Page 34 of Night and Day
Warm fuzzies entered her chest. Watching him with those children was… heartwarming. Yet another reason to convince her that while the decision to be with him had been impulsive, she’d acted wisely. She never thought much about having kids, but seeing Anton playing with the boys and girls in the back yard created a fantasy in her head. One where she considered that one day, he’d be playing with their kids the same way.
“No, no, and no.”
Anton tried to push past Tamika out of the bathroom, but she stepped in his path and blocked his exit. They both knew he could lift her out of the way, but he stopped, staring up at the ceiling in mild annoyance.
After night fell at the birthday party, parents returned to pick up their kids, and the ones who’d stuck around fixed plates of food and cake to take with them. Tamika and Anton stayed behind with Erica and Marvin, helping them clean up before they said goodbye.
Considering they’d been at a kid’s party, Tamika had a lot of fun, chatting with the adults, playing cards, and then jumping around the bouncy house with the birthday boy and his friends.
“Try it. One time. That’s all I ask,” she said, holding up the jar of product she’d mixed last night, a moisturizing mask she used on her own face. She’d made extra because she wanted to use the mixture on him. “Your face is a little dry, Anton.”
Moments before, he’d finished up with his shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, when she accosted him with her idea.
“So you butter me up with dinner all week and then you spring this on me.”
“That is not true!”
She liked making him dinner, especially knowing that he didn’t have that before, and he made such a big deal about each meal, she found herself scouring the internet for recipes to try. Besides, she had to eat, too, so cooking for them was one way to ensure they both ate, and ate well. One thing she did appreciate was his adventurous spirit. Calvin used to turn up his nose at the Caribbean dishes she made, but Anton dived in and praised each and every meal she created, as if she were the chef in a fine dining restaurant. His enthusiastic responses made her want to continue feeding him when he came home from work.
“My face is fine. I’m not ashy.”
“You don’t have to be ashy to be dry. My trained eye can see the dryness when we’re up close.”
“I’ll put more lotion on my face.”
He picked up the bottle from the counter and Tamika snatched it from his hand and slammed it down.
“Seriously? You really think it’s appropriate for you to keep using lotion on your face when your girlfriend is a freaking cosmetics expert?”
“It’s lotion for my body. My face is part of my body.”
Tamika glared at him.
Anton sighed.
They’d been arguing for the past two minutes, ever since she suggested that he allow her to put on the mask.
“I’m not walking around with a mask on my face,” he said.
“This is the twenty-first century, darling. It’s okay to take care of your skin. No one will think you’re less of a man because you do.”
He didn’t say a word, and she accepted they were at a stand-off, but she would not lose. She’d hold out until she broke him.
Finally, Anton asked, “What’s in it?”
He was asking questions now. Progress!
She held it up to his face. “All products that are good for your skin. Avocado, yogurt, Vitamin E, and a pinch of turmeric. Before I put it on, we’ll wash your face with a gentle cleanser to get rid of any excess dirt, and then apply the mask.”
“How long do I have to leave this goop on my face?” He removed the jar from her hand and sniffed the contents.
“It’s not goop,” Tamika said, slightly offended. “It’s a moisturizing mask. Fifteen minutes. I’ll set a timer.”
“All right, I’ll try it,” Anton said reluctantly, looking less than enthusiastic.
“Yay!” Tamika bounced on her feet. She handed him the cleanser and watched him wash and dry his face. When he finished, she said, “Sit.”
Anton settled on the lid of the commode while Tamika used a wood craft stick to give the mixture another quick stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.
