Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
BILLION
By nine-thirty that morning, I’d already said no to spending damn near twelve million dollars. Xavier sat across from my desk looking at me like I’d lost my mind.
“So we just walking away?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You told them no.”
“I told them I’m not paying twelve million for a building that’s worth nine.”
He leaned back in his chair.
“They asking eleven-eight.”
“ And they’ll take nine-five.”
“You know that for a fact?”
I closed the folder sitting in front of me.
“No.”
He frowned.
I smiled.
“But they don’t know that.”
Xavier stared at me for a second before shaking his head.
“See, this why I don’t negotiate with yo ass.”
“Naw you don’t negotiate with me because I sign your checks.”
“Yeah that too,” Xavier agreed.
I laughed and reached for the coffee sitting beside my laptop.
The property we’d been going back and forth over for almost three weeks was a twelve-story office building sitting on prime land near downtown Orlando. The owners knew what they had but problem was…so did I. And wanting something had never made me stupid enough to overpay for it.
My office phone rang. I pressed the speaker phone button.
“Yeah?”
My assistant’s voice came through the speaker.
“Your ten o’clock is here.”
“Aight gimme five minutes.”
“Also Mrs.Stylez called.”
I looked at my cell sitting on the desk.
“For what?”
“She said call her when you get a minute.”
“Alright.”
The line disconnected.
Xavier looked at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then quit looking at me.”
He laughed before standing up.
“I’m gone let you handle your twelve-million-dollar problem.”
“Nine-million dollar problem,”
“What ever helps you sleep at night.”
I shook my head as he walked out.
Once the door closed behind him, I grabbed my phone and called Kaizleigh.
She answered on the second ring.
“Hey baby.”
“Wassup babe?”
“You busy?”
“Always.”
“I can call you later.”
“I didn’t say I couldn’t talk. What’s going on?”
She got quiet for a second and that alone made me sit back in my chair.
Kaizleigh wasn’t the type to struggle with saying what was on her mind.
“I was doing some research last night.”
“On what?”
“Surrogacy.”
I didn’t say anything right away because the word kind of surprised me. We’d talked about it before. Doctors had mentioned it. We even had information handed to us after one of our appointments, but it never went further than that.
Kaizleigh always wanted to try one more time herself. Then one more time turned into another. And it was a repeated cycle.
“What kind of research?”
“Everything really. Like the agencies, the process…How they screen the women. Contracts. IVF. What right everybody has.”
She paused.
“I think I wanna talk to somebody.”
“About using a surrogate?”
“Yeah.”
I leaned back in my chair.
“Hmmm you sure?”
“No.”
I respected that answer more than I would’ve respected a quick yes.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be completely sure about letting another woman carry our baby, Billion.”
I listened.
“But I’m starting to realize being scared of something don’t automatically mean it’s the wrong thing.”
“Okay.”
“I found an agency here in Orlando with really good reviews. I’m thinking about calling and setting up a consultation.”
“When?”
“I haven’t scheduled anything yet.”
“Good.”
She got quiet.
“Why good?”
“Because I want us to talk about this first.”
“We are talking about it.”
“Naw, I mean really talk about it, like at home face-to-face. Not while I’m sitting behind my desk and you wherever you at.”
She sighed.
“Okay.”
“Where are you?”
“Getting my nails done.”
I smiled.
“Exactly.”
“What my nails gotta do with anything?”
“Nothing baby. I’m just saying I don’t want us making this decision between emails and pedicures.”
“Oh my gosh babe shut up.”
I laughed.
“Tonight aight?”
“Tonight,” she agreed.
I looked down at my wedding ring.
“And Kaizleigh?”
“Yes baby?”
“If this what you really want, I’m not automatically against it.”
She got quiet again.
“You mean that baby?”
“I do, but we’re doing this together.”
“I know.”
“No, I’m serious. Aint no researching yourself into a damn panic. All that scheduling five appointments before we even understand the first one. We gone take our time and figure this shit out together.”
She laughed softly.
“I wasn’t gonna schedule five appointments.”
“You absolutely were.”
“Maybe two.”
“Kaizleigh.”
“Baeee, I’m joking.”
I smiled.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Finish getting your nails done.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And don’t call that agency yet.”
“I said okay.”
“I know my wife.”
She laughed.
“Bye, Billion.”
“Bye, baby.”
I ended the call and sat there for a minute with my phone still in my hand.
Surrogacy.
We’d talked about damn near everything else the doctors had put in front of us, but this was a lil different. Kaizleigh was considering letting another woman carry our baby. And apparently so was I.
I placed my phone back on the desk and looked at the folder sitting in front of me. Surrogacy wasn't something I could figure out sitting in my office anyway. I had shit to do.
I pressed the button on my office phone.
"Send them up."
"Yes, sir."
Less than five minutes later, Xavier walked back into my office with two men following behind him.
I stood and buttoned my suit jacket.
"Gentlemen."
"Mr. Stylez."
We shook hands before everybody took a seat.
The next hour was spent going back and forth over numbers.
They wanted eleven-eight.
I offered nine-two.
They came down to eleven-five.
I went up to nine-four.
By the time they realized I wasn't in a rush to spend my money, the entire energy in the room had changed.
One of the men leaned forward.
"Mr. Stylez, I think we both know this property is worth more than nine-four."
"I do."
He frowned.
I smiled.
"It's worth nine-five."
Xavier dropped his head and tried to hide his laugh.
The man sitting across from me didn't find it nearly as funny.
"You're willing to lose the property over a hundred thousand dollars?"
"Nah."
I leaned back in my chair.
"But y'all willing to lose nine and a half million over two."
That shut the room up.
I didn't say anything else.
I didn't need to.
A few seconds passed before the two men looked at each other.
"Give us until tomorrow."
"Take your time."
I stood.
"But my offer expires at noon."
Xavier walked them out while I sat back down and checked the time.
11:17.
My phone buzzed with a text from Kaizleigh.
Kaizleigh: You ate?
I smiled.
Me: Here you go.
The bubbles appeared immediately.
Kaizleigh: That's not an answer.
Me: I'm about to.
Kaizleigh: Billion.
Me: Damn woman. Yes.
Kaizleigh: Liar.
I laughed and put my phone down.
She knew me too damn well.
Xavier walked back in.
"They pissed."
"They'll live."
"You really think they taking nine-five?"
"Yep."
"What if they don't?"
"Then somebody else can overpay."
He shook his head.
"I swear you don't get attached to shit."
"I get attached to people."
"Property got a price."
"That's actually some smart shit."
"I know."
He dropped into the chair across from me.
"You eat?"
I stared at him.
"What?"
"Why everybody worried about what the fuck I ate today?"
"Because you get mean when you hungry."
"I'm mean when I'm full too."
"True."
He laughed.
I reached for my phone and opened the delivery app.
"Speaking of food..."
I thought about the hotel.
"Tia say anything about lunch getting there yesterday?"
"Yeah. She emailed you."
"I ain't see it."
"Everybody got fed."
"Good."
Xavier looked at me.
"You know you don't have to do that, right?"
"Do what?"
"Feed a hundred-something employees that don't technically work for you."
I shrugged.
"They take care of my property."
I scrolled through the menu on my phone.
"Least I can do is make sure they eat every now and then."
Xavier nodded.
"That's why they like your ass."
"They don't have to like me."
"No."
He stood.
"But it damn sure make running a business easier."
I laughed.
"Get out."
"I'm going."
"And order me something."
He stopped at the door.
"You just had the app open."
"I changed my mind."
"Lazy rich nigga."
"Employed nigga."
He laughed.
"Fair enough."
It had been a long ass day and by the time I pulled into the garage that evening, I was tired of talking. I was tired of meetings, phone calls, emails and some more shit.
Another offer on a property in Tampa. A problem with a contractor in Winter Park. Nothing I couldn't handle, but enough to make me ready to shut my brain off for the night.
The house was quiet when I walked inside.
I loosened my tie and followed the smell coming from the kitchen.
Kaizleigh was standing at the island with a glass of wine in one hand and her phone in the other. Two covered plates sat on the counter.
I walked up behind her and kissed the side of her neck.
"Hey, baby."
"Hey."
She turned around.
"How was your day?"
"Long."
"You get the building?"
"Not yet."
"How much?"
"Nine-five."
She smiled.
"They wanted twelve."
"They still do."
"And you still being cheap."
"I ain't cheap."
"You're definitely cheap when it comes to business."
"That's why you got this kitchen."
She looked around.
"You got a point."
I laughed before taking my jacket off and laying it across the back of a chair.
"You cook?"
She looked offended.
"Why you say it like that?"
"Because I know my wife."
"I could've cooked."
"But did you?"
"No."
"Exactly."
She laughed.
"I ordered from that place you like."
"See. That's why I married you."
"Because I know how to use DoorDash?"
"Among other things."
She rolled her eyes before sliding one of the plates toward me.
I washed my hands, grabbed a fork and sat across from her.
For a few minutes, we just ate.
She told me about her day.
I told her about the meeting.
She laughed when I told her the offer I made.
"You know they hate negotiating with you."
"That's not my problem."
"It will be when nobody wants to sell you anything."
"They'll sell."
"You that sure?"
"Everybody got a number."
She shook her head.
"I swear."
I took another bite before looking at her.
"So..."
She looked up.
"So what?"
"You wanted to talk about surrogacy."
Her fork slowed.
"Yeah."
"You still wanna talk about it?"
"I do."
I nodded and pushed my plate back a little.
"Alright."
She took a sip of her wine before setting the glass down.
"I don't want you thinking I woke up this morning and randomly decided this."
"I don't."
"I've been reading about it for a while."
"How long?"
"A couple weeks."
I looked at her.
"And you ain't say nothing?"
"Because I didn't know how I felt about it."
"And now you do?"
She shook her head.
"Not completely."
I waited for her to continue.
"I know I want a baby with you."
"I know."
"And I know I'm tired."
That part came out quieter.
I put my fork down.
Kaizleigh looked at me.
"I'm tired of getting excited every time a doctor tells us something new might work. I'm tired of shots. I'm tired of appointments. I'm tired of watching lines on pregnancy tests. I'm tired of getting my hopes up just to end up right back where we started."
I didn't interrupt her.
"I don't think I can keep doing that to myself, Billion."
"Then don't."
Her eyes met mine.
"It's that simple to you?"
"When it comes to you hurting yourself trying to give me something?"
"Yeah."
I nodded.
"It's that simple."
She looked down at her hands.
"But I still want to be a mother."
"And I still want to be a father."
She looked back up.
"Then what if this is how we get there?"
I sat there for a second.
"Then we learn about it."
"Together?"
"How else would we do it?"
She smiled a little.
"I don't know."
"You know."
"I do."
I reached across the island and took her hand.
"Schedule the consultation."
Her eyebrows lifted.
"You sure?"
"No."
She laughed.
I smiled.
"But neither are you."
"True."
"So we go ask questions."
"And if we don't like what we hear?"
"We leave."
"And if we do?"
I shrugged.
"Then we figure out the next step."
Kaizleigh squeezed my hand.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
She reached for her phone.
I frowned.
"What you doing?"
"Scheduling the consultation."
"Right now?"
"You just told me to."
"Damn, can I finish eating first?"
"Nope."
I laughed as she unlocked her phone.
"I knew I should've told you to sleep on it."
"Too late."
She pulled up the website she'd apparently already had saved.
Of course she did.
"Look."
She turned the phone toward me.
"They have an opening Friday at eleven."
I looked at the screen.
Then at her.
"Book it."
"You sure?"
"Before I change my mind."
She smiled and tapped the screen.
A few seconds later, her phone chimed.
"Done."
"That fast?"
"That fast."
I shook my head and picked my fork back up.
Kaizleigh sat there smiling at her phone.
"What's the smile for?"
"We got an appointment."
"I know."
"Friday at eleven."
"I heard you."
"Billion."
"What?"
"We really doing this."
I looked at my wife.
Then at the confirmation sitting on her phone.
"Yeah."
I took another bite of my food.
"Looks like we are."
I was really on whatever my wife was on. I mean this was something big but aye it was her world I was just living in it and sponsoring her act bad behavior. And if her walking around with a baby on her hip is what she wanted, I guess it was anything to make it happen.