by Love Belvin
Divine traveled all over for work, but lived on the West Coast with his family. I had no idea he was here in the City. I never asked or wondered, knowing how he moved.
“She stay calling me, man.” He smiled that suave way he does from time to time.
“There you go, on that smooth shit.” I laughed before giving him dap again.
He laughed with me. “Indeed, man! You go enjoy ya party.”
No sooner than Divine saluted me, I was being pulled again. It was Elle, tugging on me.
I turned fully to see her and caught Jax, kicking it with some dude I didn’t recognize.
“Oh! I’m so glad this is done,” she shouted. “Now, I can focus on the charity ball.”
“You did this?” I asked about the surprise party.
“Jade did. Well, she started it and so happened to mention it to me. Can you believe she was going to pay out of pocket for a small shindig?” Elle’s expression was priceless. “I know she’s new to this is and all, but Trent Bailey doesn’t have to pay for hardly anything. Vendors are dying to have their businesses attached to your name. So, she figured we could go bigger in terms of guests. She’s funny, that one, about not spending too much. God, you got her trained.” We both busted out laughing.
I didn’t want Jade afraid of spending money. I wasn’t broke, but was trying to keep from being just that. I’d never been the type to blow money. This was extravagant. The building itself was lit.
Jackson walked up behind Elle, pulling her into him, then kissed her forehead. She smiled, acknowledging him there. Then he stepped around to give me dap.
“Happy birthday, sir. I hope you find everything to your satisfaction.” His smile was wide as he joked.
“I ‘on’t think Elle would have it any other way, man.” I went to hug him.
“Happy born day, TB.” He patted my back as he spoke. “Grateful to be a part of your legacy.”
“Thanks, Hunt, man.”
Elle piped in. “I see she’s got you right with our partners. I’m feeling those shoes!”
I looked down at the Ase Garb sneakers I wore. They were pretty dope. I usually stuck with Nike and Timbs, but knew my obligation to stack that paper. I twisted my foot, squinting to see the shoe in the blinking lights.
“Yeah,” I agreed with her. “These go hard.”
Jackson moved up to show me his soft leather loafers. They were different for him, but those looked good, too!
“Thank goodness there wasn’t a strict non-compete clause in either deal. Gucci makes a similar loafer,” Elle explained.
Before I could tell him the loafers didn’t look as flimsy as I’d seen, the back of my jacket was yanked. I looked back and saw April with one of her sisters.
“Come in here. Jade got your grandmother in a soundproof room.”
“I’ll be back,” I offered to Jackson and Elle. I followed April and made sure she heard when I asked, “Where is Jade?” I’d been here for close to twenty minutes and hadn’t seen her.
April gestured she didn’t know. “She was just in here a few minutes ago. Maybe she’s still here.”
She led me to a door on the first level, a few feet off the dance floor. I watched her and the sea of bodies all around, still not believing this was all for me. I tried to remember if I’d ever had a birthday party.
April opening a door got my attention. I followed behind her, hoping to see a five foot one-er. It was a small room, dim with dark neon lights. The area was better lit than the club, but still a social feel. There were two big televisions mounted on the walls opposite each other. And when the door closed, I realized the room was soundproof. My ears began to ring from the sharp adjustment.
“Hey, baby!” a familiar voice called out.
“Grandma?” I was really dumbfounded as I walked over to her. Tipsy, too.
As I hugged and kissed her cheek, she wrapped one arm around my back. “Happy birthday, sugar.”
“Thanks, Grandma.” I looked around the room and saw her girl, Earlene, and my aunt, Rose.
No Jade…
I smiled. “They got you up here with ya girls, huhn, Grandma?”
Earlene laughed as I moved to hug her. Then my aunt.
“You know me and Earlene tight like that. Rose been coming over ‘cause Trick been staying at Brenda’s. The kids run in and out, but ain’t nobody around to take care of me like Sha—” She caught herself.
My eyes automatically went over to April, who tried for a smile herself.
“Yeah. But you good? Need anything?” I wanted to be sure I wasn’t slipping.
Shank would have my ass.
“Nah. I got everything. April make sure Earlene got what she need. And I’m good, baby.”
“All right.” I rubbed her thick thigh as she sat in a wheelchair. “You know how to hit me if you need anything. Right?”
“Yeah,” her voice held no excitement. “I got my invitation to the wedding. I told Jade I’mma do better at making it to therapy so I ain’t got to roll up in there in this thing. I can, at least, use my walker.”
“Grandma, I don’t care how you make your grand entrance; just make sure you’re there with that killer wig.” I winked at her.
She tried fighting it, but a giggle burst from her belly. “Trenton Bailey, you just know what to say to your Grandmomma, don’t you!” Earlene snickered with her.
“You, too, Ms. Earlene! I see the new pattern of grays in that one you rockin’,” I dipped my chin, flirting with her. “You betta not be at the rec center, playing bingo with Mr. Thomas with that good one.”
“Oh, Trent!” she cried, covering her mouth to fight the giggles.
The blasting music announced the door opening. It was my cousin, Kev.
“They said you need to be out here for the cake.”
“Cake already?” April asked.
“Well,” my Grandmother sighed. “It is late.”
She was right it was late. Too late for a woman her age to be out at a club over two hours from her house. She came with her crew. That sacrifice swelled my chest. I reached into my pocket.
“Here, Grandma.” I peeled off all but a one hundred dollar bill of what I brought out, not knowing where StentRo and I would end up tonight. “This for you. Give a few to Ms. Earlene and Aunt Rose.” It was at least six Benjamins. I was hoping not to spend it all. But just in case, I had to be covered.
“Awwww…” My aunt cried. “Trent, baby. You so generous, honey. We ain’t come for this. We just wanted to say happy birthday.”
I was already making my rounds for final kisses.
“Well, you said that and more.” I moved on to Earlene. “Thank you, beauties.”
“Bye, Trent.”
“Bye, baby.” They all spoke about the same time as I left out.
I heard April saying she’d be right back.
Back out in the club, Korrupt Hearts’ “Supreme Being” track blasted. Some Asian dude snatched my attention, telling me to follow him. He wore all black and seemed to be on a mission, so I followed. As long as he wasn’t leading me out this main room, I was good. We made it to the stage where there was a small crowd and cake. People I knew: Eli, Jackson, Jordan, Elle, StentRo, Alton, Thompson, a linebacker from the CK, some of my cousins, and few more bodies moving about.
On my way there, someone tapped my arm.
“Oh, hey, man!” I turned to give him some dap.
“Happy birthday, man!” Ramsey Bishop shouted me out.
“I appreciate you coming through.” I was surprised to see him—I was surprised to see everybody.
Ramsey was a journalist, though he’d played in the NFL a few years back. I liked Cunningham. Had hung out with him over the years. He and Jordan were boys and our vibe was cool.
“Anytime, TB!” He extended his arm as he spoke.
We dapped again before I took off. April had caught up to me and pulled me along. I didn’t realize until then the deejay started leading the crowd in the happy birthday song. All
eyes were on me as I walked up the steps. Eli and Jax were in the front and they began to move back to open my view of the cake. Those behind them followed suit until I could see a small metal table with a big ass cake on it.
But as they continued to move back, a little body came into view. She was lighting the last candle that was more like a sparkle flame, it shot up so high and crackled like the rest of them.
“Khalid’s Location” was bouncing off the walls. The grove of the song hit my tipsy mind and I kept my hike toward the cake in a two-step. My eyes were on the shorty with long wavy curls. Her chin was down, but eyes up, glued onto me.
Instantly, the room went quiet around me. My mind shut out every sound and visual except for her. I couldn’t see what she wore, and the excitement of seeing even more of her had me spinning in place, delaying my arrival. I didn’t care. I missed my wife. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of days and spoke to her for just a few minutes this afternoon. After I landed, I found out she wasn’t home waiting on me.
Suddenly, my need for her swelled all over. These past five weeks since finding out about the baby had sent us flying in different areas of the ring. My traveling made it impossible to have the time to connect with her. Jade needed to adjust to this extension of us. All month, I struggled with what her anger about being pregnant meant. We hadn’t told Kyree yet, because I didn’t want to see her crying in front of him. It would break my heart and I didn’t want her to see that or know it was possible. I didn’t want my daughter to have parents who didn’t want her because she was conceived by accident. I wanted her to be loved like Kyree was adored.
But the closer I got to her, those fears disappeared. I passed by the cake, rounding it to get to her. I grabbed Jade by the waist and pulled her into my crotch. My palms rubbed against her back that was bare, soft to the touch. I sang the chorus to her, rocking her in my arms as I stared into her eyes. Her makeup was softer than she used to wear it, but she looked damn good. She was soft and small in my arms, smelled like heaven.
Damn, I miss this…
Before I knew it, my mouth dropped down to find hers. My lips brushed against her, not giving a damn about staining her color. I pulled her bottom one into my mouth and sucked on it before pushing my tongue in and found hers. My silly ass moaned helplessly when I tasted her. Right then I wanted to feel the softness of her mouth around my dick. It had been…weeks. Damn near a month since I’d made love to my wife. I couldn’t believe it myself as I kissed her deeply in the middle of the ruckus of my party.
Her little hands clutched my upper arms, making me feel like the big ogre she teased me about being. I ain’t mind. It turned me the hell on. This big beast was going to go gorilla on her pussy tonight. To hell with that; I was having my wife and however I wanted her. Soon.
She was pulling away from me. Her tongue left my mouth and lips stopped moving with mine. Slowly, I opened my eyes to ask why.
“Daaaaaaaaamn, homey!” I heard shouted right next to us. “Jada got yo ass in the clink.”
My tight eyes shot over to Alton. But seeing so many people around with cameras and cheering and laughing is what had me snapping out of my haze.
“They were clapping to celebrate you, now they’re hyped from your seductive hip moves.” She was so close, I could hear directly in my ear.
I let her go so she could stand straight. As Jade laughed at me—with everybody else in the room—she smoothed down my jacket, patting my chest.
“See what you do to my man?” Alton asked Jade, smiling ear to ear, in our faces. “Ain’t no church boy now, bih!” He cracked up, not caring he was alone.
The only one so close to us. I shot him a look, telling him to back off.
Jade laughed, reaching up to tug my beard so I could come down and tap her lips.
“My church boy,” she claimed, looking into my eyes.
“I ain’t been much of a church boy lately.” My eyes tossed to Al. “Especially around this guy. I been cussing all damn night.”
Jade’s head went back as she laughed. A flashback of her doing that so casually in my bed in Connecticut came rushing in. I missed her laugh. I missed her touch. She pulled away and I didn’t like the pain that struck my chest as she did. I didn’t pull her back, but let my hands rub against the softness of her skin as she backed up. My eyes roved down her body and I saw the front of her sweater was long, reaching to her pelvis. When my hands brushed against the sides of her belly, excitement hit at the next destination. My princess, baking inside.
But Jade scooted back, smile fading into a phony one as she shook her head softly. She made it clear I couldn’t touch her belly and she didn’t want those around knowing about our little secret. Her eyes danced in mine, begging me to not be upset. The stretched smile with little emotion confirmed it.
“Happy birthday to ya. Happy birthday to ya…” the crowd sang against Stevie Wonder’s record.
I stood staring, mesmerized by her like the fucking love-struck pussy I was when it came to Jade. Only Jade. I wanted to be mad at her rejection, but I missed her so much—needed her so much—I couldn’t waste time on that emotion.
She pointed to the people around us then the crowd, reminding me where we were. I snapped out of it and lifted my hand to thank them for the song. Then the deejay cut the record to 2 Chains’ “Birthday Song.”
“Shoot ‘Em Up! in the damn building tonight!” the deejay shouted, cutting the music when he did. “We see you, man!” The track played again.
That had me falling into another dance. I hit that Juju on that Beat first. The crowd turned up. I was tipsy and wanted to have fun.
“Oh, shit!” Alton screamed, waving his arms in the air.
It was the first time his voice hyped me and not have me wanting to choke the hell out of him. I rocked out to that for a minute, switching my arm swings.
“I see you, TB!” the deejay shouted.
Just when I was about to stop, “Milly Rock” hit. The room went crazy. And right on beat, I swung my arms and twisted my waist. JJ jumped in my face, screaming something to gas me even more. I hadn’t played around in public like this in years, but hadn’t lost my skills. Jordan and my boys were used to this from me. We were known for our mini-performances when we went out. This reminded me of that until my eyes were drawn to something not too far from me.
Jade.
I didn’t realize she had on little shorts under that long sleeved sweater that fell midway in the back, but long in the front. She wore sexy tall, high heeled boots that came up to her meaty thighs. She stood with parted lips and lazy eyes. I forgot she liked this. I danced at home with Kyree, but kept it clean. I didn’t have to tonight. It was my birthday party. I locked my eyes on her, twisting my hips. When she realized my seduction game she squeezed her eyes closed and busted out laughing. Jade called me over with her index finger and I Nae-Nae’d to her.
She hugged me while laughing when I made it. After pulling into her, Jade pointed to the crowd again, telling me to acknowledge the birthday songs that I’d somehow gotten away from. JJ handed me a glass of champagne over my shoulder that I took and raised in the air, saying thank you to my guests. I swallowed back the glass, knowing that had to be my last drink of the night. I now wondered how I was going to make it to morning worship tomorrow.
I handed the empty glass to a waiter, standing nearby and pulled Jade more into me. I wanted to kiss her again, and could tell she knew it. She put a hot pink nail colored finger to my nose—damn, I love the colors she wear on her nails—then reached into the waist of her tiny shorts.
“This is my birthday gift to you.” She rocked a closed mouth smile.
I unfolded the paper and saw formatted boxes with old school font. Dates…the state of New Jersey…names: Jade Renee Matthews, Trenton Bailey, and even Ezra Carmichael and Alexis Carmichael—all hit me at once.
A marriage certificate…
Jade snatched the paper from me and looked around real quick and suspiciously.
“You’re stuck with me now, big guy.” She moved into me again, pushing her little arms around my waist, and tilted her head back to stare at me.
Her smile was first cocky then excited. Jade waited for my response. I saw when she started to panic. Her face fell and worried eyes danced in mine. Those light brown lips separated, but nothing came out.
I leaned down to lay my forehead on hers. “I’m ‘bout to fuck the shit outta you. Get us outta here.”
Jade busted out laughing. Her shoulders shook and vibrated against my waist.
~Fifteen
My head swung back, and I reached to be sure I didn’t fall off the table. “Ooooh,” I cried with closed eyes as I held the back of this head. His hat was to the back, preventing my usual grip.
I was ready to come again. His mouth was on my sex, tongue moving fast against my clit as my thighs vibrated around his ears. My shorts were to one calf and the other side to my ankle. Trent couldn’t be patient to unbutton them as he fingered me in the back of the limo the Rogers’ let us use to leave my husband’s surprise party early.
His big hands gripped my hips, pushing my dripping sex into his mouth as his tongue lapped against it. He was inebriated, but not quite drunk. Trent hadn’t been drunk much for some time now, so his tolerance was low. But damn…
“Baby!” I cried with urgency.
I loved him out of control like this. An intoxicated Trent was a reckless lover. His long legs were stretched wide as he leaned over the table shooting pleasure to my core. Secretly, I wanted him rough and all over me. So far, he was hungry for me, wanting me to come in his mouth again.
And I did.
“Trentiiiiiiin…” I cried with the top of my head meeting the inside of the rolling laundry basket.
The explosion was intense. My entire body bristled with pleasure, spine jerked dangerously. It had been so long since we touched like this. Felt like a lifetime ago since I had him. He’d almost worked me off the table. Maybe reckless Trent was here. I wasn’t as flexible as I once had been, before getting pregnant, but my body still curved with femininity at his hands.
He moaned with me, reignited need as though he hadn’t just satisfied it three times. Trent didn’t stop until my body calmed. He raised to stand straight, his beard saturated with my desire and satisfaction. I wanted to taste his mouth. When I attempted to shoot up to do it, my body recoiled, reminding me to take it slow. He helped me up and I immediately pulled him into me by his thick neck and kissed him feverishly.
