by Skylar Ward
“I am going to explode!” Efia shouted when the volcano within her body started to spew its contents.
Soon, the delicious aftershocks tore through her core, leaving her drained, but oh so satisfied. She whimpered before her body calmed. Ace pushed further into her canal, sending her body into another shaking frenzy.
“Efia!” Ace shouted as his climax ripped through his loins. When his body stilled, he leaned forward, dropping his upper body on hers.
Efia let out a few guttural moans as her muscles clenched around Ace’s now semi-hard shaft. Several minutes later, Ace rolled to his back, bringing Efia on top. With one hand behind his head, he used the other to knead her butt.
“We have come full circle, haven’t we?” he whispered.
No response came. Ace combed his fingers through Efia’s damp hair before he rolled her over, disconnecting their bodies. He threw his legs over the side of the mattress. He stood and went to the adjoining bathroom. Minutes later, he returned with a warm cloth and attended to Efia as she slept.
<>
Raising Yasmine and working in the hospitality industry with limited time off can’t be easy, Ace thought an hour and a half later, as Efia slept on. I must make a few changes before she works herself to death.
The phone rang in the outer office, interrupting his thoughts and startling Efia. She raised her head and popped opened one eye, then the other.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Ace said. “When was the last time you had a good nights’ sleep?”
Efia ran her hands across her eyes. She yawned. “What time is it?”
Ace scanned the electronics station across the room. “4:35.”
Efia threw the sheet off her body and rolled to the other side of the bed. “Why didn’t you wake me? Why did you let me fall asleep? I have never been this late for work—ever.”
“You were tired,” Ace said. “Besides, I loved watching you sleep.”
“Where are my clothes?”
“Strewn across the floor where you left them. The shower is through that door,” Ace said, pointing to the closed door. “I’ll get your things.”
Efia marched across the room and opened the door. “Because of you, I have to work late into the night.”
Ace gave her a quizzical stare. “What about Yasmine?”
“My mother picks her up in the evening,” Efia said, entering the bathroom.
This has got to stop! Ace thought as he exited the bedroom. He returned with their clothes, placing them on the bed before following Efia into the bathroom. He stepped into the shower behind Efia. He kissed her neck.
“I have to go,” she said, turning in his arms.
Ace lowered his head, capturing a shower-soaked nipple into his mouth.
Efia groaned. “I am not going back to work, am I?”
Ace shook his head.
“If I lose my job, I am going to sue you.” Efia poked Ace in the head. “You have been warned.”
Ace lifted his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “You would sue your own daughter?”
Efia reached up and yanked his head back down. “Just hurry.”
“I knew we would come to an amicable agreement,” Ace said.
Efia smiled.
Ace lifted Efia, placing her on the built-in bench. He dropped to his knees, pushed her against the wall, and lowered his head.
Chapter 17
“I won’t be able to make Thursday’s golf outing,” Ace said from his perch on the edge of Drew’s desk.
“Come on, Ace,” Drew cracked his knuckles. “You canceled every plan we made over the past three weeks. I was looking forward to our trip to Florida. We should be having fun now you are working out of New York.”
“Since when do you need me to have a good time?” Ace asked.
“That’s not the point. You need to get out and enjoy the city.”
“Believe it or not, I have never enjoyed this city more.”
“That little girl has gotten to you, hasn’t she?”
“Hearing her sweet voice reminds me of the first time my parents took me to see The Boston Symphony Orchestra.” Ace stared off into the distance. “I will never forget where I was when she first called me daddy.” Ace let out a humorless laugh. “You have no idea how much Yasmine has seeped into my being. It tears me apart that I am not with her every day.”
“She is a darling,” Drew said. “Seeing her makes me want to have a child—almost.”
“That is not a bad idea,” Ace said. “You are not getting any younger, you know?”
“I said almost. Seems you have forgiven Efia and all is well on that front.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Ace responded. “After watching the video of Yasmine’s birth, and witnessing the pain Efia endured, I am grateful they are both here and healthy. And because I know firsthand what the alternative looks like, I chose to put my anger aside.” Ace squeezed his eyes shut and ran his hand over his face as though he was reliving the memories. “Right now, all I want to do is spend as much time as I can with my daughter.”
“Is she the only one?” Drew asked.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ace asked.
“Don’t feign stupidity, Ace. It’s beneath you.”
“Any word on the Newark property?” Ace asked.
“Nice segue,” Drew said. “I have to hand it to Ms. Kwateng. That lady knows how to wave her magic wand.”
Ace stood. “Don’t disparage Efia.”
“I didn’t mean anything untoward,” Drew said smiling.
“Would you have said, ‘she has a magic wand if she weren’t African?”
Drew made a face.
“My point exactly,” Ace said.
“Another person gets added to the untouchables list,” Drew muttered.
“Damn right,” Ace said. “You are never going to win an argument with me when it comes to my daughter and her mother. They are off-limits, and don’t you forget it.”
“I won’t,” Drew said. “What about Mrs. Edwards?”
“What about her?” Ace asked, still annoyed.
“Do you think she will welcome Efia and Yasmine into your life?”
“Last time I checked, Mrs. Edwards works for me,” Ace said, “not the other way around.”
“Let us hope she remembers that.”
“Mrs. Edwards will be fine,” Ace responded.
<>
The following night, Efia dragged herself through the door of her apartment around nine o’clock. Even though she knew Yasmine would be asleep, she couldn’t wait to kiss her daughter. She entered the dining room, kicked her shoes off, and placed her tote bag on the table as Rosina walked in.
“Hi, Mom, is Yasmine asleep?”
“She is taking a bath.”
“So late, and by herself?”
“Oh, no,” Rosina said, shaking her head vigorously. “Her father is bathing her.”
“Ace didn’t tell me he was stopping by.”
“Yasmine was excited to see him. She wanted her dad to give her a bath and wash her hair.”
“Wash her hair?” Efia echoed. “This time of night? Tell me you stopped him.”
“Oh, I tried. But who am I? I am only the grandmother. Yasmine wants to have curls in her hair for school tomorrow. Ace didn’t see anything wrong with that.”
“I don’t believe this man,” Efia huffed. “He can’t just show up here and take matters into his own hands without consulting me. I am going to be up half the night fixing Yasmine’s hair.”
“Yasmine has that man wrapped around her tiny fingers.” Rosina laughed. “Imagine when she reaches ten, he will be exhausted by then.”
“This is crazy.” Efia stomped down the hallway. “I am too darn tired for this.”
“Good luck to the two of you. I’ll speak with you later.”
Efia stopped in her tracks. “Mom, you can’t leave. You have to help me with Yasmine’s hair.”
“Yasmine has two parents now. This is an opportunity f
or the two of you to co-parent. I am off to see my husband.”
“I’ll call a cab,” Efia said.
“I will get one downstairs. You have your work cut out for you.”
“Ace is not leaving here until Yasmine’s hair is dried and styled,” Efia declared. “Let him see what it is like.
Rosina laughed. “Good night, my child.”
“Thanks, Mom. I Love you.”
“Love you, too, my child.”
I can’t believe this kid asked her father to do this! Efia mentally screamed before pushing the bathroom door. Efia froze. Her eyes traveled from Yasmine sitting on the edge of the tub, wearing her little pink robe, to Ace on his knees, attempting to dry Yasmine’s thick, lush curls, to the piles of wet towels on the floor.
“Help,” Ace mouthed.
This poor man is over his head. Efia couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“Mommy!” Yasmine jumped to her feet and ran over to Efia, hugging her tightly. “I am sleepy.”
“You were the one who asked your dad to wash your hair this time of night, so I don’t want to hear it.” Efia loosened Yasmine’s hands from around her thighs and picked up a dry towel from the sink, wrapping it around Yasmine’s head, turban-style. She ran her hand along the back of the robe. “This robe is damp, go put your jammies on and meet me in the living room.”
After Yasmine left the room, Efia turned to Ace. “Darn you, Ace Davenport, why did you wet her hair this time of night. I am bone tired. Do you know how long this is going to take?”
“I’ll help,” Ace said, picking up the wet towels.
“You are right about that,” Efia replied.
“Where do you want me to put these towels?”
Efia snatched the towels from his hands. She left the bathroom with Ace close behind. She entered the kitchen, tossing the towels into the washing machine.
“Aren’t you going to wash them?”
“This time of night?” Efia replied. “Mrs. Brown downstairs would read me my rights. I will wash them tomorrow.”
“I am ready, Mommy,” Yasmine said, interrupting her parents ’conversation.
“Let me change these clothes and get the hair dryer,” Efia said.
Minutes later, Efia returned wearing a mid-length, African print, Caftan and carrying a see-through, plastic hinge-lid storage box with MIXED CHICKS leave-in conditioner, and other hair accessories.
“Yasmine, turn off that television,” she said.
“It’s my fault,” Ace said. “Don’t punish her.”
“Oh, really?” Efia said caustically. “I guess you and Yasmine are making all the decisions now.”
“What’s the matter?” Ace asked. “Did you have plans with Sam?”
“Not tonight.”
Ace scowled.
Efia smiled, enjoying the frown that spread across his face.
“Yasmine wanted a change in hairstyle.” Ace shrugged “I didn’t see the harm in that.”
“She knows better,” Efia said. “It is way past her bedtime.”
“Your mother tried to warn me. I took offense.”
Efia sat on the couch and opened the box. “Why would you do that?”
“Call it a case of over-sensitivity,” Ace replied.
Efia touched Ace’s arm. “No one is trying to undermine your authority.” From the corner of her eye, she observed Yasmine watching intently. “This little four-year-old of ours is ingenious. If we are not united, she will take advantage of the slightest opening.”
Ace hugged Yasmine. “Did you take advantage of your dad, princess?”
Yasmine giggled and shook her head.
“Big time,” Efia said. “It’s going to be a long night.”
Yasmine yawned.
Efia left the room, returning with two pillows. She placed one on Ace’s lap. “Rest your head on the pillow, Yasmine.” She dropped the other one to the floor in front of Ace and knelt on it.
After prepping Yasmine’s hair, she plugged in the blow-dryer. Section by section she dried and stretched the hair one side of her daughter ’s head, creating the drop curls Yasmine wanted. When Efia was done with one side of Yasmine’s head, she prompted Ace to turn Yasmine around.
“She is asleep,” Ace whispered, switching Yasmine over.
Ace’s head bobbed forward while Efia continued to work on Yasmine’s hair.
“Hey!” Efia poked him in his chest with the hairbrush. “You forfeited your right to sleep.”
Ace lifted his head, and his eyes cracked open. “Sorry about that.”
Shortly, Efia breathed a sigh of relief. Finally! She checked the clock 11:48 P.M. She removed a satin bonnet from the storage box, placing it over Yasmine’s head. “Let’s get her into bed.”
“I’ll tuck her in,” Ace said.
“Thanks, I’ll take a quick shower.”
By the time Ace returned to the living room, Efia had already showered.
“Do you have a reliable taxi I can call?” Ace asked.
“Where is your driver?”
“I sent him home.”
“It’s late,” Efia said. “If you leave now, I won’t be able to sleep until you reach the hotel.”
“Be careful, Ms. Kwateng, I detect a softening of your heart.”
Don’t push it, Davenport.” Efia moved past Ace, placing the storage container in the hall closet. “You can sleep in the spare room.”
Ace hugged Efia.
“What?” Efia said after several seconds.
“How was your day?”
“Hectic.”
“Do you want me to talk to Drew? He can transfer you to another unit.”
“Don’t you dare, I don’t want to create a hostile work environment.”
“Where do you keep your towels?” Ace asked.
“I thought you would know by now.”
“Don’t rub it in.” Ace smiled. “Your mother gave me the stack.”
“There is a linen closet in the bathroom.”
“Thank you.” Ace gave Efia a soft peck on the lips. “Go to bed, I will see you in the morning.”
<>
While lying in bed, Efia remembered the extra toothbrushes, she always kept on hand. Throwing the covers off, she climbed out of bed and went over to the vertical chest, removing a new toothbrush and headed to the spare bedroom. She knocked on the closed door.
“Miss me already?” Ace asked from within.
“I brought you a toothbrush,” Efia said.
The door opened.
“Jesus!” Efia jumped back. “Why didn’t you put a towel or something around your waist?”
“Don’t act like you haven’t seen this before,” Ace said, taking the toothbrush from her hand. “Good night, Ms. Kwateng. Pleasant dreams.”
Efia gaped at the closed door. She bit her bottom lip. She lifted her hand to rap on the door, halting at the last minute.
“Selfish Bastard!” she whispered.
As Efia marched away, Ace’s chuckles filtered beneath the door, following her down the hall.
<>
Next morning, after breakfast, Yasmine bounced into the dining room dressed in her school uniform, her drop curls set off by a large satin hair bow.
“Stay still, princess, let me get a photo.”
Yasmine placed her hands on her hips and gave her father a toothy smile.
“That’s great, let me get another one.”
Six photos later, Yasmine said, “Daddy, I have to go to school.”
Efia entered the room and handed Yasmine her backpack.
“Move closer to Yasmine,” Ace said. “I want to get one with the two of you.”
“OMG, Daddy, hurry up,” Yasmine said.
Efia leaned over and whispered something in Yasmine’s ear.
Yasmine giggled.
“We will be ready on three,” Efia said.
“Okay,” Ace said. “One. Two. Three.”
Both Efia and Yasmine stuck their fingers in their ears and their tongu
es out while making funny faces. Ace threw back his head and roared before joining the duo in yet another photo.
“Let me see, Daddy.”
Ace handed his phone to Yasmine. “Come on, let us go. Liam is driving you to school and your mother to work.”
“What about you?” Efia asked.
“Drew is on his way. There is a potential project in Newark I need to inspect.”
“With all these hotels, you should consider offering virtual concierge service in real time.” Efia picked up her pocketbook from the table, placing the strap over her head. “It’s easy to centralize everything.”
“Keep that thought,” Ace said. “We will discuss further.”
“Here, Daddy.” Yasmine handed Ace his iPhone.
“Come on,” Ace said. “Let me walk my girls down to the car.”
Chapter 18
Wednesday morning, Efia dropped Yasmine at school and returned home to swap out her torn jeans for a camel, cowl neck sweater dress, and over the knees, medium heels black boots. Pleased with the outfit, she took one last glance in the mirror and fluffed her curls before grabbing her oversized purse. Once on the outside, she whipped out her cell phone and started to record.
“Hi everyone, I am checking in with a quick vlog. I read your messages. Thanks for all your concerns. Everything is well. Yasmine is doing great. She is at school. Today is my day off. I am running into the city to do some errands. I have some important news to share with you. It will be in my next vlog.” Efia waved, “Bye, guys.”
As she hiked to the subway, she made a note to upload the vlog later.
<>
At 11:30 A.M Efia entered Bank of America where she met with Nikili Costos. His professionalism was not lost on Efia as he answered all the concerns she had about keeping such large balances in low interest-bearing accounts. By 12:15 P.M, she was through the door with a folder filled with various investment instruments.
Efia arrived at her second appointment with ten minutes to spare. At one o’clock, the attendant opened the door, and an impeccably dressed man of medium height in his mid-fifties or so, with George Clooney-style salt and pepper hair, and a big smile came out of the prewar building. He looked past Efia. He shook his head. His gaze swung back to Efia, and his smile disappeared.