Page 7 of Rags to Vegas

Crenshaw

I had one hand on the steering wheel, and the other hand was locked with Berkley’s.

I had turned into that guy. The one that held a woman’s hand while he drove.

Usually, that would be something that Bryan did, and I’d be clowning him for it.

I could dig it though. Our situation was still new, but I could get the relationship hype.

It wasn’t bad when two people meshed well.

Berkley was adamant that she wasn’t looking for a come up, and I believed her.

I had never been in a relationship, and I didn’t want to come off as controlling, but I didn’t want my pregnant girlfriend working in a gentleman’s club.

I told her she could keep her daytime waitressing job, or she could quit and go back to school.

Berkley wasn’t comfortable quitting her job and depending on a man again.

At first, I wanted to be offended because I was nothing like her ex, but she didn’t know that.

I could talk all day, but actions spoke way louder than words.

If I wanted her to be comfortable and let her guard down with me, I had to show her I wasn’t her ex not just tell her.

I had paid her rent up, so she didn’t have to worry about that, and her car was paid for.

Berkley was certain that it wouldn’t take her long to save a nice amount of cash and once she did, she was going to enroll in school.

The baby was due during the summer, so she was going to stay home with him or her until school started back, then I was going to stay home with the baby while she was in class.

I didn’t want my child in daycare too early.

I was my own boss and made my own schedule.

My child could hang with me, or I could get Alisa to watch him or her if I had something to do.

My nieces were in school, and her mother was a big help.

When she had the new baby, her mom was probably going to go stay with her and Bryan for a few months like she did when the twins were born.

Since I was approaching a red light, I glanced over at her. “You nervous?”

Berkley chuckled. My baby had her face chubby, but she looked good with a fat face. Even when she was nauseous and throwing up, Berkley still looked good.

“No. You said your people are cool, and I believe you.”

I gave a slight nod. I wasn’t nervous that they wouldn’t like her.

I’d never taken a woman to meet my family before.

My father, Bryan, Alisa, and my nieces were going to be present.

When Bryan found out I had a baby on the way, he wanted to meet the woman that I had gotten pregnant.

My only concern was that they’d do too much, but I had already warned her.

Before I went to the NBA, Bryan, who was a year older than me, worked as a firefighter.

Even after I entered the NBA, he continued to work.

He was a man that wanted to provide for his family and not leech off his brother, and I respected that.

But I still did nice things for him. I bought him a car, paid his mortgage for a few months, and paid for him and Alisa’s wedding.

When I got injured and decided to start a sports management firm, only then was he comfortable quitting his job.

He wanted to work for the money he made.

Of course, I had retired my father with no questions asked.

He was a man as well, and he didn’t like sitting around doing nothing, so he did yard work for elderly people that couldn’t do it themselves and that couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it.

After Bryan and I started working together, he sold the house he was living in and got him and Alisa another home.

He didn’t live too far from me. When I arrived at his house, my father’s truck was already parked out front.

Berkley stayed put while I walked around the car and opened the door for her.

Once she was in front of me, I kissed her on the lips.

I did that often. I had no clue what it was about her, but I couldn’t keep my hands or my mouth off her.

There were days that I craved eating her pussy the same way I craved stroking her walls.

I had been with many women, but Berkley had some kind of hold on me that was foreign as hell to me, but I liked it. I liked that shit a lot.

I had to wonder if I was tripping when I contemplated going ring shopping.

It was kind of crazy to say I didn’t want to move too fast because she was already pregnant.

The pregnancy wasn’t planned, however. A marriage had to be intentional.

I’d rather have a baby out of wedlock than to marry someone that I wasn’t sure I wanted to attempt to spend forever with.

With that, I decided to give it some more time, but it crossed my mind often.

I wanted to do all the things with Berkley that I’d never done with anyone else.

Less than ten seconds after I rang the bell, Alisa answered the door with a wide smile on her face. “Hiiiiiii,” she sang. “I’m Alisa. It’s so nice to meet you.” She was smiling so hard her face had to hurt.

With a groan, I shook my head. “I knew you were going to be doing too much.”

“How am I doing too much? I’m just being polite,” Alisa actually looked clueless.

“Yeah, okay.”

We followed her into the den, and the moment Bryan’s eyes fell on us, he started grinning just as hard as his wife. “It’s a miracle. A whole miracle,” he marveled, and I grabbed Berkley’s hand.

“We’re leaving.”

She laughed and pulled her hand out of mine as Bryan walked over and hugged her. “I can’t help it if we seem so shocked. This man is almost thirty and has never introduced the family to a woman.”

Berkley smiled. It was my father’s turn, and it was mind boggling to me how happy everyone appeared.

Damn they must have wanted me to be tied down bad as hell.

My life as a single man wasn’t terrible.

Shit, I had a lot of fun over the years, and I was glad that I’d gotten it out of my system.

I wouldn’t change a thing about the way I’d lived my life.

I found the person for me when I was supposed to find her.

“I’m Crenshaw’s father, Erias. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“I hear you have a little bun baking in there. When are you going to find out the gender?”

“In two weeks.”

“Are you having a gender reveal?” Alisa asked. She was having another girl. My poor brother was stressed the hell out. He had to deal with never getting his boy, or having a house full of kids trying to get a boy.

“I doubt it,” Berkley sat down on the couch. “My mom is deceased and most of my family is in North Carolina. The only people I have in Vegas are my friend, her husband, and Crenshaw.”

“Well now you have us. And it doesn’t have to be anything big. You can cut a cake or something small. We can go to a five star restaurant, have a nice dinner, then the server can bring out some kind of dessert that reveals the gender.”

“I’d like that,” Berkley smiled.

I was lowkey grateful that Alisa was so extra and over the top.

I knew she and Berkley would get along well, and my shorty wouldn’t have to feel like she didn’t know anyone.

Bryan had the grill fired up out back. He passed me a red Solo cup with tequila inside, and I followed him into the backyard.

Our father joined us, and Berkley stayed inside with Alisa.

Her mother had just arrived with the twins.

Alisa’s mother was just as friendly as her, and I knew she’d treat Berkley the same way she treated everyone else.

Before we left, she’d probably be offering to babysit if we ever needed her.

Alisa was really good with graphic design, and she did a lot of freelance work.

She designed book covers, coloring books, journals, flyers, you name it.

She stayed booked and busy. And because Bryan was the provider and paid all the bills, she used her money to retire her mother.

Therefore, her mother spent a lot of time with the twins.

“I like her,” my father gave a nod of approval before sipping his beer.

“You don’t even know her,” I chortled. “Let me find out you’re just happy that I finally found somebody, so you’d like anybody.”

“Nah. Hell nah,” he shook his head. “I already know if she locked you down, she’s special. But energy doesn’t lie. She has good energy. Seems like a very respectful, nice young woman. You did good son.”

“Yeah, he did,” Bryan agreed. “I was starting to lose hope for you, but you redeemed yourself well, brother.”

All I could do was laugh. Extra and over the top per usual, but I loved my family just the way they were.

Having a close-knit family was the only reason I survived losing my mom and having to leave the NBA because of an injury.

My family kept me grounded and sane. No one could ever replace Berkley’s mother but if I had anything to do with it, she would always feel included and loved when it came to my family.

“How did you two meet?” Bryan pried.

“At a bar.” I didn’t care that we had a one night stand, but that was no one else’s business but ours.

“I should have known,” Bryan laughed. “That’s very on brand for you.”

Two days later, I walked into my bedroom and grinned. “Come on, bro,” I spoke loudly. “You said you were getting up twenty minutes ago.”

Berkley’s face crumpled with a frown. “It’s my day off, Crenshaw. All I want to do is sleep. Why are you being so loud?” she whined with her eyes still closed.

My baby drained all of Berkley’s energy which was why I wanted her to quit her job, but I wasn’t going to press the issue.

“Aight bet. I was just trying to give you a gift before I left out for work, but if you don’t want it that’s what it is. I’ll see you later.” I was walking over to the bed to give her a kiss when she opened one eye.

“Gift?” her voice was raspy and sleep filled.

It made no sense that even a deep ass morning voice turned me on.

Berkley’s ass must have known voodoo because she had my ass open.

And it was off her genuine personality and demeanor.

I’d been with countless pretty women with fat asses and wet pussy.

There were at least ten women I could think of off the top of my head that could make a nigga cum in less than five minutes off the throat.

None of that made a man fall in love though.

“Nah, stay asleep,” I laughed.

Berkley sat up and pushed the covers off her legs. “I’m up now, so you might as well give me.” She stood up, and I eyed her exposed thighs. She was dressed in an oversized shirt that barely covered her ass cheeks.

“You gotta throw some shorts on. The gift is outside.”

“Outside?” her brows hiked curiously, but she didn’t ask anymore questions.

Berkley stepped into a pair of shorts. She followed me through the front door, and when she saw the hunter green BMW with a big red bow on top, she screamed.

“I’m glad I don’t have neighbors right up under me, or they’d call the police,” I chuckled as she ran toward the car still squealing.

“Crenshaw, it’s gorgeous! Oh my God, I love it so much. I love you,” she ran over and jumped into my arms.

As she locked her legs around my waist, I eased the key fob out of my pocket.

“I love you too. I’ve been going over this in my head every damn day.

One day I’m with it and the next I’m doubting myself but fuck it.

You’re already having my baby. What do you say we go have a cheesy ass Las Vegas wedding in one of those badly decorated chapels?

” my heart drummed in my chest as I waited for her answer.

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“Of course I’ll marry you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes!”

She kissed me, and my heart rate returned to normal. Who said you couldn’t find your happily ever after from a one night stand?

The end!