by BWWM Club
“I see why you tried to wake me up now,” he said, folding his hand on the blanket.
“Yep,” she said, popping the ‘p’ at the end. She rubbed her fingers over the bridge of her nose, sighing. This was something that had never happened. “What can I do for you boys?” Because what else was she supposed to say?
“Um, we heard you fall. Just making sure you’re okay. Hi, Mr. Hart.” They both waved as they kept their back toward them.
“Jamal. Heath.” Josh greeted, clearing his throat.
“I’m fine, by the way. If you want to give us some privacy, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.” They rushed out, closing the door with a bit more force than necessary.
“Did they see you naked?”
“You bet,” he said, then he started laughing.
She looked at him like he'd lost his mind and his laughter became contagious as he grabbed his stomach. She started to chuckle too, until both of them were laughing so hard there were tears rolling down their faces. “I didn’t expect to wake up like that.”
“Me either.” She wiped her eyes.
He groaned and lay back on the bed. “I hope this doesn’t make them hate me.”
“They don’t hate you, they may never be able to get the image out of their head, that’s about the only thing they will hate.”
“I guess we should go face the music.”
She didn’t want to, but she understood. They couldn’t hide in here forever. “Fine.” She stood, letting the blanket slide off her body.
“It’s a shame.” He slapped her ass, making her gasp. “I was hoping for another round this morning.”
Her pussy pulsated with the anticipation of sex. “Maybe after we get this fire put out.” She rubbed her hand down his chest, until she cupped his package. She loved how heavy it was and how it spilled out of her palm.
“You make it really hard for me not to say the hell with it, make them wait, and take you right here and now.”
“Oh, baby.” She inched closer, cupping his chin. “I am so far from being horny right now knowing my sons just saw you naked.”
“Well, when you put it like that.” He pouted.
She walked toward her dresser and slid on a pair of panties, then a big, over−sized t−shirt and sweatpants.
“If you’re trying to look unattractive, it isn’t working,” He said, sliding his briefs on.
“I’m just trying to remind them that I’m not attractive,” she said with a wink.
After they were both dressed, Ginger took a deep breath as she reached for the door knob.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine.” He grasped her hand.
She exhaled. “Yeah.” It was going to be fine. She closed her eyes for a moment and turned the gold knob, opening the door to the hallway. She heard the TV in the living room and the refrigerator closing in the kitchen.
“It’s going to be fine.” He placed his hand on her lower back, pushing her out of the door into the dimly−lit hallway.
“I don’t want to,” She whined. She hadn’t prepared herself for this conversation. “I changed my mind. Let’s go back to bed.” She spun around, but he caught her by the hand.
“I don’t think so. How am I the one wanting to get this out of the way? I’m just as scarred as they are. I didn’t plan on my girlfriend’s kids seeing my dick.”
“Joshua!”
“It’s the truth. Now, put on your Mama panties and march out there,” he said with a smirk.
“Don’t ever call them that again.” She pushed by him and crossed her arms over her chest as she marched to the living room. She wasn’t going to lose her nerve. She could do this. Once she was out of the hallway, the curve of the red sofa came into view. On each side sat her sons. She took another deep breath and walked into living room, grabbed the remote, and turned off the tv.
Silence.
No one said a word.
She watched Heath’s Adam’s apple bob and Jamal wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “Alright. Let’s talk about this.”
“We don’t have to talk about it.”
“Nope.” Heath shook his head back and forth.
She put her hands on her hips and raised her brows. “You know we are. Don’t give me that. I need to know if you boys are going to cause a problem with Josh.”
“Why would we cause a problem?”
“I don’t want any problems. I didn’t mean to see him naked. I’m sorry, Mr. Hart. I thought Mama needed help.”
“It’s fine. Hopefully the moment won’t stay with me forever.”
The boys laughed. “Yeah, us too.”
“You know, it isn’t true what they say about white men…” Heath started to say, and Ginger walked over to him quickly and slapped him across the head. “Ow, what was that for?”
“You know damn good and well what that was for. Don’t be inappropriate.”
“I was just saying what we were all thinking.” He rubbed the side of his head, narrowing his eyes at Jamal since he was laughing at him.
“Thinking it is different than saying it,” Jamal said through his chuckles. “You’re so stupid.”
Ginger marched over to him and slapped him up side the head too. “Don’t call him that.”
“I’d consider myself way above average for a white guy,” Josh piped in.
She held up her hand when her boys smirked and rubbed their hands over their faces. “We aren’t talking about that. Or this, ever. I want to know if you guys have a problem with him being my….umm…” She glanced at Josh, not knowing what to say. Calling him her boyfriend seemed pretty young to do, but lover didn’t seem appropriate either.
“We're dating.” Josh strode into the living room and wrapped his arms around her.
Her shoulders slumped with relief. Yeah, that sounded better.
“What are your intentions with my Mama?” Jamal asked, leaning forward and placing his arms on his knees.
“Jamal!” she scolded and was about to say more when Josh cut her off.
“No, it’s fine. He has every right to ask that. I care about your mom a lot. She's a very caring woman, smart, and very beautiful. I hope that, as long as she allows it, that this could grow into something more than dating.”
“So, you’re serious. You aren’t playing her?” Heath chimed in.
“No.”
“What do you do for a living, Mr. Hart? I need to know she's taken care of when we aren’t around.”
“You boys don't have to take care of me. I can take care of myself.”
Jamal stared at her with disbelief, reminding her of the last twenty years and how she'd acted. “I’m better now, Jamal. Plus, I took care of us. I supported us. I worked two jobs to make sure you boys had everything.”
He nodded, tangling his fingers together. “And what did you have? You didn’t have anything. We want to make sure it’s different here.”
She kneeled on the ground in front of him. “Oh, baby. I had everything. You two were everything to me. I’m going to be fine.”
“She can take care of herself, but if she allows it, I’d like to take care of her.”
She stood back up and wrapped her arms around Josh. “Thank you.” It was important for Ginger to keep some of her independence, but she wouldn’t be mad if she had to up and quit her job, give in to the life insurance policy from her husband’s death and travel. She'd always wanted to do that.
“So, where do you work? You wear nice clothes, shoes, styled hair…you're obviously doing well for yourself.”
He cleared his throat and she sighed, she was hoping not to have to have this conversation yet. “Boys…” She sat on the loveseat and Josh followed.
“Is he a mobster or something? Why the long faces?”
“You remember your father?” she whispered, getting choked up. Josh held her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. The soothing touch of his thumb rubbing against her shoulder made her feel more relaxed.
This conversation could go one
of two ways.
“Yeah, we could never forget.”
The words Heath said sent a sharp pain to her heart. He never got to know his father. “Josh is the owner and CEO of Hartline Industries. The company your father worked for.”
Jamal and Heath didn’t say anything. They sat there like they were letting the words process in their heads, blinking at her as if they didn’t understand her. She held her breath. The silence wasn’t good. She knew them well enough to know that.
Jamal stood first, his hands clenching and unclenching. He speared his eyes at her, narrowing them into slits. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. This guy? You let the enemy into our home? In your bed? Are fucking kidding me! He killed our father!” he roared, tears threatening his eyes.
“You son−of−a−bitch!” Heath leaped from the couch to tackle Josh, but she intervened, taking a fist to the cheek.
Everyone paused.
Josh knelt on the ground. “Ginger. Damn it, are you okay?”
“Get your hands off her,” Jamal said, staring daggers at Josh.
Ginger slapped her son’s hand when he reached for her. “I’m fine. Know this, I didn’t raise damn animals. You two better sit your asses down before anyone else gets hurt.”
“Mama, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Heath had a guilty expression on his face.
“You two have done more than hurt me in this moment. I didn’t know I could ever be disappointed in you two.”
“Us? What about you? Fraternizing with the enemy?”
“He isn’t the enemy. If you two would hush long enough to let me explain.”
Jamal opened and closed his mouth, finally crossing his arms and shutting up. “His father was the owner at the time.” She rubbed her jaw. Josh stood, strolling to the kitchen and grabbing an ice pack from the freezer. She knew it was an accident. She'd put herself in the crosshairs.
Josh sat down, placing the ice packet on her cheek and she held it close. That was going to leave a bruise.
“Your mother is right. I didn’t have any idea of how my father ran the company. I was twenty−five around that time. I'd just gotten out of school. I didn’t become partner until ten years ago, and even then, he kept me out of the loop. He died two years back, and I’ve been cleaning up his skeletons ever since. My father wasn’t a good man and I’m sorry for what he did. I’ve opened the case back up, hoping you and your family can get the closure you deserve.”
Jamal stood, a firm tick in his jaw. “You really believe he had no idea? Come on, Mama. You can’t be that blind.”
“I do believe it. He really has been helping people. He isn’t his father. You’re painting him with the same brush that I did. He didn’t do what his father did. He's turned the company around.”
“Just like a liar to convince you of such things,” Heath hissed, looking every bit of his young twenty-one-years with his arms crossed.
“I know it will take time to prove to you that I’m not a liar and I’m okay with that. I didn’t expect this to be easy. My father didn’t do things right, and I want to.”
“Yeah? Where were you twenty years ago? It was all over the news, the papers, everywhere. You should have known.”
“I don’t remember much from twenty years ago, but if I did know of it then, I assumed my father was taking care of it, in the right way. I didn’t know how dirty he really was until he died. He had his hand in a lot of illegal things. He paid a lot of lawyers off, people that were guilty, and I don’t want that. I’ve already reached out to the company with the cords that were recalled. They're giving me some trouble, but I have the best lawyers on it.”
“The best lawyers?” Jamal scoffed sarcastically, pacing the living room. “You believe this?” he stared at his mother.
“I had no idea you held as much hatred as I did. Is that what I taught you all these years?” She felt ashamed. She had no idea that was what she a was teaching her kids. “I was wrong. It’s okay to let it go. You're doing what I did; you’re holding on to that anger, that grief. You aren’t allowing room for it to get fixed. It may not ever be able to be fixed, but what if justice could be served? What if this company had other incidents? Are you saying we should just be quiet?”
“I think he should leave,” Heath interrupted.
“Well, that isn’t up to you, is it,” she spat.
“It’s okay, Ginger.” He patted her hand.
“It isn’t okay. My sons do not act like this. They are grown men, not immature little boys.”
“I've got to go. I have an exam to study for.” Heath stood and bent over to give his mother a kiss, but she pulled away. He kissed her cheek anyway. “I love you, Mama.”
She watched him ignore Josh and grab his coat as he headed out the door, slamming it shut. “He never got to know his father. He feels robbed.”
“We all feel robbed.” Jamal sighed as he sat down, holding his head in his hands. “I can’t do this right now. I thought you were going to tell me you owned a baseball team or something, you know. I never expected those words out of your mouth. I thought I had put everything that had to do with my father behind me, but I guess I didn’t.” Jamal stared at the carpet like he was in a daze.
“I understand. I don’t expect you to be my friend right away, but one day I hope we can be. I’m sorry for what my father did. There's no excuse for it. Nothing I say or do can make it better. Even money can't make it better.”
Jamal nodded, wiping a tear away. “You okay, Mama? How hard did Heath get you? You know he would have never done that. No offense, but you were his target.” He stared at Josh.
“I know. I was ready to take it too, but crazy here decided to jump in the way.” He brushed a finger down her chin, making her eyes flutter.
“I’m fine. I know he would never intentionally hurt me. I did this to myself. My boys aren’t shrimps.” She moved her jaw back and forth.
“You really care about her?” Jamal asked.
“Yeah, I care about her a lot. I cared about her from the moment I saw her.”
“You don’t care that she’s black and you’re white?”
“Jamal!”
“What? It isn’t like the world is perfect, especially with a big company like he has. People are full of hate. Don’t be surprised if you receive some of it.”
Josh sighed, pulling Ginger closer to his side. “It doesn’t bother me. To be honest, it was the first thing I noticed about your mother, not the color of her skin, but how beautiful it was. I’m ready for the bigots and hatred if it means having your mother, and hopefully you and your brother by my side. Plus, if anyone in the company has an issue, I can fire them. I’m lucky I hold that power. I don’t have room for hatred.”
“That’s a really good answer.” Jamal clicked his tongue, seeming a little annoyed. “I really don’t want to like you.”
Josh laughed—actually laughed—which had Ginger a little peeved. “That isn’t funny.”
“It is a little. At least he's honest.” He kissed the side of her head and she winced when the pressure pulsed through her sore jaw. “Aw, baby. I’m sorry.” He held sadness in his eyes for hurting her.
“It’s okay.” She grabbed his hand, thankful that he was here.
Jamal sighed and got up. “You opened the case back up?”
“I did.” Josh matched his stance, squaring his shoulders.
“Just make my Mama happy. She deserves it. She's held onto a lot of pain over the years and she doesn’t deserve any more, so if that's what you’re going to bring, you can go. Heath and I won’t stand for it.”
Ginger loved that her sons loved her enough to want to protect her. “I’ll be fine.”
“No. You say that, but you won’t. I saw you over the years growing up. I don’t want to lose you to that again. I’m happy to see my Mama again after all these years.”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby,” she said with emotion in her voice.
Jamal rubbed his brows with a bit of anger a
nd frustration. He blew out a breath and stuck his hand out. “I’ll try, for my Mama. I’ll talk to Heath.”
Ginger choked out a sob, forgetting about the pain in her jaw as she hid her face in her hands. She stood on shaky legs and stumbled over to Jamal. “Thank you, Jamal.”
He wrapped her in his arms. “Anything for you, Mama.”
She pulled away, wiping the tears from her face. “You’re a good boy.”
Jamal smiled and his eyes moved to Josh. He reached his hand back out.
Josh stared at it for a moment before taking it into a handshake. “Thank you.”
“Don’t hurt her or I’ll hurt you.”
“I’d let you.”
Jamal narrowed his eyes at him before letting go of his hand and nodding his head. “Let me go find Heath. He always acts before he thinks. I’m sorry about that.”
“Water under the bridge,” Josh said.
“I’ll give you a chance.” He gave a slight smile before grabbing his coat, kissing his mother on the cheek and walking out the door.
A few minutes went by and they stood in silence. She let out a dramatic breath. “Well, that could have gone better.”
“Really? I thought it went okay, besides you getting lugged in the face, which was meant for me. I expected them both to give me a good punch or two.”
“You would have let them, wouldn’t you?”
Josh spun her in his arm and her palms landed flat on his chest. “You bet. Something my father should have done.”
“I’m glad you aren’t your father.”
“Me too. It would make this situation really awkward.”
That caused her to toss her head back and laugh. “Um, I wouldn’t be in this situation if you were your father. Gross.” She shivered from the thought.
He kept his hands on her lower back and started to sway them, dancing to the sound of the band outside. It was hard to hear, but it was there. “You deserve everything they said, you know.”
She laid her head on his chest, taking in the comfort of his strong, beating heart. “What?”
“Everything your sons said. You deserve all of it. You deserve to be happy and in love. No more sadness. I don’t ever want to cause you sadness, Ginger.”