Chapter 10 #2
"Listen, Mrs. Carter," I said, turning in the chair slightly so I could face her more directly.
"With all respect. I didn't ask for any of this but since I've been getting to know Kaseem, he's shown me what I want in a man and for me, he's trying. I can't ask for more than that. As a woman who knows my worth and my value, I'm gonna be an asset to my husband, and not a liability. Whatever your fear is when it comes to me, you need to let that go. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize my husband, his family or the family we build. All my intentions are pure and we need to remember, I’m not the one benefiting anything from this arrangement. I agreed because I want to be with Kaseem. It’s really that simple.”
I paused, making sure she was listening.
"Our vows will be before God, not his family," I continued.
"So the only people I care about honoring is my husband and God.
I want to like you, I really do, but the threats and invasive behavior is too much.
You may be the woman of your house, but I'm the woman of mine and just as you aren't the one to mess with, you don't want to make an enemy out of me either.
Respectfully." I said firm, letting her know that I wasn’t some little ass girl that she could keep playing these games with.
We held each other's eyes. The tension in the room was so thick I could feel it. The stylist had stopped working and was pretending to focus on the extensions. Victoria had disappeared to give us space.
Zuri's face shifted. For a second, I thought she was about to come off that chair and come at me. Her jaw clenched. Her eyes narrowed.
Then a small smile spread across her face.
Not a mean smile. A real and genuine one.
She stood up from the chair and reached into her designer bag. She pulled out a small velvet box and opened it, revealing a pearl Chanel hair clip.
"Something old," she said, and there was something different in her voice now. Softer. More real. She went from being a bitch, to giving me gifts and I was going to accept them graciously. I felt that now, we somewhat had a understanding.
Then she pulled out another Chanel box - a larger one and passed it to me to open.
Inside was a beautiful Chanel pearl necklace that caught the light and threw it back in a hundred different directions.
This necklace has been my dream piece for years but I never had an occasion to need a three-thousand dollar pearl necklace.
"Something new," she said, when I laid my eyes on it.
She reached into her bag again and pulled out a tube of YSL lipstick - that signature red that every woman knew about.
"Something borrowed," she said, handing it to me. "But I need that back tomorrow. That's my color."
I almost laughed at that.
Then she leaned back and smiled at me.
"Something blue," she said. "I had personally dropped off some blue lace panties for you to wear tonight. They are in your bedroom on the bed with everything else you’ll need."
Now I did laugh. A real loud laugh that came from somewhere deep in my chest.
Zuri was smiling too. She leaned in close and kissed my cheek softly.
"Today is your day," she said, her voice quiet but carrying so much weight. "I want you to feel as beautiful as you are and when all the fairytale shit dies down, I trust you to do what's right. I never disliked you Tattiana, I just want to know that you can be trusted. I’ll protect my family from any and everybody, so don’t think this was personal. Be honest with my son. Let him know who you are and if everything you said today about you and him is true, then he’ll be understanding.”
She pulled back and looked at me directly.
"I know you and your mom aren't close," she continued, "but I want you to always know that you can come to me for any and everything. And if you ever feel like something is too big for you to handle, we'll handle it together, baby doll."
She leaned in even closer so only I could hear her next words.
"I don't know if you know, but I've always wore the pants around here. These niggas are on the frontline, but I’ve always called the shots. I’m who muthafuckas fear. I’m the real problem solver," she whispered, and then she winked at me.
She stood up, squeezed my shoulder one more time, and walked out of the salon like she'd never been there at all.
I sat in that chair, looking at myself in the mirror with the Chanel clip, the necklace, the lipstick, and the knowledge that Kaseem's mother just gave me her blessing.
My heart melted.
This was the conversation I needed. The one that showed me that Zuri wasn't trying to tear me down. She was testing me. Making sure I was strong enough to stand beside her son.
And I had passed.
Finally her ass could stop with the damn test. Her words lingered on me and I knew I was gonna have to tell Kaseem about my past. Maybe I was wrong for wanting to get married first. In my mind, I believe that my husband wouldn’t give up on me, so once everything was official then I would break the news to him.
—
On the ride home from the salon, I texted Kaseem. Just something simple to let him know I was thinking about him. I was nervous as hell and kinda wanted a lil reassurance.
His response came back before I could even set my phone down.
"Can't wait to see you. I know you bout to pop your shit tonight. Tonight is about you.”
I smiled to myself looking at those words.
With everything he had going on - Zaire getting stabbed in jail, the legal battle, his mother testing me, him running an empire - he was still thinking about me.
Still being nice for now and making sure my day was everything.
That meant something. That meant everything, honestly.
The family stylist who had designed my dress, she was waiting at the house when I got there.
She took one look at me fresh from the salon and nodded in approval.
My hair was in long barrel curls with a deep side part and a side bang that was curled beautifully.
My face was beat to perfection and my makeup was flawless.
Zuri’s red lipstick with that brown liner, it was chefs kiss and brought the whole look together.
I’d gotten my nails and toes a baby pink color.
This was the most beautiful I had ever felt in my life.
Then she led me to the bedroom where the dress was hanging.
It was perfect. It was so beautiful that my mouth fell.
Pearl and cream lace, cut in a way that showed off my curves without being too extra about it. Before I did anything else, I made sure to put those blue panties on that Zuri had bought for me. I wanted to make sure that I had everything tonight. I needed my marriage to have nothing but good luck.
When I slipped into it, it fit like it was made for just me.
Like Kaseem had somehow known exactly what I would want without me having to say anything.
She helped me get into it and made sure I was zipped all the way.
She smooth the dress out, checking for any adjustments needing to be made while she smiled hard admiring her work.
I looked at myself in the mirror and the first thing I felt wasn't joy. It was grief.
My mother should have been here. She should have been helping me into this dress, telling me how beautiful I looked, making jokes about my future. Instead, she'd disowned me years ago and I was standing in front of a mirror with a stylist I barely knew.
"You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," the stylist said, and her voice was kind enough that I believed her. She handed me the bouquet - white roses and baby's breath - and after I looked myself over one more time, we headed downstairs.
The sun was setting when I got in the car. The sky was turning shades of orange and pink, and the whole day felt like it was made just for me.
I had no idea where I was going but I didn't need to.
Wherever Kaseem had set this up, I knew that it would be right.
The entire ride I was nervous but also kind of excited that after today, life would change for me.
The car pulled up to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and I felt my breath catch.
I was helped out the car by the driver, and a host greeted me at the entrance, took my name, and led me to a private area that took my breath away all over again.
White roses and orchids lined everything - the pathways, the archway, everywhere I looked. Candlelit pathways wound through the garden. A string quartet was playing something soft and beautiful. The sunset was reflecting off the water and making everything glow like we were in another world.
And then I saw him.
Kaseem was standing at the altar in a white tuxedo with silver accents. Next to him was Namier in a tailored suit that matched. Across from them were Nyla and River in silver dresses that caught the light. My girls looked beautiful, and my husband looked fine as hell.
Everyone turned to look at me when I started walking down the path.
Kaseem's eyes went wide.
He adjusted his suit, ran his hand down his chest, and when he saw me fully, a smile spread across his face that I'd never seen before. Raw. Real. Like he couldn't believe I was actually walking toward him.
The photographer was capturing everything - the walk, the sunset behind me, the way people were looking at us like they were witnessing something important. The fact that Kaseem had even hired him, that made me smile. He cared about capturing the moment.
When I reached him, he came down the three steps and reached for me. I took his hand and let him guide me up, my bouquet in my other hand, my heart beating so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.
He leaned close so only I could hear.
"Damn, my wife looks good as hell," he whispered, and even though it was crude and simple, it made me smile because it was so completely him.