Chapter 15
When my alarm sounded, I wanted to throw my phone across the room. I’d only taken one day off, but with all that happened this weekend, it felt as if it had been weeks since I last went to work.
I tried to sit up, but Kenzo tightened his arm around me. I waited a minute before trying again and got the same result. It was already hard to get up at the crack of dawn, and my new husband didn’t make it any easier.
The feel of being wrapped in his arms was comforting. I felt safe, something I hadn’t felt since I was a child. I didn’t want to think much into it, because I was determined to keep my feelings out of this, but I couldn’t deny how good this felt.
“Kenzo,” I whispered.
“Hmm.”
“I need to get up.”
“Not yet.”
“I have to get to work.”
“In a minute.”
I sighed and waited a few more minutes before trying to lift his arm again. This time, he didn’t fight me. I sat on the edge of the bed for a minute to get my bearings, eventually working up enough energy to move.
I quietly crept to the bathroom to bathe and take care of the rest of my morning hygiene. When I finished, I went to the guest room to get dressed because most of my things were there. Twenty minutes later, I grabbed my purse from the couch in the living room and left.
A little over an hour later, I was preparing this morning’s breakfast for the staff. On the menu today were made-to-order omelets using the five ingredients I offered.
“Sooo, how was it?” Anika asked as she entered the kitchen, putting on her apron.
“Well, good morning to you too, friend.”
“My bad. Good morning. Now, spill it. I want to hear all about it.”
I looked around to see if anyone else was nearby. Margaret, Charles, and Evan were probably taking care of their duties, which didn’t require them to be in the kitchen.
“It was nice. His cousin, Ronin, was our witness and photographer. He surprised me with a bigger ring than the one I chose. I’ll show you when I take my gloves off. He rented us a suite at Essence Suites and had it decorated with roses and set up for a romantic dinner.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sounds great. How was the dick?”
“Anika!” I yelped.
“What? I’m trying to get to the nitty gritty.”
I scanned the area again before going into more detail.
“The dick is immaculate. I saw the sun, the moon, and the stars. He had me climbing the walls, and I came so many times I should be dehydrated.”
“Girl, he’s fine, rich, and can fuck?”
“It sounds too good to be true, but it’s the truth. If he—”
“Malyah, why did you leave without saying goodbye?”
Anika and I looked in the direction of Kenzo’s voice. The expression on his face was a mixture of hurt, disappointment, and . . . possibly anger.
“Kenzo . . . Hey . . . Umm, you were asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I was already awake and waiting for you to come and say goodbye.”
“Oh. I didn’t know.”
I glanced at Anika as she looked back and forth between us with a wide grin.
“Can I talk to you in your office? Anika, can you handle everything here for a minute?”
“Sure thing,” Anika responded, still grinning.
I followed Kenzo to my office, entering behind him, then closing the door.
“What’s up?” I asked, a bit concerned.
“How would you feel if I left without saying a word?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure I’d feel fine.”
“That shit was rude, Malyah.”
“I’ll be sure not to do it again. Is that all?”
He took a step toward me, leaving barely an inch between us. I looked up at him, anticipating what he would say or do next. He gently but firmly gripped my neck, causing my breath to hitch.
My nipples hardened as his mouth neared mine. When we connected in a soft kiss, a moan escaped my lips. It was quick, and I was disappointed when it ended, although his lips still hovered just above mine.
“I am your husband. You are my wife. Husbands and wives say goodbye to one another before they leave each other’s presence. I know you’ve never been married, but neither have I, and I didn’t need someone to tell me that. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I nodded.
“Good. I’ll walk you back to the kitchen.”
He reached behind me to open the door, and I stepped to the side to give him room to do so. We walked back to the kitchen together, and before he went on his way, he asked, “You got plans for lunch?”
“No, Mr. Goode. She usually works through lunch,” Anika responded before I could open my mouth.
“Not anymore. I’ll see you for lunch.”
He pressed another kiss against my forehead, and I watched him until he disappeared from my view. When I turned to face Anika, her smile had to be the width of the kitchen.
“Why are you smiling so hard?”
“Because that nigga is smitten with you.”
I smacked my lips. “Girl, he is not. I mean, he likes me, but it’s not that serious.”
“Mark my words. Love is on the horizon, and when it takes over, I’ll be the first person to say I told you so.”
“We agreed not to get our feelings involved.”
“That man just came in here to check you about leaving without saying goodbye. I’d venture to say feelings are already involved.”
“Whatever. Let’s get back to work.”
Lunchtime came and went, and I didn’t see Kenzo.
I tried not to overthink it, assuming he probably had a meeting that ran long or got caught up with work.
He was, after all, running a company. After I finished my work for the day, I prepared to leave, but before walking out, I decided to stop by Kenzo’s office.
I’d never been to his office, but it wasn’t hard to find. When I arrived, the desk that I assumed belonged to his administrative assistant was empty. The door to his office was cracked, so I slowly pushed it open and peeked inside.
“I won’t stop calling you until you tell me you’re in love with her,” a woman’s voice said.
No one else was in his office with him, so I gathered he was on a call with the phone on speaker.
“Callie, I don’t have time for this shit. I don’t have to tell you a damn thing. I don’t owe you shit. Our relationship was over when you lied about—”
“Seriously, Kenzo? Our relationship will never be over. Can you stop bringing up the past? I thought you forgave me.”
“Whether I forgave you or not, I’ll never forget what you did. What we had was cool, but it wasn’t meant to be forever. I’ve moved on from you for good, and I suggest you do the same.”
“You will never move on from me for good. You always come back because deep down, I’m who you want to spend the rest of your life with. We’ve been messing around for years, and we were together two weeks ago. I don’t see why we can’t keep seeing each other. Since when are you a one-woman man?”
“I don’t know if I am, but right now, that’s the goal.”
The room went silent, and I assumed he ended the call. I waited a minute before knocking and pushing the door open.
“Hey,” I greeted as I walked toward his desk.
His office was huge, and so was the furniture. Along with his large desk, there was an entire section set up like a living room. I noticed a bathroom in the corner on one side, but I couldn’t tell how big it was, and a closet on the opposite side.
“What’s up? What are you doing up here?” he asked.
“Am I not welcome?”
I sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.
“Of course. I’m just surprised to see you.”
“I’m done for the day, and since I didn’t see you for lunch—”
“Shit!” He looked at his watch. “Damn, baby. I had a few meetings, and when I got back to my office, I dove right into some paperwork. I lost track of time.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine, and I apologize.”
“You’re literally running a company, so I understand, but since you made such a big deal about me leaving this morning without saying goodbye, here I am.”
He laughed. “I was pretty sure I’d have to give you a few reminders before you listened.”
“Well, you were wrong. I won’t take up too much of your time.”
“Why are you being so formal?” he asked.
“I’m not being formal, just respectful of your time.”
“C’mere.”
“Kenzo, it’s not that serious.”
“C’mere, Malyah.”
“I’d rather talk to you from here. I’ve been working since six o’clock, and I smell like food.”
“Do I look like a give a damn? Bring your pretty ass over here.”
I stood and went to the other side of his desk. When I tried to lean against it, he pulled me sideways onto his lap. He pulled me close and draped his arm over my waist.
“What did I tell you this morning?” he asked.
“You said a few things this morning. Are you asking about something specific?”
“Who am I?”
“Kenzo Goode III.”
“Oh, you got jokes, I see. Who am I to you?”
“My fake husband.”
He lifted my left hand and pointed at my ring.
“Ain’t shit fake about this ring or the vows we took. I am your husband, which means you can interrupt me anytime you choose.”
“Yes, the ring and vows are real, but remember, we’re nothing more than friends with benefits.”
“Did I feel like your friend when my dick was buried in the deepest parts of your guts? Did I feel like your friend when my tongue explored every crevice of your pussy? Did I feel like your friend when my dick repeatedly hit the back of your tonsils? Did I—”
“Okay, damn. I get it. We have great sexual chemistry, but that doesn’t mean we’re more than friends.”
He nodded, but it was obvious he didn’t agree with me.
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep better at night. I guess I’ll see you at home.”
He kissed my forehead and tapped my thigh. I hesitated to stand, but when I did, he immediately moved his chair closer to his desk. I felt compelled to say something but was at a loss for words, so I left without even saying goodbye.
By the time I got to my car, my brain was in overdrive. Kenzo and I had only been married for a few days, and things were already becoming murky. We’d agreed not to involve our feelings, but his actions indicated he might already be catching them.
I liked him, but we were from two different worlds, and I wasn’t sure I could fit into his world long-term. Although his mother seemed to warm up to me, I was still on the fence about whether she was genuine.
My thoughts kept me occupied for the entire ride, and when I turned into the driveway of my new home, I became nervous. It was only the third time I’d been here, and the first time without Kenzo.
He’d sent me all the codes to enter the property, and I entered his apartment unnoticed, went straight to his bedroom, and stripped down to my birthday suit to shower.
After dressing in leggings and a hoodie, I sat on the couch and looked through the recipes I had saved on my phone. I’d been wanting to make something different from my norm and came across a recipe for chocolate-covered peanut butter and pretzel truffles.
I wrote down all the ingredients I needed and found the nearest grocery store that delivered. Once I downloaded the app, I found the items I needed, added them to my cart, and placed my order.
While I waited for the groceries, I went to the guest room and found the bag where I’d put all my important paperwork. For the next thirty minutes, I sorted through it all, pulling out all the bills from the collection agencies.
I should be embarrassed by the amount of debt I’d collected over the past twelve years, but racking up thousands of dollars of debt wasn’t my intention. I was young, with no financial literacy, and trying to survive on my own. Now that I had the money to pay these people, I wanted to be debt-free.
After the groceries arrived, I placed the butter on the counter to soften, then returned to the guest room. I sat in the middle of the floor and contacted twelve creditors. When the final call ended, I’d paid out $45,000, and the heaviness that was removed from my shoulders was unexplainable.
I’d never felt more light and free in my life, and I had Kenzo to thank. His offer to pay me for my hand in marriage sounded crazy initially, but even if this ended in disaster, I’d come out winning.
As I headed to the kitchen, a voice filled the apartment and scared the shit out of me. I damn near jumped out of my skin before falling over the back of the couch.
“Malyah, are you home?” the voice repeated.
I walked over to the intercom and pressed the button.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“This is Gramps. Do you mind if I come down to talk to you for a bit?”
“Sure, Gramps. Come on down.”
I didn’t know what to think about his request. Gramps and I bonded yesterday, and he seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. I didn’t see any harm in his coming down for a visit, and it wasn’t as if I’d say no.
A few minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. It hadn’t dawned on me that Kenzo kept it locked. I took the stairs, two at a time, and opened the door for Gramps.
“Malyah, it’s good to see you. Am I interrupting anything?”
“No. I was just about to make some chocolate-covered peanut butter and pretzel truffles. Would you like to join me?”
“I would, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Besides, I’m a guest here. This is your home.”
We made it down the stairs and went to the kitchen. Gramps, who was in great shape and didn’t look like a man nearing ninety, leaned against the counter and folded his arms.
“You’re married to my grandson, so that makes you my granddaughter. This is your home too,” he told me.
“Aww. Thank you for making me feel welcome. You may feel that way, but I have a feeling Mrs. Goode doesn’t.”
“I wouldn’t worry about her too much. Her bark is stronger than her bite.”
“If you say so. Should we wash our hands and get started?”