Page 133 of Save Room for Us

While there, I met Brian. He was nice, a good listener, and didn’t judge me, so I felt compelled to tell him the truth about the life I had before. He agreed with me that Prime wasn’t a good man, and I was done wrong.

From there, he and I began a courtship that led to marriage and a surprise pregnancy, despite my age. I was happy, though, feeling like I had a fresh start, and my plan was to put my old life, including Asif, to the back of my mind, but I was always curious as to what he was up to.

I loved Asif, as much as I could, considering we had no real relationship, but I couldn’t lie and say I recently came around him because of it. I was perfectly fine forgetting about him and his newfound family, until I ran across an article announcing the new CEO of St. Thomas Financial. When I saw it was Asif, I knew I had to rekindle with him because he was about to be making a lot of money, and I needed help; my family needed help.

I wasn’t built to live this modest life Brian had built for us. I was born for shopping sprees, spending money like it grew on trees, and being able to go wherever I wanted, when I wanted. So that was when I decided to reach out to Asif, hoping to build a relationship where he would gradually start to help his mother out.

When I saw him in person, it was all but confirmed for me that he was getting a lot of money. While I may have been in my fifties now, I still had a keen eye when it came to scoping out rich niggas, and my son was one. No, he wasn’t flashy, but you could see it in his demeanor, the way he carried himself, the jewelry pieces he wore that weren’t ostentatious but classy, the kind you’d only recognize if you were a part of the elite.

I had once been a part of that circle, so I was able to pinpoint all the details. Even his cologne, while I didn’t recognize it,smelled expensive. I could tell by the notes of it, it was no less than five hundred dollars a bottle.

By saying that, as his mother, I deserved some of that cash he was bringing in. I may not have been the best mom, but I was still his mom at the end of the day.

Lisara had a damn rapper, actor, basketball player, and footballer for a son, not to mention that highfalutin ass lawyer, so she was reaping enough fucking benefits. I didn’t know what her other son did, but even if he was broke, it wouldn’t matter. She didn’t need to reap the ones that came with my kid.

“Hi, Mommy!” Blaire hopped into the car happily. “You’re late.”

“I know, B.” I huffed, pulling off and ignoring the counselor telling me to stop so she could have a word with me. Fuck her. Once Asif broke me off, Blaire would be in private school.

“Can we have pizza?”

“I don’t know. It depends if your father actually cooked or not.” I leaned on the door of this Honda CR-V, which I hated. I was supposed to be pushing a Range Rover like I used to. Fucking Prime.

Blaire talked and talked the whole way home, and I tried to be interested, but I just wasn’t. She was just as annoying as Asif was but maybe worse because she never stopped. At least when Asif was little, he would be quieter and withdrawn around me, which I appreciated. Blaire couldn’t read the fucking room and acted as if she and I were best friends.

After the asylum, I tried to change, tried to be different by living humbly and being a good mother, an attentive wife, but it was hard for me. It just wasn’t who I was. I was bougie, I wasn’t maternal, and I liked for my man to give me all his attention while only needing a little of mine. As bad as it sounded, it was true.

Brian was a low maintenance partner, which was perfect, whereas Prime was a high maintenance one. The former could thrive off a little attention, while the latter had to have more, with his needy ass. Every time I looked up, he was complaining about something, and had he been poorer, I would’ve left his ass.

By the time we got home, I could smell the spaghetti Brian had whipped up for the fifth time this week. I couldn’t complain, though, because I hadn’t cooked and hadn’t grocery shopped either.

“Ready to eat?” Brian smiled at the sight of Blaire, picking her up then kissing me.

Prime would’ve still had an attitude about me forgetting her at school, but not Brian. I loved him for that. If only he made more money.

“I’m so hungry!” Blaire screeched as we all sat down at the table, Brian serving us.

After eating a couple bites of the pasta, I said, “Asif invited me to dinner with his father and his stepmother.”

“Asif, my brother?” Blaire quizzed, and I nodded.

“Hmm, just you?” Brian stabbed at his food, clearly bothered.

“Yeah, he didn’t say anyone else. Don’t get upset. I’m sure he wants to get comfortable with me first, and then he can meet you two.”

“I understand.” Brian nodded.

“You know my son is the CEO of St. Thomas Financial.”

“You told me, Nori.” He bit his garlic bread, offering a fake smile to Blaire who made a corny, out of nowhere, joke.

“You’ve been saying how you wanted to work for yourself and start your own business. He can give you the money for that.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. He’s my son, and the bank gives loans all the time. I’m sure he can give hisstepfathera nice hefty one withlow interest and all that good stuff.” I smiled, watching Brian’s eyes sparkle a bit in interest.

“That would be amazing.”

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