“Hold up, wait a minute.” Selena strolled into the kitchen of S & M Financial Advisory and hovered next to Octavia.

Dressed in an ivory skirt suit with a four-button suit jacket, clear pantyhose, and three-inch heels, Octavia lingered, waiting patiently for the Nespresso to finish brewing her morning cup of caffeine.

“Good morning to you, too,” Octavia said, her voice holding a steady groove.

Selena mocked her, “Good morning, she says all fuzzy and shit.”

Octavia smirked and kept her lips tightly pressed together.

“I sure do hope it was a good morning for you,” Selena said.

“Look,” Octavia began, “I had plans to be here all week—”

“Oh no, I’m not mad, but I’m hoping upon hope that you finally stopped playing Hide and Seek with that fine ass specimen and all is well in Wonderland.” Selena batted her eyes. “Go ahead and tell me.”

“Tell you what?” Claudia said, strolling into the kitchen followed by Samiyah.

“Okay, okay,” Octavia said, holding up her hands. Octavia knew it was only a matter of time before the girls would be breathing down her throat. They had done it enough as it was. “It’s Friday, we all know we’re getting slammed today, so I’ll give each of you one question to ask me, starting with you, Samiyah.”

Selena gave a wounded look. “No offense, Samiyah, but why does she get to go before me when I ask the question first?” Selena whined.

“Because your question will most likely be loaded with a layered answer, so it’s best if we just save that one for last.”

Selena pursed her lips and raised a brow. “I guess,” she answered.

Octavia turned a bright smile over at Samiyah as she pulled her coffee from the machine. “Let’s hear it, Boss,” Octavia said.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Samiyah fussed.

“Well it’s appropriate since you are the boss, but since you’ve asked your question, I’ll move on to Claudia. What would your question be, Claudia?”

“What?” The women screeched.

Octavia scanned the three of them. “What?” She shrugged.

“You can’t do that!” Samiyah said.

“Ooooh, you know you’re wrong for that,” Selena said.

“Right,” Samiyah said. “That wasn’t my official question, and you know it.”

Octavia giggled and took a sip of her brew. “Okay, okay,” she said. “I was just playing anyhow, what’s your question, come on with it, we don’t have all day.”

“Don’t be trying to rush us now,” Claudia said.

“Yeah,” Samiyah chimed. “We’ve been here all week, so we can take as long as we like,” she said, pulling out a chair to sit at the dining table. Samiyah crossed her legs.

Octavia squinted at Samiyah, combing her eyes over an extra set of curves that weren’t previously there. “Is it just me or have you ladies noticed that Samiyah’s gotten curvier?” Octavia said with a tilt of her head. Carefully, she examined Samiyah’s shiny face, thicker arms, and hips.

“Don’t try to turn this around on me!” Samiyah said. “This is about you and Jonathon,” she paused, “and yes, I’m pregnant.”

Sharp gasps and a shriek fell from Claudia, Selena, and Octavia.

“Oh my God!” They screamed, and simultaneously they jumped up and down, excited beyond measures. They all ran to her and pulled her out of the chair, hugging and squeezing her as they bounced with joy.

With an elated smile, Samiyah warned, “Sssh, you guys, we still have clients in the building.”

They tried, but the excitement was high. “We’ll apologize later,” Claudia said in a squeal. Octavia and Selena squealed with her. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’re about to have my nephew,” Claudia gushed.

“Or niece,” Octavia said.

Samiyah beamed. “I always knew you were a part of my family, and now we are actually sisters because of our husbands.”

“Mmhmm,” Selena chimed, “that’s too much like right.”

“Well they say a real man will elevate you and not bring you down, make you move out of town and disconnect from family like a madman,” Claudia fussed.

Everyone frowned, and Octavia placed her hand on Claudia’s shoulder. “Is there anything you want to tell us?”

Claudia stuck her lip out. “About what?”

“Which one of them low-life rascals tried to control you?” Samiyah said with a hand to her hip.

“Girl, that’s water under the bridge,” Claudia said. “He doesn’t even matter because Jaden is my everything and I’m his.”

“That’s right!” Selena said, high-fiving Claudia.

Samiyah cut her eyes and peered at Claudia then smiled. “Sho ya right.” This time, Claudia and Samiyah high-fived each other.

“We are so excited for you,” Claudia sang, “and now we get to plan your baby shower!” Another round of squeals went throughout the room, and the ladies jumped up and down with extreme enthusiasm. A knock on the kitchenette’s door brought the girls’ attention around.

“What’s all the fuss about?” Daniel Potter said, leaning his bald head into the doorway.

Claudia glanced at her watch. “Mr. Potter, our appointment isn’t for another thirty minutes. Do you mind having a seat and waiting for me? I’ll be out to get you soon.”

Daniel nodded. “Sorry for intruding,” he said, turning to traipse back to the waiting area.

“Okay, we’re going to have to resume this another time,” Samiyah said.

“Oh no, we still have a few minutes, and while I want to gush about your pregnancy news, I still need to ask this one my question,” Claudia said, turning back to Octavia.

“You know what,” Octavia interjected. “I remember a time when I was trying to get all in your business, and you were hard as a nutshell.”

“Oh, don’t try and get out of this question. I promise to be nice,” Claudia smiled perkily. “Besides, you’ve already told me I can ask a question.”

“And really, I’m first,” Samiyah added. “So here it is.” The ladies fell quiet, and Octavia half braced and half bit down on her lip. Samiyah placed her hands on her hips and moved closer to Octavia, lowering her voice: “What’s going on with you and Jonathon?”

Octavia opened her mouth. “Ah—”

“No bull,” Samiyah said.

Octavia exhaled a deep breath. “You were supposed to ask me a specific question. I expected that question from Selena.”

Selena chuckled. “Gotcha,” she said.

Octavia crossed her eyes and threw her hands up. “Okay, we are…” the girls leaned in, all making sure they heard everything that needed to be heard. “We’re dating… I think,” Octavia finished.

The ladies scrunched their faces up and glanced at each other collectively. “What do you mean, you think?” Samiyah asked.

“Well,” Octavia continued, “there wasn’t a time where we actually talked about the status of our relationship.”

“Let me get this straight,” Selena cut in, “you’ve been gone three days with this man and don’t know where you all stand?”

Octavia pushed her lips up and scrunched her nose. “Is that your question?” Octavia said before answering.

All three of the girls crossed their arms and peered at Octavia.

“Okay, okay,” she said. “We just went with the flow. I had no idea we were going anywhere. We ended up in Hawaii and—”

“Hawaii!” Selena gasped.

Samiyah and Claudia nodded, smooth grins on their lips. “Yeaaah baby, that’s how the Rose men do it,” Samiyah said while Claudia continued to agree with a nod of her head.

“Okay and what else?” Samiyah said.

“We went shark diving, I did a hula dance for him, we ate breakfast on the beach.”

“Hold up,” Selena said, “you’re not going to skip right over that hula dance.” A smile like that of a Cheshire cat spread across Selena’s face. “You move them hips for him, girl?”

Octavia blushed. “Sure did. Went a little something like this,” Octavia said, holding her arms up and moving her hips in a wave.

“Yaaaass,” Selena sang. “That’s my girl! I knew you had it in you.”

Octavia laughed then glanced at her watch.

“Let me get my question in before we disperse,” Selena said.

“Since your dying to ask, go right ahead,” Claudia said, passing the baton to Selena.

“Thanks,” Selena said, gladly taking Claudia’s turn. She turned back to Octavia and leaned in with a shoulder. “Did y’all have sex?”

Once again, they all leaned in to hear Octavia’s response. Octavia glanced from one to the other. “All… night… long…” she sang.

“Oooouuu!” Selena hooped and Octavia braced a hand over her mouth. Claudia and Samiyah laughed as Selena continued to do a little dance with her mouth restrained. Octavia shook her head.

“This girl.” She laughed.

“Okay, nicely done,” Claudia said with a nod. “I’ll be in to see you on lunch for my question.”

“What?” Octavia said, removing her hand from Selena’s mouth. “No hot lunch date with the hubs?”

Claudia shook her head, dismayed. “Meetings all day. These are the ones I loathe.”

“Ha, I bet you do,” Octavia pointed out.

“So, none of us have lunch dates. We should go out together and catch up,” Samiyah said, glancing around.

“I’m down,” Octavia said.

“Me too,” Selena quipped.

“Count me in,” Claudia said.

“It’s settled then, and no matter how many clients we have in here, at twelve we’re out of here.”

They all nodded.

“Come on,” Octavia said, “let’s get this day over with.”

One by one, they dispersed, all grabbing a client to be led to their offices.

Octavia was still glowing from waking up in Jonathon’s arms. The moment she opened her eyes, Octavia knew precisely where she was. There was no moment of confusion as she took in his strong arms that cuddled her and a carved jawline that sat on top of her nose as she watched him sleep.

They would’ve scheduled a lunch date, but Jonathon had someone in training at Rose Security Group, and although the trainer standing in for Jonathon was completely capable of being efficient, still, Jonathon wanted to be in attendance. When holding a career at Rose Security Group, it was imperative to be up on your game. People’s lives were at risk, and there could be no mishaps, ever. Octavia respected Jonathon for that. He was a man of integrity, and it was one of the many things she loved about him.

Octavia spoke with client after client all the while daydreaming about Jonathon. The house he’d so-called purchased on a whim was gorgeous. For the time she and Jonathon had been acquainted, Octavia had never known him to spend lavishly. So, for Jonathon to put down the millions she knew he did on the place was more than astounding. Besides that, Octavia fell in love with the place immediately. High ceilings, modern furnishing, and the closet was the most massive space Octavia had witnessed. You could fit a full bedroom inside the cherry oak walls of the room.

Octavia had gotten a full tour of the home, and they never made it back to the main floor before pouncing on each other. Something about the atmosphere charged their batteries and where they both had work to do the next day, Octavia ended up against the wall of an empty room while Jonathon’s thrusts tore into her canal. They went on a ride that neither ever wanted to get off and the more they came together, the deeper they fell.

In a perfect world, their love for each other would be all that matter, and they could go on loving each other for all time. Octavia was optimistic, but she also knew getting her hopes up could be premature, mainly if she couldn’t deal with the severity of the nightmares. Nightmares, she hadn’t had since being with Jonathon. Another smile rushed to Octavia’s face, and her client smiled in return, thinking the expression was meant for him. Octavia rose to her feet and rounded her desk to shake the man’s hand.

“Thank you for your business, Mr. Montgomery,” Octavia said.

“The thanks are all mine as long as you keep saving me money, I’ll keep coming back.”

They both agreed with bright smiles and a nod to the head.

“I’ll walk you out,” Octavia said, holding the door open for him.

They strolled down the hallway, past the waiting room to the front door.

“Have a good weekend,” Mr. Montgomery said.

“You do the same,” Octavia retorted. As Mr. Montgomery disappeared around the corner, Octavia turned and grabbed her next client who was a tall red-haired Caucasian woman with spiked hair.

“Mrs. Brown, if you’ll follow me,” Octavia said. Mrs. Brown stood and reached to shake Octavia’s hand.

“Are you excited the work week is ending?” Mrs. Brown asked.

Octavia’s smile had more to do with getting to see Jonathon again than it had to do with it being the weekend. But to the woman, she simply said, “Of course.”