.

 

The lady looked over at Tanai and placed her hand over her heart and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”

 

Tanai smiled and waved at the woman.  The shop went crazy when the lady walked out of the door.  Tanai smiled and shook her head.

 

Everyone was so proud of how Tanai handled the lady.  Tanai was unphased.  She said, “That’s just how some people are.”

 

~~

 

Danisha looked at her phone as she rode the bus home.  She ignored the phone call from the Scott guy and then had a conversation with herself.  I gotta stop doing that, he may be one of the people my momma is referring to me.  I’ll call him back later. . .

Chapter 9

 

Jennifer looked at her hair as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror at her job.  Her braids were finished but she couldn’t afford to get them done over yet.  She pulled one away from her head and said, “Ya’ll got to hold on for me for a few more days at least.”

 

She looked down at her phone that was ringing and said, “Why are you calling me while you are in school chile?”

 

“Mama we going on a field trip but it cost 40 dollars.  I can’t go right?”

 

“Hell nah you can’t go.”

 

“I know.  I just wanted to ask.”

 

Her daughter’s response broke her in half.  Jennifer said, “Well, when do you have to have the money?”

 

“I think by Friday.”

 

“I am not saying yes, I’m saying we will see.  Maybe something will happen.  Right now, we cannot afford that baby.”

 

“I know mama, love you.”

 

“I love you too baby.”

 

Jennifer leaned on the sink and shook her head.  She hated that she had to have “We can’t afford” conversations with her daughter.”

 

She took a deep breath, held her head up and tied her fuzzy braids back into the bun that sat on top of her head.

 

She washed her hands, dried them and walked out of the bathroom.

 

Jennifer looked over the dining room and didn’t see one of her parties.  All of her troubles jumped rope on her brain.  She definitely couldn’t afford to cover the bill on the two ladies she was missing.  Her manager told her a million times to keep an eye on her tables.

 

“Damn.”  She pulled the leather folder out of apron.  She never gave it to them.  “How long was I in the bathroom?  Jennifer’s mind was spinning.  “They didn’t even walk out on the bill because I never gave them one.”

 

She walked slowly over to the table and didn’t hear one of the ladies at her other table say, “Excuse me can I have another drink please?”

 

Jennifer cleared her table and did her best to shake off her frustration.  The ladies were so nice to her.  She couldn’t believe this had happened.

 

She looked and heard her other guest this time and said, “Of course ma’am, I’ll be right back with it.”

 

One of the young bus boys’ eyes lit up when he saw her as he said, “There you are!”

 

Two ladies asked me to give this to you.  I tried to find you and I didn’t even bus the table down.”  He began walking to the table.  Jennifer said, “Here you go, don’t you see I’ve already done it?”

 

The young man was so excited he said, “Oh! My bad, thank you.  I’ll take that from you.”

 

Jennifer walked to the kitchen and open the leather folder they had gotten from another waitress.  Jennifer opened it and frowned her face up as she saw 10 crisp hundred dollar bills.  Beneath them was a note.  ‘Sorry, we couldn’t wait for you to return.  This should cover our bill.  Hopefully you can do something nice for your daughter, she sounds like a sweet girl.”

 

Be Blessed

Fallon.

 

p.s. I’m giving the young man $100 to get this to you so this is all yours.. .

 

~~

 

“Dani guess what?”

 

Danisha turned to the girl in her class and said, “What’s up Gina?”

 

“I can go on the field trip with ya’ll after all.  My momma just texted me and said that we aren’t going out of town anymore.”

 

Dani smiled and said, “Cool, I’m going to take you shopping for it this weekend.  We gonna be fly.”

 

Gina turned away smiling and realized that her friend knew that she was lying about going out of town the whole time.

 

Danisha raised her hand and was acknowledged by the teacher and said, “May I be excused for a second?”

 

The teacher smiled and said, “Of course.”  Jay Mack, the class troublemaker raised his hand quickly and said, “May I be excused as well?”  The teacher quickly said, “Hell nah. I mean no.”

 

The class erupted in laughter.  Danisha laughed as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind herself.

 

She looked at her facetime call and said, “What’s up mama?  You okay?”

 

Fallon smiled and said, “Why you ask me that?”

 

“Ahhhh because you Facetiming me while I’m in class.”

 

“Oh, my bad.”  Fallon giggled a little bit.

 

Danisha looked around to see if anyone was coming and said, “Oooooh you drunk.  Mama, it’s 1 o’clock in the evening, I know you not driving!”

 

“Of course I am not!  I called a driver.  I gots too much to lose to be out here drinking drinking , drinking and driving.”

 

Danisha laughed at her mother repeating her words.

 

Fallon said, “I just called to let you know that I am super proud of you.  I know that you will be more than I ever could possibly be.  You are the best parts of me and your father.  I love you more than words can express.”

 

Danisha had tears rolling down her face.  Her mother had been drinking but when talking about her she spoke clearly and precisely.

 

Fallon continued, “I want you to know that no matter what happens between us, that I will always love you more than I love myself.  You can come to me about anything.  You are my greatest accomplishment.  You will always-“

 

The facetime disconnected.  Danisha wiped her face and waited a few seconds to see if her mom would call back, other calls seemed to disconnect her facetime calls.  Danisha walked back into class feeling like she needed to be better than she ever had been.

 

She told herself that she would be better!  Better than she had ever been.

Chapter 7

 

Fallon had been inside some really nice buildings.  She wasn’t easily impressed when it came to architecture and design.  One of her biggest clients designed the best buildings in the area.

 

She walked into Innovative Designs for the first time and her mind was completely blown.  She couldn’t describe the splendor.  She told herself that she wouldn’t even try.

 

The receptionist looked at her and said, “How are you Ms. Rae, Scott is expecting you.  His office is on the 12^th floor, you won’t miss it.

 

Fallon wanted to ask the lady how she knew who she was and how she knew why she was there.  Instead of asking questions, she just said, “Thank you so much.”

 

~~

 

Danisha walked into the school and was immediately showered with smiles and hugs.  Although she was only in the seventh grade, she was easily the most popular person in the school.  Danisha never repeated an outfit and no one’s money was good around her.  She paid for everything anytime she was around.

 

As a seventh grader she made more money than all of her teachers just doing the taxes of her mother’s clients that she could no longer handle.  Fallon had just about handed all of her individual accounts over to her daughter while she focused on her corporate clientele.

 

The principal, Mr. Forbes walked up to Danisha and said, “What you got going on girl?  Are you afraid of being successful?  Are you trying to sabotage yourself?  You are acting just like my daughter used to act.  She had me in the hospital all the time behind her not doing like she was supposed to do.”

 

Danisha looked him right in the eyes as he spoke.  She said, “I’m going to do better Mr. Forbes.  It’s just that when I am feeling okay, I just don’t take it.  I just want to go out to eat  like everyone else and not have to do a procedure in order to do so.”

 

Danisha saw her principal about to speak and said, “I know, I know.  That’s not my life.  I got this.  God thinks I’m special, so he made me special.”

 

Mr. Forbes relaxed and smiled.  He looked around and said, “How much am I getting back this year?”

 

Danisha smiled as she looked up at the ceiling to find his file in her head.  She said, “Oh, I found you a little bit of money.  You and your wife went exempt more than six months of the year against my instructions.”

 

Mr. Forbes put his head down and said through a grimace, “I know.  Long as we don’t owe anything, I’m good.”

 

“Nah, you don’t owe anything because I’m good.”

 

Mr. Forbes smiled brightly and said, “No ma’am you are the best.  We appreciate you.  Just let me know how much the wife and I owe you.”

 

Danisha nodded her head and smiled for the compliment and then said, “Ya’ll don’ t have to pay me anything I will just take my fee out of your return like always.”

 

“Cool.  Let me walk you to class.  I’ve made you super late.”

 

~~

 

Fallon smiled when she finally laid eyes on the worrisome Scott that Bobby referred to her.

 

He didn’t look like a worrisome man.  He didn’t look like a bug a boo at all, he actually looked like he was ‘The Man.’  Scott looked powerful, yes he did.  He was the Chief Financial Officer of the most successful company in the world.

 

He stood from his desk and extended his hand toward Fallon and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

 

Fallon looked around and said, “The pleasure seems to be mine.”

 

Scott adjusted his belt as he waited for Fallon to be seated before he took his seat.

 

Fallon sat down and felt like she was in a situation like she had never been before.  She had sat in many offices, and she had spoken with many top executives in her career, but this felt different and she couldn’t figure out why.

 

Scott said, “ I don’t have much time.  First I want to say I apologize for calling you so many times.”

 

Fallon looked down to see a call incoming and said, “I am so sorry Scott, I have to take this right quick.”

Chapter 6

 

Bobby leaned back in his chair and crossed his feet at the ankles and clasped his hands together across his stomach.  He smiled and said, “So we gotta plan for Dani to get her own building soon huh.  I heard that she is better at numbers than you are.”

 

“Yeah all numbers but her blood sugar numbers.”

 

Bobby laughed so hard he sat up in the chair and bent over his knees.  Dani opened her eyes.  Turned her head to see Bobby laughing and smiled.  She looked around and saw her mother standing by the sink and extended her arms out in the air.

 

Fallon smiled and climbed in the bed with her baby girl and held her tight.  “I love you so much girl.”  Fallon decided not to do what she normally did which was to remind Danisha of all she had to lose by not doing right.

 

Instead she said, “Dani, Bobby and I are going to set you up soon with your own office.  Does that scare you?”

 

“Only thing I’m scared of is being broke.  I’m here for that dollar dollar bill ya’ll.”  Bobby and Fallon laughed at their favorite 13-year-old.  They believed her too.  She had such an amazing way with people.  She made people trust her somehow with ease.

 

Fallon never worried how her daughter would make money, her only concern was her health.  She prayed that one day it would click for her daughter that it wouldn’t matter how many skills and abilities she had if she wasn’t here to utilize them.

 

Danisha made straight A’s.  She prepared the tax returns for the entire school staff.  She often got pulled out of class to consult with teachers and principals from other schools.

 

Danisha said, “Oh and I haven’t missed a bath since our last visit mama.”

 

“That’s good baby.”

 

“Yeah, one of the nurses thought I was sleep and fried me in here talking to one of the other nurses.”

 

Fallon sat up in the bed filled with anger.  She talked about her daughter, but she won’t having no strangers doing it, “What she say?”

 

“I’ll need permission to speak freely if you want the accurate account.”

 

Fallon felt herself getting more upset and said, “Go ahead.”

 

“She said something something something and this little nasty bitch in here got all this designer shit and got shit in her panties.  This designer stuff must be fake as hell.”

 

Fallon turned her head to hide her laughter.  Bobby had tears trying to jump out of his eyes as she tried to keep his mouth closed.

 

“Ya’ll can laugh, that jank was funny.”  Fallon and Bobby exploded.  Danisha laughed too.

 

Fallon said through laughter, “Why didn’t you tell me, you know I would have handled that.”

 

“Nah ma, it was for me to handle.”

 

“Okay baby, I’m happy you are taking regular baths now.”

 

Danisha nodded her head and said, “Sometimes I take two.”

 

Fallon held up her hand and got a high five from Danisha, “That’s what I’m talking about girl!”

 

Fallon slid out of the bed and went to her phone to check her emails.  “Oh, I forgot to tell ya’ll that this dude blew my phone up all day today.  I finally answered the phone frustrated and then he had the nerve to tell me that he might call me back later when I had a better attitude.”

 

Bobby raised his eyebrows and said, “Wow.  He blew you up and when you answered he didn’t talk to you?”

 

“Right, how crazy is that?”

 

“Whoever that was is different.  He must got money or something.

 

Bobby looked down as he shook his head and all of a sudden he looked up from the floor and said, “His name wasn’t Scott was it?

Chapter 5

 

So many things had changed about their relationship.  Bobby was still the best lover she had ever known.  It had been years since they were intimate with each other.  He no longer drove the FedEx truck, he now owned over 100 of them and had over 120 employees.

 

Fallon no longer worked for H and R Block, but she still did taxes.  Only now she owned and operated her own company, Infallible Tax Service where she employed at certain times of the year over 20 employees.

 

Bobby and Fallon’s connection was always electric and anyone that ever saw them together would swear they were a happy couple and clearly best of friends.  No one understood why they just didn’t be a couple but them.

 

In an intense moment of honesty, they both agreed that there was no way they could be faithful to each other.  They valued one another enough to want to maintain their friendship, so they shut the intimacy down and stuck to their creed completely.

 

There were many things that changed in their individual lives, but how he loved Fallon and Danisha only grew stronger over the years.  It was clear that his initial concerns of him being faithful had dissolved.

 

Fallon really loved Bobby but didn’t trust herself to be faithful.  He was the only honest man she had ever known.  She had issues that she was aware of when it came to men.  She decided years ago to capitalize financial from her issues.

 

~~

Fallon snapped out of her flashback of how they met and looked at how lovingly Bobby looked at Danisha.  Her daughter was sleep while connected to an insulin drip.  Her pancreas was inflamed, and the doctors were doing what they do to get her back to normal.  It normally took about two days of treatment.

 

Fallon took Danisha’s phone so that she would be as uncomfortable as possible during this visit.  She just wanted her to know that this wasn’t a joke and that her actions affected other people as well.

 

Fallon looked at Bobby and said, “Thank you so much for being here.”  A tear fell from her eye as she said, “So many people judge me every time she comes here.  They look at me and question how I let it get so bad.”  Fallon paused as she looked at the floor.  “I get so tired of talking.  This girl is so smart, so incredibly intelligent.  I want to believe her when she tells me that she is tired of coming here.

 

I have to trust her at some point, how else will she make it in life?  I can’t be over her shoulder at all times.  I swear people don’t understand that as a parent, I don’t want every conversation with my child to be one of anger, pain and disappointment.  Some days I think she may be lying but I accept the smile and laughter she provides.

 

Most nights I cry myself to sleep because I wonder if she really knows she can die.  If I think about it all day we both gonna die because I wouldn’t be able to work or anything.”

 

“Yeah Fal, people that don’t have children with special needs are quick to judge.  I was in the barbershop when I saw this little boy going crazy.  I turned and looked at Lou and said, “This dude can’t control his son, he weak as hell.”

 

Lou put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You know I can’t stand fathers that can’t control their kids but that little boy right there is on the autism spectrum.  There are a lot of things going on that is setting him off right now.”

 

“I felt horrible.  I have no idea what that man is dealing with day in and day out.  Then I thought about how he must feel when he even knows that he has to take him to the shop and go through all of that.”

 

Fallon just nodded her head, “Yup.”

 

“I’ve learned not to be so quick to judge.  I talked to one of my drivers about his children that tend to disrespect him.  He and his wife are divorced, and she talks about him so bad to them all week.  He has them every other weekend.  He only has a few days to remind them that he isn’t a horrible person and then they go right back with their mother.”

 

“I know that’s tough on him.”

 

Fallon looked down at her phone and closed her eyes.  She took deep breath and answered, “I told you I would call you back. What do you want Sir?”

Chapter 4

 

Fallon smiled at how nicely Bobby was dressed as he stood at door of her two-bedroom apartment. They walked down the stairs and Fallon smiled again.  She looked around the parking lot and saw the FedEx box truck parked in the back of the lot.

 

Fallon said, “You know that we don’t have to go out or anything.  We can get right to it.  Seems like you have enough room in your truck as a matter of fact.”

 

Bobby looked Fallon in her eyes and realized that she was serious.  He put his hand on his chest dramatically and said, “Whoa whoa whoa.  What kind of guy do you think I am?”

 

Fallon raised an eyebrow and said, “The kinda guy that can’t afford a car, so he goes on date in his company truck.”

 

Bobby laughed a little and said, “Well, I can afford a vehicle.  I just haven’t found the one I want yet.”

 

“Whatever, I’m just letting you know that you don’t have to spend any extra money to hit.  I’m here for the same reason you are.”

 

“Aye boo, you ain’t got no diseases or nothing do you?”

 

“Do you?”

 

“Nah, I don’t.”

 

“Why the hell you ask me that?”

 

“Honestly you seem mad easy that’s all.”

 

Fallon nodded her head slowly, “I see, so it makes a difference in my medical records if I let you take me on a few dates before we have sex, right?”

 

Bobby pressed his lips together and folded his arms.  He tilted his head and said, “Hmph, you really make a good point.”

 

“Jank crazy how guys act when they meet a woman that thinks like they do.”

 

Bobby gently grabbed both sides of Fallon’s face, looked her straight in her eyes and said, “I apologize Fallon.”  He gently pressed his lips against hers.  He pecked her lips a few times before he gently used his tongue to instruct her to open her mouth wider.  He let his tongue tickle hers for a while before he softly suckled on her tongue.  He took her breath away with how patient he was as he kissed her.

 

The freshness of his breath made her heart melt.  Her molten heart seemed to have dripped to her perfect place because she was steaming there at this point.  He placed his hand on her pubic mound and said, “It’s okay baby, I’ll be with you soon.  We must get something to eat first.

 

~~

 

As they ascended to the top of one of the best hotels in the city, Fallon said, “I have to be honest.  I had never been in a restaurant that nice and the food was exquisite.  Also, to this point of my life, I can honestly say that I have never been in hotel this gorgeous.”

 

Bobby smiled as he held Fallon’s hand watching the numbers of floors light up.  He said, “I promise you there will be many more things that you will experience that you never have before.”

 

“Oh, I believe you because I forgot to mention that I have never been kissed like that before either.”

 

“I see that you don’t play games huh Fallon.  I mean you don’t try to front like stuff doesn’t phase you.  I like that about you.”

 

I just try to keep it real for myself and those around me.”

 

“I actually love that.  Since we keeping it real.  I can’t really afford any of the stuff we’ve done tonight.  I just really felt like you deserved to feel what an amazing night feels like.”  Bobby leaned down and kissed her lips softly, looked her square in the eyes and said, “Hard or soft?”

 

Fallon smirked as she thought of all the guys she had previously been with and how there was an itch that hadn’t been scratched, there was a place in her that had not been touched.  She said, “Hard.”

 

Bobby ripped her blouse off including her bra just as the elevator doors opened to the penthouse.  She gasped as her breast bounced from the force he created to rip her clothes completely off of her body.

 

He picked her up and placed her legs on his shoulders.  He inhaled her scent and his excitement grew stronger.

 

Bobby walked her deeper into the room and tossed her on the plush king-sized bed.  He pulled his pants down as she focused on him.  She smiled and said to herself with glee, “This will be a long hard night.”

 

 

Chapter 3

 

Bobby reached out and opened the back door of Fallon’s SUV, ducked his head down as he reached into her backseat.  His cologne filled up the truck’s cabin, Fallon smiled softly.

 

He slid his powerful hands under Danisha’s back and behind her knees and lifted her out of the truck.  Danisha recognized who he was and wrapped her arms around his neck.  Bobby smiled and walked past the wheelchair he rolled out for her and carried Danisha into the hospital.

 

Fallon watched her daughter get carried into the back past all of the other’s waiting.  Children in Danisha’s condition never had to wait.  Her daughter not waiting isn’t what caused her to rest her head on the steering wheel.

 

Tears of relief fell from her eyes because just for a few minutes she didn’t have to do everything.  Tears fell from her eyes because for a few minutes someone else picked her baby up and carried her.  Tears fell from her eyes because for the first time her daughter had someone with her as she parked the truck.

 

Fallon lifted her head from the steering wheel and closed her eyes again as she hit ignore on her truck’s screen to this Scott dude calling yet again.

 

~~

 

“I love your hair little lady.  Does your mommy do your hair, or do you go to one of those fancy salons?”

 

Danisha looked the man up and down before she answered.  The man chuckled at this little girl’s poise and watched her say, “My mommy doesn’t know how to do my hair.  I go to a hairdresser.  What’s your name Mr. question man?”

 

Fallon turned around from her phone call as she sat in the food court of the mall and saw a handsome man in a FedEx uniform kneeling down and speaking to her daughter.

 

“Hey Sabrina, let me call you right back.  I may have a fish on the line.”

 

A deep chuckle came from the man as he put his hand on his chest before he extended it towards Danisha and said, “Where are my manners.  My name is Robert.”  He stood from his kneeling position to a 6 foot 2 inches tall and extended his hand toward Fallon and continued, “But my friends call me Bobby.”

 

Bobby was impressed with Fallon’s smile.  Her teeth weren’t perfect, but they sat perfectly in her mouth.

Her lips made her lipstick look expensive.  She wasn’t exactly fit like the women he normally was attracted to, but she was in amazing proportion.  Standing about 5 foot 6 she had a little belly, but he thought it was cute on her.

 

Her mocha complexion didn’t hide the times she didn’t wait for acne to run it’s course, yet her skin still looked smooth and hydrated.  She smelled like peace and although she wore an H and R Block polo, the way she dressed her daughter, the accessories she wore, and the hills she had on told him that she had tons of style.

 

Fallon laid her hand into his and said, “Nice to meet you Robert.”  Bobby smiled and said, “The pleasure is all mine.”

 

“Mr. Robert.”  Bobby looked down at Danisha and said, “Yes ma’am?”

 

“My mommy is looking for a boyfriend.”

 

Bobby smiled as he said, “Well I’m not looking for a girlfriend.  I only need friends right now.”

 

Fallon smiled and said, “My daughter thinks I’m looking for a boyfriend but I’m looking for exactly what you are looking for.”  Fallon tilted her head to the side, raised her eyebrows and said, “What’s up?”