Shayna texted back, I’m glad to hear that. But Azmir I need you to know that I take my job seriously and I appreciate that you took us on when celebrity friends of mine that I’ve known since childhood blew us off and never gave us a thought. This has been a lifelong dream for me so please do me the favor and let me know the minute you aren’t pleased with the “affairs” of Taylor & Bacote Planning and Public Relations Corp. Dawn is a unique individual whose determination can be so strong that it works against her. She’s a dear friend but in business I need to be objective. Give me a holler before you make any final conclusions. Please.
Indeed.I was taken by Shayna’s blatant cry. I was also impressed that she was able to see Dawn’s risky behaviors could potentially affect their business. Once again, the essence of Dawn was lurking at the time that I was with Rayna. My thoughts were ruminate when I heard:
“Beloved, I don’t know how you deal with him being on that phone all the time,” from my mother. “You know when I was with his dad, my competition was with the newspaper.”
Rayna gave a bellyful laugh, it was so hard that she winced. It struck me hard.
“You okay, Brimm?” I asked.
She darted her eyes over to me, oddly causing my erection again. “You know…what comes along with the territory,” she muttered uncomfortably. I immediately knew that was code for her discomforts were associated with her period. I knew that I could soothe her if she agreed to be with me tonight.
Dinner was pleasant and the conversation flowed well. Rayna didn’t eat much of her dinner, but cleared her dessert.
She ate nearly all of her assorted dessert tray. I knew this was the time of the month when she didn’t deny herself of any sweet indulgences. I loved the way she put food away unabashedly. It made her practical. I needed that.
“I don’t know how you eat like that and stay so fit,” Yazmine observed.
I wished that I could have said outside of the workouts I put her through, the only other man who worked her body comparably was my fitness trainer. But that would lack decorum. A rush of yearning came over me like nothing I’d ever experienced. I needed to solidify things with Rayna. I wanted her back in my bed where she belonged. I didn’t want to waste any more time trying to let her figure it out. I had the urge to force her hand.
“Brimm, I was telling Yazmine how you so graciously offered up your house in Redondo Beach to her indefinitely,” I murmured over the table while zooming in on Rayna’s eyes, bracing myself for her reaction. Her eyes widened and mouth swung open momentarily. She caught herself and reeled it in. She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again.
Yazmine took notice of all of it and said, “I told Mir that I’m like a stranger to you and know you don’t want no stranger staying at your house.”
Prying her eyes away from mine, Rayna pivoted in her seat towards Yazmine. “You are no stranger to me at all. You’re Azmir’s mother. Don’t mind me, it’s just that we spoke about this so long ago that it’s caught me off guard.” She turned her glower to me and said, “We should discuss the details of that over the next few days.” She was blowing me off.
“What’s there to discuss? The property is vacant,” I goaded her.
“It’s not empty. I have things there,” she scolded me with her eyes and then turned softer ones over to Yazmine. “Things that I’m sure you would want removed so that you could be comfortable and feel at home.” She cleaned it up well, speaking to Yazmine. I didn’t stop there.
“Okay, it should only take a day to get your things out.” I sat up in my chair and readjusted myself.
“It may take a little longer.”
“Why?”
“Because I’d have to figure out where I’d store them.”
“Whatever can’t fit into the marina we’ll put in my storage space. No biggie.” Rayna didn’t respond. She was vexed and couldn’t determine her next move. I didn’t give a damn. She was coming back home. “Yazmine, have your things packed and ready to go by Thursday. We’ll get you in there and take another day to buy whatever personalized décor you’ll need make the place your own before the weekend. Perhaps you can host us for dinner on Sunday,” I said in jest, garnering a chuckle from Yazmine, but a blank look from Rayna.
Oh. Fucking. Well.
“You just let me know what you need to feel at home there and we’ll take care of it,” Rayna murmured dryly, but with a scent of sincerity to Yazmine.