Naomi tilted her head, not fully convinced. “Because his mother is here, and she seems extra strict!”
“Tell me about it.” I laughed nervously. “She’s okay, though. She’s just looking out for her son. None of us can be mad at that.”
Naomi laughed softly. “Good, so she likes you?”
“I didn’t say all that,” I replied jokingly. “But she respected me, and I respected her. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just… real.”
Treasure tapped her glass against mine. “That matters more anyway.”
“True.” Naomi agreed, taking a sip of her drink.
Kaori’s song started playing and I beamed with excitement. It was one thing listening to artists, but it was something else entirely when you knew them. I pulled out my phone, texting Kier. It felt like we’d barely seen each other since he was extra busy finalizing things.
Me:
Babe, Kaori’s song is playing at the bar!
Mr. Producer:
“When is the dinner, Sibley?”
“Saturday, but it’s an early dinner. Kier scheduled a car to come get the both of you, so y’all could meet us at the yacht. It will be around 7:30ish.”
“A yacht is crazy!” Naomi shook her head in disbelief.
“Tell me about it.” Treasure added. “I wish I could come to the dinner.”
“No bestie, the yacht is where you truly want to be. It will be filled with lots of industry people. The dinner is just the label.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. We about to have a blast! Vegas 2.0.”
I laughed at Treasure. One thing she was going to do was party. “No Vegas 2.0, for me. I had one hangover too many.”
“Speaking of, we should order some food.”
“I’m with you, big sis.” I smiled at Noami.
We flowed through different topics after that. We laughed, making small observations about people around us, letting the night take over. Sitting there between them was refreshing. I didn’t feel like I had to explain everything or prove anything. For once, everything just felt right.
I was grateful when I got back to the penthouse later. Ms. Theresa and Al went out for a night on the town, so it was just me, considering Kier was running the streets somewhere. It was quiet, and I took the opportunity to run myself a bath. I was tipsy, it was only 10 pm, and Kier had made it clear he’d be out late.
Between the warm bath,the drinks, and the quiet, I don’t remember much after my head hit the pillow. At some point during the night, I must’ve drifted into a deeper sleep because the next thing I registered was the faint click of the bedroom door opening and footsteps moving carefully across the floor. Eventually I was nudged awake.
“Si, you woke?”
“Mmh,” I whispered. “What time is it?”
“Little after 3. I just got out of the shower.”
Noticing the dampness of his skin, I replied, “I can tell. You’re still a little wet.”
“Are you?”He asked, slipping his finger between my folds.
“Kier, what are you doing?”
He tossed the covers back and turned me on my back. “I need some loving, Si. It’s been too long.”
“With your mom here?” I sat up abruptly.
