Chapter 17
“My bad, baby. I had no idea my mother would bum-rush you like that. You could’ve said no.”
We’d finished dinner, returned to his apartment, and were in the bedroom discussing what had just transpired with his mother.
“It’s fine, Kenzo. She’s trying to feel me out, and I don’t know if she’s looking for a reason to like me or dislike me, but I’ll give her every opportunity to do one or the other.”
“Planning an event of this magnitude in such a short time will be tough, especially with my mother. Event planning and hosting are two of her favorite things, so expect her to be over the top. I trust that whatever she throws your way, you’ll handle it with grace.
She may challenge you a few times, but stand your ground, and don’t let her push you around. ”
“I can handle myself and your mother. Don’t worry about me.”
“You got it.”
“I have a question, though.”
“What’s that?”
“Should I give you my letter of resignation?”
“Word?”
I nodded. “Are you surprised?”
“Not totally, but I didn’t think you’d decide so quickly. What day will be your last day?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Word?” he repeated, sounding even more surprised than the first time.
“I wanted to finish out the week, but since your mother wants my help with this party, I figured the sooner the better. I can split my time between her and Gramps until the party. After that, Gramps can have all my time.”
His brows narrowed. “Should I be jealous or worried?”
“About what?”
“That old man stealing my woman.”
I laughed. “You’re funny.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m sure you are, but am I really yours, though?”
“You play all damn day, but that pussy knows who she belongs to.”
I smacked my lips, but didn’t respond because my pussy had surrendered to him the moment he caught me trying to sneak out the back stairwell.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Whatever. Do you have any requests for the party?”
He shook his head. “That’s all you, baby. Whatever you and my mother decide is cool with me.”
“Okay. About the resignation letter . . .”
“Come shower with me.”
He was seated on the edge of the bed and stood, extending his hand toward me.
“I already showered.”
“I know, but I wanna shower with my wife.”
I grabbed the hem of my hoodie, lifting it over my head, letting it fall to the floor and expose my naked breasts. When I pushed my leggings down and over my hips, I had my eyes on Kenzo and noticed him lick his lips. I stepped out of them and slowly walked toward him.
As soon as I was close enough for him to touch me, he grabbed the front of my neck and pulled me even closer. He pressed his lips against mine, and I opened my mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue inside.
Our kiss became intense, and I grabbed the waistband of his pants to unfasten them. I slipped my hand into his pants and caressed his growing erection.
He didn’t let me play with him for long before he wrapped his hand around my wrist, stopping me from further arousing him. We continued to kiss as we worked together, getting him out of his clothes.
Once he was naked, he cupped his hands under my ass cheeks to lift me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck as we hungrily made out like two horny teenagers.
His dick rubbed against my center, summoning my juices to create a slippery surface between us. He walked us to the bathroom, pressed the button to start the shower, and pinned me against the wall as soon as he stepped inside.
He tore his mouth from mine, and his tongue traveled the length of my neck to the top of my chest. When his tongue brushed over my nipple, my body shivered.
My head fell back against the wall, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head as he pushed my breasts together and alternated rubbing his tongue over each.
“I’m so fucking wet for you right now,” I whispered.
“You ready for this dick?”
“You never have to ask.”
He bent his knees while lifting me just enough for the head of his dick to meet my center. Although it was a snug fit, it slipped inside of me with ease.
“Mmm. It feels good when you stretch me wide. So . . . fucking . . . good.”
“You keep talking to me like that, I’m gon’ put a baby in you tonight.”
His attempt to impregnate me would fail, but practice made perfect, and I didn’t mind being his test dummy. He stroked me deep, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but always deep, unintentionally rearranging my insides, then knocking them back into place.
“Kenzo, baby, I’m cummin’!”
“I know.”
As I came all over his dick, he pumped me full of his seeds.
“Have you ever planned an event, Malyah?” Mrs. Goode asked as she drove us to our first appointment of the day.
“No, ma’am.”
“Oh, well, this should be interesting. I’m sure the event planner we choose will handle everything just fine.”
“I guess that’s why they get paid the big bucks.”
“With our condensed timeframe, I was hoping you’d be able to assist so that we meet our deadlines.”
I shrugged. “Event planning isn’t easy, but it’s also not rocket science. I’m sure I can assist where needed.”
She glanced at me, but I didn’t know her well enough to read her expression or determine her mood. Her eyes returned to the road with no comment.
We rode in an awkward silence, but it was better than small talk, which I absolutely hated. I’d never been a conversationalist, and she seemed to be preoccupied with her own thoughts. A text from Kenzo came through, and I was relieved to have something to keep me occupied for a few minutes.
Kenzo:
Good luck today.
Me:
Thank you. I’m sure I’ll need it.
Kenzo:
Everything will be fine, but if you need me to come to your rescue, I don’t mind.
Me:
You have a company to run. I told you, I can handle your mother.
Kenzo:
I know, but don’t hesitate to call me if you need to.
Me:
Okay.
“You’re not much of a talker, are you?” Mrs. Goode asked.
“Not really. I’m an only child and didn’t have a lot of friends growing up.”
“I can tell.”
Her statement could’ve been taken in more than one way, but I chose not to be offended. We continued riding in silence for about ten more minutes before we arrived at our destination.
“This location is my first choice. Since she took the meeting, I assume it’s available for the date we need, and we can secure it.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
A few minutes later, we entered the building’s lobby, and I was taken aback by the vaguely familiar face of a woman who seemed to be waiting for us.
“Callie! I’m so glad you could make it,” Mrs. Goode exclaimed as they embraced.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I said to myself, but loud enough for both ladies to hear me.
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Goode questioned with a smug look.
I knew she was on some bullshit, pretending to like me in front of Kenzo. I could feel it in my gut.
“Why is she here?”
“Who? Callie?”
“I don’t see anyone else.”
“Have you two met?” she asked, ignoring my question.
“We’ve met,” Callie responded.
“Why are you here?”
Maybe I could get an answer from the person in question.
“Callie is here because she knows Kenny better than any woman outside of me. They’re very close,” Mrs. Goode finally decided to answer.
“Yes, we’re very close and have been for years. How long have you known him?”
“Two weeks, which was long enough for him to deem me worthy of being his wife. Y’all have a good day.”
I threw up the deuces and headed right out of the door I’d just entered. Seconds later, Mrs. Goode appeared, and I had no desire to hear anything she had to say.
“Malyah, why are you leaving?”
“Mrs. Goode, you don’t have to like me, but please don’t play in my face. You know exactly why I’m leaving.”
“I just figured Callie could give us some good insight because she knows him so well.”
“No, you just figured inviting Callie would be a way to slap me in the face, without actually slapping me in the face. I’m not in the business of jumping through hoops to get people to like me, and I’d hate for your behavior to put Kenzo in the position to have to choose between us.”
“Tuh! You think after two weeks, he loves you enough to choose you over his mother?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
I walked away and didn’t stop until I was far enough from the entrance to feel confident that neither Mrs. Goode nor Callie would try to engage me again. I pulled out my phone, went to Kenzo’s contact, and FaceTimed him.
“Hey, beautiful,” he answered.
“Your mother is on some bullshit.”
“Uh oh. What did she do?”
“Invited Callie.”
“What did you just say?”
“Your mother invited Callie because she knows you better than anyone outside of her.”
“Is this a joke?”
“No, Kenzo. It’s not a joke. It took every bit of restraint I had not to be disrespectful. I’m about to call an Uber and head back to the apartment.”
“Baby, I’m sorry this happened. I’ll talk to her and find out what she was thinking.”
“I can tell you what she was thinking and save you a phone call, but honestly, it doesn’t even matter. Your mother intentionally disrespected me and attempted to alienate me, but she doesn’t know me well enough to know I truly don’t give a fuck. I’ll see you later.”
“Maly—”
I ended the call, cutting him off because I wasn’t interested in hearing any excuses he may have had about his mother. I may have given Mrs. Goode the impression that I was confident in my relationship with her son, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
At the end of the day, our marriage was fake and built on convenience, not love. Kenzo might side with me in a disagreement with his mother, but I’d never expect him to choose me over her. My anger got the best of me, and words spilled from my mouth before I could process them.
As I went to the Uber app on my phone, my stomach growled. I’d only had a banana before we left, and that was over an hour ago. I surveyed my surroundings and spotted a breakfast restaurant in a plaza across the street.
Five minutes later, I was seated in a booth at the back of the quaint restaurant, looking at the menu. After placing my order, I sent Anika a text to see how her first day was going. Before I could put my phone down, it rang, and Anika’s name appeared on my screen.
“Hey, girl.”
“First of all, I didn’t know you were doing all this shit. The half a day of training you gave me ain’t nearly enough.”
“Are you serious? Has it been hard? I’m so sorry. I can come in and—”
“I’m playing with you, girl. Everything has been smooth so far. Aren’t you supposed to be with your mother-in-law?”
My eyes rolled inadvertently. “That was a disaster. That woman doesn’t like me, and I’m not about to kiss her ass.”
“Did she do something?”
“She did something, all right. She invited Kenzo’s ex.”
“Excuse me, what?”
“We went to the first venue, and his ex was waiting inside. Her name is Callie, and Callie knows Kenny better than any woman outside of his mother because they’re very close,” I said, mimicking Mrs. Goode’s voice.
“Are you playing with me?”
“I wish I was, but unfortunately, it’s true. Kenzo said he would talk to her, and I told him not to bother. Our marriage is fake anyway, so there’s no sense in him starting a beef with his mother over me.”
“You keep saying it’s fake, but that ain’t the vibe I got. I hope you gave her a piece of your mind.”
“I let her know I wasn’t the one or the two and tried not to be too disrespectful.”
“Good. Where are you now?”
“I was about to take an Uber to his place, but I got hungry, so I’m at the breakfast spot across the street from the venue.”
“Well, I need to get started on lunch. Keep me posted.”
“I will. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
My strawberry crunch French toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, and bacon arrived with a tall glass of orange juice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kenzo called and texted a few times while I was eating, but I ignored them because I wasn’t in the mood to discuss the situation about his mother.
After I finished eating, I paid for my food and requested an Uber. By this time, I was ready to block Kenzo because he’d been blowing me up for the past fifteen minutes.
The Uber ride seemed much shorter than the ride with Mrs. Good a few hours earlier. I was surprised to see Kenzo’s car parked in the driveway when the driver stopped in front of the property.
“Thank you,” I said as I exited the vehicle.
“No problem. Nice house.”
“Umm, thanks.”
I rushed up the driveway to the side entrance and let myself inside. Kenzo was waiting for me at the door with an agitated expression.
“Give me your phone,” he demanded.
“What?”
“Your phone, Malyah.”
I gave him my phone and headed to the bathroom to relieve my bladder.
“The code, Malyah?”
“It’s my birthday.”
We’d learned of each other’s birthdays when we completed the marriage license, but I’d be surprised if he’d committed mine to memory.
After I used the bathroom, I returned to the living room to find him on the couch, looking at my phone screen while frowning. I stood in front of him with my arms folded across my chest. He wasn’t the only one with an attitude.
“So, your phone is working fine, and you chose to ignore my calls and texts,” he stated.
“I figured you wanted to talk about your mom, and I didn’t feel like it.”
“You couldn’t answer the phone and say that?”
I shrugged. “I guess not. Can I have my phone now?”
“When I got home and you weren’t here, I thought something had happened to you.”
“As you can see, I’m fine. I was hungry and had breakfast at a nearby restaurant before calling an Uber. I didn’t think it was necessary for me to report that.”
“Aye, I ain’t done shit for you to be giving me this energy. What’s your problem?”
“You think I have a problem because I didn’t tell you I was eating breakfast?”
“As your husband, I always want to know where you are. Is something wrong with that?”
“I’ve never had to report to anyone, so I’ll try to remember that in the future.”
“I left work to make sure you were okay.”
“That wasn’t necessary, so if you need to head back, I understand.”
“We should probably talk,” he suggested.
“There’s really nothing to talk about. Can I have my phone now?” I asked again since he’d ignored me the first time.
He placed my phone in my awaiting hand, and before I could pull it away, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me on top of him. Somehow, I ended up straddling his lap, but before he could lock his hands behind me and force me to stay, I swung my leg over his and sat next to him.
“Oh, it’s like that?” he questioned, but I ignored his statement.
“If you have something you want to tell me, I’ll listen, but I’ve already said everything I needed to say.”
“You don’t have any questions about Callie?”
“Is there something you want to tell me about Callie?”