Cairo brushed my wavy hair to hang over my shoulder as we sat beside each other in his large office at his record label's headquarters. He rubbed our fingers together and kissed the back of my hand, making me smile.
For the passed few days, while interviewing possible surrogates, Cairo has been making me smile more than I cry. I haven't had that feeling since the first two years of our relationship and I loved the feeling of it.
Cairo has been showing me the affection as a wife I deserve, he's more patient, and been helping me produce beats for my up and coming EP.
And as Cairo promised, he haven't laid a hand on me.
These days have felt so amazing for me.
Now we're meeting with yet another surrogate since the other's we didn't approve of and Cairo was letting me be the one to choose. The ones I've passed up was too young, too sexy, and too thirsty.
The women weren't aware of Cairo and me being the couple searching for a surrogate, but once they saw it was the Cairo Norman, their true colors came out—me beside him, or not. Sadly for them, they were quickly declined and wouldn't receive the fifteen thousand dollars a month for nine months.
Cairo rubbed my arm. "You think you gon' choose this one?"
"Sure. . As long as she's not thirsty, too young, or too sexy." I said making Cairo chuckle and plant a kiss on my temple.
Someone knocked on his office door and Cairo said, "Guess we'll see, huh? Come in!"
The door opened and Cairo's executive assistant, Avery, came in. "Tonya Thompson is here."
"Send her in."
Avery gestured to the potential surrogate and she was coming in in casual wear and Hersey touch complexion. She was a pretty individual with her hair cut short.
Cairo and me stood to greet her, shaking her hand.
Tonya smiled saying, "It's really nice to meet you two."
Her energy's welcoming, so that's a good sign. "Of course. Have a seat."
"How old are you? If you don't mind me askin'." Cairo spoke.
"Just turned thirty."
"And you've been a surrogate before?" I ask.
"Yes for two families; six and three years ago." Tonya answered.
"With us being a couple in the spotlight, one of our requirements is that you sign a non-disclosure agreement. Would that be a problem?"
Tonya shook her head at Cairo's question. "No, not at all. The last family I done it for were very wealthy and I had to do the same. I'm fully okay with it."
"That's perfect. I love the way this is going already, but we have a whole list of questions to go over."
"Sorry, my wife is very thorough." Cairo said.
Tonya chuckled. "It's no problem."
I eyed her left hand and didn't see a ring. "Are you single? I'd like to know how your boyfriend feels about you doing this."
"Oh, I'm single, so there's nothing to worry about there."
"But you do have support, though, right? Friends, family?"
"Yes, everyone around me are very supportive."
"And how do you feel bout carrying multiples?" Cairo's question threw me off.
Multiples?
"I'm fine with twins."
Unexpectedly, I coughed, choking on nothing, but the mention of two babies being the same age at one time didn't sit well with me.
Cairo patted my back for a moment. "You aight baby?"
"Yeah," I cleared my throat. "Let's, um, just worry about one baby right now."
Tonya found what I said amusing. I even chuckled myself, but when I looked at Cairo, his expression deadpanned. I stopped instantly as Tonya said, "You're not the first with that reaction. I'm fine with whatever it is that you both want to do."
Cairo spread a faint smile on his lips and rubbed the back of my neck. "That's my wife for you. Her and her reactions."
Gulping hard and suddenly fearing how he would react when we're in this office alone, I continued to ask the list of questions that Tonya answered truthfully. I've watched so many Lifetime movies of surrogates turning crazy or trying to keep the baby for themselves, I had to make sure Tonya was in the right headspace and it was all the contract.
"Contract ready to sign." I placed the paperwork in front of her, "But before you actually do that, I would like to know how involved you want us to be?"
"I would love it for you both to be very involved. It'll be your child I'm carrying. Every doctors appointment. If anything was to happen, you guys will be the first ones I call."
"Great. As soon as you ready to sign, you can."
Tonya jotted on signature on the appropriate lines. Before she left I informed her about her upcoming appointment after I go through the IVF procedure soon.
I closed the door behind Tonya and gasped in terror when I turned around and Cairo was standing behind me. He doesn't say anything, or do anything. He stood there with a tightlipped smile and holding my face between his hands. He stepped closer to me, kissing my forehead, nose, and pressing long on my lips.
Cairo backed me up until my back pressed the door. He pulled back, staring me in the eyes. "You should head to the studio and record. I'll come by later on to check on you."
"You letting me drive?"
"No. Stanley down there; he'll take you." I moved out of the way so he could open the door for me. "Have at least two songs done when I come."
I nod and leave with another word. As Cairo told me, Stanley was out front and waiting on me. The ride for me in the back of the SUV wasn't long with the studio building being only a few blocks away. My red sole Christian Louboutin booties clicked along the ground as I approached the door a man was about to enter.
To not have to press the buzzer for a second time, I hollered for him to hold it open. "Thank you." I appreciated as I went inside and smelling the fragrance of his cologne.
"No pro'lem." his baritone voice responded.
I walk to the elevator with him and we were both going up. I kept my eyes to myself because the walls have eyes. and things have been going for Cairo and me lately and I didn't want me looking at another man to be our first argument in a few days.
We both got on the elevator and I pressed the button to the studio level. When the doors closed, I could see him eyeing me out the corner of my eye and I continued to stare straight ahead.
"NRMN Records very own, Jade..." he spoke and I stared at him to take in his features and recognized him from events I attended with Cairo.
"Playboy Jaceon." I chuckled lightly, "What are you doing down south?"
"Workin' wit ya hubby on this album. I'm here for a li'l minute."
The elevator doors opened; we walked off on the same floor. "I'm pretty sure you got you a honey here."
"I meannn." he chuckled, "She something. We not doin' the whole title ordeal. She fine as fuck though, I can tell you that."
"You oughta bring her over for dinner or something with me and my husband." I suggested.
Jaceon appeared uncertain. "I'm pretty sho' she not gon' be wit it. We not together, so, that's pretty much a dub, you feel me? I'll ask tho'."
"Great. I'll be seeing you." We separated into different studios; the producer and engineer that would be working with me on my EP were awaiting my arrival.
"Arsenio, Gamba, I have arrived." I greeted.
Arsenio was Cairo's blood relative—his aunt's son—and Gamba's a young producer that just turned twenty my husband discovered through YouTube from him making his own beats and he employed the producer, signing he and Arsenio to NRMN Records.
Gamba applauded. "The queen has arrived!"
"Yes, yes, I have."
"Comin' to lay som' vocals?" Arsenio asked as he looked at me. "I know cuzzo on yo' bumper."
"Indeed." I chuckled, sitting down on the chair. "I wrote to that beat you sent two days ago. Let's set the vibe—light the candles, dim the lights, and let's do it. I have a husband that is on my ass for two completed tracks by time he gets here."
I listened to the sound of Arsenio and Gamba edit the finishing product of one of the songs I was able to lay my vocals down on within two hours as I swallowed some water.
The argument between Caren and Andi happened to revisit on my mind, and I decided to check on Caren firstly through a video call.
Caren looked confused. "What's that in the background?"
"A song for my EP. It's a little snippet for you." I let her know and asked, "How you been? The kids?"
"The kids and me are fine. I've been resting as much as I can to have enough energy for all three of them."
"Xavier been around to help?"
"Yeah, a lot, actually." Caren sounds shocked. "But it's not changing the fact he creeping out of here at the same time thinking I'm sleep."
"You think he's cheating?"
"Ain't no think, I know." She nodded, "But it's all good. I'm not worried."
My eyebrow lifted. "Not worried? Um, if he's cheating, why aren't you worried?"
"I'm just not."
Staring at her on the screen, I could see how over the conversation she was, so I switched topics. "Have you spoke to Andi?"
"I have not."
"It's been a week."
"So what? I don't have nothing to say to her. She can be happy with her husband of a boyfriend."
"Have you at least considered what Joie said?" I wondered. "I'm married, too, and no, I do not agree with how she going about this, but we're all she has. Even if we don't agree with each other's decisions, we should still be able to talk to confide in one another about any and everything."
"There is a lot that each of us have done that we don't agree with, but this one for her is the icing on the cake, seriously."
"So what, you're just going to end your friendship over a decision she's making with her life?"
Before she could respond, I noticed Cairo enter the studio and furrowed his brows instantly. "What's goin on here?" he asked, "You should be in the booth singing."
"Uh-oh, call me back."
I responded to Caren quickly before hanging up. "Um, hey, babe. We're finished with one."
"One?" he repeated.
"Yeah. I didn't think you were coming this soon."
"Well, when you think I was gone show up, at midnight?" Cairo shook his head and put his attention on Arsenio and Gamba. "What y'all got done?"
"We just gotta master it for the most part." Arsenio replied, "You tryna hear a snippet?"
"Yeah. Let's see what my wife managed to do."
Arsenio plays Cairo the snippet and honestly, I was nervous, because my husband is my biggest critic. If he didn't feel the pinch of my vocals blended with the beat, he disapproved. If I hit one ad lib wrong, he disapproved. I could only mentally pray this would not be the case this afternoon.
The snippet was only played for short second before Cairo turned it off and shook his head. "I'm not feeling that. You need to do it over."
"What?" I reacted quickly, "What's wrong with it? That took me two hours to record."
"Which disappoints me." he frowned at me, "You know how I am, if it don't sound right, you gone sing the shit til it's right. You sitting there on yo phone, worrying bout everybody else business and this vocals sound like shit. You singing too high for this record. So put yo phone on DND and get to work now."
I placed my phone on DND as Cairo commanded and I prepared to record the track all over again with my husband's eyes on me.
I would sing it the way he wanted just to keep the peace.
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