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“Nothing to be sorry about.” His mouth crooked in a smirk. “I’ve seen it all.”
Instantly, memories of the night she’d tried to seduce him rushed to the forefront, and fresh mortification flushed through her. Eager to change the subject, she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Have you forgotten?” He reminded her, “We agreed that I’d start helping you with Jay’s morning routine.”
“Oh!” She slapped her forehead. “Sorry, I got so occupied with some stuff yesterday that I forgot.”
“What kind of stuff were you occupied in?” Tazeem asked as he sidled past her and entered the house.
“Derrick’s wife, Kendall, had a medical scare yesterday so I had to drop by their place to help while they went to hospital,” she explained. “There was a lot of cooking and cleaning to do, so our conversation just kind of got forgotten. Sorry.”
“No harm no foul.” He settled on the beige couch. “How is Ken…”
“Kendall?”
“How is Kendall doing?”
“Not bad.” Chess took the armchair that was adjacent to the couch. “She didn’t have to stay overnight.”
“That’s great to hear.” Tazeem paused for a beat before commenting, “You and Derrick must be close if you can even cook and clean for them.”
“We’re close,” Chess admitted. “He was my first friend at Synovent, and he’s helped me a lot. I don’t think I’d be where I am without his mentorship.”
“You seem to really admire him.”
“I do.”
“And that’s all?” Tazeem’s eyebrows arched. “You’re sure there’s never been a thing between you two?”
She made a face. “Ew… no.”
“Not even a little crush?”
“Nooooo.” She cringed. “He’s not my type.”
Tazeem smiled at her answer as if he approved of it, and she had to wonder if there was something to that. Was he still interested in her?
No, her subconscious slapped her with the answer. How could he still be interested in her after everything she’d done? What man would date a woman who’d hurt him so badly?Just focus on being good co-parents and stop hoping for more.
“It’s close to six now.” She hopped to her feet with a forced smile. “If we don’t start, we’ll be late for… everything.”
Their family’s morning routine wasn’t that complicated; wake Jay up, get him in the bathroom so he can brush his teeth and shower. While he was showering, Chess made his breakfast and packed her own so she could eat it in the office. Often, Jay would’ve already put out his clothes and packed his backpack the night before. So after his shower, he just dressed and then came out for breakfast.
While Jay ate, Chess would usually go and get herself ready. By the time she was dressed, Jay was done with breakfast. She’d shuffle him out of the house so they could catch his bus. After the bus left, she’d leave too.
Obviously, the speed of the routine and their ability to complete it without making some changes depended on how long she’d played hide and seek with her alarm, or Jay’s mood. But usually, they were pretty good at sticking to the schedule.
“Okay, Jay’s room is the first door to the left.” Chess pointed down the hallway. “Wake him up and hustle him to the bathroom while I start breakfast.”
“Okay!” Tazeem eagerly
“A quick yank of his blankets and a little shaking will do the trick,” she called out behind Tazeem. “And don’t let him trick you with his whining and ‘just one minute’. Be firm.”
Tazeem gave her a thumbs-up, and for a second she thought he might be able to handle their son.
She was wrong.
Five minutes later, Tazeem came to find her in the kitchen. He looked ruffled and embarrassed as he said, “He won’t wake up.”
