Page 47 of Disrespectfully, Relic

“Girl, no. Him and the kids were all dog piled on top of one another, knocked out and taking over the damn bed.”

Kennedy smiled at that while eyeing the coffee cups, wondering which was hers. Savvy removed her jacket, plucked one from the tray to pass her girl, and then grabbed her own for a sip. She needed to mentally prepare for Kennedy’s anal ass to drive her mad until every detail of the day was perfect.

“Okay, so I need you to use your many resources to find me a photographer. The one I booked claimed she’s sick and cancelled,” Kennedy explain with a shake of her head. “I also had a stylist call in, talking about she might not have a sitter, so that bitch is done before she can even get her foot in the door.”

“Kennedy!”

“What?! If she can’t even show on the first day, I already see the problems I’ll have with her.”

Savvy rubbed her forehead before saying, “What else?”

“You’re going to curse me out about this one. I have a caterer, but I want to add those turnover things you had at the bridal studio. Can you have Ms. Judith make a tray for me?”

“The beef and pork patties?”

“Yes, I liked those, and it’ll send people your way, too. I texted your brother-in-law about it, but he hasn’t responded, and I think it’s because I fucked him.”

The sip of coffee Savvy was in the process of taking spewed from her mouth onto her sweats and the clean floor at the major detail Kennedy slid in. She wiped the warm liquid off her chin and stared, wrapping her mind around a situation she saw coming a mile away but prayed one of them avoided. Savvy didn’t know what to make of it, and from the conflicted expression Kennedy wore; she could tell her friend didn’t either.

“So, you and Relic?” she verified, mind blown. “How and when?”

“This past weekend, and probably how you and Shabu do it. They’re brothers, so...”

“Don’t be cute, hoe! You know what I meant.”

Kennedy laughed before leaning against the booth with an exhale. “I’m trying to make light of it because I know, I fucked up. Y’all told me not to go there, and my fast ass did it anyway. That muthafucka is just so fine, though, Savvy. Tell me, I’m lying?”

“I plead the fifth,” she shot out fast as hell, making Kennedy cackle.

“See! I tried to steer clear of his ass because of all the rumors about him, but once I got in his space, shit.” Her eyes went to the ceiling as she searched for the right words. “Relic is that nigga without even trying. He’s complex, though. Guarded and always in his head, but once you get past that and his brashness, he’s cool. Funny even. I ain’t on him like those bitches in his stable, but I’m curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, Kennedy.”

Her gaze went to Savvy at the cautious reminder. “The way he killed my cat, I don’t give a goddamn about that,” she quipped, unashamed.

Savvy screamed as Kennedy laughed through a sheepish grin. She wasn’t shy by a longshot, but each time she envisioned her heated sex with Relic, it did something to her. The last time she’d had sex that good; it was with her first love—a nigga who she had no business fucking. Not much had changed in that regard besides her knowing better.

“I figured, it was bomb. That’s why I didn’t even ask,” Savvy admitted, stifling her giggles. “But do you like him, or is it the dick that has you suddenly interested?”

“I have no idea because Relic is a fucking sour patch. He’s sweet in his own way one minute, and in the next, I’m ready to punch him in his shit because he’s so damn rude. I never know what to expect from him because every move is a chess play to him, but that’s a part of him I like. It might sound crazy, but he’s like a beautiful anomaly. Am I being delusional?”

“I married his brother, so I can’t judge, boo. What I will say is, figure out what you want and fast before you get sucked in.” Savvy set down her drink and stood as she forewarned her, “That’s what these Blaise men do. They suck you into their world so fast and deep that you don’t realize it until you can’t pull yourself out, and there’s no turning back. In by love, out by blood. Make sure you’re ready for that before taking it any further with him, Kennedy.”

Foreboding nestled in the pit of her stomach as she caught the concern flickering in Savvy’s bright orbs after giving that advice. The urge to press for clarification struck Kennedy, but she willed it down because she wasn’t certain if she wanted to know. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to see a crystal-clear image of Relic instead of the grainy one that she filtered through for a better visual each time they made contact. She didn’t want to see him through anyone’s perspective but her own.

“I’m going to grab a towel to clean up this mess. A truck just pulled up, so that might be for you,” Savvy stated before heading toward the back of the salon.

Kennedy immediately pushed her situation with Relic to the back of her mind because she had more important shit to focus on than a nigga who hadn’t hit her line since fucking her brains out almost a week ago. She wished his dick was wack so that she wouldn’t care about being ghosted by him for the umpteenth time. With a deep breath, she mustered a smile and opened the door for the white man in uniform with a clipboard in his hand. Her brows tipped as she noted two other men in the same attire heading toward her while carrying a huge box together. A final man followed suit as he carried a ginormous rose bouquet she could barely see his face through.

“Are you Kennedy Sutton?” the man at the door verified, and she nodded. “I just need your signature to confirm you received the items, and they’re all yours.”

He handed her a pen, and she scribbled her name at the bottom of the slip before passing it back while moving to let the men inside. After instructing them to set the box on the floor and roses on the receptionist desk, she spun to question the delivery driver about the sender but froze when she spotted a familiar face waltzing toward her with a single dimple stealing the show. Kennedy’s mouth gaped as Lomar sauntered up while holding another bouquet, taking her by surprise.

“Wow.” That was the most she could muster up, and he chuckled.

“I don’t know if that’s a good or bad reaction, mama. You got a nigga feeling like popping up on you is giving stalker vibes more than a persistent gesture.”

“No! You caught me off guard with all of this, is all. Come in.”

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