We Didn’t See it Coming (29 page)

“Baking a pie doesn't make you less of a Houston,” Sid assured her as he took some of the leftover pie mix around the bowl and scooped it on his finger.

Holding his finger to her mouth, Noelle licked off the pie filling. “Superb!”

Noelle enjoyed the sweetness of the filling, and then she saw the sink was full of dirty bowls. “The kitchen is so untidy.”

“More fun for us.”

Sid removed the bowls and filled the sink with soapsuds and water. He washed the dishes. Noelle occasionally checked on the pie as it cooked. She kept the light on in the oven.

“Get away from there,” Sid said as he handed her a dishtowel. “You can dry the dishes.”

“We should have used the dishwasher. That would have been quicker.”

“We're doing it the old-fashioned way—with our own hands.”

Noelle wiped over the bowls, half-drying them. She didn't feel
like a Houston in the way the world portrayed them. She wished the media could have captured her having fun in the kitchen.

Turning off the oven, Sid gave her orders that the pie was ready.

Noelle covered her hands with oven mitts to avoid burning herself on the hot pie pan. She held her head back from the heat that escaped from the oven. “It smells so good,” she said as she placed the golden brown pie on top of the stove.

“We'll let it cool down.”

“I'm ready for a bite.”

“Set the table.”

Noelle got out two small plates. She placed a fork next to each plate and filled two glasses with cold milk. She waited for Sid to give the okay to slice the pie.

He turned around and smiled at her. “Miss Houston, would you like the honor of cutting your first baked pie?”

Noelle curtsied. “I thought you would never ask.”

Sid took the pie over to the table and she cut it into slices. She placed a slice on each plate. Sid went back and got the ice cream out of the freezer.

“One scoop of vanilla for me,” Noelle said.

He put two scoops on his plate. They sat down and absorbed the taste of the pie with the ice cream.

“This is magnificent.”

“You should be proud, Miss Houston.”

“I am…to have you come into my life.”

They ate the dessert until their stomachs felt like lead balloons.

“Talk about overeating. I've had my share of pie tonight.”

“You made my first night in this house without my sisters one to be remembered.”

Sid got up and started to clean the dishes. Noelle went over to him. “Leave it for tomorrow.”

She took him by the hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom.

“As always I ask you, are you sure you want to do this?”

“I'm a grown woman; you don't ever have to ask me that question again.”

Noelle eased her hands up his chest and around his neck. Sid loosened the pins in her hair to let it fall. They kissed passionately.

Noelle stepped back and removed her clothes. He stared as she shared her bare flesh with him again. The light from a pole outside glowed through the window to shine on her body.

“Aren't you going to join me?”

Sid removed his clothes. Noelle hungered for him. Once his last piece of clothing exposed his masculine parts, she raced into his arms. He lifted her up and laid her on the bed. He climbed on top of her. There he explored her body.

Noelle moaned from the force as he entered her. She locked her legs around him. He moved like the waves of the ocean and she paddled along with him. She screamed, knowing that her sisters wouldn't have any say-so in her life. This was her paradise—to live her life as she pleased.

Sid rested under the covers with her. He held her in his arms close to him. “I'm not the man you or your father would see as a suitable husband, but I can make you happy. Just give me the time to show you that I'm worthy of you.”

Noelle touched his mustache. “My heart tells me you're perfect for me. We'll let things fall into place.” She kissed his chest.

Sid looked at his watch. “It's late. I better get going.”

Noelle placed her finger on his lips. “No such thing. My heart says you're wanted here for the night. Go to sleep.”

They slept in each other's arms.

B
ack at the Houston Estate, Milandra saw to it that the guest bedroom was completely redesigned. The mahogany king-sized bedroom set was given away to the Salvation Army and replaced with a king-sized, cherrywood bedroom set. The bedding matched the newly painted green wall color.

Their parents' bedroom was also redecorated. Milandra decided to move into the master suite, leaving Kenley on the west wing of the house. Her goal was to turn her and Noelle's old bedrooms into more guest rooms.

She hurriedly unpacked as Nolan carried up the last box of clothing. He dropped the box on the floor. Taking a hand towel, he wiped the sweat that dripped down the back of his neck.

“I'm tired. Girl, you Houstons don't play when it comes down to clothes.”

Milandra laughed. “We have to stay ladylike at all times.”

“I don't know if I can keep up with royalty.”

Milandra looked at him, noticing that his face showed no signs of humor.

“Nolan, I don't expect anything extra out of you other than the person you are.”

“Thanks, because I can't give you what you want. I don't have the cash to do it.”

Milandra knew this would come into play sooner or later. She went up to him. “I'm not looking for the world from you—just your friendship.”

“Friendship! Is that it? Milandra, you only want me as a friend? I'm a man who wants a wife and kids one day, but I get the feeling you don't want what I want.”

“We come from two different worlds. We could never be man and wife.”

“I thought you really dug me. Damn, I've never been used by a woman.”

“I'm doing no such thing. I mean we can be together and have fun, but it wouldn't be appropriate for me to marry someone of your status. You don't have wealth.”

Nolan hit his fist against the wall. “You're no better than Aniyah and your father put together. I'm out of here. Take my company off your list for services. I won't be doing business with you anymore,” he said as he stormed out.

“Nolan, why are you doing this? You know how things can
only
be for a Houston,” Milandra called.

Kenley overheard them. She saw Nolan leaving, slamming the door behind him, and Milandra running after him, tearfully.

“What's going on between you two?” Kenley asked.

“I have lost Nolan. He couldn't understand that we can only be friends.”

“And why can you two only be friends?”

“We're from two different worlds. I can't marry a mover.”

“He owns his own company,” Kenley said as she sat down on the top step.

“Nolan doesn't have wealth.”

“He has love for you. That should be good enough. I hope you didn't tell him he didn't have wealth.”

“I had to be honest with him.”

“You lost a man who worships you, and you dared to tell him it's because he has less. You can marry a man with lots of money and be miserable.”

“Oh, Kenley, Father wouldn't want his fortune going to the common man.”

“Mother would want you to be happy. Doesn't she count too, sometimes?”

“Stop making things difficult for me,” Milandra said as she left Kenley and went back into her bedroom.

Milandra slouched down on the bed and wept herself to sleep. In her heart, she missed Nolan already but the damage was done. Her outspoken behavior had caused her to lose him.

• • •

Kenley went into her sister's bedroom. She saw that Milandra was sound asleep.

Tiptoeing over to a nightstand, she picked up Milandra's cell phone and carried it out into the hallway. She scrolled to find Nolan's number programmed in the phone. She called him. Nolan didn't answer, so Kenley decided to call him from her line. He picked up.

“Hello, this is Kenley. Please don't hang up on me. I didn't do a thing to you.”

“I'm not going to hang up on you. I hope you're not calling me for your sister.”

“She doesn't know I'm calling. The calls you got from her number, I made them.”

“Are you trying to get us back together? It won't work. Your sister made it clear about what she wants—and it's not broke me.”

Kenley sat on the floor in the hallway. “You have to understand Milandra. Yes, she's stubborn and bossy. She's not used to anyone
else taking the lead on things except my parents. You are a new world to her. It's frightening to her that she has actually fallen for someone that doesn't have lots of money. In her head, love and wealth go together.”

“You and Noelle were born in wealth, but you girls are so different. You're more open to things.”

“Don't get me wrong, I'm spoiled in my own way. But Noelle and I take people for who they are. Milandra is the one that took after Father all the way. He taught her to believe that love and wealth are one and the same, but she's finding out through you that it isn't true. She's fighting against herself. Please give her a chance. I know she loves you. I could see it when you ran out of here.”

“I don't know.” Nolan paused. “Maybe I should keep my distance.”

“Do you think you're in love with my sister?”

“You're straightforward.”

“You older people make love a big project. So do you love her?”

“I feel like I'm falling in love with her. I hoped she was feeling the same way, but ‘just a friend'—now that's cold.”

“Please, she feels more for you than just a friend. I should have videoed her after you left. All I can say is if you think you're falling in love with her, make her see that being with you, a man who has less, can be worth more than any other man with money.”

Nolan said goodbye.

• • •

Milandra woke up the next day with a pounding headache. She decided to stay in bed.

Kenley came into her bedroom. “You're still in bed?”

“I don't feel good,” she said with an ice pack on her head.

“You're in love.”

“Nonsense!”

Noelle came over to the estate and made her way into the bedroom. She saw Milandra still in bed. “I heard you were sick. That was the talk of the day as I came in the house.”

“I have a slight headache,” Milandra said.

“She has a love ache. She ran Nolan away and now she hates that she did it,” Kenley said.

“Hush your talk,” Milandra said.

“You let Nolan go? Why?” Noelle asked as she took a seat on the side of the bed.

“He doesn't have wealth,” Kenley answered.

“Sid doesn't have wealth, but he's a good man. I would never throw him away. Milandra, how could you do such thing?” Noelle asked.

“You would marry Sid?” Milandra asked amazed.

“Yes, we've talked about it,” Noelle said.

“My head is pounding more,” Milandra said.

“You can get well really fast by just calling Nolan back over,” Kenley said.

“He doesn't want to be a friend, so we're finished,” Milandra said.

“Let's forget about wealth. Let's talk about him,” Noelle said, taking the role of a psychologist.

“There's nothing to speak of,” Milandra said as she pulled the covers over her head.

“Oh, yes there is. I know you've kissed him, but what about sex?” Noelle asked.

Kenley ran up to Milandra and pulled the covers off her face. “You had sex with Nolan? Tell us how it was?”

“Kenley, get out of this room. I'm not discussing sex with my sister who is barely sixteen,” Milandra said.

“I can learn it from you or I can learn it on my own. Which would you rather I do?” Kenley giggled.

“Start talking, Milandra,” Noelle said.

Milandra said, “I'm waiting to have sex until I'm married. And I hope, Noelle, you'll wait until marriage also.”

“Too late. Sid and I have made great love,” Noelle bragged.

“Good for you, Noelle. When I'm old enough I'm going to be just like you. I'm not letting a man out of my sight who gives me great sex,” Kenley said.

Milandra sat up in the bed. “What have you become, Noelle? There's more to a relationship than sex.”

“Well, Sid treats me the best in and out of bed. Nolan treats you wonderfully, from what I see,” Noelle said.

“Yes, he's a gentleman, I will admit,” Milandra said. “But no wealth.”

“Oh you're driving me bananas. Forget about the wealth. Love him for who he is. Have hot sex, or I'll be pushing you around as an old lady in a wheelchair. You'll have to live with me. I'll feed you peanuts and crackers,” Kenley teased.

Noelle giggled. “You better find a way to get Nolan back as soon as possible.”

“I've messed up. I don't know what to do. He might never forgive me,” Milandra said.

Kenley smiled as Nolan appeared in the room.

“Ladies, will you excuse Milandra and me?” he asked.

Noelle and Kenley left the room. Nolan closed the door behind them. He walked over to Milandra and took the ice pack out of her hand, placing it on the nightstand. He held her in his arms and looked directly into her eyes.

“You listen here. I'll be your friend for now or whatever you
want to call it, but I'm going to work hard to build wealth because you'll be my wife one day. I love you, and I know you love me. We'll have to learn each other's lifestyles. Now get out of this bed and get dressed. We're going on a picnic.”

Nolan walked over to the door and opened it. Instead of leaving, he turned and went back to her. He took her into his arms, kissing her passionately. “No man can love you the way I love you.” He walked away, but he made one last comment before he left the room: “I'll wait for you downstairs.”