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Laughing, she began the “Happy Birthday” song, and the group fell in line right away.
Shit. Chivon’s not going to like this…
It was my birthday, which fell on a Saturday. So the celebration took place at my crib. Admittedly, I was still uneasy taking all this shit in. I had no choice, though. Chelsea was going to find a way to celebrate my birthday, no matter how big or small. My family followed and listened to her, and unfortunately, Ashira would join forces with any celebratory plans my cousin conjured.
This year, I didn’t fight when Chelsea asked if they could do a small party here for me after I told her I didn’t want the formal dress-up shindig she originally proposed. This was our happy medium, and I guessed it was cool. What should have stopped at around twenty people on my mom’s side of the family extended to about fifty to include friends like Sadik and his wife, Bilan, Zebedee, Lex and her girl, Tasche, who came in Ezra’s place, my brother, Nicholas, and one of his little girlfriends, Corinne, Peach, and Shizu. Ashira’s girls were always down to celebrate. They were just as supportive as I assumed they were when we met. They’d even included me on their invitation lists a few times, although Ashira and I had been in an awkward place since she was pregnant with Chivon.
I made sure there were no gifts this year. It wasn’t something my family was into anyway. My friends, yeah, but I didn’t want the pressure for my family, who wasn’t wealthy like my friends and business associates. Which was why Man, Jug, Sadik, and I chilled in Connecticut last night, where they offered up their gifts.Jordan Johnsonhosted us atArch & Point, the official home of adult entertainment for theConnecticut Kings.Ramsey Bishopwas in the building as well as retired professional basketball league’sStenton Rogers. My guys gifted me before we headed out to the venue. Jug ended up leaving early, something we anticipated. The smoke was too much for his lungs. Still, it was a good night, likely what had me weakening at the sight of Ashira’s sensual moves. One of many things about the woman that had me going was her body and the way she expressed herself with it.
Like now. Being silly, Ashira made movements like a cheerleader, rocking a big smile as she swung her arms in the air, silently spelling out “Jas.” It was actually hilarious. So much so, she broke character and barreled over, cracking the hell up with almost everyone in the room.
Silly ass…
“You working that green sweater, Shi-Shi!” Brina, one of Jug’s lady friends, complimented out loud. It was a unique top with holes in the right shoulder she paired with biker shorts landing at her upper thighs. “And with thoseAsè Garbsandals! I love the gold heels.”
“Oh, thanks.” Ashira straightened, glancing down at her clothing. “This is old—well, my first time wearing it. It’s from theAsè Garbspring twenty-one line,” her words flowing slowly as though she wasn’t sure.
“Twenty-two,” I corrected her.
Ashira’s head shot up, and she looked at me. Was she shocked? Her jaw was slack when she explained, “I was pregnant then.”
I nodded and countered her memory. “You couldn’t wear anything from the runway when they sent you those clothes.”
Speechless, she examined my mouth before her eyes returned to mine. Did she think I’d forget? Shit that happened in her life was hard to. I was a nigga from Harlem, one with a long bid on his rap sheet. It wasn’t every day that we encountered people who traveled all over the world, dancing and meeting famous people. Even outside of the celebrity Ashira had created for herself, she had already been financially set by her pops’ business, the one she ran without him for years. The woman was a unicorn to me from day one.
So, hell yeah, I was going to remember whenAsè Garb, on the strength of their relationship with her, allowed Ashira to pick pieces from their spring runway line. When they sent them over, she was going into her third trimester and cried as she unpacked the boxes of shit they sent because she couldn’t fit anything. The blouse was in there. I remembered the holes in the shoulder, wondering why would a top designer make something I found on the bums near the subway. The day she cried, I rubbed her shoulder and told her she’d be able to fit it all one day. When that didn’t work, I ate her pussy to turn her sobs from sadness to bliss. Guilt—and fucking being hopelessly in love—would have you do crazy shit.
Breaking the tension, I turned away from her to thank everyone for coming out to celebrate me.
“I can’t lie: I didn’t know how you’d fair with her.” Sadik tossed his chin over the other side of the family room where Ashira was playingTaboo. She was up, holding Chivon in her arms, trying to describe a word or phrase. I could hear them in there, but was in a conversation with my guys on the opposite side. “When you told me you had a baby on the way, I didn’t trip. Then when I got to know her and saw you two were just going to co-parent, I had my doubts.”
I scoffed. “Why?”
He sat back in his chair. “Because she’s cut from a different cloth. Then right around the same time she got pregnant, her career took off. She’s a mini-superstar,” he chuckled.
I plucked a grape from a charcuterie board on a nearby coffee table. They were all over the main floor for the guests. “She ain’t no damn superstar. She just works with them from time to time.”
“Same shit, according to them kids on social media. And don’t front: you copped my jet to aid in the lifestyle of her popularity. You forget I was there, lil’ nigga?”
I laughed again. Deek was right. When Ashira’s career had begun to ramp up to the point of her being exposed to all types of shit, I reached out to my friends with unicorn lifestyles like Ashira’s. Divine knew I needed protective eyes on her at all times when she traveled. So when I asked him, he recommended the agency I eventually contracted with. Bob was the first and primary guy assigned to her.
Before Ashira had begun traveling, I’d been on the road a lot. Actually, since my parole status dropped, I was on a plane, sometimes every week. I had to make my presence known to my affiliates in Cuba finally. There were networking opportunities to take on forPor el Amor del AmorandChâteau Blevin. There were distributing deals needed to be made as well as general expansion, not to mention developing opportunities for my building firm. I traveled more than ever in my life, which had become a growing expense.
So, it only made sense to cop a jet. They were fucking expensive, though, most out of my budget. Sadik came through with a deal for a reasonable price. Even after that, the maintenance and housing fees for the jet existed. Ashira’s travel made the need even greater, making the jet one of my best investments yet.
“Yeah. Your ass was there. Still here,” I joked, dropping my head back as though annoyed.
Deek chuckled. “You want more kids?”
I thought about that for a minute. “I want a wife.”
He nodded, brows hiked. “They come with a price.”
“Kids do, too.”
“True. Both require sacrifices, but with kids, it’s temporal.”
“I think Chivon gon’ be in my pocket forever unless she can find a lil’ nigga who can afford her.”
