I didn’t need another piece of jewelry, but I would never tell Synder that. His ability to buy me the most beautiful jewelry was unmatched. Like this diamond necklace fitted with a diamond pennant bearing his jersey number. I beamed harder than the sun. If this wasn’t a sign that I was his, then there wasn’t anything else that was.
Back inside the house, I hurried to answer my ringing phone. My mama called twice. Concerned, I answered her call.
“Little girl.” My mama’s voice had always been smooth like butter with a hint of smoke. “I heard a certain someone has been snooping around asking questions about you…”
“Who?” I questioned as Synder entered the house.
“A certain basketball player. I don’t know, about six-foot-two, two-hundred-twenty-pounds, stunning brown eyes. He sound familiar?” she asked. Before I could respond, she added, “I hear he has a baby girl named Whimsical and a hatin’-ass baby mama named Courtland.”
I choked on my spit. “Mama!”
“What? It’s the truth! Lil’ skank is gon’ make me come out of retirement.”
Chuckling, I said, “No, Mama. That’s not necessary.”
She clicked her teeth. “Well, are the rumors true? You and that young man a thing or not?”
I started to deny it. My parents knew I’d only been there a short while. Plus, this was my job. Then, Synder passed me again, this time tweaking my chin in the process.
“Ready?” he mouthed. Recalling that he had plans for us, I nodded.
“Uh… Yeah, Mama. You could say that we are,” I confessed.
She squealed. “Good! Thought I was gon’ have to offer you up to one of those deacons at the church.”
I scoffed, then burst out laughing. “I have plans with Synder, Mama. Love you! Talk to you later!”
“Love you, Baby Girl,” she replied.
Hanging up, I breathed in deeply, then exhaled. Magic was all around me this holiday season. I had the perfect family, the perfect life…and the perfect man.
CHAPTER 20
SYNDER
JustbecauseIhadmy girl in the bag didn’t mean the playbook was closed. I still had an uphill battle. It went from cuffing Sienna to nowcuffingSienna. The Christmas galas were going to be my biggest plays. After this, Sienna would love everything about me. Hell, I needed her to love everything about me because kidnapping her would’ve just been ludicrous. I wasn’t above doing so, though.
Today, we were off having a day on the town. This was one of my few off days, and I was taking it and doing the most with the woman who stole my heart. Legend and Ginger were in town for the weekend. They were scheduled to attend one of the galas thatthe league was hosting. In the last few years, their community centers expanded from Pensacola to Atlanta and several other cities. They were a true power couple, something I wanted to create with Sienna.
Putting Sienna in the same thought process as marriage was on brand for how crazy I was about her. Once she caught up, there would be no stopping us.
Our first order of business was at the tattoo studio. We had an early appointment, before the crowd. Inside Urbn Ink Studios, I dapped my tattoo artist, Juan. I called, and he was in the city at the drop of a hat. Legend and Ginger were there, too. Ginger and Sienna were excited to see each other again. They fell into an easy conversation that two homegirls would have.
While Juan got my girl prepared for her tattoo, Ginger kept Sienna company. Meanwhile, Legend and I sat across from Juan’s station to kick the shit.
“I love this for you, Cuzzo,” Legend stated. “I was gon’ be heated if I flew all the way to Chicago to beat a nigga’s ass over a woman who didn’t want yo’ ass.”
Chuckling, I said, “It was touch and go. She ignored me for two fuckin’ days ‘cause of that shit, bruh. ‘Bout lost my shit.”
Legend laughed. “I can’t relate. My girl would’ve put knees and elbows on that nigga if she could.”
I didn’t doubt it. Ginger’s name and appearance were sweet, but her uppercuts were vicious as fuck.
“That’s the thing,” I replied. “It’s a fire inside Sienna that I’ve seen. It’s the way she stands up for herself and sets boundaries that a nigga had to finesse hard as fuck to challenge. I wouldn’t have cared if it was someone else. But when I first saw her, I just knew…”
“Reminds me of what happened with me and Gin. Boy, I swear. Shit hit me so hard, I started planning our future before she even agreed to be my woman.”
“Feels good to know it ain’t just me,” I said. “My mama’s name ain’t even tatted on me. Which is crazy. Here I am about to get shawty’s name tattooed on me. I knew from the first day I met her, but Idefinitelyknow now. Her ass massaged my feet yesterday. Nigga, I woke up with my dick in my hand and drool runnin’ down my damn mouth.”
