“Aww, thank you,” I muttered, turning in his arms to kiss him. I cupped the back of his head, and I pressed my forehead against his. Against his lips, I softly affirmed him.
“You are a beautiful soul, who sees the good in others. You inspire other people to give and be their best, and I’m so thankful for you. You have been my strength through some tumultuous times, like the storm, Hollis, and Carl. You have blessed my days by doing simple things for no other reason than just to confirm that you see me, you appreciate me, and you love me.
“Thank you for taking this vision, or idea that I had, and running with it. I have no doubt that it’s going to be something beautiful because you are a part of it. Thank you for loving melike you do, Harlem. I love you so much, and I’m so thankful that you’re in my life.”
“I’m just blessed to have you, that God thought me worthy of not only knowing you but being loved by you. It’s all good. You and I are a team, and we’re about to make dreams come true, bae.”
He kissed me again before we returned to awkwardly folding clothes, with me still sitting on his lap. Harlem turned the TV onto the Food Network, and we watched a cooking competition.
“Have you ever been interested in applying to be on one of these shows?”
“Nope.” My voice was filled with conviction and finality.
“Why not?” he asked as he moved the empty towel basket aside and reached around me to drag the underwear basket closer to his leg. He handed me a stack of underclothes, and he grabbed some to fold too.
“I do what I do for the love of it all, not for the recognition or clout. My baking is something so sacred that I got from my dad’s mother, my GiGi. So, I reserve my cooking and baking for the nostalgia and to make a living. I do it for the enjoyment that I give people and that I see on their faces.
“It was hard enough deciding to do it professionally and open myself for judgment, but I knew that this is what I would be great at and could have a wonderful career doing. The last thing I want is to take it on some show and have my skills picked apart and judged, have people make comments about something that I know I’m good at, and have me doubting myself and walking away with poor self-esteem, all for the sake of them making good ratings. No, sir. I’m good with what GiGi poured into me and what I’ve worked hard at,” I replied with light laughter.
“Are you afraid of being judged or failing?”
“Listen, I’m confident enough in my skills, and I’m not worried about losing. I simply want to protect and cherish the memories of GiGi and me.”
“I can respect that.” He laughed, and I turned to stare at him.
“What’s so funny?”
“This shit is crazy, man. We’re sitting here folding each other’s underclothes like it ain’t nothing. I never expected to be enjoying something so mundane as folding clothes, but I enjoy doing it with you. I enjoy doing everything with you.”
“Same. The little things that didn’t have any meaning at all or were tedious, now have a new meaning when I do it with you.”
I smiled at him and brushed my lips against his. He smiled back and replied, “Girl, you make me so damn happy.”
“Thank you, bae.”
“Do you think that you’re ready to take a vacation?”
I thought about it for less than a minute before I replied. “I believe my staff is fully capable of handling the shop in my absence, but I wouldn’t want to be gone too long.”
“Who would you trust to handle the financial aspect in your absence?”
“Naina. I’ve been watching her closely and considering making her full-time and promoting her to assistant manager of the bakery.”
“That’s wassup, babe.”
“I’ve checked my finances and projected sales, and I’m certain that I can handle it. My bakery has done very well over the last five months.”
He kissed my forehead, eyelids, nose, and then my lips before he agreed. “You should do it then.”
“What about you? What are your most precious memories with your grandfather?”
Harlem’s face lit up with a smile. “Man, my nigga, Pop-Pop, that’s my mom’s dad, he had a crazy work ethic. He ownedseveral new car dealerships, a chain of grocery stores, and he was always into real estate, which is where I got my love of real estate from.
“He would take me with him to check out new properties all the time. He would point out why some properties were worth investing in and why others weren’t. The time we spent together was precious to me because he was always teaching, always showing, and always leading by example. That man believed in me when nobody else did, and for that, I will always love and cherish my Pop-Pop.”
“I knew that your maternal grandmother’s side of the family owns Sexton Liquors, and I knew that your granddad was a businessman; I just didn’t realize that he had that many businesses.”
Sexton Liquors was one of the top liquor companies in the country, and it was a popular brand among the hip-hop and entertainment community. It catered toward the younger crowd. It wasn’t Harlem or his siblings or his mother who ran the company, though. Harlem’s aunt, his mother’s oldest sister’s family ran the company, but Harlem’s parents, his siblings, and Harlem himself had stock in it.
