Page 43 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
“A what? Like one of those women that be having babies for people?” he queried.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
“Really?”
“The money is really good, and I’m a perfect candidate for it. Ivo and his wife have been trying to have a baby. You remember my friend Jordan from school?”
“A little bit. She was kind of weird and clingy,” he recalled.
“Well, that’s his wife.”
“Is that why he was here yesterday? It kind of felt like something else.”
“What you mean?” I asked, a frown crowding my features.
“I don’t know. He used to like you… a lot. I remember because he was always picking you up and buying me stuff. He had to like you to keep coming around, knowing Pops didn’t approve.” Sapphire chuckled.
“Nah, it’s not like that. He’s married, and I’m just going to be the vessel to give them what they want.”
“That’s cool. You think you can do that though? Be pregnant and then just give the baby up?”
“There will be all kinds of legalities involved so I won’t have a choice. I just wanted to let you know so you aren’t surprisedby anything. I have an appointment to meet with the doctors and legal team. I’ll start hormone treatments and implantation occurs a couple of months after that. It might not happen the first round, but it could. So, I could be pregnant by the end of the year.”
“Have you been able to talk to Jury?” He changed the subject to an even more sensitive topic.
Stuffing my face with eggs, I shook my head and continued eating. Moments later, Sap got a message on his phone.
“Coach is downstairs.”
“Okay. Let’s go praise the Lord then,” I teased, grabbing my purse off the back of the chair.
Most of my food was gone, but I snatched up the last sausage link to go.
“You can clean up when we get back. I have to meet Jordan for lunch.”
Sapphire and I stepped out of the apartment together and took the elevator into the lobby. He held the door open for me to walk through first, and instantly the smell of weed slapped me in the face. I knew plenty of people that smoked weed, but it wasn’t what I wanted to walk right through on my way to church this morning. Sure enough, on this glorious Sunday, three little hoodlums were gathered, partaking at nine a.m., still smelling like last night’s liquor with crust in their eyes. Waving my hand in front of me, I stomped through the path they left open and Sap wasn’t far behind me.
“Damn, y’all going to a funeral?” one of them asked, mouth full of smoke as he gripped the Dutch blunt between his fingers.
“We’re going to praise and worship. You should think about it.” I looped my arm through Sap’s since he wanted to wave and be friendly and shit. “Let’s go.”
“Aye, my name Mook, tell ’em add me to the prayer chain!”
Coach Reeves slipped out of the driver’s side of his black Jeep Wrangler and met us at the curb. Pausing, I released Sapphire, taken aback by how damn good he looked in a suit. He was older, maybe in his late thirties, but he was aging like fine wine. I thought he was cute before, but he was showing out in this suit! A distraction was damn sure needed with what I had going on. Clutching my purse close, I skimmed him carefully, his rich chocolate skin glowing against the sunlight that decided to peek through the clouds today.
“Good morning, Coach Reeves,” I greeted him with a smile.
Swiping his thick goatee, he bowed his head and hid a smile. He was casual but sharp in black slacks, a gray shirt, and matching blazer with his leather loafers.
“Good morning. You look nice.”
“Thank you.” Simpering, I bowed my head.
He stepped forward and opened my door for me while Sapphire slipped into the back seat. I got settled and buckled up while Coach Reeves rounded the front of the car. Hopping into the driver’s seat, he glimpsed Sapphire in the rearview mirror.
“How y’all doing this morning?”
“We good,” Sapphire told him, buckling up.
