Page 178 of Are You Going to Love Me

fifty-nine

. . .

July 7th.

It’d been two weeks since he’d smelt or held Eden. A couple of weeks ago he took a red eye to show up at her check-up. A few hours to get his fill, her scent on him again, and he was back on the road. Tonight and tomorrow, he was in Ganton Hills. The Monarch Stadium was sold out. DJ Rudy and DJ Eli had a battle of the deejays planned for opening the show. Trio G and his crew were going to take the stage, the entire Beatsville team was going to come out and grace the stage before Maximus closed the show.

In all the hustle of the week and the day, he hadn’t mentioned that it was his birthday. Earlier, he’d gotten a call from Eden and his mother, surprisingly, wishing him a happy birthday. He didn’t want much – some real sleep, some good bud, and his lady. He was at least two more weeks away from feeling the weight of her leg over him, cold foot tucked underneath his bare legs, and her growing belly taking up space between them.

“That smoke needs to be dancing when he walks through it,” Keon said to the stage crew.

Maximus stood in what would soon be the VIP section with standing room only, watching the final tweaks of the lighting, sound, and smoke ahead of his nine o’clock stage time tomorrow. He was barely present – barely focused. He determined when he hit his second week of touring without Eden that this was going to be the last time he went on the road without her. Whatever was necessary to keep her and their child safe, he would spare no expense. He couldn’t do this without his family. Sure, he had Keon, Brody, and Staysha – every other week – to keep him going, but nothing and no one was Eden.

“Yeah, like that,” Keon continued, directing the crew.

Zaim took this moment to check Maximus’ temperature.

His creole-tainted voice broke through Maximus’ thoughts. “You good, nigga?”

“I’m cool,” he grumbled. “Thanks for putting your stamp on my shit.”

Zaim kissed his teeth. “Nigga, stop thanking me. The circle of real niggas is small. We happy to have you. Now be fuckin’ for real.”

After the comment left Zaim’s mouth, he winced. “Got dammit, Davina is rubbin’ off on me. I got to get my ass from around her.”

Maximus gave him a look and smirked.

“You ain’t goin’ no fuckin’ where. She ain’t either.”

Zaim chuckled. “She tried once. Moved right up the street from a nigga.”

The mention of Zaim’s better half made the ache he had for Eden come back. “Been on the road a month and some change and still can’t wrap my head around this shit. Sold out stadium, album doing numbers, almost in the black with El Jefe.”

“All that shit is big, but we weren’t expecting nothing less. Greatness is your name. But why you sound so sad about that shit?”

Maximus looked around. “It’s all beautiful and amazing, but E ain’t here to see it. I can send pics, call home and all that but if she ain’t here the shit don’t feel right. Since I got home, she’s been right to my right side. I be looking over there and finding their ugly asses.”

Maximus nodded his head to Brody and Keon with a slight smile.

Zaim chuckled. “You gone, nigga. But I get it. I don’t tour without my family. Having them backstage and at the hotel waiting on me keeps me grounded. Reminds me that while I'm out here being Big Daddy Zaim, I'm just Zaim. Father and husband. That shit is bigger than this stage.”

“I’m counting down the days until our kid gets here,” Maximus shared.

Zaim felt the longing he had for Eden. That needed to be protected.

“Ay, nigga,” DJ Rudy spoke up. “Penthouse finna open. Let’s go.”

Brody rubbed his beard. “Shit I’m down.”

Keon frowned his face. “I ain’t fuckin’ with Penthouse. Staysha ain’t finna do me like Poppi did them niggas.”

Maximus chuckled. “Y’all stay out of trouble. I’m going to the room.”

DJ Rudy smacked his lips. “Y’all niggas whipped. Y’all girls not even here. They ain’t finna know about shit. What happens on tour stays on tour.”

“No, it don’t,” Zaim grumbled. “Those bitches out there ready to wreck a happy home.”

“I turned Eden into a stalker; she knows my every move. And like Keon said – she got a whole lot of Poppi in her. Ain’t nothing in Penthouse for me.”

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