Chapter 2 #2
Averi appreciated those small gestures. She wasn’t about to ask the man for Louie or Gucci because if she wanted those things, she could get them herself.
Averi had never played video games, but she damn sure loved creating them.
Averi created the concepts, characters, and rules for video games.
Once the specifics were worked out, she met with a team to collaborate on developing the game and bringing the idea to life.
She had been doing it for the past two years, and she loved it.
At the age of twenty-eight, she’d just closed on her first home.
Her newest goal was to have her car paid off in the next few months.
The cash that Blak had given her would help Averi to reach that milestone, so she wasn’t even mad.
At most, she was disappointed that she’d no longer be getting the D, but that was life.
From the moment Blak ambled over to her and asked for her number, she knew he’d be around for a good time not a long time.
She’d witnessed too many people get hurt by men like Blak.
They were too fine and had too many women for their own good.
Breaking hearts, ruining lives, and creating trauma were activities they excelled in, and she wanted no parts.
When she was twenty-three, Averi made a promise to herself that her last heartbreak would be just that.
Her last. Determined to keep the promise to herself, Averi pulled off with a smile dancing on her lips.
She’d miss him, but she’d be okay without him.
People came and went. That was how it would always be.
Blak trekked to the entrance of the courthouse with his birth certificate folded in hand.
Foolishly, he never thought marrying Naomi would have any negative effects on what he had going on.
Any woman he entertained was purely sexual, and he was never questioned about anything he did.
Sure, women got in their feelings when he didn’t do what they wanted him to or when he didn’t stop anything he had going on to appease them, but they got over it.
Blak had never been one to sweat any female, but he had to wonder if Averi was really done with him, or if she was just talking because it sounded good.
Naomi was bad. And he wouldn’t mind fucking her, but he wasn’t taking their union serious.
He was doing his uncle a solid and looking out for himself in the long run.
The proposition was made to him because the only one of Tech’s sons that hustled was Block.
And while Block loved his father, even Naomi’s king pin of a father knew better than to ask Block to marry his daughter.
That nigga would have automatically said no and stood ten toes on that shit.
Blak looked at the marriage as a minor inconvenience for a major come up.
Yes, he had money and clientele. But he wasn’t at the top of the totem pole.
Blak loved his uncle, but Tech for damn sure wouldn’t be the only one that was blessed from this marriage.
Blak had made sure to negotiate some pretty good perks for his damn self so for what was to come, he’d marry Naomi with no hesitation.
He would even make it look good for the public, but this wasn’t that, and he hoped she knew it.
“Got me losing bitches already,” Blak mumbled as he opened the heavy door.
When he entered the first level of the courthouse, he spotted Naomi sitting on a bench with her legs crossed.
Shorty was bad, and Blak found himself eyeing her and attempting to conclude if she was worth losing Averi for.
When her head lifted and their eyes locked, he quickly decided she was.
She was bad, and she came with perks. Naomi was affiliated and while Blak had his own motion, the added bonuses wouldn’t hurt at all.
Naomi stood. She appeared nervous which was something he had never observed the few times they met in passing.
Naomi was confident and always walked with her head held high.
Her father was that nigga, and she was hood royalty.
The hood wasn’t the only place in Diamond Cove where she had been crowned.
Naomi’s father, James, went to great lengths to keep his hands clean.
Once he fell back from being visibly affiliated with certain people, places, and things, his wife went to law school.
She was more than a much sought after attorney.
She was into politics, did a lot of charity work, and was a staple in the black community.
Naomi could literally go anywhere and if she wasn’t acknowledged as the daughter of a king pin, she was recognized as one of the city’s flyest, young socialites.
Naomi knew damn near everyone and had made a job out of being on the scene.
When certain influencers and even some B list celebrities came to town, they’d reach out to Naomi to see if she was busy or to ask her which spots they should hit.
The dark-skinned beauty was that chick. Always had been.
Always would be. Blak thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he peeped the brown and white striped mini skirt with the matching top.
Her 5’5 frame wasn’t as shapely as Averi’s, so the clothes fit a little different, but she still looked good.
Approaching her with a cocked brow, Blak sized her up.
“This gotta be some designer shit, ‘cus you’re the second person I’ve seen wearing it today.”
“It’s Waydamin,” she stated casually as if he was supposed to know who or what that was. Noticing his blank stare, she giggled. “Jayda Wayda.”
Naomi may as well have been speaking another language because he was clueless.
“Lil’ Baby’s baby mama. She has her own clothing brand.”
“Oh. So which way we go?” Blak’s eyes darted around the building.
“It’s on the third floor.”
“Bet.”
Allowing her to lead the way, he stood behind her as they waited to go through the metal detector. He was really getting married. Although he had chosen to only see the good that would come from the situation for some reason, actually being inside the courthouse was making him nervous.
Family discount on bricks. Extra protection from law enforcement and organized crime families. The chance to more than triple his monthly income.
Blak thought about all the ways marrying Naomi would benefit him.
There had never been any competition among him and Block.
He expected everything to be passed down to Tech’s son.
He was only the nephew, so he didn’t feel any kind of way about it.
But marrying Naomi would make it so he surpassed Block in rank.
He was almost certain that Block didn’t care.
He’d been at it for a long time and was rich as fuck.
No one expected him to remain in the game much longer.
He had successfully held things down in his father’s absence, and Block was more than ready to just chill.
Blak on the other hand, felt like he was just getting started.
The goal was to become filthy fuckin’ rich.
The only problem he wanted was having more money than he could spend.
James had more than likely already surpassed that goal.
Shit, Block probably had too. So now, it was his turn, and if marrying Naomi was how he would reach that goal, that’s what it was.
Once the applications were completed and the fee paid, Blak looked over at Naomi. “What’s next?”
“From here everything is going to start moving pretty fast. There are two wedding planners. They’re the most expensive ones in the city, and they don’t play.
As for us, all we really have to do is be fitted for my dress and your tux.
Make sure the bridesmaids and groomsmen are on one accord.
Daddy wants us to all get together for an engagement party.
I’ll text you the details on that. Even with hiring movers, me moving into your place in the midst of all this wedding shit will be stressful.
I can officially move in after the wedding. ”
Blak licked his lips and nodded as he attempted to log everything into his mental Rolodex.
He almost felt as if he didn’t have a say, but Blak quickly reminded himself that he gave no fucks about being involved in the planning of a wedding.
For him, the wedding was nothing more than a job.
And the only reason he was going to show up, was so he didn’t get fired from said job.