“You succeeded,” he said, reachin’ for the pool sticks behind the counter. “You’re not gonna get all sentimental on me and cry before the wedding, are you?”
“I might, but right now, I’ma beat your ass in pool.”
“I doubt that. Come on.” We headed to the game room that was tucked off the side of the house. Shit was lit wit’ neon lights, framed records, a mini fridge, a full-size pool table, and some speakers that already had a 90s R&B playlist hummin’.
Smokin’ my blunt, I cracked my knuckles while Carl racked ‘em up. “Now, I’m not gonna go easy on you just because you’re marrying my angel.”
“And I ain’t gon’ let you win just ‘cause you the OG.” Wit’ the blunt hangin’ from my lips, I was talkin’ hella shit, and I sank two balls—pause—on my first shot.
He looked up at me, half high already, grinnin’. “Aight then, youngblood. Let’s play.” He leaned over the table, squintin’ hard as he lined up his first shot. “Okay. Let me focus.”
“Oh yeah. That edible tappin’ your ass now, huh?”
He missed the shot completely, the cue ball goin’ crooked as hell off to the left. “Damn.”
“Youhigh-high,” I smirked. “Talkin’ ‘bout ‘lemme focus.’ Your ass blinked slow like five times.”
He stood upright, eyes halfway closed, chucklin’ to himself. “Shit hit all at once. I’m warm. I feel like I just stepped into a jacuzzi. Gimme a minute.”
I laughed so hard I had to set my stick down. Carl walked over to the mini fridge, grabbed a cold bottle of water, and leaned against the pool table. “Aye,” he said after a minute, his voice a little more mellow now. “You’re gonna make Nyomi happy. I never had any doubts. You just love differently than what I’m used to. That’s all.”
I glanced at him, serious now, still smokin’. “I know. I’ma work on that soft shit for her, but I’m still me at the end of that day. Just know for Ny, I’ma try every day. She’s worth it.”
He nodded slowly, then pointed at me wit’ the water bottle. “That’s all I ask. That’s rare nowadays. Most of these dudes just want somebody to post on social media and treat them badly in private. You want forever, and I’m happy for y’all.”
“I ain’t never had nothin’ like her before,” I said honestly, grippin’ the pool stick. “And I know shit ain’t always gon’ be pretty, but I’m built for whatever comes. Real shit.”
Carl raised his brows. “Damn. That was poetic.”
“Nah,” I smirked, grabbin’ the cue stick again. “That was Don and some good-ass weed.” He burst out laughin’, damn near spillin’ the water. I stepped back up and lined up my next shot while he cackled. I ended up gettin’ two more in the hole.
Carl stared at the table. “This whole night was a setup. You got me high just to whoop my ass in pool?”
“You invitedmeover, OG.”
He leaned back, hands up. “Alright, alright. You got it.”
Dappin’ him up, I said, “‘Ppreciate this,” I said. “All of it. Ain’t too many stepdads real like you.”
“Ain’t too many men real like you, either. Go marry my girl, boy. And don’t let nobody mess that up.”
“I won’t.”
T h es e c o n dIstepped inside the brownstone, I knew Mikki and Sia had done the absolute most and I loved them for it. “Bihhhh!” Sia squealed from the kitchen, dancing with a bottle of Tequila in her hand. “The bride to be has arrived! Get your ass in here!”
The whole house smelled like food, floral candles, and good vibes. There were rose gold balloons everywhere that had “Bride to Be” hanging across them and “Mrs. Jones” spelled out in giant inflated balloons. A speaker was bumping Summer Walker low in the background, and the fireplace crackled in the corner.
I dropped my overnight bag by the door and walked straight into the kitchen. Laughing, I caught Mikki coming out of the fridge with a pink Jell-O shot tray. “Y’all really did all this?”
She turned around and struck a pose, lips glossy, curls wild, and wearing a black satin robe like she was on The Real Housewives. “You know we did,” she said proudly. “It’s our job to give the future Mrs. Keon Jones a night to remember.”
I laughed, shaking my head. Before I could respond, the front door swung open, and three familiar voices filled the cabin. “Well damn, the party already started without us?”
I turned just in time to see Tina stepping inside with a tote bag on her shoulder and a bottle of tequila in her hand. Behind her came Julianna carrying two bags of snacks, and Peeches balanced a cake. Tina I grew to love while being in East Hollis, but Julianna and Peeches were my lash techs from my old lash studio back in Arbor Hills.
“Yesss! My lash girlies!” I shouted.
Peeches shrugged like it was obvious. “You thought your lash squad wasn’t showing up for your bachelorette?”