Page 46 of So I Know it's Real

I didn’t know if Durk was being serious, but I didn’t take the time to figure it out. I skipped out of the kitchen, slipped on my polo, and put on a pair of Uggs with plans of changing into my boots when I got to work. After ensuring all the lights were off, I locked my front door and met Durk on my porch.

“Why are you sitting outside in the cold, handsome?”

“I was waiting for you.” He took my boots from my grasp. “You ready to roll?”

“Yes, sir.”

It was only 6:00 a.m., so the traffic was light. A few stars accompanied the sunrise, but for the most part, a vibrant shade of orange painted the horizon. If the sky reflected how my day would go, I was already thanking God for His blessing.

“Oh, turn this up!” I got hyped hearing Kendrick Lamar’s new music play on the radio. “Have you listened to the new album? The features are insane.”

“Of course. K Dot is putting on for the West. I had my Grand National before that nigga, but it’s all good.”

I laughed at his cockiness as I concentrated on the highway we were on. “I thought we were going to Mia’s?”

“I never said that. I said I wanted coffee. I never said it was in Silk Hills.”

“Destin!” I hollered his birth name as bewilderment tapered my gaze. “What are you talking about? You’re up to something.”

“I won’t tell you if you aren’t down to ride.”

I pursed my lips, waiting on him to explain.

“All right. All right.” He chuckled. “Where would you say has the best coffee?”

“Mmm...Ventress? I’ve never been, but the thought of almond infused coffee sounds heavenly.”

Durk nodded while squinting at the road. “I need that. It’s only four hours away.”

Familiar with the place, I grew giddy at the thought of visiting the serene spot. It was on an island that was reminiscent of Hawaii. Countless times, I saw pictures of the oasis online and only hoped to visit.

“You still have time to call off before they hold it against you. I’ll take care of your salary for the day.”

The more he spoke, the more I bounced around in the passenger seat. I lived my life on a schedule for years. The thought of being spontaneous had me beside myself.

“This is crazy, but I’m down! Wait! What about our clothes? We’ll only be gone for a day, but we can’t go in what we’re wearing.”

“I’ll take care of that when we touch down.”

A second after the statement left his lips, I received an alert from my bank. I played it cool since I could sense Durk staring at me, but money made me just as animated as a random day vacation.

“Durk!” I swatted his shoulder. “You sent way too much! You know I don’t make five thousand dollars a day.”

He laughed. “If there is one thing I can count on, it’s you hitting or questioning me. I think you’re becoming abusive.”

“I think I’m becoming spoiled thanks to you.”

“Then I’m doing my job.”

As anxious as I was, I called my job then arranged for Karlie to pick the boys up from school. I wanted to ask a million questions about what we would do for the day, but I put my energy into creating a playlist we could listen to during our flight. Any song that made me think of Durk, I added it to my list. When I noticed we were taking a tunnel to the airport, I sat up in my seat. The further he drove, the faster my heart raced. I thought I would faint when he parked in front of a long red carpet leading up to a jet. Based on the jewelry Durk wore and the luxuries in his four-bedroom townhouse, I knew the tattooartist wasn’t struggling financially. I just never thought he had the type of money to own a private plane.

“The jet belongs to The Sons of Eshu,” he said as if reading my mind. “Everyone splits the cost on the investment.”

“That’s incredible. Black men working together to level up will always earn my praise.”

He leaned across the middle console and placed his forehead against mine. “What I got to do to earn that pussy?”

“A spontaneous date to an island for coffee is enough.”

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