Chapter 13
“Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?” Kenzo asked.
It was Saturday night, and after spending the past twenty-four hours getting to know each other in ways I didn’t think were possible, we were soaking in the Jacuzzi tub.
His back rested against one end, and I sat in front of him, between his legs, with my back against his chest. We’d been sitting in silence for about ten minutes, and I was minutes away from falling asleep.
“Honeymoon? I kinda thought that’s what this was.”
He chuckled, and his chest vibrated against my back.
“This is nothing near a honeymoon, baby. I want to take you away somewhere.”
“Okay.”
“Is there anywhere you’ve always wanted to go?”
I sighed. “Not really. My life has never afforded me lavish vacations, so I’ve never thought about where I’d want to go if it were possible. I don’t even have my passport.”
“I guess we’d better get started on the passport process as soon as we can, because it can take several weeks. Do you want to drink fruity drinks all day while lying in the sun on the beach, or do you want to hike through the mountains?”
“Those are two extremes, but I’d definitely rather get drunk on the beach.”
“Noted.”
Silence engulfed us for a while, allowing me to get lost in my thoughts for a moment. I wondered how Sunday breakfast would go. Although I’d met Kenzo II before, our interactions were minimal, and I was surprised he remembered me the other day.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“What makes you think something is on my mind?”
“A wild guess. You care to share?”
“I was just thinking about how tomorrow might go. Do you think your parents will like me?”
“I’ve always thought my people were cool.
My paternal grandparents, who started SSG, were working-class until they were in their forties, so by the time they had a little money, my father was out of college.
Both my parents grew up on the Southside of Chicago, and my mother’s parents had already passed away by the time she and my father began dating.
I said all that to say, they didn’t come from money, so this whole arranged marriage thing has me confused.
I get that my grandfather wants to protect what he built and ensure there's someone to leave his legacy to, but I refuse to let someone else pick who I spend the rest of my life with.”
“I’m sure your mother has put a lot of thought into who she wants your wife to be, which leads me back to my question. Do you think your parents will like me?”
“What’s not to like?”
“Aside from being estranged from my mother, having bad credit, being homeless, and having my wages garnished for bills I couldn’t pay after I got kicked out at eighteen, I’m cool as hell.”
“You are cool as hell, and I noticed that immediately. All that other shit you listed is a circumstance. None of it defines you, baby. There’s no reason my family needs to know any of that, but I would like to think that if they did, they wouldn’t judge you. That’s not how I was raised.”
I sat up, turned around, and straddled him. His hands went to my ass, while I rested my arms on his shoulders and caressed the back of his head.
“Our time here is coming to an end, and we’ll have to leave our little bubble,” I said.
“Are you disappointed that we have to leave?”
“A girl could get used to sipping expensive wine, dining on five-star food, and having endless orgasms all day.”
“Being married ain’t so bad, huh?”
“It’s too early to say, but so far, so good.”
He leaned forward and kissed my lips.
“You want one of those endless orgasms right now?”
I reached between us, lifting my body slightly, then sliding onto his erection.
“That’s a question you never have to ask.”
We couldn’t stay holed up in the suite forever, but another day or two would’ve been great. Kenzo had already taken most of our things to our cars, and we were preparing to leave for the last time.
I followed him to the parking lot because I had no idea where my car was parked. When we stopped in front of a luxury SUV, I was confused for a moment, then figured it was one of his cars that I’d never seen.
“This is nice. I didn’t know you had an SUV. You must not drive it much. It looks brand-new.”
“It is brand-new. I got it right off the lot.”
He opened the door and stood next to it, holding the key fob up between his thumb and index finger.
“You want me to drive it?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“Of course. It’s yours.”
I raised my brow and leaned in while holding my ear because surely, I’d misheard him, and clarification was needed.
“Excuse me?”
“This is your wedding gift.”
“Kenzo, I—”
“I don’t want to hear anything about it being too much, and you can’t accept it. It’s my way of saying thank you. Take the key.”
I hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between him and the key fob. When I finally took it from him, I stood on my toes, threw my arms around his neck, and planted kisses all over his face. He wrapped his arms around me, then lifted me from the ground.
“Thank you so much, Kenzo.”
“You’re welcome, baby. It’s the least I can do.”
He put me down, and I stepped back to admire my new car.
“This is actually mine, meaning my name is on the title?”
“You still have to sign a few documents to make it official, but yes, this is your car, free and clear.”
“Wow! This is . . . this is unbelievable. I’ve never been in a car this nice besides yours, let alone driven one.”
“Cars mostly work the same, regardless of how much they cost. I think you’ll be fine driving home, and I’ll give you the rundown of the bells and whistles later.”
I could do nothing but smile and look at the car in awe. A week ago, I was homeless and sleeping in my car. Although I wouldn’t mind sleeping in this luxury SUV, I didn’t have to.
“You can get in now, baby,” Kenzo urged.
“Oh, yeah. I guess I can.”
I finally slipped behind the wheel and rubbed my hands over the steering wheel, then pressed the start button. Kenzo closed the door, and I let down the window.
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
He smirked. “I can think of a few ways, but we’ll discuss that later. I’m parked over there. You can follow me home.”
He leaned in for a kiss, and of course, I obliged. When he walked away, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
“Wait until I tell Anika.”
A few minutes later, we pulled out of the hotel parking lot, and I followed Kenzo to his house.
The excitement about my new SUV didn’t calm my nerves about meeting his family, and the closer we got, the more nervous I became.
He assured me everything would be fine, but how his family reacted to the news of our marriage was out of his control.
When he turned into the long driveway, I had a mind to keep going, but I didn’t. He stopped in front of one of the garage entrances, and I parked behind him but didn’t get out. I took deep breaths as I tried to get my head together, and he tapped on the driver’s side window, then opened the door.
“You ready?” he asked.
“No, but it’s too late to go back in time to Thursday, huh?”
“It’s never too late, Malyah. We can go inside, and I can introduce you as my friend if it would make you more comfortable. It’s not what I want, but I never want you to feel like I’m forcing you to be here.”
I looked up at him, and the seriousness of his expression made me feel like shit. Regardless of how we got to this point, Kenzo was all in, and as he stated, I wasn’t forced into this. I agreed and followed through with it, so I had to stop second-guessing myself . . . at least in front of Kenzo.
“That’s not what I want. I’m ready.”
He took my hand and helped me out of my car, which now fit the aesthetic of this mini mansion. Instead of entering through his apartment as we did for my first visit, we headed toward the front door. I looked down at the loose-fitting jeans and sweatshirt that I wore and hoped I looked presentable.
I had a few nice things, but I didn’t have immediate access to them because they were in storage. Kenzo wore a black sweatsuit, so at least I matched his vibe.
“It looks like we might have company,” he said, nodding toward a car parked in front of one of the other garage entrances.
“Does the car look familiar?”
He shook his head.
“Not that I can remember. It’s probably another potential wife.”
“Great. I can only imagine how well this will go.”
Before we made it to the front door, he stopped walking and stepped in front of me, taking my hands in his. I looked up at him expectantly, knowing he would say something to ease my nerves.
“Regardless of what happens in there, you’re my wife, and I got your back. Okay?”
I nodded as I said, “Okay.”
He kissed my forehead, released one of my hands, and we continued to the front door. When we arrived, he opened the heavy steel screen door, then entered a code to unlock the main door.
As soon as we stepped inside, I was in awe, and I was only in the vestibule. Kenzo slipped out of his shoes, and I did the same. Although he took my hand again, he was almost pulling me as I lagged behind, admiring my surroundings.
We walked through what I assumed was the formal living room, and it looked like something out of a magazine. It was decorated in neutral tones, and nothing was out of place. The tall windows let in natural light, making the scene even more beautiful.
My unofficial tour ended because the next room we entered was the dining room. Our presence was immediately noticed, and several pairs of eyes were on us as we stood in the entry.
“Kenny, I’ve been calling you all weekend,” a woman who I assumed was Kenzo’s mother said.
“Good morning, Ma. You didn’t get any of my texts?”
“I did, but I wanted to talk to you, and you didn’t answer any of my calls.”
“I apologize. It was a busy weekend. Ma, Pops, Gramps, this is Malyah, . . . my wife.”