Chapter 11 Ghana
I stepped out of Autumn’s office and went to the bathroom in the hallway. I relieved my bladder, regrettably washed my hands, and popped a mint into my mouth.
I looked at my reflection for a moment, feeling as if I were a new person. I wasn’t lying when I said Autumn’s energy revived something inside of me that felt dead since Ashanti walked out on us.
It wasn’t a matter of whether Ros would be mine; it was a matter of when. The taste of her drove me insane, and tonight, she was going to see just how insane she made me.
I walked out of the restroom and headed toward my sister’s office. I could see her door slightly ajar, and she was on the phone with someone. I poked my head inside, and she smiled, waving me inside.
“No doves. I don’t want to worry if birds are going to be pooping everywhere, Hailey. This day is special, and I’m not going to be walking on bird shit.”
I shook my head and sat in the chair in front of her desk.
“Swans? I can do swans. Okay, I have to go . . . I’ll call you later. Byyeee.” She hung up and smiled, then stood and came around her desk to hug me. I stood to meet her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her head.
“What’s up, Sis?”
“Hey, Ghana. How are you?”
“I’m good.”
“That's good!” she exclaimed as we sat down. “Are you just leaving Autumn’s?”
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from fucking blushing like a broad.
“Ghana?”
I looked over at my sister, and she was staring at me, eyes roaming my face like she was trying to figure something out with a faint smile on her face.
“What?” I asked.
“You’re . . . different.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“Could be. I haven’t seen this light in your eyes in a long time. Not since Nana Zuri was alive.”
“Yeah, . . . I guess some people can do that for you. I don’t want to beat around the bush, because I gotta get going. Got some shit I need to set up for tonight, but I just came to let you know that this light you’re seeing is because of you introducing me to someone who put it there.”
“What do you mean? I’m confused.”
“You recommended your friend to me, and now I’m about to make her mine.”
Her mouth dropped slightly. “Oh, Lord. Nilijua hili litatokea,” (I knew this would happen) she said, shaking her head.
I chuckled. “Yeah, you knew.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this, Ghana? You literally just got out of a bad situation. I didn’t link you with Autumn for you to pursue her romantically. I only did it because she’s really good at what she does, and I knew you wouldn’t receive it coming from me.”
“That last situation felt like I was forcing myself into a relationship that was never really meant to go far. I loved Nich, but I was blindsided by her small-mindedness. Did I think she loved and cared about me? Yeah, for the most part. But as soon as shit got real heavy, she sought solace in another man’s arms.
“With Autumn, I really feel her. It’s like a sixth sense or an opening of my third eye. I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I feel different, see shit differently with her, see us going far. It’s only been a week, and already, I want to buy her ass the biggest rock known to man.”
“Aw hell! You are so gone, my dear brother.”
I smiled. “In a good way.”
“She’s supposed to be your psychiatrist, Ghana.”
“She is. And she’s doing one hell of a job. She listens and puts shit into perspective for me. When we’re here in her office, she wears the hat she’s supposed to. But outside of here, it’s free game.”
Kenzi nodded as she continued to stare at me. “If she’s helping you, then everything else doesn’t matter. Keep in mind that she has a one-year-old daughter, though.”
“I know that, too, and the crazy thing about it is, I’m not afraid that she does.”
“Is it because she’s not of your loins?”
“Not sure, but even that doesn’t scare me no more.
If I get her pregnant, I’m down with that because of who their mother would be.
Even if they do come out with my condition, their mother won’t be shit like Ashanti.
She won’t run away from them when shit gets tough; she will guide them and help them through it because she’ll know how to treat them. ”
“Wow, . . . I’m truly speechless. I love you, Ghanie!” she exclaimed, pinching my cheek.
“Fuck outta here.” We both laughed as we stood. I pulled her into my arms and held her for a moment.
“I love you too, Sis. Everything is going to be okay,” I assured, feeling a confidence I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I believe that,” she replied. I released her and bid her a good afternoon, then hurried out of her office to prepare for tonight. I wanted to do something intimate and private with just us two. I wanted to get to know her as well as she got to know me a little more.
I wanted to leave all the heavy shit for the office and speak the good shit in public. I wanted to show her how healing her spirit was for me and hopefully help her to understand me a little better.
I had to admit, a nigga was a little excited to see what tonight would bring.
The elevator opened as Jaxson walked inside the loft apartment I rented from Ruger until I found a permanent place. Now that I was thinking about the future, I had to rearrange some shit to plan for the additions to my life.
Jaxson rolled his storage case inside and looked at me. He chuckled, and I had to frown because I didn’t get the joke.
“Stop looking like that, G. I just got hit with a little déjà vu.”
“Oh, yeah? What was that?”
“Mekai’s ass had me up here cooking for your sister when that shit went down last year. It just made me laugh because your sister gave that nigga hell, and now look where they are.”
Now that made me crack a smile. Kenz was the sweetest until she wasn’t. She didn’t care who the person was or where they were from; if they showed her they had an issue with her, she matched their energy.
It was hell, trying to convince her to chill when dealing with Ruger when they first met.
She gave that nigga attitude and was stubborn.
I didn’t want them to be together at first, because I knew both of them.
I didn’t want to have to go to war with Ruger for hurting my sister, but they turned out to be perfect for each other.
“I see. Well, you won’t have to worry about breaking up any arguments tonight. Thanks again for coming through,” I said, dapping him up.
“Anytime, my baby. I know y’all only use my services for special people. I hope you find the happiness you deserve, G.”
“Thanks, fam.” He gave a curt nod, then went into the kitchen to get to work.
Since I didn’t want anything to distract us for the night, I chose to have a three-course meal prepared by the chef god himself and to have a game night.
I never got to be a normal kid who played games and hung out with friends.
It always felt like I was a burden, carrying everything on my back at once. I had always been responsible for Kenzi, even when Ashanti was around. It wasn’t that I couldn’t be responsible for a baby; it was that I was afraid to be.
Now, I didn’t feel that way, and the feeling kind of scared me a little. But it made me feel good too. I didn’t know what was going to come out of this thing with Autumn, but I was going to make damn sure not to fuck this up.
By the time Jax was done cooking, Autumn had arrived.
I buzzed the elevator to let her up and rushed Jax’s ass out.
When the doors finally opened, she appeared, rocking a red baby-doll dress that tied at her neck and red strappy heels that tied into a bow at her ankles.
Her breasts sat up perfectly, showing just enough cleavage to tease the eye.
Her hair was pulled back in a big puff, with two tendrils of curls framing her face, and her makeup was flawless.
My baby was bad as fuck, and she knew that shit.
“You’re beautiful as fuck,” I told her.
“Thank you. So are you.” We chuckled just as Jax came out of the kitchen with his rolling case.
“Ms. Autumn. You look lovely tonight,” he said, giving her a hug and a kiss on her cheek.
“Thank you, Jaxson.”
“Not too much, my guy,” I told him. “Don’t make me tell Wes you out here being too friendly.”
He chuckled. “Chill. My wife knows what it is. I hope y’all enjoy your night and your meal.”
“I’m sure we will. Tell Wes and the girls I said hello,” Autumn said.
“Will do. Later.” He got on the elevator, and as the doors closed, I pulled Autumn to me and kissed her lips.
“You ready to eat?”
“If Jax cooked it, absolutely!”
I smirked. “Oh, so if I cooked it, you wouldn’t eat it?”
“You know I would, baby. I’d try anything once,” she said in a flirty tone and sized me up while licking her lips. That little shit in her office must have turned her up a notch. That look in her eyes let me know her ass wasn’t as innocent as she looked.
I licked my lips as my eyes roved from her feet to her face. “Don’t look at me like that, Ros. I’m trying to show you a good time before I show you a good time.”
“Fine.” She giggled. “I’ll behave.”
“Thank you, because by the end of the night, you gon’ be misbehaving.
” I pecked her lips again and led her over to the dining table.
After pulling her chair out, I uncovered our meal, and we dined over Caesar salad, some shit called steak and shrimp Bosco made with pasta, and for dessert, vanilla crunch cheesecake.
We laughed and talked about art, books, music, and politics.
Soft R&B played while we enjoyed a glass of wine, and we were back on the topic of books.
“What’s your favorite non-fiction book?” she asked me.
“Empire of Pain by Keefe and Patrick Radden.”
“Okay, okay. What’s your favorite fiction book?”
“I have too many. But I gotta say the Dillinger series by Kimberly Brown.”
“Oh, yesss! I love that series.”
I smiled. “You read shit like that?”
“I do. I’m not green to urban genres, sir.” She giggled.