24. Chapter 23
By the time New Year’s Eve finally arrived, June had spent weeks damn near driving herself crazy planning Marcus’ birthday celebration.
The dining room table had been crowded for weeks with RSVP cards and a guest list packed with people from all over Philly, black envelopes, gold wax seals, fabric samples, centerpiece ideas, liquor selections, and seating charts while her phone stayed glued to her hand damn near twenty-four hours a day.
June remembered crossing names off the list before sealing another invitation carefully.
Marcus used to sit back laughing while watching her stress over every little detail.
“Babe... why the fuck is it a waiting list for a birthday party?” Marcus laughed one night while watching her pace across the kitchen in fuzzy socks and an oversized T-shirt.
June held her finger up at him dramatically while talking into the phone.
“No. I said black roses with gold trim. Not silver. Gold.”
Marcus shook his head laughing into his drink. “You got these people scared of you.”
“I should.” June finally hung up before pointing at him. “This is your thirty-eighth birthday. We are not about to look cheap.”
Marcus smirked from the kitchen island. “You going all out for just one night, whatchu got up your sleeve? You know you can get whatever you want J, you know I love you.”
June paused for a moment after hearing that.
Then she rolled her eyes dramatically to cover it up. “I don’t want anything babe, the look on your face when you see how everything turns out is all I need.”
Meanwhile Marcus had no idea that the night of the party would be a night that no one would ever forget.
By the week after Christmas, social media damn near couldn’t stop talking about Marcus Johnson’s New Year’s Eve birthday celebration at Heaven’s Door and The Pearly Gates.
Black envelopes decorated with gold foil lettering had started showing up all over Philly and Jersey with custom wax seals stamped with an M and private QR entry codes inside.
The invitation simply read:
THE KING’S BALL
Celebrating Marcus Johnson’s 38th Birthday & New Year’s Eve Celebration
Hosted at Heaven’s Door & The Pearly Gates
Formal Attire Required.
Black. Gold. Silver.
A few days after Christmas the entire city damn near knew about the party. Social media was poppin’ regarding Marcus's New Year’s Eve birthday celebration at Heaven’s Door and The Pearly Gates downstairs.
And truthfully?
It damn near was.
Everybody and their grandmama wanted an invite.
Especially after Heaven’s Door reopened following months of investigations, fines, temporary shutdowns, lawsuits, bad press, and nonstop rumors after the Halloween shooting.
Marcus had paid damn near a fortune fixing violations, replacing security, cleaning up the club’s image, and getting certain people off his back.
The shooting investigation slowly died down after the right amount of money went into the right hands behind closed doors, and business started booming again almost immediately. VIP reservations sold out within days of the reopening announcement. Everybody wanted to be seen there again.
Marcus told June multiple times this birthday felt different. Almost special.
Marcus had been walking around like a man who had been through hell and back for too long.
He kept saying maybe this year was finally his year.
June would just smile at him every time he said it.
Tonight was definitely the night. New Year’s Eve finally arrived cold as hell with snow covering the streets and luxury cars lined outside Heaven’s Door before the party even officially started.
The club looked glamorous and very upscale.
Gold drapes hung from the ceilings while black crystal chandeliers reflected against silver lighting throughout the room. Massive custom backdrops covered the walls showing Marcus dressed in all black with layered gold chains and a stern expression on his face like a rap artist on an album cover.
KING MARCUS
38 YEARS OF POWER
Gold balloons floated near VIP sections while sparklers burst beside giant illuminated numbers reading 38. Black roses sat inside tall crystal vases on every table while candles flickered throughout the club making everything glow warm and expensive.
The entire spot looked less like a birthday party and more like somebody crowning a king.
And tonight?
Marcus dressed exactly like one.
His tailored black velvet blazer fit him perfectly over a sleek gold silk button-down left slightly open near the collar.
Tailored black trousers hugged his muscular frame while polished Chelsea boots clicked against the marble floors downstairs.
His fresh fade looked razor sharp and his beard was lined up so clean it damn near looked airbrushed.
Every woman in the building looked at Marcus twice tonight.
But Miss June?
June looked like the type of woman that’d have men calling their wives sounding just like Richie from the movie Harlem Nights and saying, “Baby... I ain’t never comin’ home no more.”
The oversized black blazer draped off her shoulders perfectly while her sparkly gold tube top caught every light inside the club.
The tight faux leather leggings looked like they were painted on her while gold thigh-high boots set the whole look off making her look absolutely perfect for the occasion.
Her bone-straight ponytail swung down her back while her gold jewelry covered damn near every part of her body.
Chunky bracelets were stacked along both wrists.
Oversized rings were damn near all her fingers.
Sharp winged liner framed her eyes while her deep red lips looked dangerous as hell beneath the lights.
When Marcus saw her walking down the staircase earlier that night, he actually stopped talking mid-sentence.
Steelo noticed and busted out laughing. “Damn nigga, you done forgot how to breathe.”
Marcus stared at June with his mouth open. “Nah... my baby threw that shit on tonight.”
June smirked and came over to him and she put her hand to his chin to close his mouth. “Watch that drool on the floor.”
June and Marcus weren’t the only ones looking fresh as ever. Baby, everybody came dressed like money.
Mercedes walked into the club looking rich and pregnant as hell in a gold and silver Mac Duggal sleeveless sequined mesh midi dress.
She wore a black pair of Schutz Lovi suede kitten heels.
She was pissed that she couldn’t wear her usual pumps due to her pregnancy, but she made it work and still managed to look good.
Her hair was bone straight and it went well with her sparkling diamond earrings.
Steelo matched her perfectly in a tailored black suit layered over a fitted black turtleneck with silver accessories and a Rolex sitting on his wrist.
Quinese arrived to the party with her crew wearing a black corset bodycon dress with silver diamonds running along the sides while her new platinum blonde pixie cut was slicked to perfection.
On her feet she rocked a sharp pair of Badgley Mischka Effie strappy bow stiletto heels to enhance her look.
Dakeerah looked fly as hell wearing a silver cutout dress with long jet black curls hanging down her back almost to her waist with a pair of Jimmy Choo Azia 95 dusty silver glitter sandals.
Katina stepped in behind them wearing a black fitted jumpsuit with a gold waist belt, gold Louboutin heels and her medium length bob was nothing short of exquisite.
Johari and Angel walked in looking like that new money.
Angel wore a gold satin halter dress hugging her curves nicely with a pair of black Saint Laurent Tribute platform sandals while her honey blonde curls bounced around her shoulders.
Johari kept it stylish wearing her hair in a slick bun with loose curls coming down on the sides, a silver ultra mini dress and black Saint Laurent Opyum sandals.
Azhari and Khalil arrived fashionably late looking like a damn power couple straight off a magazine cover.
Azhari wore a silver metallic knee-length gown with a pair of white red bottoms and dramatic eye makeup while Khalil kept it smooth in a fitted black tux with diamond cufflinks, black Gucci loafers and a silver Cartier watch.
The DJ kept the club jumping while waitresses paraded through the room carrying trays of Hennessy BBQ brisket sliders, fried lobster and waffle bites, buttery crab stuffed mushrooms, and gold-flecked salmon croquettes with remoulade sauce.
At the dessert station there was an array of banana pudding shooters, bite-sized cheesecakes, chocolate-covered strawberries, and gold-dusted pastries. Meanwhile bottles of Ace of Spades, Dom Perignon, Don Julio 1942, Clase Azul, Hennessy XO, and expensive wine covered nearly every VIP section.
Downstairs at The Pearly Gates, guests crowded around the massive ice-sculpted raw bar loaded with oysters, king crab legs, jumbo shrimp, and fresh lemon trays while chefs worked the five-cheese macaroni station adding lobster, shrimp, bacon, and shaved truffles into custom made bowls.
Champagne bottles popped every few minutes.
Cameras flashed constantly.
Music shook the walls.
Marcus shook hands, hugged people, laughed loudly, and accepted birthday shots every few minutes. He stood near the VIP section taking pictures with guests while grinning harder than June had seen him grin in months.
“You happy?” she asked softly while adjusting his blazer collar.
Marcus spanked her booty and smiled. “You can bet that fat ass of yours I am.”
Marcus and June exchanged goofy laughter between one another.
“Nah, but on the real baby, this is the best birthday I ever had.”
For a split second something strange moved behind June’s eyes.
Then it vanished almost immediately.
Then she smiled softly before fixing his chain. “Good.”
By 10:30 the entire building was packed shoulder-to-shoulder.
The DJ screamed into the microphone while blending records together perfectly.
“IF YOU CAME TO GET FUCKED UPPP TONIGHT MAKE SOME NOISE!”
The crowd yelled excitedly "HELLLLL YEAAAHHHHH!!!"