Page 26 of Giving Him Something He Can Feel

Chapter Ten

Jovie

When I woke up this morning, Cartier was already gone but had gotten me decaf coffee and a croissant to start my day.

It was sitting on the island waiting on me, still warm.

Instead of staying in the house like I so badly wanted to, I got up and got myself together.

If nothing else, I needed to go to my suite and get some type of work done.

I couldn’t be one of those pregnant bitches that let pregnancy take over their whole damn life.

The only thing I hated is that Cartier had to live all the way in the damn boondocks, so the convenience wasn’t there.

It was literally a forty-five minute to one hour drive into the city, then at a certain time the drive was easily two hours.

Shit was sick and I knew he felt it too, even though he loved his place.

When I arrived at my spot, my assistant was already there working, and she had samples on my desk for me to look at.

That’s what I loved about Alicia, she had hella work ethic which meant she got shit done.

I was a few hours into my day when she knocked on the door and let me know I had a visitor. I wasn’t expecting anyone and per Cartier’s last text he was meeting up with somebody before he came to me, so immediately my face contoured into a frown showing my confusion.

“Who is it?”

“He said he’s your father, Jo.”

Now I was really thrown for a loop because that had to be wrong. The only man I remotely called my father was in the ground, so who the fuck was out there playing games and why.

I nodded. “Send him in. ”

She nodded, then opened the door fully and stepped back. Low and behold, there stood Thorn. My mama’s husband, my auntie’s husband and my sperm donor. Not a motherfucking soul could make me call that nigga daddy, because he was no such thing. Nigga was a bum.

“What are you doing here, Thorn?” Yep, we were on first name basis.

“I came to uhh?—”

“Nope…nope …nope. Why are you really here?”

“I wanted to talk to you about the family and everything that’s going on.

” Now that looked sincere because it wasn’t about me nor did his family involve me.

His family consisted of him, his wife, and her two kids that he didn’t father, but took care of.

Grown ass bums now. Last I heard Al had a gambling problem and Phoebe had about three kids while still living with them.

“And why would you want to talk to me about your family, Thorn?” I had no patience for the beating around the bush. “I don’t have all da?—”

“We’re broke and drowning in debt. I lost my job a few months ago and uh I ne?—”

“You need money. From me.” I finished his statement for him in disbelief.

"He didn't leave anybody anything. He left it all to you. Don't you care about how anyone else is?” he saw how unmoved I was, so now he was trying to play to my emotions.

I laughed to myself, looking at this pathetic ass excuse of a man standing before me. How he knew where to find me was beyond me, but the audacity of him to find his way in my face asking for money was the absolute craziest. "Excuse me?"

"Look, baby girl the last thing I want to do is be standing here asking you for money, or anything but I'm here and we're in trouble. Now I know I haven't always been right an?—"

"Ever."

He looked at me like he was confused at what I said.

"Ever. You haven't ever been right. It's crazy that you can come in here and ask me for money to help yourfamily butcouldn't pick up a phone and even see how I was doing over the years.

As a matter of fact,you couldn't even call me for a fucking birthday, but here you are.

When my mother died, you took thatinsurancecheck and married her fucking sister right after dropping me off on my grandfather's front porch.

You abandoned me, your own flesh and fucking blood years ago, but now you've got the audacity to stand here, in my fucking office and ask me.

.. no expect me to give a damn about you and your family. When did you give a damn about me?"

He stood there, dumbfounded lookingeverywhere, but at me.

"Right and you still don't give a damn. You're just here to beg for her."

"I just need time with you, baby girl. Let me make this ri?—"

"Deeds already done.When I neededafather,youweren'tthere. You were a father to my cousins, while my pop pop had to step up. God rest his soul. The fact still stands though. You ain't getting a dime out of me. You nor her."

He looked at me for a while before he shook his head and walked back out of thedoor.

"Aye, homiedon'tbring yo' ass 'round hereno more, either. Shit ain't necessary." Cartier's voice made me look up. I didn't even know he was here, or how long he had been here.

He stepped through the threshold, shaking his head. "Motherfuckers ‘round here feigningto get in them pockets."

I laughed. "Sholl is. It's sad, too."

"Ain't sad at all. Niggas will be niggas baby."

I nodded because he was right. "How is your shoulder?"

"Not too bad today. That oily ass massage you gave me last night did the work."

"It was. Now why were you picking me up again?" Earlier he insisted on picking up my car, and then picking me up when I finished work. It was all suspicious to me, but I didn'tfight him on it. I was too busy working on a retirementevent to pay him much attention .

"Cause one, I dropped your car off to get an oil change, and two we gotta go look at something."

"Look at what, Cartier? What are you up to?" I glanced at him attempting to see through the blank expression he offered.

"You ready to go, or not. I'm double parked down there. If a motherfucker hits my car that shit is on you."

I shook my head. "None of that is my fault. Why on earth would you even double park on a one way?"

"BecauseIexpectedyour egghead ass to be ready when I got up here." He walked over and grabbed my tote, and lunch bag. Then like the true asshole I knew him to be, he went and stood next to the door.

"Do I rush you?" I gathered the few loose items that I planned on taking with me.

"Look,all I'm tryna do is feed you and make shit easier for us. Now, we gotta get up outta here,becauseI planned thisshit aroundyou getting off work.”

“Planned what around me getting off?”

“Jovie.” His impatient ass growled my name like I was annoying him.

“Fine.” I opted out of challenging him and walked toward the door. After everything was locked up, we were headed to his car. Lately he felt like being a gentleman, so of course he opened the door for me to get in and closed it before heading on his side.

“I’d give all this money back to have one more day with my pop pop,” I admitted aloud. Instead of looking at him, I kept my eyes ahead.

“I know.” I felt his eyes on me almost as fast as his hand landed on my thigh. “He knows that too.”

I turned in his direction. “You think so?”

“More than you know. He didn’t leave you the money to replace him, but to ensure that you were good. To make sure you were taken care of and you never needed to depend on a soul.”

“I know, it’s just so weird not having any?—”

“Nope, you got us. We’re a lil’ family and I’m working on securing just that.”

“And that means?” Just that fast I was attempting to read between the lines on just what the hell he was saying.

“What do you think about moving in together?” he kept his eyes on the road awaiting my response.

“Don’t we already kind of live together?”

“Somewhat, but I mean officially and in the city.” His eyes found their way to me again. He was trying to gauge my reaction.

“Why in the city, I like being out in the burbs.”

He laughed knowing I was being sarcastic. “I’m for real man.”

“Plus, we can just stay at my place. In your picky ass opinion it may be a little small, b?—”

“Exactly. Shit is small, and just enough space for you. We’re ‘bout to have a youngin’, which means we need space, space shorty.”

“Okay.”

“That’s a yeah you’re moving in with me or a yeah you’re right baby daddy?”

“Both nigga, damn. You love being right.”

He chuckled, before turning his music back up. For the remainder of the ride we just vibed to his music both exploring our own thoughts on opposite sides of the car.

“This is nice.” I walked through the empty spacious condo. I had to give it to Cartier. He definitely knew how to pick out a place.

“So is this the one or do you want to keep looking?” His voice behind me made me turn around.

We locked eyes briefly before I turned back around taking in the space. “It's beautiful, but what do we need four bedrooms for?”

“Life.” He had this stupid smirk on his face that said more than his lips did.

“I mean, I guess I could turn one of the bedrooms into my office and you may need an office as well.

I like it. I think it's sexy.” By this time I had turned back around, and I was taking in the view.

We were above the clouds, and something about that was peaceful and not at all scary like I imagined when he first said it on the elevator.

When I turned back around, he was looking at me. Gone was the stupid smirk, it was replaced by this look in his eyes that I couldn’t place.

“Is this what you want?” I know he had initiated this, but I had to ask him. Sometimes life had this way of going so fast that nobody ever decided to put the brakes on until it was too late.

“Why wouldn't it be? This was my idea, right?”

“Yeah, but the last thing I want is for you to feel pressured into something just because we have a child on the way.” I was being honest.

“Shit, the only person who should be pressured is you. You know how long I wanted this? How long I wanted you. Jovie, this shit has been the plan since before you ever let me between yo’ legs.”

I couldn't help the smile that formed at my lips. He always knew what to say. That was like his superpower.

“Talking about pressure, do you know what the hell I did to get you into the spaces that I got you in?”