Dominique laughed in spite of her bad mood. That’s why she kept Reggie around and put up with his antics. Not only was he a top-notch administrative assistant, but he was always good for putting a smile on her face—a job she’d be the first to admit wasn’t always easy.

“Okay, here’s what happened,” she began, before giving Reggie the skinny on how Jake refused to divulge what had been discussed in the conversation between him and her son. “Am I being too sensitive, Reggie? Or, as his mother, don’t you think I have a right to know what my son talked to him about?”

Reggie took a sip from his ever-present latte. “Well, Miss Dom, there’s two ways to look at this scenario. On one hand, your boy is showing character by not wanting to break a confidence. But on the other hand...” Reggie arched his eyebrow and placed a manicured set of fingers in the air.

“On the other hand, what?”

“Let me ask you this. How often does Justin see his father?”

Dominique’s eyes narrowed as she leaned back and matched Reggie’s question with one of her own. “Why would you ask that?”

“Don’t take it personally,” Reggie said, his hands raised against her ire. “I know you’re a great mom but...”

“But what?”

“But I know what it’s like to grow up without a dad. Even with all the love I got from Mama, Grandma, and all my aunties, I sometimes wished there’d been a man around.”

Dominique crossed her arms and sighed. “Justin wishes that, too.”

Seeing how upsetting his comment had been, Reggie continued, “But then again, all kids are different—”

“Not Justin,” Dominique interrupted. “He’s like you in that respect. He wishes Jake was his father.”

“He told you that?”

“He told Jake who, by the way, didn’t bother sharing this not-so-little tidbit of information with me.”

“Then how did you find out?”

“The other night when Justin became upset with me. He mumbled it under his breath.”

“Oh, Miss Dom, a kid will say anything when he’s angry.”

“He meant it.”

“Well... maybe the child will get what he’s wishing for; I know for a fact that you’re really feeling this dude.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Girl, please. It’s written all over your face. I can tell whenever you’ve been with him because you come in here beaming like Venus on a clear night.”