Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
After stretching out in the large California king bed, Sunjiya rolls over only to find Akeem gone.
Although he likes to get up early, yesterday he slept in with her.
Between her late flight and the way they exhausted most of the night reacquainting their bodies, the extra hours in bed were earned.
Besides, he didn’t want to leave her soft, warm body.
They lay in bed until around eleven, toured the African American Cultural and Heritage Facility, explored downtown, and ended the night at Eddie V’s Prime Seafood.
No real plans for today but Sunjiya is perfectly fine with spending the day here with him.
Akeem’s condo is beautiful, masculine, and welcoming.
Browns, black, and beige dominate the décor of the spacious, two-bedroom, two bath condo.
There’s also a den but it was converted to a gun room to house Akeem’s prized possessions.
The building is new and he purchased his unit two months after construction about three years ago.
After ambling out of bed, Sunjiya presses the button for the automated roller shades to allow the Texas sun in.
While she loves everything about the condo, the soaring ten foot floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, this owner’s suite, and the ensuite bath are her favorites.
The views of the city are exquisite from this height.
Once the sun has infiltrated the bedroom, she journeys to the bathroom, her second favorite in the condo.
The light hardwood floors, his and her vanities and sinks, corner glass shower, and oversized, freestanding, soaking tub, make it a tiny piece of heaven on earth.
Opting to save a long, relaxing bath for tonight, she takes a quick shower, handles her dental hygiene, then treks to his massive walk-in closet.
After finding a black tee in the top drawer of the armoire, she moisturizes her body, slips on a pair of panties, throws on the tee, and heads to the bar.
The condo appears empty because Akeem is nowhere in sight. Assuming he might be out for a morning run, she continues to the bar, passing the second bedroom and den then walking through the living room and huge kitchen. When she reaches the ice machine, a big ass smile trespasses her face.
It was very clear the ice machine had been recently purchased, just for her.
The instruction card poking from underneath and Akeem’s limited knowledge of how to change the cube sizes were obvious giveaways.
The machine is definitely new but she wouldn’t dare call him out.
How could she? His thoughtfulness knows no bounds and this gesture means the world to her.
After filling a glass, she wanders to the kitchen. She’s hungry, and if he is in fact running, he’ll be hungry as well. Like the remainder of the condo, the kitchen is impressive. It’s outfitted with a full suite of black Bosch appliances, abundant custom cabinetry, and a large walk-in pantry.
She starts with the pantry first then the fridge.
Both are barely filled but she finds what she needs to make a simple breakfast: rice, eggs, butter, and a pack of frozen beef bacon.
She places the bacon in the sink, fills it with cold water, then leaves the bacon to thaw.
Right when she returns to the pantry for seasonings, she hears his baritone.
Akeem is here.
Following his voice, she exits the kitchen and walks into the living room.
He’s on the balcony. Because she doesn’t want to just walk out and interrupt his conversation, she opens the automated roller shades covering the floor-to-ceiling windows.
When the shades open, she sees him sitting with the weed box she gifted him on his lap.
Their eyes lock, and even though he is on his cell, he waves her out.
Gingerly, she steps toward the door and opens it.
“And why are you out of school today?” Akeem asks as she steps out. By his tone, she surmises it’s Quise. It’s confirmed when she hears his response through the speaker.
“Some teacher work day or something. I still got practice though this afternoon,” Quise says.
“What you gon’ do until then?”
“Finish my driver’s course online. I’m really trying to drive Talesia to the dance,” he admits, hopeful.
“Drive her in what and how?” Akeem asks. He moves the box from his lap and places it on the table on his side. Then he motions for her to sit. “C’mere,” he says lowly but Quise hears.
“That’s Miss Sunjiya?” Quise asks.
“Yes. Yo’ loud ass talking woke her up,” Akeem teases as she sits.
“Oh my bad,” Quise apologizes.
“No, it didn’t. I didn’t hear you at all. And good morning,” she says before pecking Akeem’s lips.
“Good morning,” Quise replies.
“But what about this driving? You’re fifteen, Quise. Even if you pass the test you’ll only have a permit. You can’t drive without an adult,” Akeem says.
“Talesia is sixteen,” Quise counters.
“Then she can drive.”
“Pops! I can’t let my girl drive me. How’s that gon’ look?” Quise barks.
“I can get you a private car with a driver,” Akeem offers.
“A Lambo?” Quise asks excitedly.
“Ay! Try again. I’m not getting a damn Lambo but you can go big. Think and send me three ideas. I’ll make one happen,” Akeem assures him.
“Thanks, Pops! Imma look some up,” Quise says excitedly. “This gon’ be lit. Sunjiya, you coming to my game? It’s next Friday and the dance is Saturday,” he asks.
Quise’s ask takes her completely by surprise.
Her eyes instantly peer into Akeem’s, asking for permission.
The last thing she wants to do is overstep.
She knows how much Quise means to Akeem and she doesn’t want to insert herself if Akeem isn’t comfortable.
Reading her eyes, Akeem smiles then nods, so she gladly answers Quise.
“If you want me there, I’ll be there,” she says.
“Good,” Quise says and Charis’s voice can be heard in the background.
“Marquise Deontae Br—” she yells and Quise talks over her.
“I gotta go, Pops. She calling my whole government,” he says.
“Go see what she wants and send me the cars later. Love you, son,” Akeem says.
“Love you too,” Quise says before ending the call.
After pressing the red button on his phone, Akeem wraps his arms around Sunjiya’s waist. He inhales her soft scent then plants a few kisses on the side of her neck.
“Ice for breakfast?” he questions.
“My appetizer,” she admits. “It’s so good but I’m cooking breakfast as soon as the bacon thaws.”
“You don’t have to cook. I can order something,” he says.
“I know but I want to cook. I’m not a chef but I can do a little something, and with your limited groceries, it’s just a little,” she says with a smirk. “We need to go to the store.”
“We can do that but we not getting too much. I’m not trying to have you cooking all the damn time.”
“Okay,” she says, then shrugs. Then she places her cup on the table next to his box. Her arms latch around his neck. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to go to the homecoming game? Your family’s going to be there.”
“I’m absolutely sure. You need to meet them anyway. Remember what you said,” he says.
“What did I say?”
“That you would let me spoil you. That means you’re mine and it’s time for you to meet the most important people in my life. They also need to meet the woman who has me all soft and shit.”
“Soft? Have I met this soft assassin yet?” she teases while laughing.
“Damn. Just shoot a nigga down then. I thought I was treating you right,” he says before kissing her neck.
“Oh, you are and you know it,” she says, kissing his lips. “Why you think I’m cooking? I don’t just do that for any man.”
“Hell, I better be the only man. You already know my gun skills. Don’t fuck around and get some stupid nigga erased,” he says with so much aggression she can feel it between her legs.
She likes that shit.
The fact that she knows he’ll never display that aggression toward her is assuring, sexy, and a turn on.
Akeem has the type of male energy she loves: hard for the world but soft for those he loves and cares for, aggressive but tender with her, and possessive but not controlling.
He’s everything she has been missing and needs.
Smiling hard, she says, “Trust me, I won’t. I have no desire to.”
“I like that,” he says.
“And I like you,” she admits.
“I like that even better.” After placing his hand behind her neck, Akeem leans up and kisses her passionately.
When they break the kiss, he stares into her alluring eyes.
They get him every time and he finds himself sucked in, wanting to solve whatever questions or issues lurking in them.
No matter how close they seem to get, a small piece of him thinks she’s guarded, especially when it comes to her sister.
Losing a loved one is hard and losing a sibling has to be devastating.
Is she really handling it? “But you good, right?” he asks, seemingly out of the blue.
With pinched eyebrows, she responds with a question of her own. “Why did you ask that?”
“Just checking, ’cause if you’re not, I want you to know you can tell me. I’ll do anything I can to make whatever isn’t good back right.”
“I’m fine; I promise,” she says. “I got an unlimited supply of ice. I’m on the balcony of a beautiful condo, all over an even more beautiful man.
I’m smiling before nine o’clock in the morning and I’m not a morning person.
Thanks to you, I’m fine for once in a long ass time.
” Her lips crash into his, and after trying to kiss the furrow out of his brows, she adds, “Stop looking so serious. Roll a blunt while I go in here and cook this food.”