Chapter 5
Kenzo:
Are you busy?
Me:
Reading.
Kenzo:
I want to see you. Do you feel like coming out?
Me:
Sure. What do you have in mind?
Kenzo:
Come down. I’m parked out front.
Me:
I’m not presentable. I need about twenty minutes.
Kenzo:
I’ll wait. No rush.
I didn’t expect to communicate with Kenzo again until Sunday evening when I texted him a reminder to pick me up for work. When I received the first text from him, I was surprised, but even more surprised when he said he wanted to see me and asked to hang out.
I couldn’t believe the rich, handsome, and intelligent Kenzo Goode III wanted to see me, and I couldn’t imagine why. Now was one of those times when I wished I had a sister or best friend to tell me if I should read more into this, because the butterflies in my stomach had already written a novel.
Of course, I shouldn’t read into it. There was absolutely nothing I had to offer a man like Kenzo. Maybe when I had my shit together, I’d be more compatible, but even then, that beautiful man was out of my league.
After he left my room last night, I couldn’t get him off my mind. By the time I turned in for the night, I was hot and bothered, and my body wouldn’t allow me to rest until my pussy had some relief.
I found Kenzo’s Flikstagram and pleasured myself while looking at a picture of him shirtless, sporting a chest and neck full of tattoos, and wearing basketball shorts that gave me the perfect view of his dick print.
I had to shake the thoughts of that image from my head before I saw him, or I’d probably embarrass myself.
It took me the twenty minutes I’d promised him to get ready, and as promised, he was parked in front of the hotel. He must have seen me in his rearview mirror because before I made it to his car, he got out.
“Hey,” I greeted nervously.
“Hey. You look nice.”
His compliment caught me off guard, and I looked down at the clothing I’d chosen.
I didn’t own a lot of fancy clothing, and because of my situation, many of my things were either in my car or still at my apartment.
The black leggings, long-sleeved graphic T-shirt, and puffy vest were nothing special.
“Umm, thank you. Where are we going?”
“Since you actually took advantage of room service and ordered a big breakfast, I thought you might want to go for a walk.”
I blushed from embarrassment because I had no idea that he could see what I ordered.
“I’m sorry. I woke up starving and—”
“You don’t have to apologize. I didn’t think you’d order anything, so I was happy to see that you did.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Let me get the door for you.”
We walked to the passenger side of his car, and he opened the door for me. Seconds later, he slid behind the wheel, and we were on our way . . . To where, I had no idea.
“If it helps, I planned to eat what I didn’t eat for breakfast, for lunch or dinner, depending on what time I got hungry again.”
He chuckled. “Malyah, I told you to help yourself, baby. You don’t have to explain or make excuses.”
Baby? Did he call me baby?
I responded with a smile when he quickly glanced my way. We rode in silence for a few minutes until I asked him where we were going.
“There’s a short walking trail at Centennial Park. I figured we could walk a few laps while we talk.”
“Okay.”
Ten minutes later, we started the trail, and I patiently waited for him to fill the silence. This outing was his idea, so I assumed there was something he wanted to talk about.
“Have you spoken to your roommate?” he finally asked.
“No. I blocked her and my ex’s numbers, and neither of them has tried to reach out from another number.”
“Is that good or bad?”
I shrugged. “I have nothing else to say to my ex, but once I get settled, I need to get the rest of my things from the apartment.”
“Have you solidified your plans?”
“I haven’t found a place that I can afford, if that’s what you’re asking. Not to mention, the application fees for these apartments are fifty dollars or more, which I can’t afford right now. Maybe it’s time for me to reach out to my mother.”
“You think you’re ready for that?”
“Probably not, but I’d rather do that than ask for a refund for my tuition.”
“School is really important to you, huh?”
“I heard what you said about spending thousands of dollars, but it’s been my dream since I was five years old.
I thought I would’ve achieved it by now, but I’ve been on my own since I was eighteen, and almost every day has been a struggle.
I want to accomplish something before my time is up, you know. ”
I didn’t mean to open up to him like that, but he already knew most of my business, and he was easy to talk to, so my words flowed effortlessly.
“I’m sorry life has been so hard for you.”
“Me too, but it could always be worse, right?”
“That’s what they say.”
We didn’t speak for a while, each of us lost in our thoughts . . . Well, at least I was.
“Tell me about you. I’m sure your story is much better than mine,” I said after a few minutes.
“I definitely haven’t had the challenges you’ve had, but I think what you’ve gone through has taught you many more life lessons than I’ve had.”
“Yeah. I’ve learned a lot from my experiences, but I want to hear about you.”
“There’s nothing interesting about my life. I’m an only child, but my cousin, Ronin, is like a brother. My family is very close, and I still live at home with my parents and grandfather.”
“Really? That’s surprising.”
“It’s not what you think. Our house is a mini mansion with a basement apartment, which is where I live.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
“You think so? Ronin talks shit about me living at home at my age.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with it. You may want to move when you get married and have a family. Plus, considering my situation, I have no room to judge.”
Although there was nothing funny about my life, I laughed, but I noticed that Kenzo did not.
“My father was an only child, and my mother only had one brother, Ronin’s dad, who was an alcoholic and died from liver failure years ago. Ronin is an only child, too, so he’s basically my only first cousin,” he continued.
“Wow. My mother and I are only children, so I know what it’s like not to have a built-in best friend like a sibling or a cousin. I had a lonely childhood.”
“Ronin lived in Georgia until we were about twelve, so I can relate to being lonely. I had some friends, but my parents didn’t allow me to spend the night anywhere, and they worked a lot, so I rarely had people over. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up.”
“Were you groomed to take over the family business?” I asked.
“I guess you could say that. It was definitely expected and all I knew, so I never wanted to do anything else. I’ve been going to work with my father for as long as I can remember.”
“That’s pretty dope. I couldn’t imagine what it’s like to be a part of such an amazing legacy. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, but you’re truly blessed.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me, so I mirrored his actions and looked up at him. The intense look of longing in his eyes stirred something deep in my soul, taking me by surprise.
I nervously licked my lips, and I noticed his eyes zoom in on them. I wasn’t certain, but it felt like his face was getting closer to mine. I thought it was my imagination until I felt his hand on the back of my neck, and he smashed his lips against mine.
Taken aback would be an understatement because kissing Kenzo Goode III was not on my bingo card at any point in my life. As I suspected, his smooth lips felt like silk, and when he pressed his tongue into my mouth, I almost lost it.
This was probably wrong, but everything about it felt right.
Kenzo would be fully responsible for ending this kiss because I refused to pull away.
In only a few seconds, I’d decided that if I took my last breath standing in the middle of this walking path, with Kenzo’s lips pressed against mine, his tongue tasting the remnants of my breakfast, and his hand softly caressing the back of my neck, I’d be perfectly okay with it.
The disappointment I felt when his mouth finally released mine was indescribable. His eyes landed on mine, filled with something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. With his hand still on my neck and our faces inches apart, he finally spoke.
“Malyah, will you marry me?”
I was certain I didn’t hear him correctly, and confusion covered my face and filled my thoughts.
“Excuse me?”
“I want to marry you.”
I took a step back because, at this point, I thought I was hallucinating.
“Kenzo, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He looked around. “Let’s sit on that bench over there and talk.”
He took my hand, and we walked to a bench several feet away. When we sat down, he turned to face me, so I angled my body to face him.
“I promise I’m not crazy,” he said.
“We met less than twenty-four hours ago, and you just asked me to marry you. Crazy is the perfect word to describe this situation.”
“Maybe it is a little crazy, but it’s a serious question. Will you marry me?”
“You seem like a great guy, and I can’t deny my attraction to you, but I can’t marry you, and I don’t believe you really want to marry me.”
He sighed. “Let me explain.”
“That would help, but it probably won’t change my answer.”
“My father is set to retire in a few months, and I’ll be taking over the company. I thought it was a done deal, but earlier this week, my parents and grandfather told me I had to get married by my thirty-fifth birthday if I wanted to run SSG.”
“When is your birthday?’
“About three months from now.”
“Oh. That’s pretty soon.”
“I know. My mother has already chosen a few women she believes are suitable to be her daughter-in-law, but I’ll be damned if I marry one of them.”
“You don’t think she’ll pick the perfect woman for her one and only son?”
“I love my mother, but she has no idea the kind of women I like.”
“I’m sure you’ve never dated a woman like me, so . . .”
“That’s true, but—”
“No, Kenzo. You don’t have to make excuses for your preference in women.”
“I don’t have a preference, and I wasn’t about to make excuses, but I want to be upfront and honest with you.”
“Okay.”
“You’re rare, Malyah. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special.
I wanted to be pissed that you were roaming around the building after hours, but when I looked into your eyes, they spoke to my heart.
You’re in a terrible situation, a situation that would break most people, but your attitude remains positive.
You’re making the best of it, and I admire that. ”
“Kenzo—”
“Let me finish. You were on my mind for hours after we parted ways last night. I wanted to call or text you but didn’t know what to say.
Instead, I snooped on your Flikstagram for hours.
I studied every picture and video, memorizing every feature and expression, how the dimple in your left cheek appears with the slightest curve of your lips, how you bite your bottom lip when you’re mixing ingredients, and the tone of your voice when one of your recipes turns out perfectly.
This isn’t how I pictured myself proposing, and I’m sure this isn’t your dream proposal.
We’re not in love, but I already like you more than any woman I’ve ever dated.
You need a place to stay, and I need a wife, so let’s help each other out. ”
“How do you know you like me and we just met?”
“I rarely remember my dreams, and when I do, they’re about random things that don’t mean anything, but never about women. You were in my dreams last night, and it felt so real that I was disappointed when I woke up. That has to mean something.”
I shook my head as I said, “I don’t know about this.”
“I’ll pay your tuition and give you a one hundred thousand dollars, half now, and half after we get married. When you get pregnant—”
“Pregnant? Hold up. You want me to have your baby?”
“My grandfather is eighty-five and wants to make sure there is someone to continue his legacy after me. Did I forget to mention that?”
“Yes, you did. I don’t need to hear anymore. Take me back to the hotel, please.”
“Malyah, baby, please listen.”
“No, Kenzo. You think because I don’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out, I’ll pimp myself and my womb out to you. I’m not that desperate, and I don’t even know if I want kids.”
I tried to stand, but he grabbed my wrists, forcing me to remain seated. People were already walking past us on the trail, and I didn’t want to make a scene.
“I know you’re not desperate, but I thought . . .”
He let his words trail off.
“You thought you’d found a poor girl you could wave your money and lifestyle in front of and she’d do whatever you wanted.”
“No.”
“What did you think, Kenzo, because that’s exactly what it seems like?”
His expression was one of defeat as he tried to come up with a response that made sense.
“I thought we made a connection, but if I was wrong, that’s cool.”
“A connection doesn’t equate to marriage in less than twenty-four hours. Do you hear yourself?”
“My bad. You’re right. Pretend this conversation never happened. Do you want to finish our walk and grab something to eat?”
“Pretending this conversation didn’t happen is impossible, but we can finish our walk as long as you don’t plan to kidnap me and force me to marry you.”
“Oh, you got jokes, I see.”
“Tuh! Who’s joking?”
He stood first and extended his hand to help me to my feet. Our hands remained connected as we walked in silence, and for some reason, it felt comfortable when it should’ve felt weird. When we made it to his car, he opened the door for me like always.
“You’re not afraid of being kidnapped, or you’d be running in the opposite direction and screaming for help. I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, and I hope you continue to allow me to help you,” he said when he got into the car.
“I appreciate—”
My phone rang, interrupting me. The screen showed an unknown number, which I usually ignored, but something told me to answer it.
“This is Malyah,” I said after switching the phone to speaker.
“You need to come and get your shit if you don’t want it out on the street.”
“Hello?”
“This is Janie, bitch. I got another roommate, and she’s moving in tomorrow. You need to come get your shit, or it will be on the curb.”
Before I could respond, she ended the call, and I sat there in disbelief for a moment. Releasing a deep breath, I dropped my phone into my lap and let my head fall back on the headrest. I felt . . . defeated.
After a few minutes of silence, Kenzo asked, “How can I help?”