Chapter Eight
Drek
“Drek! Drek! Over here!”
“Look this way!”
“Xyleek!”
The number of cameras flashing in my face and voices I heard calling my name was honestly insane.
I’d done appearances with Xy before but never anything to this extent.
I knew tonight was extra special for him, and I was more than happy to be on his arm for his big night.
A black man being the headliner for such an exclusive and elite event was unheard of.
He was the first to do it, and for that, I was extremely proud of him.
For fifteen minutes straight, we walked the white carpet and took photos.
I couldn’t deny how good he looked in his black-on-black Tom Ford suit with his diamonds glistening under all the flashes from the cameras.
Xy’s hand never left the small of my back, and that made me feel more secure than his security that was trailing us.
“You okay, Angel?” he whispered in my ear as we posed like a loving couple for the last few photos.
I nodded, staring up at him. “I’m okay.”
“You eating these pictures up, bae,” he cuffed my ass unapologetically with a smirk. “I can’t wait to leave here with you.”
Giggling, I pecked his lips. “I bet your lil’ freaky ass can’t. Stop showing off for these cameras.”
“I’m showing you off.”
Biting into my bottom lip, I smiled and shook my head at him.
After he did a quick interview with one of the blog sites, we stepped inside of the ballroom, and I was in complete awe.
It was so pretty, and I could smell the wealth in the room.
From the white silk table covers to the expensive chandeliers that hung around the room to the crystal centerpieces to all of the attendees.
Every single thing in that room said, I’m rich and I know it, and Xy made sure that I blended in.
The stacked diamond bracelets I wore were probably worth close to half a million dollars. Pair that with the necklace and earrings I wore, and I’m sure I was wearing a million dollars in jewelry. All compliments of Xy, and I wasn’t mad about it.
Xy had to have stopped and spoken to every person in the room and understandably so.
The night might’ve been for charity but really it was for him, his accomplishment, and whatever behind the scenes deal that needed to be made between the elite and wealthy.
I wasn’t stupid, so after the first time we came to this gala, I asked Xy why the damn jewels were being bid on for so much money.
That’s when he told me it was so dirty money could be cleaned.
The higher the bid, the cleaner the money was, the secret motto of the gala, so I minded my tax bracket.
After grabbing a flute of champagne, I continued to accompany Xy as he held conversations.
I wanted to sit my ass down, but I knew he needed me near him, so I played my part.
Smiling and making small talk with muthafuckas who would probably clutch their purses a little tighter if they saw me coming on a regular day.
It honestly amazed me how well Xy worked the room and how much people seemed to bend to him.
Even the people who I knew Xy didn’t care for and vice versa, they couldn’t deny his star power, and it was raining heavily in that room.
Finally, we were able to take a seat at the table with the board members of the Gem Trade Association who coordinated The Diamond Gala every year.
They were a bunch of older white men with even older money and wives.
I didn’t relate to any of them, but for Xy, I got on my Angela Bassett shit and faked the funk.
“Thank you all for being here,” the host got up on stage, gaining everyone’s attention and making the chatter from the party die down.
“It is an honor to welcome you all to the tenth annual Diamond Gala where tonight’s sponsor is the one and only Xyleek Chambers of The Diamond Chambers,” he gestured towards our table and the room erupted in applause and cheers.
Looking over at Xy, I didn’t miss the blush on his brown cheeks. He acted humble a lot, but he really was that nigga in every sense of the word.
“The youngest and the first black male to be the headlining sponsor. That speaks volumes about his business, his work ethic, and his willingness to go after whatever he puts his mind to,” the host continued bragging on my man. “Xyleek, we thank you and can’t wait to see your piece later on.”
Xyleek nodded in appreciation while the board members sitting closest to him tapped him on the back with a good ole atta boy. It made me giggle inside because if we were around a bunch of niggas, the congratulations would’ve looked and sounded much different.
The host got the night started with the bidding, and I can’t lie, the pieces they brought out were stunning.
Prior to our arrival, Xyleek told me to bid on anything that I wanted, but in my opinion, nobody’s jewels or designs were more perfect than his.
For that reason alone, I wasn’t about to waste his money on some shit that I didn’t really believe in.
“And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for - the final piece of the night. Xyleek, would you like to come up and tell us about it before the bidding gets started?”
Winking, he stood up and adjusted his suit before smoothly strolling onstage. Damn that nigga looked good as hell.
“When I created this custom piece…I was in a dark place. That’s usually when I do my best work,” he chuckled and so did everyone else before his gaze landed on me.
“Whenever I’m not with my lady, that’s when I’m in a dark place.
As a man, I can admit that I’ve done a lot of wrong in my life, but loving this woman has been the only thing right I’ve done.
The piece was inspired by her…more so it was inspired by her absence in my life.
When she left…when I pushed her away, it was like she took all of the color with her.
And with that, I created this piece as a reminder of the light that she brings in my life. ”
I started blinking rapidly because I wasn’t aware that Xy had created something based on me.
I mean sure, he made different designs all the time for me, but he never sold them.
He made them and gifted them to me, so I was shocked as hell that he had created something that he was willing to let someone else have.
When the case holding the piece was rolled out, my eyes bugged out of my head. The yellow diamonds were to die for, and I actually might’ve been a lil’ jealous that the nigga was auctioning that shit off.
“This is The Angel’s Heart, because this is what my baby’s heart looks like to me,” he winked at me again and motioned towards the case. “Twenty-two carats of pure pressure. We saved the best for last because the bidding for this piece will start at ten million.”
My ears turned hot as fire hearing that number.
Ten million? He created a necklace that was worth ten damn million dollars?
When I saw a paddle shoot up in the air immediately, I don’t know if I was more shocked, impressed, or flattered that someone was willing to kick out that kinda money.
Then again, we were sitting in a ballroom full of people who wouldn’t even blink if ten million went missing from their back accounts.
Paddles continued going up left and right until the final number that settled was thirteen million. Disbelief was the only thing I felt as Xy swagged back over to me, cool as cucumber.
“Baby,” I squeezed his arm a little. “What the hell! That necklace was so beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you, my angel,” he kissed me then thumbed my face. “I’ll let you get a good look at it before it goes to its new owner,” he saluted with two fingers at the heavy-set Indian guy who’d won my heart in diamond form.
Glancing back at him, I smiled and returned my attention to Xy. “Thirteen million is insane.”
“He needed to wash ten,” he leaned forward and whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.
Shaking my head with a chuckle, I should’ve known there was more to the story. “So, the necklace is worth…”
“Three million but you, my baby, are priceless,” he squeezed my thigh, igniting the butterflies in my stomach.
The thing that kept me intoxicated on Xyleek was the way he made me feel and the words that came out of his mouth.
Could he have been selling me some bullshit dream?
Yeah, but I was willing to buy it in the moment.
He was charming and charismatic and alluring, and I think that’s why people were truly attracted to him.
He was this larger-than-life kind of person that just pulled people, including myself, in like a magnet.
For the next three hours, people approached our table to speak with Xyleek regarding official and unofficial diamond business.
The way he handled them while still making sure he was present with me and that I was okay had me turned on and ready to go.
After Xy went onstage to close out the gala and share some knowledge and give some thank you’s, we were finally able to leave.
I was happy as hell because my dress was unforgiving, so I was ready to get out of it.
“Shit, I forgot to talk to Paul,” Xy cursed after we’d gotten in the truck, and he’d taken his suit jacket off to get comfortable. “Angel, can you spare me ten more minutes?”
“Of course, baby. Ten minutes though. I want to get out of this tight ass dress.”
Chuckling, he nodded and kissed my lips before hopping out of the back of his truck with one of his securities.
Xy booked a room in the city for us for the night so that we didn’t have to make that three-hour drive back to the Hamptons until tomorrow, thankfully.
The last thing I wanted to do was sit in that dress for another three hours. The ride there was already rough.
Taking my phone out of my clutch, I responded to Ken’s text and then started my TikTok scrolling.
While scrolling and laughing, Xy’s phone started ringing in his jacket pocket.
I thought about checking to see who it was but then decided against it.
I didn’t want to ruin my night like that.
It stopped ringing but seconds later, it was ringing again.
I looked out of the heavily tinted windows but didn’t see him coming, so I dug in the pocket and took his phone out.
Since we’d rekindled our flame, he had been letting me go through his phone regularly, which put my mind at ease slightly.
Seeing the unknown number calling, I battled in my mind with if I really wanted to answer.
Something told me I wasn’t going to like what was on the other end, and then the call stopped, so I put his phone down.
His screen lit up again with the same number, and that time I answered. “Hello?”
“Oh, hi. This is Nurse Knowles calling from Riverside Regional Medical Center. May I speak with Mr. Xyleek Chambers?”
My heart stopped as I started thinking the worst. “He’s not with me at the moment, but this is his wife,” I lied because I knew otherwise, she probably wouldn’t tell me shit. “Is everything okay?”
“Um…” she hesitated for a few beats. “Well, he’s listed as the next of kin for someone that we have here in the hospital, and we need to speak with him regarding her condition.”
“Her? Her who? Is it his sister?” I panicked even more. I loved Vani like she was my own sister.
“Ma’am, I can’t share the patient’s information with anyone besides next of kin.”
The air in the car got thick suddenly, and I started to feel nauseous thinking something was wrong with Vani or even worse, his mom. “Uh…um, okay. I will tell him to call back as soon as he gets back in the car.”
“Thank you, and please let him know it’s urgent,” she told me, disconnecting the call right after.
I went to mine and Vani’s text thread and sent her a text to see if she would respond. If she didn’t, then I knew it was her in the hospital, but if she did, then I had to assume it was his mother.
Vani Girl: I’m at home. The gala over?
She responded in seconds, making my heart sink straight to my ass. Xyleek was a damn momma’s boy if I’m being honest, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell him something had happened to her. I tried to keep myself together, but it was hard and moments later, Xyleek and Dean returned to the car.
“That was like nine minutes and thirty seconds,” he joked after sliding inside. “What’s wrong?” he asked the second he saw my face.
“Xy…you got a phone call,” I passed his phone to him. “You should call them back.”
“You answered? Who was it?”
“T-t-the h-hospital,” I forced the words out, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “The nurse wouldn’t tell me…who’s in the hospital, but I texted Vani, and she’s home so that only leaves…”
A weird look flashed across his face before he hopped back out of the car.
I watched as he paced back and forth with his phone to his ear.
I wanted to get out and comfort him, but I also knew how he got when he was pissed the fuck off or scared.
The last time I saw him scared was when Vani had a motorcycle accident a few years back.
He was on ten thousand then worrying about his baby sister, so I knew he was about to go crazy for his mother.
“We’re going back to Virginia,” he spoke in a tone that told me not to ask him shit when he got back in the car.
Scooting closer to him, I took his hand in mine and gave it a comforting squeeze. I didn’t know what waited for us back in Virginia, but I prayed hard that his mother was fine. Xy couldn’t handle a loss like that, and I feared it’d rock our relationship to its breaking point.