BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  "I'm not that bad!"

  "When you get excited you are, any moment I expect you to come out with a, it's like totally tubular!"

  "I'm not saying anymore!" She pouted.

  "Okay, okay, okay - no more teasing, I promise - come on, you want me take Crystal to the ball don't you?"

  "Yeah."

  "Then you'll have to forgive me, hey - it's what big brother's do, right?" He winked and tweaked her nose again.

  Giving in she grinned finally, "You think that was bad, wait until you meet my friends, they're really bad."

  "Oh I can't wait - I can just imagine. But for now, back to the ball."

  "Okay, after the food, they do a few boring speeches about boring business stuff, if you can stay awake through that, then comes the dancing; ball room dancing. They have a live quartet for that, they serve lots of champagne, caviar, all that kind of stuff and then in the last hour, they play really cool music, the kind I like to dance to."

  "Em, sounds like fun."

  "It will be fun! I want Crystal to go and you to take her!" She almost ordered, making Ben chuckle more.

  Making inquisitive faces, Isaac asked, "Why you want my mama to go to a ball? We gots lots of balls." Didn't make sense to him.

  "Not a ball you play with, a ball where you dance." Angela explained.

  "Ohhh, you gonna take my mama Ben?"

  "I don't know, we'll see. Is it okay with you, if I do?" He asked.

  "Yeah, you can take my mama if she wanna go." Isaac nodded his head.

  Including Darren, Ben asked him, "Is it okay with you little man?"

  "No! Take me!" Darren ordered.

  "Darren, let Ben take your mommie; don't you want her to have some fun? So she can laugh and be happy?"

  "Yeah." He answered wide eyed and serious.

  "Good, then all we have to do, is get Ben to ask her."

  "I ask my mama for you Ben." Isaac volunteered.

  "Let Ben ask her Isaac." Angela gently ordered.

  "No, I wanna ask her for'im!" Isaac pouted.

  "I tell you what, you let me ask her, and I'll take us all to the movies. Would you like to go to the movies?"

  "YEAH! I like goin' to the movies." Isaac cheered, "Don't we Darren?"

  "YEAH! Go t'see Mon'ters inc!"

  "Darren we got that movie on DVD - don't gotta go to the movie to see it!"

  "Yeah uh-huh!" Darren yelled at him and swung out to hit him.

  "Hey hey hey, none of that now." Ben corrected Darren backing away so he couldn't hit his brother. Just then Crystal slid the glass door back, coming out of the house with her swimming suit on, she wore a very sexy, high hip, white tiger print, one piece that showed off her curves, hearing the doors open and then close, everyone turned to her, "Mama! Ben gonna-..."

  Angela quickly put her hand over his mouth, "Shhh, nooo, don't tell her. Let Ben ask, remember, the movie?"

  "Oh, okay."

  Thanks to the radio playing, she didn't quite catch what he was about to say, walking to the deck chair, she shed her body scarf tied at her hips and laid it on the chair. Ben was immobilized by the site of her; she was stunning, coming towards the pool. While he knew he shouldn't stare, he couldn't help himself, didn't want to help himself. As if he were starved for the sight of her, he let his eyes freely cruise over her body, from her pretty face, down over her size C cup breasts, to her slender waist and hips.

  Angela saw him looking and joy burst within her to see him that way.

  Crystal couldn't miss it either, after all, he wasn't trying to hide it. She stepped into the pool and of course, needed to diffuse the effects his bold stare was having on her body, forthright as ever she asked, "Does everything check out okay?"

  Angela snickered.

  Ben grinned, winked, and knowing her by now, met her wit for wit, "In order to be certain of that, I'd have to do a closer inspection, but ah, so far, just like Campbell soup, its all mmm mmm mmm - good."

  Blushing, Angela eyes grew wide.

  Trying to play off the gasp and giggle, knowing better than to bait him anymore, Crystal steered clear of being so bold as to say something back, especially with his eyes urging her, as if to say, 'I dare you.' Smiling to herself, she turned from him to Isaac asking, "You learn how to swim yet baby?"

  "Not yet mama, we was waitin' on you." Isaac announced.

  "Yes we were, and to begin, I need to start teaching Isaac some things, but ah, I'm afraid Darren wouldn't give me up." Ben began, wading towards her with Darren.

  "What?" She asked surprised and then to Darren, "Come here baby, let's watch Ben teach Isaac to swim." She held her arms out to him. He went with no problem, however, the moment Ben turned to grab Isaac, he had a fit. "NO! My Ben!"

  "You got mama now Darren, my turn to have Ben."

  "NO! Ben mi-i-ine!" He started screaming and reaching out to Ben from Crystal's arms.

  "Darren! What's wrong with you?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He went into a full blown screaming fit reaching for Ben, who had little choice but to go back to him. Ben was stunned by it, and yet, touched, that he found himself choked up. He walked to him, took him back into his arms, Darren wrapped his arms around his neck and held him tight. He looked at Crystal, and for a moment, they were both trapped in disbelief and wonder. Realizing that Darren was in his arms to stay, he figured they'd play a bit more. They did so, with Crystal splashing everyone and then taking off. Isaac went from Angela to his mother and then back again, but the entire time out, Darren stayed with Ben. In the play, Crystal in her laughter happen to look up and see her mother standing in the door staring at them, then at her. She stopped, smiled at her and waved; wondering about the look on her face. But Ben came up behind her, with Darren hanging onto his back like a little monkey; he lifted her into the air from behind to dunk her into the water. Coming up laughing, spitting and threatening him, she took off after them with a playful vengeance, forgetting her mother for the time being. After about 20 more minutes of play, Darren started whining even with Ben holding him. Realizing the problem, Ben walked towards the steps leading out of the pool, holding onto him with strong arms, with a feeling that he might have to potty, be sleepy, or hungry.

  "Tell me my little man, you hungry, or sleepy, hm, which?"

  Softly Darren answered, "Hun'ry."

  "Let's go get something to eat, shall we?" He asked, walking to the bench by the pool, grabbing up a towel to wrap around him, drying his hair and as if it were the most natural thing to do, his kissed his brow and called out, "Crystal, Angela, bring Isaac in so they can eat, we'll go back out in a bit." With that order given, he walked into the house sliding the door closed expecting them to soon follow.

  Crystal looked at Angela, her mouth almost hanging open.

  "Well, you heard him, time to get them fed." Angela loved it and was the next in step heading out of the pool; having little choice, Crystal followed.

  In the house, Ben had gone into the bathroom with Darren when Crystal walked in looking for them to see him standing in the door of it. "Where's Darren?" She asked.

  "On the toilet, he said he had to go pee."

  Crystal walked to the door and looked in to see her son sitting on the toilet actually using it, "Darren, you going potty baby?"

  "Pee pee mama, g'out - I pee peeing!" He waved her off.

  Laughing Crystal backed away looking up at Ben, "What have you done to my son to make him stick to you like glue?"

  "Oh, what I'd like to do to you, lil'TLC - goes a long way." He murmured gently for her ears only. "Wish it worked on everyone."

  Crystal gasped, "Will you behave yourself?"

  He was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his wet, hairy chest, wearing only his swimming trucks, a bulge too apparent to miss, outlined as it was with his wet trucks; with big, long, hairy legs crossed at the ankles showing bare feet. Crystal didn't realize that her eyes were coursing over his body until they came back up to meet his, he was grinning at her.

>   "Does everything check out okay?" He used her exact words from earlier outside. Right after her eyes flared wide, a mischievous sparkle came into them, he instinctively knew what she was dying to say back to him, "Careful, be very careful with your next words young lady, because you doing a closer inspection of me, will not bother me, in the least."

  Heat swept over Crystal in a way that she'd never known before. As her talk with her mother came back to her, she thought her best bet, was to bite her tongue, back up, spin and head for the stairs to get the boys fresh dry clothes. Because her mother wasn't in the kitchen, she stuck her head into her room looking for her, "Mama, you still in here? The boys are hungry, should I..." She stopped talking realizing her mother wasn't in the room. Thinking she must have missed her downstairs, she gathered the boys clothing and went back down to the kitchen/family room where Ben stood at the sink seasoning the meat that was on the counter. Angela was making sandwiches when she re-entered the room looking for her mother.

  "Where's mama Angela? Is she down here?"

  "No, isn't she upstairs?"

  "No." Crystal answered, "I thought she was going to cook."

  "The meat was laying here on the counter, I thought I'd put it on for her. All of this stuff was here too, looks like she started to cook." Ben commented carrying on.

  "Maybe she went to the store for something?" Angela suggested.

  Crystal walked to the table with the boys clothes to dress them wondering about that. "She didn't say she was going to the store for anything."

  "Angela, go see if the limo is out front." Ben directed, putting the ribs in a pan so they could grill them outside.

  Angela was instantly off to see.

  Crystal sat dressing Darren and thinking about the discussion she had upstairs with her mother, and then a while ago, her mother standing at the glass doors staring at her. Angela ran back, "The limo is still out there. You check in the bathroom upstairs Crystal?" Angela asked.

  "Yeah, she's not up there."

  "Where would she go without the limo? I thought she'd never been here before." Ben questioned.

  "This is our fist time. I've upset her, I know I have. She would not have left that food out that way and just taken off without saying anything if she weren't upset about something."

  "Well ... what upset her?" Angela asked.

  Crystal felt her heart speeding suddenly, she looked at Ben and then pulled Darren onto her lap. Angela asked again, "What upset her Crystal?"

  "Something I said, something I wish I'd never said."

  * * *

  "Okay, what do you think, look good? Everything as it should be?" Deidre asked her ever present bodyguard.

  "Oh we bad! Tol'yah didn't I? Paying out all that damn money; shit, do it yourself, your way. And it looks good."

  "Fantastic, I'm gonna take your word for it Charlie. Now, we only have four more rooms to go."

  "Oh no no no, I'm done Dee-Dee, I look like an interior decorator to you? I'm your bodyguard, you do not pay me to hang pictures on the wall, hell, what you think? White folks thank you slick, gone try and get two for the price of one. I was just showing yo' butt you could do it yourself, I ain't sayin' I'm gone help."

  Deidre couldn't believe it, she threw her hands on her hips and said as close to the way Charlie talked to her as she could, "Hell wit'that shit! You helpin' me dammit!"

  Charlie rocked back shouting out in laughter, cracking up so she had tears in her eyes, "Look at Dee-Dee, tryin' to get all hostile and shit! All right Dee-Dee, don't start actin' a fool! It ain't pretty for rich white women to behave like that."

  Deidre stood smiling, realizing how crazy she was starting to act being around Charlie all the time, "Okay, I'll pay you extra for helping me with the other rooms."

  "Na'uh, I ain't interested girlfriend."

  "Charlie!" She stomped.

  "I don't feel like it! House too goddamn big, them rooms too goddamn big, shit don't make no sense. I get bored with shit like that Dee-Dee."

  "Oh just great! Well listen here chick - you're helping me with those other rooms!"

  "No I ain't!"

  "Yes you are!"

  "You gone pay me extra?"

  "I already pay you - girlfriend, damn well I might add!"

  "Yeah but not for that."

  "Hang on here Ms Charlene Carlton - what did you say to one of those movers? Don't let your mouth write a check, yo'ass can't cash? Is that what you said?"

  Charlie was rolling with laughter, "Wooo, Dee-Dee - you on a roll girl, yo'ass just gettin' out'ah hand!" Charlie was dying.

  "Say what you will missy, but know this, your mouth lost me my help, so your ass will be cashing that check by helping me with decorating those other rooms!"

  "Dee-Dee, you just all out'ah control, damn! See how hangin' around me get you to actin'? Ain't nobody gone be able to do shit with you pretty soon, gettin' all cocky and shit. I'm tellin' you now Dee-Dee, don't no black man want no white woman with all that attitude. They go to ya'll to get away from attitude. So you bes' behave yourself if you gone end up with Mr. Chocolate Perry Mason."

  "All I have to say to that is, he's the one that brought you to me, therefore, he has no one to blame but himself. Now, let's go visit my daughter, we have enough done that she can invite her friends over for a slumber party if she wants."

  "Lord, I can hear it now, a bunch of giggling, twee lil'white girls all talking valley girl, squealing and carrying on. That's gone run you extra Dee-Dee, my life course has been to get as far away from that whole domestic scene as I could get, I can't stand Martha Stewart or the Brady Bunch."

  "Oh come on Charlie, you were once a little girl too."

  "Nope, don't remember." She denied walking along side Deidre towards the garage and cars. Arriving there, Samuel was busy wiping down the car, checking it over. "Most work I've seen you do all week." Charlie started in at him right away.

  "That's because you're too busy running from me, hiding. Stick around for once-..."

  "Stop while you ahead! I don't run, I don't hide! But neither do I waste my time, put your shirt on, we're going to the condo to see the kid."

  Deidre made no comment when it came to these two, it was best, she decided to stand back and stay out of it. They all loaded into the limo and headed for Shawn's condo. As they came into the area of it, they were stopped at a light. "Hey, Dee-Dee, isn't that your ex's wife, Sylvia right there?"

  Deidre looked up to see her standing and waiting to cross at the light.

  "Why in the world is she out walking alone? Samuel, please turn here and cut her off, pull up there."

  Following her instructions, Samuel blocked Sylvia's progress. Because she didn't know who it was, her face showed her displeasure at being cut off until Deidre's window rolled down to show who it was.

  "Sylvia McPherson, what in the world are you doing out walking all alone?" She asked.

  Sylvia smiled right away, before she could get a word out, Samuel was there, opening the door for her to get in, she hesitated, "I'm out for a walk, that's all."

  "By yourself?! And Shawn let you?"

  "He's not home right now-..."

  "I believe that, I know him - there's no way he'd appreciate you out walking alone, now get in here."

  Sylvia sighed, "I'm okay, really I am, I just needed to get out, maybe find the park, enjoy a little time alone."

  "Why didn't you take the limo I left you? Well, sorry, there's nothing you can say that will make me leave you out here alone, we're holding up traffic."

  Sylvia groaned with a slight whimper, but Deidre left her little choice, she stepped to the vehicle and got in.

  "Okay, let's hear it, what's wrong, I know something must be to have you out here, no purse, no phone - as far as I can see."

  Sylvia looked down, inspecting herself and realized she was right, she'd left the house with nothing to contact anyone just in case, and no purse or money for that matter. She looked up at Deidre, feeling a bit down but she couldn
't really talk to her about it.

  "You're not doing another runner are you? Something Shawn did?" Deidre asked gently.

  "Nooo, nothing like that." Sylvia returned as the car pulled away from the curb and back into traffic, "Where were you going?" She asked Deidre to shift the attention from herself.

  "I was on my way there, to see Angela."

  "Oh Deidre, just drop me off at the nearest park so you can spend time with your daughter."

  "I will not just drop you off somewhere! Shawn dislikes me enough, I'm not interested in making it worse."

  "Well, you need to see your daughter and I - I just need a breather."

  "She's not bothering you is she, I mean-..."

  "Absolutely not! I love that baby, she's right where she belongs, no - nothing to do with her - don't even think that."

  Deidre shifted a bit uncomfortably hearing that, she couldn't help but glance at Charlie.

  "Then what's with the haunted look in your eyes?" Deidre asked. "The baby okay?"

  Sylvia smiled, "The baby is fine."

  "Okay, I'll tell you what, obviously, whatever it is, you're not wanting to talk about. So, seeing that I'd planned to have a day with you, how about that day be this one? We can start it by me showing you my new home, which by the way, the grounds surrounding it, pretty park like, how about it?"

  "You'd planned to see Angela." Sylvia reminded her.

  "Another day, another evening, I'll be fine, come on - check out my new pad."

  Giving in, Sylvia agreed, "Okay, I'd like that."

  Back at the new mansion, Charlie left the two women alone.

  Deidre showed Sylvia around the grounds first, talking about her plans for it. She wanted to install a greenhouse and build up a palatial garden to rival the greatest known. From there, they entered the mansion from the conservatory off the downstairs dinning hall and completed the tour of it in the last rooms that needed decorating. The final room was the brightest of them all, sporting massive windows from floor to ceiling that opened a view onto the gardens.

  "I like this room the best. So bright - sunny - its breathtaking in here. What will you make this room?" Sylvia asked standing in the window, looking out over the gardens.