Page 101 of River & Crown
"And I'm her husband."
"Crown, you're not that girl's husband." Honor laughed.
"And you're Navy's best friend." Honor's face tightened into a grimace. "Yeah, nigga you don't like the sound of that shit, huh?" I smirked.
"Okay, okay, this is getting out of hand," Jax said. "The name doesn't even matter. Let me get through the rest of this and then give me your opinion. Cool?"
"Go 'head, Jax," I told her.
She shook her head, then started pointing to pictures as she explained the setup and vibe of the party.
"Okay, so the color palette for the party will be different shades of blue since that's her favorite color. I already have most of the decor and flowers in the shades of midnight, cobalt, electric blue and a soft glacier color that's so damn pretty. All of which are inspired by her name. So basically, the party will be street racing meets soulful sanctuary. The Vault will feel like the city streets with LED strips in electric and ice blue, translucent curtains that ripple like water, and a fog machine that'll stay low to the ground to mimic mist off asphalt. To add a personal touch, there will be pictures of her, the Briar Beauties, and her car. Chosyn has already sent those over, and they're in the process of being blown up. Honor agreed to turn one of the parking garage levels into a race course. I have my people coming tomorrow to get started on that. I've also been in touch with the people at the racetrack you linked me with, and they're willing to provide the cars."
"Sounds dope but what about having something that show's Four how much people really fuck with her?"
I wanted River's birthday to be a celebration not only for her but for her foundation as well. River went above and beyond for her community. A few nights, when I slept on the couch at Lakelyn's crib, we stayed up talking about River and how she pours so much into others but never allows people to pour into her.
"Already on it." Jax handed me a picture of a mechanic shop with the wordsThe Memory Garageon it. "I plan to turn two of the sections into a garage, and inside, her friends and family can write notes, take a picture, or record a video about what River means to them. Think of it as a tribute to her. I'll make sure everything is later uploaded onto a flash drive, and she'll have it to look back on and see just how many lives she's touched."
"That's fire." Wolfe nodded. "Why you ain't do no shit like that for my wedding?"
"Because you had me throwing together a wedding in a week nigga. Crown came to me with what he wanted almost four months ago."
"Damn, you've been planning this for four months?" Honor posed what he said as a question, but he meant it as admiration. The nigga smirked, dapping me from across the table.
"Yup, and that's why he's getting all my best ideas. Now on to the food and cake. The food will be finger foods, such as sliders, tacos, wings, and fries. All the drinks will be custom-made and named based on the theme. For the cake, I was thinking something like a blue chrome tire with the Briar Beauty logo in the middle."
"Nah," I shook my head. Pulling my phone out, I showed Jax my screen, which was a picture of Four. "Make the cake resemble her glasses."
"This nigga," Honor groused.
"Keep fucking around and Four gon' think her glasses are a kink for you," Wolfe said.
"They're not a kink. I just fuck with how she looks wearing 'em."
When I met Four, she seemed hardened, like life was weighing her ass down. The next morning, she put on her glasses and shit seemed lighter for her. She was at peace, smiled more. Happiness seemed to follow her whenever she wore her glasses. That was a sign her ass needed to keep wearing 'em.
"Look, I'm not going to argue with the man. The cake will be her glasses. Send me that picture. Now, about her gift. The flowers you asked for are not cheap, so filling a car with them is going to up the bill."
"Cost isn't an issue," I assured Jax.
"Good to know. Let me know when the car arrives. I'll start having my people?—"
The door to the hotel's conference room opened, grabbing our attention. Grim and Ghost walked in first. Killian walked in behind them but stayed close to the door while Ghost and Grim circled the table, eyeing each of us. They lingered around Jax, lowly snarling, then settled at an empty seat that was to my right.
"Gentleman." Killian took the seat his dogs rested beside, then looked toward Jax. "Ma'am." He nodded.
Wolfe and Honor started laughing until Jax shot them a look.
"Ma'am?" She frowned.
"I'm sorry, but I was raised to respect my elders," Killian replied, showing little emotion.
"Nigga, I am not your elder. I'm willing to bet I'm the youngest in the room."
"Maybe in age but not in?—"
"Ight, Jax, thank you," I cut in, having an idea of how this was about to play out. "I'll be in touch about the car. Make sure you send the invoice."
