BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (178 page)

"Are your brochures done?" He returned, shifting her once more out of his way, putting her to the test.

"All they need is printin' baby, with maps mind you - I wouldn't want anyone to loose their way! Next question?"

"Your menu?"

Sylvia smirked at him, "I haven't worked that one out yet."

"Well, oh ho-ho, don't let me keep you!" He gestured grandly, arms in the air.

Sylvia glanced their way, "I can't stand him!"

They both cracked up laughing. Sylvia turned back whining, "Come on Shawn let me help." She sounded so pitiful he threw her an air kiss, "No! This is my business - if I need your help, I will ask for it. That across the road is going to be your business, if you need my help, just ask me."

"I did! And you wouldn't help me!"

"Because that's your business! When it comes to the woman part of it, decorating - you're gun-ho, but when it comes to brochures and figuring out layout and design on them, you want me to do it because it bugs you if you can't get it right!"

"I got it done didn't I? And right!"

"I don't know, I haven't seen them, have I?"

"And you ain't gone see'em either!"

"Fine with me, now get on the menu and leave me to get on with my thing here!"

"Fine! Be that way!" She bluff kicked at him, looking ornery, lip poked out.

"Can't be no other way, Mrs. McPherson! Spoiled ass - don't get slapped on it, you will not always be getting your way!" Shawn bantered.

"Ugggh, if you say that one more time! Get my way? Always? You must be joking, I'd like to know exactly when I've ever gotten my way with you?" and then to them, "And uh, see how he threatened to beat me?"

Shawn laughed, refusing to take her seriously, neither did Vivian or Shanna for that matter.

"Excuse me ladies." Mundo grinned, heading out the door to get more stuff, staying out of it.

Wanting to get on with what he was doing, Shawn gazed at her exasperated expression, then pointed at Shanna and Vivian, "Have you noticed that you've got company!"

Sylvia looked at them and back at Shawn, "Sorry sir, they are not company, they family! Not the same!"

"Vivian might be pregnant!" Shanna blurted before either could say another word.

"Shanna!?" Vivian exclaimed, lightly smacking her on the shoulder, "We don't know that yet!"

"Oh my god! You're pregnant?!" Sylvia screeched with wide eyes.

"She might be! I think she is." Shanna insisted.

"Holy mackerel!" Shawn gasped.

"Shanna!? There is no proof or indication that I am pregnant, none!"

"Jake's been trying to get her pregnant - she's fertile right now!"

"Shanna!" Vivian stomped.

"Well it's true! He's out to get'ya! I think it's done! But that's just me - oh you should have heard'em last night!"

"SHANNA!" Vivian screeched, slapping her hands over her face, shaking her head in disbelief.

Sylvia cracked up laughing, shaking her head, "I can just imagine, and If he is anything like this man here - standing right there, you can forget it - it's a done deal! Your goose is cooked babygirl! That rabbit pro'ly in riggamortis!"

"Okay?! She just needs to accept it right?" Shanna went on.

Vivian could only grumble exasperated looking at Shawn.

"Don't look at me, they're probably right, which means I've got to hurry."

All three women looked at him perplexed, "Hurry?" All stated simultaneously.

"Yes, hurry! Remember Vivian? You promised to do a photo shoot with me, I was serious about that. Let me get everything set up here today, and I'll be ready for you tonight, or tomorrow - whichever you prefer."

Vivian stood with her mouth open, remembering. "Oh yeah, so you still want to huh?"

"Yep - ah, I do - some tastefully nude as well, remember?"

Vivian's eyes rolled to Sylvia, Sylvia's eyes rolled to Shawn, Shanna's darted from one to the other. "You've never done nudes of me!" Shanna rattled off.

"I won't be either, you're my little sister, I don't wanna look at your naked ass!"

"Oh but you don't mind looking at other women's naked ass!" Sylvia couldn't bite her tongue.

"Sylvia! I'm an artist, it's what I do!"

"It's what you choose to do! There are artist who capture landscapes, flowers, puppies!"

"Okay, what I choose to do, sobeit. As a photographer, I capture what I perceive as beauty, on a canvas - where it never fades away - I want to capture Vivian Cooke, you've known from the beginning, haven't you?" He asked her seriously.

Sylvia sighed, her mouth twisting on that truth, "Yes, I have." She turned to Vivian, gazing at her, her little sister if anyone asked, "I suppose you have no choice," She looked back at him once more, "'Cause I can tell you now, nothing you've done that I've seen, comes any where close to her, as far as beauty is concerned, so do your thing." Sylvia walked to her, patting her cheek lovingly, "He's right, if he's gonna do beauty, he has to start here babygirl."

Vivian felt her eyes stinging with moisture again, grabbing Sylvia, she hugged her tight, "You sure you don't mind?" She pushed away to ask.

"No the question is, do you mind? Don't let him pressure you, if you don't want to, then don't. It's your choice. I trust you, I trust him."

Shawn felt like a heal and added, "She's right Vivian, don't do it if you don't feel comfortable, trying to please me. I do want to capture you, but only if you're okay with it. I should have said that from the beginning."

Vivian smiled at him, then back at Sylvia, "I've missed you so much, I'm so glad we're together. And you know what, I want to."

The exhale from Shawn was audible to all three women. Vivian felt flattered to the highest degree.

"This is so wonderful, having everyone together like this." Shanna commented.

"Now if we could only get Sheila here." Sylvia added.

"I'm working on that!" Shawn called out on his way into his office. He'd been connecting all of his computer equipment. The ladies stood out in what would be the front entry of the studio before the receptionist desk, where someone, -(Shawn hadn't said who yet)- would be working when he started booking jobs. Down the short hallway, there were two doors to the right; offices, first one was Shawn's, which had another door on the opposite wall to his dark room for photo development. He still liked doing it the old fashioned way with black and white photography even with his digital works. The second door would be someone else's office, for the time being, Ben's. At the end of the hall, two more doors, one on the right, opened to the bathroom, one on the left opened to the dressing room, which had another door leading straight into the large photography studio. On the left side of the hallway, two more doors, first door to Shawn's draft and painting studio, and the second door was to the photography studio as well. The front of the studio, was the entry that was six steps away from the front desk. To the right of it, two consultation booths that would have computers setup to show customers their proofs, progress and packages available. To the left of the desk was the lobby/waiting room. Which is what Sylvia had been begging to decorate. He had his ideas and he wasn't budging. That was brought out while they stood talking about it, and then the subject surrounding their wedding and interview with Rev. Hamilton, this while Mundo and Angela made trips back and forth with more of Shawn's studio implements. Her bodyguard sat outside the studio across from the house diligently watching their surroundings.

Across the road, at the breakfast table, while her boys ate, Crystal was once more on her laptop, she'd been looking into a summer course.

She decided the previous night, it was time for her to learn how to cook, really cook. She wanted to learn to properly prepare nutritious appetising food. She noticed online with the local websites, the community center was offering a course on gardening and cooking what you grow. It entailed a complete course on various herbs and how to best utilize them for food and for medicinal purposes. She sat at the table and filled out the application online to join it. Completing that, a yahoo alert slid up notifying her that 1/4lb-BigMac was now online. Instantly, there was a quickening to her heart beat, her stomach tightened as she stared at the area where the notifier slid up and then back down out of sight. It was as if she was immobilized by the knowledge that he was up, on his laptop, checking his emails maybe? Working? She wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was online. She was so tempted to start a chat with him, but thought against it, when suddenly her yahoo messenger popped up before her.

1/4lb-BigMac: Good morning Crysta' Bella

A bright wide smile burst upon her face, light and joy infused her body, she answered back,

crysbell: Good morning, Ben

1/4lb-BigMac: You okay? My boys okay?

crysbell: Ben, they're really not your boys, are they?

1/4lb-BigMac: I beg your pardon, I was not the planter of the seed, but I will be the harvester of the crop, those are my boys - deny it if you wish.

crysbell: I don't wanna confuse them Ben.

1/4lb-BigMac: They're not confused, they know exactly who I am and that I love them. They also know who does not.

crysbell: Victor loves them Ben!

1/4lb-BigMac: You trying to convince me or yourself of that? Love is action and deed, not just words. Even so, I love you - I love them. They know it, you know it. Gotta go.

crysbell: Wait! Don't go already - are you coming by at all? Shawn is moving to the studio - he says, the other office is yours.

1/4lb-BigMac: I might be by later, not sure, a friend of mine wants me to do some photos of him and his girl for wedding invitations. Everywhere I look, people are getting married - sick, huh?"

crysbell: No, not sick at all. You staying away to punish me?

1/4lb-BigMac: Yes - because you know you should be with me. You should be mine. See'ya

He went off line and the door slammed closed so she could hear it. She sank back in her chair, as a layer of a strange sensation went over her. Her eyes rolled up to see Isaac staring at her. "What?" She asked.

"Where Ben at?"

"Busy, working - something like that."

"He gone come here today?"

"I don't know Isaac, maybe."

"Call'im tell'im come get me."

"Isaac, no - he's busy."

"Call'im tell'im come get me." He repeated.

"Isaac, did you hear what I just said?"

"Call Ben."

"You wanna talk to him, would that be better?"

"Yeah, call Ben."

She reached over, grabbed her mobile and dialed his.

He of course could read who it was, "Yes Crysta' Bella?"

"Isaac wants to speak with you, I think he misses you."

"Put him on."

Crystal gestured with the phone for Isaac to come and take it. He quickly climbed down and ran around the table to it, holding it to his ear. "Ben?"

"Yes, this is Ben. How are you this morning?"

"Come get me, Ben."

"Isaac, I told you - you could talk to him, he can't come and get you."

"Come get me Ben! Come get - me!"

"Boy - gimme the phone!"

"No!"

"Yes, now!"

"No!"

"Isaac, pass your mama the phone, please, for me?"

Isaac made a face and passed Crystal the phone.

"He wanted to talk to you, but I told him you were working-..."

"Get him ready, a couple of hours this morning won't hurt." He cut her off ordering.

"Ben!"

"Get him ready I said - Darren too! I'll have them back a little after lunch, they'll be fine. You know they will, I'm on my way."

"Ben!"

He hung up.

"Oh nooo!"

"Ben comin' get me mama, Ben comin' get me?"

"Yes, but only for a few hours this morning, and then he's bringing you back home. Your father will probably want to see you this afternoon."

"No!"

"Boy, that no business gone have to stop! I don't do no! And I'm not gone be arguing with you either. Come on, I have to get you two ready."

Upstairs, she packed them a bag with extra clothing just in case; diapers for Darren; wipes and their no spill sippy cups. She washed them up, dressed them, and by the time she was done Ben was there to get them. They yipped and screamed with excitement to be going with him.

"How are you gonna take pictures of your friend and his fiancée and keep up with them too?"

"I have my ways. I need Darren's stroller please."

"Follow me, it's in my car."

Out on the front, she popped her trunk, passed him the stroller, which he loaded in his car, followed by the boy's car seats. After strapping them in, he turned to her. "I'll have them back early this afternoon, promise."

"Okay, see you later." She bent down to look in the car at them, "See you later boys, be good for Ben, okay?"

"Okay mama, we be good!" Isaac cheered with Darren nodding his head in agreement, they waved at her, overjoyed and ready to go.

Ben climbed in, restarted his car, looking up at her, "Don't I get a kiss bye-bye?" He joked; even so, she could see there was a bit of serious hope in the request.

"Behave in front of the boys, Ben."

He gave up, winked at her instead and backed out of the drive, heading off with them. Crystal stood in the drive wondering what to do next? Turning back into the house, she cleaned up the breakfast dishes, and then checked to see what else needed taking over to the studio. There were pictures, books, magazines, software boxes, and bundles of cloth throws for backgrounds when shooting. She grabbed what she could and headed across, wondering where Mundo and Angela were? Inside the studio, she brought in the items she carried, sitting them down where he pointed. Vivian, Sylvia and Shanna were at her place, he informed her, discussing her wedding.

"Oh, well I'll be gone for a couple of hours. Where's Mundo and Angela?"

"I've sent them, along with her bodyguard, to shop for office supplies. Signs for the doors, waste baskets, message pads, appointment books, a cash register, a long list of stuff. That'll keep them busy for a while." He informed her. "So where you heading?"