Chapter 5
“Wow!”
I gasped as Kellon pushed open the door to my suite and ushered me inside. My mouth immediately fell to the floor.
“This is my room?” My eyes bounced between him and the large open suite.
“Yeah. Welcome to the most magical place on earth,” he said with a playful grin on his face. “Go ahead. Check it out.”
He waved me off. I took a deep breath and slowly walked through the elegant one-bed hotel room that was ten times nicer than any place I’d ever lived. I took in its beauty. It was overwhelmingly gorgeous. It was so overwhelming that I couldn’t believe it was happening.
“This is room stunning, Kellon. I don’t know what to?—”
“It’s just the beginning.” He interrupted me as he shut the door. “Wait until you see the park.”
I smiled at him, taking it all in. Everything was beautiful. The living room area had rustic furniture and antique touches that gave it a Southern charm. Behind two sliding doors was a bedroom that echoed the same feel. I could tell this room was expensive down to the bedding. I ran my hand along the soft, plush comforter before making my way to the large floor-to-ceiling window.
“Is that… OMG!”
My eyes lit up, and my hand immediately flew to my mouth. There was a perfect view of Cinderella’s Castle that took my breath away.
“Kellon, this is…” My words trailed off as I turned to look at him and walked smacked dead into his hard chest.
“Careful,” he teased as he wrapped his arms around my body, steadying me on my feet.
“My bad… I was just…” I stumbled over my words as the warmth of his touch heated my skin.
“You’re good, beautiful.”
Our eyes locked, and the world faded away. Neither of us could bring ourselves to pull away. Something was holding us there, and I didn’t mind it at all. Kellon’s dark brown eyes were beautiful.
“Kellon!” The door to the hotel room swung open, and Kellon’s mom’s voice rang out. “Time to get you to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be jam packed with press.”
His mom entered the room, pausing at the doorway. Her eyes immediately darted between us.
“What’s this?”
Her eyebrows rose, and she tossed her hand on her tiny hip. She was the spitting image of her son but shorter and petite, sporting a pixie cut that meant business.
“Just showing Phileigh to her room,” he replied, finally removing his hands from my waist and putting a little distance between us.
“Her room?” Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. “Her room is down the hall. This is your room.”
My eyes ballooned at the thought that he’d given up his room for me, but now it all made sense.
“Naw, I’m taking the room down the hall. Phileigh can have this one.” He looked from his mom to me.
“Kellon, I don’t advise you to do that. This a complimentary suite gifted to you by the Disney cooperation itself.”
“It’s decided already, Mom,” he replied, walking toward her.
“But… but…”
“No buts, Ma. This room is more suitable for Phileigh.”
“Did you get everything?”
“Don’t I always come through?” She held up a black shopping bag.
“You do, Ma. Thank you.” He grabbed the bag from her hand. “Give us a minute.”
Ms. Barnes shot her eyes at me. I could tell from the moment I met her on the plane that she was protective of her son. I didn’t blame her. He was a superstar, and I was sure all types of women came sniffing around him daily.
“Sure.” She turned on her heels and headed toward the door to leave, but not before tossing me another narrowed glare.
“Be out in a minute, Ma.” Kellon closed the door behind her and headed toward me.
“I had my mom grab some shit for you. It’s nothing much—some clothes for tomorrow, PJs, soap, and shit. Oh, and there’s a charger since your phone was dead.”
He handed me the bag, and an immediate smile came across my face. I knew he said he would get me clothes, but he actually came through with it without me even asking. It was everything.
“Thank you.” I smiled as I took the bag from his hand.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” he said, walking toward the door. “I’ll be here around six to pick you up. We get the park to ourselves for a lil’ bit tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I nodded, still in awe of everything.
“I’ll see you in a few.”
He walked toward the door, turning to give me his handsome smirk before leaving. He didn’t close the door all the way before I rummaged through the bag to locate the charger.
“Got you!” I shouted as I went to the wall to plug in my phone. I was dying to fill Lo in on everything that had transpired in the last few hours. I was spending the next twenty-four hours at Disney World with a Super Bowl MVP.
I didn’t let the phone power on fully before I ignored my mom’s multiple messages and dialed Lo’s number.
“Did you make it home?” Lo answered with sleep in her voice.
“Not quite…. um… Guess where I am!” I was unable to contain my excitement.
“You didn’t go back to that man’s place, did you?” She sat up.
“Girl, no!” I dismissed her.
I had forgotten all about Carson. I definitely was never going to go back to his place.
“I’m at Disney World!” I turned the phone so she could see my background.
“Disney what?” She squealed as her light turned on in the background. I was sure she was fully awake now. “What the hell do you mean you’re in Disney World, Phileigh?”
A shy smile crossed my face.
“Kellon brought me!” I sang, still on Cloud Nine. Lolo’s eyebrows raised.
“Kellon? Who is Kellon?”
“Kellon Barnes.”
Lo gasped. Her hand flew up to her mouth.
“ The Kellon Barnes!” she yelled, and I nodded. “Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me you’re out of town with Mr. Kellon Barnes, who threw five touchdown passes tonight and won his first Super Bowl ring?”
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” I confirmed, grinning from ear to ear.
“Bitch, no way! I want all of the details right now!”
I laughed at her dramatic ass before plopping down on the bed.
“Okay, so he invited me here after my date ditched me.”
“He ditched you?”
“Yes. Apparently, his boyfriend wasn’t happy.”
“Boyfriend?”
“Yes, girl. The man is on the DL.”
“Nuh uh.”
“Yes… So, I ran into Kellon. He offered me a ride home. I mentioned how I’d never been to Disney, and he asked me to come with him.” I gave her the shortened version of events. We could dive into the details later.
“OMG! What else?”
“He’s paying me ten thousand dollars to cut his hair… Oh, and he might have called me beautiful.”
I felt like I was back in high school, blushing and snickering through every detail.
“Ten thousand for one haircut? Goddamn! You see how God works?” She started clapping and snapping her fingers. “One NFL player played you, and God sent a better one sniffing up behind you.”
I shook my head.
“Lolo, it’s not like that. Kellon is just being nice. I’m sure bringing me along on a previously planned trip is nothing for him.” I hesitated. “Besides, I’m pregnant, remember? The only person that’s about to be sniffing behind me is this baby.”
“Phileigh, the man is giving you ten bands to cut his hair. Please. Niggas love playing stepdaddy. That man just met you and flew you to Florida with him. He is interested.”
“Yeah? Well, when I mention I’m pregnant, I’m sure all that interest will dry up just like J. Lo’s career.”
“Or it won’t.” She shrugged, making me stare at her for a few seconds with a look of disbelief on my face.
Even if Kellon Barnes was into me like that, being pregnant was sure to be a deal breaker. He could have anyone he wanted, so why would he choose a pregnant woman? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. I would just enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience and try to garner a new client. After losing Reggie and possibly all his teammates, I needed all the new clients I could get, especially with a baby on the way.
“I’m just using this for networking and crossing off a bucket list activity. Having ten thousand in savings will set me and my baby up well,” I finally replied, stating the facts.
“Well, while you’re networking, I’m trying to figure out what’s in your sauce that keeps attracting these fine, paid NFL players.”
“I got the sauce. You know I’m saucy,” I sang, doing my best Rihanna impression, and we both laughed.
“Well, Saucy Santana, I’m going back to bed. Some of us have clients in the morning.”
“Speaking of… can you…”
“Already on it. I’ll have Tracy cover for you.” She sighed.
“You’re the best.”
“I know I am. Now, good night. Love you!”
“Love you more, bestie.” I disconnected the call. I wanted to crash on the soft bed and fall asleep, but I needed to shower. There was no way I was going out in public with Kellon Barnes not looking and smelling my best. Grabbing the bag from the bed, I fumbled through it, checking its contents and snatching up the soap and character pajamas. Smiling, I headed toward the bathroom.
“Holy shit!”
Just like the rest of the room, it was gorgeous. I would have to figure out a way to thank Kellon for giving me his room. Placing the clothes on the sink, I made my way over to the walk-in shower and turned on the water before climbing inside. Kellon’s smile lingered in my mind as the water hit my naked body.
“Be for real, Phileigh,” I scolded myself, running my hand over my belly, bringing myself back to reality. This impromptu trip was for business purposes only. I needed the funds. That was it.
“You ready to go?” Kellon asked as soon as I swung the front door of my room open.
“Yes! I’ve only wanted to do this my entire life,” I replied.
My heart raced at the sight of him. He looked fine as hell in his blue Nike sweatsuit. There was just something about how the navy blue complemented his dark skin that had my mouth watering. I had to touch my lips to make sure I wasn’t drooling.
“Let’s not waste another second then, ma.”
He took hold of my hand and pulled me out of the room. As we entered the hallway, my gaze immediately fell on the security guards flanking us. There were three more than there were last night. All of them were dressed in black.
“Phileigh, this is Rich, Malcom, and Monte. They’re my security.” He introduced me. “Fellas, this is Phileigh.”
“Hi.” I waved shyly.
“Some shit pop off, protect her before me,” he told them, and my heart skipped a beat. Was he putting my life before his own? “Y’all got it?”
“Got it,” they all said in unison as we headed down the hallway to the elevators.
My hand was still wrapped in Kellon’s, and my mind was in disbelief. I was being led through the happiest place on earth with Kellon Barnes.
“I hope the security isn’t too much for you,” he said as we all stepped on to the waiting elevator.
I forwarded another phone call from my mother to voicemail. I wasn’t ready to face her, and she would flip if I told her where I was.
“It’s different.”
“I don’t usually travel this heavily, but it’s the day after the Super Bowl. Sports fans can get a little crazy.”
“I bet.” I nodded as I texted my mom, letting her know I was tired and would reach out later.
“Don’t worry, though. We’ll ditch them later,” he said as the elevator moved between floors.
I watched the numbers count down as my anxiety shot through the roof. I didn’t know what to expect today. I’d hung out with a famous athlete before, but Reggie and I were never out in the open. Most of our meet ups were at my house or a hotel. I thought it was to avoid the press, but apparently, it was to prevent his girlfriend from seeing us.
“There he is. Kellon, over here, sweety!”
The doors to the elevator slid open, and Ms. Barnes and two other women wearing blue collared shirts and company name tags appeared. Kellon smiled reassuringly as he led me out of the elevator and over to his mom. I glanced around, taking in the scenery. The lobby was empty like it was when we arrived in the late hours of the night. I wondered if that was by design so Kellon could have some privacy.
“Good morning.” Kellon greeted them.
“Good morning!” I waved. I was unsure if I should be speaking, but I didn’t want to be rude. My mother had raised me to speak when I entered new spaces.
“Um… Good morning, Mr. Barnes. I’m… I’m Sabrina.” A short, petite, beige-skinned woman approached us, showing all thirty-two of her teeth.
“Kellon is fine. Nice to meet you, Sabrina.”
“Same, um… Kellon Barnes… I’m a huge fan. Excuse me for being nervous.”
“No problem. Would you like an autograph?”
Sabrina turned to look at the other staff member before popping open a button on her shirt and exposing the top of her boob.
“Can you sign right here?”
My mouth fell open at this woman’s boldness, but Kellon didn’t seem fazed. Someone handed him a pen, and he signed her boob like it was nothing as she stared up at him with googly eyes.
“Can you sign mine too?” the other staff member asked, pulling her shirt down as well. “I’m so glad you guys won last night. The game was so good.”
She batted her eyes in his direction as he scribbled his name. I stared at them awkwardly as they snapped a selfie. These heffas didn’t even care that I was standing here. I wasn’t Kellon’s woman or anything, but they didn’t know that.
“Ahem.” Kellon’s mom cleared her throat. “We need to get going if we’re going to stay on schedule.”
The women smiled, and everyone hopped back into professional mode like they hadn’t just been acting like groupies.
“Okay… um… You have solo access to the park until right around eight a.m. We need to get footage of you riding a few rides. Are there any rides or activities you would like to do?” Sabrina questioned.
Kellon turned to look at me with a handsome smile on his face.
“Whatever she wants to do.”
My head swiveled around. Was he serious? All eyes flew to me as I stood there speechless.
“Okay, miss. Is there anything you want to do?” Sabrina asked.
I didn’t know. I was expecting to follow Kellon around the park.
“Umm… I don’t know.” I shrugged.
“Come on. You’ve waited your whole life for this. I know you’ve thought about it,” Kellon said. He was right. I had thought about it. I’d spent many days as a kid daydreaming about visiting here.
“I have always wanted to ride the flying elephants,” I confessed.
“Okay. Elephants it is.” Kellon nodded, and the staff scribbled something into their tablets. “That’s it?”
“Umm… and I want to get pictures with the black princess,” I added. I couldn’t believe he was allowing me to dictate the day.
“Black princess it is.”
He took me by the hand, and I didn’t know if it was my baby moving or butterflies swirling in my stomach.
“If that is all, you can follow Nicky. She’ll be escorting you around today.”
“Let’s do it.”
We exited the hotel lobby and climbed into a waiting polka dot SUV. Ms. Barnes slid in first.
“After you,” Kellon instructed me, and I slid across the seat next to Ms. Barnes before he climbed in next to me followed by security. I didn’t know how we all fit in this SUV, but we did.
“I’m glad to see the clothes worked out.” Ms. Barned greeted me with her nose turned up.
“Yes. Thank you so much for the clothes and everything.”
“No problem. Where do I send the bill?”
My eyes bulged at her statement. She wasn’t playing nice. My mouth opened and closed before I settled for biting my lip. I wasn’t raised to talk back to my elders. Besides, this was Kellon’s mom.
“Mom! I took care of it already.”
He patted my knee, and Ms. Barnes scoffed.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware,” she stated.
“All of Phileigh’s expenses are on me.”
I turned to Kellon. I had a few thousand in savings. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to cover my expenses while I was here. It was clear Ms. Barnes thought I was some gold digger, and it was never that.
“That’s not necessary… I can cover my?—”
“No need. It’s on me,” he reiterated, shutting me up. “Everybody got it?”
I nodded, and Ms. Barnes turned to the window.
“Sure.”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn’t, and I was glad. We rode in silence for the rest of the drive. Kellon fiddled with his phone, and I joined Ms. Barnes in looking out the window and taking in the scenery.