Page 26 of A Million Boss Kisses

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Marissa Bentley

“ I love this for you, Mama Marissa. I wish that you could see the way you are gushing over him. The fact that you just met him the other day doesn’t mean anything. Look how long you knew Quinten, and what is he currently making you feel like?”

“Like a bitch who’s ready to catch a murder charge,” I grumbled.

“Even if this weekend with Yaseer doesn’t lead to anything serious, it’s the start of you getting back to Marissa. When you aren’t traveling, what are you doing?”

“Laying up in my bed,” I admitted, my eyes inadvertently falling to the hardwood floors.

“In the dark,” she added. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you that isn’t good for you. Your life didn’t end just because your marriage did. This is your chance for a fresh start.”

“You’re right,” I perked up. Her words really resonated within me. I never thought about my divorce in that way. “Giving me mama bear advice, and I’m supposed to be the elder.”

“Wisdom comes in all ages,” Jury bubbled, rubbing her belly.

I enjoyed talking to her because she’d successfully done what I always wanted.

She broke away from the mafia lifestyle.

Being around her was like a breath of fresh air.

She just understood me. I loved my best friend Karina, but she loved everything that came with that lifestyle.

Even now, as a widow, she was already entertaining a new man from another family, lining up her next potential marriage like it was a business.

I wasn’t judging her, I actually loved the guy for her. I just wasn’t built for that shit.

“Clearly. Let me go. I need to make sure my house is still intact. Lil Q hasn’t replied to any of my texts all day,” I explained, standing from the chair.

Jury embraced me in a hug and walked me to the door.

My jaws were tingling from how hard I was smiling, reliving the exhilarating day I spent with Yaseer.

I lived twenty minutes away from their place on Davis Island, but the midday Friday traffic tacked on another ten minutes.

When I finally pulled into the driveway, Lil Q’s truck was in the driveway, notifying me that he decided not to attend school today.

I pulled my Benz into my spot and grabbed my luggage out of the trunk.

My jaw damn near hit the travertine entryway when I rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of my porch.

Dozens of floral arrangements in every shade of purple were stacked across the steps.

A sea of lilac, lavender, plum, and deep violet blocked me from entering my home.

The sweet floral scent instantly soothed my frustrations with Lil Q.

I stepped onto the porch and pulled my phone out, turning the camera on myself and snapping a photo with the flowers behind me. The smile on my face was so wide you could see teeth and gums. I didn’t even care though, I wanted Yaseer to know how good he made me feel.

After sending the picture, I typed a simple message.

Me: Thank you, handsome.

I slid my phone back into my pocket, then reached out to move a few of the arrangements aside, just enough to reach the lock.

The bouquets were thick around the doorframe, so it took a little time to maneuver.

Wasn’t shit about this gesture cheap. Lil Q could bring them inside since his ass wanted to skip school.

As soon as I entered the house, I heard giggling coming from the kitchen, and I sauntered in that direction. Lil Q’s words caught my attention on my trek down the hallway, he was talking and pausing to kiss her after each sentence.

“Seeing that smile is worth more than a pound of gold.” MWAH!

“I look to you whenever the world feels cold.” MWAH!

“You never judge me, just give me your soft hands to hold.” MWAH!

“That’s why if a nigga ever play with you I’d have to up that pole.” MWAH!

Jameera and Lil Q were so caught up in each other that they didn’t even hear the wheels of my suitcase rolling over the wide-plank wood floors. She was sitting on my counter with her hands in his pajama pants, while he kissed the crook of her neck. The visual left my stomach queasy.

“Excuse me!” I snapped. “Jameera got her ass on my counters where we put food while you in this bitch sounding like you the ghetto Langston Hughes!”

They scrambled away from each other, embarrassment written all over their faces.

Lil Q’s girlfriend, Jameera, was a little hippie at heart.

Her afro was always in some wild, free-flowing style.

Half up with a hair clip, braids in the front with gold hair cuffs dangling at the ends, and her afro spilling out in a soft halo.

Today, her hair was pulled into two large puffs, and her edges were laid.

A gang of waist beads hugged her hips, and a gold arm cuff glinted against her cinnamon brown skin.

“So I take it you stayed the night, Jameera?”

“Ummm…” She faltered, fear flashing across her face. When her lips parted, you couldn’t help but notice the gold covering her fangs and lateral incisors on both sides of her mouth.

“Don’t lie. I heard you when I called Lil Q last night. He’s standing here bare chest with pajama pants on, and you are wearing a sports bra and a pair of his boxers.”

“Ma, chill.”

“I’m chill,” I monotoned. His head turned to the side, probably shocked by my lack of anger. Usually, I met his bullshit with rage, but I was still high off my night with Yaseer and the flowers that I wasn’t going to let their shenanigans ruin my mood.

“What’s wrong, Mama? You sick?”

“Yeah, Mama Marissa. You good?” Jameera quavered.

“Y’all not about to keep stressing me out,” I shook my head. “Jameera, do you make sure you take your birth control daily?”

“I actually switched to the patch,” she clarified, lifting her shirt so I could see the patch on her lower back.

“I still want you guys to make sure you are using condoms. Better to be safe than pregnant.”

“We do, ma,” Lil Q confirmed.

“Good. Now, Lil Q, hand over those keys, and Jameera, go get dressed so I can take you home. Does your dad know where you stayed last night?”

“Uhhhh, he’s out of town,” she faltered.

That was nothing new. Jameera and Lil Q had been dating since their freshman year of high school.

It was just a coincidence that we all relocated from Miami to Tampa.

Her dad worked in the music industry, and he worked more than he parented.

Her mother had passed, so she was home alone a lot.

I didn’t mind her staying over when he was out of town, but I explicitly told them Jameera could not stay the night while I was out of town.

In fact, Lil Q’s ass was also supposed to be at Jury and Tech’s house for the weekend.

It was no secret they were sexually active.

Lil Q and Jameera both got kicked out of school after she was caught giving him head in the parking lot.

Jameera had plenty of family here that she could’ve stayed with this one weekend. That was the whole reason her dad moved them to Tampa after his wife died. To keep her close to family. Like I said before though, I wasn’t about to let them stress me.

“Come on, ma. I apologize for breaking the rules. You don’t want to take my keys. Then you’ll have to drive me everywhere.”

“Definitely not,” I scoffed. “You’ll be catching Ubers and Lyfts at your own expense. Or better yet, Jameera can give you rides.”

“I’m going upstairs to change because it’s hot outside. Jameera, get your things so I can take you home. Lil Q bring those flowers from the porch into the house for me, please.”

I left the kitchen before they could protest. It took a minute for me to rummage through my clothes to find something to wear.

Karina and Jury weren’t lying. I was living in joggers and sneakers since moving here.

Getting cute just wasn’t on my agenda. The only reason I decided to be presentable in Miami was because I couldn’t let Quinten see me looking a mess.

That would probably fuel his desire to win me back.

When you think about it, we could say I have Quinten to thank for my appearance when I met Yaseer. My joggers and high bun might not have caught his attention to the same degree that the dress and heels did.

When I went downstairs, Jameera was wearing a flowy sundress, and Lil Q threw on a pair of basketball shorts and a shirt. The flowers were scattered everywhere, and Lil Q dramatically looked from the flowers to me until I finally walked past him.

“Nah, who sent you all these flowers? The same nigga you was in Miami with?” Lil Q quizzed, walking behind me out the front door.

“None of your business, Junior,” I waved him off, fumbling around in my purse for my phone.

“Nah, you wanna be all up in my business so I’m just returning the favor.”

“I’m your mother. You are living under my roof.

Your business is my business. I feel like I’m actually pretty lenient when it comes to restrictions, especially considering some of your past antics.

I left my phone in the house. Here, start the car.

I’ll be right back,” I replied, tossing him the keys just as we reached the car.

Jogging back to the house, I keyed in the passcode and rushed upstairs to grab my phone. There was a text from Yaseer waiting, and a smile instantly spread across my face.

Yaseer: Get used to that kind of love. I wanted to make sure every time you walk past them, you remember who’s pouring into you. I hope purple is your favorite color.

Me: It is. How did you know?

Yaseer: I’m observant.

I started typing a response, but my horn blaring interrupted me.

With my phone in hand, I rushed downstairs and out of the house to see what was going on.

When I approached the car, Lil Q was in the front passenger seat, his arms crossed and jaw tight, staring straight ahead like the dashboard pissed him off.

“What’s your problem?” I queried, slipping behind the steering wheel.

He turned in the seat to glare at me, he swallowed hard before letting out a deep breath, and faced forward again without saying a word.

“He ummm…” Jameera snickered in the backseat before bursting into a fit of laughter.

“He what?” I pressed, spinning around so I could have a good view on both of them.

“He saw your cake,” she cackled.

“The shit ain’t funny!” Lil Q grumbled.

“Where is my cake?” I panicked, realizing that I forgot it on the passenger seat, but it was gone now.

“I tossed it in the trash. What kind of freaky stuff was you doing in Miami?”

“I…”

“Rhetorical question, ma!”

“Boy,” I giggled, pulling out of the driveway. “Trust me, I was only going to say I don’t have to answer any questions you may have. I’m grown and that cake was a rarity!”

“He was ready to eat whatever you had in that box, then he opened it, and… and…” Jameera was dying laughing at our expense, unable to finish her statements.

“Please, let’s change the subject,” I pleaded, my face heating with embarrassment. “Were you and your dad able to find a dress for homecoming so we can find Lil Q something to wear?”

“Yes, we did. I sent the picture to Q to send to you. My dress is turquoise and super cute. I’m so excited for homecoming. Senior year is about to be so much fun.”

“Why didn’t you send me the dress?”

“Ion wanna talk until the vision of a cake with a penis indentation is out of my head.”

“It was big too,” Jameera laughed harder. “I know that’s right, Mama Marissa.”

Lil Q spun around in the backseat to mug her. “You think this funny?”

“Hilarious, actually. Mama gotta have a life too, Q.”

“Exactly, let me live a little.”

“The glow looks good on you, Mama Marissa. She even changed out of her joggers for the day and threw on a cute romper. You going to see a man about a horse later today?”

“Jameera! Please,” I giggled. “You can just send me a picture of the dress so I can get this boy right. I want to have this situated in the next few days. I’m not trying to be running around like a chicken with its head cut off on Saturday.

I have Quincy’s Fall Ball game in the morning and y’all homecoming in the evening. ”

“I’m sending it now,” she assured me.

I connected my phone to the car to play some music and avoid any further awkward conversations. The car notified me that Jameera sent me an image, and right after that, a text from Yaseer came through.

Yaseer: What size lingerie do you wear? I’m trying to see that shit in something purple.

Lil Q’s head snapped in my direction, and he snatched the phone off the cord. I reached over and yanked the phone out of his hand while Jameera cackled in the backseat.

“Hurry up and get me out of this car,” Lil Q demanded as we pulled onto Jameera’s street.

“Bae, take me back home. I can’t even look at her,” he complained.

“I got you,” Jameera confirmed as we pulled into her driveway.

Lil Q hopped out of the car before I could put it in park.

“Thank you for the ride home, Mama Marissa. I hope your trip to Miami was as much fun as I think it was.”

“Get away from my car, Jameera.”

She laughed, closing the door. Lil Q leaned back in the car, glaring at me. “Are you on birth control and using condoms? It’s better to be safe than pregnant.” He mocked me in his best girly voice.

“I’m going through perimenopause!” I opened my mouth to reply, but he slammed the door in my face. While sitting in the driveway watching them enter the house, I opened Yaseer’s text to reply.

Me: A medium will fit.

Yaseer: When are you going to carve time in your busy schedule for me? I’ll move my shit around for you. Just give me the time and I’ll pick you up.

Me: I have so much going on this week. I don’t want you to think I’m giving you the cold shoulder. I just have to free some time up.

Yaseer: I’m going to hold you to that.

Me: I hope you have a great rest of your day.

Yaseer: You too.

I dropped the phone in the cupholder and backed out of the parking lot. Life was definitely coming at me fast.