He pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her face.
“I’ve been runnin’ around all day trying to beat you to places and stay undetected,” she hummed against his lips. “Happy birthday, Max Baby, I know you told me you didn’t want anything, but you deserve it all.”
“Y’all got to remember that y’all aren’t alone,” Brody grumbled. “Every time.”
“Aren’t you paid to be unseen and not heard?” Staysha quipped. “Let that man have his moment. We got to get you agirlfriend so you can stop being a hatin’ ass nigga. You too big for that.”
“You gon’ let her talk to you like that?” Kenyan, Zaim’s head of security, joked.
Brody looked at Keon, glaring at him in a dare to say something back to Kenyan. “Hell yeah, I am.”
“That’s what the fuck I thought, Bransheer,” Keon snickered, and it sparked chuckles throughout the table.
Kenyan let out a hardy laugh, “Yo, your name is Bransheer?”
“That’s why he lets her talk to him like that,” Fatima giggled. “It’s not a bad name, though.”
“Fuck it ain’t,” Keon commented.
Eden took a seat next to Maximus and joined in the banter until she realized Fatima was alone.
“Where is Rudy?” Eden whispered in Maximus’ ear.
“Penthouse,” he whispered back.
“Damn.”
“And he tried to get my black ass to go.”
Eden rose a brow. “You got Penthouse at home.”
“Sure as fuck do.”
“Eat up, you’re going to need it.”
From dinner to Zaim’s Beat Factory, a new nightclub, Maximus was celebrated. Zaim kept Ganton Hill’s finest bud in rotation. Eden was either twerking on him or tucked under his right arm. Right where he needed her. He looked down at her and swiped a piece of hair from her face.
“You aight?”
Eden beamed up at him. “You good?”
“Ain’t never had a birthday party,” he rumbled in her ear. “Thank you.”
“I’m not even done yet,” Eden hummed, before nudging him. “They want Trae Way.”
Zaim handed the mic over with a rumble. “Spit yo’ shit, nigga.”
Maximus tapped Eden’s hip and took the mic. Eden moved behind him, finding a seat next to her sister. Staysha, who was enjoying the liquor for both her and Eden, smacked Eden’s ass and squealed, “your man is about to fuck the club up!”
“By far my favorite shit.”
“Ganton Hills, I heard y’all fucking with ya boy! Heard you. Ay, DJ, drop my shit.”
The song Maximus did with Zaim dropped, sending the partygoers into a frenzy.
“Heard ya, heard ya. Yeah, nigga, I heard ya. Heard ya, heard ya, yeah nigga. Baby, I heard ya. She said Baby, hold ya head, that crown get heavy, but you chosen. Heard ya,” Maximus rapped.
Zaim chimed in. “Ay, nigga, I heard ya, heard ya. Lady said we don’t invite the devil in. Heard ya.”