IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES Book 2

Epilogue Part 1

On top of that he keeps stressing that he’s working so hard to save up for a house. We’ve been staying in a condo since we’ve been back (a rather nice condo), but August (inserts eye roll) says that it’s going to be the first house he buys so he doesn’t want to rush into anything. He wants to make sure, whatever he purchases its right. Well excuse the hell out of me, Perfect Patty.

“Sata stop running.” I eyed her as I closed the door to the car.

We were going to see Pop-Pop before tonight’s festivities began. Meaning my bachelorette party. And before I had to take Sata over her grandmother’s house. All the girls and little Mally were having a sleep over there tonight, while the rest of us partied. All our family and friends were in town for the wedding and I was super excited to see what the ladies had planned for me tonight.

I grabbed her hand as we went inside. Sata started jumping up and down.

“Jesus, why are you so hyper?” I furrowed my eyebrows at her.

“The slide.” She had a big grin on her face.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her wanting to pull away from me so she could slide down that damn slide in her father’s office.

We pushed open the glass doors and was met by Sneak behind the desk.

“Hey Corey.”

“Hey.”

“Is he back there?”

“Yeah. He just finished his last patient.”

“Mommy can I slide down the slide?” Sata looked up at me with her finger in her mouth.

“On the way out. Let’s see Pop-Pop first.”

Corey opened the door that led from the reception area to the Dentist office.

We went back there and saw Aug taking off his white lab coat. He had on black slacks and a white dress shirt with a blue tie on, underneath.

“Pop-Pop.” Sata ran to him and grabbed him with both her little arms around his legs.

“Hey Munch.” He chuckled and patted her head.

“Ting.” She smiled brightly to show him her smile. He picked her up.

“Say Ah.” He told her.

“Ahhhhh.” She opened her mouth wide.

He examined her mouth.

“No monsters?” She asked him.

“No monsters.” He kissed her cheek. Monsters was their term for cavities.

“Hey babe.” He looked over at me.

“Hey.” I sat in one of the dental chairs.

“You opened up a separate account?” He asked me looking in his drawer to give Sata some candy he gave his patients after their visit.

“Yeah, why?” I scratched my head.

I opened up a separate account because of course, I didn’t want him getting suspicious about me giving money to Dr. Maraj.

“I saw a statement from Evergreen Bank, we bank with Chase. What do you need a separate account for? All of our money go in one pot.”  He unwrapped the candy for Sata.

“That’s a business account for the center me and Dan decided to open.” I lied. I need to switch to paperless statements, otherwise he is going to be livid.

“Y’all just now doing that?” He looked at me suspicious.

“We got new grant money. And we wanted to separate that from the actual revenue.”

He shook his head that he understood. Whew! Thank you God for delivering me from that one.

“What’s going on tonight?” He sat down on a circle doctor’s stool he had by the sink.

“The ladies are doing something for me.”

“You know what I said.” He eyed me then took off his tie and put it around Sata’s neck.

“I can’t control what they do.”

“You already know what I said.” He looked back over at me.

He was referring to the fact that he said I couldn’t have any strippers. But I don’t care what he says. This is the day before my wedding. If I want strippers, I’m getting strippers. Who knows what kinda craziness the fellahs are going to do for him. If he can have fun, I can too.

“I hear you.”

“I don’t need you to hear me, I need you to respect what I said. Otherwise I’ll come over there and ruin the whole thing.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

 “Try me.” He looked at me with a face of warning.

“Okay August.” I let out a deep sigh and got up

 “I’m paying for this wedding I’ll shut the whole operation down.”

“Ha-ha-ha.” I said not amused. He just liked saying that now. The fact that he could finally say, he was paying for something and use it against me.

Although he really was paying for the entire wedding, on top of our honey moon to Italy. Anything I wanted he got. He made certain that tomorrow was going to be amazing for me.

“Give Pop-Pop some sugar before you go.”

Sata kissed him, then jumped off his lap. He got up and went over to me.

“Love you.” He pecked my lips.

“Love you too.”

“Don’t play with me Amb.”

“Okay August. Geez.”

He pecked my lips one more time.

“Mommy can I get on the slide?”

“You want to get on the slide?” August asked her.

She shook her head yes and jumped up and down.

He picked her up and put her on his neck, carrying her into the reception area where the slide was.

She would climb up the slide and slide down and he would catch her and throw her in the air.

They did that about five times, and then we said our good-byes. She was off to her grandma’s and I was off to see me some Idris Elba looking strippahs.

What August don’t know, won’t hurt him right?