Page 27 of A Million Boss Kisses

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Marissa Bentley

O utside of a few texts and our nightly phone calls, I hadn’t made much of an effort to see Yaseer.

I couldn’t tell you whether it was accidental or intentional.

What I did know is I missed his handsome face.

He kept offering to take me out daily, but between getting everything planned for Lil Q’s homecoming, then I was in the hair salon all day yesterday getting my hair braided, and everything in between, I was exhausted at the end of the day.

Today was the big day, and I woke up in a good mood, ready to get all of this shit over with.

I did a quick once over in the mirror, admiring the green and gold baseball jersey with Quincy’s name and number on the back, the gold biker shorts that hugged my thighs, and the pair of green and white Nike Dunks on my feet.

My braids were pulled back in a ponytail to keep them off my shoulders in the heat.

I looked good and was ready to head out, my metallic gold Chanel bag swinging from my shoulder and a pair of Chanel cat eye glasses on my face to complete the look.

Jury and Tech were already outside before I made it downstairs. Lil Q went to get a haircut before the game and was meeting us there. My car was getting detailed for Lil Q to drive tonight, so I was riding with them since they were the closest to me.

“Ow! Ow! Mama Marissa coming to the baseball field to steal all of the attention,” Jury chortled, then rolled her window back up.

I slipped into the backseat of Tech’s truck feeling lovely.

When we made it to the game, Girl Quori, and Boy Corey were already in the stands.

We used to try to call them Q and C when they were in the same room, or else it was a struggle for them to differentiate who you were talking to.

That only lasted for so long because Lil Q was sometimes called Q by my side of the family so he would think we were talking to him.

Now it was just Girl Quori and Boy Corey to keep the confusion down when everyone was around.

Vez, Girl Quori’s husband, was sitting next to her with his mom and her best friend beside them.

The sun was on my ass the second I stepped out of the truck, so I already had my purple handheld fan on full blast.

“Y’all just missed Quincy. He said that the coach told him that he already had two scouts here to speak with him. They been asking about his swing mechanics,” Vez informed us.

“For real? It’s only Fall Ball. A lil intrasquad scrimmage,” Tech asserted.

“Well, you know, after that video went viral, there were so many people coming out to defend his stance,” Vez clarified.

“I knew he looked familiar,” Tech snapped his head in my direction.

“SHHHHHH!” I placed my finger to my lips because I knew exactly what he was referring to.

Tech’s eyes narrowed in on me, and I turned away to avoid any further comments.

Then my heart felt like it sank to my feet.

Yaseer rounded the corner in tailored slacks and a crisp white button up, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and the top few buttons undone, just enough to tease the top of his chest tattoo that I was formally acquainted with.

Amill and Wayne were behind him. He scanned the bleachers until his eyes landed on me.

They came in our direction, and I wanted to melt into a puddle.

Yaseer walked with that slow, powerful stride like he knew he was that nigga, and that confidence lit something up in me.

Yaseer climbed to the section of the bleachers, and I stood, wrapping my arms around him. I remained in his arms longer than I intended because the embrace and his familiar scent had me spent. “You wanted to play games, so I had to fit myself into your schedule.”

“You are truly too much,” I blushed.

“Hey Marissa,” Amill greeted me with a hug.

I turned to my family and offered introductions. Everyone was receptive and I was thankful for that. Yaseer sat next to me, and Amill and Wayne sat in front of us.

“I missed you,” I whispered, laying my head on his shoulder.

“I missed you, too. I wasn’t going another day without seeing that smile. People love saying that you make time for what you want, but I also believe sometimes you gotta insert yourself in a motha fuckas life if you trying to solidify your position.”

Yaseer’s words made me blush and feel guilty at the same time. “I promise I’m going to make time for you moving forward. Every day if you let me.”

“I’ll let you,” he confirmed.

I bit into my bottom lip and lifted my head off his shoulder as the coach went to the middle of the field to thank everyone for coming out and got the scrimmage started. Halfway through the game, Yaseer pulled me closer.

“You said you’d make time every day and that starts tonight. Where do you want to go to dinner after this? I know you have to see your son off, but afterwards. You been running from me all week.”

“I haven’t been running from you. It’s been a busy week.”

“I see, you had time to get your hair braided. I love this shit on you,” he complimented, exhaling slow and deep like he was trying to keep himself in check.

“Thank you,” I bubbled. “I can’t do dinner tonight. I have caterers at my place, and we are all going there for dinner after this. However, you and Amill can join us.”

“I’d love that.”

Lil Q and Jameera came around the corner.

His arm draped over her shoulder, and she gripped her hand in his.

They were smitten with each other, and anybody with eyes could see it.

They approached us and I introduced them to Yaseer before they claimed their seats.

Lil Q’s eyes lingered on him for a few seconds before Jameera pulled him to the row in front of us.

They sat next to Amill and Wayne, and it took no time for the girls to start chatting, leaving Lil Q free to keep looking back at me.

Yaseer suddenly stood and raised his hand, waving a young man in a pair of slacks and a coral button up shirt over to us. I noticed the blue and white box with green cursive letters sprawled across the front.

“Yaseer,” I squealed, gently tapping my feet and clapping my hands in excitement.

“The cake you requested, Mr. Haynes,” the young man greeted him once he reached us in the bleachers.

Yaseer took the cake and pulled the top open to examine it.

“Good looking, Ellis. You passed your first week trial. I’ll have Gina send you the offer letter and compensation for the week. By Monday, you will have your company issued phone and laptop. I appreciate this,” Yaseer smiled, extending his hands in his direction.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Haynes. I promise you won’t be let down,” Ellis grinned, shaking his hand.

“Now that you’re hired, call me, Yaseer. You can head home. I don’t need anything else today. Enjoy your Saturday.”

“Of course. You guys have an amazing evening,” Ellis waved at us before taking off.

His smile was bright enough to light up the universe.

Matching the one I wore at the sight of the cake.

I didn’t even get to enjoy the previous cake due to Lil Q’s tantrum.

Yaseer knew about that and promised he’d get a cake for me before the week was over.

I told him that wasn’t necessary and moved on.

The bakery that made this little slice of heaven was in Miami.

I never thought he’d really go through the trouble.

“Thank you,” I smiled as he sat the box next to me.

Lil Q was mean mugging us from his seat, but I was silently ignoring it until Tech questioned it. We continued enjoying the game until Yaseer excused himself to take a phone call. Amill and Wayne went to the concession stand leaving us alone.

“Why the hell you mugging them like that?” Tech questioned Lil Q lowly, but I still heard it.

“Y’all don’t understand. She know she shouldn’t have brought him here, man. Ion like what the fuck ever they got going on,” he griped, leaning up so he could whisper to them.

“Lil Q!” I cut him off before he could get started telling my business.

“They already know,” he informed me before continuing the rest of his statement at a lower volume. “That’s the same cake that had a dick print on it in her car. Nah man. He gotta stay the fuck away from my mama,” he told them.

“So you already told them my business?”

“I had to vent to somebody, and Quincy was in class,” he retorted.

Everybody laughed and Jury mushed his head. “Mama gotta have a life too,” Jury joked.

“That’s exactly what I told him. Let mama have her fun.” Jameera cut in.

“Please, y’all stop. Don’t embarrass me. I actually like him,” I admitted.

“If he is going to stick around, he’s going to have to get used to our family,” Girl Quori chimed in.

Our family. It was wild how I ended up getting to know all of Quinten’s other children before him.

I had originally moved to Tampa to escape my marital problems, which began when I discovered Girl Quori, Tech, and Boy Corey, and to be close to Quincy while he was in college.

When I found out Quinten’s other kids lived here too, I was a little ruffled at first because of what went down at the family reunion, but they quickly stepped up to the plate.

They built a bond with my boys, and that mattered more than anything.

Now that we weren’t near Quinten’s family in Miami or my own in Jacksonville, my sons needed consistent older male figures in their lives more than ever.

I loved Tech before I really got to know him because it brought me so much joy to hear about how he wheeled Troy into the pool while I was busy fighting with Quinten.

My biggest regret about that day was that I missed seeing Troy almost drown.

His care and consideration for my boys had us locked in for life.

This was our family, and this was my fresh start, and I was prepared to fully embrace it.