Page 10 of The Mob: Shio Cuppacio
“He’s just so damn cute! Ughhh! I hate that you don’t live next door to me anymore! I’d literally be your in-house babysitter.”
Baby Ezee smiled up at me as if he knew what I was saying while I held him in my arms. He was so damn long, which was to be expected since his daddy was tall. His height wasn’t the only thing he’d inherited from his father. Baby Ezee’s cheeks were flushed red, mainly because he’d just woken up and still had the pressure from the crib mattress on his face. He was so light-skinned, you could touch him, and he would change colors. Still, he was the most handsome baby I’d ever held. His amber-colored eyes were the icing on the cake. Jisei complained that her baby not only gave her stretch marks but forty pounds, but I’d say this handsome bundle was worth it.
“I know… I miss my townhouse sometimes.” Jisei plopped down next to me.
What was supposed to be a night inside, editing content, turned into me getting dressed up and coming to Dasani and Demise’s estate. Dasani had called the bartender and caterer over and insisted that all the ladies show up, according to Jisei Ihadn’t been here a good ten minutes before I was asking where Baby Ezee was.
“Ain’t no fucking way I would want to still live in a place I overdosed at.”
Pia entered the room with her small belly that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The last time I saw her, which was at Neltz’s party, there was no signs of pregnancy. I knew she was expecting because I was in one of the ladies’ group chats. I say one because I knew there was another one I couldn’t be a part of since I wasn’t officiallyin the family.
Nel entered shortly after Pia, and he was the one to make the remark about my friend's overdose. When I first started hanging around, everyone’s dark humor used to leave me frizzled until I learned this was just how they were. Now, I laugh it off like everyone else.
“Damn, Nel! You may as well carry Princess P inside with the way you be on her ass,” Mocha said, smacking her lips, as she took a sip of the green cocktail the maid had passed out. Mine was resting on the table in front of me. I wasn’t much of a drinker. Actually, I didn’t drink at all. The most I did was sip, but I could count on one hand the amount of times I’d gotten drunk. Tipsy often? Yes. Sloppy? No. It wasn’t against my religion or anything like that; I just hadn’t been one to indulge.
“Heyyy,” I said to the couple as Nel helped Pia onto the couch across from me.
No matter how many times I had been in Dasani’s get-ready room, I still couldn’t get over it. It was so pink and Parisian. From the moment you walked in, it screamed luxury. The room was equipped with everything to pamper a girl, including massage beds, shampoo bowls, styling stations, and a manicurist station. Dasani, like all the women in the room, was spoiled rotten. If I hadn’t learned anything else, I learned thatthe men in this family loved their women out loud and had no problem turning their pockets inside out for them.
“Wassup, Mocha? You not playing Camp Leader Mocha today? Should I have brought my permission slip?” Nel cocked his head and folded his arms into his armpits.
“Un hunh! Stand down when it comes to my child,” Azure, Mocha’s very young mother, scolded.
“Periodt, pooh! You stay bringing up old shit, Nel. But did you die?”
“Watch ya mouth, Mocha.” Azure turned to face Mocha, who shied away in response.
“Nel messy self always starting stuff. Why he here, anyway? This is ladies’ night!” She rolled her eyes again.
“Not too much on my fiancé. He just wanted to make sure I got in good.”
“Facts, baby.” Nel bent down with his dreads hanging in his woman’s face and placed a wet kiss on Pia’s lips, who, in turn, looked at him with enough love to fill a stadium.
All of these couples were undeniably in love, but if I could be a fly on the wall with any couple, it would be them. With the way they were infatuated with one another, I just knew their sex life was super intense. Plus, both of them were attractive as hell. Even when she’s relaxed, Pia’s bare chocolate skin looks better than a full beat. She was dressed comfortably in a red tennis skirt with a matching tank top that revealed her belly. On her feet were white Chanel sneakers, and across her body was the matching Chanel Boy bag. Her outfit matched the red engagement ring on her finger, and her long hair was pulled back in her signature ponytail. Her skin had a bright glow, and the jewelry on her neck and wrist showed her man had money. Nel was in designer clothes with heavy jewelry and looked just as good as his bride-to-be.
“I love you, Nel, but you gotta roll.” Dasani waltzed back into the room.
She was rocking denim shorts that her thick thighs nearly swallowed up. Her stomach was out due to the navy halter top, which only concealed her small, perky breasts. On her feet were a pair of blue Hermes sandals. The only jewelry she was wearing was her boulder of a wedding ring and a diamond choker around her neck. Her hair seemed to be freshly done as it was pressed and hung down her back.
I always made sure to look my best around these ladies because they never took a day off from looking like royalty. Mocha was always looking like she stepped off a runway, and it made me sick to my stomach to think about how much she’d probably spent on her wardrobe, or should I say, how much her husband spent. Jisei was normally in something chill since she was still getting used to her post-baby body. Today, she was in an oversized diesel T-shirt dress that she paired with matching sneakers, but she was still iced out and looking pretty as ever. I didn’t have half the brands that these women had, but I did what I could to look the part. I couldn’t lie as if I hadn’t stepped my game up since I’d been around them because I had. They never made me feel unwelcome or like an outsider, but what the hell did I look like dressing like a cheap hoe when they were in the finest?
I made good money in my profession, but not enough to be dressed in designer clothes every day. Still, I looked cute in my gold Nike Vomeros, white Nike shorts, and a matching fitted white T-shirt. I added gold jewelry and an oversized light denim jacket to layer my look, and my blonde and brown mix knotless braids hung down my back, which were freshly done. That was the vlog I was supposed to be editing.
I’d been invited to a brand-new braiding salon in Shirah, and in return for a free service, I agreed to make a vlog post. I couldhave easily negotiated for a free style and been paid for my video, but I loved supporting Black-owned businesses. Seeing an all-African American braiding salon was unheard of; not only was the salon gorgeous, but the service was top-tier, and they had slayed my braids. With my light skin, I usually shy away from blonde shades of hair because they tend to wash me out, but the 27/4/613 color combo looked perfect against my skin. I couldn’t wait to post it on my social media and hoped it would generate lots of business.
Nel finally swaggered out of the room, and everyone had a drink in hand except Pia and me, since I was holding the baby, and she was pregnant. The vibes were immaculate, as always.
“Your hair is so damn pretty, Glow. I can’t wait to see the vlog.”
Pretty-ass Scarlett was forever giving me praises. She’d come in a few minutes after Nel left and right after her, Daylani, Dasani’s sister. Daylani and Pia were off in the corner, going over wedding details that I found to be adorable. I couldn’t wait to attend. I knew Nel was going to break the bank for her.
“Thank you. You should definitely try it out. You will love it there.”
“I most definitely will. It’s getting way too hot out for anything other than braids,” Scarlett said before placing her drink to her lips.
I had to agree; it was one of the reasons I accepted the owners' offer when they messaged me. I loved it when Dasani invited us all over and let her team style us for free, but keeping up with extensions was still high maintenance. These braids would give me the energy I needed to get through my upcoming videos.
“That pizza place you went to the other day? That looked sooo good. Reminded me of when my husband took me to Chicago. I nearly hurt myself eating in the Windy City.”
