Chapter 10
The driver pulled up to the house exactly at the time he said he would. I was ready and dressed, hair thrown up, heart racing like crazy. When I got in the back of the truck, I immediately saw the champagne sitting in an ice bucket and a white envelope with my name on it in Kaseem's handwriting.
I opened it and read:
"Tatti,
Today you become my wife. For real. I know this shit moved fast as hell, but you already know what it is with me. No games. No playing around. When I make a promise, it’s forever.
Handle your business today. Get yourself right and enjoy the pampering. You deserve this day.
Tonight, I'm yours and you forever mine.
-Kaseem"
I smiled so hard my face hurt. This man was something else. He was naturally mean, but trying to step out of his way and be nice to me. Ever since the first time that nigga taste it, he’s been singing a new tune, and I ain’t mad at that.
I opened the champagne and took a sip, letting the bubbles settle on my tongue while I held that note in my hand. I was turning a mean ass nigga soft and the crazy part is, he ain’t even got the pussy yet.
"Where are we going?" I asked the driver, who I'd seen around the compound but never really talked to.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror with a slight smile.
"Mr. Carter gave me instructions to tell you to just enjoy the ride, Mrs Carter,” he said. "That's all I'm at liberty to say."
I laughed and settled back in my seat, sipping champagne and watching Dallas pass by outside the window.
My phone rang before we'd even made it five minutes down the road.
"GIRL!" Nyla screamed into the phone. "What the hell do yo nigga got going on?
I damn near got snatched out my damn house by the Carter's driver and security!
Talking about don't ask questions, just enjoy the day. How the hell I'm supposed to enjoy the day when these niggas kidnapping me like they did you? You know, the night we came to that compound and you told us the nigga snatched you out yo driveway, we really thought you were joking. Now, I don’t know.”
I burst out laughing so hard I almost spit out my champagne.
"It's for today," I said, trying to catch my breath. "He's getting us prepared for tonight and I think it’s nice as hell that he thought of y’all and want to pamper you too before the ceremony.”
"They could have just SAID that," Nyla said, but I could hear her laughing too.
Then my phone buzzed with a call from River. Same story. River got picked up the same way, confused and irritated until she realized what was happening.
"This nigga really went all out," River said once she understood.
We stayed on the phone together - all three of us in different cars being driven to different places. They told me about the dresses that got delivered to their houses that morning. Designer dresses, tailored perfectly, that arrived without warning. Kaseem was really doing his shit.
"Girl, mine fit like a GLOVE," Nyla said. "I ain’t ever been in no damn wedding, but now I'm obsessed."
"Mine fit good as hell too," River added. "This nigga really thought of everything."
I sipped my champagne, listening to them hype each other up, and felt something shift in my chest.
"I'm excited and scared at the same time," I admitted quietly.
There was a pause on the line.
"Everything Kaseem has been doing," Nyla said, her voice softer now, "is proving that he's gonna be a good husband. I still don't understand how y'all met and decided to marry this fast, but I'm here for it. I'm truly here for it."
"After how he whooped Savion's ass," River said, "I knew right then that he was the one for you.
A nigga willing to fight for you like that?
That's a real nigga. Not to mention that all kind of hoes been coming out on the media about that fake ass personal trainer.
He was never loyal to you friend. It took for Kaseem to beat his ass for all his secrets to be exposed. " River added.
I had been off social media and out of the loop on everything.
This shit was embarrassing though. Hearing that the man I spent six months with was dogging me out, that shocked the fuck out of me.
Good thing I’d never been gullible enough to fuck him unprotected, and even with that, I stayed up to date with getting checked up.
Here I was being made a fool of, and I ain’t know shit. I was glad he got his ass beat.
We talked until the driver pulled up to a building I'd never seen before.
I told the girls I'd call them back or text them and hung up. I was outside of a Luxury salon and suites that looked like it didn’t serve anything other than millionaires.
I was given instructions to go inside, and I would be greeted.
The salon was even more immaculate in the inside. It was all marble floors, crystal chandeliers, soft lighting that made everything glow. Elegant. Luxury. The kind of place where you could feel the money in every detail. This reminded me of an upgraded version of my regular salon.
As soon as the staff saw me walk in, they all smiled. The owner - a tall woman with impeccable makeup and designer everything, rushed over to greet me.
"Tattiana! Oh my God, welcome! You are even more beautiful than I heard.” she said, taking my hand and pulling me inside.
"I'm Victoria. Mr. Carter called personally to make sure we take the best care of you today, even though I was gonna do that anyway. I have been your mother-in-law’s stylist for over fifteen years and to hear that Kaseem is getting married warms my heart.
We have the whole day planned - hair, makeup, nails, massage.
You're going to feel like absolute royalty, because you are.”
I looked around at the space, at all these people ready to help me get ready for my wedding, and I felt tears start to form. This is something my mother should have been doing with me, but complete strangers cheered me on instead. I was being walked to the back for my massage first.
This was real. Tonight, I was marrying Kaseem Carter.
And he had thought of everything and set it all up without me having to worry about any detail. Again, he was winning more points with me.
—
The massage room was peaceful. Soft music playing, the smell of lavender and eucalyptus in the air, and the masseuse working out all the tension I didn't even know I was holding.
Forty-five minutes of pure silence between us except for the sound of her hands working my shoulders, my back, my legs.
When I came out, I felt like a new person.
All my anxiety and nerves had been massaged away.
Victoria had me sit in the hair chair right away. She started talking about what she was thinking for the style while I watched myself in the mirror. My natural hair was already full and healthy, but she asked if I'd be open to clip-in extensions to add more length and drama to the style.
"Make me feel and look like a bride, and I mean the baddest one too,” I said, and she smiled like she understood exactly what I meant.
She was halfway through adding the first clip when the door opened.
The entire salon went silent.
I looked up in the mirror and saw Zuri walk in like she owned the place. She moved with that same power I'd seen in Kaseem, but hers was different. Colder. More calculated.
I sighed at the sight of her ass and felt the stylist pat my shoulder reassuringly.
Zuri went straight to the stylist Victoria and hugged her like they were old friends.
Then she pulled a chair directly in front of me, turned it around backward, and sat down with her arms folded on the back.
She wanted to intimidate me too damn bad, but I wasn’t having that. And now her ass was stalking me too.
We looked at each other for a moment before she spoke.
"Hello, Tattiana," she said, her voice smooth but carrying weight. "I must say, you have a natural beauty about yourself that I couldn't deny if I wanted to. Without makeup or your hair done yet, the glow is undeniable."
She paused, studying my face.
"And maybe that's what makes me so uncomfortable," she finished.
I kept my eyes on her reflection in the mirror.
"Uncomfortable or are you jealous?" I asked.
She leaned her head to the side slightly, like she was considering the question.
"See, that's what I need you to understand about me," she said.
"I've never been jealous of nothing or no one.
Anything in this life that I want, I've always been able to have.
With you, I just worry. I know my son better than anyone.
I know his triggers, and his biggest one is a liar.
Keeping secrets is the same as telling lies.
But at the same token, I can see him getting so caught up in your beauty that he may forget his own principles. "
I bit my inner jaw and looked directly at her.
"Zuri, you keep coming at me like I asked for any of this," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"I didn't ask to be a part of your family, and you know that.
You all made the decision and for the life of me, I can't understand what is your problem with me.
At some point, you have to get over yourself.
You needed me, I was just fine where I was but I see you like to forget that part. "
She looked at me long and hard. Her eyes moved across my face like she was reading something written there that only she could see.
"I know girls like you, Tatti," she said quietly. "And I just want to make sure that all my blood, sweat and tears won't crumble because my husband made the wrong decision when choosing our son's wife."
I didn't ask what she meant by that. I just took a breath and kept going.