Taming Mr. Black

NAOMI’S POV

” Aunt Naomi!” Charlie screams as he runs into me before I can shut the main door behind me.

Charlie wraps his small arms around my legs as he giggles loudly. I squat down to ruffle his curly brown hair. He smiles, all teeth and a big grin. My nephew is a really fine young man. We have that gene in our family. I drop my hand bag and lift Charlie from the floor.

Shit, he’s added a lot of weight.

” God, what do they feed you?” I tease him as I drop him on the floor and tickle him. He laughs.

” Stop…” He giggles loudly. ” Aunt Naomi.” He cries out while still laughing.

I let go of him and he’s already on the floor, still laughing.

” I’m so mad at you.” Charlie whines. ” I waited for you on my birthday, you didn’t show up.” He whines and stands up from the floor.

” I’m so sorry baby.” I hold his head and peck his forehead.

” And guess what I bought you?” I ask as I smile down at Charlie.

He stares at me with big brown doe eyes.

” A new toy?!” He’s already excited. I laugh.

I bring out a small shopping bag from behind me and give it to Charlie. He takes it from my hand and looks inside it.

” Oh my God!” He brings out the box inside the bag.

” Robot In motion! How did you know I’ve always wanted this?!” He’s practically screaming now, bouncing on his feet.

” Thank you so much, Aunt Naomi.”

I smile. ” We’re just getting started, big guy. We’re gonna go out today and have fun. Just you and I.”

” Yaay.” With the box in Charlie’s hand, he scurries away, screaming I bought him his new favorite piece.

God I love that kid.

” She came.” I hear Antonio’s voice.

I look up and fling my bag around my shoulder as I smile at my big brother.

” Hey, dummy.” Antonio says and wraps his arms around me for a hug.

I smack his back while still hugging him.

” Don’t call me that.” I laugh, but stop at once at the woman behind Antonio.

We pull away and I step to the side to have a clearer view of Grace, Charlie’s mother.

” What’s she doing here?” I ask Antonio.

” Hi, Naomi.” Grace says to me, not even trying to fake a smile as she sneers.

” She showed up for Charlie’s birthday yesterday.” Antonio says as he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

” Charlie’s birthday was yesterday. Why’s she still here?”

” You weren’t even there. You didn’t show up for his birthday.”

” Yeah? You didn’t show up for his past three birthdays, Grace.” I give her a comeback. She shuts up.

Antonio sighs as he walks me to the living room.

” Mama.” I greet my mom who’s in the kitchen with Rachel.

” Oh thank goodness you’re here. Can you please explain to Rachel why keeping boyfriends at sixteen Is a bad choice?” Mom says to me. I laugh and drop my bag as I approach Rachel and my mom.

” They’ve been having that argument since last night.” Antonio says.

” He’s not my boyfriend. I don’t have a boyfriend. You guys don’t even let me date anyone.” Rachel says.

” What’s this about?” I ask, pouring myself a glass of milk.

” I invited Scott to Charlie’s birthday yesterday. Mom got mad saying Scott is my boyfriend and we’re just friends.” Rachel defends herself.

” Nah, they didn’t look like friends. He was gonna ask her out sooner or later and Rachel looked like someone who would easily say yes.” Antonio says.

Rachel groans. I chuckle.

” You don’t know that!” Rachel throws at Antonio.

” Calm down, Rache.” I say.

” Mom and Antonio kicked him out.” Rachel justified.

” He was leaning in for a kiss. He was gonna kiss her on her nephew’s birthday.” Antonio says.

” I think Rachel is old enough to date. She’s leaving highschool soon, at least she should have a little fun.” Grace says.

I turn to look at her.

” Thank you Grace, she gets it.” Rachel says as she crosses her arms around her chest.

” She gets nothing.” I say at once. ” You have no right to tell Rachel to go ahead and kiss boys and have fun, Grace. You need to fucking stop and stay 0ut of our family’s discussion.” I say to Grace.

Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I’m just overreacting, but Grace is just too much. Since they divorced nearly four years ago, Grace stopped contacting her son. She only calls when she feels like it. She’s been failing miserably at the mother department.

” Whatever, Naomi. I’m going upstairs to hangout with my son.” Grace says and turns to leave.

Once Grace is out of the room, my family turns to look at me.

” What? She has it coming. Someone needs to correct that over pampered woman.” I mutter, dropping my glass of milk. I turn to look at Rachel. ” And you, you can’t date anyone until you’re out of highschool.”

” What!” Rachel screams.

” It’s for your own good, Rachel. Stop panicking, relationships are overrated anyway. And we’re gonna have a full girl to girl talk later, definitely not today.” I say. She groans and glares at all of us.

” God, I hate y’all.” Rachel grumbles and skedaddles out of the kitchen.

I sigh.

” It’s your turn to be scolded. What’s your excuse for not showing up at Charlie’s birthday?” Mom asks.

” Exactly.” Antonio says as he walks into the kitchen.

” I got occupied at work. I totally forgot, I swear.” I say.

” That’s really unfair of you, Naomi. You’re literally that kid’s best friend and you failed him.” Mom says. Always good at guilt tripping you.

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” Please don’t do that. I know I fucked up. And I’m making it up to him anyway. We’re going out today and I’m taking him out.”

” Mm.” Mother mutters.

” How’s the job by the way?” Antonio asks.

I sigh and tuck my stray strands behind my ears. I stare at my brother, thinking of the last time I saw him. Almost a month ago. He looks different. At least he groomed well.

” I think I might have done something bad. I’m fucking jobless.”

” What do you mean jobless?” Mom asks.

” What did you do Naomi? Why are the girls trouble makers in this family?” Antonio says.

” Really?” I playfully glare at my brother. He chuckles silently and winks at me. I shake my head and sigh.

” I slapped my boss’s friend because he tried to touch me.”

” What?” Antonio asks.

” See why I want you to quit that stupid job? Rich people are just too full of themselves. They always harass people because they can easily get away with anything.” Mom says and crosses her arms.

” Well he didn’t fire me. My boss, he didn’t. I panicked and um…” I lick my bottom lips and stare at my family. ” I fled.”

” You fled?” Antonio is surprised. ” Did you even apologize?”

” Apologized? The guy was fucking flirting with me! He touched me in places I don’t accept and you expect me to apologize to him. Hell, he owes me a damn apology, not the other way around.” I defend.

” Nobody is talking about your boss’s slutty friend. I’m talking about your boss. You shouldn’t have hit his friend right in his presence. It shows you don’t regard him.” Antonio says. I bite my lip and stare at my brother and my mom.

I know he’s got a point. Killian Black might be a conceited asshole, but he’s still my boss. I know I shouldn’t have hit his friend. I should have just walked away, and maybe confronted Preston about this and let him handle the issue about male customers touching the servers, and not let my anger take over.