“I’m just saying,” he replied, stepping behind her and pulling her close as she playfully tried to twist away. He planted soft kisses along her neck. A low moan slipped from Jackie’s throat before she could catch it. Najee felt her body soften against him, that familiar shiver running through her thick frame. His dick twitched in his sweats, already starting to thicken just from thewarmth of her ass pressed back into him. Jackie smelled like brown sugar and pistachio. Something that was uniquely her.
It was taking everything in him not to put her over his shoulder and carry her ass back to bed.
“Damn,” he muttered against her skin. “Ewww.” Both of them looked toward the kitchen table. Max sat there with his tablet, looking thoroughly disgusted. “Y’all nasty.” Najee laughed. Jackie rolled her eyes. “You got five more minutes with that thing, then go get your spelling words. Najee instructed. “I’m quizzing you on the ride to school.” Max dropped his head back dramatically.
“Aww man. Not another quiz.”
“It’s Friday.”
“And?”
“I’m tired of quizzes.” Najee gave him a look. Max immediately went back to pretending to read whatever was on the screen. Three minutes later Jackie walked over, took both devices, and dropped them into a woven basket on the counter. “Y’all got twenty-three hours a day to stare at screens. Y’all can survive a device-free breakfast.” Max slumped even harder. Najee wasn’t much better, “Bae, I need that for work.” Jackie ignored them both. Three minutes later she set plates down, and suddenly neither one of them had shit else to say. Jackie set her mug on the table and looked across at Max.
“Alright, baby. How was your week? Let me know if I’m walking into any surprises when I open this lady’s email this morning.” Max shrugged. “I been good.”
“Just good?” she asked, playful. He nodded around a mouthful of French toast. Jackie smiled. “Well, I’m picking you up today. So if you were as good as you say, maybe we can grab ice cream after school.” His reaction was immediate. “No.” The table went quiet. Jackie blinked. “No?”
“I don’t want you to pick me up.” This time he didn’t even look up from his plate.
Jackie frowned, trying to laugh it off. “Well damn. Tell me how you really feel.”
“Mommy, I’m serious. I don’t want you picking me up.”
His voice came out sharper. Najee looked up from his plate.
Jackie looked more hurt than anything. “Okay…” she said slowly.
“Then who do you want to pick you up?”
“Mr. Najee.” The answer hit Najee square in the chest.
Jackie stared at Max, then back at Najee. “Why?”
“I just do.”
“No, baby. Tell me why.”
Max went completely quiet, pushing his eggs around the plate, withdrawn.
Najee had spent enough years working with kids to recognize avoidance. Something was wrong. Jackie saw it too. The humor drained from her face. “Maximus.” Nothing. “Fat Daddy.” Still nothing. Najee set his fork down. “Hey champ,” Najee said as he reached across the table and laid his hand on Max’s. Max finally looked up. “Why don’t you want your mom picking you up?” Max dropped his gaze again. His little shoulders shrugged as the silence stretched. Then the tears came—one rolling down his cheek, then another. Jackie was out of her chair in a heartbeat. “Baby?” Her voice cracked. “Oh my God, what’s wrong?” She dropped beside him and pulled him into her lap. “Look at me.” Max shook his head. “You’re not in trouble, I promise.” More tears from his eyes. “Baby, you’re scaring me.” Najee stayed quiet, watching, waiting. Whatever this was had been weighing on him for a while. Finally, Max looked up. Eyes red, wet, terrified. “Mommy… I saw the monster.”
The room went dead still. Najee frowned and glanced at Jackie. The color had drained from her face. Not confusion—pure fear. “Are you sure?” she asked quietly. Max nodded.
Jackie swallowed hard. “Where?”
“My school.” Now Najee sat forward. “What monster?” Neither answered him.
Their eyes stayed locked on each other. “Was he in the schoolyard?” Jackie pressed. Max shook his head. “No. He was outside the fence.” Every hair on the back of Najee’s neck stood up.
“Outside the fence doing what?” Jackie questioned. “Just staring.”
Jackie covered her mouth. Max wiped at his eyes.
“He be there during recess. And sometimes in the morning.”
Najee’s pulse climbed. “Jackie, who the fuck is the monster?”
Still no answer. Max sniffled.