I stared at him, wanting to ask more, but thought back to our wedding and the way his surprises had a way of sweeping me off my feet. I nodded once. “Okay, baby.”
He gave me a quick smooch, then slapped me on the ass. I hissed with a giggle on my way to the bathroom.
I quickly refreshed my skin and brushed my teeth. Ripping off my bonnet, I removed the two-strand twists I put in before getting into bed. It gave my hair a little curl, so I did my edges, then pulled it back with an African cloth head wrap. Waltzing into our bedroom, I opted for light-wash jeans, a graphic t-shirt, and a pair of Steve Madden sandals. After spraying on perfume, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and headed downstairs.
Kai was in the foyer waiting patiently for me. He smiled when I made it to the bottom step. He checked his watch and nodded. “Five minutes to spare. Come on, beautiful.”
He was damn near bouncing on his toes with excitement. It started to rub off on me as he grabbed my hand, snatching me out the door. He opened the passenger door for me, then raced around the front of the car. I’d never seen him like this before, and I was thoroughly enjoying it. It made me anxious to see what in this world made Sekai so giddy.
He held my hand as we made the drive into the city, listening to Earth, Wind & Fire. The nighttime breeze was soft against my skin, and the stars in the sky sparkled with promise. When we pulled up to the center of the city, I eagerly glanced around. This was Solaire’s version of Times Square and had a lot of tourist traffic.
Kai parked and got out so fast that he was opening my door before I could blink.
“We gotta go,” he explained while pulling me out. I was glad I hadn’t worn heels because the way he made us hustle to the center square would’ve had my feet screaming.
We were both breathing heavily by the time we made it there. Crowds of people moved about, going only God knows where, while we looked like we’d run a marathon. I glanced up at the Jumbotron board and paused. There was a countdown on the screen with an announcement that told everyone Kai’s album was coming soon. I bounced on my toes.
“Oh my God, babe! You finished it?” I asked, jumping all over him.
He nodded. “I did. Turn around. You’re going to miss it.”
Kai didn’t have to tell me twice as I spun around. He wrapped his arms around my waist, anchoring me in place. I held my breath as the countdown went below a minute. The people out on the square who were also waiting for the drop became excited. They were cheering even before the screen changed and his album art appeared on the screen.
“Sekai...” I whispered, unable to look away from the image. My hands shot to my mouth as tears came to my eyes.
The title of his album wasSt. James & Prosper Ave,but it was the art that froze me. There was a collage of photos that included images of me with my parents. The others were Kai with his family, or the Reapers with their bandanas lifted, then there was the photo from our wedding in the center, like a beacon of light.
There was a track list on the side of the art. My eyes scanned the songs, especially excited to listen to the songs titled “Dutch Born,” “From Reaper to Lover,” “New Man Freestyle,” and “Until The End.” I cried silently even after Kai wrapped his arms around my waist. He always found a way to make me feel special and loved. I knew his music was everything to him, so to realize he’d dedicated a portion of that to me made my heart take flight. I don’t know how long we stood there. He wouldn’t allow anyone to even get close to me. The Reapers didn’t either. I hadn’t noticed Jah, Man Man, Lazer, and Burg amongst thecrowd, but when they were all around, I never worried. I knew I was protected. So, I stood there until I’d had enough of looking.
Spinning around, I crashed into Sekai. He welcomed me with open arms. Every kiss he placed on my forehead sedated me. “I can never thank you enough for all you do for me.”
He smiled at me. “You don’t have to, Legacy. I do shit because I want to. Because you deserve it... You became my muse the day I met you, and I didn’t even know it.”
I rested my chin on his chest. “Can I have a privateearlylistening party?”
His bottom lip slid between his teeth, and lust covered his features before he nodded. “As long as you’ll let me do whatever I want to you while you listen.”
“How am I supposed to listen if you’re busy distracting me?”
He shrugged. “You know how to multitask, Nuri Symone, but maybe in between orgasms I’ll let you actually listen to the songs.”
My body swayed in anticipation. When he said in between orgasms, he wasn’t lying. I never had sex with Kai without getting a minimum of two. From the way he was looking at me, I could tell it would be one of those nights where his goal was to make me tap out. When he leaned forward, placing his lips on mine, I knew he could have my heart, my body, and my soul tonight. He was known to take very good care of me.
I inhaledthe warm sun beaming above us as we stepped off the private jet Kai chartered for our trip to Miami. He reminded me that he’d never gotten me that Cuban sandwich, so here we were. I’d completely forgotten all about it because of the shooting. Thank God I had a man who was very intentional about the ways he showed me he loved me.
I’d hardly had time to enjoy the moment because Jah came barreling down the steps behind me.
“I’m here, whores! Let’s fucking party!” he hollered like a lunatic.
I shook my head, moving out of the way because he was about to have me kissing the tarmac. Man Man came off behind him, holding up the bottle of tequila they’d started on during theflight. My baby was next, shaking his head like a disappointed father. We already knew his brothers were going to show their asses while we were down here.
He tried to prepare me for how much his brothers loved Miami, but I didn’t understand the gravity until we reached the Airbnb, and they immediately made everybody start drinking. Before we left to head to our private yacht, we were already four shots in. I was feeling every one of them as Kai held my hand while we boarded.
“Y’all got matching outfits on and shit pissin’ me off,” Jah hissed with a frown.
Man Man snickered from where he was eyeing women walking by in thong bikinis. He invited them on board, and of course, they came without even realizing who they were partying with. It was funny when they noticed me sitting on Kai’s lap. We really lived a private life away from his fame and popularity.
I wore an orange and pink bikini with a matching flowing cover-up. The shirt Kai wore was the same color and material, but he had on plain orange swimming trunks. Of course, I had us take a bunch of pictures, including professional ones from one of the photographers on the beach.
