Chapter 8
Raphael
4/20
The Smoker’s Holiday
“Welcome to the Canna-Cabana,” the women at the entrance said in unison.
Accepting a pre-rolled blunt all those who entered would receive, I thanked them.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Reed,” the woman whose name tag read Sophie crooned. The suggestive glint in her eyes matched her overly sweet and syrupy tone.
I ignored both and continued forward, taking in the space with a sense of pride building in the center of my chest. All the hard work me and my team, along with the help of Ashlynn, her cousin, Tiffany, and the workers of HFV put in truly paid off. Situated on the eastside lawn of Harrison Hall, we’d transformed a plain, white event tent into an upscale cannabis consumption lounge with black leather chairs and couches, LED-illuminated tables, soft up-lighting, two bars serving cannabis-infused cocktails, and a DJ adding to the chill, laidback atmosphere. Sheer green, white, and black drapes—my brand colors—hung from the center of the ceiling and cascaded down the sides, giving the room an overall intimate feeling which was the type of vibe I envisioned when I mentioned this to Tiffany.
The Smoker’s Soiree started out as a yearly, four-twenty party, inspired by MJ’s crazy ass, I threw for my friends after finishing graduate school, but once Stoney and I got Dream Escape off the ground, it morphed into something outside of my wildest dreams. An event where like-minded cannabis-loving muthafuckas like myself could come, socialize, and network while getting high and celebrating the holiday that brought us all together. It offered a safe, non-judgmental environment for WTP VIPs and selected guests to enjoy themselves freely without endangering their lives or the lives of others since I provided lodging accommodations for those who opted to stay, in addition to transportation to and from the party.
Although there was no one but the staff inside of the tent, I didn’t mind. The evening had just begun, and the ballroom of the manor was already packed from wall-to-wall with invited guest, who would remain there until after dinner was served before being allowed to roam the other areas. After giving my welcome speech, I snuck out the back door, before anyone could see me, needing to take a minute to myself to reflect on everything I’d done with Weed the People and Dream Escape. While my dreams of playing professional basketball had been set on fire, out of the ruins of my would-be career, my desire to enlighten, enrich, and teach people the benefits of medical marijuana were birthed—like a phoenix from the ashes.
I’d achieved more than muthafuckas gave me credit for, and the shit felt amazing.
“Would you like a light?”
Snapping from my thoughts, I turned finding Sophie standing a few inches in front of me, with the same fuck me look she’d given me moments ago.
“Uh … Sure.”
Before she could produce a lighter, my heart began to pound furiously in my chest. The tantalizing scent of a fragrance I knew so well I could name the top, mid, and base notes for, wafted to my nose. Ashlynn. I didn’t have to see her to know she was close. My body’s reaction to her presence was instantaneous. The hardening of my dick against my thigh, how the hairs at the nape of my neck and arms standing on end, and the sheer force pulling at my entire being were all telltale signs. This was the woman I planned to spend the rest of my life with loving, protecting, worshiping, and supporting, and I never failed to thank God for bringing Ashlynn into my life.
“Allow me.” The huskiness of Ashlynn’s voice floated to my ears, and I bit back a groan.
She pressed her heavy breasts against my back, her hand snaked over my shoulder, down my chest and stomach to the front of my belt buckle. I’d been so locked in a trance, watching her emboldened movements, that I failed to notice her other hand until the flick of the lighter caught my attention. I placed the blunt in my mouth and leaned forward to light it. Once lit, I took a long pull, removed it, and leaned forward until I could feel the warmth of her breath fanning my face.
As if she knew what I expected of her, Ashlynn opened her mouth, and I exhaled, blowing a puff of smoke directly into her mouth. She inhaled, her hooded eyes drifting closed. I had no idea how long we stood like that, with our lips barely touching, and the blunt slowly burning at my side, but when Ashlynn’s eyes fluttered open, they were filled with lust and need. Sophie, thankfully, was nowhere to be found.
I took Ashlynn’s hand in mine, leading us over to a lounge area situated on a platform near the back of the room, and pulled her onto my lap. “You good?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I was just about to ask you the same question.”
I passed her the blunt and watched as she took a hit.
“You kinda got the fuck up outta there after your welcome speech.”
“Damn,” I laughed. “I didn’t think anyone saw me.”
Ashlynn smacked her teeth. “Even if I hadn’t been watching you, I would’ve known where you were.”
“Your Double R radar is finally working?”
“Sure is. Apparently, I needed a realignment. Phenomenal dick will do that for you.”
“Damn straight. Told you to let me up under that hood, baby.”
“You’re a mess.” She rolled her eyes, although the smile she tried hiding couldn’t be contained. “But seriously, what’s going through your head? I can feel the nervous energy rolling off you in waves.”
I sighed, accepting the blunt and taking a puff. “I don’t know why but tonight feels bigger than any Smoker’s Soiree I’ve done in the past. I’m not sure if it’s because we plan on announcing our mari-wine-a, the amount of celebrities in the building, or because finally the one person whose opinion matters the absolute most to me is here to see what I’ve accomplished in person.” I touched my free hand to her chin. “I know I told you we weren’t going to focus on what could’ve been while we were apart because our love brought us back together, but I’d be lying if I pretended tonight wasn’t different.”
Ashlynn stared at me without a word before bursting out in laughter, laughing so hard she let out a snort. She clapped a hand to her mouth, but the damage was already done.
“Yo.” My eyes widened as I looked at her in amusement. “Did you just snort.”
“I couldn’t help it,” she said in between laughing. “Mari-wine-a? The hell, Raphael? Out of all the names you could’ve chosen, that’s the best one?”
Unable to stop myself, I chuckled. “Stop faking like that shit ain’t fire.”
“Maybe a fire in the hole. Mari-wine-a is crazy.” Once her laughter subsided, Ashlynn cupped my face. “On a serious note, I understand what you’re saying. Tonight is special, and it’s kinda hard not to think about everything we missed in each other’s lives. It’s been five years, and until we make enough memories to silence them, the what-ifs will continue to linger on the edge of our minds.”
We went back and forth, passing the jay, until she snuffed it out. Nuzzling her neck, I peppered soft kisses on the sensitive skin there, enjoying the way Ashlynn writhed in my arms. “Thank you for being here, Dream, and for everything you’ve done to assist me in making my vision a reality. I know I was a difficult ass client, but now you can admit it’s been worth it.”
“Bullshit.” Ashlynn touched a gentle hand to my chest. “You know I love you, Raphe, but you were a pain in my ass. Not even in a good way. I lowkey wanted to—” She sat up, her eyes locked on something across the room. “What the hell?”
“What? What’s wrong?” I asked, following Ashlynn’s line of vision, to a man standing at the bar. Instantly, I recognized him as the same muthafucka who’d followed Ashlynn around the Berry Ballroom at my family’s NYE gala. Schooling my features, I glanced at her. “You know him?”
She shook her head. “No. Well, yes. Not really.”
I raised a brow. “Which is it, Dream? Either you know him or you don’t.”
Sighing, Ashlynn looked at me. “I don’t know him, but I know of him, and I’ve met him.”
“Okay,” I prompted, waiting for her to elaborate.
“I don’t want you to laugh at me if I tell you this.”
“Why would I laugh?” I was genuinely confused.
“Because you did when we talked about the date I went on to Dye Hard,” she said, pouting.
“Aww, princess, I’m sorry.” I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, nose, then her lips. “You’re right, I did laugh, but I wasn’t trying to make fun of you, I swear. I just kept thinking about how ol’ boy threw a hissy fit each time he got shot.” I laughed at the memory. Dude really was bitch made, and honestly, it pissed me the hell off that she’d even entertained his ass.
“See, you’re laughing now.”
“Wait.” I held my hand up in surrender. “Babe, I wasn’t laughing at you this time. I was just thinking about ol’ boy and how he was whining to the ref when he got tagged out.” When Ashlynn didn’t say anything, I sighed. “I’m sorry. Tell me what’s up.”
It took what felt like a few minutes but was only a couple of seconds before she huffed a breath, then turned to face me better. “I met him the night of your parents’ gala. He approached me and asked to dance, but I was more focused on being ready when you showed up. So, I told him we would dance later. However, later never came. I was about to go over to him to talk or something, but before I could, he took one look at me and walked away, like he’d seen a ghost.” She frowned, looking back over to the bar where the guy stood with his focus on his phone. “He just did the same damn thing. Saw me, then turned away.”
“As he should.” Her brows knitted together, and I explained, “He didn’t see a ghost, Dream. He saw The Devil.”
“The Devil? Wh-What are you … Oh my gosh, Raphael!” She delivered a hand slap to my arm. “What did you do?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. If I did, he wouldn’t be here.”
Ashlynn pursed her lips together and folded her arms underneath her breasts. “So what did you say? And before you try to deny it, I know you, Raphael.”
“I wasn’t going to deny shit, Dream. I told his punk ass, like I’ve told plenty of muthafuckas who thought they had a shot with you, that he didn’t. You are and have always been mine.”
“And he just accepted what you said with no questions?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Glancing over to where ol’ boy stood, I smirked, watching as he stared at Ashlynn. He took a sip of his drink, then his eyes landed on me. They widened when he realized he’d been caught. He grabbed his glass and rushed toward the exit. I looked back at Ashlynn and shrugged. “You’re wondering if I threatened him or even put my hands on him. I wanted to beat the hell out of him every time he touched you but didn’t. All I did was tell him the truth. You belong to me, and it would be in his best interest to stay the fuck away from you.”
“Did you also tell him I would one day be your wife?” she asked, wrapping her arms around my neck.
“You know, you’ve brought up marriage twice now. I’m starting to think you really missed the kid. What is it? My Timbs? My baggy jeans? My thug appeal? Do you like it when?—”
Holding up a hand, Ashlynn cut me off. “You’re insufferable, Raphael Anthony Reed.”
“Yeah, and that’s one of the reasons you love me.”
“It is,” she agreed. “Another reason is this.” Cupping my hardening dick, Ashlynn massaged it as she buried her face in the crook of my neck. “If I wasn’t scared someone would see us, I’d tell you to fuck me right now.”
I gripped her thighs, and slid my hand between her legs, brushing a finger against the damp material of her panties. The growl that bubbled from the depths of my soul was pure animalistic.
“Dream. Princess. You should know better than to threaten me with a good time. I’ve never been one to have decorum, nor would I pretend to tonight.” The moan Ashlynn released was music to my ears. I pushed the edges of her panties aside and slid a finger a through her slickened folds.
“Hmmmm. As much as I want you to make me cum right now, we still have business to attend to.”
With my free hand, I glanced at my watch. Ashlynn and I were scheduled to announce our exclusive cannawines to the crowd of a little over a hundred soon, yet the only thing on my mind was making her cum on my fingers. “Cum for me, Dream.”
Ashlynn gasped. “Here? Raphe, people can see us.” Despite the fear present in her voice, Ashlynn didn’t make a move to stand up or push me away. Her thighs fell open a little more, and she moved her body against mine to the beat of the current song playing, chasing the orgasm I was all too happy to give her. “Oooh,” she sighed, leaning back until she rested against my chest. Though the tent was still empty, albeit the staff, to anyone looking it would appear like we were vibing out, dancing to the music; at least, I hoped that’s what it looked like. Then again, I didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought about what we were doing.
“You like that, baby?” I wrapped my hand around her throat and squeezed, applying a small amount of pressure.
“Yes, fuck,” she sighed breathlessly, placing her hand on top of mine.
“Are you gonna cum for me?” I ran my tongue along the shell of her ear and down her neck to her pulse point, feeling it thunder as I suckled the scented skin there. She shuddered but didn’t respond. I slapped her soaking wet pussy several times, repeating the question each time my hand grazed her cit. “Answer the question, Dream. Are you going to make me happy by cumming hard on my fingers?”
“Yessss.” The word came out a hiss through her clenched teeth.
“Then do it, princess. We’re on a tight schedule.” I slid two fingers inside of her, fucking her faster and faster until her walls contracted around them, and Ashlynn came hard, her body shaking violently in my arms. Minutes later, after both of our breathing returned to normal, I removed my hand from her panties, and licked each finger clean. “I’ll never get over how delicious you taste.”
Ashlynn smiled, staring at me through half-closed eyes. “Good thing you don’t have to, Raphael.” On shaky legs, she stood, and I followed suit, discreetly adjusting her dress and fluffing the curls our rendezvous flattened. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, beautiful. Now, go ahead and get cleaned up. I’ll meet you backstage in ten minutes.”
“Sounds good to me.” Ashlynn started to walk off, but I caught her by the wrist. “What’s wrong?” she asked, turning to face me.
“Nothing’s wrong, although …” I took a deep breath, pushing both of my hands into my pants. “When I came to your office back in February, I was going to beg you to give us another chance, but I could tell you weren’t ready for that conversation. So, I put my backup plan into effect by asking you to collaborate with me on the cannabis-infused wine and the Bud Box, in addition to you helping out with the Smoker’s Soiree. I figured I’d wine and dine you, show you why we’re good together. Maybe it was the wrong way to go about things, but I don’t regret how I went about getting you back. I can admit I was desperate.” I chuckled, though there was nothing funny about the situation. “In basketball, we call it setting a screen. The military would refer to it as a smoke screen.”
“I know what a smoke screen is, Raphe.” She placed a hand on my chest, smiling up at me like I held the answers to all of her problems. “I won’t say I knew what you were doing all along, but I peeped game. I wouldn’t have agreed to work with you if I wasn’t open to the possibility of us rekindling anything. The truth is, we’ve never stopped loving one another, and although it took time, I strongly believe we would’ve ended up together at some point. The only difference is, we cemented a possible working relationship in addition to adding to the foundation of our personal relationship. I love you as much as you love me, and although I have no idea of what the future holds for us, knowing our love was able to survive years of us being apart only confirms we belong together. Now,” she stood on her toes, although the heels she wore put her close to my lips, “lemme go so I can get cleaned up unless you got something else you wanna confess.”
“Nah, sweetheart. You got it.”
Without another word, Ashlynn left, leaving me standing alone, thinking about what she’d said. Neither of us could control the future. Nor did we know what was to come, but our love sustained years of us not being together, and to me, that meant something. I knew, in my heart, Ashlynn was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, make lasting memories with, have children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, and so on and so forth with. She understood me, saw me when the rest of the world was blind. Her expectations of me weren’t outlandish. Ashlynn recognized I was human and was flawed. She gave me grace, allowed me the room to fuck up just as I gave her the same space to do what it was she felt she needed to do.
While the future was unpredictable, my love for her wasn’t, and I was determined to make sure she knew nothing in this world would ever separate us again. Not time, fear, or even death.
She was mine, forever.