Daddy's Game (13 page)

Sloane nodded. “She’s all about the drama. When will he be able to play again?”

“The doctors aren’t sure. We won’t know much about that until he can start to put weight on his leg, and that won’t be for another three months.”

A chorus of groans rose from the group.

“I know. It sucks,” Carmen said.

“What’s going to happen to his endorsements?” asked Nellie, the former beauty queen whose currency of choice was fame.

“Nellie!” Kimberly hissed.

“What? Don’t tell me y’all weren’t thinking it,” Nellie pouted.

“No, that’s okay. I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything…” Carmen’s voice trailed off.

“What kind of patient is he?” Kimberly asked.

“A crappy one, I’m sure. Men can be such babies.” Charmaine rolled her eyes.

“Actually, I don’t really know,” Carmen said sheepishly.

“What? How can you not know?” Marley asked.

“Well, his mother is the one taking care of him,” Carmen said.

“Shut up!” Nellie said. “You mean his mamma has taken over?”

“Pretty much,” Carmen said with a shrug.

“What about you?” Marley asked.

“Have you seen him?” Kimberly asked.

“I go see him just about every day, but she’s always hanging around. We have no privacy, and it’s super awkward,” Carmen said.

“I’ll bet,” Sloane said.

“How did that happen?” Marley asked.

“I don’t know. He called her when he got hurt and she drove all night to get here. Once she arrived, I was kinda shoved out of the picture.”

“That sucks,” Marley frowned.

“Yeah,” Carmen nodded. “I don’t know what to do about it. I had this mental picture of me taking care of him, you know—me and Natron facing adversity together, but that is
not
what is happening.”

She had pictured him on a pull-out sofa at her loft, watching her work while she prepared him yummy meals and catered to his every whim. Their daddy/little girl relationship would have the chance to blossom with all the extra time they’d be able to spend together, and with her nursing Daddy back to health. But her fantasy would remain just that, thanks to Veronique. Natron’s mother had ensconced herself in his mansion and appointed herself head nurse and caregiver, while Carmen was relegated to a supporting role.

The visits were awkward; with his mother hovering around, she and Natron had no privacy and the closeness they’d once shared seemed to have evaporated. She felt like a stranger in his life now, an intruder almost. To make matters worse, she felt guilty even having these feelings. This was a time where she should be focused on Natron and his recovery, not on her petty jealousies of his mother.

“Have you talked to him about it?” Kimberly asked, always the sensible one.

Carmen shook her head.

“Well, you need to. Communication is key,” Lucinda piped up.

“But I don’t want to make this about me and my insecurities. She’s a single mom, he’s her only child. They have this bond, and I’m afraid if I make a big deal of it, he’ll see me as too demanding and I’ll lose out,” Carmen said.

Some of the girls nodded their heads in understanding.

Charmaine disagreed. “Fuck that. He’s your man. You should be the one taking care of him if that’s what you want. Personally I’d be happy to let someone else do it, but I’m not much of a nurse.”

“At least talk to him. Let him know you’re feeling pushed aside,” Kimberly encouraged.

“You think?” Carmen wavered.

“Yes! At least tell him you miss the sex,” Nellie said.

“But what if that makes him feel bad he can’t do it right now?” Carmen asked.

Sloane snorted. “Seriously? From what you’ve told us, I’m pretty sure Natron could find a way.”

Carmen hadn’t thought of that. Natron was rather creative in the bedroom. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.”

“That’s all you can do,” Lucinda said.

Carmen nodded, grateful for her friends. She considered what separated these girls from her other friends. The biggest thing was they all liked to be dominated in the bedroom. They liked a take-charge kind of man who would also take care of them and protect them. At first Carmen had thought some of Natron’s ‘Daddy’ requests were a little odd, but she’d grown accustomed to them. Now she even craved some of them, like a good spanking when she was bad.

“Ting!” A timer went off. Nellie popped up and told them the food was ready. They all went over and chose a seat at Charmaine’s elaborately carved dining table. The chairs were upholstered in the finest silk, each one boasted an elaborate blue and gold pattern that was unique yet complemented the others. The china was edged in sapphire and the flatware and crystal goblets dripped with gold. A mass of pink peonies nestled in a wide vase of robin’s-egg blue served as a centerpiece. The girls didn’t always dine in so much splendor, but Charmaine was known for setting a fine table.

They drank more champagne, and ate the frittata and little mini quiches Nellie had baked to go with a variety of homemade breads and a colorful fruit salad swimming in poppy-seed dressing.

“God, I’m going to have to spend an extra hour at the gym because of you,” Charmaine grumbled at Nellie.

Nellie was the best cook in the bunch, though Kimberly was a close second, and the two of them had been teaching Marley a thing or two. Sloane and Lucinda existed purely off takeout and reservations. Charmaine usually had a chef on the payroll, but they never lasted long. Carmen’s cooking prowess fell somewhere in the middle. She loved the ease of takeout when she was working, but her mom had taught her how to make a few yummy dishes.

The girls talked of Lucinda’s recent adventures in Prague, Nellie’s latest decorating project, and Charmaine’s father’s latest marital fiasco. The man had been married six times and the marriage license office in Las Vegas recently told him that seven marriages was the legal limit, so he put the brakes on his latest planned wedding and his new girlfriend was in a tizzy that she might not become the seventh and final Mrs. Bainbridge.

Charmaine had a boatload of siblings from each of her father’s marriages. She was the oldest and her mother had only had one child with Quintin Bainbridge. Charmaine stayed a cold arm’s length away from her half-siblings, and the only familial connections she kept strong were those she had with her father’s banker and his lawyer.

After they’d stuffed themselves, the girls agreed to meet next month for a dinner party. Carmen hugged everyone and said her good-byes. In the elevator, bolstered by a couple of glasses of liquid courage, Carmen decided it was time to tell Natron how set aside she’d been feeling, and she sent him a text as she handed her ticket to the valet.

Chapter Fourteen

Veronique opened Natron’s front door looking as chic as a fashion model and greeted Carmen. “Hello, dear. Won’t you come in.”

Carmen gulped and managed a smile as she followed Veronique down the corridor to Natron’s bedroom, Veronique’s wide hips swaying gracefully in front of her. Cringing, it suddenly occurred to Carmen the reason Natron might appreciate her full figure was because it resembled his mamma’s.

Turning the doorknob, Veronique’s voice dripped with honeyed sweetness as she said, “I just gave him his pain pill so he’ll probably doze off in a few minutes.”

Carmen rolled her eyes.
Of course you did
.

“Babygirl!” Natron said, sounding loopy but excited. He looked fine, but he was missing some of his usual animation. He seemed weaker than she was used to, which made perfect sense.

She crossed the room and pulled him to her, cradling his head against her bosom. “Hey, baby. I missed you.”

Veronique loitered in the doorway until Natron said, “Thanks, Mamma. Can you close the door behind you?”

Veronique sniffed disapprovingly but she exited, closing the door behind her. Carmen was certain Veronique was outside with her ear pressed up against the door.

Whispering in his ear, Carmen said, “Do you think you could get her to go somewhere, run an errand or something?”

“Why? And why are you whispering?” Natron asked.

Raising her eyebrows, Carmen whispered, “Privacy.”

A wolfish grin spread across his face. “Oh, I get ya now. Babygirl’s been missing her daddy. Okay, I see.” He laughed and picked up his phone.

Carmen sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb his knee or the ice packs balancing atop it.

When he was finished texting, he looked up at Carmen. “That will keep her out of our hair for a while.”

“What did you say?”

“That I wanted some of these special pita chips, but that you had to go across town to the Fresh Market to get them.”

“And she bought that?”

“Sure. I used a smiley face. Mamma wants her baby boy to have whatever he wants.”

Carmen felt her forehead wrinkle. “So does
your
babygirl,” she said in a tone that was more sullen than she’d intended.

He took her hand. “Hey, what’s wrong? You seem mad.”

“It’s nothing. Hey, I don’t know how to ask you this, but…”

“Just ask.”

“Okay. Your mom, her skin is so much lighter than yours…”

“Yeah, that’s because her mamma, my grandma is white.”

“Oh, so because your grandmother was white, does that make it easier to date a white girl like me?”

“Girl, what has gotten into your head?” He frowned. “I don’t know. I just like you; the color of your skin doesn’t matter to me.”

“What about how curvy your mom is? Is that what makes you like me even though I’m overweight?”

“Baby, I think you’re beautiful. I love your curves, but not because I’m in love with my mamma or some other weird shit. What’s gotten into you?” He shook his head.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder what you see in me. I mean, you’re this big superstar. You could have any woman you want.” She twisted one of her errant curls.

“Carmen, I don’t know what makes people fall for each other, but I fell for you. Babygirl, I’m crazy about you. You’re the perfect girl for me.”

She crinkled her nose. “Do you think she’s gone?”

“Yeah. I heard her car leaving just now. What’s going on between you and Mamma anyway?”

Taking a deep breath, Carmen launched into a diatribe. “Ever since your mother has been here, actually ever since you were injured, I haven’t had any time with you.”

He listened and nodded his head encouragingly. “You’re right. Go on.”

“And I feel selfish even mentioning this because you’re all laid up, unable to walk, your career’s on hold… I mean, you have more problems right now than this. But I just feel squeezed out, like I don’t matter.”

He held his arms out to her and she laid her head against his chest. “I’m sorry, baby. I should have realized. Guess I got so wrapped up in all this stuff with my leg that I… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. You know, I wouldn’t have thought you’d have wanted to be all in the middle of all this… mess. I like to be able to take care of you, not the other way around.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Natron, of course I want to take care of you. You’re my daddy, and I want to make things better for you, the way you have for me. But there’s no room in all this for me. Your mom has pretty much taken over.”

He nodded. “She likes to feel needed. You know she doesn’t have anybody else.”

Carmen snorted. “She needs a boyfriend.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea.”

“See if you can get her on an online dating service.”

He laughed. “You’re really ready to get rid of her, aren’t you?”

“It’s just that I thought it was going to be you and me. And instead it’s you and her.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll see what I can do to fix that. You want to move in for a while?” he asked hopefully.

He’d been trying to get her to move in with him for months and the idea was becoming more appealing, but Carmen wasn’t ready to give up her place or her freedom. “Not yet,” she hedged.

“Then I’m going to need my mom around to help me until I can get around better by myself.”

She grimaced. “Don’t you have servants for that?”

“You are
not
yourself, girl. I think you’re jealous,” he teased.

She pounded a fist on the bed and whined, “Yes, I am jealous. It all just sucks.”

“True that. Look, I’ll talk to Mamma and get her to take some days off to go do other things. I’ll send her shopping. She’ll love that. And you can come over and spend the days with me. How does that sound?”

“Good. That would be great, actually.”

“All right. Then we’ll work up to some nights.” He winked at her.

“You know, Daddy, it doesn’t have to be night…” she said innocently.

“Oh, I see. Now I know what my girl’s been needin’. Go lock that door and take your clothes off.”

Her concern about his mother returning was overshadowed by her desire to obey him, so she pressed in the lock button on the door handle and disrobed.

“First, I think you need a spanking for not telling me about your feelings earlier,” Natron said.

“But…” she began to protest.

“But nothin’.” He raised himself to a more seated position, propped up by a slew of pillows. “Come here and lie over my lap.”

She was tentative in her movements. “I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you.”

“I’m tougher than I look,” he said. “You’re not going to lie on my knee. I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” she said, draping herself across his crotch. “If I hurt you, please tell me.”

“Girl, for someone who’s about to get a spanking, you sure are talking a lot. I’ll be fine, now hush.”

Carmen pursed her lips together. It had been a long time since she’d had a spanking. The delicious anticipation rising inside her made her realize she’d missed it.

She heard him rustling papers and shifting slightly underneath her, but instead of turning to look, she closed her eyes and waited. To her surprise, something bulky and slick came down on her ass.

He hit her with it again. It smarted, and this time she turned to see what he was using.

In his hand he wielded a rolled-up
Sports Illustrated
magazine. She made a face. He was essentially hitting her with a rolled-up newspaper—like a dog that had peed in the wrong spot.