Page 106 of Serenity
“You came!” Flinging my arms around my man, I squealed into his ear.
“Of course. Couldn’t have you out here twerking on niggas,” he smirked.
“When did you change your mind?”
“Baby, I don’t ever change my mind. The decision was made to spend the evening with you. I just needed time to decompress from work, shower, and get dressed. I wanted you to arrive on time, and the look of surprise on your face upon seeing me was priceless.”
Unapologetically, I danced the night away. Though I hadn’t been twerking on niggas, I made sure I twerked on my man. The DJ cycled through several hits, heightening the excitement for the evening. While Duke’s absence had slightly sullied my mood, his presence amplified it times ten.
So many gifts lined the space around our seating area. A Birkin with a fifty-thousand-dollar gift inside came courtesy of Supreme and Sadie. Saint and Tori gifted me a voucher to swim with the dolphins in Belize. Alongside that were several Chanel and Demure bags. Abalone sea shells and pearls were embroidered on one particular purse from Tori’s anniversary oceanic line. That particular gift was my favorite. Several other unopened boxes laced the area, which I’d likely open at home.
Shamelessly, my family and friends aspired to spoil me. It was overwhelming. They were overwhelming. A tsunami threatened to consume my face and obliterate the carefully curated makeup it housed. My thirtieth birthday had been more than I could ever wish for.
Leaning close to my ear, Duke delivered, “Don’t cry, Bumble Bee.”
“I’m trying,” I confessed, freeing an exasperated laugh.
“You enjoyed your night?”
“It became ten times better when you arrived.”
“Good to fucking know.”
Abruptly, the music stopped, and I was requested to make my way outside. With a new car already gifted a few weeks prior, I couldn’t fathom accepting another. Suspicious eyes cut in Duke’s direction, but he simply shrugged.
Down the VIP steps and widened hallway, my feet tapped. The excess of surprises for the evening had been overwhelming. Anything further, and I was destined to collapse from unadulterated joy.
Parked out front of the club’s entry was a Bentley truck with the biggest, prettiest peach bow on top. Stationed outside the truck was Duke’s driver, Reed. With his arms clasped in front of him and his gun on his hip, he nodded his acknowledgment in my direction.
“What is this, Duke?”
“That is your new whip, and Reed will be chauffeuring you in it from now on. This will give you more time to focus on your businesses and whatever else you need to get done.”
Covering my face with elongated rhinestone and peach-colored nails, I gasped.
“Driving is for peasants, Bee,” he joked.
Wealthy men always made jokes about things regular people could never endeavor to speak about.
“You’re giving me Reed? Who will you have to drive you around?”
“Somebody I can much easier adapt to than you would. I wouldn’t trust your being in anyone else’s hands aside from Reed.”
As he said the words, Biram appeared off to the side and waved in our direction. I waved back.
“I can’t believe this,” I whimpered.
“Believe it, Bee,” he spoke to the shell of my ear. “This is what it means to belong to the Duke, and it’s only gonna get better,” he finished with a kiss against my neck.
My night sweetened like Kool-Aid made with lukewarm water. It was a good night. One of the best nights. And I owed it all to the people I loved, including Duke Stepford III.
CELEBRATING D3, BELIZE
“Your downward dog is improving,” I chuckled.
After a necessary twenty-four hours recalibrating from the flight to Belize, Duke and I were up at the crack of dawn doing yoga. Peace and relaxation were the objectives. As with all our trips outside of the country, the yoga retreat didn’t fail to impress. It lacked nothing.
The following day, we visited the Xunantunich Mayan temple. The ten-eighth-mile loop trail near the ruins was said to be moderately challenging. The rise and fall of my chest as we made our way through the trail suggested it was highly challenging.