Chapter 18
For Slim’s birthday, I went all out for the hotel room.
I paid a decorator to do her thing; she had complete control as long as it came out nice.
I had been planning her birthday for weeks.
I wanted everything to be perfect because Slim deserved it.
I took her hand as we walked toward the entrance.
She kept dragging her feet, forcing me to slow down.
I had bags from the trunk. Unbeknownst to her, I had everything she would need tonight—pajamas and her toiletries.
Check-in was quick and the woman behind the desk handed me two key cards.
“Everything you requested has been taken care of, Mr. Stone.”
“Mr. Stone?” Slim chuckled.
I smirked, reaching out to pinch her waist. She moved back, laughing. Shaking my head, I looked back at the clerk and said, “I appreciate it.”
We headed toward the elevators.
“What did you request?” Slim quizzed.
I pressed the button for the twentieth floor once we stepped inside. Slim moved into the corner and folded her arms over her chest.
“What?” I questioned.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
She was nervous as fuck. There were plenty of times we slept in her bed together, even while her mama was at work.
We never moved passed anything other than kissing and swiping spit, but that’s it.
I was on Slim’s time. I wasn’t trying to rush her to do anything else until she was ready.
I didn’t want her to regret anything, and when it did happen, I wanted her to be sure and comfortable in her decision.
I led Slim to the penthouse suites. It was for one night, but I didn’t care how much it cost me. When we reached the door, I shifted the bags into one hand and pulled the key card from my pocket.
Slim looked at the number before glancing at me. “This is a suite?”
“Yeah, penthouse.”
Slim’s sleepy widened. “Really, Kane” Whyyy?” she groaned. “You just wasting money. I didn’t need a penthouse. Not for one night.”
“Want to make it two,” I joked, but was slightly serious. “I will, and it ain’t wasting if I’m spending it on you.”
I pressed the key card to the pad and it unlocked. Pushing the door open, I let Slim enter first. When she gasped loudly, I knew the decorator had done her shit.
Pink, white, and gold balloons covered the ceiling, with long ribbons hanging down throughout the room.
Rose petals created a path from the entrance to the bedroom.
Against one wall, gold balloons spelled out HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY, SCOTTIE, and pictures of Slim from different stages of her life, that I’d gotten from her mama, hung from the strings.
here were baby pictures, school pictures, basketball pictures, and a few I had taken when she wasn’t paying attention.
A table near the windows held a pink-and-gold basketball cake, chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers, and more gifts. Two customized jerseys were spread across the bed. One had STONE and my number on the back. The other had SLIM with the number eighteen.
Slim slowly walked farther into the suite, looking around like she was afraid everything would disappear if she moved too fast.
“Damn,” I mumbled when she still hadn’t said anything. “You don’t like it?”
She turned around. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you ain’t saying shit.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“That usually don’t stop you.”
We laughed.
“I love it. I’m trying so hard not to cry because I’ve never had a birthday like this before,” she said quietly. “I appreciate you so much, Kane. For real. It’s so pretty. Thank you.”
Her voice cracked on that last word, and she quickly turned her back to me.
“Come here,” I said through a snort. “Bring yo crybaby ass here, Scottie.”
The second I opened my arms, she rushed into them. I wrapped her up, holding her tight against my chest. She buried her face in my shirt, and I felt her take a shaky breath.
“You ain’t gotta thank me for wanting to see you happy,” I told her. “And you better get used to this shit.”
She pulled back enough to look up at me. “Get used to what?”
“Being celebrated. Me showing up for you. Being my girl. All of it.”
Her eyes watered again. I wiped Slim’s eyes.
“Maaaan come on and lay down. You doin’ all this crying like you don’t know how I get down behind you, Scottie.” She laughed. “What?”
“You keep calling me Scottie, nigga.”
I chuckled and pulled away from her. “’Cause that’s your name, shorty.”
“You went to college and came back a different breed,” Slim laughed. “I like it.”
I mushed her head and when she turned around, I smacked her ass. “I grew up. I’m not the Kane you first met.”
Slim’s eyes widened. “I see.”
I laughed and started removing my clothes so I wouldn’t get in the bed in outside clothes.
When I was down to just my boxers and ball shorts, I sauntered over to the AC unit to turn it on.
When I started to limb in the bed, Slim started taking her clothes off.
She kept her sports bra, but removed her tights.
She had on black boy cut panties, that hugged her ass.
Slim hated it, but I loved how nice her ass was. It sat up and it was perfectly round. That’s why she wore big clothes, because she knew the perverts in the projects would be looking. I didn’t blame her.
Slim cuddled into me, her front to my front. Her chin tucked into my neck.
“I still think this is crazy,” she mumbled.
“What?” I asked, already knowing what she was talking about.
“Me and you.”
“Nah,” I said with a slight shake of my head. “I don’t think it’s crazy.”
“I wasn’t even interested in anything but basketball.” Slim cackled. “I wasn’t interested in niggas. I was a damn tomboy. Damn near looked like one with the durag and big ass clothes.”
Placing a kiss to her forehead, I told her, “That shit didn’t bother me. I like you for you, not what you wear. I know you a female underneath all that shit.” I laughed loudly.
“What if I was a lesbian?” Slim cackled, gripping my sides.
“Go to sleep, Scottie,” I said through a snorted laugh. “Go to fuckin’ sleep.”
It was a little after seven p.m. when I woke up before Slim. She didn’t know, but I had a few more surprises for her. A makeup artist was on her way to beat her face. I was already aware that I was going to catch hell from that alone. Slim didn’t do makeup.
I carefully slid my arm from beneath Slim’s body and climbed out of bed. She frowned in her sleep before reaching for the spot I had just left.
“Where you going?” she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed.
“To the bathroom. Go back to sleep.”
“You better come back.”
I smiled. “Bossy ass.”
Slim flipped over and pulled the blanket above her head. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It was 7:08. The makeup artist had texted me, letting me know she was downstairs. I sent her the room number before heading into the bathroom.
A knock sounded at the door, as soon as I emerged from the bathroom.
Slim shot up. “Who the fuck is that?”
I laughed. “Calm down.”
“Why is somebody knocking on the door?”
She rubbed her eyes. “You know what I mean. Kane, who is it?”
“Put this on.” I tossed her the hotel robe.
Slim caught it against her chest. “Why?”
“Because I’m not opening the door with your ass sitting in the bed half-naked.”
She climbed from the bed and slipped it over her body. Once the belt was tied, I opened the door.
The makeup artist stood in the hallway with two large cases and a ring light. Slim stared at her before slowly turning her head in my direction.
“What is this, Kane? Who is she?”
“This is Ebony, and she’s finna do your makeup, baby,” I answered, letting go of the door and it shut loudly.
“Kane, I don’t wear makeup.”
“I know, but it’s your birthday, and I want you to try something different.”
“I’m not wearing no thick-ass eyebrows and eyelashes that look like windshield wipers.”
The makeup artist laughed again as she rolled her cases into the suite. “He requested soft glam. Nothing too dramatic.”
Slim’s eyes narrowed. “He requested it?”
“I told her not to have you looking like a whole different person.” I snickered at the look Slim was giving me. She wanted to kill me, and I was alright with that.
Slim pinched the inner corners of her eyes. “I’m doing this for you, but this would probably be the only, and I do mean only time I wear it.”
I nodded. “Aight, but what about when we get married?” I asked her, causing her eyes to widen.
“Chill, Kane. You’re taking me too fast. Let’s not talk about that.” Slim laughed nervously. The makeup artist smiled, her eyes darting from me to Slim.
“Well, let her do your makeup so we can make the reservations I have for us”
The makeup artist started pulling out and setting her things up. Slim sat in the chair, her eyes in slits. I grabbed my clothes and disappeared into the bathroom so I could get my shower out of the way.
By the time I finished showering and getting dressed, almost forty-five minutes had passed. I wore black slacks, a fitted black button-down shirt, and black loafers. I left the first two buttons open and added my chain and watch.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, the makeup artist was packing her things.
Slim was standing near the windows with her back facing me.
Her arms crossed over her chest as if she was irritated.
She turned around and my heart damn near dropped.
She was already beautiful to me, but right now she was fuckin’ gorgeous and the makeup was light.
Lashes, blush, a little razzle dazzle to her eyes brows, but not that thick shit she didn’t want.
Her lips were a light pink, lined with a darker shade of pink. Scottie was beautiful as fuck.
“Damn, I breathed out, finally breathing.
“I’m taking it as you love it,” Ebony said with a smile.
“On big sandals upstairs I do,” I replied, causing them both to giggle. I quickly sent Ebony the rest of her payment plus a extra tip for doing a great job. Even Slim wasn’t talking shit. Her ass must’ve liked it, but wasn’t going to express it.