Chapter 21 #2
“We can go,” she said once more before her mouth met his. “Let me say goodbye.”
Asao nodded, but when Samari attempted to separate, he linked his hand with hers and the two of them walked toward Sheree and Cantor together.
They said their goodbyes, promised to have dinner soon, then they were in his Jeep heading to Crescent Cove.
Asao never asked where she wanted to be.
His beach house was where she felt the most at peace and his job was to provide the things that made her happy.
As soon as they were inside, Samari slipped out of her dress and guided Asao to the sofa where she asked him to sit. She was naked, because her dress didn’t work with anything beneath it, while he was fully clothed. As soon as he was seated, her hands were on his dick while he watched intently.
“What’s this?” he asked, sliding his fingers through her hair right before her mouth was on him: soft, wet, and intentional.
“This is my thank you.”
Fuck… he thought as soon as her mouth made contact.
“Thank you for what?”
“Yesterday, last week, tonight…tomorrow. You keep showing up for me and I have a feeling that’s not going to change.” She grinned before she lowered her head and took him deep. Her cheeks hollowed and her tongue made contact with the pulsing vein that traveled the length of his dick.
“If this is how you show up for me, then nah, it won’t change,” Asao confirmed.
She smiled but it was barely visible because her lips were stretched wide around his thick dick.
“Mmhm,” she hummed against him right before the crown of his dick made contact with the back of her throat.
The sound had Asao dropping his head back and smiling at the same time his eyes closed.
He felt the sarcasm from that one sound or maybe he just knew his lady that well.
Asao gripped her hair, fisting it enough to ground himself without taking control.
This was her show. He was going to let her do her thing. Samari with his dick in her mouth was one of his favorite things. She stroked him roughly, sucked and squeezed his dick with hollowed cheeks and a greedy tongue.
When her mouth was on him, any work on his part was a bonus. Samari had skills that didn’t require coaching or guidance and had Asao stuck with no control over how quickly he released his load down her throat.
Each and every time she made sure to suck him dry before his softened dick slipped from her lips.
When she attempted to climb into his lap, he shook his head and pointed to the spot next to him.
Once Samari’s back was on the cushions and her knees fell open, Asao adjusted his body so his hands slipped under her ass and one of her legs was draped over the back of the sofa.
“You returning the favor?”
“Yeah, then I’m gonna fuck you to sleep. You cool with that?”
“Very cool with that.” She smiled, watching as he lowered his head.
“Good, because you didn’t have a choice.”
The next morning, Asao delivered Samari to her apartment after she insisted that she needed to make sure the building was still standing.
He headed out to take care of a few things on his end and Samari moved through the process of washing several loads of clothes while cleaning her apartment.
The task started with the refrigerator. She silently scolded herself for the groceries that had gone to waste since the past couple weeks had been spent with Asao between his apartment and beach house.
By the time she was done, she had a text from Dom telling her to check her email.
She couldn’t stop smiling when she found a message stating there were new files in the folder used to store the tracks they recorded, encrypted so they couldn’t be leaked.
She quickly typed the password to gain access to the files, pressed play, then shared the device with the Bluetooth sound cloud speaker on the mantle below her TV.
She grabbed the remote and began dancing around the living room, singing along to her songs. Her first album was complete aside from finalizing track selection and order.
Dom had sent over his suggestions based on what songs he thought would best fit the vibe.
Twelve tracks and the bonus she’d recorded with Fyre, a polished version of their impromptu performance from Pass The Mic.
A day before the festival, Dom had them both at Track Killaz recording, and after six hours and two blunts, their collab had been finalized.
Samari was excited to have Fyre featured on her album because their vibe was nice. As of now they were the only two women representing Track Killaz, so it just made sense that Samari’s album be Fyre’s introduction.
When the third track played, she paused and her teeth sank into her lip while she waited for Asao’s voice to fill her living room. Samari’s stomach dipped when something new was added to the track. Right after Dom’s “We’re gunnin’, they’re runnin’, Track Killaz…” Asao’s smooth, sexy voice followed.
“It’s always fuck love get money until the right one makes you change your mind…I think she got me…”
As soon as his verse dropped, she rapped along word for word, like she was the one who’d crafted the lyrics.
The moment was interrupted when someone knocked on her door.
She frowned but turned the volume down and crossed the room, standing at the door, waiting until she heard her name in a voice that belonged to the last person she’d expected to find their way to her home.
It had been six months since they’d spoken, and three years since she’d seen her face, so Samari’s expression tensed as she turned the locks. When she laid eyes on her mother, the feeling should have lightened but instead intensified.
“You going to invite me in?”
“Yes, sorry,” Samari mumbled, stepping out of the way to grant her mother, Aster Sellers, access to her apartment, feeling self-conscious with each second that passed. As much as her mother loved her, that love was attached to an equal amount of critique and disappointment.
“Why are you here?” Samari eventually asked after suffering through what felt like an eternity of her mother’s silent judgment.
“I saw that video, Samari.”
She cringed but refused to shrink. Asao made her promise not to let anyone make her feel small. She wouldn’t, not even her mother.
“If you want me to feel bad, I already do. If you want to tell me how irresponsible I was, I already know. But if either of those things aren’t attached to love and understanding, don’t bother. Regardless of those things, I didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of.”
Aster’s expression didn’t change and her eyes refused to soften.
Samari’s heart was crushed because she would never understand her mother’s version of love.
She’d fed her, clothed her, but never supported Samari’s dreams. The woman who’d given her notebooks as a child and encouraged her daughter to keep the lyrics that danced in her head in a safe place, refused to accept who she was.
“Haven’t you had enough?” Aster spoke sternly.
“Enough of what?”
“The failure, the disappointment, the embarrassment. You tried, Samari, and I respect that you think this is the life you want but it’s not the life you should have.”
Samari reared her head back as if her mother had physically assaulted her. “I’m not even sure what to do with that. You’re my mother…”
“I am the only person who truly loves you enough to be honest with you. You’re twenty-seven years old, Samari.
Don’t you think it’s time to let these immature dreams go?
You’re in a sex tape for God’s sake which is all over the world.
Who do you think will take you seriously?
Who do you think cares about this little music thing you’re doing… ”
“I care,” Samari yelled and threw her hands into the air out of frustration. “This is my life. This is what I love. I don’t give a damn about that video…”
“The world does,” Aster said crassly. “It’s embarrassing…”
“To you…” Samari stepped closer to her mother and pointed a finger in her face. “I’m exhausted, Ma. I don’t know what else to do to make you see me.”
“I see you, Samari. I’m just disappointed in what I see.”
As much as it crushed her heart to hear her mother’s true feelings, Samari refused to accept the disrespect. “That’s the problem. You expect me to be what you want me to be, not the person I have the right to be or who I want to be.”
“I expect you not to be so naive as to get caught up doing drugs and having sex for the world to see but that’s who you are.”
“It’s not, but I don’t really care anymore. I can’t care because if I do then I have to admit you’re the problem. You’ve always been the problem and the grace I’ve given you is all in vain.”
Aster scoffed before she responded. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you have no accountability for your actions.”
“And I shouldn’t be surprised that you don’t either. Please leave.”
“You want me to leave?” Her mother’s expression was impassive again.
“Yes, I want you to leave. You’re my mother and I love you but I love myself more, so please leave.
You don’t deserve me.” Samari crossed the living room, opened the door, and waited for her mother to do as she demanded.
She took a minute to comply, but eventually crossed the room and paused in front of her daughter.
Aster placed a hand on her arm and Samari tensed from the contact.
“I love you, even if you don’t love yourself, Samari. I pray you can do that one day, but until you do, we don’t have anything.”
Aster dropped her hand and walked out of the door. Samari closed it and the first tear fell but she quickly wiped it away and exhaled a breath that allowed her to stay grounded. It hurt to draw the line but what hurt even more was the hope she always felt when she let her mother back in.