Ding dong!
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Kitchen.” He let me move and I threw a mental tantrum on my way back.
“Everything okay?” Frankie quizzed, taking in my fuming expression and tightly drawn features. “Mom didn’t say something to you, did she?”
“No, everything is fine,” I assured her, sitting at the island. She watched me for a few more seconds before nodding and setting a breakfast plate at the table for her mother.
“Francesca!” Alexis smiled and held out her arms for Frankie. “Why aren’t you ready to go? Where is your stuff?”
“Mom, look. I made you some breakfast. Come on, sit down for a minute.”
“Please, sit, Alexis. You did say you’d talk with all three of us.” Evander walked into the kitchen buttoning his shirt up. I didn’t miss the way Alexis’s hungry brown eyes ate him up.
He was a damn snack though.
“You can’t cover yourself while Frankie’s here?” She barked at him. Her demeanor turned from warm and open to ice and closed off.
“I’m fully clothed,” he answered.
“Sure you are. What did you just get finished doing, Van?”
“Eating breakfast.”
Alexis shot daggers at Evander while Frankie stood with a plate in her hand, waiting for her mother to stop railing into her father.
“Looks like you just got finished fucking the nanny. She’s dressed for the part. You let all your employees wear shit like that?”
“Mom, can you not?” Frankie almost whispered, holding her head down. The only thing that stopped me from firing back at Alexis was the embarrassed look on Frankie’s face. I didn’t want to add insult to injury, so I forced a tight grin on my face.
“What?” Alexis turned to face her daughter. “I don’t want her around you when she’s dressed like a bum off the street.”
“You know damn well I’m not dressed like a bum off the street,” I scoffed. “I mean seriously. A bum could never.”
“Can you please eat breakfast and just talk?” Frankie begged her mother.
“Have a seat, Alexis. You’re not going to come in here and ruin everything. I’m not letting you get out of this conversation.” I didn’t notice Evander had the forms from Frankie’s school until he sat them on the island.
“I don’t have as much time as I thought. We gotta go. Come on baby, put that food down.” She glanced at the plate and frowned, “I’m not eating that. It looks like the incompetent nanny made that shit.” Shock swept Alexis’s face when Frankie set the plate down and rushed upstairs in tears.
“Alexis, so help me god… If you don’t sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up we’re going to have problems your lawyer can’t get you out of.” Evander’s voice was low and angry. I wasn’t used to hearing him lose his cool like that.
“What…what happened? Did I miss something?” Alexis stammered.
“I said sit down! I’m tired of dealing with your childish ass. Now I have to go play peacemaker and try to fix the damage you’ve done to our child.”
“Hey, I’ll go,” I said softly, placing my hand between Evander’s shoulder blades. His body relaxed beneath my touch and it made my chest squeeze. I had that effect on him. As much as I annoyed him, he relaxed when I touched him.
“You sure?” His eyes turned kind when he stared at me.
“Yeah. You stay here and talk.” My eyes darted to Alexis. She was fuming.
I didn’t have time to swipe at her the way I wanted. Instead, I went upstairs to Frankie’s room. I walked over and leaned against the closet doorway, watching while she tossed things in a bag to go over her mother’s house.
“You taking some new stuff over there?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Her answer was clipped.
“You seemed pretty upset when you left the kitchen. Are you okay, Frankie?”
“I’m fine.” Her flat tone said otherwise.
“So, what should I do if I don’t believe you? I don’t want to be pushy but I know you. Something is up.” She stopped putting clothes in her bag and turned to face me. Her eyes were red and her lashes were spiky and wet. My stomach sank. “Come here,” I said, holding my arms out for a hug. When she didn’t resist, I let out a relieved breath.
“I just wanted her to sit and eat and talk. Just to be normal for a few minutes and she always messes everything up because she’s so angry with Dad.” I stroked her hair and listened to her vent. She didn’t need me to fix it. “I want them to get along. I know Daddy tries but he still argues with her. She has this way of wrapping people up and making them angry like her.”
I wanted to tell her that type of person was called a vampire, but I didn’t want to say anything bad about her mother. “I don’t even want to go to her house now. I just want to stay home with you and Dad.”
“Hey, you know your mom loves you. I’m sure once you talk to her about things she’ll come around.” She wrapped her arms tighter around my waist then nodded. Her soft, fluffy hair brushed against the side of my face.
“I’m still pissed at her for not signing those papers. She can’t even come get me when she’s supposed to. I don’t know what the big deal is.”
“Me either, girl.”
“She probably thinks you like Daddy, which is cringe-worthy.” She pulled away from me and shuddered at the thought of me and her father. The tops of my cheeks grew hot knowing how bad I wanted to fuck Evander. Knowing how close I came to kissing him again.
“Very cringe-worthy,” I chuckled, wiping stray tears from her soft cheeks.
“Seriously, Xari. Promise me you’ll never ever mess around with Dad. I see the way every woman in the world looks at him. I hate hearing people call him the single senator. We’re best friends, right?” She asked, zipping her bag up.
“Um, hell yes we’re best friends. What have we been doing all month? I thought this was already established.”
“We are!” She smiled. “Okay so promise me you won’t be like every other woman in the world and go all crazy over my father.”
“I promise,” I said, placing my hand over my heart. Even if I did fuck Evander, I knew going crazy was out of the question. I’d never get sprung over mediocre dick.
“Good.” She tossed her bag across her body and walked to the doorway.
“Don’t go down there looking like you were crying. Never let them see you cry, Frank. You’re too tough for that shit.”
“I’m sensitive. I can’t help it.” She shrugged her shoulders and I smiled a little. I walked over to her dresser and picked up the jade skin roller.
“Let me de-puff under your eyes.” I rolled it under her eyes and over her eyelids then moved to her cheeks. I repeated it a few times the pulled back. It didn’t take all the redness away but it helped. “When you come home, I’ll do your makeup.”
“You will?” She squeaked, clapping her hands together.
“Yes, but it stays between us. When we have our next sleepover, I’ll give you a full beat. Lashes and all.” I touched the tip of her nose and she gave me the prettiest warm smile.