13. Blair
Blair
I had been in Chicago for two days and all I thought about was Quasim gifting me that building. When Zay took me shopping, all I thought about was shopping with Quasim. Anything I touched when we were together, Quasim went behind my back and bought it for me. Or how he ate my Garrett’s popcorn, and then had the nerve to burp in my face while laughing.
This city was one of my favorite cities in the world because of him, and it was ironic that I wasn’t here with him, or even talking to him. We hadn’t spoken since the concert, and after that was over, Zay had sent security to come bring me to him.
I could see that it bothered Quasim, but I asked him to let me have this, so he was giving it to me. Talk about be careful what you asked for, because I wanted him to crash out behind me. I wanted him to cause a scene, confess his love for me, and then take me to his place and make love to me while spreading his seed inside of me.
Wishful thinking.
Instead, we were reduced to not talking at all and pretending to be strangers, while I could still feel the motion of his fingers playing with me. The front seat of the truck was something that I thought about way too often.
Too damn often.
“Sorry, beautiful… my manager was calling to confirm some shit for overseas,” Zay coming back to the table pulled me from my thoughts.
We were dining at an exclusive restaurant that you couldn’t even get reservations for unless you were someone important. The views of the Chicago river made the food taste that much better. How could I be in my head about Quasim when I had a man that had rolled the red carpet out for me since we landed.
All Zay wanted to do was make me happy and had given me his undivided attention, even turning his phone off one of the days, which ended with his manager nearly having a stroke because he couldn’t get in contact with him.
It was a gesture proving that I was most important to him in this moment, and that made me feel good. I mattered to him, and he wanted to prove that to me. “Duty calls. Everything all good?”
He let out the napkin into his lap and then rubbed his hands together while looking over at me. “They want me and Grace to do the remix to one of her songs.”
“Hmm.”
Zay laughed while looking over at me. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“You jealous, Blair?”
I laughed. “She’s your ex-girlfriend… I mean, shouldn’t I have some concern that you’re going to be remixing a song that I’m pretty sure was written about you and ya’ll situation?”
Zay paused and leaned back to take in what I was saying, which he knew was true. Zay and Grace had a real relationship. They lived together and were engaged, so this wasn’t some media fake relationship. I knew there was still love there, because she often did petty shit whenever he was seen with another woman.
I may have been on one of the tea pages and saw her post pictures of her when she went through her short hair phase, as if to say that I was copying her, and that was why Zay was with me. As much as I hated the reason for my short hair, I had grown to love it, and with it growing, I was debating on keeping it short or getting a little bob when the time came.
“I remember you chilling with me not too long ago and you had a big ass hickie… I ain’t make it a big deal.”
“You didn’t make it a deal at all.” I added, because I knew he saw what Quasim had done to my neck, and he never mentioned anything.
“Not my place to say anything because you’re not my girl. You told me that you were done with your situation when I asked you back in California.”
In my defense, I was done with Quasim when he had asked me if I was dealing with somebody or had a man. He was upfront about his situation with Grace, which was rare when it came to men in the entertainment industry.
“We’re done now.”
He cocked his head to the side like he was skeptical and couldn’t believe what I was saying. “Don’t tell me shit because you want me to feel better, B. I’m not rushing you, but I want to see where this could go, I enjoy kicking it with you.”
I smiled. “Our situation was complicated and there’s a lot of feelings there, but we both decided to end whatever we were doing and move on. I wouldn’t have come if me and him had something going on.”
“Your friends know?”
“Know what?”
“That you done with him… his brother seemed real sure that you and homie was together.”
I laughed. “You have to know Meer to know his sense of humor.”
“Being real, I’m not trying to get to know him… his loyalty is to his brother, and I respect that. I’m trying to get the girl, so making friends with him isn’t on my list of things to do.”
Zay was so real with his intentions and where he stood that it was foreign. He was telling me in so many words that he wanted me to be his, and I was scared. The same thing I had been begging Quasim to give me, he was trying to give to me.
“Meer is one of my best friends, so he comes with what I come with. He’s also married to my best friend… my sister. So, they are a package deal. How about we go out to dinner when I’m back from Bali.”
Zay didn’t look impressed as he cut into his steak and looked at me. “I don’t know, B.”
“You said you want the girl, well, I’m in front of you trying to share a piece of my world with you.”
He rested his fork and knife and looked at me. “Alright… I’m with it.”
I clapped my hands quietly. “Good. Now, can we enjoy our last night together before you jet off to be a superstar.”
He did a half smile as he looked into my eyes. “Would much rather be here with you. B, I’m serious about seeing where this could go. I’m not checking for no other women out there. I want to know we on the same page. I have the successful career, and now I’m working on getting my personal life successful, and that means I want a wife with some children. Seeing my sister have my nephew got a nigga wanting seeds like yesterday.”
I smiled at him as I reached across the table and grabbed his hand and toyed with his diamond pinky ring. “We’re on the same page. Those are the things that I want, too.”
“Ight.”
My head was throbbing from all the cameras and lights when we left the restaurant. This was what came with being with a man like Zay. He always made sure to check in with me and make sure that I was good.
I pulled my shirt over my head and did my skincare routine while humming along to you by Jesse Powell. It was in my head hard, and I couldn’t get it out, no matter how many other songs I listened to.
Once I was finished with my skincare, I walked back into the room and Zay was on the bed flipping through the channels. “The news don’t report on other shit anymore. I’m not trying to see myself, I wanna know what the fuck is happening in the world.” He vented and tossed the remote down at the bottom of the bed.
“Zay is in their city and they wanna make sure everyone knows,” I teased, pinching his cheek, and he grabbed my wrist, kissing the inside of it while staring up into my eyes.
“Blair in the city and that’s all I’m concerned with.” He gently pulled me over toward him, directing me to straddle him, which I did.
I wasn’t ready to have sex with Zay, which pissed me off because I had this handsome man in a suite, and I didn’t want to bust it open or nothing. I stared down into his kind eyes and smiled at him.
“Oh really?”
“Yes, really. Gonna miss you, yo… past few days felt nice having someone with me.” Zay had his entourage that was with him while on tour, but he didn’t have anyone else.
He was the breadwinner for his family. This life seemed glamorous on the outside, but he did what he had to do for his family, there was no other option. Kind of like Quasim, he did what had to be done and unlike his brother, he wasn’t given a choice. It was the reason he was so resilient, strong, and serious.
My silent king.
Fuck.
This wasn’t about Quasim, and I needed to stop thinking about him. “I had a good time, and I’m gonna miss you, too.”
“By the time you’re back from your trip, I’ll be in Europe… you feel like flying back out to chill with me?”
“Dang, I didn’t even leave you yet and you already planning on when to see me again,” I giggled, and he slapped my ass, causing me to squeal.
He stared up into my eyes. “You gonna come?”
“You do know I have an actual business to run, right? I don’t wanna give you an answer right away… let’s touch base when I’m back home.”
“Touch base,” he chuckled.
“What?”
“You talking like this business, B.” He leaned up and rested his back against the headboard, while pulling me up on him.
“I’m saying… I don’t know what my schedule looks like when I’m back home. Don’t wanna break a promise to you.”
I had plans on taking the summer off because I had hired help with the studio. Even with me taking off, I had a few classes that I had to run because women wanted me specifically. It was surreal knowing how much my business had taken off, and how much women wanted me to be part of their pregnancy and delivery.
“I’ll give you that… one condition.”
“What’s that?”
He held me around the waist and looked at me. “Give me a kiss.”
I smiled. “I can do that.”
I held his face as I softly kissed his lips, while images flashed in my head of Quasim shoving his tongue down my throat in Monaco. Pulling back, I looked at Zay, and he seemed satisfied. If he wasn’t, then he did a damn good job at pretending.
“You not ready and I respect that, B.”
“I’m sorry. It has been so long since I’ve had sex, that I get in my head… I don’t want to rush into things."
He rubbed the side of my face. “You don’t need to explain to me… I’ve rushed into sex in other relationships and that shit ended bad. We can take our time.”
“You’re too good, Zay.”
He smiled at me as I climbed from off him and got comfortable in the bed beside him. “Night.”
“Night, B.”
I checked to make sure my alarm was correct and sent Capri a message before closing my eyes to rest before heading to the private airport tomorrow.
The Bentley pulled through the gates of the private airport. Capri had texted that they had landed, and she sent that almost an hour ago. The traffic to get over this way was a headache and had me showing up later than I wanted.
Then I had to go inside the small office of the airport and verify who I was and show them my passports and documents, which took another twenty minutes.
Zay held my hand as we drove across the runway heading toward the jet that was awaiting. I was sad to be leaving him, but excited to be going out the country with my family. We had been talking about this trip in the group chat for months, and now it was finally happening. While we were there, we were going to celebrate Capri’s birthday, too.
The driver pulled in front of the jet, and Zay got out before him and came around to open the door for me while the driver grabbed my luggage to have it loaded onto the jet. Jeffie popped her head off the jet, and I squealed.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming!”
“Skyler told me that I should come and have a vacation. Plus, Menace is in Aspen.”
I screwed my face up. “In the summer?”
Jeffie sighed. “Now you know he ain’t like everybody else.”
She went back onto the jet, and I turned my attention back to Zay, who looked so sad to see me go. “This is me.”
“This is you… call me when you make it there, B.” He continued to hold me around the waist, as I looked up into his eyes.
Zay was such a good man, and it hurt that I didn’t feel the way that I wanted to feel about him. My heart was caught up in Quasim Inferno, and as much as I was trying to detangle pieces of that man and move on because he wasn’t ready, I couldn’t help but feel like everything reminded me of him.
“I got you…you’re going to kill it, Zay… I’m a phone call away.” I reminded him as I hugged him, and he squeezed my ass.
He kissed me on the lips while squeezing me. We stood there for a few minutes before he finally released me, and I looked back at him as I climbed up the steps. “Have fun, B.”
“I will.” I smiled before ducking into the jet, and seeing everyone trying to play it casual, meanwhile Quasim stared right into my soul.
He was the only one not pretending like they were doing something else besides watching us out the window. Not to mention, he was sitting on the side where he had the perfect view of me and Zay.
“Capella, the damn magazine is upside down,” I called him out, and he looked over at me with that same damn grin his father wore.
“Just challenging myself, Blair. You don’t want to see a black man advance in life? Damn.” He switched the pages still holding the damn magazine upside down.
“Mr. Delgato and Mr. Inferno,” The pilot interrupted the bullshit that was coming out of Capella’s mouth. As quickly as he was heard, every man on the jet had their heads turned in his direction.
The pilot let out a chuckle. “I forget we have more than one Delgato and Inferno… we’re going to get ready for takeoff soon. I wanted to let you know that this jet can handle the distance all the way to Bali, however, we will make a stop just to refuel and allow everyone off to stretch.”
“Cool with me.” Cappadonna replied while messing with his beard. “If when we stop to refuel, you need to take a rest, let me know because I can take over…I’m a pilot myself, feel me?”
“Leroy, please!” We all screamed because this man always swore, he knew how to do something.
I’m not going to lie and say that my money wasn’t on Capp to fly this bitch if he needed to. This man lived to protect his family, and if push came to shove, I knew his ass would figure it out to protect all of us with Capone by his side.
“Sound like a bunch of hating from my damn family… that’s what it sounds like.” He looked at all of us, as I took a seat across from Quasim, coincidentally the only seat available with a table.
“What up, Anjo?”
“Hey.”
His rosary was wrapped around his hand, as he sat in the chair and looked out the window. Zay was on the phone as he got back into the car and pulled away. I sighed and leaned back in the chair, pulling my laptop out.
“You all good?” Capri leaned in and looked me over.
I smiled. “Yes. I’m ready to explore and have a good time… you?”
She sulked. “I’m a little sad. Cried the whole way here because I’m going to miss Rayce and Ryder.”
Meer kissed her temple while rubbing her shoulders. “Your mom, Gams, and Jo are gonna make sure she is alright. If you want to go home, tell me, and we out this bitch.”
Capri kissed her husband and smiled. “Thank you, Meer.”
Quasim’s phone rang, and he answered, staring into the screen. “What up, Eli?”
“Did you make it there yet?”
“Not yet… are you alright?”
Quasim smiled as Elijah spoke. “Yes, Mr. Des is going to teach me how to grill tonight and we’re gonna watch John Wick part two.”
He chuckled. “Every good man knows how to fire up a grill.”
“I want to be a good man.”
“Aye, why you looking down… what I told you about that?”
You could hear him brighten up. “Gods don’t look down, they look upon.” He recited.
“My man… you sure you okay? I can come back if you want me to, Eli.”
He hesitated for a bit before he answered. “Are you going to come back for me?”
“Come on, man… you already know I told you that I’m always coming for you… you believe me, right?”
“Yes, I do. Then you can go, as long as you come back, Sim.”
“Got you, man… just because I’m not there don’t mean you can skip out on your prayers… alright?”
“Alright.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Later, Eli.”
He finished his call and put his phone on the table. Almost instantly, I saw the name Berkeley send a text message to his phone, and he was unbothered by it. For someone who swore she was an old friend, the bitch was sure around a lot.
I saw them hugging and talking at the concert, and while I shouldn’t have cared because I had one of the biggest rappers professing that he had feelings for me, I did care, and it bothered me. Mostly because he couldn’t give me what I wanted, but he could have random encounters with this old friend .
“So, I took the liberty to print out the itinerary for the trip because Core told me that you guys didn’t have one. I laminated one in case we lose the paper versions, too.” Jeffie stood up in her seat.
“Yeah, you can tell you Menace’s assistant because what the fuck?” Capone chuckled and tossed some chips into his mouth.
Aimee held her hand up, and Jeffie smiled at her. “What’s up, Aimee?”
“How is this supposed to be a vacation when you’re working?”
“Exact question I have, too, Grasshopper. I told you we don’t need none of that, Sexy.” He pulled her back down and kissed her on the neck while she blushed.
As thrilled as he seemed to be with Jeffie, there was a sadness to both of their eyes, too. Without Skyler here, it felt like they were missing a piece to their puzzle. “I wish Skyler was here,” Jeffie admitted what I was thinking. Even with Skyler not being here, the sadness in both of their eyes seemed like something else.
Core pulled her onto his lap and kissed her neck while hugging her. “We gotta give her what she’s asking for, Sexy… when she’s ready, she’ll let us know. Until then, we rocking, right?”
She smiled and kissed his nose. “Always.”
It felt weird seeing Core with only one of his other halves. At first, we were all a little confused about him being poly, now, it was weird seeing him with one woman. Core had enough of that energy to have and keep two women happy, and it was clear by how sad Jeffie was that Skyler wasn’t here.
Quameer cleared his throat. “Now that the rapper’s girlfriend has entered the jet, we can take off and get the fuck on with our business.”
“He is not my boyfriend,” I started laughing.
“Way that nigga was grabbing yo ass and kissing on you, I can’t tell,” Meer snickered, and I saw Sim’s jaw tick, as he looked down at his rosary, before his eyes met with mine.
“How would you know, when you on the other side of the jet, Pissy?”
Capri pulled her husband back because he tried to lunge at me while we all laughed. “You lucky, Stabby… real lucky,” He smirked, as we all broke out into laughter because it was never a dull moment with all of us.
Before we took off, Quasim bowed his head and prayed while Cappadonna and Alaia did the same on the other end of the jet, with Aimee and Capella joining them. I kicked my sneakers off and got comfortable on my side of the table, while pulling my laptop out and staring across at Quasim.
“Something on my face, Anjo,” He looked up from whatever he was writing down in that leather book he always kept with him.
I looked back down at my laptop. “No. I do miss you.”
I hated how much he made me feel, and how I couldn’t lie whenever I was around him. “I’m always missing you.”
“Then act like it, Simmy.” I whispered.
He looked up from his book into my eyes, and didn’t say anything. I put my headphones in, and listened to ‘you’ by Jesse Powell, since I couldn’t get the song out of my head.