“No offence, but I could never,” Shaundra shuddered, then added, “I want to remain child-free.”
“But don’t you want a little Nathanael or Shandra running around. Something that the two of you created?” Sienna asked.
“Nope! I’ve done a lifetime's worth of parenting with my five younger siblings. Never again. But fear not my loves, my husband and I will definitely continue to practice daily—sometimes three times a day—sessions of baby making activities!” Shaundra said with a huge smile on her face and the women laughed in return.
“Sex fiend,” Jacyn whispered.
“It takes one to know one,” Shaundra shot back while sticking out her tongue like a five-year-old.
Sienna rolled her eyes. “We get it! You both have husbands and get it in on the regular. You don’t have to rub it in!”
“Not rubbing it in. Remember, I tried setting you up with the family’s pilot!”
“Let’s stick to the original conversation.” Sienna turned to Naisha and said, “I wish I had your guts!”
“You’re definitely brave for knowing what you want and making plans to embark on this journey alone,” Jacyn countered affectionately. “I may be kicking-ass brave, but I don’t know if I’d be single mom brave. Good on you, Naisha!”
“To pregnancy and motherhood!” said Naisha.
“And happily married or single, child free black women!” Cheered Shaundra in response.
They all laughed, clinked glasses, and ordered another portion of sweet pastries to go.
William sat back in his chair and took another sip of his gin and tonic. The club was noisy, filled with people, but not uncomfortably so. When visiting London, he tended to patronize some of the more exclusive clubs in the West End, but his brother Alex and friend Nathanael were in a mischievous mood, and had decided that a small Soho nightclub would be just the thing after a week of tiring business meetings.
So there they were, listening to the pounding of house music, glancing around at the flashing laser show, just enjoying each other’s company. From their position in the elevated VIP section, they could look out onto the main dance floor and observe the action. It was close to midnight, and things were heating up.
The men were joking about how their wives had managed to track them down to the club, and that, although the trips had been organized separately, the girls had decided to pop over to meet up with them.
“Can’t a man enjoy ogling pretty young things in a nightclub in peace?” Alex joked.
Nathanael gave him a sardonic look. “Yeah, you do that. You ogle the women in here, just be prepared to pay the price. Don’t think that just because she’s pregnant, that woman of yours will hesitate to stomp you into dust.”
“Ouch!” Alex pretended to cringe under Jacyn’s imaginary blows.
William chuckled. His brother, he knew, was so deep in love with his pregnant wife that the idea of ogling girls—in a club or anywhere else—wouldn’t even cross his mind. “Pretty sure you’re going to have a stomp-free night, Alex,” he commented.
Alex crossed himself. “Thank God for that.” And he and Nathanael clinked glasses. “To beautiful wives!”
William continued to sip his drink and listen to the men before him chat, as they checked their messages to see how far away their wives were. He didn’t feel an ounce of jealousy at their eagerness. Leave the married men to it, he thought. He’d already leaped through that hoop, and it had been a ring of fire.
Then he realized that his brother was asking him a question. “Huh?”
“I said, the girls told us that Naisha was coming with them.” His brother was watching him carefully—too carefully.
He was mildly surprised, half expecting her to stay back at the hotel with Willa. But then again, Madeline was sure to have shooed her away, telling her to go have some fun with her friends. He tried to play it casual. “Oh. Okay.”
But Alex wasn’t fooled. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, the better to be heard. The better to pin his older brother with his gaze. “You and Naisha doing okay?”
“Fine,” he said shortly. “She’s working out great with Willa.”
His expression said that that wasn’t what he was asking. “Just wondering if there’s something going on between you two?”
He glared at his brother, hackles rising. “Why do you ask?”
“Because even though you guys have a history, you need to remember things have changed. You have responsibilities, a reputation to uphold. And maybe back then she was your girl, but now, she’s an employee.”
“Thanks for the lesson in HR 101, brother,” he snapped.