CHAPTER ONE

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After a successful six-week speaking circuit about health, fitness, and the practices of spirituality, Quinn was excited to come off the road and relax in his own energy.

He enjoyed his career as one of the most influential Wellness & Performance experts in Atlanta, and he was extremely proud of the brand he built from the ground up. But he missed his boo, his home-cooked meals, and lying in bed binging his favorite TV shows and horror flicks. Although he missed Kai and the rest of his crew as well, he wasn’t too hyped when she Facetimed him to let him know she had a trip planned and she wanted the gang to join her.

Something nagged at him to say no. There was this undeniable feeling in his gut that a friends-cation was a bad idea. But, since everyone had different lives and careers, and only got to see each other a few times a year, Quinn felt pressured to say yes. Especially since Kai said she had something important to share with the group.

“I know you just got off the road, dawg, but this right here can’t wait,” Kai said. “This something I been sitting on for the longest, and I think it’s finally time I let y’all know what’s been going on in my life. I can’t tell the fam, ‘cause you know they don’t fuck with me, but it’s a big deal, and I wanna share it with y’all.”

“You ain’t pregnant, are you?” Quinn asked. “Please don’t tell me you one of them studs who be sneaking dick and ended up getting knocked up. I don’t knock nobody lifestyle, but I see you as one of the bro’s. You can’t be out here with your belly poking out.”

“Nigga, fuck you!” Kai laughed. “Hell nah, I ain’t pregnant, fool. That’s the last thing I’ll ever be. I’ll never let one of these lames ass niggas get that close. I’m a hardbody til the day I die.”

Quinn was always cracking jokes on Kai

When they met in middle school, he didn’t know much about studs, fems, and everything else in between. All he knew was that Kai was cool and she could keep up with him on the basketball court. He actually thought she was a boy when he first met her, because of her muscular frame and small chest, but it didn’t take long for the hating niggas on campus to point out that she was a girl.

Kai was tall and light-skinned with dreads. Even in middle school. She had a strong jawline and slanted eyes that made her look like she was Blasian, and a swag that was so chill and laidback, all the girls had a crush on her.

Niggas hated that about her—she could pull any chick she wanted. Whether they were already into girls or one of the biggest fast-asses in the school, all the ladies loved Kai.

“Where we going this time?” Quinn asked. “If I’ma go anywhere after this six-week run, it better be somewhere I can relax. I don’t feel like doing all that mountain climbing and combat ninja shit you like to do.”

“Nah, nah, I booked a spot in Key West for a week-long getaway,” Kai assured. “You can relax on the beach and sip those fruity ass drinks you like to drink. And Bring Renee. Ya’ll been locked in for what, two years now? It’s ‘bout time she meet the gang.”

Renee was Quinn’s boo. He tried to act tough on her, like they were just casually dating and it wasn’t that serious, but deep down inside, he had real feelings for her. She wanted their relationship to reach the next level, and she very well acted as if it had, but Quinn held them back. After a one-night stand that left him with an insatiable taste in his mouth, he didn’t want to commit to anyone until he knew for sure he was fulfilled.

“I can fuck with Key West,” he replied. “I’ll ask Renee if she wanna come. She might like that since we been butting heads lately.”

“Perfect!” Kai said. “I’m leaving tonight. Omar and Simone gon’ meet me there.”

“Aw lawd!” Quinn laughed. “Remember the last trip we had; they was on ten the whole time. I hope they worked through their bullshit so we ain’t listening to them fight all week.”

“I know right?” Kai agreed. “I think they good though. Ever since Simone broke up with him for a lil’ bit, his ass been on his best behavior. So just get your ticket and come through. I texted you the address to the house. I can’t wait to see everybody. This one gon’ be one for the books!”

After their call, Kai returned to her task at hand: ring shopping.

The trip she had planned wasn’t only a get-together with friends to catch up on their lives, it was also so she could propose to the woman who changed her life.

She’d been dating Carmen for three years, and Carmen was everything Kai dreamed of finding in a partner.

Although Carmen had a child from a previous relationship, Kai loved her enough to accept him as her own. Her sister, Zuri, thought she was stupid for playing step-staddy to some mystery man’s child instead of finding a nice woman to create her own family with, but Kai didn’t hear any of that. Carmen was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

“What you think about this one?”

She held up a 3-carat, Ken & Dana Odessi styled diamond, with a vintage gold band and diamond holder. There were smaller diamonds woven into the band all around the ring, and a space inside the band that was perfect for engraving the date they met. It was a beautiful ring. Expensive as hell, too. But after having a successful year as a leading software developer, Kai could afford to spend whatever on Carmen.

“I think that diamond blinding your ass from seeing clearly,” Zuri said. “Kai, you really about to sit up here and propose to this woman? You’re 33 years old, good looking, got a damn good career, and have no kids of your own. Why you wanna lock yourself down to someone who already has a child? I’m not saying Carmen is a bad woman, but you don’t even know who her baby daddy is. Hell, does she even know who he is? And not for nothing, that kid looks real familiar. As soon as I can put a face with who he look like, I’ma let you know.”