Full Figured 10

by Skyy

  Hours later I looked at the clock and wondered what was keeping my husband. It was close to eight, and I was ready to greet him with wine, food, and lovemaking. Hating that I couldn’t keep late nights because I had the bakery, I decided not to call him. I left the food on very low on the stove and put the white wine back into the fridge.

  I closed my robe, which hid my sexy satin nightie, and got on the sofa. Grabbed the remote, and within minutes I had dozed off.

  Sometime later I felt a soft kiss.

  “Baby,” he whispered.

  I opened my eyes. “Will, baby,” I said, blinking.

  “I’m sorry I’m late, baby. The city gave me hell, and there was a lot of electrical work that had to be redone.”

  I yawned, covering my mouth. “It’s okay, baby. What time is it?”

  “Close to eleven.”

  “Damn. That late? I cooked. I hope nothing dried out.” I rose and headed to the kitchen.

  “Me too, because I’m starving.”

  As I went into the kitchen, I thanked God that I had made another trip there to turn everything completely off before dozing.

  “Go on up and shower, baby, and I’ll get your dinner,” I told him.

  He paused and came close. “It’s not always like this, baby.” He kissed my shoulder.

  “Will, bae, I know. Work is work, and I’d never complain about your duties at work. I know what I signed up for.”

  “That’s my girl. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Now go. Dinner will be served when you are cleaned up.”

  My husband dashed up the stairs, and I set about reheating our dinner. I knew I’d be crying in the a.m., but I didn’t mind. I made a decision at that moment to find a person to open the bakery in the mornings, or to promote one of my employees and have him or her do that task, so that I could relax and not think about opening. So my new husband and I could have late nights together, if we had to. Hell, Chez had always been away, but now I had a husband who came home every night and who was in love with me, so I had to make some changes.

  Chapter Twelve

  Will

  I sat at my desk in my office, staring into space. I wondered how to begin to investigate my friend. Lance and I went way back, boys from the hood, and I knew he had a history, but, hell, so did I. But I had to admit I was living a BMW lifestyle, while he liked an Aston Martin lifestyle.

  I mean, I had the finer things and could afford top-notch things, but I’d never throw my wife a party like the one he had thrown for Yvonne. Not that I couldn’t afford it. I just thought it was not smart. When I added up all the vacations he went on, versus me barely having a moment to breathe, it was clear that the numbers weren’t adding up.

  As hard as it was, I made that call—the call that I had thought for a few seconds should not be made. But Lynn’s voice had replayed over and over in my head. “Baby, it never hurts to just check. I mean, just check. If there is nothing, there’s nothing,” she’d said.

  “Hey, Royce. This is Will. How are you, bro?” Royce was my accountant, and I also considered him a friend.

  “Well, I’m doing well, Will. What’s up? How is the married life? I hope you guys got my and Tamia’s gift.”

  “We did, as a matter of fact, and thanks. Marriage so far is wonderful. I mean, Lynn is a breath of fresh air, the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

  “I hear ya. . . . Tamia is like my lifeline, and I couldn’t imagine life without her.”

  “I now know what you mean, man.”

  “So what prompted this call? I mean, we meet only twice a year, and we are nowhere near review or tax time.”

  “I know, and I normally would have never called. I’d let you and Lance do what y’all do. I know you two have been keeping this company running without a hitch, and you know since the numbers and the business side are foreign to me, I barely stop to survey what’s going on.”

  “True, but whatever you wanna know, I’ll be happy to tell you or show you. Your records are up to date. Is there something wrong?”

  “No, well, no . . . Well, let’s just put it this way.... Lance has been splurging a bit more and more lately, and I just want to make sure he’s still on the straight and narrow. I mean, this is my business, and my pops worked too hard for me to fuck up and lose it, you know, so I think I should see more of the financial parts, more than just the labor.”

  “Well, you are the boss, and whatever you want, I will be happy to show you, explain, and provide for you. I mean, your company has quadrupled since you and Lance took over.”

  “Quadrupled?” I questioned. I knew we had increased our profits, but quadrupled was a term that I wasn’t aware of. But thinking back, I knew he was about right.

  “Yes, plus some. I’ll be happy to go over every number with you, Will. I mean, at midyear and year-end, I e-mail you the numbers too. I had no idea you had questions.”

  This was a kick in the head. Not being able to read and comprehend the facts was my reason for not even opening those e-mails, and now that I had Lynn to help me, I’d have to go back and let her read and explain the reports to me.

  “I know, but I have been so busy and have let Lance handle that. You know I’m a hands-on man,” I said, making an excuse. Truth was, I wouldn’t know what I was reading.

  “That I know, so I’ll go ahead and forward you the e-mails from the past five years, since you’ve been my client, and if there are any questions, just please don’t hesitate,” he said.

  “Thanks. That will help, and I will give you a call if there is anything that I don’t understand.”

  “Great. And congrats again on your new marriage. I’m happy for you, man.”

  “Thanks. Take care and send Tamia a hello.”

  “Will do.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Will

  I stood to leave and head home, but Yvonne walked into my office just then.

  “Hey, how are you?” I asked, shocked. Lance always worked at the office, never on site, so what she was doing there, I had no idea.

  “I’m fantastic. Are you on your way out?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  “Well, I’m glad I caught you.” She smiled brightly and then took a seat. “First, I wanted to say that I am glad you and Lynn came out to my birthday celebration. It was, like, the best party I’ve ever had in my life.”

  “I bet,” I smirked.

  “It was, but now I have to plan something for Lance. His birthday is in a couple of months, and since you’re his best friend, I figured you could be my party-planning partner.”

  “Aw, Yvonne, I’d love to, but I think you should get with Lynn on that. She’d be better than me.”

  “Nooo,” she whined. “Secretly, I know your wife is not too fond of me. Most women aren’t, so I’m not mad at her. However, you’re Lance’s best friend, and in order for this to be the party of the century, you and I will have to work side by side to make this happen.”

  Unwillingly I agreed. “Okay, Yvonne. Whatever you need.”

  She hopped up and down like a bunny. “Yay!” she squealed. “I will come by your house maybe Saturday morning with a list of ideas, and we can get this party started.”

  “Okay. But I have to work this Saturday, so it has to be early, like before nine.”

  “I’m there. I just want to keep this on the low. I’ve never been able to surprise him, so I really want this to be special.”

  “Hey, I’ll be happy to help.” I stood, and I walked her to the door. I had a funny feeling, because I was about to help plan a party for a man who I was also going to investigate due to the possibility that he was stealing from me.

  I headed home, feeling like maybe I was making a mistake. I mean, Lance had made some serious money, and I had never pried, so he could have had great investments and other things going on in his world. With that, I started to second-guess my decision, and I started to wonder why Lynn was so concerned about this when we lived we
ll.

  I walked into the house. Whatever she was cooking smelled divine. I made my way to the kitchen, where I found Lynn.

  “I talked to Royce. He’s going to send over all the numbers for the past five years,” I said as I opened the fridge for a beer.

  “Okay, and I’m sure you have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

  I was silent for a moment. She sounded supportive and loving, but that didn’t help how I felt about being a grown-up idiot. If Lance had been stealing from me, it only served me right for being a dumb ass and for never going back to school.

  “Baby, I feel so stupid,” I confessed.

  “Will, baby, don’t say that. You are brilliant. You build homes, businesses, and corporate offices from the ground up with your knowledge and skills, so damn a book. You are more brilliant than a man who has ten degrees. At the end of the day, not many can do what you do, so please, don’t insult yourself. Hell, don’t insult me. I married a brilliant man, and school doesn’t make a man. You are self-made and damn good at what you do, so please, bae, don’t.”

  I listened, but my head still hung low. “How did I not see it?”

  “You just trusted someone, baby. We all do. I trusted Chez, but he let me down. And we don’t know yet about Lance. Let’s get proof before we go down this road, okay?”

  She was right. “Okay. I’m going to go up and shower. What’s for dinner?”

  “Smothered chicken, rice, veggies, and a side of good loving afterward.”

  “All I want on my plate is the side of good loving, please, for now.” I smiled, readjusting my dick in my Dickies. It instantly swelled at the thought of being inside of her.

  “How about saving that for dessert? The chicken, rice, and veggies will give you energy, and then she will give you pleasure.” She point toward her treasure.

  “That is a better idea. I love you, woman, and you better know it.”

  “I do, and I love you too, man. You better know it.”

  I smiled. “I do. I’ll be back down in a little while. Fix me a drink, would ya?”

  “What my baby wants is what he gets.”

  I kissed her and then headed up the steps and showered. After a nice dinner, we settled on the sofa, and we didn’t dare speak about Lance and his possible misappropriation of funds. We talked about making love and making babies. We decided we’d work on making a baby while we worked on ascertaining Lance’s loyalty to me and our friendship and to my company.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Will

  “Yvonne, you’re here,” I said when I opened the front door.

  “I said bright and early.” She walked in without an invite. She headed for the kitchen, stopped at the island, tossed her designer bag onto a stool, and then handed me a large OJ and a Dunkin’ Donuts bag.

  “Thanks. I honestly forgot you were coming.”

  “Well, you may want to take advantage of the apps in your phone. Even I know there is an appointment app,” she scolded and took a seat. She pulled out a list. “Okay, first things first. Themes. Now, I know Lance is a sports guy and he loves cars, but I’m at a loss when it comes to choosing one.”

  I took a swig of the juice, and it was a little bitter. But I wasn’t rude, so I drank it, anyway, and then fished around in the bag and took out a hot breakfast sandwich. I was glad she was thoughtful enough to show up with breakfast, because she was messing with my timeline.

  “Yvonne, are you sure you can’t do this with my wife? I mean, Lynn is very capable of helping you.”

  “But you’re his best friend, not Lynn,” she snapped.

  “You’re right, so my suggestion will be sports.”

  “Bulls or Bears?”

  “Bears.”

  “Indoor or out?”

  “Out. That way we can do some touch football and grilling. You should consider park space. Have a half field drawn out and have, like, a tailgate theme.”

  “Oh, my fucking God. You are brilliant,” she said, her eyes bright.

  “Get with some barbecue restaurant and see what it will cost to have them set up different food stations. We can have kegs, contests and giveaways, sports trivia. It could be awesome.”

  “Okay, I will do a lot of shopping and then get back to you with the figures.”

  Pause! “Come again?”

  “Will, you know I’m not working, and Lance deserves a party. I mean, he’s your best friend. Surely, you can fund it if I plan it right,” she said, looking like an innocent eight-year-old little girl. At that moment I saw how she had Lance wrapped around her finger.

  “Okay, well, let me ask this. What kind of budget are you looking at?”

  “Ten grand.”

  I almost spit out the orange juice. “Ten grand? Lance is my best friend, not my wife.”

  “Come on, Will. That is the cheapest. I mean, we are trying to do a lot of stuff.”

  “Yvonne, Lance doesn’t even know enough people to invite.”

  “I know, but I’ll be inviting my friends, and you saw the turnout at my party.”

  She had a point. There had been a slew of people there.

  “Six,” I offered.

  “Eight,” she countered.

  “Seven. And that’s my final offer.”

  “Done,” she agreed. She hopped up and ran over to squeeze my neck. “Thank you, Will. Lance is going to be so happy. You’re awesome.”

  “Yeah, I know.”’

  “I’ll be in touch,” she said, grabbing her things. She hurried to the door.

  I downed the OJ and headed upstairs to finish getting ready for work. I pondered how I had just agreed to spend seven grand on a party for a man who I thought was stealing funds from me. Lynn was going to flip her lid.

  “Damn!” I said to myself and wondered how I’d tell her.

  When I got to work, I started to feel a little funny. My stomach was cramping so bad that I could no longer ignore the discomfort, so I handed my assistant my clipboard and headed home. Unable to deal with the pain, I force myself to vomit but hardly got any relief. I went for the phone and called Lynn, and she was home within thirty minutes.

  “What did you eat?” she asked me as I lay in bed.

  Clenching the covers, I replied, “Dunkin’ Donuts. I had a breakfast sandwich and orange juice.”

  She felt my head. “Well, you’re burning up. It may be a virus, baby. Let me get you some soup and tea, and we have Alka-Seltzer. That should help.”

  “Okay.” I frowned. I hadn’t experienced a stomachache this bad ever in my life.

  A few minutes later she came back with the stomach medicine, and she brought up a bucket.

  “Drink this, baby. I’ve been in situations where I vomited within minutes after drinking it, so here is a bucket. I’m going to go downstairs and make some soup for you.”

  “Thank you, baby,” I whispered, taking quick sips. I wanted to down the Alka-Seltzer so I could have some relief.

  After twenty minutes or so, Lynn was back. I hadn’t vomited, and the Alka-Seltzer had given me a little relief. Not as much as I would have liked.

  She fed me a few spoonfuls of the soup, and I just wanted to go to sleep.

  “Here, baby. Try some more soup first.”

  I nodded but wanted to say no. I managed two more spoons and lay there and thanked God when I felt myself finally drifting off to sleep.

  I woke up sometime that night and was feeling so much better. Whatever had hit me had hit me hard. I went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and was happy to see that my color had returned. That bug had sure hit me out of nowhere.

  I climbed back in bed.

  “Baby, how are you feeling?” Lynn asked when she walked into the room.

  “Better. That bug whipped your man’s ass today, baby.”

  “I know. I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Me too.”

  “Okay. Good night, baby,” she said.

  I kissed the side of her head. “Good night.”

/>   Chapter Fifteen

  Will

  The next day, when I got to the office, I was grateful to be feeling better. At lunch I was going to head to a sandwich shop nearby, but Lance and Yvonne walked in.

  “What brings you to the site?” I asked, my brow furrowed. “You know you don’t like getting your hands dirty.”

  “The guys told me how sick you were yesterday, so Yvonne thought it would be good to come check on you and bring you some lunch. Lynn said it was best to get you something light, so we got you some soup and orange juice. Yvonne talked me into it, because I was like, ‘He’s a man, not a baby.’”

  We all laughed.

  “That’s right, but I appreciate it.” I reached for the bag.

  “No. Let me,” Yvonne offered. She put everything on my desk, and Lance and I sat. She handed me a bowl and then Lance, and she gave us each a cup of juice.

  “Thanks,” I said. I carefully pulled back the lid on the soup, and it smelled good.

  “So how’s the married life? I mean, how are things at home with Lynn?” Lance asked.

  “It’s great. I don’t have one complaint. I mean, she is amazing, and I’m going to have to start hitting the gym soon, because that woman can cook.”

  “I wish this one here could.”

  “Hey, I can cook,” Yvonne protested.

  “Baby, setting the oven to four-fifty and setting a timer for a premade meal from the freezer is hardly what you can call cooking.”

  “Well, I have other skills,” she teased.

  “Well, a cooking class or two wouldn’t kill you,” Lance replied.

  He and I laughed.

  “Maybe Lynn could give me a few pointers,” Yvonne mused.

  “Ask her. I’m sure she’d do it,” I told her.

  “Call her,” she ordered, pointing at my phone.

  I picked the phone up, dialed Lynn, and put it on speaker.

  “Hello?”

  “Baby, hey.”

  “Hey. What’s going on?”

  “I got you on speaker,” I said quickly. I knew Lynn. She’d probably say, “Hell naw!” when she heard Yvonne’s request. “Lance and Yvonne are here, and Yvonne wants to know if you could give her a couple of cooking lessons.”