The Bet

Chapter 45

The Bet

Gil rolled his window as he pulled into Janet's driveway. He slowly drove by the lawn removing his sunglasses. He glanced over at the gardener and who just shrugged and started picking up the wet clothes. Gil noticed that some of those belonged to Clarke.

"Daddy's home bitch." He said smirking as he parked and got out of the car. The door was open so he walked right in. Janet was sitting on the counter, Clarke standing between her legs feeding her strawberries. Gil smiled.

"I guess you and Daddy made up huh... that's too bad. I coulda been all the woman you needed Clarke." He said batting his eyelashes at her.

Janet laughed hysterically as she hopped off the counter to greeted Gil with a kiss on the cheek. "Morning babe." She said sweetly between chewing on a strawberry. "Want some?"

"Eww hard pass, I don't know what you lesbos do with strawberries when people are not around."

"Uh we already ate the batch we played with." Clarke said with a smirk.

Gil turned his nose up. "See that's the shit I'm talking about it."

Janet laughed and playfully slapped Clarke's arm. "Why you gotta go telling all of our business?"

"It's no secret that your ass is a freak Dunk." He said and started to wine. "I'm hungry and you bitches skipped right to desert. Well you're treating me to breakfast before we go house hunting J."

Clarke and Janet glanced at each other and smiled.

"What? Is it something on my face or what?" Gil asked.

"You tell him." Clarke said.

"Tell me what?"

Janet smiled. "Clarke is going to be moving in with me."

"Are you serious, that's great girls! Damn, look at y'all making it all official and shit. I love this and I love you two together but if you bitches keep coming to me with y'alls problems I'm gonna have to start charging." He said jokingly.

"Oh speaking of charging. Pay up Gil." Clarke said.

"Pay up for what?"

"I found the letter. The one on the back up the picture frame." Clarke explained. Janet's face lit up and she kissed her.

"Do I or do I not know my baby!" Janet pulled out her phone and hit record.

"Nope bitch I'm not doing it."

"Aww come on Gil don't be a sore loser." Janet said.

Clarke looked on, a little confused but too amused to look away. Gil rolled his eyes, put one hand on his hip and started singing and doing the choreography to "I'm a little tea pot."

Janet laughed as she recorded. Clarke just looked back and forth between them shaking her head. Her mind wandered. She loved Gil and Janet's relationship so much. She loved the respect and support that they have for each other. They are more than just friends, they're family. Clarke felt really lucky to be apart of that. She thought about Emory. She really missed her friend but wanted to talk it over with Janet first.

Janet touched her hand and brought her back to focus. "You okay?" Janet asked.

"Yeah I'm good. So are we gonna hit the road. I'm super excited about house hunting."

"Yeah as long as we feed me first." Gil said. "Come on, we're taking my car today."

They pulled up to Gil's favorite cafe in downtown LA and shortly after they were seated, Gil noticed Wissam. He tapped Janet and nodded in his direction. He stood at the counter. The woman from the car was next to him, holding Eissa. Janet stood up and walked over to them.

Eissa noticed her right away and went into his baby talk, holding his arms out and reaching for her. The woman glanced back at her and tapped Wissam's shoulder.

"Hey baby boy, hi Mama's little prince." Janet said as she took him from the woman's arms.
Janet held out her hand to introduce herself. "Hi I'm-"

"I know who you are. Wissam, I'm going to go have a seat darling. Please make sure I get a bottle water, not tap please." The woman said and walked away but not before glancing back at Janet one more time.

She passed by Gil and Clarke. Gil stuck his foot to trip her and she almost fell but caught her balance.

"Excuse me, so sorry." Gil said. The woman rolled her eyes and walked away. Gil and Clare looked at each other and started to laugh. Janet tried to remain serious but she had noticed too.

"Well she is very friendly." She said trying to cover up laugh growing in her belly. To her surprise Wissam was trying to hold in his laugh as well.

"I'm sorry, she is super intimidated by you but I promise she is a good and decent woman." He touched Eissa's head.

"What are doing here? I thought you were headed back to London when you left my house."

"I was but I had a business meeting to attend and work needed me in LA for another week. So here I am."

Janet smiled and touched Eissa's nose with her own. "So what's her name?"

"Yasmine. She has her own, law office. She is pretty intense." He joked and they both laughed. "How are things with you and Clarke?"

"Things are great." Janet said glancing over at her, receiving a wink from Clarke.

"Does she make you happy?" He asked.

"Very much." She said smiling. "Could Eissa have breakfast with us? I don't want to cut into your time with him."

"Yeah, I'm okay with that. Were are just sitting down so we will be here a while." He kissed Eissa's hand. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Janet smiled and headed towards the table with Eissa. Clarke lit up.

"Look who's here Eissa! Clarke and Uncle Gil!" He smiled as she handed him off to Gil first. He laughed as Gil planted him with playful kisses all over. Every time he saw Clarke he reached for her dreads first.

"Eissa the Prince! How are you lil guy?" He smiled showing off his swollen gums. "He's teething. You're gonna have mouth full of teeth in no time buddy." She said sitting him in her lap as he continued to play with her hair.

They talked and laughed as Gil chowed down on his breakfast.

"I saw you trip that woman." Janet said.

"Bitch had it coming Dunk. I saw the way she looked at you."

"But if she would have fallen Gil..."

"Everybody in the bitch would have laughed." Gil mocked.

"Hey hey, baby ears Uncle Gil." Clarke said covering Eissa's ears.

"Sorry."

Wissam and Yasmine walked up to their table.

"Hey Gil." He said. Gil smiled and waved. "Clarke." He said holding his hand for her to shake. "We are heading out. I have a meeting that was pushed up an hour."

Clarke turned Eissa around and kissed his little hands. "See you soon buddy." He smiled and laughed as she passed him to Gil.

"God you are the cutest kid on the planet! Uncle Gil loves you Buhbuh." He kissed his cheek and passed him to Janet.

"My sweet Prince Eissa. Mommy loves you baby." She hugged him tight and stood to hand him to Wissam but not before kissing his head once more. "I was nice meeting you Yasmine."

Yasmine shot a fake smile towards Janet. Wissam nodded and they walked away.

"Watch out for curbs, don't want you tripping and hurting yourself!" Gil called out as they walked out of the cafe. They all started to laugh.