The only thing that made her day bearable was Dom’s promise of picking her up later in the evening to show her the project he was working on.
Filling the tea kettle with water, Karen sat it on the burner and turned it on. Some folks preferred coffee in the morning for their caffeine kick; Karen was partial to tea or decaf hazelnut coffee with lots of flavored creamer. She picked up the portable phone and dialed Starr’s number. When she answered the phone Karen had to smile. She could hear her nieces and nephew in the background squealing and laughing. “Stop it, Kyeel!” she heard one of the toddlers squeak. “Helllp meee Aleeshaaa!” another playfully wailed.
“Hey girl, what in the world is going on over there?”
Starr laughed. “Kyle is chasing them around walking like Frankenstein. I need to have them over here more often. Ashley and Kyle are so good with them. They play with them all day. By seven they are good and sleepy. After Kevin and I bathe them they are fast asleep until the next morning.”
“That could be arranged you know.” Going over to the fridge, Karen took out the milk to go in her black tea. Just a few hours ago she was feeling a little blue about not having alone time with Dom. Sure, he would still come over to spend time with her and the kids, but they wouldn’t be free to spend nights together. However, if her sister was offering… What would be the harm of her children spending time with Starr, Kevin and the babies?
“Ooooh…you did the nasty with Dom!” Starr teased.
“Starr! Where are the kids? I can’t believe you said that in front of them!” Karen yelled at her sister incredulously.
“Calm down girl. Kevin was in the den with us so I left the kids with him. I’m in the living room now.”
“Oh,” Karen breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, she was a woman with needs. Did she want her children to know she and Mr. Dom were romping around between the sheets? Umm…no.
“Well, did you?” Starr pressed, anxious to be all up in her sister’s love life.
Karen giggled. “Gurrrrl, I’m just saying…”
“OMG! How was it?”
Karen giggled again. She could hear the glee in her sister’s voice. “Let’s just say I wish I hadn’t played so hard to get for so long!”
“Ooooh…you are sooooo bad. I’m telling.”
“You better not! I swear Starr I will beat you up.”
Laughing, Starr promised, “I won’t say anything to Summer or Ava.”
“Good…because I want to be the one to give them all the dirty details.” Both sisters laughed.
“What’s wrong?” Karen asked when Starr let out a long groan.
Karen turned off the water that had longed boiled. Pouring the water into the mug she sat at her kitchen table.
“Please tell me you didn’t have those butt ugly grandmom underwear on.”
Silence.
Karen was mortified. Leave it to Starr to bring up something like what type of underwear she had on.
“I knew it!”
“Well, I didn’t know we were going to do it!” Karen said, a little miffed with her sister.
Sucking her teeth, Starr asked, “What are you doing now?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Good. Be ready in an hour. You need a doggone intervention.”
“What the—” Karen held the phone, staring at it. The loud dial tone told her Starr had hung up on her.
“I thought this was an intervention for me. You heifers are buying up everything in the store.” Karen teased.
Summer, Ava, and Starr had forgotten all about Karen as they went about the store shopping for lingerie that would be appealing to their husbands.
Walking over to Karen, Summer said, “Let me see what you got.” Holding up a sheer, fire engine red teddy with a matching thong, Karen held the sexy piece up in front of her.
“Aw, sooky-sooky now!” Karen threw her head back and laughed when Summer imitated Mike Epps’ dance moves from the movie All About the Benjamins. “Watch yourself, shake it fast, show me whatcha’ working with.”
Hugging Summer around the neck, Karen put her finger up to her lips. “Shh…girl you are crazy. How in the world does Nick put up with you?”
“Gurrrrl, I be shaking it fast!” Summer teased, doing the Beyoncé booty bounce.
“That’s the only way to do it,” an elderly woman standing within hearing distance butted in, giving Karen and Summer a wink. “We must look tasty for our men in the bedroom.” Lifting an arched brow she asked, “Am I not right?”