BOMAW 1-3 (90 page)

Sylvia obeyed, realizing he still hadn't given her an amount... and right now... to hear him defend her child was worth any price he might have paid. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her against him to spoon.

"Goodnight my wife."

"Goodnight... my husband."

Shawn was up before Sylvia and so was quiet to leave her sleeping. In the wee early hours when all was silent was the best time for him. His habit was to rise, make himself a cup of coffee, sipping it as he put on his work out clothing. In the basement, he did moderate reps, using his Bo-Flex, surprised at how well he felt using it, and pushed himself to increase the weights by adding more bars. Forty-five minutes later, when his upper body was burning from him pushing himself, he put on his jacket and headed out the door. It was 5:20 of the am and there was plenty on his mind. He was glad the kids were coming back today because he really needed to sit down and talk to them about the gun he'd already registered for weeks ago. While registering he hadn't been certain they would allow him one with his past record, but he'd received notification in the mail that his gun permit had gone through. Starting to run at a lop, he wondered if he could get Sylvia to go and get lessons handling one. She'd put up such a fuss about not wanting him to get one that he knew she'd no doubt need some convincing. He'd have to figure a way of running it by her and see how she responded to that. His mind was also on Mundo; he wished there was some way he could talk him into coming back home and living with them while he went to school. Travel time might be a bit long, forty-five minutes there and then home, but if he was too tired to travel back, Shawn figured he could crash with his sister on those days. He enjoyed his time with him the previous day... it brought back to him all that he missed about being with Jesse. He wondered if there was ever a day that went by, that he didn't long for Jesse. Shawn had been close to no as he had been to Jesse, not even Derrick. How he would love to be able to call him and tell him what he was doing, let him know... that he'd met the
one
and guess what, she's black! Shawn chuckled to himself just imagining his reaction. No doubt in his mind, Jesse would threaten to take her off of him, but it would all be in jesting.

Shawn jogged on accepting that the hands of time, could not be reversed. He ran and wondered about himself, his thinking, the way he was... sometimes, it was as if Jesse was living out his dream through him. After all, here he was, crazy in love with the exact type of woman Jesse had spoken so often about wanting, all the way down to the race of her. Shawn reflected on something about himself and his life, while he had been negatively affected by all men, the ones that were the most positive affect on him all came from black people he'd encountered throughout his L.A. years. Jesse, regardless of their porn past, had opened up a world of support for him through his own family. Shawn smiled thinking about mama Jo-Jo... Jesse's grandmother, who was still very much alive and kicking. He would take Sylvia to meet her. He'd been absent from visiting her for several months, he hadn't even gone by when he visited Angela last and met with the James'. He would correct that once he and Sylvia were married. He shook his head at himself, certainly it would stand to reason that he would find the center of his calm in the arms of a black woman. Since Jesse and his family were all he had so many years ago before Merriam Styles and Deidre. Even after Jesse's death, mama Jo-Jo embraced him. Every time he'd been down and out, he'd gone to her. Just as Jesse had gone to her, and had taken him to her. Right now, he would love to see them all again, talk to them ... to be in the company of people where he had nothing at all to hide.

He smiled then... because at least he had Sylvia. There was nothing to hide between the two of them, they were for each other a place safe and secure, knowing that no one could enter into the bond they shared.

Forty minutes later and pouring with sweat, he turned back into their driveway. Quietly entering the house, he peeped in on Sylvia to see that she was still sleeping peacefully. He took a shower in the basement bathroom to keep from waking her up and put on his around the house lounging wear. Feeling refreshed and ready to get a little work done, he went into the kitchen over to the refrigerator, grabbing a banana off the bunch, next poured himself a medium size mixing bowl of muesli cereal and added corn pops cereal to it and chopped up the banana, chuckling at himself. "Good God, one would think I'm the one pregnant!" He laughed at himself then poured on the milk, grabbed a big spoon and went into the basement and got to work. He set up his backgrounds area, tossing over it his huge drop cloth and then set up his lights, and placed the layout of book one and two up on the stands. Next he set his camera up on its tripod and adjusted the lighting in the room just right. Finishing his cereal, he set his empty bowl aside and then prepared the paintings for the book cover layout, snapping one photograph after another with his digital camera. From there he would load them up into his computer and then open Photoshop where he would do the layering and enhancements, getting them ready for the brochures and covers. Because he was able to go from creating the original oils to the layout to doing the actual set up of the covers, this made him a valuable asset to the James'. He took care of all of their book covers, brochures, and galleries. Every new author they took on, he set up the covers for their novel once the idea and plan had been discussed with him. They paid him handsomely because all that they needed was rolled up into one... him. A few hours rolled by with him working, so caught up into what he was doing, it wasn't until he caught the scent of her presence that he knew she was near. Looking towards the door, he saw her leaning there quietly watching him, still wearing her mid-thigh night shirt, holding in her hand, a cup of coffee for him.

"Thought you'd like a cup of coffee..." Sylvia started, smiling.

He stared at her a moment and then pushed his chair away from the desk where he was working and stood up behind his camera. "Don't move!" He ordered.

"Shawn...no! I don't have any makeup on... oh Shawn!"

"You don't need any make up... you baby... are a natural. Don't move! Smile... come on... that's a girl, turn your head ever so slightly to the left, that's it... now seduce me..."

Sylvia giggled, shaking her head, "Shawn!"

"Come on... you can do it... please... turn it on for me... yeah... yep... that's it... that's it..." He coached snapping a series of shots, "Turn against the door jab, that's right, now raise that right arm up on the jab over your head... higher... that's it! That's it! Sip the coffee Sylvie - keep your eyes on me... alluring - seductive - inviting... oh yeah... that's it... yep... now... lick your lips... very softly... emmm.... yeah." He chuckled, "There you go, can you be a pussy cat? Hmmm? Set down that coffee, now slide slowly ... slowly to the floor, and crawl towards the canvas, slow... you're a sexy, sleek, black cat... ooooh yeah... seductive, keep your eyes here... here - here - here... yep, now crawl... do that body the way I know you can." He instructed snapping the pictures. "Now ease back onto your heels, kneeling... yep, pull your hands towards your body across the top of your thighs, bring that shirt back with them. You know what I want ... that's it... now stretch baby - a slow stretch, hands going up, back arching.... oooooh yeah... nice stretch - hands up beside your face, graceful, eyes on me... emmmm yep. That's it." Shawn took the camera from the tripod and got down on the floor still snapping as Sylvia moved.

"Turn your back to me Sylvie, stay on your heels... yep... now slowly lift that shirt off... let me see that beautiful back of yours... there you go. Show me some modesty, arms folded across your breasts, arch that back, now turn your head very slowly and look at me over your right shoulder... send that message to the camera... a pussy cat smile and charm. Don't you want me?..." (He burst out laughing - she had the look because she knew he did) "... nice... yum!"

He crawled across the floor towards her and kissed the center of her back. "I can't wait till you start showing, oh the pictures of you I'll be taking then." He murmured kissing up her back as she giggled. Grabbing her shirt up, she put it back on, ignoring his complaints. "Aye aye aye... what'cha doing... aaah... what you do that for?" He asked nibbling at her ear, kissing at her neck.

"Because... none of that this morning." She nipped his fantasy in the bud. "Yooou - notice anything about me? Anything... different?" She asked turning towards him as he sat side ways on the floor next to her, laying his camera down. His left hand caressed her skin, moving her hair from her eyes. "Hmmm? Let me think... something is different hm?" He looked her over. "Let's see, smiling face... a wonderful glow... hey - what time is it?" He asked, on to what was different.

"It's nine-forty-five in the morning... and ... I'm not - SICK! YES!"

"OOOH Baby! Come here... come to papah, sit on my lap..." Sylvia scuttled over to him grinning and straddled his lap, he pulled her close against his body, his hands resting on her rear, warming it as her arms lay over his shoulders, both of them still sitting on the floor before his shoot area. They were beaming as they peered into each others eyes. "...now tell me, how did you discover this... you were laying there..."

"Em hm." She answered.

"... starting to stir."

"Yep..."

"...you discerned a distinct absence - that - pulled you right up out of an otherwise peaceful sleep... absence being me... right?"

Sylvia nodded her head leaning it against his forehead, "Sure dear... how'd you know... that's exactly what woke me." She chuckled kissing his nose.

"Aaah... well of course, and then... and then... nothing... no uncontrollable urge to leap to your feet and run calling Ralph! Ralph - has left the building! Yes!"

"YES! He is out'ah here baby! And you know what I'm gonna do?" She asked laughing at his silly playfulness.

"What... lay it on me baby."

"I'm gone let you... fix me one helluva breakfast! I want... I want... ummmm, strawberries in cream, I want - I want - waf - fles!"

Shawn's body shook with his laughter. "You want waf -fles hm?"

"Yep... and I want four of those little brown link breakfast sausages! Annnnd - I want scrambled... cheese eggs! That's what I want!"

"Well if that's what you want... that's what you gonna get... might I suggest in bed?" He tossed the idea at her.

"Emmmm, no! I'm not a bed person."

"Shucks! Okay..." He pretended rejection. "...good enough then... anything else you want?"

Her head was still laying against his, his hands rubbing up and down her back. "Well... I was thinking..." Her tone became serious.

"Em um... about what?" He asked bracing himself.

"What if... just as a thought for an alternative... you ummm, installed a really good security system for our home, an-n-nd you carried a really big stick... a baseball bat even, maybe ... maybe... you could give that some consideration... over the gun... maybe?" She asked softly, her eyes gazing softly into his. Not sure how he would react to her bringing the gun subject back up again.

"Security and a big bat hm?"

"Yeah... and... maybe... a big dog or two?"

"A big dog or two hm?"

"Yeah... maybe... "

"How about this... you do me this favor... agree to, attend classes on guns. Gather all the statistics, hear the pros and the cons, allow yourself to touch one, hold one, and even shoot it. Maybe even learn to shoot it well... do that for me first... and we will reopen the discussion. I then, will take on board, the security, and the bat... the dogs will have to wait. What do you think?"

Sylvia sighed and moved her head back from his, still looking into his eyes. "You didn't talk to the kids about it yesterday Shawn." She brought to his attention.

"I know I didn't, but I will today... that's a promise."

"Well... lets see what they think about it. Especially Crystal, considering Isaac and Darren will be coming over when we have a gun in the house."

"Okay... will do... but in all fairness, I'm still leaning very strong towards getting one."

"Shawn... now... I need you to really think about this... ummm - would you ever... go for it if you'd - lost your temper - about something?" She asked hesitantly.

"What?! No way! There is no excuse for pulling a gun on anyone who does not have one themselves. I wouldn't even consider it, no matter how angry I may get. Sylvia... it is only for protecting you, our children... Shanna. It's not like I'm going to be packing it."

"But... she says that John Sykes has one... that's what scares me Shawn - this is not the OK Corral, where you two can shoot it out and dodge here and there and not get shot."

"I know, the plan and hope is, that he won't know where she is ... or rather, where she lives. Of course, he will eventually find that out, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. If you're home, and he pulls up on this property, I want you in the house, you lock the doors and call the police without hesitation. And... the more I think about it, I think you
will be
attending those classes... I need to know if you have to grab that gun to defend yourself, you can and will know how to use it."

Sylvia drooped with her head on his shoulder, instead making steps forward on the gun issue.... she'd gone and taken herself four steps back.