She quickly cleaned up the bathroom, clearing up any loose hairs from combing hers, wiped up everything, washed her hands, a dab of lotion on them, then stood back and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled, "You go gurl!" She did a little head shift from side to side, took a deep breath and came out of the bathroom clicking off the light. Checking over their place one last time, she was ready. Going to check on the food, she heard voices outside, someone messing with the door and then distinct voices, smiling, shaking her head, the voices of white males stood out distinctly, and then her man's.
"Where you at lil'girl, we're here!" Jake called out, walking in he turned to make sure Paul, the last one entering, locked all the doors on the way in.
"In the kitchen, just checking on your dinner." She called back, walking over towards the short hall and through it into the living-room where they were all gathered. "You guys made good time." She greeted, smiling.
All three stood gazing at her - momentarily taken in by how lovely she was - each had been appreciating what she'd done with the place and then to see her, each were speechless.
'Yes, I don't play!' Vivian thought at their reaction to her. She was stunning beyond words and not one of them could deny it.
"You all ready to eat? Dinners done." She went on, playing off their reaction to seeing her. "Kevin and Paul, I cooked plenty for you, so no worries and come here, I want you two, to check out your room."
"Our room?" Kevin found his voice to ask.
"Well yeah! This is your father's home - from time to time, such as this weekend, you'll be wanting to drop in. Maybe even come up when we're not here. Come on, don't be shy, tell me what you think. Paul, you too!" Vivian waved them through to look at their room. Carrying their gym bags with clothes for the weekend, they made their way to the room. Granted, they'd stayed there when their dad was there, but they hadn't really considered it, "Their room".
Vivian turned back to Jake, "I bought you some beer baby, you want one now, or after your shower? 'Cause babe, you look like you need one." She simpered.
"C'mere you." Jake could finally breathe to call to her. Seeing her, that way for him, did something to him. The place looked out of sight. The aroma's of a delicious dinner within his fresh clean home, with her there waiting, dressed and looking as she did, almost knocked him off of his feet. Pride, pleasure, love and lust - all at once emanated from his eyes peering intensely at her.
Grinning she edged towards him, "Baby you need a shower."
"I know, c'mere here anyway."
Nibbling at her lower lip, Vivian took her time making her way towards him, "You like what I've done with our place? It just needed a little something, here and - well there."
"Emmm, yeah well, I need a lil'somethin' too." He started stepping towards her, realizing she was teasing him.
"Jake, don't forget the boys are here." Vivian swallowed, realizing she'd turned him on, really on.
He walked up to her, looking down into her stunning features, trying not to touch her, she was so fresh, clean, smelled so good, he hated to tamper with her. "That's why you did it, didn't you? With them here, I'm forced to behave myself ... to ... a degree."
Vivian smiled up at him, "Yes, behave yourself - now ... your shower is waiting, and then, dinner. Go on, thought you were so hungry?"
They were so close, their bodies were almost touching. Vivian stood before him, so close he could kiss her, touch her, but yet, she kept that bit of distance. Jake leaned in a bit, closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. The act turned her on, because she knew him. He slowly opened his eyes, staring into hers. "You know ... what you're doing to me, right?" He asked, low, husky.
"Yeah, I know - is it - working?" She asked, just as low, husky.
"Yeah ... yeah, it's working."
"Good, then ... it was well worth it." She smiled seductively and backed out of his reach, reminding him, "The shower."
Jake stood a moment more, took a deep breath and made his way to their bedroom, dropping his gym bag on the bed, unzipping it, he removed his toiletry bag, clean underwear and the loungers he wore around the house.
Leaving Jake to shower, Vivian went to Kevin and Paul's room, tapping on the door, it wasn't closed, but she still wanted to warn them she was there.
"Doors open." Paul called out.
Vivian leaned in looking around and then at them, "Is everything okay?" They already had the TV on, and Kevin was on the floor behind it hooking up their game console. He looked up, "Are you kidding, everything is fantastic! Thanks!"
"Glad you like it, those games are the current talk among the guys at my job, so I thought, maybe - you two would have interest in them."
"I almost brought mine with me, I have one of them, had planned on getting this other one, kept putting it off, they cost ridiculous, but hey - here they are! That totally rocks!" Paul sang out.
"Okay, well there you go, rock on baby! Soon as your dads out of the shower, we can eat."
"With the phone on, you have internet connection here yet?" Kevin asked.
"Baby, let me tell you something, I don't play, okay ... look over there right behind that bed table, and you will see, an Internet jack hook-up, DSL sweetheart, not dial-up!"
Kevin shot up from the floor, moved the end table and sure enough, "YES! Sweet! Paul, dude you have to finish that, I gotta connect my laptop."
"So you have one?"
"Take it with me everywhere I go, just in case you know." He informed her, picking up his gym bag, and pulling from it, his laptop.
"You carry it around like that?!" Vivian asked stunned.
"Sure, it's fine, had my clothes all around it, straight."
"I guess so, okay well, I'll leave you all to it." She backed out feeling on top of the world and went off to set the table.
When Jake came out, everything was set out and Vivian was ready to serve them. They all came into the kitchen after their father poked his head into their room, just to see for himself what she'd set up for them. Both of his boys were all smiles, Kevin nodding and giving her, the thumbs up to his dad. "She's a keeper." Kevin advised.
"You think so?" Jake replied smiling.
"Oh yeah, for sure - hey, so like ah, don't be surprised by the frequency of my presence - with this hook-up, we need to be here to put it to use." Kevin informed him, winking.
"Yeah, well for now, come and eat, because if you hesitate, you will be facing an empty plate."
They were both on their feet and making their way out of the room towards the kitchen.
Around the table, Vivian sat to the tunes of 'mmm's, and aaaah's' as they were eating. The roast was so tender, bathed as it was in delicious gravy that it was hard for them to talk enjoying the food so much. Vivian, always eating in small amounts, had a small bit of beef, not quite half of a potato, a few carrots, and mostly the savoy cabbage; she would not touch the bread. Jake kept peering at her plate, "You really need to start eating more than that." He advised.
"Why? This is plenty for me."
"And when you're pregnant?"
"Jake!" She gasped, eyes wide looking at him and then gesturing towards Kevin and Paul.
"What?! They know my plans! They're not in the dark, got nothing to hide here. You - need to eat more, that's not enough food."
"I'm just fine Jake."
"And when you're knocked up - then what?"
"Well of course I'll eat more then, but I don't need to right now, do I?"
"My dad likes his women more robust Vivian." Kevin supplied.
"So I've heard." She answered.
"And what's wrong with that?! I don't think women were made to be so skinny."
"I'm not skinny!" Vivian rebuked.
The look Jake gave her stated he didn't agree with her on that, "A woman needs extra because she reproduces and feeds another off of her body, or should."
"Well I'm not reproducing yet Mr McPherson, so there."
"You will be, and soon - and then, I'll expect to see more on that pla
te."
Vivian looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.
Paul, deciding they needed to change the subject, asked Vivian, "Did dad tell you, Ben got a DNA test, to see if Shawn, or my dad was his?"
Vivian looked to Jake, "Has it come back yet?" She asked gently.
"Yeah ... he's ah, Shawn's."
"Oh baby," She reached over and squeezing his hand in sympathy, "You okay?"
"I have little choice in the matter. What's done is done, he chose Shawn."
"Dad, come on man, he didn't choose, Shawn." Kevin spoke up to defend him.
"Oh yeah, well, where is he now?"
"So what dad, so what! He went to L.A. - it's his life. He didn't choose to make things the way they are, they just are. Why can't you just accept that, you still have me, you still have Paul, or, aren't we good enough for you."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Jake demanded.
"It means your glass is half full dad! Not half empty! You've been moaning about it all the way down here!" Kevin argued.
"Hey, leave him alone okay?"
"I'm just saying, quit acting like you're the victim here dad."
Jake sat stunned, at a loss for words.
"Hang on here, I'm going to have to apologize ahead of time for putting my two cents in, but - he did go twenty-two years being a father to Ben, is he supposed to just turn all of that off?!"
"Well, it depends on what you interpret as, being a father. Let's face it, Quincy in fact, was really our father, you stepped in when it was convenient for you to, when it was fun. So turn it on and off, yeah - he's done it before." Kevin stated heatedly.
"Quit being an asshole Kevin! He was still our father, we always knew who we were and where we belonged! So you're pissed because he loved Ben, and still does! I can't-..."
"Paul - stop. He's had his say - he's right. I wasn't around all the time, not for you, Kevin, or Ben - so ah, I'm the last person who should feel - as he put it, the victim here." Jake's appetite was suddenly gone. They were all quiet at the table. Vivian was steaming. She didn't care how right Kevin was, she didn't care for the hurt on her man's face right then. He was picking at his food, something he never did. To her, that was the equivalent of being gutted. She couldn't help herself, her eyes rolled up across the table at Kevin and the look she gave him was definitely a dirty one.
Catching it, he dropped his fork, "What? So I'm the bad guy now, would you like me to leave?" He asked, his face burning. Part of him felt ashamed for bringing it all up and there before her of all places, and part of him couldn't stop it. They were there for him, why couldn't he just be happy that he had them, he felt.
Answering his question, Vivian leaned forward stating, "Did I ask you to leave?"
"No."
"All right then, when I desire something, I let it be known, I verbalize it, by saying, - You need to leave. Since I didn't - it's not required unless you wish to do so."
"So what was the look for?"
"You'll have to forgive my look, or not - that's up to you. But I get like that, when I see someone I love, being hurt, kicked in the stomach for being human."
Again, uncomfortable silence at the table once more, "Since I've obviously ruined the meal, I better head out-..."
Jake reached over and grabbed his wrist, "Don't - I don't want you to go..." Jake froze, stuck - unsure of what to say next. His eyes welled up as his jaw tensed.
Vivian couldn't stand to see him that way, rather than go off on his son, she stood and left the room, leaving them to work it out.
Jake's eyes followed her from the room, he took a deep breath, pulling his hand away from Kevin. He looked at both of his sons, "I'm..." His voice broke, "I'm sorry ... I'm sorry - if I could - go back and - undo it - I would. I can't go back." He cleared his throat, looking back down at his plate. "I don't know what else to say, other than - as inept as I was at it - I did and I do ... love you guys. All three of you. It's up to you, if - you wanna go - but you don't have to." Jake turned back to his food, determined to finish it, even if he had to stuff it down his throat. She'd cooked it, and he was eating it. He wiped his hand over his face, to clear it, "VIVIAN! Come back and eat." He called out to her.
Kevin sat a moment, looking at his brother. Paul was watching him, shaking his head, he was not happy. They waited, no Vivian.
Kevin pushed his chair back and went to their room, tapping on the door. "Vivian, my dad - we - want you to come back and eat."
In the room, Vivian sat on the bed, praying for him that they work it out, when he called her, she'd leapt from the bed, checking herself in the mirror. Then came the knock, and Kevin's voice. "Come on Vivian, I'm - I'm sorry for, ruining it, honest - no one is leaving."
Vivian opened the door. They stood, each searching the other. He'd gotten a haircut, she hadn't commented on it when they first arrived. "Nice haircut." She softly complimented to break the ice.
He smiled, running his hand over the back of his head, "Thanks, it was about time."
"It suits you."
"Come back to the table now please? I promise to behave, I act up again, you guys can send me to bed without my dinner." He grinned, his father's grin.
Vivian smiled, "Remember, you said it. Okay."
He stepped away from their door and all went back to eating, quiet, and then Paul, "So dad, we're going by that old man's first thing in the morning? I want to get started right away."
Jake looked up at Paul, smiling, nodding, "Yes son, right away." His eyes went from Paul to Kevin, again he smiled, and last to his fiery dream come true. Their eyes met, he winked.
She winked back.
* * *
Saturday...
The smell of fresh brewing coffee wafting and tickling her senses made Vivian blink, turn over yawing and wonder what time it was. It was dark in their room. It took a moment for all of her senses to engage, but she could hear the low murmurs of men's voices. She sat up, yawning again, realizing that she was in bed alone. Reaching over, she clicked on the bed side lamp, and looked at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning. She sat staring at it a moment, still trying to wake up. After a moment sitting and staring, she threw the covers off, climbed out of bed, fingering her afro, pulling on the flattened portions of her hair to re-round it decently. Grabbing her robe off of the chair, slipping it on, wrapping the belt around her waist, she came out of her room and went to the bathroom, still listening to them talk in the other room. After using the toilet, splashing her face, brushing her teeth and fixing her afro, she came out entering the kitchen.
"Good morning, you guys are up early." She smiled.
"Yep, we have a busy day a head of us, I'm fixing breakfast - I find that I do that pretty well." Jake commented from the stove, flipping eggs. Kevin and Paul were already eating theirs. "How do you want your eggs baby?" He asked with a smile.
"I - I have fruit for breakfast on the weekends, I stay away from fatty foods because I'm not active enough to burn it off."
"Oh, you'll be active today. I may need you as my gofer. My suggestion, get some food down'ya'!"
"Babe, I'll be fine. So what's the plan here?"
Paul spoke up excited, "All week from home, I've been on the phone and Internet locating the places where we can pick up materials for little or nothing, even free. Locations where if we go in and clean it up, we can get building materials for free, all we can carry off. I have three locations on here for us to check out this morning. But we have to get moving, because other's may be doing the same."
"Oh, wow ... look at you. Okay then, I should get dressed huh?"
"Yep, get a move on!" Jake called to her.
Vivian went and put on an old pair of patchy jeans, a t-shirt and zip up hoody. Socks, All Star gym shoes and she was ready. In the bathroom, she put her hair into two thick French braids, one down each side. Brushed down a few soft baby hair tufts around the edges, and tucked the braids under. Once more, she looked incredible that way, her face fit pretty much anything sh
e did with her hair. When she came out of the bathroom, "All ready." She announced.
Jake looked up at her, stared a moment and finally shook his head. "You look 14 years old, Vivian."
"No I don't." She denied.
"Kevin, Paul - how old does she look?"
They both looked at her, smiled, "Yeah, you do, you look like a little girl, I would say - 14 too." Kevin agreed.
"Well I'm not!"
Jake shook his head, finishing off his food, "Don't get me pulled over by the police, Vivian, questioning me and why I have a minor in my company, they sure as hell won't believe you're my daughter!" He grumbled.
She laughed, "You need to stop being so crazy, as if they'd pull you over. White men can do anything they want to a black girl; now if the shades were reversed, you all my color and me yours, you'd be pulled over baby, lickety split!" She walked to the refrigerator and took out an assortment of fruit to fix in a plastic Tupperware bowl that had a lid to it, attached and hanging off. Blueberries, strawberries, cherries, slices of kiwi, wedges of ripe mango and star fruit, with a banana sliced within, then topped it with fresh, real, plain yogurt. Took her all of ten minutes, including clean up. With a spoon in hand, she turned eating it and stopped, noticing how they looked at her. "What?" She asked the room at large. Neither wanted to make comment on what she'd just said - but there was a sad acceptance from them as they faced that truth.
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