Page 107 of Arris, Jayme & Dyani
“Thank you.” I buried my face against Dyani and threw my other arm around Jayme to pull her in too.
I hugged both of my women to me and damn near cried tears of fucking joy. I was going to take this wave and ride it to the mothafuckin’ end.
After we came down from our high and got ready for the day, I headed straight to the bank, pulled ten grand out of my savings account in the form of a cashier’s check, and headed to the shop where I handed it to Alex and locked the building down.
He had the paperwork drawn up in three days and I announced it was closing for reconstruction so I could hook it up how I wanted almost immediately.
Due to my social media hype, I was able to get another room out of a different shop pretty quickly to hold me over while mine was under construction. I let go of my old lease so the money I was saving from that would pad my savings account again.
I had a plan and was going to get my shop and be able to give my family the life they fucking deserved even sooner than I thought I would.
That shit blew my mind but Jayme’s words kept echoing in my head.
I’d worked for this and I deserved it.
Epilogue
EIGHT MONTHS LATER
“Stop it,”I giggled and elbowed Dyani lightly.
She cut her eyes at me but didn’t bother asking what I was talking about because she already knew. It was the death stare she was giving Arris while he spoke to a group of women. He wore sweatpants with his D-Ville flag hanging out of the pocket and a black shirt looking like a fucking slut and smiling all in those hoes’ faces, so I understood her frustration. But I also knew Arris was loyal and honest and we had nothing to worry about, even if the women did start flirting with him.
He was networking and this new tattoo shop was a big deal for him, but even then I could admit I understood what Dyani saw. After all the tattoos he’d done for DP, I also thought he would have more male clientele than what had shown up so far.
However, ever since his work had made rounds on social media, there were people of all different walks of life trying to get him to tattoo them and they weren’t shy about showing up and showing out with money in hand. It was a good look for him and his pockets. I couldn’t fault him for the hustle and the way money just falling into his lap made it possible for him to renovate the shop and really make it his own.
He’d been able to take the cash and work out of another shop while fully renovating this one. Now the day of his grand reopening had finally come to fruition.
“Come on. Look at our man looking all proud and excited,” I offered.
“And sexy,” Dyani added.
“I mean yeah, but baby, he always looks sexy.”
“You’re right.”
She exhaled and pulled her eyes from him. I grabbed her hips and pulled her into me.
“Arris would be a fucking idiot to do anything to jeopardize his relationship with us, especially after…” I held my hand up and Dyani smiled softly as she looked down at her own wedding ring.
Arris had proposed to each of us only a few days apart. He proposed to me with Blake in attendance at the little diner where we’d had our first date over a decade ago. Of course I said yes and afterward I’d helped him plan his proposal for Dyani. He’d done it with a painting he paid to have in a secluded part of a venue she was touring. Naturally, she also said yes and the three of us had gone through a binding ceremony and immediately filed the proper paperwork to make sure we had rights in our relationship, even if we weren’t legally married. We were married in all the ways that counted to us.
She exhaled.
“Yeah. I know.” She looked back at Arris again. “I’m just going to get a drink and do my best to not mean mug any woman who wants to take a picture with him.”
“You’re doing great so far.” I leaned in and kissed her. “Let’s get a drink in you, baby.”
We held hands while we went to the drink area and each got one. Then we settled in a little corner together. I looked back and forth around the room while we drank.
The shop looked amazing and the longer I stared at everything, the happier I got for Arris. I knew he’d worked hard for his own shop and he’d been beaming all day. He was happy, genuinely happy. That was something I was consistent in wanting for everyone involved, happiness.
I took Dyani’s empty glass as soon as she finished and grabbed another.
After she finished her second, the two of us went to the restroom to make sure our hair and makeup were still good and peed. Then we headed back out and I damn near did a double take.
What had originally been a small, welcoming event had morphed into a full blown party. DP members had made it over. I hugged and dapped up the ones I knew and introduced Dyani to the ones who hadn’t met her yet.
