Page 33 of Falling for Autumn
I was falling in love with the woman, and I was proud to call her mine.
“I’m sleepy,”Autumn declared, climbing out of the car at my cousin Reuben’s house.
“The evening is still early, baby. But if you really want to go, I can take you back home. Let me just run in and say hi to my cousin real quick.”
“Boy, don’t play with me,” she stated through a yawn. “I was just making a statement. I’m going to this bonfire. Look, it’s already going, and if those are S’mores that I’m smelling from here, then count me in,” she declared, pointing at the sight of the fire rising above the rooftop of the ranch-style house.
I smirked as I took her hand and led her up the sidewalk. My cousin suggested last weekend that we have a bonfire this weekend for the staff, but I told him that we already had plans for dinner, so he suggested we drop by afterward. He was interested in meeting Autumn because he heard me talking about her at the shop all the time.
We walked up the walk and past the house straight to the backyard. I pulled the gate open and spotted everyone in the backyard, either sitting close to the fire or dancing further away.
“Big O!” Reuben declared, walking up to us. “Glad you could make it, cuzzo.” We dapped each other up before we pulled back. He smiled at Autumn and asked, “Is this the beautiful queen who keeps you unfocused at work?”
“Nigga, please. I’m always focused and doing my best work. But yeah, this is my baby, Autumn. Autumn Woods, this is my cousin, Reuben Victor. He’s the V in our MVP Customs,” I explained, referencing the title of our custom auto shop.
“The best part. The part that keeps it all together,” Reuben joked.
“Whatever, nigga. Come on, baby. Let me introduce you to the crew,” I declared, taking Autumn’s hand and leading her closer to the fire.
“Big O showed up,” Errol “Wings” Davidson, one of my staff, shouted, causing everyone else to come around the fire.
“Told y’all I would flow through.”
“We weren’t sure. You’ve been hiding out with this beautiful lady, and we only get to see you if you’re at work,” Wings declared.
“Quit being a hater, Wings. Everybody, this is my baby. Baby, this is everybody,” I introduced, throwing my hand out to the crowd at large.
Everyone laughed, including Autumn.
“No, O. You gotta introduce us. Are you scared we’ll tell all your secrets?” Zenobia, Bam’s girlfriend, shouted.
Everyone else laughed again.
“Either that or he’s ashamed of us,” Bam chimed in.
“A’ight, a’ight. You got it. That loudmouth over there is Nobi, or Zenobia. She’s Bam’s wife.”
Bam raised his hand in a wave and then pointed at me. “Don’t make me knock you on ya ass about my woman.”
“Nigga, you’ll be out of breath before you take two steps in my direction.”
“Ohhh!” The crowd hyped us up.
“Seriously, babe. That’s Bam, he’s the M in the MVP, Bernard Mack.”
“I’m the beginning of all this shit. Nothing starts without me,” Bam declared and thumped his chest as the others grumbled.
“Reub might be the V that holds us together, you might be the M that starts the shit, but I’m the P that comes through and pulls it all together, ties it up with a bow, and presents the award-winning team that we are!”
“Oooohhh!” Everyone jeered again.
Bam and Reuben dapped me up before I finished introductions.
“That’s Jo-Jo and his girl, Paris; Wings and his wife, Tiffani; Tree and his wife, Starr; and Nautica and her man, Pipes.” I introduced my other workers and our receptionist, along with their significant others. “And that queen is Sarai. She’s the best part of my cousin Reuben and our gracious host for the night.”
The dark-skinned beauty standing next to Reuben walked toward us and smiled with deep dimples piercing her cheekbones.
“Welcome to the crew, Autumn. It’s nice to have you, and I hope that we’ll be seeing you more often.”
