'Honey' 'Sweetheart' & 'Sugar'

"Same, add jalapenos, Swiss cheese," Jenna smiled.

"What? I get it at home and now I got to put up with it here too?" Dan complained.

"Oh, boo hoo, you got two women that love you and want to keep you around," Valencia said and kissed him quickly. "Oh don't we all just feel so sorry for poor pitiful Daniel Joseph Bancroft?"

"Oh I do love you so much, Sugar!" Jenna laughed out loud.

"Well, I'm not too sure how I feel about either one of you right now," Dan grumbled.

Valencia dressed his veggie burger like she would dress a Tropical Chuck. Dan still wasn't happy but had to agree, it wasn't horrible.

"So, you need to go home or..." Jenna asked as they were preparing to leave.

"Need to talk with you about that," Valencia said.

"Oh oh, that doesn't sound good," Jenna said worriedly.

Valencia finished her clean up duties as quickly as possible, waved to April and nodded her thanks to Udell as he let her out of the restaurant.

She got into the passenger seat, between Jenna's splayed legs and quickly pulled sneakers and jeans off, then unsnapped her blouse all the way.

"Now, home or..." Jenna asked, looping the seat belt around Valencia.

"I want to live with y'all," Valencia said and wiggled her buttocks against Jenna's pubic hair. "I mean, I haven't even been home in the last what? Three, four weeks?"

"We need to talk with your mother about that?" Dan asked.

"Tomorrow," Valencia decided and returned Jenna's happy kisses.

"Oh, ad uh, next Friday's my last day at Chuck, okay?" Valencia asked and grunted as Jenna gave her a bear hug from behind

Mattie Waggamon shrugged her shoulders, somewhat in relief. Her biggest fear was that her daughters would follow in her footsteps, having five different children by four or five different fathers. As it was, Kenya had several boys sniffing around her door. If this well dressed white couple was willing to give Valencia a nice place to live, and she wouldn't have to worry about some unemployed boy with no ambitions getting Valencia knocked up, that was fine by her.

"Child, you almost nineteen; you can do what you want," she said. "I uh, kind of hope you keep going to church and uh, stop by every now and then so we don't forget what you look like, huh?"

Back at the apartment, Valencia looked around for anything that was hers that she might want. Yanking open a drawer, she paled when she saw her birth control pill dispenser and realized, she'd not taken them since the first night that she'd met the Bancrofts.

"Little late worry about that now," she said and flushed them down the toilet.

"Okay, thank you," Jenna yelled at the speaker in her car as Valencia carried a small satchel; it held everything of value.

"Your skirt came in at Cal's and get this; they also have some that match them boots we got," Jenna said happily and again kissed Valencia. "Oh, God! I am just so happy you're going to be with us!"

Not only did Cal's have shiny red leather skirts, they also had the matching jackets and, over Valencia's objections, Jenna bought them each the skirts and the jackets.

In his office, Dan was thoroughly enjoying a forbidden prime rib lunch when Brandon, his assistant gave him a warning buzz; his wife was there.

Dan didn't have any time to get rid of the evidence when two beautiful women strode in, both clad in shiny red leather from neck to toe.

"Hi Sweet... Is that...?" Jenna asked, beautiful face quickly twisting in rage.

"Sweetheart!" Valencia gasped, seeing the offending meal.

"What? God damn it, I'm a grown man!" Dan lashed out. "I got a right..."

"And I got a right too!" Jenna screamed, enraged. "I got a right too! I got a right to hold my husband every night, not his cold pillow! I got a right to kiss my husband, not just some fucking picture of him! I got a right to have him make love to me, not just some long ago memory!"

"And what about me, Sweetheart?" Valencia tearfully asked. "Do I got any rights?"

Suddenly, the succulent meat and the rich au jus lost all flavor and Dan hung his head.

"I'm sorry Honey, Sugar," he said. "Yes, yes you do have rights.

"I'm not trying to hurt you," Jenna tearfully said. "Sweetheart, I'm trying to love you."

"And I'm trying to love you too," Valencia said.

"I know," he sighed.

They did attract attention, two women in bright red leather outfits, strolling through the store. Jenna strode with confidence, seemingly oblivious to the stares they were garnering. Next to her, Valencia tried to mimic Jenna.

"Hey Girl!" Valencia heard her sister Kenya call out.

"Hey, what you doing here?" Valencia asked and frowned at Kenya's companion, the arrogant, belligerent man that had accosted her at the grocery store.

The man was tried to act slack-jawed, looking away, posing and preening.

"Kenya, what you doing with him; you know he's just out on parole?" Valencia whispered urgently.

"Aw girl, it ain't nothing but a thing! That was all some misunderstanding and they all up in his shit 'cause he black," Kenya defended.

"No, they all up in his shit 'cause he ignorant," Valencia said back. "Momma know you with him?"

Kenya didn't answer, just grabbed the man's hand and stomped away.

"Have Security keep an eye on them," Valencia sadly told a sales girl.

The girl nodded and sent out a discrete 'Oscar, please call extension one four one please. Oscar, one four one please.'

A moment later, an attractive woman strolled over. She looked like a typical middle aged shopper, even carrying to Babbage's bags with her.

"African-American male, mid to late twenties, white tee shirt, blue jeans won't stay up, female, tan complexion, either Latin or African-American, late teens, cheetah print blouse, distressed black blue jeans?" she asked before Valencia or the sales girl could speak. "We're on them; they already paid a little visit to Electronics and Fragrances."

"Want me to call Sweetheart?" Jenna asked Valencia.

"No, Honey," Valencia said sadly. "I tried to tell her."

"Ma'am?" the security officer asked. "You know them?"

"Her," Valencia admitted. "She's my sister."

"Want me just put the fear of God in her?" the woman asked.

Valencia knew that Momma didn't have a lot of money, that any legal fees would really hurt the family.

"Please?" she asked.

"Got it," the woman smiled. "By the way, love your outfit."

"See?" Jenna laughed.

"Shut up, Honey, of course she'd say that," Valencia smirked at Jenna. "She knows you're the boss's wife."

"And they're on the move," the woman said and moved so quickly, Valencia could hardly keep track of her.

David Gillespie groaned as he tried to push the doors of the store open and they did not budge.

"What? What's wrong?" Kenya fearfully said, the bottle of perfume in her purse suddenly feeling very heavy, very conspicuous.

David tried to slip the IPad out of his jeans but his hands were grabbed by a burly man.

Valencia felt her tears pool up as she could hear her sister's wails over David's angry shouts.

Jenna grabbed Valencia and pulled her back to the recessed elevator.

Dan looked up as Jenna pulled the sobbing Valencia into his office.

"Sugar's sister was just caught shoplifting downstairs," Jenna explained as she and Valencia sat on the couch.

Mattie Waggamon parked her car in the parking lot of the exclusive department store. She was well aware that the forty year old car looked horribly out of place next to the brand new Mercedes-Benz on her left and the BMW to the right.

"Well, they don't have no 'Colored only' parking no more," she said grimly as she got out of the car.

"Hi, um, Security called me? Y'all got my daughter," Mattie told a girl at the Fragrances counter. "I'm Mattie Waggamon?"

"Oscar, please call extension one three seven," the girl said into the telephone. "Oscar, one three seven please."

"Hi, Ms. Waggamon; thank you for coming so quickly," the female security officer smiled, extending her hand.

"Ain't like I had me no choice," Mattie thought but shook the woman's hand.

In an office on the third floor, Kenya, initial fear having diminished somewhat, was brazenly smart-mouthing the male security guard.

"What? Y'all got plenty of money, huh? It ain't like..." Kenya sneered at the white man.

Mattie Waggamon stomped over and slapped the impertinent girl. She was slight of build, like her oldest daughter, but Mattie's rage gave the slap enough strength to knock Kenya out of the hard wooden chair.

"Oh? And they gots lots of money? That give you the right take whatever you want?" she screamed at the girl.

Kenya sprawled on the floor, afraid to move. She was still seeing stars from her mother's slap.

"Huh? They got plenty of money it all right?" Mattie snarled, hoisting her daughter up by a handful of kinky black hair.

Mattie's face burned from both rage and embarrassment. She knew she was talking 'ghetto' and hated it. Whenever she was angry or stressed, she reverted back to the language of her childhood. She once had a lover tell her, when she was in the throes of orgasm, her 'ghetto' came out. It was nearly a month before Mattie would allow herself to let go and orgasm.

"I done taught you better than that!" Mattie growled, face millimeters away from her frightened girl. "Food on the table, clothes on your back, brung you to church every Sunday and you do me like this?"

"Momma I," Kenya said.

"Hush your mouth," Mattie snarled. "Hear me? You just hush your mouth."

"What we got to do?" she asked the large man.

"You're um, your daughter's already taken care of it," he said.

"What?" Mattie whirled to face Kenya. "You got you money and you still done went on and..."

"Uh no, no ma'am, the man said, blushing slightly. "The other girl; one pretty like you."

"Valencia? Where she at?" Mattie asked, wishing she could somehow get control of her speech.

"She's uh, she's in Mr. Bancroft's office," the man said.

"So we can go?" Mattie asked, reaching out a hand to grab Kenya by her hair.

"Uh, yes ma'am," the man agreed. "She uh, kind of opened the box so the uh, the perfume can't be sold."

He handed Mattie a 3 X5 card.

"So, uh, here's the hours she's to come and clean our parking lot," he said. "We would pay her ten bucks an hour so it's going to take her nineteen hours pay us back."

His blush grew more pronounced.

"And uh, my phone numbers at the bottom. You uh, you need or want to, uh give me a call, okay?" he said and cleared his throat.

"And who I ask for?" Mattie asked.

"Brian, ma'am. I'm Brian O'Neil," he said and offered a meaty paw to her.

"Mattie Waggamon," Maggie smiled tightly. "Would say it's a pleasure, but..."

"Yes ma'am," Brian smiled tightly.

(QQ)(Q) (Q)(Q)

Kenya Waggamon resented Brian O'Neil, resented the modest three bedroom home they now lived in, resented the nicer school she now attended.

The first shameful afternoon that Kenya had to slip on the orange security vest and latex gloves, and walk around the parking lot, picking up cigarette butts, soda cans, scrap paper, Brian and Mattie stood under the store's awning and watched her.

"I uh, you uh, you wouldn't want to go, hey, you like Mexican food? I love Manny's, ever go there?" Brian finally asked as Kenya sullenly picked up a receipt that a customer had dropped.

"Manny's? I uh, I haven't been there in forever," Mattie agreed.

"So uh," Brian asked and chuckled at Kenya's face when she had to pick up a diaper that a customer had dropped on the ground.

"I'm free Thursday night," Mattie said. "And thanks to Miss I Got to Smell Like I'm All Rich there, you got my address."

Brian picked Mattie up, politely shook hands with Trenton and Austin, nodded to a glaring Kenya and smiled at Aurora.

After dinner, they went to the Miniature Golf Park and Brian, who had a membership at Flowers Country Club and golfed every chance he got, let Mattie win.

"Uh, sorry, I guess I didn't plan this very well," Brian admitted. "I mean, I uh, I really don't want to take you home just yet, yeah, I know it's a work night, but..."

"Yeah, it is a work night and I know Austin and Aurora; I'm not there, their homework's not done, they haven't bathed, and they're not in bed," Mattie said, and put a hand on Brian's hand. "I got a Children's Library Learning Fair this Saturday, but that ought to be over by four. You busy Saturday night?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping pick this really pretty woman, up and..." Brian agreed.

"There's that Thai place out in Kimble, Hanging Gardens or something like that I'm wanting to try," Mattie said.

They made out like teenagers in the front seat of his car and Mattie made Brian ejaculate in his jeans.

After a very nice dinner at Hanging Gardens, Mattie suggested he show her his goldfish pond.

It was morning before Mattie finally saw Brian's goldfish pond. And Brian drove the five Waggamons to church.

Valencia smirked as the six trooped in and slid in their usual seats, eighth bench from the front, at 9:07.

After church, Valencia took Aurora with her to her Daddy's house, Brian dropped Kenya, Trenton, and Austin off at the apartment, and took Mattie back to his house for more sweaty, nasty sex.

A month later, The Waggamons moved out of the apartment that had been their home for years and Aurora immediately assumed the responsibility of caring for the goldfish pond.

Since Brian's house was four blocks away from the Leland house, Aurora now went to the same school as D.J. Leland.

"Hey, Roar," he shrugged when she sat down in the desk next to him.

"Hey, Deej," she shrugged.

"I uh, so you going here now?" D.J. asked.

"No, I just started coming here for no reason," she said sarcastically.

"Davie's got a girlfriend!" one of his classmates sang out.

"God damned right I do and you're just jealous, ass hole," D.J. yelled, earing himself a detention and Aurora's undying love.

Brian earned Aurora's love too. She came home from school and found one of the goldfish floating on its side. She was sure she'd done something wrong and at first wanted to hide it from Brian, but finally tearfully confessed the death. She didn't know what happened, how she did it, but one of his pets was dead.

"Aurora, it's just part of life," Brian assured the fearful girl. "It's nothing you did. It's just part of life. They live, they swim, and they die."

His first impulse had been to simply flush it, or toss it into the trash, but together, Brian and Aurora found a nice quiet corner of the back yard and buried 'Finnegan Fish.'

"I love you, Mr. Brian," the girl said, hugging him.

"This isn't working," Brian told Mattie when she got home from work. "This us just living together."

"What?" Mattie cried out. "Ain't no way I can get me my old apartment back!"

"No, Aurora was all sure I was going kick y'all out just because one of the fish died," Brian said and kissed her. "We need get married so she knows she's going be here forever. No little girl should ever live in fear like that."

"Or big girls," Mattie agreed.

Trenton was no longer living at the house. He left on very good terms; Brian assured the twenty one year old man he would always have a home there. Austin, thrilled to finally have his own room, assured Trenton he did not have a home there.

Trenton had finished an early shift and walked around the corner of the barbeque restaurant, just in time to see a young man slap an Asian girl. The young man's car would not start, the girl had innocently asked him if he had gas in it, and he angrily slapped her.

"Want try slapping me, punk ass bitch?" Trenton asked, grabbing the young man's hand, preventing him from slapping the petite girl a second time. "Huh? Don't take no man hit on girls; want try me?"

Soo Kin thanked the large African-American man and accepted his offer of a ride in the Chevy Nova. If Soo Kin knew she should be laughing at the old car, or embarrassed to be seen in it, she did not show it.

"That boy, he going be coming around after you?" Trenton asked.

"Yes," she lied, smiling at her knight in shining armor. "I am very afraid. You come to my apartment?"

He called his mother, told her what was going on, and drove to Soo Kin's small one room apartment.

"You want something to drink?" she asked.

Trenton politely turned down her offer of food or drink. He checked out the window a few times, then tried to excuse himself.

"What?" the girl huffed. "Am I ugly? Do you have something against Korean girls?"

"What? No, no, you kidding?" Trenton said, surprised. "I mean, you're really way too pretty. Why I'm all nervous being in here with you, know what I'm saying?"

"Then why you want to leave? You got a girlfriend?" she asked.

"Huh? Uh no, no, she and I broke up a few weeks ago; she wanted me give her a thousand bucks go on Spring Break and I'm all like Know how long I got to work get a thousand bucks?" Trenton said.

Soo Kin grabbed Trenton's hand, pulled him onto the couch, and gave him a soft kiss.

"Spring Break's for people who haven't grown up yet," she declared.

The next night, the young man approached So Kin as she worked the counter at Jitters, a coffee shop close to the University of Louisiana at DeGarde campus. He tried to apologize without really apologizing, blaming his striking her on stress and his mid-term exams.

"Oh, that is all right," she smiled sweetly.

"Yeah?" he asked, scarcely believing how easy it had been.

"Yes, if you had not hit me, I would not have known what a loser you are," she said easily.

"You hit her?" Christy, a blonde classmate said and snapped his picture with her cell phone.

Nanoseconds later, his picture was being forwarded to females all over the U.L.D. campus.

A week after Trenton rescued her, Soo Kin begged Trenton to move in with her.

"You're a fine young man," Brian said. "It doesn't work out, you're always welcome back here, all right?"

"No you ain't Dog," Austin said. "It don't fly, you keep walking by."

Valencia happily agreed to be her mother's Maid of Honor and Dan, as Brian's boss, and totally and completely enamored with Mattie's daughter, agreed to give Mattie up to five thousand dollars to spend on a bridal gown from Babbage's Department Store. But Mattie found a simple light pink dress for just seven hundred dollars.

Kenya was surly, sullen as she walked into the department store. But as one of the bridesmaids, she had no choice.

"Straighten up, put a smile on that face, or so help me God, I will slap the black right off you, do you understand?" Mattie hissed, glaring into her daughter's eyes.

Upstairs, Dan looked up from his computer screen and smiled as Brian O'Neil, the head of his security department stuck his head into the office.

"Hey, I uh, um, you know the wedding's this Saturday, right?" Brian asked.

"Well, yeah, let's see," Dan typed rapidly and pointed to his screen. "See? Got you marked on P.T.O. for the next two weeks. And you're going to love that cruise. Honey and I went on it last year. It's great."

"Great, great, but uh, you uh, you be my best man?" Brian blurted out.

"Wow, um, wow, you sure?" Dan asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Brian agreed.

"Brian, I would be honored and..." Dan typed rapidly. "...I just switched you to 'off' on Friday night; we're going to the Dead End for your Bachelor party."

"Oops. Did I say the Dead End? I meant um, Bowl-O-Rama," Dan said as Valencia walked into the office.

"Uh huh, Sweetheart and I'm the Queen of England," Valencia smirked. "Don't you be corrupting my new Step-Daddy, hear?"

"You're Highness! "Both Brian and Dan said, then high-fived each other as Valencia laughed out loud.

Jenna and Valencia didn't like it, but both finally agreed that Dan could have a 'Lost Weekend' of eating whatever his clogged heart desired.