Chapter 17
E mon groaned as he rolled over onto his back in the bed.
Today was his birthday, and it had crept up on him like a thief in the night.
He wasn’t one to celebrate. It was just another day in his mind, but from the smell of bacon making its way up to his nostrils, he knew his baby felt differently.
He smiled, believing that her being there with him was the ultimate gift.
The sounds of Blake moving around their kitchen, probably humming while she cooked like she always did, made him appreciate how different life was now.
Last year on this day, he’d been at the carwash before sunrise, treating it like any other morning.
Blake had a way of making everything feel special without even trying.
His phone buzzed with birthday messages.
His mom, some business partners, a few close friends, but the only person he wanted to see was downstairs making him breakfast. The smells from the kitchen were tempting enough to get him out of bed.
He pulled on some sweats, handled his morning breath, and made his way downstairs.
The move in had been seamless, better than he’d even imagined.
She had a bunch of shit, but together they worked to combine their previous life while also leaving space for the new one.
Waking up to her soft curves pressed against him every morning had him feeling like the luckiest man on earth.
The blessing that was Blake just kept giving, and he wasn’t taking any of it for granted.
He paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of her in nothing but his tee and those SKIMS flesh tone panties she knew drove him crazy.
Her hair was piled high in a messy bun as she danced around their kitchen, completely in her element.
A month of living together and she still took his breath away every morning.
“Morning, birthday boy,” she said without turning around.
“How you know I was here?”
“Your cologne gives you away every time.” She finally turned, and the smile she gave him made his heart skip. “Sit. Your breakfast is almost ready.”
“You ain’t have to do all this.”
“Shut up and let somebody love on you for once.” She set a plate in front of him. His favorites, done exactly how he liked them. Crisp bacon, two eggs scrambled with cheese, cinnamon and sugar toast, and hash browns.
“You must wanna start something early,” he said, pulling her to his lap and kissing her lips.
“Absolutely not. Plus,” she added, dropping a small wrapped box next to his plate, “this is just the beginning.”
“Beginning of what?”
“You’ll see.” The way she said it made him both curious and nervous. His girl was up to something.
“Blake...”
“Just eat your breakfast,” she said, now settled across from him with her own plate and coffee. “And open your gift.”
He eyed the small box while taking a bite of perfectly crispy bacon. Blake had mastered his preference for almost burnt bacon in the few weeks they’d been living together.
“Open it,” she urged, practically bouncing in her seat.
Inside the box was a custom diamond pendant that had his initials sparkling in the light, a mix of street and luxury that matched his style perfectly. His brow furrowed as he lifted it, noticing the engraving on the back: ‘This is just the beginning - B’ .
“What’s this?”
“Part one of your birthday.” She couldn’t contain her smile, watching him examine the piece. “And before you say it’s too much, don’t. You deserve to be celebrated.”
She’d been stacking money for years. With what she made from work plus her inheritance, she wasn’t worried about spoiling him, though she knew that was his concern. This man had changed her whole world. The least she could do was make his birthday special.
“Baby, it’s perfect. I love it for real, but there’s more?”
“Mhmm.” She took a sip of her coffee, looking mighty pleased with herself. “A lot more. Driver picks us up at five.”
“I hear you, but you ain’t gotta do too much. Every day I get to wake up is my birthday.”
“Bae, please get out my face with that philosophical bullshit. We celebrating today. I’m going hard for you like you go hard for me. Let me.”
Blake wasn’t going to let this day pass without showing him how appreciative of his life she was.
There was no other way to put it. Life before him had been basic, ordinary.
Then he’d stumbled into her apartment and somehow made everything extraordinary.
Made her extraordinary. Now it was her turn to do the same for him.
“Fine,” he conceded, pulling her into his lap. “Do your worst.”
“Oh, I plan to.” She kissed him softly. “Happy birthday, baby.”
“Thank you for being you and for breakfast,” he said, kissing her on top of her head. “I gotta head to the shop, cool?”
“Ok, but be back here on time and don’t work too hard. You gon’ need yo strength for later.” She smirked.
Emon smirked back, tempted to show her right now just how much strength he had. His heart was already overflowing from her gifts and presence, but he decided against it. He’d save that energy for later.
Upstairs, while getting ready, the emotions he’d been holding back hit him.
This was new territory. Having someone celebrate him like this and making him feel this special wasn’t in his cards.
He’d been fine with living a normal life, one that allowed him to stack, eat, and make it another day.
As he stood in their bathroom, the magnitude of how his life had changed washed over him.
He’d been lost. Experienced pain. Brought pain. Destruction. For years, he’d carried that chip on his shoulder, getting it by any means necessary and standing on whatever choices he made. Now he was a living, breathing testimony.
A year ago, you couldn’t have told him that the stranger who patched him up would become his everything.
He took a moment, head bowed, giving thanks to God. Not just for Blake, not just for making it to another birthday, but for saving him from himself. For giving him a purpose beyond the streets, for showing him what real love felt like, for blessing him with a woman who saw past his rough edges.
“Amen,” he said, finally deciding to join in on the celebration.
He jumped fresh into a fit from one of his favorite brands, Valabasas.
His gray washed shirt read Love Over Conflict and he kept it simple with black jeans.
Emon rarely went anywhere that required him to do a lot, but today was his birthday, and it was time he started acting like it.
He slipped his Presidential Rolex on his wrist and Cuban chain around his neck.
On his feet, he wore his black and red Jordan 11’s.
When he was satisfied with his look he headed downstairs.
“Ohh, daddy, you look good,” Blake said, catching him before he headed out.
“How good?” he asked, looking down and back up to her. Blake smirked before bending over and throwing her ass in a circle, giving him a show. Emon came closer and grabbed a handful of her soft ass and squeezed.
“You wild, but save that for tonight. I’m tryna knock yo’ walls loose tonight.”
“Promise?” she asked.
“Man, come on. You know I don’t say shit I don’t mean. Now, gimme a kiss so I can get going and back on time.”
Emon kissed his woman goodbye and headed into town.
An hour later, he was settled behind his desk in the carwash, reviewing paperwork, when his front desk employee told him he had a delivery at the counter.
A card and another large box were waiting for him. The moment he opened the card, Payroll Giovanni’s “Rich Nigga Vibes” started playing from the built-in speaker. He’d never seen anything like this before.
I know you said not to make a fuss about today, but IDK. My baby needed something fly - Your Blake
Emon opened the box and revealed custom Louis Vuitton luggage. He stood there shaking his head, grinning like a fool. His girl was something else. The fact that she even knew Payroll was his favorite showed she’d been paying attention, but he didn’t know what the luggage meant.
His phone buzzed again.
Blake: Hope you don’t mind a little road trip, sponsored by me!
He fumbled around inside the box and found the confirmation for The Vue Lux hotel in Millbrook, about two hours away, and VIP passes for Payroll Giovanni’s concert at The Vue Nightclub. His mind was blown. He couldn’t wait to see her later. It was time to turn up.
#
The Vue Nightclub looked like something out of a movie, with bottles popping, sparklers lighting up the VIP sections, and clouds of smoke curling in the air.
Money, power, and respect had descended on one place for the night.
The whole building dripped in wealth, ambition, and influence.
Rich niggas, bad bitches, and everybody moving like they had it.
Because they did. Payroll Giovanni had brought out the city’s finest. Hustlers, shot-callers, and the women who loved them.
The energy was undeniable. This wasn’t just a party; it was a statement. If you were here, you were somebody.
Emon wasn’t paying attention to any of it. The opulence didn’t matter to him. The niggas didn’t matter to him, nor did the women.
His eyes were locked on Blake.
She was giving everything in a fitted, sheer, off-the-shoulder black dress that hugged every inch of her body like it had been made just for her.
Her hair was parted down the middle, allowing big curls to cascade around her flawless face, and her heels gave her just enough lift to make that already perfect ass sit a little higher.
She was moving like she knew every eye in the room was on her, but she wasn’t here for them.
She was here for him.
And he was damn sure here for her.
Blake thee Baddest had shown up tonight, and she was here to turn up with her man.