Daddy's Boy

Daddy’s Boy

Chapter One

3 AM

I am awoken by the sound of heavy breathing in my ear, I roll over to Anubis laying next to me sound asleep. Anubis is my six-month-old Great Dane who despite his large size still thinks he is a lap dog. Jet black in color he looks way more intimidating than he is in reality. I got out of the bed and grabbed my phone only to have him roll into my spot and get more comfortable. Off in the corner of the room Cleopatra raises her head to make sure that I am ok. She is my year old Savannah cat. I walked over to her and scratched her on the head letting her know that I was ok and she purred and then laid back down in her bed.

As I walked through the apartment the newest edition follows me around, Menkaure a 12-week-old sphinx cat. He was the runt of his litter and needed a little extra love so I brought him home with me. I walk into the bathroom with him right behind me and I close the door. He climbs into a bed that I put into the bathroom just for these situations as I sit on the toilet and check my phone for the time. I turn on the shower and scroll through my phone checking Facebook, Instagram and my various other forms of social media. Then I pull up Spotify and start my favorite jazz station before I disrobe and climb into the shower.

The warm water runs over my body sending a wave of relaxation through me. The soft jazz in the background takes me out of the city and I see myself bathing in a natural hot spring underneath a star lit sky. The low hums of the bass vibrate through my body and I feel the scene. The strokes of the piano keys are jungle birds singing and I am in heaven, this is my peace and comfort. After several minutes I exit the shower and dry off. I open the door to find Anubis now asleep outside the door. He pops up with glee as Menkaure and I walk out of the bathroom.

I sit on the edge of the bed rubbing coco butter into my skin, then grab an oversized shirt from my dresser to slide on as I make my way to my home office. At this point everyone in the house is up and they all follow me to my office. Cleo comes and lays in her bed while Menkaure walks around on my desktop mostly because he is the only one in the house small enough to do so. Anubis rests his head on my lap and I scratch behind his ears before he gets comfortable and lays next to me. My phone buzzes with a notification from Growlr…You have a message from Odin.

Chapter 2

Brunch with Besties

Every second Sunday my friends and I get together and have brunch. It has become a way for us to keep in touch while we are all living our adult lives. I walked into Le Petit Dejeuner and of course Ms. Amora Ai was already there. She may have been the youngest in the group but she was the mother nonetheless. I meet her shopping at her store Nature’s Delight, where she sell home grown herbs as well as fresh baked goods. Amora was half Chinese and half African standing 5’3” and built like an African fertility statue. Her hair came down pass her shoulders in a very relaxed curl. When she saw me walk in the door she flashed me the biggest smile which made my heart warm up. We sat down and started to catch up and shortly others started to arrive. Five more friends showed up before we saw Ajmal walk in. Ajmal and I had a strange relationship. We met online, went on several dates, even hooked up a few times but nothing more blossomed. After several failed attempts of kindling a romantic relationship we decided that we were better off as friends. Ajmal is a six foot tall Middle Eastern man with an athletic build, dark hair, and eyes that are a beautiful steel grey.

He walked in and spoke to everyone but as I stood up to greet him he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a deep kiss that made my eyes flutter and my knees go weak. Ajmal supported my weight with ease even though I was heavier than him. I slapped him on the arm for playing with my emotions, as he walked over to greet Amora. Several other friends arrived and we had a grand ol’ kiki catching up about things that we were working on.

Most of the others had left and it was just Amora, Ajmal and myself. We sat and talked while the staff started to clean. The only reason that we were able to do this was because Amora was dating the Manger. He walked over to our table and brought us with a pitcher of mimosas. He softly kissed Amora and told her that he would be a little longer. We both sat there and swooned when he walked away.

“Shut up!”

she said bushing. In unison Ajmal and me replied

“Awww!”

giving her the puppy dog eyes.

“You guys are awing me what is going on in y’all love life?”

Ajmal sat back in his chair with his glass and replied

“Love life…what is that?”

Ajmal had just recently lost his father. He was the only male in the family as well as the oldest child, so it was solely on his shoulders to take over his father’s business. I looked down at my phone and started to smile and when I looked up both Amora and Ajmal were staring at me.

“Spill!”

They both said in unison, sharing a hearty laugh after.

“So I talked to this guy online last night and he seems really cool…”

Just as I was about to tell them about Odin Ajmal’s phone started to ring. He looked down and his face sank.

“I am sorry I have to take this.”

He said as he walked away to take the call. Amora and I glanced at each other, then her boyfriend gestured that he was ready to go. At the same time Ajmal returned to let us know he had to leave as well. We all said our goodbyes and parted ways. Just as I was walking out of the door my phone went off in my hand…Message from Odin.

Chapter 3

Unnamed Assailant

I spin around in my office chair stopping to face my desk looking at the blank sheet of paper in front of me. I had been commission to create some characters for this graphic novel, but I was seriously lacking motivation. Spinning around in my chair again, I looked down at my phone. It had been several weeks since brunch and I hadn’t talked to Amora or Ajmal since.

There is a knock at the door. I run to quickly put on some pants and walk to the door. I peep through the hole and there is a large man standing outside. “Can I help you?”

I asked considering I had never seen this man before and I wasn’t about to open the door to someone with such an intimidating frame. He just stood there in silence glaring at the door staring at it as if he could see through it. He pulled back his massive hand and with one punch he knock the door off the hinges and sent it flying back several feet into the apartment.

I ducked down just in time to avoid the door but he came in barreling in right behind it. He picked me up by my neck and pinned me to a nearby wall. I lifted one arm in the air bringing my elbow down into his arm causing him to lose his grip. Then I attacked with a side chop to his neck and a knee to his stomach to get some distance between us. He charges at me again. I side stepped and kicked the back of his knee. This knocked him off balance dropping him down to one knee. I followed through with a right hook but he is unfazed by my punch. He back handed me and sent me flying on to my near by sofa. The large man was standing before me and I had to figure out how I was going to do this. He was larger than me, stronger than me, and despite his size he was fast. We both ran at each other at full speed but as soon as we got close I dropped to the floor and slide under his legs. I jumped to my feet but his reaction time was faster than I anticipated and he grabbed the collar of my shirt. I threw up my arms sliding out of the oversized shirt and did a backflip to get some distance between us and I slide over the counter to reach for a knife.

Chapter 4

Back To Reality

I hear a purring next to me and I come back to reality and Cleopatra is sitting next to me with her judging eyes. I look down at her and say:

“What I zoned out for a minute don’t judge me.”

She rubbed against my leg and went back to her space. I looked back at the blank paper and I texted Amora

“Hey Girl I need some focus juice what can I take?”

Amora replied.

“Hey love how have you been? Come by the shop I will make you something and we can catch up.”

I look at the blank page one more time before I get up and grab my keys and walk out of the front door.

I get to Amora’s store and I park in the front, walk in to see this fine Asian man at the register.

“I am here to see Amora.”

I say as I try to control my faculties. He responds with the sweetest smile that I have possibly seen.

“Ms. Ai you have someone here to see you.”

She comes from around the corner with a glass and a plate

“Come…Come…This way love”.

She said as she gestured to the back of the shop with a sitting area.

As I sit down she puts the plate and mug in front of me.

“That is a Dark Chocolate chip cookie with blueberries, walnuts, Green tea, and some extra herbs that should help you focus.”

I took a sip of the tea and I could feel the warmth rush through my body. She had her own mug of tea and leant back in her chair.

“So how have you been, how is work, and how is that boy that we didn’t get a chance to talk about?”

she says as she smiles and sips from her cup.

“Work is fine I have a couple of projects that I need to be working one but it has me creatively blocked.”

I raise the mug of deliciousness in the air, I look down at my phone, think of Odin and I start to smile.

“That! That right there is what I want to hear about. Whatever makes you smile like that when you think about it!!”

Amora said brimming with glee. I cleared my throat and started to talk.

“First of all he is a man and not a boy, he is a bit older than me, he just moved to the area and he is looking for friends.”

She nods her head in approval.

“Have you meet up with him in person yet?”

“No not yet he’s only asked once and I was busy with work. He hasn’t asked since then.”

I said sounding a little more disappointed than I had wanted.

“So it’s your turn to ask him.”

She said matter of factly.

“You clearly like this guy, he has done something right to get you swooning over him like this. He went out on a limb first to meet you and you were busy now it’s your turn to extend the olive branch to show him that you weren’t blowing him off and that you are interested.”

I just smiled at her because I knew it was true we talked for a while longer and she filled me in one some things that were going on in her life and I left to go back to work. I sat in my car looked down at my phone and pulled up the Growlr app

“Hey Odin how are you?”

Chapter 5

I Need You

I collapse on the couch after finishing one of the three projects that I needed to work on. I take a mental note to call Amora tomorrow to thank her for the tea and the goody bag that she gave me to bring home. I pull up Netflix and my phone starts to buzz, I pick it up and it’s Ajmal.

“Hey Boo!”

I say with cheer in my voice and it takes him awhile to answer.

“Hey there sexy…”

He says with distress in his voice.

“What’s wrong Aj?”

I can hear him fighting back tears.

“Is it ok if I come over for a while?”

“Of course you can!” I quickly respond.

“Ok see you soon…” (click)

He says hanging up the phone.

Fifteen minutes pass and Ajmal knocks on my door. I open it and see he is soaking wet shivering. I turn to look out my window and realized that I didn’t even notice that it had started to rain. I pull him into the apartment and he starts to weep and I hold him close to me. I take him to the bathroom and I turn on the shower as I start to take off his clothes. Once we are both naked I step into the shower and extend my hand to him. He gently grabs my hand and I pull him into the shower and just hold him. The warm water washes over us and I just sway in the silence, I feel him start to shake and convulse as he begins to breakdown. The floodgate of tears that I can only imagine how long he has been holding back opens up and he goes limps in my arms and all I can say is let it out. After several minutes in the shower we get out and lay in my bed and I pull him close to me.

“Thank you.”

He says in a hushed voiced tired from crying. I kiss him softly and say,

“I love you bitch, I’ll never stop loving you…Bitch!”

He chuckles as he falls asleep with me holding him in my arms Anubis on his back, Cleo asleep about his head and Menkaure at his feet. I glance over at my phone 3 am.

Chapter 6

Morning After

I woke up before Ajmal and I got up and washed his clothes and made some breakfast. Hummus, Manakeesh, falafel, shish tawook, pita bread and some Sahlab, which is like a middle eastern hot chocolate. Ajmal came up behind me and gave me a hug and hopped on the counter next to me.

“Thank you for last night I needed that…”

He looked down ashamed at his emotional outburst last night.

“Don’t worry about it what are friends for?”

I said reassuringly with one hand on his knee. He smiled a warm and sincere smile at me, “

So where did you learn to make all this food? You would make my mother proud to see this?”

he said as he snacked on some pita bread.

“I was learning to empress you but we didn’t last long enough for me to get to cook for you!”

I said in a sarcastic tone.

“I called Amora we are going to have a movie night here tonight, you clearly need some fun time. I talked to your sister and she is going to drop Khafre off over here, and she will also handle the business for today. I called and rearranged all of your appointments for tomorrow so you’re good there and your clothes are in the dryer.”

The expression on his face was full of gratitude, he hopped off the counter grabbed my face and kissed me and then we ate breakfast.

Chapter 7

Movie Night

It was 8:01 when there was a knock on the door, keys jingling, followed by the door opening. Two little kittens come rushing in and Ajmal went to the door to help Amora with the bags. As he grabbed the bags from her, he kissed her on the cheek to greet her. Ajmal put the bags on the counter as they start to remove the items and we looked at all of the goodies that she brought with her. I was making an assortment of movie snacks when Ajmal found a bottle of wine. Amora was already walking from the cabinet with three wine glasses in hand. Ajmal opens the wine and pours all of us a glass. I stop cooking and come over to the counter. We raise our glasses in the air

“To food, wine, and good company!”

We toast and take a large sip of the wine. We line the coffee table with our assortment of treats. Amongst them are popcorn, candies, nachos, and a plethora of berries. By this time. we had finished the bottle of wine and had moved on to margaritas. We sit on the floor like children, talking and laughing while we eat. Ajmal has several moments were he breaks down crying, Amora and I sit on both sides of him and just hold him. Amora ask me if I texted Odin, I drop my head to the ground.

“Wait is this the guy that you were going to tell us about at lunch?” asks Ajmal.

I told him the same thing that I told Amora and he had in interested look on his face.

After we finished eating we cleaned up, moved to the couch and started the movie. Amora was curled up on Ajmal chest, he had his arm on the back of the couch and I held his hand. On the floor in front of us were our three kittens curled up with one another watching the movie.

To Be continued…