Page 80 of A Kingpin's Weakness
“It’s straight. Greece is beautiful. Stormi’s loving it.” I leaned back and let out a slow breath. “You good?”
“No,” Rich admitted. “But I will be.”
There was a pause. I could hear the truth behind his words, the kind that didn’t need explanation. “What you need?” I asked, keeping my voice low, like the weight he was carrying might break if I was too loud with it.
“I don’t think I’ll ever know,” he answered. “Talked to Imani earlier. I’m picking up S3 from school tomorrow. He’ll stay with me till y’all get back.”
I nodded slowly. “Good looks.”
Knock! Knock!
“Hold up. Room service,” I said. I opened the door, let the guy roll the cart in, dropped him a tip, grabbed my burger and fries, and stepped out onto the patio. I sat down by the edge of the pool, my feet dipping into the warm water.
“So where’s Ms. Green?” Rich asked, tone light again.
“Soaking in the tub. We been moving all day.”
“How you feel about today?” His voice dropped again real, careful.
I let the silence settle between us for a second, my eyes on the ripples in the pool water. “I thought about it a few times,” I admitted. “But I been trying to keep my mind occupied. Stormi been helping. She don’t even know she’s doing it.”
“She probably do,” Rich said. “Women like her always know.”
“You and Ma call each other before blowing me up?”
“Nah,” he said. “We just checking in on you separate. Figured today might hit hard.”
“I’m good,” I said.
“You’ll tell me if you’re not?” he asked.
“Nigga, you’ll tell me if you’re not?” I shot back.
He laughed, but it was quiet. “Say less.”
We let the moment pass before I changed the subject. I needed to.
“How’s business?”
Rich didn’t miss a beat. “Business is always good.”
Stormi stepped out onto the patio with that white two-piece hugging every damn curve like it was stitched directly onto her skin. Her curls were clipped up on top of her head, loose strands falling around her face like she stepped straight out of my fantasies. She held a wine bottle in one hand, two glasses in the other, and a bowl of fruit tucked in the crook of her arm like a goddess that knew she had me wrapped.
“Wine?” She asked, raising the glasses with that sly little smile she threw when she knew she looked good.
I couldn’t speak right away… my eyes were too busy traveling the length of her legs as she made her way into the pool and slid down beside me like she belonged there. And shit, she did. She poured the wine like we’d done this a hundred times before and handed me a glass.
“To an amazing day,” she commented, clinking her glass against mine.
I tapped hers with mine and took a sip before ending my call with Rich.
“Who were you talking to?” she inquired, her voice soft like she didn’t want to interrupt the moment.
“Rich.”
“How’s he holding up?”
“He’s getting through it,” I said. My voice dropped a little. I didn’t want to stay on that subject long.
