Heeyyyoooooo! Finally back and goin' in for another installment of this story!
Let me just start by apologizing for the long delay. College… in a summary, is a bitch. Seriously. I've had no time to do ANYTHING. Yes, lame excuse, I know. But it's the honest truth. I sincerely apologize for the wait, and can't begin to say how touched I am that I still have my supporters reading the story and sending me messages. You guys keep me on the straight and narrow and always give me a reason to come back better than ever!
As always, I dearly must thank these wonderful reviewers:
taydo-the-potato, razzberry96, ladyrere1985, bunnybabe247, Lilylove, Julie-the-One, LovinHueyFreeman, Kluvly, janiyah, joice xoxboubou xox, kbreezy00, DeLorean Hedgehog, jazzyhue20, Jor-El Smith, Skeeterdayz, Jazavelli, shugosailormewmewz21, Guest, EDTHE3RD, tifflike2besweet, and sam4life.
Also, special shout-outs to razzberry96, ladyrere1985, MoneytheChef, blueminxcat, and taydo-the-potato for their endearing messages to check up on me and kick my ass in gear :)
Sooo what's good in the hood? Hope everyone has been doing well in my absence! Try to hang in there guys, only a few weeks left til summer has officially started! Mine has at least, so y'all have 3-4 months of updates to look forward to! ;)
It seems like most of you enjoyed last chapter, which is great to know :) But what's gonna happen this time? This week? Maybe handle a lil business? Maybe tell a few more peeps about the news? Anything's possible! Let's get to it ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks or any of his characters.
"Do CPR!"
"…Riley, wake up!"
"Yeah, I'm not sure yelling at him is going to help, Granddad. How do you not know CPR?"
"I tried to learn CPR, but they wouldn't let me... because I was black!"
"What?"
"Oh sure, nowadays y'all can just run around and learn CPR whenever y'all want to. Just go around savin' lives, resuscitatin' each other willy-nilly. But when I was a young man, it used to be against the law to teach colored folks CPR, okay?!"
"…Man, that's not true!"
Robert Jebediah Freeman (AKA Granddad) & Huey Freeman; The Itis
Week 6
Wednesday, July 25
Riley's POV
"Reez… aye… Reezy… Freeman, wake UP!"
"Yo!" Riley startled with a jump, whipping his head over to his co-worker who was seemed to be suddenly beside him. "Man, what?!" He snapped, his heart still racing.
"I been callin' yo name one too many times, dammit!" Red shot back, glaring at him impatiently. "Lemme see your gun, mine ain't working right."
"Then go get a new one from the back, dumbass." Riley grumbled, but didn't object as Red lifted the tattoo gun from his desk anyway.
Red didn't reply as he briefly observed the gun in his hands, then glanced back carefully at Riley, his eyes suspicious. "The fuck is up witchu today, nigga?"
"I don't know what you're talkin' about." Came Riley's immediate response before he turned his head from him, lifted his pencil, and glanced down at the paper in front of him… which was blank.
What was he working on again?
"My nigga. You been starin' out into space for the past twenty minutes." Red deadpanned.
"Yo bitch-ass lyin'." Riley bit back defensively.
"Yo bitch-ass is in denial!"
"Yo bitch-ass is ready to get beat, you don't back the hell out my face!" Riley challenged angrily, already at his limit.
"HEY." The boys stopped at Dean's authoritative voice, turning to see him come to a stop beside them.
"We've got customers, knock it off now." He uttered through his teeth. "Red, get your ass back over to the guy you're working on." He ordered. Red rolled his eyes and glared again at Riley before walking off. Dean then turned to focus more on him. "And what the hell are you doing, Reez?"
"I ain't got no customers to do right now. I'm working on designs." Riley muttered evenly.
"Are you?" Dean raised an eyebrow, noticing the blank page on his desk. His eyes narrowed when he didn't get an answer. "I don't know what's going on with you, but you've been actin' off for the past week. If there's something I need to know, tell me now."
Riley managed to make eye contact with him again and almost cringed. It took a lot to piss off Dean, and unfortunately, that's how he looked at the moment. Not that Riley could really blame him. He had been off his game for going on two weeks now. With everything going on with the girls, the news about the pregnancies, and the reality of him being a dad soon swirling through his head, he'd definitely not been focused on his work. And he still hadn't told Dean. But now wasn't the time.
"Uh… I'm good, man. Just… got a headache." Riley shrugged sheepishly. Not a total lie.
Dean eyed him dubiously before shaking his head. "Take an aspirin and get back to work."
"Got it." Riley mumbled, sliding off his stool as he started to pass Dean. "Bathroom." He supplied.
"Really though?"
"Be right back." Riley didn't look back as he hurriedly left the store. He didn't even want to see the look he was probably getting from his boss. But that was just a minor thing compared to the major shit going on in his life. Something very major happening tomorrow to be exact, which would definitely explain his behavior at work today.
Riley wasn't even thinking about the restroom as he came to a familiar section of the mall. His steps slowed as he walked into the entrance of the gym, his eyes immediately scanning for his girlfriend.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Riley grimaced before he slowly turned his head to the right, spotting Cindy's boss. "Sup, Frank?"
Frank raised a brow. "Sup with you? This is the fourth time I've seen you today alone."
"Damn, is that a problem?" Riley shrugged innocently.
"Why do you keep coming to check on Cindy?" Frank demanded. "She's working."
"I know that, nigga!" Riley snipped. His focus switched from Frank to Cindy as he spotted her near the weight machines. "And I ain't checkin' on her. I'm here cuz she my girl." Riley brushed off as he started to approach her.
"Bull. What does that have to do with anything? And yes you are!" Frank replied, following behind him.
Dammit!
Riley spotted Cindy with the same trainees he saw her with earlier: the Henderson brothers; Four guys that had been coming to train with her almost twice every week. There was Donovan, the oldest brother and leader, Kyran, the youngest and laziest, Cole, the sometimes show-offy musclehead, and Blake, the occasional hothead (but never with Cindy anymore).
"Nice, guys. Five more reps… and one extra for you, Ky. You think I didn't notice that you skipped that last one?" Cindy smirked as the boy groaned from his leg curl bench.
"After this," Blake panted, taking his time between reps from his chest press machine. "Can we… go a… few rounds in the ring?"
Riley noticed Cindy's expression falter slightly. Then she glanced over, spotting Riley and meeting his gaze. She looked surprised for a moment, but recovered quickly as she cleared her throat.
"Umm, actually I was thinking that you guys could just take turns together in the ring. You and Don can go first." She smiled.
"Aw man, I didn't wanna go with his lame-ass." Donovan complained. "I wanna go with someone who can actually challenge me."
"Then I'll put you up against Cole." Cindy countered smoothly.
"That's what I'm talkin' about." Cole snickered.
"No!" Donovan objected.
"Damn, what's that say about you, Blake?" Kyran smirked, finishing his reps.
"I'm a challenge in the ring too." He practically pouted. "Come on, McPhearson. Why can't everyone have a turn against everyone and then against you?"
"Because she SAID so!" The boys jumped at Riley's loud answer.
"Reezy." Cindy scolded him through her teeth.
"Damn, whatchu doin' back again, bro?" Donovan asked easily.
"Yeah, isn't this like your fourth or somethin' time?" Blake added.
"Can you excuse us for a moment?" Cindy gave them a forced smile before marching over and pushing Riley a decent distance away to a secluded corner.
"What are you doing back here?" She whisper-snapped.
"What does it look like I'm doin' back here, girl?" He gave her a look.
"I'm taking it easy, Riley. You can go now."
"I don't want your ass boxing in that ring."
"I'm not going to!"
"You cannot be gettin' hurt."
"I won't, but you've gotta relax!"
"You know how I feel about you bein' here right now. I don't know how much longer we can-"
"What are you two doing?" Riley and Cindy shut up and turned to see Frank approaching them.
"Uhh, just talking." Cindy supplied with a smile.
"On the job?" He gave her a look.
"It's my bad." Riley told him.
Frank looked between both of them before his eyes settled on Cindy again. "Is there something either of you want to tell me?"
Riley glanced down at Cindy. Damn, both of their bosses were on them today. He knew it was only a matter of time. But maybe they could hold off for just one more—
"I'm pregnant."
Riley's eyes widened in surprise. He definitely wasn't expecting her to blurt it out now. He turned to look at Frank, who definitely looked as surprised as Riley.
"You are?" Cindy nodded. "But… when? I mean, when did you find this out, how long are you-"
"I've only known for about a week." Cindy interrupted him gently. "I'm fine for right now. And I can still work… definitely. I don't want to lose my job. I'm still able to work as long as I'm careful and don't go overboard."
Frank still seemed speechless as he just looked at Cindy, as if it was the first time he was really seeing her. She was wearing black sweats and an extra-large green shirt. It had actually been an old one of Riley's, but she had cut it into one of those off-the-shoulder tops to give it a more feminine appearance. And even though it did, the shirt was still very baggy; it didn't adhere to the curves of her torso, which was becoming more prominent by the day. She didn't have a bump or anything yet, but Riley could definitely tell that she was getting thicker. Quickly. It was crazy.
"I just… can't even believe that." Frank slowly shook his head, his eyes now fixated on her stomach.
"I can work, Frank. Really." Cindy said again, giving him a pleading look.
"As long as she takes it easy." Riley reminded her. Cindy rolled her eyes at him, but nodded. Frank finally looked up at her. He was silent for a moment before he spoke.
"You're damn right, you're gonna take it easy. You're not about to get hurt on my watch."
Cindy beamed before stepping forward to embrace him in a hug. "Thank you." She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Congratulations, Cin." Frank smiled, patting her back. "But listen, you gotta tell me if you're ever in any sort of pain, discomfort, anything. If you need to take a break or some time off, consider it done." He told her seriously after he pulled away.
"I definitely will. And thank you."
"And you know that if she won't, I will." Riley smirked.
"I'm pretty sure I already know that." Frank laughed. Then he held out a hand. "Congrats, dad."
Riley chuckled before reaching out to shake it. "Thanks, man."
"Say whaaaat?"
The three turned to see Kyran behind Frank, his jaw dropped as he glanced between them all.
"Um, I was just walking by on my way to get the boxing equipment, and I coulda sworn I just heard you say the word 'dad' to him." He explained, the shock still written on his face. Frank just smirked at him before shrugging innocently.
"Whaaaat?" Kyran's jaw dropped again in a smile. "You're gonna be a dad?!"
"Shhh, don't make a deal about it." Cindy shushed him with a smile.
"Yo, I heard the 'whaaaat' from across the room, what's up?" Cole asked, practically sliding into view. "And did you say somethin' about bein' a dad?"
"He's gonna be a dad." Kyran pointed to Riley, who gave him a look.
"You're gonna be a dad?" Cole's eyes widened. Then they shot over to Cindy. "You're PREGNANT?"
"Shhhh!" Riley and Cindy both hissed.
"Who's pregnant?" Donovan and Blake both asked at the same time as they came over.
"Oh hell." Riley rolled his eyes.
"Cindy's pregnant!" Cole answered.
"WHAT?!" Both boys exclaimed.
"Don't any of you start causing a scene-eep!" Cindy laughed as she was suddenly crowded by all four boys as they took turns hugging her while asking a barrage of questions. Riley and Frank both chuckled in amusement.
"I'm gonna get back to work." Frank said, about to walk off.
"Yeah, you and me both." Riley nodded. "But aye… watch her like a hawk." He told him seriously.
"You know it." Frank fist-bumped him before parting. Riley grinned as he walked closer to the huddle.
"Sorry to break this up, but…." He smirked as he trailed off.
"Look at this guy," Donovan grinned, pounding him on the back.
"Bout to be a dad and all." Cole added, quickly giving him a light ruffle on his head.
"Aye! Watch the hair, nigga!" Riley nudged him as he adjusted his snapback, ignoring the snickers of the others. Cindy was still giggling as she stepped forward.
"Thank you boys, for doing exactly what I told you not to do and causing a scene." She blushed with a smile as they laughed; no doubt every gym member in their radius had heard and was giving them curious looks. "But we've gotta get back to work. And so do you, Reez."
"I'm boutta bounce now. I'll be back in a few hours."
"Don't even trip, we'll take care of her til then." Donovan assured.
"Great, now I've got five pairs of eyes on me while you're gone." Cindy pretended to huff.
"The more the better." Riley grinned before leaning down to give her a peck on the lips. "I'll pick you up in a little while." He told her quietly when he pulled back slightly.
"'Kay." Cindy agreed before kissing his lips one last time.
Riley smirked and brushed her chin with his thumb. "Later, baby moms." He said before starting to walk away.
"BYE, DAD!" The Hendersons called back without missing a beat, causing Cindy to crack up.
"I hate you all!" Riley shouted back but couldn't help but laugh while he received many stares from other people, even a few congratulations.
Riley was glad that Frank took the news so well. He knew it had been eating away at Cindy, who was so nervous he was going to put her on leave. His reaction was something that Riley needed to see today.
It was time to tell Dean.
Riley nodded as he watched Dean's reaction, very similar to Frank's as his jaw was hanging open. Almost the moment Riley got back to the shop, he asked to speak with him privately in his office. It was a good thing too because he thought he had been ready to get bitch-slapped by the man, he looked so fed up with him. Riley knew it was time to come clean.
"She's pregnant, Reez?" He asked again.
"Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are." Riley told him, folding his arms on Dean's desk.
"Damn…. I'm sorry I've been on you this week, man."
"No homo."
"Shut up." Dean smirked. "Now that I know why you've been out of it... that's understandable. Why'd you wait to tell me now, dumbass?" He gave him a grin, whacking his arm.
"Easy. And we've only known for about a week and a half."
"Do you know what you're gonna do or have a plan or anything?" Dean asked.
"Well, my family is gonna help us as much as they can, you know. But for me, I think I'm gonna try and make my studio a reality, man." Riley explained.
"Yeah?" Dean smiled. "Good for you, Reez. I know you've been wanting to do that for a while now."
"I have. And it's time." Riley shrugged. "I actually have a big meeting tomorrow morning. I'm gonna try to get this bank loan so I can get my place and start working on it as soon as possible."
"For real? Damn, no wonder you've been out of it today."
"You have no idea." Riley rolled his eyes. "It has to go well, D. I don't know what I'mma do if they don't approve me for it…. Maybe rob a bank." Riley nodded his head as he thought of all the bank heists Ed and Rummy had done. He could probably get away with it.
"Let's save that as a last resort." Dean chuckled. "And as long as you're relaxed and genuine and honest about what you want to do with the money, the loaners should have no reason to deny you. It'll go fine."
"I hope so."
"And listen, if you ever need anything… you or Cindy… you know I'll do what I can to help."
Riley cracked a small smile as he stared back at the man, then reached to lift his hand to his. "Thanks, man."
"No problem." Dean stood as he clasped Riley's hand and pulled him up into a light bro-hug across the desk.
"Aiight, that's more than enough gayness for one day." Riley announced, slapping Dean's back one last time before pulling away.
"Shut the hell up." Dean chuckled, shoving his shoulder as he started to come around his desk. "I pray you have a girl. Daddies can't be afraid of a little gayness when their baby girls wanna play dress up, paint nails, play with make-up…."
"Fuck you." Riley laughed as they started to near the door. He paused when he reached it. "Hey, can we not discuss anything outside of here? I really ain't in the mood for Red to find out about it yet."
"Understandable." Dean grinned. "And sure. You know he'll put your ass on blast once he knows."
"I know. That's why I'm tryna delay it for as long as possible." Riley rolled his eyes as opened the door. He didn't even make it two steps out before Red literally jumped out in front of him from around the corner.
"YOUR GIRL'S PREGNANT?!" He exclaimed, loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear.
"The fuck?!" Riley exploded. Red looked to be in shock while he held a square black object up to his ear.
"What the hell is that?" Dean growled, fixated on the object as well.
"I tapped your office." Red supplied easily, dropping the receiver from his ear and sliding it down into his pocket. "But for real Reez, you just weren't gonna tell me? What kinda shit is that?! Here I thought we were homies. But naw, apparently not! According to you, I gotta go and hear it through my damn spy gear. I can't even believe your ass!" Red ranted, crossing his arms and glaring at him.
Riley slowly turned to Dean, who had stepped away from the doorframe and over to his closet. He swiftly returned holding his Louisville Slugger out to Riley.
"After you, Reez."
"Aw shit!" Red hissed before fleeing.
"COME HERE!"
Cindy's POV
"Okay, silly girl." Cindy chuckled as she tucked Jamilah into bed. "You have been running around this house like a crazy person. You need to get some sleep."
"But I'm not tired." Jamilah objected with a smile, wiggling under the covers.
"Oh really?" Cindy humored her with a raised eyebrow. Jamilah nodded enthusiastically. "Miss Sanders said that somebody practically refused to take a nap at daycare today."
"Wasn't me!" Jamilah replied as she threw the covers over her head. Cindy laughed before pulling them down again.
"Mmm-hmm." She grinned. "You've been up all day, little miss. You need to rest."
"But I don't feel sleepy."
"Try for me." Cindy smiled. "Close those pretty eyes."
Jamilah sighed, but listened anyway. "Will you take a nap with me, Aunt Cindy?" She mumbled, her eyes still closed.
Damn, if that doesn't sound good. Cindy thought instantly. She was probably just as tired as Jamilah, if not more.
"Mila, I'd love to. But I've gotta go check on your Uncle Reezy for a few minutes. Maybe I'll be back in a little while to cuddle with you though. Okay?"
"…Mhm." Jamilah barely got out.
Cindy smiled as she leaned down to kiss her head. "Sleep tight, sweetheart." She whispered before she rose from the bed and walked to the door, turning out the light before she slipped out.
Because it was Wednesday, Riley and Cindy had picked Jamilah up from daycare after work. It had been a long day; Cindy was physically and even emotionally drained by the end of work from all the attention and questions, not just from the boys but from other random members of the gym. Riley had gotten a write-up warning from one of the mall cops; apparently it was frowned upon to chase someone around the mall with a baseball bat, although Cindy didn't see the big deal. After they'd left to pick up Jamilah and gone home, they ate dinner before entertaining and playing with the hyper young child. However, Cindy had noticed that Riley was more withdrawn today than usual, so she had taken over as the main babysitter.
She was thoughtful as she walked down the hallway to their room. She knew Riley was stressed. Probably more than anything worried. The meeting with the bank loaners was early tomorrow morning, and Riley had been looking over papers and material all afternoon in between spending time with Jamilah. He needed to unwind.
Cindy slowly pushed open the bedroom door, peeking in. Just as she suspected, Riley sat at his desk, laptop in front of him while he sorted through papers in his hands. Cindy walked in and quietly made her way behind him.
"Hey, you." She said, sliding her hands onto his shoulders and rubbing them.
"Hey, babe." Riley answered distractedly, glancing up from the papers for half a second to glance back at her.
"Reez, you are tense. You've gotta stop stressing about this."
"I ain't though." Cindy rolled her eyes at his typical answer. "But would you mind reading over this for me? Make sure it sounds good and that there are no mistakes and all that shit?" He asked.
"Sure." Cindy stepped around him to sit down on his lap. "What is it?"
"My executive summary for what I wanna do with the money." Riley replied, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling up the file on Word. "This is my last thing that I'm working on. I've already got my resumé, my cover letter, the application, and Granddad's making me copies of our tax returns and financial statements."
"And you're sure that you don't want him to go with you tomorrow?" Cindy asked out of curiosity.
"We talked about it, but in the end I decided no. It's something I've gotta handle on my own." He shrugged as Cindy nodded. "I just want to make sure that everything looks good."
"Looks fine to me so far." Cindy said, her eyes quickly scanning down the document. "You put in a lot of work on this, Reez." She commented quietly, noticing the proper paragraph style with indents, margins, proper spacing, and even good grammar.
"I tried to." Riley mumbled, brushing his lips against her bare shoulder before planting a kiss. Cindy giggled as she continued to scroll through briefly. "Aye, are you reading? There's no way you done with that page that quick." Riley voiced, glancing at her.
"I'm skimming."
"I don't want you to skim, I want you to read it, girl."
"How do you expect me to read if you keep doing what you're doing?" She challenged with a grin.
"What? What am I doing?" Riley chuckled, seeming confused.
Cindy shook her head. He still didn't fully understand the effect he had on her. The nuzzling, the way he gently caressed the side of her hip, just his presence around her alone made her stomach produce butterflies.
"Everything." Cindy finally answered before standing and repositioning herself so that she was straddled facing him in his lap.
"Bay, I wanted you to read that for me." Riley complained with a smirk as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I'll really read it later, I promise. But you need to take a break."
"You got any ideas?" He muttered coyly, trailing his hands slowly down her back. Cindy bit her lip lightly before shifting herself closer on him. Riley glanced down at her lips before bringing his to hers in a sweet kiss. Cindy grinned into it before sliding her tongue into his mouth, teasing him playfully as she ran her fingers through his rows. A moan came from the back of his throat before he pulled back and put his lips to her left ear.
"Baby, I've gotta work." He whispered before nibbling on her lobe. Cindy shivered delightfully.
"Break time." She retorted, tilting her head as he kisses trailed down her neck.
"Quit… distracting me…." He mumbled, starting to suck on the sensitive area above her collarbone. It was enough to drive Cindy insane. This time she was the one who pulled back from him, trying to keep a poker face. She willed herself not to crack when he looked slightly surprised as she rose from his lap. As if she was gonna actually listen to him.
Ha.
"Jamilah is finally down for her nap." Cindy began casually, raising an eyebrow at him as she sauntered away from him slowly. "She's out like a light. Definitely gone for at least an hour… maybe two…." She cast a look over her shoulder as she neared the bed. Oh, his eyes were definitely on her.
"Which means," She continued, clutching the waistline of her sweats and shimmying them down her legs.
"That I would love for you to take a break," She paused to pull her shirt over her head and let it fall to the floor.
"And let me," She pulled the band from her hair before ruffling her long, wavy locks. Then she glanced back over her shoulder again.
"Relax you." She smirked, standing there left in her pink lacey thong and zebra-print bra.
It took a lot for her to do, as far as confidence was concerned. She was more than aware that her body was rapidly changing already. Her boobs seemed larger than normal (plus) while her stomach continued to grow (NOT). No bump, but definitely packed… almost bulged slightly. Cindy was not happy about it, nor had she felt sexy in the past week. But she had to at least act like she did for Riley's sake.
At least it's working. She pondered, noticing how Riley seemed mesmerized by her body. She was finally satisfied when he closed the lid of his laptop, eyes never leaving her as he stood from his chair. She smiled as she turned fully, then sat down primly on the edge of the bed, crossing one leg over the other. Riley gave her an amused look before yanking the shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor once he was in front of her. Then Cindy let out a surprised squeal when Riley was suddenly over her, pinning her down firmly, but carefully.
"Didn't I just ask you to quit distracting me?" He asked deeply.
"Oh please." Cindy rolled her eyes. "You know I'm your favorite distraction." She grinned, slyly wrapping her legs around his waist. Riley smirked before licking his lips.
"Touché."
The Next Morning; 8:56 AM
Cindy didn't want to show or admit it, but she was nervous.
"Here you go, sweetie." She smiled as she scooped a little more eggs on Jamilah's plate.
"Thank you, Aunt Cindy." The child replied before digging into her breakfast. Cindy put down the pot before grabbing her own plate, even though her appetite just wasn't there that morning. Not only had her stomach turned, as soon as she starting cooking the eggs just from the smell, but she just felt jittery and antsy and she didn't know why. She had no doubt that Riley could pull it off (if anyone could, it was him), she was just worried that he might psych himself out and panic.
I wish I could be there for moral support. Cindy thought as she pushed her food around. Riley was currently upstairs with Granddad, finishing getting ready. He'd apparently woken up around six, come downstairs to eat a bowl of cereal, then had gone back upstairs to start getting ready and gathering his things together, making sure he had everything in order.
Cindy sat up straighter at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. She turned to the doorway at the approaching sounds of two pairs of feet nearing the kitchen. Granddad appeared in the doorway first.
"I probably wouldn't recognize him if I hadn't dressed him myself." He grinned with a shake of his head.
"Yo, why do everybody think they need to dress me for important crap?" Riley's voice came from behind him.
"Because you can't." Granddad rolled his eyes before stepping aside to reveal Riley.
"Oh my gosh!" Cindy gasped, staring at her suave boyfriend. Riley was dressed in a navy blue business suit, buttoned with a white collared shirt underneath and burgundy silk tie. He wore dark shoes and held in his hand a large brown briefcase. His braids looked neat, his facial hair was groomed, and the only bling he had on was his borrowed platinum watch.
"Whatchu think?" Riley asked Cindy with a smile, glancing down at himself. She stood from her chair and walked over to him, still checking him out.
"You… look… amazing, Riley. Honestly." She told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"And handsome!" Jamilah added from her high chair. The adults in the room laughed at the adorable girl.
"Awwww, well thank you, baby." Riley walked over to her and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. "I look like a million bucks?"
"A hundred million!"
"Don't make his head too big now, Lil Baby." Granddad smirked.
"Please. That's my girl." Riley grinned, giving her another kiss.
"And it's very obvious that that's my boy." Granddad told Cindy quietly as Riley said his goodbyes to his niece. "You see where he gets his looks and charm from, right?"
"Of course." Cindy giggled. "And Jamilah couldn't have said it better. He looks so handsome."
"I hear y'all talkin' bout me." Riley said, rejoining them near the doorway.
"Don't get used to it." Granddad smirked. "But you look sharp, boy. You'll do fine. Got everything?"
"I triple-checked like five times, yes." Riley nodded. "The meeting's at 10:30 AM, so I'm gonna leave now to get to the city on time."
"That's smart, you don't wanna get stuck in traffic. Good luck." Granddad told him, patting him on the back.
"Thanks." He smiled. "I'll see you guys early this afternoon."
"Sounds good."
"I'll walk you to the door." Cindy said, leading the way out of the kitchen.
"See you a little later, Mila!"
"Bye, Uncle Reezy. Good luck!"
Riley and Cindy smiled as they walked down the hallway, lightly holding hands as they approached the door.
"I have complete faith in you, you know?" Cindy told him, glancing over at him.
"I know you do." Riley grinned, stopping and turning to face her as they reached the door.
"I don't want you to be nervous at all. You've got this."
Riley nodded thoughtfully, as if trying to make himself believe it. "You're right."
"Just… relax." Cindy told him soothingly, reaching up to smooth down his suit and adjust his tie. "Remember to use full sentences when you're talking to them and enunciate."
"Like a white person?" Riley smirked, emphasizing the 't' and other hard consonants.
"Yes, smartass." Cindy grinned. "Channel your inner Huey. Try talking like him. And no use of the word nigga."
"Yes, ma'am." Riley snickered. "Anything else?"
Cindy casually glanced behind her down the hallway. When she saw that the coast was clear, she stood on her tiptoes to bring her lips to Riley's. He moaned and pulled her against him strongly in his arms. Cindy pressed against him, pushing his back against the door as she kissed him juicily. Just as Riley was really getting into it, Cindy had to force herself to stop and pull back.
"Good luck, Reezy." She whispered huskily, her mouth still centimeters from his. "And no matter what happens today, you will be getting rewarded when you come home. So don't even bother to take this suit off once you get in. That'll be my job." She grinned, leaning to give him one last kiss. He moaned as she pulled back all too soon by biting on his bottom lip. He stared down at her hungrily before giving her one more kiss that was surprisingly gentle.
"I love you." He murmured once he pulled back.
"I love you too." She smiled up at him. "And good luck."
About two hours after Riley had left, right around the time he should've been stepping into his meeting, Jamilah and Cindy were lounging on the couch together. Jamilah's attention was completely absorbed into the movie Cindy had found for her on Netflix. But Cindy's attention and mind was solely on Riley. She was so proud of him for trying to take initiative of his own business and deciding to actually do something about it, all on his own.
She respected that. And felt so fortunate that he was trying to get out there and make a change, not just for him, but for them. She felt so useless with everyone expecting her to do the bare minimum for who knows how long. Where was that going to get them?
No where.
And no more.
"Be right back, Mila." Cindy said, rising from the couch as she pulled out her phone. She stepped into the hallway as she scrolled through her contacts, searching for one person. She smiled when she found her and hit the dial button. With nervous and excited energy, Cindy counted in her head as the phone rang. And just when she thought it was about to go to voicemail, she answered.
"Valentina Garibaldi speaking, how can I help you?"
Cindy smirked before answering. "Val, is that really how you answer your phone? Sounding like an employee straight outta Costco."
There was a long pause for a moment. Then a short gasp. "Wait... a fucking... minute. I'd know that smart-ass voice anywhere! Cindy McPhearson?"
"Hey, Coach." Cindy giggled. "How's tricks at IU?"
"Slow ever since my star player left! How are you?"
"Umm, I'm hanging in there, you know."
"Tough out there in the real world, huh?"
"You have no idea." Cindy shook her head.
"No, I know. You feel empty almost. Lost. Not even sure where to go at some points."
"All of the above." Cindy sighed. "That's actually why I called you, Val. I need your help."
"For you? Anything. What's up?"
Cindy grinned. "Well, I'm kinda in a sticky situation. And I need a job like now. I've got a part-time one at the moment, but I'm looking for something permanent. Do you or even someone you know that I could get in touch with have any advice about job placement? I know you're friends with a lot of people, especially in the athletic field. Maybe there's a job opening somewhere that would suit me."
"Cin, if there's one thing that you know about me and quickly need to learn for yourself, it's how to network." Cindy could just picture Val smirking. "I can't promise you a job today, or even that there's any concrete position available right now, but what I can do is ask around for you and send you the contact information for some of the major people. That'll probably take at least a week if I'm thorough, and you know I like to be thorough."
"I do know that and that is completely understandable. Thank you so much."
"No problem, my dear. Now, tell me where you're at currently. I want to start finding possible options located closest to you first."
"Maryland. In a small town called Woodcrest."
Valentina sucked her teeth. "Girl, what in the world are you doin' all the way in the boondocks?"
Riley's POV
It was a little after 12:30 when Riley pulled Dorothy into the driveway. He noticed that Cindy's car was gone, which was unusual, making him wonder who all was home. He grabbed his briefcase before emerging from the car and shutting his door, locking it shut. He tiredly made his way up the sidewalk and to the porch, more than ready to be inside. As he unlocked and opened the door, he was confused by the strong smell of cooking coming from the kitchen.
"Yo, I'm home! Who's here?" He called, pushing the door shut.
When he turned around, he smiled to see Cindy hurrying over to him, looking cute as usual in a white tank and pink sweat shorts, her hair in a low and messy bun.
"Hey, sexy." He greeted, his eyes roaming over her.
"You're calling me sexy?" She mumbled in response, right before she was in his arms and they were kissing. She moaned as Riley played with her intensively, kissing her in all the ways she liked while his hand trailed down into her shorts, squeezing her behind. Cindy gasped lightly right before he stopped and pulled back with a smirk.
"That was for leaving me in the position you put me in this morning."
Cindy, still blushing furiously, rolled her eyes with a smirk of her own. "What-ever. And hello to you too. Now, how'd it go?"
Riley nodded slowly. "I think it went well actually. Calm down though, I won't know for sure until next week." He grinned at Cindy, who looked ecstatic. "But… I think I just might get it. I told them about what I wanted to do with the money, my plan and goals for my studio, even showed them a few of my previous artwork and future designs for promotion ideas. They seemed impressed."
"I am so proud of you!" Cindy smiled genuinely, squeezing his arm.
"And I was in there talking like some preppy white boy that went to Harvard. Soundin' all intelligent and shit."
"I'd love to hear that, coming from you while you're in this suit." Cindy smirked, trailing her hands up his chest. Riley chuckled, wrapping his arms around her.
"Well, I'm hoping you still plan on keeping your word about helping me get outta this."
"Of course… just maybe not right away." Riley grinned, then remembered.
"Where's Jamilah?"
"I persuaded Granddad to take her out for lunch this afternoon. I wanted to cook something special just for you."
"Oh really?" Riley smiled.
"Yup. Steak and french fries, followed by dessert." Cindy smirked before sliding her hands from him and turning to walk back down the hall.
"Can you give me a hint as to what dessert will be?" Riley asked, watching the sway of her hips. Cindy chuckled, not turning around.
"Let's just say, it involves whipped cream… and a lot of chocolate." She eluded, shooting him a wink over her shoulder. Riley licked his lips before locking the door and loosening his tie. Then he followed Cindy down the hallway.
"Uhh, since I'm being rewarded and all, can we have dessert first?"
So yeah, I'm really surprised that this chapter is nowhere near as long as I thought it was gonna be! I think I did a lot of editing, cutting things out and stuff, because I didn't want it to be at an obnoxious length. Next time, I'll try to shoot for around the same length as last time. I swear this always happens once I haven't written in a while. I feel so off my game and out of practice. And lemme tell you, when I first started this chapter, I really hated the beginning. I almost, almost scraped it and took a completely different approach. It'll do though, I guess :P Not super satisfied with it, but have some plans for next chap :)
Disclaimers (I'm gonna tell you right now, I'm being extra lazy): I do not own the right to aspirin, the Louisville Slugger brand baseball bat, Microsoft Word, Netflix, Costco, any other product, brand, food, person, place, thing, word, punctuation, and anything else I don't own…. Yeah, that's enough ^_^
So, did you guys like it? I know it's been a while (sorry, sorry, sorry!), but I'm trying to get back in my element with this story. I've missed it a lot :)
Also, for those of you who read Friends First, Benefits Second: please try and be patient with that story. For now, that is put on the back-burner while I try to focus on this story (for those that are pissed at that statement, don't even worry. I say that, but I *doubt* that'll happen. I know I'm gonna write for it soon enough). But really, try and be patient. I don't wanna go into deep detail, but that story is kind of hitting a little close to home because of a certain situation I'm dealing with (long story). The good news is that when I am ready to write for it, I'll have all types of details/experience to feed off. Oh, life.
Anyways, as always, I thank you guys for continuing to read, continuing to support, and continuing to be the main reason I even obsess about updating in a timely manner (not counting the last time). You guys really make my day just with your reviews and private messages. It really means the world to me:)
I want to make as close as a promise as I can get that I will NOT go disappearing again for a while. It's been way too long and I have a LOT of work to do to make up for it. Look forward to new updates coming as soon as I possibly can. I ain't got shit to do this summer, so I'm gonna try and get it poppin' up in huurrrr! Stay tuned ;)
~Schweetie