Ashy Aspen was officially dead.

At least, that’s what the fine ass girl looking back at me in the mirror said as I fluffed my short curls around with my fingers just as there was a knock at the door. Knowing who was on the other side, I smiled with anticipation of what his reaction to me would be. But I’d be damned if he didn’t hijack the moment when I opened the door to find him in a fly ass all-black suit that hugged his thick frame in all the right places, making him look downright delicious. In fact, I couldn’t even give him a proper greeting, stuck standing there with wide eyes as I whispered, “Oh… my God.”

The smirk he responded with only made him that much more attractive when he said, “What’s up, Aspen?”

“Uh… let’s start with you, sir? I mean, damn. I thought I was looking good and then you showed up looking like a whole snack. The snack cabinet. Zaddy really showed up as an entire vending machine full of snacks.”

The rumbling chuckle he let out sent a tremor through me that made my knees weak, grateful I hadn’t put my shoes on yet since I definitely would’ve stumbled on my heels. “Yo, you gon’ let me in or just keep throwing jokes?”

I moved to the side making space for him to enter, but not without telling him, “Oh, these aren’t jokes at all. These are the facts. You got Hostess beat, baby. A whole company of delicious snacks, and you won. I stan a snack legend.”

“You silly, for real,” he laughed, gnawing into his lip as he gave me onceover before he asked, “But I mean, if I’m a vending machine, what the hell does that make you? A fuckin’ concession stand? Fine ass.”

While I was glad he had noticed, his compliment wasn’t enough for me to steal the spotlight as I told him, “I might be a baby snack too, but you’re definitely the king of snackdom right now, Orlando.”

“What’s a king without his queen, Aspen?” he asked teasingly, pulling me into a hug that included his cologne’s assault on my nostrils that easily made me moan after the first inhale.

In fact, I stole a second greedy whiff before I answered, “In your case, a fine ass nigga who better keep his hands to himself before I miss out on a bag tonight fuckin’ around with his handsome behind.”

Smirking, he insisted, “Nah, I wouldn’t do you like that. I’m a gentleman, meaning I’d fuck you good and still get you to the lounge on time so you don’t miss out on no money.”

“See what I mean? A legend,” I teased, earning myself a kiss to the neck that only made me moan even louder than the cologne had as I pushed him away with a giggle. “Let me go grab my shoes so we can get going before I’m forced to test how much of a gentleman you really are.”

Catching a smack to my ass on my way to the bedroom, I could already tell tonight was going to be one for the ages. My family would be in the building, old friends were sure to show up too. There would be good drinks flowing, better music bumping, and of course, Orlando would be by my side the entire time.

Oh, and let’s not forget the easy check I was about to make.

It was a win all-around, making the grin on my face come naturally until I walked back into the living room and found Orlando glaring out of the window, appearing to be in deep thought about something. Placing a hand against his bicep to get his attention, I simply asked, “You good?”

It was clear he had to shake out of whatever he was thinking about when he sighed, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

He sighed again. “Yeah, I was just… aight, so earlier at the shop today, I got into a little altercation.”

“A little altercation?!”

“Just keep listening,” he requested with a halfhearted smile that only partially calmed me down since… a little altercation?!

It was a struggle, but I managed to stay quiet as he pulled me to the couch for the both of us to sit down, only worrying me even more by the time he started, “So after you left, this random nigga in the shop was talking shit about how you couldn’t possibly wanna fuck with a nigga like me for real, how you got access to niggas with more status and all that. And I… I choked him. Not because of that specifically, but… I guess I’m sharing all of this because that whole situation just made me realize that I for real fucks with you, Aspen. Like, I fucks with you on a level I ain’t never even experienced with anyone else before. And that shit is scary cause I know there’s some truth about me maybe not having it all and there’s always the possibility of you wanting that, but…”

Grabbing his hand, I cut him off. “I’m with you, Orlando. I may not know what our future holds right now this second, and it honestly scares me shitless that it only took me a couple days to like you this damn much because you could very well decide you want something different too. But make no mistakes, you are not at all alone in how you feel.”

The boyish smirk he gave me in response made my heart flutter when I added, “And by the way, whoever said that deserved to be choked for not minding his business. And his mama’s a ho.”

With a laugh, he leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine as he whispered, “Glad you feel me, baby.” Then he gave me a sweet little kiss to the corner of my lips to show his appreciation, staring into my eyes and communicating the things he’d just shared with a look that told me he’d meant every word.

Returning his look with a sexy one of my own, I admitted, “I know you hate me calling you cute, but that spiel was like… top two and not two cute shit.”

He immediately pulled away with a chuckle, standing up and straightening out his suit as he said, “Yeah, aight. Sucka time is officially over. Let’s get outta here before I gotta remind you who I really am.”

Leading us to the door, I tossed over my shoulder, “Is that a threat or a promise? Either way, I’m already wet for it.”

He chuckled again. “You crazy, little mama. But I like that shit.”

“Top five reason why you fuck with me, right?” I teased as we loaded the elevator, Orlando standing behind me and keeping a gentle hand at my waist the entire ride down to the lobby. And in the car, he kept a hand latched onto my thigh as he drove to the point that - even though I loved it - I joked, “I promise I’m not gonna jump out while the cars rolling if you let me go.”

It was almost like he hadn’t even realized he was doing it the way he snatched his hand away in a quickness. “My bad. I guess I just like touching you.”

Grabbing his hand, I put it right back where it was. “Say less. Do more. Please. Cause I’m probably gonna be whining about how much I miss you and your touch come next week. Matter of fact...” Using my free hand to push the hem of my dress up, I leaned back in the seat and put his hand right between my thighs. Then I moved his fingers to exactly where I wanted them against the seat of my panties, making him smirk.

“You playin’ with fire, Aspen.”

“No, you’re playing with fire, Orlando,” I told him, the feel of his fingertips bypassing the fabric to rub lazy circles against my swollen clit making me close my eyes in ecstasy as we passed street after street. Then he pulled his hand away from me and slipped the same finger into his mouth before he agreed, “Definitely fire.”

As expected, I wanted much, much more. But unfortunately, we were already pulling up to the lounge so I’d have to wait until later since now, it was game time. After a quick check of my face in the mirror, I waited for Orlando to help me out of the car, a little surprised to see just how many people were waiting outside in line. And once they realized it was me who had arrived, the crowd went nuts with cheers and requests for pictures, a few that I granted before I gave a wave and let Orlando lead us past security.

With the line that was outside, I was shocked to see how packed the inside of The Max was too, the music loud and the bartenders busy which meant business was already doing well. And while I mentally patted myself on the back for negotiating a little extra coin, I was also happy to be using my influence to help my favorite cousins get their money too.

Speaking of my favorite cousins...

After giving Orlando a quick dap, Kelvin announced, “The woman of the hour. Your section awaits, Miss. Watson.”

He said it with some fake regal tone that had me cracking up laughing as I followed him towards the short set of stairs that led to VIP. But as we started to ascend them, Orlando put a hand against the small of my back and whispered in my ear, “I’ma run to the bathroom right quick. I’ll be back.”

I only got a chance to respond with a nod before I was distracted by a familiar voice saying, “There goes my twin blonde babe. I am living for this short do on you, Aspen!”

Turning around to see the face that matched the voice, Orlando quickly became forgotten as I squealed, “Jules! Oh my God! It’s so good to see you! I didn’t know you were coming!”

I already had her hemmed up in a hug when she said, “Now, sis. You know I couldn’t miss your homecoming celebration, especially not at the spot I used to work at.”

“You worked here?” I asked, surprised to hear it since the Jules I knew had always been a television star.

But it made sense once she explained, “I was a bartender here before I started acting. In fact, I was here working the day I got the call for my first audition. My only audition.”

“And you’ve been killing it ever since. How’s Levi?” I asked, the mention of her basketball player boo making her visibly light up even in the darkness of the club.

With a proud grin, she answered, “He’s good! He would’ve came with me tonight, but they have a string of away games so he couldn’t make it.”

“Well he still came through you. Pregnancy slay on a thousand, mama,” I complimented, the fact that her heels were higher than mine even with her baby bump serving all sorts of mommy goals.

Rubbing her bump, she groaned, “Girl, if you say so. Cause I definitely feel closer to my cattle sistren than anything.”

Laughing, I brushed her off. “Oh, stop it. You fit in just fine around here.”

“It’s actually funny being back in here considering this is where ****. And now I’m carrying our baby. I really let him turn me into the pregnant bitch in the club. I gotta fight him for that shit.”

How she got to that particular conclusion, I wasn’t sure. But that didn’t stop me from laughing even harder when I told her, “I see you haven’t lost a bit of crazy.”

Instead of responding to me, she looked past me with a grin on her face and said, “Well hello to you, fine sir.”

Turning to see who had stolen her attention, I shouldn’t have been surprised to find the finest man in the building, grinning my damn self when I introduced the two. “Jules, this is Orlando. Orlando, this is Jules. One of my favorite sitcom stars.”

“Coming from the baddest bitch to hit the big screen. You giving out premium gas tonight, I see,” she teased, sticking her hand out for a shake as she continued, “But it’s nice to meet you, Orlando. If you’re connected to this woman in any way, you are so blessed. She’s a literal angel.”

While he returned her handshake, I started dabbing at my invisible tears. “Okay, now who’s giving out premium gas? Jesus. About to have me crying in the club.”

“Which will only make me cry too, and this baby makes me do the ugliest of boohoos. So just take the compliment and save the tears, babe,” she insisted with a wink. “I’m gonna go say what’s up to some of my old bartender boos, but I’ll be sure to swing by before I get out of here.”

“You better!” I called after her just as two of her bartender friends delivered a few bottles to our section. And now that Orlando was back, I got a chance to really process what he had even said, turning his way to tease, “Had to go take a boo-boo, huh?”

His eyebrow piqued with amusement. “What? Nah. I was just… having a little moment. The crowd, all these people, had me trippin’ for a second. I’m good now, though.”

Now that I knew he’d had a bad reaction to the environment, I felt bad for joking, placing a hand against his bicep to ask, “Are you sure? I’m sure Maxwell won’t mind you crashing in his office if you need a break. Come on. I’ll go with you.”

I was already pulling him towards the secret office door when he pulled me back with a smile. “I’m good, Aspen. Swear. Now put that ass on me so I can remember what I came here for in the first place.”

The way he said it had me ready to take him up to Maxwell’s office for different reasons, wrapping my arms around his neck to tease, “Oh, so you didn’t actually come to support me? Only to feel on my ass?”

As if to answer my question, he grabbed an attractively-arrogant handful of my left cheek, giving it a squeeze that made me moan as he answered, “Literally the only reason. So what’s up?”

Averting my eyes and popping my lips, I playfully replied, “I mean, I guess I can throw a little somethin’ your way.”

“Mmhm. That’s what I thought.”

With perfect timing, the DJ started playing a mix of Cardi B songs that was really all it took for me to be in turn up mode, Orlando tickled as hell to see me rapping along and twerking to one of my favorites as the DJ gave me a shoutout.

“We got our hometown girl, Aspen Watson, in the building! I see you, baby!”

“Yeah. We see you, baby,” Nori mocked with a teasing grin as her and Tiana finally joined us in the section, Kelvin and Maxwell not too far behind and sending even more bottles of liquor which got emptied real quick amongst the six of us. But with as much money as they were making tonight, they were more than happy to supply whatever we needed to keep us live and keep the party going.

And man, was it going.

While I was only joking back at the shop when I told Orlando the party was going to be a movie, it seemed like a serious claim now with how good of a time everyone seemed to be having. Even he was on his feet with a drink in his hand and a content tipsy grin on his face, turning my way to say, “Thanks for this, little mama.”

“How about you thank me later with that mouf?” I asked teasingly even though he and I both knew I wasn’t playing at all which was why he only shook his head and muttered, “Silly ass...” in response. But after the party was over and we finally made it back to the hotel, he showed me a lot more than just what his mouth could do, the liquor turning him a whole different breed of nasty that I was excited to match with a little liquor-induced nastiness of my own.

Not that either of us really needed it.

Still, that didn’t stop me from trying to suck the skin off of his dick. And it didn’t stop him from almost making me tap out when he lifted me onto his shoulders to eat my pussy in the air until I came all over his beard. And it didn’t stop us from gladly submitting to whatever sex positions the other person had in mind; my reverse cowgirl being the one that earned a guttural, “Fuck. You bouta make me cum, baby.”

I’d heard him loud and clearly, but I was too close to my own release to actually stop riding him, cumming hard and sliding forward just in time for him to nut right against my ass. And while I was honestly impressed by my quick reflexes in such a hazy state as I worked to catch my breath, Orlando wasted no time issuing me a firm warning. “You better quit playin’ like that, little mama. Cause if you lettin’ me shoot the club up, I’m not shootin’ to miss.”

I was honestly a little disgusted with myself for getting so turned on by his fine ass already being ready to get me pregnant. But considering we were nowhere near the family planning stage, I wiped his nut off of my ass with my fingertip and teased, “Uhh… Alexa, play Rain by SWV at ignorant levels.”

Orlando’s eyebrow immediately piqued as he brought a hand to his chin and said, “Hold up. That’s what they were singing about?”

Returning his inquisitive look with one of my own, I asked, “Is it not and I’ve been thinking it was this whole time?”

If it wasn’t, it sure matched up with the concept well. But instead of agreeing with me, Orlando only laughed. “Yeahhhh. I think you might just be a little too into cumshots, Aspen.”

With a shrug, I crawled up the bed and snuggled up against his chest, wishing I could see his face when I joked, “Well those will be the only kinda shots I’m taking to the ass; unlike you.”

The rumble in his chest when he laughed vibrated right against my temple. “Wow. So you going for the jugular now, huh? Gimme ten minutes and I’ma make you pay for that shit.”

“Can’t wait,” was what I told him. But it soon became clear that neither one of us had truly taken into account how long of a day it had been since both of our asses were knocked out in no time at all.

In fact, the only reason we woke up was because of Orlando’s phone incessantly vibrating against the nightstand, his quick glance to see who was calling making him hop up from the bed as he hissed, “Shit. I gotta get down to the shop. I already got a client waiting on me.”

Seeing him leave the bed had me pouting like a baby, quick to suggest, “Just tell him to grow his hair out, or put a hat on, or… let Mr. Clyde do it.”

“If I let Mr. Clyde fuck his head up, he’d probably never come back to the shop,” he replied with a chuckle, putting his clothes on from the night before when he added, “But what I can do… is clear my schedule for the afternoon so we can spend it together before you get up outta here on me.”

Clutching the comforter to my chest, I told him, “When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m dying. I’m just going back to work.”

“Yeah, in a different city for who knows how long. But don’t get it twisted, your grind is much respected.”

“And yours is not,” I countered, quickly correcting, “Well, it is. But not right now cause I don’t want you to leave.”

According to the smirk on his face, my whining had him flattered. But it wasn’t enough for him to stop getting dressed, instead insisting, “Go spend some time with your family. Ain’t that what you came here for?”

When he sat down on the bed to put his shoes on, I draped myself over his broad shoulders, my breasts pressed into his back when I admitted, “They might’ve been the reason I came, but you’re the reason I wish I could stay a little while longer.”

Peeking over his shoulder at me with a smile, he confessed, “Aight, now I know what you mean with that cute shit.”

“Oh, whatever!” I squealed with a laugh, falling back onto the bed as he stood up to grab his wallet and keys. Then with a simple kiss to the forehead, he bid me a, “See you later” leaving me to figure out how to spend the rest of my day until he got off of work.