Page 32 of Read the Room

“Girl, I can’t believe you did all of this,” Simone said as she looked around with a cheesy smile.

I enlisted her to help me with my plan because I wanted it to be a secret. Keeping a secret around these parts wasn’t an easy feat.

“I don’t know why. I love this kind of thing, but I don’t get a chance to do it often.”

She lifted her phone when it dinged. Her head popped back up at me.

“They’re about to pull up.” She put her finger up. “Wait. I don’t know about the hiding shit. You do know our niggas are street as fuck. I’m not interested in getting accidentally shot.”

I thought about what she said and agreed.

“Okay. Well, they’re going to see it from the door pretty much. We can just stand here.” I motioned for the boys to stand in front of us. “Come on! Come on.”

A few minutes after we stood there, we heard the beep from the door unlocking. Lo stepped into the house first and stopped short.

“What the fuck?”

Sully pushed him forward so the rest of them could come into the house.

When Joey came in, I tapped Lucas and SJ’s shoulder. Me, Simone, SJ, and Lucas jumped up.

“Surprise, Joey! Happy Birthday!”

Today was Joey’s actual birthday, and I wanted to do something for him. He stepped from the back of the pack that was still at the door.

“Yo, are you serious?” His boyish smile broke through.

I came forward. “Of course, we’re serious. You said you always wanted aTransformersbirthday party when you were a kid. I wanted you to have that.”

He looked behind him. “Yo, Lo, your girl is something. You hit the jackpot with this one.”

Joey walked over to the table with the customizedTransformerscake that cost me a lot of money because it was a rushed order. I loved the cake, though, because it looked like Optimus Prime burst out of the top of the cake. Streamers hung from the ceiling, with balloons on the ceiling and the floor. There was a gift table filled with gifts that me, Mama Bee, and Simone purchased him. Lucas and SJ helped pick out gifts as well. They were excited to help us put this part together.

SJ ran over to Joey and grabbed his hand. “Come on! Look what’s in the backyard!”

Lucas grabbed his other hand, and they pulled him to the backdoor of the house. Ethan had his phone out taping the decorations. I clasped my hands together and took a deep inhale because of my assumption that the guys would make fun of all of this. My heart melted at Ethan’s commentary.

“Yo, this shit is dope as fuck. It’s my boy Joey’s birthday, and Mrs. AK put this together for him. My dude said he always wanted aTransformersparty as a kid. She made that shit happen cap’n!” He walked to the back door then spun around. “A fuckin’ transformer bouncy house.” He rushed outside.

Sully moved to his wife, pulled her into him, and kissed her lips. I loved their love. Since I had been here, Simone and I had developed a deeper relationship than boss and employee. When I worked at Glitter Girls, we didn’t really talk much. No one really talked to her because she was one part wife, one part mother, a part boss, and a part crazy as fuck. While at work, she always had two guns and a knife on her. She was not afraid to pull it and let that thing sing either.

I felt my emotions twinge as I watched Joey, Ethan, SJ, and Lucas jump in the bouncy house. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind before warm lips kissed my neck.

“Why are you so fuckin’ amazing? That nigga looked like he wanted to cry. Now, you got Ethan and Joey’s grown ass jumping in a fuckin’ bouncy house in my backyard.”

My body turned in his arms so that I could wrap my arms around his neck. This man was perfect in every sense of the word, from his deep chocolate skin to his full, shaped beard. He had full tattoo sleeves, but his chest was free of them. The man’s eyebrows had a natural arch that women paid for.To God be the glory.

I giggled. “Everyone deserves to get celebrated.”

When he asked me when was the last time that I celebrated my birthday, my mind went back to my grandmother Pearl.

“The last birthday party that I remember was when I was six years old. My grandmama threw me a princess birthday party. It was amazing. That was the last birthday party that I had.”

“Damn, really? Why was that the last one that you had?” His perfect brow formed the tip of a triangle, and his jaw tightened. I had never given him insight into how I grew up. I rarely talked about it.

I willed myself not to cry. I missed my grandmama even all these years later.

“Um, my mama had me when she was fourteen, so naturally, my grandmama was heavily in my life. She threw my birthday parties, and my mother attended them because my grandmama told her if she didn’t, she would kick her out. Well, my grandmama, Pearl, that was her name… She died when I was six, so that was the last party.”

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