Chapter 13
Thirteen
“ S o, you’re sure?” I asked over the music in the courtyard.
“Yes, sir. He came in acting cocky as a muthafucka and asked if I knew of any other clubs or resorts in need of party promotions and management. Whitter didn’t know word had spread to the West Coast—at least to HAYDAR —that his ass gotten the boot from KHARI ,” Jorie, one of my managers at Flare in HAYDAR , scoffed. “They think because I’m a woman and a mother, I’m not on top of the politics between the two casinos. I told Whitter I could lose my job for referring him to competitors. Then the idiot had the nerve to try to charm me. What the fuck? I can’t stand men who think all single women are thirsty.”
I dropped my head and pinched my nose. Jorie never minced words. Even her interview a few years ago for club Flare was interesting. This call to her was about Rob’s visit to Flare last month. I’d been slowly talking to my staff over there to find out just what Rob had been doing in my place. It seemed I’d gotten my answer. Rob was trying to fuck with me. He thought he’d use my staff to finesse his way into a new gig, my competitors no less. His plan had been half-baked.
“Sorry you had to endure that, J.”
“Nah. It’s all good, Capo. But that’s pretty much it. He stayed around. I comp’d his drinks and food seeing he was alone. I hope that wasn’t a violation. He just seemed so…lost, Capo.”
“I got you, J. No sweat. Thanks for taking this call with me.”
“No problem, Capo. Good luck out there this weekend! I’m taking the kids next month. I can’t wait.”
“I’ll take care of y’all. Just hit up Munch before you make the arrangements.”
“ Awww! Thanks so much, sir.”
“Later, Jorie.” I disconnected the call, taking a deep breath.
Fucking, pestering ass Rob Whitter. I needed to make a call on how to eliminate him as a problem in my world.
As the track played, I stood in the last row from the stage watching Nicky talk to her D.J. and one of my sound crew members. We were less than seven hours from the start of the show tonight. During soundcheck, I stayed away to allow my event’s coordinator visibility. I stopped in to see about the stage. The one my production team assembled days ago collapsed on one side. After a short investigation, we learned the person responsible for acquiring the stage and its accessories had ordered it used instead of new from the manufacturer.
With tears in his throat, he explained his intention of saving money. He used the money saved on extra light equipment. Well, not only did my event’s coordinator have to order a new stage today, but he had to pay for expedited shipping. There were shows of various types happening all week. We also had to break down the stage Brielle will be using tomorrow night in an entirely different location to bring it over here and have it assembled. This stage took up considerably more space as it was larger to accommodate her live band and dancers. This forced my coordinator to rearrange the courtyard for our impending guests.
“Yirp!” I heard shouted from behind.
It was StentRo, followed by his son, Jordan, and Mehki. As usual, StentRo was smiling to the point of his eyes being closed. I offered him dap on his approach.
“What it do?”
“This shit is sweet!” he sang excitedly, looking all around the courtyard.
“Thanks, man!” I replied to Stenton as I gave his son some love, too. “I hope y’all ain’t have no trouble getting in.”
This area was sealed off to the general public. When Mehki texted me asking where I was and I told him, he asked if they could come through. They were touring the grounds. So, I cleared them with security.
“Face card is never denied,” Stenton bragged, pointing to his face. “You feel the kid?” He laughed.
Mehki was next to give dap to. “As soon as Uncle Stent’s bodyguard pointed to him, the security guys welcomed us in.”
“Then I have more people to fire today, I see.” Though I didn’t smile when saying it, I was joking.
Yes, I had to fire someone today. My managers and coordinators fired and disciplined even more over the past few days and would likely continue to do so well into the weekend.
“Okay with the yada-yadas!” Mehki praised, reaching down to slap the top of my Prada crisscross sandals. Then he pinched the hem of my sleeveless shirt. “Then we hitting them with the arms-out Fendi top and matching shorts. I see you, Poppy, letting them thangs breathe in the ocean breeze!”
Jordan laughed at Mehki’s silly ass.
“Nah. Purple ,” I corrected him on the brand.
“Oh, my bad. Purple . Either way, the old man’s killing out this muthafucka!” He offered me dap, which I accepted, shaking my head.
StentRo scoffed, “These youngins’ don’t know shit about fashion.”
“Yeah. A’ight!” Jordan challenged him. “Why you say that?”
“Because y’all lil niggas think dope fashion is what everybody’s wearing, like them played out ass, ugly ass Yeezy s,” StentRo clowned. “Them shits would be on the sales rack at Kmart back in my day.”
Ki had them in just about every color. He was wearing the black foam runner ones now. Jordan rocked red slides. I never understood the hype.
“Nah, Unc!” Ki laughed. “My shits stay fly.”
“It’s eighty-seven degrees out here with a beaming sun, and you’re wearing those heavy ass, rubber shoes, my guy,” I teased him.
Jordan busted out laughing hard while Mehki lifted his feet, paying them a close inspection. “You got this one wrong, Poppy!”
“How’s this going?” StentRo asked, moving closer toward me with his attention toward the stage.
“So far, not many hiccups.” I lifted one of my walkie-talkies. “I was told she’s thinking about switching mics. I’m guessing that’s what they’re discussing.”
“Cool. Cool.” He drew his hands behind his back. “So, not too many issues this weekend? The place looks phenomenal, by the way! Zoey and Amora are still at the zoo. My princess didn’t wanna leave. So, the fellas and I continued our tour without them.” He nodded. “Pretty lit.”
“Glad you enjoyed the zoo. It’s meant to be interactive for kids and adults. My team went hard on the details. We were able to snag some of the best vets in the business, too. But issues?” I blew out a breath. “A pipe burst in one of the exhibits over there yesterday. I was back and forth with the manager over that. Had to involve our insurance policy. Yada, yada, yada.”
“Damn,” he murmured. “I heard about a kitchen fire from Divine.”
I scoffed, “Yet another fire. At this point, just bring me my damn coat, mask, and a hose.”
As the boys carried on their own conversation about Nicky’s ass, StentRo laughed. “You know what I told you. You need a hobby. Something you don’t make money from. Something to provide a little escape.” He peered over me, down to Mehki. “And something that don’t include that lil nigga. Fuck these kids, man.” His phone chirped. “ Damn . Even when in the fuckin’ Caribbean, I can’t get no break,” he mumbled. “Good luck with today. I’ll hit you later.” He offered dap then took off.
I caught when he motioned for the boys to follow him.
“Alright, Unc! I’ll be front and center tonight.” Jordan and I slapped palms.
“Okay, JR. I see you, young king!” I shouted him out.
When Mehki stepped over to give his parting greeting, I asked, “You staying at the villa tonight?”
“Nah, Poppy.” He slapped my shoulder while I held his other hand in my own. “I heard what Uncle StentRo said. You need some recreation. Some time to blow off some steam. It’s all good, broadie. Auntie Zo said I’m more than welcome to stay with them. The suite is sweet as hell, player. You did your big one with this.”
A superpower of a parent is knowing their children’s every emotion. If you pay close attention, no matter how much they grow to school their expressions and mannerisms to appear “cool” or “unbothered,” you still see hints of their true feelings. It’s so clear, you can almost recognize the once, chubby features in their now, mature faces—the features from back when they hid no emotion from you. They were quickly reactive and expressive.
“No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my baby boy. The kid who made my heart do shit that kept me up at night, planning and plotting how I’d give you the best life my hands could afford. Ki, I know I ain’t perfect, but if there’s been one being on earth I endeavored to be that for, it’s always and only been you. I fucked up?—”
“Nah, Poppy. You just living.” I saw when he swallowed hard, a slip of his emotions. “You don’t owe me shit.” He brought his other hand from my shoulder to where our palms were joined. “You’ve given me privileges not many Black boys’ parents can afford.” My baby boy then grabbed me at the top of my head and kissed my forehead. “You owe me nothing.”
Then he took off toward Jordan, who was at a distance, waiting on him while tapping on his phone. The motherfuckers had the nerve to look like grown men from behind. My fucking chest tightened. I had yet another fucking fire to put out. This was another one in my personal life.
“ You chin-chin wanna, wanna, wanna. Make you wanna scream and cum! ” We rapped along with Nicky as she rolled toward the stage floor in a twerk. “ He twist my body. Man he fun. ” Shi-Shi , who was even more lit with the dance moves than Rayna, turned to us, making the same animated expression Nicky made in the video for this track, and voiced with the rapper, “ But you ain’t Queens. So, bitch, we done! ”
Actually, we all shouted those lines. But Shi-Shi clearly stole the show. I couldn’t believe I was at a Nicky concert on Red’s Island , in the mix with celebrities. While, technically, not a celebrity, Shi-Shi was a popular dance influencer. She had also been in a high-profile relationship with actor, Austin Seers, for years.
The two broke up suddenly without an explanation, making those of us who were huge fans of the couple curious as hell. And when Shi-Shi popped up with a baby almost a year later— a baby who was clearly not Austin’s —we lost our fucking minds. She hadn’t skipped a beat, it seemed. If anything, Shi-Shi became more visible, dancing for music artists and modeling for high- end fashion brands. Like me, she was a tall girl. Unlike me, Shi-Shi worked out regularly. It was a part of her brand.
Sundryia didn’t lie last year when she told me she’d met Shi-Shi, and she was unbelievably cool. Tonight, she and her friends were the life of the party. I could tell she looked up to my cousin, Rayna. Both women were dancers, only Shi-Shi did it professionally while the art was a hobby for my cousin. We were all out here in pink, rocking out to Nicky. Although Rayna admitted early to not being a big fan of hers, she’d been good energy.
All the women, including my cousin, Sundryia, who typically didn’t drink, had a cup in one hand. I was the odd ball out. Adult beverages may have been restrictive for me, but my baby, who’d been alternating between sleep and awake throughout the concert, was the cup I held protectively.
Nicky was closing the show, announcing her last song. I’d had a good time out here. Rayna and I were driven over to the resort together. We met up with Sundryia at a bar where they had “pre-gaming” drinks. Then we met up here with Shi-Shi and her girls for the show. So many celebrities were in the courtyard. The mayor of New York City was shouted out. R they’re safe here. We want you to feel this is one of your homes and you’re free to come whenever you need to.” I yawned. “Or I need you.”
She wrapped an arm around my back, expressing her acquiesce.
Ishaan didn’t speak at all on our way back to his private villa. We were driven by a different driver than any I’d had today. His attention went between four communication devices as he typed into each. The closer we drew to our destination, one by one, he powered all but one off. It reminded me of his walkie-talkie conversation in the courtyard when he said he’d be unavailable for the rest of the night.
There was so much I wanted to ask about his day. How much help did he have? What issues had he run into other than what Rayna shared? What exactly had Azmir’s role been during the opening? Was the day a success? Had he eaten? What would happen if the weekend was a total failure? Did he like the way the ensemble he’d picked out looked on me? Had he heard from Mehki?
He assisted me out of the car. I watched as he used the numeric keypad on the door to let us in. The place was dark but for the lights showering in from the labyrinth pool architecture outside. They cast friendly shadows inside. Still, I wondered if I should have left a light or two on before heading out with Rayna to the concert.
When I continued advancing inside to power on the lights, I was tugged back by the wrist.
I was breathless when my breasts collided with his chest. The ends of his braids slapped against my face as he leaned down.
“It’s been a long day, Hayden.” His lips grazed my own, causing me to shiver.
“I know,” I acknowledged breathlessly.
“A long fuckin’ day, filled with surprises.”
“I heard.”
“And through each hour, and between each fire, all I could think about was you,” he murmured throatily, his heart beginning to race. “I’ve missed you, Boo-baby.”
My jaw vibrated when I stupidly admitted, “I missed you, too.”
“Oh, yeah? But I ain’t like missing you.”
“Me either.” Then I swallowed when hit with a question. “Why?”
“Because then I have to remember you’re not really mine.” His big hand rested on my belly. “Only a part of you is.”
“I know,” I whispered, eyes fluttering at his proximity. His heat. His cologne and shampoo mixed with sweat from the extreme Caribbean temps. It all intoxicated me. “And I didn’t like missing you because it means I’m feeling more than what you’ve implanted inside of me.”
“Don’t fight me tonight,” he growled. “I don’t have the capacity.”
I shook my head, my speeding heart fragile. “I won’t— I don’t want to.” Fuck . I was feeling desperate.
“Good. Now, fuck me like you trust me.”
My throat tightened when I challenged, “Only if you do me the same.”
Ishaan managed to spin me around until my back was toward him. My head was yanked back by the ends of my cornrows and face lifted. His lips were slow, grazing up my neck, ear, then over to my cheek until they landed on my mouth. I was so revved up, my tongue raced to meet his. I loved when he kissed me from behind like this. It made him feel so dominant. The exact alpha he was referred to on the walkie-talkie.
I watched as her ass cheeks clapped against the skin of my thighs from the reflection on the glass railing of the balcony. Her swelled tits bounced in the air each time she landed at the root of my cock. Hayden’s nipples were huge. The circumference of the areole was considerably wider than they were the first time I’d seen them. They were fucking beautiful and transformed by… me . The syrupy-colored line tracing from the top of her belly all the way down to her pelvis were all marks of my doing.
Hayden’s hips were wider. I didn’t have to see to know. But watching her naked flesh jiggling on top of mine conjured satisfaction like nothing else. Her pussy was rhythmic, reactive…therapeutic. There had not been an adjustment period between us as lovers. Hayden had not been shy about her sexuality with me at all. Once in a while, I found myself wondering if she’d been this generous with other men. Then I’d decidedly killed my ego and just been grateful for my chance.
And clearly, I’d had my chance. I’d marked her body permanently. I fucking loved this. Mixing fluids with her six months ago was one of the most reckless mistakes I’ve ever made in life. Now, it was my favorite craving throughout the day.
She bit her bottom lip, tossed her head back. When her hands went to her nipples to rub, I asked, “You ‘bout to bust?”
Hayden nodded, face tightening.
Quickly, I reached for my phone on the granite floor of the balcony, just to my right. “Breathe, baby,” I coached as her thighs clenched around my hips and waist. Her eyes bulged when she saw the camera on her. “This is for us. I want you to see how damn sexy you are when my dick is inside of you. Just trust me, Boo-baby.” Her stride didn’t break much until I took the first two pix, which caused a flash in her face. I wanted several angles of this, not all of her private parts either. “Cum for me.”
“ Fuck! ” she cried softly, hips percolating over me.
“Breathe!” I demanded again while taking two more. Capturing what I needed, I quickly placed the phone down next to me on the cushioned patio lounger, reached up for her tits, and squeezed with a biting pinch. Then I sat up to pull one into my mouth.
“ Ishaaaaaan …” There was no base in her cry as she bucked her hips and squeezed the warm, gooey walls of her pussy around my dick.
“That’s it, baby.” I licked her nipple while encouraging, “You look so fuckin’ gorgeous. That’s what you are. Perfect . You’re so damn captivating. You’re…” I managed between sucks as her soft arms wrapped around my shoulders. “…beautiful. Say it,” I demanded in the middle of her orgasm. “What are you?”
“ Bew —” I grunted. “Beauti… ful ,” I cried, struggling to catch my breath. Every cell in my body tingled. Bursts of ecstasy, in a way I’d only experienced with this one man, had my spine unstable as I rode him wildly in the night air. The flash was no longer a distraction. It was just me dancing on his thick, generous, and responsive organ, making me feel a new level of femininity.
Ishaan …
His presence in my world was loud, intrusive, and life changing. The man was otherworldly to me. He was powerful and flagrant. Ishaan was dangerous to a loner like me. I’d mastered existing alone, not particularly needing intimacy of any kind. My most stable relationships had been with my cousin, Sundryia, and friend, Letisha, if they counted much. I’d maintained my own space—my own corner in the world where I could preserve…me. I could rely on me, protect me, and save myself from yet another letdown of humankind.
But with the way Ishaan communicated with me in more ways than his words, my guard was forcefully lowered. As my orgasm dwindled, I was able to open my eyes and focus them down on his beautiful face. His expression was lax, soft as he watched me. The camera was gone but his attention had not moved.
“You’re so beautiful. I’m so happy you’re here with me.” Ishaan looked intoxicated sharing that. “Give me a chance,” he grunted. “Let me in.”
I leaned in to kiss his soft lips and taste his foolish tongue. Ishaan thought I was the type of woman who dreamed of being swept off her feet by the first willing guy. I was not. I pulled back from his talented mouth and pushed him at his hard pecs, urging him to lay back onto the lounger. Ishaan took the cue, affording me the most breathtaking masculine view of his muscular torso. The line of demarcation ending the graphics on his neck, shoulders, and breastplate never failed to capture my attention.
I knew Ishaan by now. After having sex with him more than a handful of times, I could tell his orgasm was nearing. That made me pick up my pace and loosen my hips to take more of him in. I brought my arms up, hands to my braided head so I could squeeze my titties together, presenting a better view for his enticement. Ishaan’s tight gaze was stapled onto me, making me feel powerful.
“You trust me?” I asked.
It took a few seconds, but Ishaan nodded. I grabbed the phone he’d just used and tapped to get to the camera without the password. Setting the app to video, I began to record him. Shit . I couldn’t keep the phone steady with my deep thrusts over him, but the thought of him giving me this power was all I needed. Grabbing my left breast, I flicked my nipple, staring him dead in the eyes.
Within seconds, Ishaan’s head rolled back on the pad of the lounger and his jaw went lax. “Pwaaah” broke silently through his lips as he collided with what I knew was pleasure.
He was cumming, spurring on deeper upswings and plunges. My pussy rolled and rolled and rolled until his cresting was obvious in his chest movements. Ishaan’s hands shot up and grabbed my hips greedily. His body rolled and rolled as he fucked me from below, using the fat of my ass to anchor himself. The man held onto me like he needed me, and I liked it. I’d given him a release after a stressful day at work. The eagle-eyed protector and cultivator for a formidable corporation was beneath me, being reduced to a layman, capable of being affected by passion and not power.
Breathing harshly, Ishaan unclamped my hips. His rhythmic movements halted though mine continued. With an unsteady hand, I ended the recording then began slowing my thrusts.