Chapter 20 #2
Zaire stretched his neck before looking at True. “I ain’t worried about them eyes.”
True laughed. “Oh I know what eyes you worried about.”
Zaire smirked, despite trying not to.
True backed up toward the door. “I’ll leave you to it. Dinner at seven - my treat. Don’t be late.”
The door shut, leaving the suite quiet.
Zaire walked to the window, staring out at the green grass below. His stomach was tight,—not from nerves though, from missing her.
He pulled out his phone.
You make it in safely?
He didn’t expect a quick reply. Meadow barely looked at her phone unless someone was bleeding or bill collectors called.
But she texted back almost instantly.
Flower emoji: Yes. Tia picked me up. Almost killed me 3 times.
He smiled.
She drive crazy. You good though?
Flower emoji: Yeah. Her house is insane. We’re about to do something, I’m just in my room chilling.
He stood there, thumb hovering before he typed.
Use my card for anything you need. I’m not arguing about it.
Flower emoji: Here you go.
I’m serious. Don’t play with me.
Flower emoji: I’ll see.
He shook his head. Stubborn ass girl.
Mike returned from the balcony. “Anything else before I dip, man?”
Zaire slid his phone into his pocket. “Nah, appreciate you.”
They fist-bumped and Mike left.
Zaire sank onto the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring down at the rug.
He’d been in plenty of tournaments, plenty of hotels and plenty of rooms bigger than the house he grew up in, but this was the first time he felt like he wasn’t alone in it. He picked up his phone again and typed:
I’ll call you tonight after I run swings. Don’t fall asleep on me.
She replied quicker than he expected.
Flower emoji: I won’t…you nervous?
He stared at the screen.
Not at the question, but at the concern behind it.
Not for golf.
Three dots popped up then disappeared.
Popped up again. Then finally…
Flower emoji: What you nervous for then?
His chest tightened.
No point lying.
You.
He hit send before he could second-guess it.
Then he tossed his phone on the bed and stood up. He walked out to the balcony, letting the late-afternoon air hit his face as he reached for his 7-iron.
Tomorrow, the world would be watching him, but tonight?
He only cared about one pair of eyes, eyes he couldn’t wait to look into again.
Northstar Mall in Emerald City felt like stepping into a glossy magazine. Marble floors, skylights, quiet wealth humming in every corner. Black-owned stores lined the halls, from boutiques with custom-made clothes to luxury home scents, and hair care displays that looked like art.
Meadow tried to stay casual, but her eyes kept widening. “Tia…is that a waterfall inside the mall?”
“Yes.”
“Inside?”
“Yes, babe.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
“Welcome to Emerald City.”
Meadow exhaled. “I’m overwhelmed...this how y’all shop? Here a bitch was thinking she be doing something the few times I snag a cute fit from Zara.”
“You’ll be fine.” Tia nudged her into a luxury boutique. “Now pick something.”
Meadow crossed her arms. “I’m not just spending his money. That feels…”
“Right,” Tia cut in. “It feels right.”
“No,” Meadow corrected. “It feels grown.”
“And?”
“I’m not grown enough for that yet!”
Tia rolled her eyes. “Meadow, Zaire told you to use his card. So use that muthafucka.”
Meadow shook her head, fighting between not wanting to use it and her eyes flashing to a bag that looked so pretty to her. It had the designer’s logo monogramed all over it in a cute green color. She could picture it on her arm but felt so bad spending Zaire’s money.
Tia caught her looking and waved a sales associate over. “Hey, my friend would like to see that bag.”
The sales associate smiled. “Come on, love,” she nodded Meadow over.
“Tia,” Meadow whined. “I’m sorry but I can’t-”
“Friend, you’re walking around with a heavy ass card, its only right you get something cute to put it in.” Tia grabbed her arms, speaking in a low tone so no one else could hear her.
“You’re talking like I’ll have this card for forever… this is temporary.”
Tia kissed her teeth. “You’re really blowing my mind right now, Meadow! Get the fuckin’ bag…consider it a parting gift since you seem to think you and that man won’t be together come this time in five years.”
“Ma’am?” The sales associate called out with wide eyes, hoping she got a sale. It was her first day and she needed to show the shop that she was valuable. To take matters into her own hands, she grabbed the bag from the display rack.
Meadow was startled when she pushed up on her to show her the bag on her arm in the mirror.
“This looks so nice against your skin. Don’t you think?” She turned to face Tia who nodded.
Staring at herself through the mirror, Meadow had to admit the bag did look good on her. Still, she was hesitant.
“Meadow!” Tia stomped her foot.
“Ummm,” Meadow sighed, chewing on her bottom lip. Her heart told her to get the fucking bag. It was her brain in that big ass head of hers that had her not wanting to. Her heart won. “I’ll take it.”
The associate beamed. “Great choice. Do you need a wallet and some cute accessories to go with it?”
“The wallet, yes!” Tia pushed in.
Meadow could only laugh and shake her head while still admiring herself in the mirror.
After Tia grabbed something for herself, they went to the register to check out.
Meadow was in better spirits but all that disappeared when the cashier said, “Five thousand, twelve dollars.”
The card in her hand felt heavier. Her eyes bucked out of her head and she choked on her words, needing a bottle of water. Tia rushed to grab her one and damn near shoved it down her throat.
Gathering her bearings, Meadow told the associates, “Put it back.”
“Wait, what?!” Tia yelled. “Meadow get the fuckin’ bag.”
“Tia, this is too much money…it ain’t even all that.”
“Girl, please!” Tia waved her off. “Get that bag and bring your ass on. I know this is all new for you but babe, if he wants to spoil you - let him.”
Meadow didn’t know what to do. On one hand, she wanted the bag because she’d always dreamed of having a few luxury items. On the other hand, she thought about how much that amount of money could benefit her life in other ways and if she was going to spend on anything, she felt her life was the better fit.
Because in her mind, Zaire might not be around to fix it again so she needed to take advantage of the funds she had access to now.
It was better to leave a man better than you came.
Before she could politely tell the woman ‘no’, Tia snatched the card from her hand and tapped it against the register. “Bitch!”
Tia shrugged. “Hate me if you wanna but you’re getting that bag.”
“Ummm,” the associate didn’t know what to do. It was clear they were friends but Tia had basically committed fraud and the associate knew that wouldn’t be good for her on her first day. “I can’t…”
Zaire’s name popped up on Meadow’s phone. Her heart jumped out of her chest and her eyes bounced to Tia.
Tia looked just as terrified. “Answer it.”
“I told you, I didn’t want to do it…” Meadow fussed, pressing the green button on her phone. “Zai—”
“Spend bigger, baby,” Zaire’s Cali accent sent bumps all over her skin. But just as fast as she swooned at the sound of his voice, he’d hung up.
“What he say?” Tia was on pins and needles.
A smile trembled over her lips and her heart was now beating at a normal pace. “Spend bigger.”
Tia jumped all over her as the two of them jumped up and down screaming like school-aged girls.
Meadow looked at the associate. “Can you bag me up?”
The sales associate bagged Meadow’s new purse. Meadow watched her with a mix of awe and nausea.
Her heart raced. Her fingers trembled. The bag looked gorgeous, but the reality of spending five thousand dollars in a single swipe lingered in her chest like static.
She held her new purchase against her chest, exhaling long. “Lord, I need counseling.”
Tia snorted. “You need to shut up and enjoy that damn bag. You deserve nice shit.”
“I also deserve a stable nervous system, and clearly I don’t have one.”
They stepped out of the boutique into the wide, high-ceiling walkway of Northstar Mall again.
People walked casually with their iced coffees, their luxury bags, and their kids in strollers that cost more than Meadow’s monthly self-care maintenance.
She was seeing it through a different lens now though.
Tia looped her arm through hers. “Relax, you did great and that bag is fire. Mr. Handle That said he is indeed going to handle that.”
Meadow bit her lip, still unsure, still overwhelmed, still hyped despite herself… “I don’t know how y’all be living like this. I’m over here shopping like I’m on a damn field trip and my Daddy gave me a couple extra dollars.”
“Girl, welcome to the Emerald City tax bracket. We buy things and keep it pushing.”
“Easy for you to say,” Meadow muttered. “My brain still back there fighting for its life.”
They both laughed.
Meadow took another deep breath, settling into her new reality a little more. Her new bag thumped against her thigh with each step, reminding her just how wild this moment was.
Zaire told her to spend his money.
And she did.
Her stomach fluttered at the thought. Her face warmed without permission. The echo of his “Spend bigger, baby” replayed over and over in her head, dripping with his accent, his confidence, and his claim.
Her pulse quickened every time.
Tia elbowed her teasingly, “You blushing.”
“Mind your business.”
“I am! How many times I gotta tell you that?”
Meadow tried to glare at her, but she failed. Her smile betrayed her. She felt both ridiculous for swooning over a short gallop through a fairytale she had no business being the star of.
They walked a little farther before Meadow slowed, her eyes landing on a sleek storefront she’d nearly missed - a golf specialty store. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed custom bags, golf shoes, tees embroidered with Black cultural slogans, and racks of novelty socks.