Homegrown: A Takeoff love story

Chapter 3- Twenty Eight

Asia worked tirelessly to sew up the final details for six closing sales that she would be conducting at her agency that week. Long days and even longer nights spent working left her feeling completely exhausted. She called Nick on Monday morning to let him know that everything would be ready by Friday so that they could complete the purchase of his penthouse.

"Congratulations Mr. Ball! You are now the owner of penthouse 1900 at the St. Regis Residences!" Asia announced while handing Nick a folder of signed documents, his assigned parking spot numbers along with both the gate and elevator key codes to his multi million dollar luxury suite. He scooped Asia up into one of his classic bear hugs and thanked her for all of her hard work.
"Oh, I'ma need you to meet me at tha Ralph Lauren Home store tomorrow. I gotta get my place lookin' right, I'm tryna host my birthday party at tha penthouse in a few weeks." He revealed. 
"Ugh, hold on, let me get this straight. I'm your realtor, chef, and now your interior designer?" Asia asked in a state of confusion. Nick raised his eyebrows and smiled at her sweetly, hoping his cute expression would persuade her to help him.
"Kirsnick, no! You need to hire somebody. You act like I work for you or something." Asia frowned.
"C'mon, now why you callin' me out by my government name? And, I mean, if you tryna be on the Migos payroll jus lemme know..." he joked.
"Boy, you're lucky I'm calling you by your real name and not OUT of your name!" She fussed.
"Yeah, aight, but who tha hell else I'ma get to help me?" He pleaded. "You jus gotta way of makin' everything 'round you look and feel beautiful. I need you Asia." He campaigned for her services.
"Nick, you only have a short period of time to fully furnish the penthouse and pull together a party." She continued to complain.
"Nah, I know you can make it happen!" he spoke confidently about her abilities.
"Hell no! And you want to add event planner to my resume' too?" She sighed in disbelief.
"I'ma get chu right, I promise. I gotta get to tha stu, but we can hash everything out tomorrow at the store." He said while quickly grabbing his Goyard briefcase and walking toward the door of her office, completely turning his back on Asia's protest to help him with designing and party planning. If she had good enough aim to throw her shoe at the back of Nick's tightly loc'd head, she would have. He always had a slick little way of bringing her into the fold of things that she had no idea involved her.

After an entire weekend spent purchasing furniture, lighting, paint, and accessories, Asia found herself on FaceTime with Nick on a Sunday night, drenched in total exhaustion.
"Alright, what kind of food do you want catered? What kind of cake do you want? Is there a theme? Do you want a dress code? Do you want invites sent via phone or mail? Will there be an open bar?" She rattled off a slew of questions in his direction without leaving any room for him to answer.
"Got damn, slow down!" He laughed. "I'ma send you my guest list in a few. I only want like 30 or 40 people up in there. I needa have my favorite soul food from Busy Bees catered in, I do want an open bar, I don't care 'bout no dress code, and jus surprise me wit tha cake, you already know what typa shit I be on." He explained.
"Cool, I'll work on it, but only because it's your birthday." Asia said as she let out a big yawn into the phone speaker. 
"Aight, goodnight Asia. You always come through foe me, I owe you big time! Love you."
"Love you too Nick, goodnight."

Asia spent the first few weeks in June sending out invitations, placing the catering, cake, and liquor orders, and finding a bar tender for Nick's birthday celebration. The morning of the party, she was on the phone double checking that everything would be delivered to the penthouse on time when she was startled by a knock at her door. To her surprise, a delivery man handed her a garment bag that she had to sign for. Asia opened the bag to find a beautiful gold and black sequined Valentino skirt and matching top with a note that read:

"Thank you for everything. -Love, K. Ball"

Before Asia even had time to gather herself, her doorbell rang! The next delivery was accompanied by a police officer who asked for her ID and signature before she was handed a red jewelry box which contained a $28,000 solid yellow gold Panthère De Cartier watch trimmed in white diamonds. Her heart thumped and jumped erratically in her chest as she reached for her phone to call Nick.
"Nick! Are you serious? How are you giving me gifts when it's your birthday?" She questioned her longtime friend about the wildly expensive tributes that he sent to her that morning.
"I'm deadass serious, you feel me? And don't even start up dat lil bullshit I know you 'bout to be on, 'cause you deserve it." He lectured her with love.
"But Nick, I just..." Asia stuttered.
"You jus gone look beautiful at my party tonight, and I ain't tryna hear nothin' less 'bout it. Aye, I gotta handle sum things, I'ma see you later on." He laughed as he hung up the phone in her face, leaving her speechless.