The Nanny

Chapter 14

"Beyoncé, calm down," Onika said quietly. "Your mother really will start to suspect something is going on if you don't start acting normally."

"She'll be here in 15 minutes, Onika. My mom is always early, I'm telling you," Beyoncé huffed.

"And the lasagna only has five minutes left! Go get the children and let them help you set the table."
The young brunette scrunched up her nose and turned to leave.

Suddenly Onika felt herself spin around and pressed against the counter by the oven, with Beyoncé's lips pressed against her own. The kiss was by no means gentle and it caused the start of a familiar twinge low in her belly.

As Beyoncé pulled away, she opened her eyes to find Onika's opening slowly while the woman took a deep breath. "That's for good luck," Beyoncé said in a low voice.

Immediately Onika grabbed Beyoncé by the belt loop of her denim shorts and pulled her back, their bodies pressed together once more. The kiss this time was bruising, almost as if it were a promise of things to come if the evening went well. "And that one's because I love kissing you," Onika whispered as she pulled back. Giving Beyoncé a gentle shove backwards, she commanded, "Now go!"
*****
Almost exactly 15 minutes later, the doorbell rang. Beyoncé was once again standing in the kitchen with Onika, helping her finish up the breadsticks. Out of the side of her mouth, Beyoncé muttered, "Told ya so."

The older woman snapped the hand towel in her hands in Beyoncé's direction. "Go answer the door, Beyoncé."

Beyoncé turned toward Onika, putting her hand on her hip in defiance. With a smirk, she replied, "Isn't the host supposed to answer the door?"

Onika raised an eyebrow. "Technically this evening we are both hosts."

"But you invited her," Beyoncé said simply.

"Beyoncé." The finality in Onika's one word settled everything once and for all.

Scrunching her nose up in disdain, Beyoncé dramatically turned on her heel and strolled out of the kitchen, prepared to meet her fate.
*****
Naturally during dinner, Onika sat at the head of the table and Beyoncé sat to her right, with Anyla and Michael Jr. cross the table from her. Onika insisted that Tina sit beside Beyoncé while Solange sat beside Michael Jr.

Throughout dinner, conversation flowed easily. Beyoncé recounted amusing tales of her adventures with the children so far that summer , including their recent visit to the aquarium.

Onika took great pleasure in bragging to Tina about how good Beyoncé was with the children.

It did not escape the eldest woman's attention how Onika's facial expressions and body language changed during these moments. The corner of her mouth would curl up into a small smile whenever she glanced Beyoncé's direction. Her eyes held a different kind of tenderness than the way Tina would have expected from the woman employing her daughter. She also noticed, despite not being able to see Beyoncé's face fully, the way her daughter blushed not only at the compliments, but also when Onika smiled at her.

An uneasy feeling soon began to settle in the pit of Tina's stomach as her motherly and womanly instincts kicked in.

After the children and Beyoncé's sister asked to be dismissed from the table to go find a movie or something on TV to watch, Tina insisted on helping Onika to clear the table.

Instantly Onika refused the offer, claiming that she would have her do no such thing, that growing up, doing such was not customary and it was solely the host's duty to clear the table. Onika urged Beyoncé and her mother to remain at the table to catch up while she tended to putting the dishes into the dishwasher.