Chapter 17
Harmony walked into the bank with her Louis Vuitton bag on her shoulder.
The branch was moderately busy, so she took her place at the end of the line and waited patiently for her turn.
While standing there, she pulled out her phone and scrolled through social media, occasionally glancing up as customers were helped one by one.
After a few minutes, she finally made her way to the front. As she stepped up to the counter, a smile crossed her face.
"Good morning, Ms. Young! How can I help you today?" Mandy said cheerfully.
"You always so happy." Harmony giggled.
"I try."
"I need to make a cash deposit."
"Okay."
Harmony unzipped her Louis Vuitton bag and reached inside. Seconds later, she pulled out a thick wad of cash and placed it on the counter.
Some of it came from working at the club, while the rest came from the random envelopes and gifts that seemed to appear whenever Legend felt like spoiling her. By that point, she had stopped asking questions whenever she found money tucked into her purse or left in her car.
Mandy took the stack and fed it into the counting machine. Harmony waited as the bills quickly flipped through the machine before coming to a stop.
"Seven thousand dollars," the banker said.
"Okay, I want to deposit all of it."
Mandy typed for a few moments before printing a receipt.
"There you go. Have a great day, Ms. Young."
"You too."
Sliding the receipt into her purse, Harmony left the bank and headed back outside.
The cold air hit her, but she barely noticed.
Her mind was still stuck on the balance she had just seen printed on that receipt.
A few years ago, she would've never imagined having that much money sitting in a bank account.
Growing up in Holy City Projects, she spent most of her life watching people struggle from paycheck to paycheck.
Now she had money in the bank, a brand-new Mercedes, and more financial security than she had ever experienced before.
Shaking her head, she climbed into her truck and started the engine. The smell of the new leather interior still hadn't worn off, and every time she sat behind the wheel, she found herself smiling all over again.
"This shit still don't feel real," she muttered.
After pulling out of the parking lot, Harmony glanced over at her designer purse sitting in the passenger seat and couldn't help thinking about how different her life looked compared to just a year ago.
A few minutes later, her thoughts shifted to Nick.
It was his birthday, and despite everything they had been dealing with lately, she was taking him out to celebrate.
Things between them had become a little better over the last few days, especially since he started working.
Having a job seemed to give him something else to focus on besides her schedule, and Harmony appreciated the change.
He complained less, argued less, and seemed a lot more relaxed than he had been when he first came home.
Harmony was happy about that because the constant tension had been exhausting.
More importantly, it allowed her to continue living the complicated life she had created for herself without feeling like she was constantly being questioned.
As long as Nick stayed focused on work and kept himself busy, things between them seemed to run a lot smoother.
Stopping at a red light a block away from his brother's house, she pulled out her phone and sent him a quick text letting him know she was outside. By the time she turned onto the street, Nick was already walking down the front steps.
"Happy birthday."
"Thank you, baby."
He leaned over and kissed her before adjusting the seat to his liking. Once he was settled, Harmony pulled away from the curb and headed toward the restaurant.
The music played through the speakers while she drove, and after a few minutes, Harmony turned it up louder and started singing along. Nick joined in for a little while, but eventually she noticed he had gone quiet. Glancing over, she noticed the look on his face.
"Why you over there looking like that?" she asked.
"No reason, I’m good." Nick replied before pulling a rolled wood from behind his ear.
"Don't smoke that in here."
"What?" he turned and looked at her.
"You heard me."
"Since when?"
"Since I don't want my truck smelling like weed." Harmony rolled her eyes.
"Oh, you mean the new truck you got even though you be complaining about not making no money at your job." Nick looked around the interior and shook his head.
"Nick, please. Not today. It's your birthday."
"I'm just saying."
"Don't."
"I'm just saying shit not making sense."
"Whatever."
Instead of saying anything else, Harmony turned the music up and focused on the road. Nick got the hint and went back to staring out the window.
The rest of the ride passed in silence. About twenty minutes later, they pulled into the restaurant parking lot and parked.
By then, Harmony had caught an attitude of her own.
She hated when Nick questioned her finances because it always felt like he was trying to figure out something she had no interest in explaining.
The seafood restaurant was packed when they walked in. After checking in with the hostess, they were told there would be a short wait for a table. Rather than standing around by the entrance, they headed over to the bar and grabbed a couple of seats while they waited.
"What can I get y'all?" The bartender approached.
"Two shots." Nick quickly replied.
Harmony looked over at him but remained quiet when a few minutes later, the bartender returned and placed the glasses in front of them.
"Happy birthday, baby." She said, holding it high in the air.
"Thank you, love."
Their glasses clinked together before they knocked the shots back and almost instantly, the tension between them eased. They started talking again and for the first time since he got into the truck, Nick actually looked like he was enjoying himself.
Not long afterward, the hostess returned and led them to their table. Once seated, they ordered drinks and food before the waitress disappeared toward the kitchen. The second she walked away, Nick got started.
"You know, since I'm working now, I'm about to get my own crib."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. And I can pay the rent and everything until you get a better job."
For the first time since all of it started, Harmony felt a genuine sense of guilt settle into her chest. Nick was serious about building a future with her.
Every conversation he had about apartments, moving in together, and starting a family came from a real place.
Meanwhile, she had no intentions of doing any of those things.
At least not with him and the realization made her stomach tighten.
Nick was willing to do whatever it took to make their relationship work, while she spent most of her time figuring out how to balance him and another man. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, the waitress returned carrying their drinks.
The timing couldn't have been better and before Nick could continue the conversation, Harmony quickly grabbed her phone and smiled.
"Here, bae. Take my picture."
Nick shook his head and took the phone while Harmony immediately started posing, grateful for anything that would change the subject.
A few snaps later, she heard the phone ding with a text notification, but she paid it no mind and continued posing for the picture. It wasn't until she noticed the expression on Nick's face change that she lowered her glass and looked at him.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Skyy just want to know when she can taste you again….”