Chapter 10 Kennedy #5
Kennedy almost told him that was crock of shit since her world wasn’t equipped with the perks his possessed.
It didn’t have that Blaise dust he’d mentioned floating in the air like unlimited diamonds and gold, granting her access to the finest luxuries life had to offer.
Her world for damn sure didn’t come with the cash he’d blown on their flight, or the bread he planned to spend shopping.
There was no telling what he’d spent on where they’d stay.
Kennedy was so fucking deep in Relic’s world that if she went back to her own, she’d probably asphyxiate from the drastic atmosphere change.
Even his air was better like he had paid out the ass for that, too.
The night prior was a distant memory as she sipped bubbly and pondered about how many more perks she could swindle out of Relic since his generosity was at an all-time high.
“You know what we have to get?” she stated, angling to face him. “Phones.”
“We don’t need them.”
“What do you mean, we don’t need them? We have to call Jah to check in, and I want pictures and videos of stuff here. Plus, I can’t be in a foreign place with you without a phone for your ass to toss me in the ocean, knowing I can’t swim. I’ll be fish food, and no one would even know I was here.”
“My folks saw you with me, Kennedy.”
“Nigga, please! I don’t trust them folks any more than I trust your ass.”
He shut his eyes and expelled an exasperated breath, making her giggle since she knew she was working on his last nerve. Instead of pressing the issue, she decided she’d improvise.
“Since we can’t have phones, can you at least buy me a Polaroid camera or something? One of those fancy ones Titan uses will be better, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“I’m not buying your ass a camera either. Your phone is here, Kennedy.”
“How is my phone here when...” She stalled, and her eyes widened before she screamed, “P is here! Is Treasure with him? Are Shabu and Savvy here, too?!”
“It was meant to be a surprise, but yea, my folks are here. P went to grab the girls to catch a flight while we did what we had to do. Los and Nu are the only ones not here since one of the kids got sick,” he revealed as she bounced in her seat making him chuckle.
It faded out once recalling that he had to add another important detail.
“When you get your phone, you can take pictures, but don’t post them until we’re home. Don’t post us at all.”
Kennedy snapped her head back like he punched her.
“Nigga, I didn’t plan to post your ass anyway!
But now, I want to know why in the hell I can’t.
It’s not like your face hasn’t been online for fucking—” Her sentence tapered off after his reason for those instructions clicked. “I can’t post you because of Aura?”
“Her story is going to take off, and that shit will be in full swing by the time we get back,” he stated. “People are going to start digging. How would I look on vacation with another woman while she’s missing when my face is only on social media for being attached to her?”
“So, because you didn’t end the bitch, I have to what? Play the background while you continue with a public ass relationship that social media started and she ran with?”
“You don’t have to do shit, but what you should do is be my partner and play your role, Kennedy. Nothing more or less.”
“Over fucking stood, Relic.”
Heat swarmed Kennedy’s chest and then migrated its way to her throat.
When it flushed across her stoned face, she blinked and steadied her breathing.
She willed herself not to overreact about Relic making it as if her seeing them as just partners was asinine, but then singing another tune when it benefitted him.
Relic’s stance on where they stood flip-flopped more than cheap sandals, and she was over it.
Kennedy took a moment and reminded herself that their situation was transactional, and she was in it for a payout at the end of the day.
“Are we about to turn this into an argument?”
The mere temerity of Relic’s question pulled a laugh out of her before she leered at him.
“Nope. Between you telling me to play my role, and how you don’t fake shit and never will, there’s nothing for me to argue about or question. From here on out, if it isn’t about money, you can miss me with it. What are we doing after we shop?”
Relic frowned at Kennedy pulling one of his numbers on him—throwing his words in his face where they didn’t apply before changing the subject.
Her reverse psychology tactic left him debating whether to circle back to it or leave it alone.
He chose the one that wouldn’t end with his head getting chewed off.
“Later tonight, we’ll have dinner with my family. You can find a few excursions you’d like to do, so I can sign up and pay for it. Make sure snorkeling is one.”
“I can’t swim.”
“I can. This trip isn’t all about you. Don’t pick any for tomorrow because I have errands to run in the morning.”
“Like?” she inquired before taking another sip of her champagne. Relic gritted his molars but answered since he was already on her bad side.
“Don’t ask anymore fucking questions tonight. I have to go to the bank and then check out a property.”
“The bank? For what, when those currency exchange machines are everywhere? It’s probably one at our resort. Let me find out you have an offshore account on the low.” She whispered the last part but perked up when he gave a blank expression in return “You have a fucking offshore account, Relic?!”
“Lower your voice, Kennedy.”
“Sorry, but... wow. So, you’re here to look at property to purchase?”
“I said to check out a property, not buy one. I already own a house here. It’s being used for vacation rentals as of now, but I want to put eyes on it since I haven’t in the two years that I’ve owned it.”
“And your family knows nothing about it, do they?”
“They don’t, but I’ll let Shabu know tomorrow when I take him with me. You and your homegirls have a spa day planned to keep y’all occupied.”
“I’d rather go with you, partner.”
“Why? So, you can recalculate how much to squeeze out of me for our most recent arrangement?”
“That’s exactly why.”
Kennedy shot him a teasing grin while the cogs in her head spun double their usual pace. The longer she sat and thought about the details Relic gave her, it dawned on her that he must’ve divulged his assets because he wanted her to know.
Relic was ensuring he gave her millions of reasons to stick it out instead of reneging, and she couldn’t deny that it’d reignited her will to do so after their discussion about Aura had caused it to dwindle.
If a month of her time was worth a chunk of his change to him, then she wasn’t about to turn down easy money falling in her lap.
Kennedy had done dumber shit for less. At the very least, she could say that Relic knew her worth and wasn’t shy about coughing it up.