Forty
minutes into their quest, they took a break.
Nedra nestled against Carlos’ solid chest as
they sat on his sofa. “Don’t freak. I think we’ll find them,” she
said.
“I hope so.” He heaved a sigh. “The last
thing I need is my mother hounding me about waiting until the last
minute.” He was about to go on when his cell phone rang. “Hello.
Yeah, what’s up? Outside? Right now? But I thought… Fine. It’s all
about you.”
“Everything okay?” asked Nedra, feeling a
foreboding at the scowl on Carlos’ handsome face.
“Chanté has decided to bring Carly early for
her visit,” he replied. “She’s going on a ski trip with her latest
man and they want to leave tomorrow. They’re here.” He tossed his
cell phone on the sofa and stood.
“Here?” Nedra echoed. Just as the full impact
of his words hit, the doorbell rang.
“Yeah and Chanté knows I won’t kick about it.
I don’t want Carly to think she’s done something wrong or that I
don’t want to see her.” Carlos took a deep breath and let it out. A
second later, he walked to the front door.
Nedra hurriedly smoothed down her turtleneck
and hair as she stood.
Carlos opened the door and his daughter
literally jumped into his arms. As he kissed her and made a big
fuss over how cute she looked, a statuesque woman with auburn hair
watched. Chanté was about to speak when she noticed Nedra. Stepping
around Carlos and Carly, she entered the living room.
“Sorry to interrupt
your intimate evening. I’m Chanté Epperson.” The woman gave Nedra a cool
appraisal from head to toe as she spoke. When she smiled, her even,
white teeth looked ready to bite.
“Hello,” was all Nedra trusted herself to
say. She was determined not to play war games. Nor was she willing
to be part of a stereotype: the baby mama versus new girlfriend
drama.
“Ooh, I get to hug and kiss you extra days,”
said Carlos as he kissed Carly’s cute milk-chocolate cheek for the
fourth time.
“Who’s that, daddy?” she asked, pointing to
Nedra. Carly had obviously picked up on her mother’s vibe.
Carlos didn’t miss a beat, and Chanté watched
his response with intensity. “Come over here and meet Miss Nedra,”
he said. “She’s a very special lady.”
Carly eyed her with curiosity. “Hi.”
Nedra smiled. “Hello, it’s so nice to meet
you. Your daddy is super proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Carly wrapped a little arm
around Carlos’ neck and blinked at Nedra shyly.
“So you know all about us. Tell us about
you,” Chanté said with a feline smile.
“I work for the city constable here and I’m
old Baton Rouge,” Nedra replied promptly and smiled back at her.
“Born and bred in the Red Stick.”
“Old Baton Rouge family, huh? I bet Judge
Jacobs loves that.” Chanté shot Carlos a sideways glance as she
murmured the last sentence.
“Do you sit up high and tell people what to
do, like my Meemee?” Carly blinked at Nedra.
“No, Nedra isn’t a judge like your
grandmother, sweetheart. You hungry?” asked Carlos, smoothing down
a stray hair that had come loose from one of the little girl’s two
thick braids.
“We ate. You think I don’t make sure Carly
eats healthy,” Chanté shot back with a brief look of annoyance.
“I had chicken fingers dipped in honey
mustard sauce, fries and a biscuit. I didn’t eat the biscuit
though. Too greasy.” Carly spoke matter-of-factly, undoing her
mother’s defensive response.
“Here, go put your suitcase in whatever
corner you’ll be sleeping in, since daddy has company.” Chanté
extended a pink, child-size, rolling duffle bag.
“Okay.” Carly climbed down from her father’s
embrace and looked up at him.
“You’ll be in your bedroom, like always,
honey,” said Carlos, smiling at his daughter. When she grinned and
darted up the stairway, singing, he turned back to her mother.
Chanté seemed unaffected by his cold
expression. “I can take her to your mama’s house if she’s in
minutes into their quest, they took a break.
Nedra nestled against Carlos’ solid chest as
they sat on his sofa. “Don’t freak. I think we’ll find them,” she
said.
“I hope so.” He heaved a sigh. “The last
thing I need is my mother hounding me about waiting until the last
minute.” He was about to go on when his cell phone rang. “Hello.
Yeah, what’s up? Outside? Right now? But I thought… Fine. It’s all
about you.”
“Everything okay?” asked Nedra, feeling a
foreboding at the scowl on Carlos’ handsome face.
“Chanté has decided to bring Carly early for
her visit,” he replied. “She’s going on a ski trip with her latest
man and they want to leave tomorrow. They’re here.” He tossed his
cell phone on the sofa and stood.
“Here?” Nedra echoed. Just as the full impact
of his words hit, the doorbell rang.
“Yeah and Chanté knows I won’t kick about it.
I don’t want Carly to think she’s done something wrong or that I
don’t want to see her.” Carlos took a deep breath and let it out. A
second later, he walked to the front door.
Nedra hurriedly smoothed down her turtleneck
and hair as she stood.
Carlos opened the door and his daughter
literally jumped into his arms. As he kissed her and made a big
fuss over how cute she looked, a statuesque woman with auburn hair
watched. Chanté was about to speak when she noticed Nedra. Stepping
around Carlos and Carly, she entered the living room.
“Sorry to interrupt
your intimate evening. I’m Chanté Epperson.” The woman gave Nedra a cool
appraisal from head to toe as she spoke. When she smiled, her even,
white teeth looked ready to bite.
“Hello,” was all Nedra trusted herself to
say. She was determined not to play war games. Nor was she willing
to be part of a stereotype: the baby mama versus new girlfriend
drama.
“Ooh, I get to hug and kiss you extra days,”
said Carlos as he kissed Carly’s cute milk-chocolate cheek for the
fourth time.
“Who’s that, daddy?” she asked, pointing to
Nedra. Carly had obviously picked up on her mother’s vibe.
Carlos didn’t miss a beat, and Chanté watched
his response with intensity. “Come over here and meet Miss Nedra,”
he said. “She’s a very special lady.”
Carly eyed her with curiosity. “Hi.”
Nedra smiled. “Hello, it’s so nice to meet
you. Your daddy is super proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Carly wrapped a little arm
around Carlos’ neck and blinked at Nedra shyly.
“So you know all about us. Tell us about
you,” Chanté said with a feline smile.
“I work for the city constable here and I’m
old Baton Rouge,” Nedra replied promptly and smiled back at her.
“Born and bred in the Red Stick.”
“Old Baton Rouge family, huh? I bet Judge
Jacobs loves that.” Chanté shot Carlos a sideways glance as she
murmured the last sentence.
“Do you sit up high and tell people what to
do, like my Meemee?” Carly blinked at Nedra.
“No, Nedra isn’t a judge like your
grandmother, sweetheart. You hungry?” asked Carlos, smoothing down
a stray hair that had come loose from one of the little girl’s two
thick braids.
“We ate. You think I don’t make sure Carly
eats healthy,” Chanté shot back with a brief look of annoyance.
“I had chicken fingers dipped in honey
mustard sauce, fries and a biscuit. I didn’t eat the biscuit
though. Too greasy.” Carly spoke matter-of-factly, undoing her
mother’s defensive response.
“Here, go put your suitcase in whatever
corner you’ll be sleeping in, since daddy has company.” Chanté
extended a pink, child-size, rolling duffle bag.
“Okay.” Carly climbed down from her father’s
embrace and looked up at him.
“You’ll be in your bedroom, like always,
honey,” said Carlos, smiling at his daughter. When she grinned and
darted up the stairway, singing, he turned back to her mother.
Chanté seemed unaffected by his cold
expression. “I can take her to your mama’s house if she’s in
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