But loves… I'm back ^_^ Happy August!
Thank you's to the bests (proper emails coming momentarily):
Jor-El Smith, sergeant peace, KaelaBean, natasha annalise, ladyrere1985, PippElulu, Guest, anon, anon(2), babiluv22, Sexybugg99, Katie, Mrs. HoneyBunns1, kingofmonsters1, WishfulThinker1913, jazzyhue20, Cartoonlover187, Aerial Myth, and nanadaprincess08.
Skipping the small talk. It's storytime, y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks or any of his characters.
"Now, I know this is gonna come as a huge surprise to everyone, but I'M da artist. That's right, people.
I know, amazin', ain't it? So young… so young."
Riley Freeman; Riley Wuz Here
Week 11
Saturday, September 1
Riley's POV
5:50 PM.
Riley stared down hard at the hands on his platinum watch. How the hell had they spun from 9:00 this morning to ten minutes before six in the evening? He had been glancing at the watch nearly all day, watching them practically race around the face of the clock.
Unreal.
Then he looked up and met his reflection in the mirror. Physically, he looked appropriate. Suitable. His braids were fresh. His face was newly clean-shaven. He wore a white dress shirt, unbuttoned black blazer, dress pants, and shoes. Everything about him seemed to be in place.
Mentally… he didn't know what to feel. Too many thoughts and emotions were running through his head all at the same time. Riley shakily gripped his hands onto the edges of the sink and took in a deep breath, trying to right his mind. He gave himself one minute. Literally 60 seconds to assess his stress and even his fears. But that was it. After that it was time to go.
60 seconds… starting now.
In less than ten minutes, you're about to start your business and put your money where your mouth is. It's either gonna be good or be utter shit. It won't just be bad. It'll be a fucking nightmare. Because you FAILED. You're putting everything into this. And all you have is riding on it. If this fails, you didn't just let your own dream down. You let down your family. You let down Cindy. You let down your future kids.
You're supposed to be the provider. If this shit tanks, you've fucked over everyone. You ain't no real nigga. You just some wannabe famous nobody. A lucky bastard who should be grateful of where he's even at in life. You fucking disgust me. Cindy coulda done so much better than you. And now she's stuck with you. And her kids are stuck with you.
BOTH of them. Twins, nigga. Boys, girls, or one of each, how are they gonna feel about their daddy when they grow up?
Proud… or ashamed…?
Riley's eyes snapped open as he gazed back into the mirror, new resolution in his eyes as he mentally shook away the remnant thoughts from his inner demons.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Failure was not an option. Period. His studio was going to be successful one way or another. He was determined to make and see that happen. This was his shot. He was all in. 100%.
There was no room for doubt.
It was go-time.
Game face on, Riley exited the restroom and headed back to the main atrium of his studio. His friends and family were still there talking among themselves excitedly. At his footsteps, they turned and looked at him expectantly. Riley glanced at all of them briefly, a tiny feeling of relief lifting from his body. He felt almost humbled by their support. Not only were Huey, Jazmine, Jamilah, and Granddad in attendance to help, but also Caesar and Anthia, Ed and Rummy, Dean and Red, and even Hiro had offered. They were all attired in dresses and suit wear, ready to go with no questions asked.
Not that he'd ever admit it, but he had some good-ass friends.
"It's almost time, Reez." Cindy said softly with a smile.
"A little over five minutes." Huey added, glancing at his watch.
"What took you so long boy, you fall in?" Granddad demanded loudly.
"I'm so excited!" Jazmine squealed.
"Can you go over what we're supposed to be doing again exactly?" Caesar asked.
"Seriously?" Anthia chuckled.
"Stand, look sexy, and answer questions." Hiro provided easily.
"And talk to sexy women and exchange numbers." Red said, extending his fist for dap. "Ow!" He cried, receiving a smack on the head from Dean.
"Not included."
"Shoot up any niggas that look suspect!" Ed's loud voice echoed in the lobby.
"No, only shoot if we affirm that they're suspect." Rummy corrected him.
"You right."
"No, he's not." Riley shook his head. "Don't shoot anybody. At all. You're here for security purposes only. Think mall cop."
"Oh laaammee."
"Just don't let anyone who looks suspect in." He said, giving them a look. Riley had already discussed with them that they specifically were to keep Ruckus out, no exceptions. The look they gave him in return signified that they remembered; Riley just didn't want to have to blatantly say it so that they wouldn't upset Jamilah.
She still had a strange affection for him for some ungodly reason.
"The rest of you are going to be stationed in the different theme rooms while I'll be presenting the abstract art in here." Riley continued to the rest of the group. He turned to Dean and Red first. "Both of you will be in the graffiti art room."
"Word." Red nodded. "Question though. Do we gotta do anything other than look sexy? Cuz I got that one covered. I even went to the barber, yo." He said as he gestured to himself. He now was sporting a curly hi-top fade and was wearing a red leather blazer with a black V-neck underneath.
"Too flashy." Dean rolled his eyes from beside him, dressed simply in all-black attire.
"Nigga, what-"
"You don't have to do anything aside from answer questions." Riley cut him off to reply to his first comment. "Since you both know the most about this style of art, you can provide some form of commentary if you want. But nothing too elaborate and nothing made up, Red." Riley explained, locking his eyes on him.
"Damn, why you gotta call me out like that?"
Riley rolled his eyes, glancing at Dean. "Please restrain him."
"Will do."
"Yo, I ain't no dog-"
"Hiro?"
"Yessir." He answered, mimicking Chris Brown's tone.
"You're in the musician and celebrity room."
"Aw, because I am one? I'm touched." He flashed a smile, as he had decked himself out in a shiny navy blue suit.
"Right, superstar." Riley smirked. "Ceez, you and your girl are in the sport and athlete room."
"My forte. I'm providing commentary." Caesar announced. Riley blinked at him and looked to Anthia.
"Don't worry, I'll keep him in line." She giggled. Caesar was dressed in a casual white suit while Anthia was dressed in a purple cocktail dress. Riley thanked her with a wink before continuing over to Granddad.
"You told me I'm in the movie and television room, right boy?"
"Yeah. Your commentary can be limited to Soul Plane and Friday, that's it… and don't over-embellish." Riley added.
"Well can I tell them about my personal stories in comparison?"
"…That's embellishing."
"Dammit boy, my stories are real!"
"Moving on, J?" Riley ignored him, turning to Jazmine.
"I've got the nature room." She smiled as she propped up Jamilah a little higher on her hip. They both matched in pink with Jazmine wearing a flowy maxi dress and Jamilah wearing a pretty lace dress with a rose headband.
"What can I do?" Jamilah asked cutely, looking from her mother to Riley.
"Mila, you get to help your mom talk about the animals, flowers, and birds in the green room. And you have to be reeeeally cute for the people, okay?" He grinned down at her.
"Okay!" She nodded happily.
"Good girl." He told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to the most unpredictable element of all.
His brother.
"I'll be in the controversial art showroom." Huey spoke simply, as if that phrase weren't a dangerous one.
"That's one of my most important rooms, man." And it was. Riley had used one of bigger showrooms to include all of the notorious topics he had done artwork on; most of it regarded a nationwide discussion, but all of it came from a black perspective. Obama. The Confederate Flag. Baltimore. Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. Walter Scott. Freddie Gray. Sandra Bland. Black Lives Matter.
It was the perfect platform for an educator of African-American studies to elaborate on. And fortunately and/or unfortunately enough for Riley, that educator happened to be his brother.
"I've got this." Huey told him indolently.
"Do you?" Riley pressed.
"I just said I did." He replied, the subtle sarcasm seeping through his words as he resituated his tie.
"C'mon, man. Look at me… for real."
It had to be something about the way Riley said it. Because for the first time in who knows how long, Huey actually stopped what he was doing and looked at him. Not with an eyebrow already arched. Not with a look of annoyance. Not with any predisposition to what was coming out his mouth next. He just looked at him, simply and curiously.
"The room you're presenting is one of my main displays. Out of all my pieces here, that's going to be the area that either makes or breaks me. It needs to represented in a good light. No rants, no debates, and no drama or fights among viewers… or staff." He paused to smirk. "Aye… I trust you doin' this. For real. This is the kinda topic that needs commentary, but from a strictly factual basis. Very little room for personal opinion." It was now Huey's turn to smirk. "I know you can do this, bruh. I just need you to do it… humanely." He was almost surprised when the others cracked up at his choice of word.
"Daaamnn, he ain't gonna kill nobody, Reez! …Are you?" Caesar questioned, raising his eyebrow.
"I think I'm scared of him more than I'm scared of you, nigga." Red whispered to Dean, earning another laugh from everyone.
Huey rolled his eyes with a light smirk before glancing back to Riley. "I'll handle it as humanely as I possibly can."
"Promise me you won't make nobody cry?" Riley grinned.
Huey eyed him carefully. "I promise I won't make anyone cry deliberately."
"Fair enough." Riley extended his hand. "Thanks."
"I got you." Huey replied, clasping his hand and accepting the light bro-hug.
"Y'all niggas are GAY!" Ed shouted.
"Hold the hell up, I'll-"
"The baby's right here." Cindy reminded him, wrapping herself around his arm while looking up to him with a grin. Riley shot Ed another look for stealing his line before glancing down at his girlfriend.
"Thanks."
"Of course." Cindy grinned.
"You know where you're at?"
"The exotic places and locations room." She answered with a toss of her hair.
Riley nodded with a smirk while lowering his head down to her ear. "Because you're lookin' like an exotic beauty right now." He murmured before kissing her cheek. Cindy giggled and blushed as he pulled back, smiling sweetly up at him. She looked gorgeous in a teal shift dress with an open shoulder cut-out on both sleeves. Just barely showing and she already seemed to glow. Riley winked at her before looking back at the rest of his group.
"Y'all ready?"
"Waitin' on you, boss." Dean replied with a grin.
"It's six on the dot right now, let's get it." Hiro added after checking his watch.
"We don't run on that CP time." Caesar smirked.
"No we do not." Riley agreed. "Let's get these curtains open." He said, heading towards the floor-to-ceiling windows hidden behind the long drapes. "Can you guys just grab those five or six other cords to raise these?"
"I can't, I got a bad back." Granddad said immediately, allowing the others to approach the drapes.
Riley turned around and gave him a look as he started to raise his curtain. "Seriously? How heavy do you think these are?"
"Heavy enough."
"Curtains, nigga?"
"Did I stutter?!"
"Man, you'll say anything just to-" Riley stopped talking as he heard Cindy gasp audibly from beside him.
"Oh my God." She said aloud, not looking at him.
"Babe, what? What's the matter?" He asked in concern, dropping the strings he was holding to gently take Cindy's arm and have her look at him.
"Look." She spoke softly, a small smile beginning to appear on her face as she stared out the window. Riley noticed behind her that the others were also staring out the window with the same watchful expression. He finally turned to look through Cindy's window, almost startled to see not only a handful of people, but a huge crowd of people lining down the walkway, spilling out into the yard and down the sidewalk.
"Holy-"
"The baby." Cindy reminded him again quietly as they both looked out the window.
Still in disbelief at the amount of people, Riley began to raise his curtain again to look out his own window. The view didn't change.
They actually came.
As Riley continued to raise his curtain, some of the people began to notice him in the window and started to get the attention of others, point, and even clap. He could hardly believe it.
"We'll handle the curtains, go greet them!" Cindy giggled, taking the cord from his hand and nudging him out of his daze. Riley snapped out of it and thanked her, quickly moving to the entrance to open the door. Once he did, he was met with a round of applause.
Unreal.
Riley couldn't help the smile he felt taking over his face as he looked at the expanse of people on his new property. The diversity of people is what first struck him. He noticed a lot of the white residents of Woodcrest, but there was a significant amount of black people in attendance too. Some he recognized from downtown and even some from the tattoo parlor, but the rest he didn't seem familiar with. He had to assume that some of them were in attendance after his appearance on the Pimp My Ride special, but still wondered. Where the hell did these people come from?
As the applause started to die down a bit, Riley felt the need to quickly gather his words. Unfortunately, he hadn't even thought to plan a speech.
Dammit! Aiight, channel inner-Huey. But don't be bitch-assed. And stay you.
"Wow." Riley finally said, wanting to kick himself for sounding bitch-assed. "I wasn't expecting this kinda welcome at all. But I wanna thank you guys so much for coming out for the opening night." He spoke, earning another light applause from the crowd. They were all dressed up as well in fancy clothes and dresses. Riley was glad he took Cindy's advice on making it a formal evening event; she even said so herself: White people in particular would look for any excuse to dress up and have a good time.
"As most of you know, I'm Riley Freeman and this is the start of Young Reezy Studios. I'll not only be hosting my gallery exhibits, but in the future I'll also be giving youth and adult art lessons, taking requests for those who would like personal artwork made, making tattoo designs and applying them, and a few other plans in the works that I can fill you in on later. For now, we can start heading inside. I'll be accepting your one-time admission fees of $12, and then any visit after will be a flat-rate of only $5. All kids under ten are always free." Riley chuckled when the 'free kids under 10' got a small applause. "After you come inside, my other hosts will guide you around to the various gallery rooms. I'll be revealing one of my main showrooms about hour from now, so make sure you stick around for that. Until then, come on in." He grinned as he gestured them to follow him inside.
Ed and Rummy held open the doors for the crowd, casting a reassuring look at Riley. He was just thankful they had thoughtfully concealed their weapons from sight. He glanced at the rest of his family and friends, nodding for them to head to their assigned rooms. Cindy caught his eye as she walking, sending him a wink and blowing him a quick kiss. Riley winked back as he smiled at her. Before going to her room, Cindy mouthed the same word Riley had previously.
"Wow."
Jazmine's POV
"That is just beautiful."
"Inspired!"
"Oh my…."
"Riley Freeman created these?"
Jazmine had to pull in her lips to restrain the bubble of laughter that threatened to escape. She had heard the last phrase well over twenty times at the very least.
To say it was going well was an understatement. The large amount of people had remained consistent since the initial opening as they took their times, leisurely flowing in and out of the rooms while they admired the artwork. Jazmine couldn't help but listen to all the positive comments and remarks floating around. Some had even toured the room twice after viewing all the others. These people were impressed. Not that Jazmine was surprised, she had always known Riley was amazing. Woodcrest just never knew (or appreciated) the extent of his talent.
The fact that he had once been known as the infamous street tagger was probably another reason they were so shocked.
"I like that one, Mommy." Jamilah said, pointing up at canvas on the wall. It was a close-up oil painting of a zebra at sunset. The detail and the vibrant color was stunning, looking like something right out of Africa.
"Me too, sweetie. He's pretty good, huh?"
"He's the best." She replied with a smile. Jazmine chuckled at her daughter, giving her a kiss on the temple. The affection she had for her uncle never faltered.
"How's it goin'?" A quiet voice suddenly said from beside them.
"Unca Reezy!" Jamilah exclaimed happily when she saw who it was.
"Hey, I think it's going really well so far. What are you doing in here?" Jazmine replied.
"Two reasons." He answered, grinning in acknowledgement as some of the people in the room started to take notice of him. "I made my rounds and checked on the others in the rest of the rooms."
"How's Huey?" Jazmine asked seriously.
"When I went in he seemed to be doing alright. Nobody was cryin' at least."
"Thank God." She sighed.
"Right?"
"What's the other reason you came in?"
"To scoop my baby." He grinned, easily pulling Jamilah from her arms.
"And why's that?"
"Uhhh, because I love her?" Riley replied as if she was asking a stupid question. Jazmine rolled her eyes with a smile.
"And?"
"I want her with me when I introduce the new showroom." He shrugged.
"For cute factor." Jazmine clarified.
"That too." He grinned as he kissed Jamilah's cheek.
"When are you opening the room?"
"I already did. I told the others to start sending guests in. I'm headin' in now to say a few words."
"Ooh." Jazmine was excited. She, along with everyone else, hadn't seen the main showroom either. Riley was being very secretive about the artwork he had for the room. She had no idea what to expect. With him, it really could be anything.
"Yeah… sooo peace. Make the announcement." He said before spinning on his heel.
"Hey! What am I supposed to say?" She whispered loudly, pulling his arm back.
"Stop bein' a baby, woman! Just professionally tell 'em to get their asses in the room! …Sorry baby, don't repeat that." He added to Jamilah, who nodded.
"But Riley-"
"Handle it, Light Skin." He quipped, pulling out of her reach. Jazmine glared at his back while he exited the room with her daughter.
She hated speaking in front of people.
"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen?" She began meekly, moving more towards the center of the room. She noticed that she did have most of the room's attention. "I'd like to announce that Mr. Freeman has now opened the main showroom for viewing. If you'd like to orderly start making your way-"
"Oh hell yeah, let's go nigga!" One of the few black men currently in the room said to his friend, promptly before they both dashed out of the room to get ahead in line.
"…Yeah, just follow them." Jazmine mumbled when the rest of the room had already started following their lead. She waited patiently as they cleared out before trailing behind them to the lobby. There was now a steady stream of people filing slowly into the center room. Jazmine was almost irritated she had been in the last room to be released. She didn't want to cut in line, but she also didn't want to miss what Riley was saying since she couldn't hear him from where she stood. The room had glass partition walls that previously had been covered with indoor curtains; they were now raised to see the extent of people inside, but from her position, she couldn't make much of any artwork on the opposite wall.
Until a small group of people moved out of the way. Then Jazmine did catch a glimpse of one from afar.
Wait… is that a picture of me?
"Hey doll." Jazmine turned to see Caesar suddenly at her side.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?"
"Riley told me to come get you. This way." He gestured, leading her around the people and down the hallway.
"Where are we going?"
"There's a connecting door from the controversial showroom. Convenient right?" He explained.
"It really is."
"Oh yeah, congrats on your boy for not making any white people cry yet." He grinned once they entered the art room.
"I'm very proud." She smiled. "Is he already in the room?"
"Waitin' on wifey."
"What's in the main room, Ceez? I could've sworn I just saw a picture of me."
"Because you probably did."
"What?" Jazmine was so confused. "Why?"
"Shh." Caesar hushed her as they came to the door. "See for yourself." He told her before opening the door, smoothly sliding her in front of him, and gently pushing her out through it. Jazmine looked to glare back at him while he did this, wanting to hurt him.
"There she is." Jazmine snapped her head back around as she was suddenly behind Riley and next to Huey in line with everyone else. They were in the front of the room while the crowd of guests milled around to the view the artwork. However, now they seemed to be staring straight at them.
Damn.
"Anyway, as I was saying to those that are still walking in, I wanted to welcome you all to my main showroom." Riley began again, addressing the room while he still carried Jamilah in one arm. "It doesn't really have a name yet, but this room represents a little bit more about me, my life, and my family."
For the first time, Jazmine was able to take some of it in. It was a huge room, impossible to see all the artwork right away, but from what she did see… wow.
It's us.
The first thing she noticed that in addition to the drawings and paintings, there was a lot more photography in this room, but blown up onto large portrait canvases. From the few that she could clearly see, they were all ones that Riley had taken himself. She recognized the one she had spotted from the window as a picture of Jazmine while she was still pregnant with Jamilah. In fact, Jazmine recognized it being from the maternity photo shoot Riley did with her in the third trimester. In the photo, Jazmine was in a white sundress, kneeling in a meadow full of white flowers while smiling down at her belly. Riley must've taken this picture when she wasn't paying attention, she had never even seen this shot. There were several pictures she noticed she had never seen before while glancing around. More often than not, the pictures included or involved Jamilah, but there were also individual and group pictures of Huey, Jazmine, Granddad, many recent pictures of Cindy, and more.
Jazmine could hardly believe it, glancing up to Huey for his reaction. The look he glanced at her with was subtle, but the way he slightly widened his eyes at her said, I know.
"I also wanted to use this time to introduce the people you see in the pictures and thank these guys for being your hosts today." Riley continued, joining the crowd as they politely clapped. Jazmine smiled graciously, finding the gesture to be especially sweet coming from Riley, but then backtracked his sentence.
Introduce?
"I'm sure you're all wondering about this little girl." Riley said, bouncing Jamilah a bit in his arms. "And no, she's not mine." He smirked when there was laughter. "This is my first niece, Jamilah. You probably notice that she's the inspiration in a lot of my artwork and a big part of my life. Ain't that right?" He grinned down at her.
"Right." Jamilah beamed, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck to cuddle into him. There were noticeable awww's around the room.
"She is the daughter of my brother Huey, the one with the afro, and my sister-in-law Jazmine, right beside me." Riley continued, gesturing to them both. Jazmine smiled again politely at the audience, noticing that her husband remained stoic as always, only providing a brief head nod. "Some of you might remember my brother as a previous domestic terrorist-"
"Retired." Huey quietly interjected.
"And Jazmine as his happy-go-lucky shadow-"
"Really?" Jazmine said through her gritted teeth, elbowing him.
"But they make good parents." He continued, ignoring them with a grin. "And they're raisin' babygirl right. And, if you noticed in one of the pictures, they are expecting another baby, so I'll get to be a new uncle again."
Jazmine smiled again through the light applause. She hadn't been expecting Riley to tell over half of Woodcrest that she was pregnant, but was surprised by his thoughtful comments.
"I don't like being on display." Huey muttered into her ear.
"We can handle it." She whispered back, grabbing his hand to hold.
"Next to my brother is my grandfather, Robert Freeman. I'm not sure exactly what all he's told you as far as his stories and 'history' but… he's definitely something. I can tell you that at least. Living legend." Riley shrugged with the shake of his head. Jazmine looked over to see Granddad smiling proudly, seeming pleased with the "legend" part while the audience clapped again.
They really would clap at anything.
"Beside him are our family friends, Caesar, Anthia, Hiro, Dean, and Red." Riley said, gesturing to each of them. "My friend Ceez and his girlfriend Anthia were both a big help in the athletic room, so thank you guys for all your help. Then there's Hiro Otomo who is a local DJ that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. He not only helped with hosting, but also is responsible for the instrumental tracks you've been listening to during your visit. Make sure you grab one of us later if you'll be interested in getting his contact info. And thanks for that, man." Riley said, pausing for the small applause. "Dean and Red are both tattoo artists at Wunce Inked that I work with. They were really helpful in the graffiti room and are also mad talented, so be sure to get ahold of them too if you want contacts."
Jazmine spied Cindy already blushing as Riley turned to look at her, waiting for the applause to settle. "Finally, I want to thank one other person." He began with a grin, gently placing a hand on her lower back. "This is Cindy McPhearson, AKA 'Fearsome' for those that follow college basketball. This woman has been my partner-in-crime since grade school and now I'm lucky enough to call her my girlfriend. As you've noticed, she's also a big inspiration behind a lot of my work. She's my rock, my ride-or-die, and my best friend." He smiled down at her, a significant look seeming to pass between them. "She's also been my inspiration in other ways… being as though we are also expecting."
There were audible noises of surprise among the crowd before they started clapping again for the two. Jazmine gave them props for being willing to announce their pregnancy like that. People knew that Huey and Jazmine were already married… they were also both black. The reaction could've been less than ideal considering that Riley and Cindy were an interracial couple that were newly dating and pregnant. If there was any discrepancy among the audience, it was discreet. From Jazmine's perspective, mostly everyone seemed congratulatory.
"Thank you all. We're both very excited to become parents, make a name for ourselves, and continue to go through our crazy life." Riley chuckled at the understatement. "You can definitely expect more artwork from this room in particular as almost a visual documentary. Every other month, I'm also planning on incorporating more art into all of the other rooms as well, so make sure you stop back in. This is just the beginning of much more to come." He said confidently. "That's pretty much all I have for now. I want to thank you guys again for coming out today. Please take your time looking around, hang out, talk with some of us, and enjoy the rest of your evening. Thank you."
Jazmine joined in clapping along with the audience, nudging Huey to do the same. Riley had done really well. He had never been a public speaker by any means, but for his first time, it was really impressive.
"Compliment him." Jazmine told Huey quietly as the crowd's focus turned back to the art. He released a low sigh in response, causing her to give him a light swat on his arm. "Stop it. You know he did well. And this room is amazing."
"I don't like pictures taken of me."
"You don't like a lot of things." Jazmine smiled.
"At least you have a picture up in here." Caesar said from behind them, walking over with Anthia. "I ain't seen none of me."
"Terrible." Huey replied dryly.
"Look at Mr. Big Shot over there." Caesar smirked, nodding over to Riley engaged in a conversation with three other guests. Riley was currently smiling while handing them each one of his business cards. "Who is this nigga?"
"This is great for him. I know Cindy must be proud." Anthia smiled, nudging him.
"She certainly is." Jazmine agreed, still watching. Cindy was still next to Riley, now holding Jamilah, and she was practically beaming. She happened to catch Jazmine's eye and gave her a look in acknowledgement, probably letting her know that they'd be over soon. Momentarily, Riley shook each of the guests' hands before they parted, both Riley and Cindy moving over to the group.
"What's good?" Riley grinned. "What'd y'all think?"
"We're so proud of you!" Jazmine reached over and hugged him since she was the closest. For once, Riley gave her a real hug back.
"You did awesome, Riley." Anthia told him with a smile.
"Respect, bruh." Caesar added earnestly. "It's dope for real. Granted, I'd like to be included in at least some of the art-"
"Caesar…." Anthia cast him a look.
"There's a picture of us at Sunday brunch. You in that one." Riley rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Real ish? Leggo." Caesar answered before promptly walking away, pulling Anthia along with him.
Riley shook his head before turning to Huey. "What'd you think? I know you gotta have somethin' to say."
Jazmine gently bit her lip. This was Huey's chance to really be supportive for his brother. To say something to lift him up and show him how proud he was. To indicate some level of feeling and emotion-
"Well done." Huey said with a subtle nod of approval.
It was a simple statement. Literally two words. But judging from Riley's reaction, Jazmine would've thought Huey threw him a party.
"Wow. Thanks, man." Riley smiled, seeming genuinely surprised and appreciative of the comment.
"But stop using my daughter as a prop." Huey added, completely ruining the moment as he reached over and plucked Jamilah easily from Cindy's arms.
"Oh you know what, McHater!" Riley exclaimed in complaint, but was smirking regardless.
"No chill." Cindy shook her head.
"This room is absolutely incredible, Riley." Jazmine redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Did you know about it, Cindy?"
"No idea until today. I love it." She smiled, wrapping her arms around Riley's waist before kissing his jawline.
"Thanks, baby." He replied, kissing her head. "I'm glad y'all do. Where's Granddad?"
"He went to look at the art." Huey explained. "Hiro, Dean, and Red did the same."
"My parents are still looking around too." Jazmine added.
"Oh okay."
"There's Granddad back there actually." Cindy slightly pointed to the far right corner. He was standing still, looking up at a large picture hanging on a wall. He suddenly looked to the front of the room where they were standing, making strong eye contact with Riley, an astounded expression on his face. Riley gave him a head nod and lightly gave his chest a pound with fist. Granddad's expression didn't waver as he nodded in return before turning back to the picture.
"What's he looking at, Riley?" Jazmine asked gently.
He watched Granddad a moment more before turning to her. "A painting of him and Dorothy."
"That's really sweet, Riley." Cindy told him softly. He shrugged in return.
"It ain't a big deal. I made art of everyone."
"Who's everyone?"
"The four of us. Jamilah, of course. Granddad and Dorothy. Aunt Cookie… our parents…." Riley trailed off, glancing at Huey, who for a moment matched his halted expression. "And several other group shots. It ain't a big deal." He repeated with a shrug, glancing away and out to the crowd.
"Yes it is." Jazmine told him with a nudge. "We're proud of you."
"Thanks, Jazz." He grinned, nudging her back.
"Aiight, I don't know about y'all, but I've gotta see this work." Cindy announced, looping her hand around Riley's arm.
"Agreed." Jazmine nodded, attaching herself to Huey's arm to tug him along.
Riley chuckled. "Let's start from this side and wrap around." He said, beginning to guide them.
"Aye Reez." Rummy suddenly slid into view next to Riley. "We gotta slight situation."
"What?" He practically groaned.
"We caught Ruckus tryna sneak in through the back door." Rummy explained, causing Riley to sigh. "Ed's with him now."
"Where?"
"We discreetly dragged him into your office."
"How do you 'discreetly' drag someone anywhere?" Riley demanded, giving him a look.
"Nigga, we was discreet!" Rummy snapped. "Now what do you want us to do with him? Option One or Option Two?"
Riley looked to weigh the decision around in his head for several moments. Then he sighed. "Option One." He muttered in disappointment.
"Nice." Rummy smirked, pulling his phone out and hitting speed-dial. "Yo, Ed. He decided on Option One…. Yeah nigga, light his ass up."
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, I said Option One!" Riley protested quickly, trying to keep his voice down.
"Yeah, I heard you. Go 'head, Ed." Rummy said into the phone.
"No, do not go ahead!" Riley insisted. "Call it off, I want the opposite option!"
"Uggghh, you soft, nigga." Rummy grumbled. "Nevermind Ed, he wants to work it out... I know, I thought that was the other option too."
"Umm, can someone please explain what's going on?" Cindy asked.
"What are these 'options'?" Jazmine also questioned, very confused.
"Something stupid, I'm sure." Huey deadpanned. Jamilah was still in her father's arms while she turned to look at Riley. Then she smiled happily.
"Is Unca Ruckus allowed to visit now too, Unca Reezy?"
Week 12
Friday, September 7
Riley's POV
Life is good.
Riley had this surprisingly optimistic thought in his mind as he glanced over at his girl. They were currently in the supermarket… after a very long day… passing through busy aisles… listening to wailing kids… and still, the thought still remained.
Life was good.
The first full week of Riley's studio had been a blur, it had gone so fast. But damn. Things were perfect so far. His grand opening had gone better than he could've ever imagined. The guests really seemed to enjoy and appreciate his work, which made it all the worthwhile. He had several conversations with different guests, some he knew from town and others that had indeed seen him on Pimp My Ride. Everyone had been great (with the exception of Ruckus). There were even a few art sponsors that had been interested in working with Riley in the near future, which had definitely surprised Riley. He immediately handed them his business cards, as well as several other guests that were interested in purchasing some of the artwork and on requesting their own work done.
It had been a good day.
Monday had been his first official week. He had already formally resigned from Wunce Inked the previous day, which had actually been a little sad to do. Regardless, it cleared up his schedule to devote to the business, now set to work weekdays from 9am-7pm. He and Cindy had also came up with a newly revised plan for babysitting. On Wednesdays, Cindy would now pick up Jamilah from daycare after she was off work and take her back to the house in her car. If she spent the night, the following day on Thursdays, Riley would either take her to hang out at the studio with him or leave her with Granddad, depending on what was going on. For this week, Riley had decided to have Jamilah stay with Granddad while he went to work. He decided that he wanted to let the hype of the new studio die down before bringing her along so he could focus his attention more on her; he also wanted to get things more settled in his office so she would be more content to hang out while she was there.
This week had been a good one. There had still been a nice amount of people that came through. Xzibit had even surprised him and stopped in with some of his crew on that Tuesday. It was nice. Even when it was slow, Riley was thankful that he had time to work on some of his online classes, so it was working both ways. He felt pumped that he had already been in business for a week and things were flowing so well. Today was a bit different however, due to a scheduled baby appointment. Riley and Cindy had both taken half-days at work, allowing them to stop home, change clothes and have a quick lunch before heading to the doctor's office. It had just been another routine appointment, but had gone well. They had gone through a few tests, gotten to chat with Dr. Emerson, and had even heard both of the babies' heartbeats for the first time, which was incredible. Cindy was roughly two and a half months now and in the following week she'd already be in the second trimester, something she couldn't wait for. The morning sickness she'd been having was finally starting to fade.
Riley glanced over again, grinning at his girl. She had stopped near the rows of fruit to find a good watermelon, something she'd been craving recently. Riley thought she looked so damn fine in just her light pink blouse, white leggings, and flats. Her hair was in braided messy bun, she had no makeup on, and she still looked effortlessly gorgeous.
Damn, he was lucky.
Riley moved closer and looped his arms around her body from behind. She still looked focused as she concentrated on the difference between two small watermelons, chewing her bubblegum thoughtfully.
"How do you know if you have a good melon?" She asked aloud, looking between both in her hands.
Riley tried to suppress his snicker as he casually glanced down at her cleavage from over her shoulder. But he couldn't contain it and shook his head. "You're making this too easy for comments."
"Reez, I'm serious."
"You just give 'em a nice squeeze."
"Boy, if you don't knock it off." She elbowed him lightly.
"Because damn, girl." He smirked, eyeing her breasts again. Them girls had gotten big.
"Reezy!" Cindy giggled, pulling out of his grasp. "You're impossible. And I'm getting them both, so there." She told him matter-of-factly, placing them both in the cart.
"Whatever makes you happy, baby." Riley grinned, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. They continued getting the last few of the groceries before heading to checkout. Riley refused to let Cindy carry any of the bags and instead managed it by himself, three heavy bags in each hand.
"You are ridiculous, I can take at least two of those!" Cindy told him in frustration.
"Babe, they're really not that heavy, I've got it." He reassured her, even though his wrist was starting to cramp. They hadn't even gotten out of the store yet.
"Whatevea, boy." Cindy rolled her eyes.
When they approached the doors, Riley turned around and opened it by pushing with his body. Cindy thanked him as she went through it and continued ahead. Riley was about to let the door go when he noticed an elderly black woman approaching. Instead, he decided to be nice and wait until she entered.
"What a nice young man." She smiled kindly, as she reached the door. Riley gave her a smile as a thank you before looking past to Cindy. She had headed further down the walkway, probably to spit out her gum in the garbage post, and had just past a leery-looking white guy leaning along the brick wall.
Riley's rationale clicked off when he heard the man wolf-whistle at Cindy.
"Hey baby. Anybody ever tell you you've got a great ass?"
Then his mood did an instant 360°.
"Excuse you?" Cindy retorted, whirling around.
"You heard what I said." He replied cheekily. "Lemme talk to you a minute, girl."
Then his instincts took over when he saw him boldly begin to approach her, making Cindy take a step back.
"Look baby, just come spend some time with me for-"
He wasn't able to finish that sentence before Riley suddenly had his hands around his throat, quickly whipping him around and slamming his back into the brick wall.
"IF YOU EVER TRY TO WALK UP ON HER AGAIN!" Riley roared furiously. "I will break your fucking LEGS!"
"Riley, stop!" Cindy cried. "Let him go, it's okay!"
No the fuck it wasn't. She probably low-key thought he was going to kill him. Possible, but unlikely.
Riley ignored her as he kept his pressure on the man's throat. His face was now red as he coughed and struggled. "Please," He wheezed out. "I-I'm sorry-"
"Shut the fuck up." Riley demanded. "You whistled at her like she's a fucking dog, you little shit. Who the fuck do you think you are, disrespectin' a woman like that? MY woman, you little bitch?!"
"I…I… didn't know!" He choked out.
"The fuck you mean you didn't know? Didn't know how to be respectful? Didn't know you're actually suppose to treat a woman with the slightest amount of decency? Didn't know she was with me, nigga? Probably because I'm fuckin' BLACK, right?!"
"Riley!" Cindy tried again. She could probably feel the anger radiating off him and really was starting to get worried. Not to mention they probably had many eyes on them by now. Riley barely heard Cindy or noticed anyone else.
He was all the way charged up now.
"If I ever catch you even look at her again, I'll fucking end you." He promised menacingly. "Stay the fuck away from her, you piece of shit. That's my fucking wife and I will kill you if you take me there, nigga. I dare you to try me. Get your ass the hell outta my sight before I choke the bitch out of you." Riley growled, shoving him away from him by the neck, making the man stumble along the wall before taking off, still while holding his neck.
Riley glared after him before turning around, noticing Cindy staring up at him in disbelief. There was also a small crowd of people that had watched from a distance, including the old woman he had held the door for. She was probably wondering what had happened to the "nice young man" she'd seen only a few minutes ago.
It was awkwardly quiet for a moment before someone finally spoke.
"Yeeaaaahh, atta boy, Reez!" Someone Riley knew from the crowd called out, enticing the rest of the people to clap and whoop.
Riley rolled his eyes with a smirk before taking Cindy's hand and starting to lead her to the car. They walked through the parking lot in silence for a moment. Riley didn't know what to say, but figured he should at least say something.
"Sorry?" He mumbled, unsure.
"You don't have to be sorry. Thanks for sticking up for me." Cindy told him, giving him a tiny smile before looking away. But Riley knew her. There was something behind that look.
"What is it?" He asked.
"What?" She answered innocently.
"Why'd you look at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like that." Riley pointed to her face. "What are you thinking?"
Cindy gave that smile again and looked away. "Nothing, baby. Get in the car." She said as they approached Dorothy. She was about to open the passenger door when Riley stopped her, sliding in front of it.
"Tell me." Riley insisted, crossing his arms and leaning against the door.
Cindy smirked and matched his pose. Then she shrugged her shoulder blithely. "Just somethin' you said."
"When I was talkin' to that prick?" He asked, causing her to nod. "What'd I say?"
"It wasn't anything important."
"Clearly it is or we wouldn't be havin' this conversation." Riley chuckled. "What'd I say?" He repeated.
Cindy smirked a little wider. "You just… called me your wife."
"What?" Riley furrowed his brow in confusion. "No I didn't."
"Trust me, Reez. You did."
"No… I called you my woman and then I called you my girl." He replied, thinking it back.
Didn't I?
"Maybe that's what you meant, but that's not what came out."
"Really?"
"Really really." Cindy grinned, sliding beside him to open the door. "'Scuse me."
Riley finally moved out of her way and held the door for her, waiting for her to get in before closing it.
Did I really call her that? He thought, walking around the car to the driver's side.
He was in deep thought as he got in, started the car, and pulled off, still trying to wrap his brain around it. They were about five minutes from home when Cindy suddenly turned down the volume of the radio and looked to Riley.
"Babe, where's our groceries?"
Huey's POV
At the faint sound of a phone ringing and his wife nudging him persistently, Huey's eyes finally started to open.
"Hueyyy." Jazmine whined, still nudging him with her foot. "Answer that phone." She said as she pulled the covers tighter around her.
Still in a slight fog, Huey unwrapped his arms from around her and rolled over to look at the clock.
2:37 AM.
Huey's eyes focused on the AM, his brain now starting to awaken faster. What in the hell?
He quickly scooped the house phone off the base and looked at the caller ID. It was Granddad's house.
Huey sat up quickly and pressed TALK, trying to ignore the increasing rhythm of his heartbeat.
"Hello?" He answered quietly, slightly hoping Granddad would answer the phone to reduce his feeling of uneasiness.
"Huey. It's me." He heard Riley's voice instead. Shit.
"What, what's the matter?" Huey asked immediately. "Is Granddad alright?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, he's fine." Riley replied simply.
Huey paused. "…Is Cindy alright?" He asked slowly.
"Yeah… yeah, she good."
"…Is the house on fire?"
"Naw, man. Nothing's wrong. I, uh… just wanted to talk."
Huey pinched the bridge of his nose, glancing at the clock again. "…You called to talk to me at 2:30 in the morning?"
"I can't just call up my brother when I wanna talk?" Riley scoffed in complaint. Huey closed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to reach through the phone.
"Nigga…." Huey muttered, kicking away his covers and rising from his bed.
"Did you just call me a nigga?"
"What is it, Riley?" Huey asked, a bit more loudly after he was in the hallway and walking to the living room. "What's so important that you couldn't wait until normal hours to tell me?" There was silence on the other line for several moments. Huey almost thought he had hung up and was ready to hang up as well before Riley finally spoke, saying that last few words Huey expected to hear.
"…I think I wanna get married."
Ohhhh, she done left it at a cliffhanger! AND she slid in that additional mini-chapter?
You're welcome, loves. Thanks for being patient on the chapter :)
Them Disclaimers Doe: I do not own the rights/property to any of the mentioned people, "Yessir" tag by Chris Brown, Soul Plane, Friday, The Confederate Flag, Black Lives Matter, Pimp My Ride, and any other thing, concept, idea, and word I missed that I clearly don't take credit for. The conversation with Rummy and Riley regarding "Option One and Option Two" came from The Story Of Lando Freeman episode. And yes, I was referencing Drake's Charged Up rap ;) I don't own ish.
Thank you all sooooo much for being patient while I was away! You guys still amaze me. And I always appreciate the love. Thank you always!
More soon! But Friends First, Benefits Second is next ;) Stay tuned!
~Schweetie