Page 11 of On Everything 2
Pernelle sat up in between our seats from the back.
"It doesn't matter. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, but to be honest, the best breakfast in New York is made in my kitchen."
"Oh, you can cook?"
"I can't, but my chef Bama can. What y'all want?"
Myself and Pernelle made eye contact with one another, both smiling as if we'd won the lottery. Both of us follow Chef Bam on social media and always send each other his videos. Weknew he was a private chef but didn't know for whom. There is so much shit that I want to try from him, but there is a dream meal that instantly popped up in my head.
"How about Steak, eggs, breakfast potatoes, some of his pound cake French toast, and some of that Bama slam red punch he makes with the oranges chopped up in it."
"He be making that sweet shit for Crew and my other homies. Way too much sugar for me. How does that sound to you back there?" He asked Pernelle.
"It sounds great to me. I'm ready to try it all."
"Alright."
Hov sat idle for a minute typing a text message and then turned on his engine.
Hov drove us to Brooklyn with the air sailing and the music blasting in our ears. I just know that Pernelle is eating this situation up in the back seat, and I couldn't help but wonder where she had told Emoney she was going. I didn't give a fuck about checking in with Hov, and we will have our issues whenever I get back. Shit, I hope
doesn't take me back any time soon.
Once we crossed the Brooklyn expressway and were no longer in the hood, Hov took us into a garage next to a tall ass building and then drove up to the top floor. The more we climbed, the more expensive the cars started to look and we didn't stop until we were on the top floor. Hov killed the engine and then got out of the car before me and Pernelle made a move.
When I met Hov around the car, he was looking at me like I had done something wrong.
"What's wrong?"
"That's the last time you open your car door yourself when you with me. That's disrespectful?"
"Okay, I'm Sorry."
Pernelle started pinching my arm from excitement when he turned around. I know she found him attractive, but I also know she's simply happy for me. She's been wanting me away from Kairo for a long time. My toxic relationship effected her life to and she never let me hear the end of that.
Once we stepped inside his building, I saw that getting to his place wasn't as simple as walking down a hallway. Hov led us to an elevator and once we stepped inside, Hov pushed the button on the wall with the letter P, which I'm sure stood for "The Penthouse." The elevator began to rise to the top. I can admit that my stomach was hurting because I was low-key nervous, trying to picture what his place looks like. Was it modern, sleek, empty, or did it have way too much weird artwork like apartments I've saw on television?
Hov put his lock in the slot, and the second the door opened, it was like walking straight into another world. This place didn't just seem big; it seemed endless inside. The deeper we stepped inside, the more space opened up, and walls kept stretching, interrupted only by corners where more walls lay.
There were beautiful floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking some of the city, and large pillars that separated some of the rooms.
My apartment after the remodel is nice, but compared to this spot, it still looks like the projects. Everything about this penthouse screamed money, from the marble floors to these oversized chandeliers.
"Make yourself at home, Pernelle. The remotes to the living room television are on the coffee table in the middle. Chef said he is ten minutes away, so he'll be here soon to start the food."
"Okay, thank you so much, Hov. It's mad fire in here."
"Thanks. Ciara, come with me."
He then gestured his head so that I could follow him.
We walked through hallways with large paintings and light fixtures that looked like the ones inside of a museum. I remember falling in love with artwork when I took a field trip with my art class to an art gallery in Harlem. It was just a way for most of the students in my class to get out of school that day, but to me, it was a whole other experience. I loved learning and seeing what the human brain could come up with.
Once we reached the large double doors at the end of the hallway, we walked into a bedroom that was twice the size of the other rooms I'd noticed on my previous visit. There were the same tall windows as the living room, only outside of the windows was a large concrete slab with nice ass patio furniture.
Hov went over to the area where the window meets the wall and slid the hidden door open.
"Come out here with me for a minute, mama, I want to show you something."
