Page 185 of Are You Going to Love Me

“You got to do it when we naked? Or in the bed when your leg is on me? I don’t need God looking down at what I’m doing to you. Nah, I’m barely on the good and faithful list, and you be trying to test it.”

Eden rolled her eyes and laughed. “You get on my nerves. Would you like me to stop praying over you?”

“Nah, do your thing.”

“Thought so, crazy. You ready for today?”

He groaned. “You gon’ fill me in? How she doing?”

Eden smirked. “I would say find out for yourself, but I know how your anxiety works. Listen, go in with an open mind. But I’m going to be honest.”

“Don’t tell me no bad shit.”

She grinned. “She’s doing great, actually. She’s going to work, earning her keep. So much so, she’s graduating today.”

“Oh, this is why you got me all fresh and up early?”

“Yes, sir. She’s very excited, she’s very proud of herself, and I was thinking…”

“That always means it’s going to cost me something.”

Eden rolled her eyes and walked away from him. “Something you put up happily every time. Say you don’t.”

“Ain’t never been this happy to slide over a phone, wallet, or some keys.”

“Exactly. So, the pool house, I had it decorated…”

“For what?”

“Your mom. And listen, listen, listen, listen before you start going off on me. She has to leave today after graduation. Initially, I tried getting her an apartment, and she looked so uncertain about it. Especially in Midtown. So, I thought if she’s here for a couple of months or however long, we can get her confidence up and set her up for success. This is like the first time in her life she has to depend solely on herself. And that’s some scary shit.”

“E,” Maximus breathed.

She turned around and touched his chest. “Tell me what you want? You want her to go out and slowly fall back into her old ways, or here, where we know who is coming in and out.Plus, I need an assistant. Staysha’s business is growing, mine is growing.”

He scratched his chin through his beard. “You got a point. I’m going to ask you to do two things for me, though.”

“Anything.”

“If we get into a disagreement, don’t get in my way. You want to check me, do that shit where she don’t hear it. If you think she slippin’, let me handle it.”

Eden held her hands up. “It’s your world. Listen, she’s trying, and that’s got to be worth something.”

“It is. Go get dressed before I cancel all this and fill you up.” He watched as Eden clenched her thighs.

“Stop talking to me like that,” she groaned, hurrying into the closet. “You get dressed first.”

“I’m finna be wearing your skin, walking around looking like that,” he grumbled.

Dressed and out the door, they rode toward the women’s center in their own worlds. Eden had a hand on the back of his neck, legs crossed, checking emails, and Maximus had his right hand between her thighs and his other navigating the vehicle.

With the final week of the tour approaching, Maximus silently sat in gratitude that he and his team had made it back to Waynesville safely. The three final shows, all sold out, were showing him how alignment worked. Urban View Entertainment didn’t work out, but the alignment brought a connection to opened doors he’d only dreamt about walking through. Now he was opening doors for himself and other men and women who found themselves trying to come out of the streets and the life that wanted to swallow them in its darkness.

Even now, going to see his mother felt different. He smirked to himself, that covering. Before, seeing her in whatever state she was in brought trepidation to his spirit. However, today, he was at peace.

They arrived, parked, and walked over to the onsite theater where the women in the program would be graduating into renewed and purpose-driven lives. Eden reached over and laced her fingers in his. Offering her a small smile, he searched the graduates for his mother. In the front row, she stood in a new dress, heels, and her hair was done along with her makeup. Most importantly, she held her head up and her shoulders back. She was proud of herself, and that gave him more ease.

“Y’all went shopping?” he asked in her ear.

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