“Yup,” Day said.
Demi hung up and opened the email from Day, ignoring the notifications for missed calls as he pressed play on the track that was waiting for him.
Demi knew it had legs when his head fell into a nod to the music. Three minutes and 25 seconds of pure artistry pumped through his custom speakers. He called Day back right away.
“My nigga, yo that’s fucking out of here,” Demi said. “Def needs a feminine vibe on the track.” His mind went to Charlie. “I might have somebody new for it. Let me get to the crib. I’ll hit you about it later today. That paper, though... it’s been taken care of.”
“I knew it would be. Niggas think cuz I’m on the radio I ain’t getting busy no more,” Day stated.
“You not, I will, though. Either way, it’s taken care of,” Demi stated.
“My mu’fucking bro, man,” Day said. “Later.”
Demi hung up and took the exit that led to his home. When he pulled up, pride swelled in his chest. Four thousand square feet of luxury awaited him. Tucked in the suburbs of Detroit, Demi lived amongst Michigan’s elite. He pulled into his four-car garage and sat behind the wheel. Charlie had overdrafted his heart. It had only taken her a day to disrupt his entire life. He was playing with fire. As he exited the car and pushed into the interior of his home, he knew he was risking it all.
“Daddy!”
The sound of his eight-year-old son running his way full speed let him know he was risking too much.
“DJ, my man,” he said, picking his only child up and tossing him over his shoulder. “What you got going on, huh?”
“Not much! Playing Roblox! Want to play?”
Demetrius Sky Jr. was a perfect blend of his parents, some called DJ his twin but Demi saw his mother most, but that spirit was his through and through.
“Yeah, set it up for me. Where ya mama at?” he asked.
“She’s in the den,” DJ said.
“A’ight, give me a minute, bet?” Demi said as he made his way through the house. A woman’s touch was all over every inch. Lauren had done a beautiful job, not only choosing but filling the house with love and in one night, Demi had poured it out, into another woman’s cup, filling it up, while poking holes all through the relationship he had been in for fifteen years.
He found her in her home office. Her back was to him as she spoke on the phone while pacing the carpet.
“The vendor for the linens is short on stock, so we need to find partners to make sure we have enough to cover all the tables at the reception. Oh, and can you check on my bottles of champagne? We’ll need 300 bottles. They were due last week. They still haven’t arrived,” Lauren said. She smiled at Demi when she turned to him, holding up a finger to put him on hold as she ended her call. “Okay, well, keep me updated. This is a big account for us so we need to make sure this wedding is perfection.” She hung up and leaned to sit on the edge of her desk. She was so damn pretty. Onyx-colored and short hair that was so fine that she only had to wet it and gel it to the back. High fashion. Gabonese with some Congo blood in her, by way of Louisiana, she was filled with melanin and culture. A stint at Clark Atlanta had put a pinch of hood in her.
“Hey, baby,” she said. “I was beginning to think you forgot where you live.”
“You know my job ain’t got office hours, Lo. You know better. What’s with all the calls?” he asked.
“What’s with you not calling? You normally do if you have to stay out,” she said.
Demi deadpanned on her. “I’m not questioning you, Demi. I know the life you live and the things you do to keep a roof over our heads. I’m just saying. Respect me. You always have. I was just worried,” she said.
Demi nodded. “You don’t got nothing to worry about, Lo,” he said.
Lauren crossed her arms and stared at him.
“You seem different,” she said. “You good?”
“Whatever ain’t good I keep outside this house. I always have,” he said.
Demi didn’t know if it was his conscience or her intuition, but he felt like she was picking him apart, disarming his lies, one by one until she got to the truth. He had cheated. He never had until now. Not even during their college years. It had always been her, but things between them had gotten so routine that he could predict the next year of his life with accuracy. He knew the positions that they would fuck in. He knew what meals he would come home to. He knew what candle scents would fill their bedroom. He finished her sentences; they knew one another so well. He loved Lauren. Dearly loved her. Respected her, but somewhere along the way, he had fallen out of love with her. Or perhaps he never really had beeninlove with her, but the love and loyalty, plus the connection of a baby had been enough to carry them through the years. Until last night. The mistake he had made eroded his stomach. If she ever found out she would be devastated.
She lifted from her seat and walked toward him, standing directly in front of him. She was used to his rules. She wasn’t like Charlie. She knew better than to touch him and Demi sighed, a bit relieved because his guilt would have allowed him to let her and he didn’t think he could handle any more physical contact.
“I love you,” she said.
“Love you,” he replied. “I’m going to shower.”
