Page 73 of Krash & Bern

Deionte and the guys pulled up on me while I sipped on a cup of champagne.

“Ain’t this nigga thirty now?” Deionte asked with a smirk.

“Don’t come over here on no bullshit, D,” I warned.

“You look clean as hell for a nigga who supposed to be celebrating his dirty thirty,” Blake chimed in.

I frowned. “Don’t do nothing stupid, dawg. I swear to God…”

“Man, we ain’t gon’ ruin this clean ass fit. We just saying. You should be slurring yo’ words and stumbling on yo’ feet. Come take shots with us.”

Bern grinned. “Yes! Go take shots for the both of us.”

I shook my head. “Man, I ain’t trying to get carried out the room.”

“Why not? You deserve it.” Gary held up the bottle of tequila. The agave blend wouldn’t leave me with a hangover in the morning, so I graciously took the bottle to the head. The burn was instant, but I digested it like a real nigga.

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered around me.

The DJ thought he was funny by transitioning the current song to the LMFAO song “Shots” featuring Lil Jon. “I need everybody to put yo’ fuckin’ glasses in the air. We’re celebrating a champ’s birthday. Krash! Take them shots!”

The bottle once again was taken to the head. The second time around, the liquor didn’t burn my throat as badly as the first gulp.

This had been the best birthday thus far. I was surrounded by genuinely good vibes, my best friends, and my legacy. Nothing and no one could bring me down from this natural high. Life was good, and my relationship was great. I couldn’t wait to see what the next year of my life would hold.

Two years and some months later

“We can fly you and your family out next week to view the properties available,” the translator stated.

“I would love to come out there and see how we can bring BerJam, Security to your country.”

Over the last two years, I’d expanded my company to locations all throughout the South and West Coast. As of the last data check, we had over one million customers currently using BerJam, Security. My heart had never been so full. Something I created had become a national product and by the end of the year would expand internationally.

“We look forward to showing you around. Once we get our schedules lined up and find a week that works for you, we can get the ball rolling.” The translator smiled brightly at me.

I nodded. “Thank you all for joining me. I’ll forward my calendar to y’all, and we can go from there.”

Once the meeting ended, I turned off my camera and crossed the items off my to-do list. As I sat back in my leather chair, Malaysia entered my office.

“Your five o’clock meeting has to be rescheduled. The managers of the Dallas and OKC buildings both had family emergencies.”

I frowned. “Send my regards to them both.”

“Already done.”

I smiled. “Great. With that meeting no longer happening, what else is on my agenda?”

“That was your last task of the day. You can close up shop early if you’d like.”

“What do I need to do tomorrow? Can I move some of my morning duties to this afternoon? I’d like to head home before six o’clock and not have to get to the office as early in the morning.”

“Let me see what I can find…” She trailed off as she scrolled on the iPad.

While I waited, I sent a text to Krash.

Me:

Hey, husband. I’m going to be home early today. Do you want me to pick something up for us to eat or are you calling the chef to cook tonight?

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