Page 9 of The Millionaire Mortician

T he past month flew by faster than I could even blink.

It felt like just yesterday I was sitting on the couch scrolling through spaces.

Yet now there I was, standing in my own damn salon with the walls painted, chairs in place, and lights shining bright, like money was well spent.

I guess when money talked, bullshit wasn’t even part of the conversation.

Everything moved smoothly from the moment we signed the leasing agreement.

There were no hiccups or delays. Just straight execution. I had Milan to thank for that.

Talina was over in the corner, arguing with the electrician about the placement of a damn interior sign like her life depended on it.

Two of the stylists we hired were placing products on the shelves, making the salon look cute and boutique-like, while another was fussing with the mirrors, trying to get them at the right angle.

Everyone was busy doing something while I stood in the dead center of the floor with my hands on my hips, just soaking it all in. My name was all up on that sign outside — Dai’s Do’s . It looked bold, clean, and had a modern font. I just smiled, looking at it all.

The sensor on the door alerted us that someone was outside.

When I looked, it was my man and his crew.

I quickly hurried to the front desk and pressed the button to open the door.

In walked Milan with his brother Maverick, and behind them came Dodge and Tave.

Four tall, broad men just taking up all the space, smelling good and looking like trouble.

They instantly brought a different energy into the room.

“Damn,” Dodge exclaimed, whistling low, “this joint’s lookin’ official.”

“You already know,” Maverick added, dapping up Milan and then tapping me on the shoulder like I was one of the boys. “Y’all really did this shit.” He looked around and nodded.

Talina rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. “Y’all ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Wait ‘til tomorrow. We gon’ shut the whole block down.”

“Talk yo’ shit, T.” Tave laughed, leaning on the counter like he was ready to test the chair.

The guys cracked jokes with the girls. They had us all laughing until our sides hurt. Dodge swore he was gon’ come in for a silk press, and Talina said she’d charge him double for being annoying. Everybody was just vibing, giving the kind of energy we needed in the space every day.

Even though the grand opening was the following day, Milan and the guys stayed. It didn’t matter how long it took. They weren’t about to let us leave late by ourselves. That right there was the kind of protection money can’t buy.

Milan leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed, quiet but watching everything like he always did. His eyes stayed glued to me the entire time. That man couldn’t hide his pride if he wanted to.

By the time we wrapped up, it was close to midnight. The guys walked us to our cars, making sure everyone of us was straight before they all pulled off.

About fifteen minutes later, Milan and I were pulling up to the house with Don behind us. Quickly making our way inside, I dropped my bag at the door and let out the loudest sigh. “Baby, I’m fuckin’ drained, but I’m excited as hell,” I admitted.

Milan grabbed me in his arms and kissed the top of my head. “You did it, though. I’m really proud of you.”

I leaned back and looked at him with a grin I couldn’t hold back if I tried. “We did it. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you’re the one who made that wire hit my account in the first place, or else I’d be working for someone else all now.”

He just smirked like he always did, like he knew he was that nigga, but didn’t have to say it. “I told you, whatever you want, I’ma make it happen. Tomorrow’s just the start.”

We kicked off our shoes and then made our way upstairs.

Stripping out of our clothes, we both went into the bathroom and took a shower together.

We were so beat that we didn’t even try to have sex.

Quickly helping one another wash and rinse our bodies, we were in and out of the shower in no time.

Before we knew it, we were curled up in bed. It wasn’t long before sleep took over.

The following morning, I woke up before my alarm even had the chance to ring. I couldn’t sleep much anyway since my mind had been racing all night. Today was the day , I thought. It was the day of my salon’s grand opening. My dream was finally a reality.

I rolled over to see that Milan was already awake, scrolling through his phone.

“You’re up early,” I stated, yawning.

“Nah, you’re up late,” he teased, smirking like he always did. “You ready to fuck the city up today?”

I pulled the covers over my face, groaning. “Don’t hype me up. I’m nervous as hell.”

Milan tugged the blanket down and brought my face to his. “Ain’t nothin’ to be nervous about. You got this shit.”

I nodded and smiled. “Thanks, bae.”

“Now get up and get yourself together. I have Nadia making us breakfast,” he informed me.

I sat up fully in bed and looked at him. “Okay then. I see you calling the shot and shit.”

He just let out a light chuckle and returned his attention to his phone. I leaned over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. There were a ton of notifications from Talina, the realtor, and the event planner. I was scared as hell to open any messages in case there were any to ruin my day.

“You good?” Milly asked.

I looked at him for a split second. “Yeah. I’m just dreading opening this phone and seeing what these people want.”

“Welcome to the life of being a boss.” He rolled out of bed and went into the bathroom.

I guess you’re right. I bit my lip.

Finally opening the messages, I saw it was nothing alarming. It was more so messages to confirm certain things to make sure everything was perfect. After responding to everyone, I exhaled and headed to take a nice shower after Milan came out.

Once I was out of the bathroom, I applied lotion to my skin, then sat at my vanity to do my makeup. My pixie cut was freshly shaped up and styled, so I didn’t have to worry about my hair.

My phone buzzed, alerting me that I had a text message.

Talina: Everything is in place. The deejay is here and already bumping music. The event planner did her thing with the decorations. You have nothing to worry about. Just get dressed, look cute, and come.

Reading Talina’s message made my nerves relax because I was so tense.

Milan came out of our walk-in closet and looked good as hell in this cream suit I picked out for him. He preferred to wear darker-colored clothes, so seeing him actually put on something light was refreshing.

“You gettin’ dressed or nah? Mav just told me he and the guys ‘boutta head over,” he informed me.

“Yes, yes.” I jumped out of my seat and went into the closet to get dressed. I put on a cream jumpsuit to match Milan, with a pair of black YSL heels and a clutch.

Within a few minutes, both Milan and I were looking ourselves over in the mirror and loved what we saw. We really looked the fuck good together.

“Let’s go,” he demanded.

We didn’t even get a chance to eat breakfast as planned. As soon as we hit the ground floor, we headed out the front door.

As we’re leaving, my phone rang with Talina’s name on the screen.

“Yeah,” I answered.

“Girl, where are you? Folks are lined up outside already!” She sounded overly excited.

I laughed. “Relax, I’m on my way. Don’t let nobody in ‘til I get there!”

Twenty minutes and a little morning traffic later, we had finally arrived.

By the time we pulled up, the block was lit.

Balloons in black, gold, and cream waved in the breeze.

A deejay booth sat outside, blasting R&B and hip-hop.

Neighbors and friends crowded the sidewalk with cameras flashing.

The storefront sign Dai’s Do’s gleamed under the sun as if it were dipped in diamonds.

I felt tears welling, but I quickly blinked them away. It was too early to get emotional.

Talina came running out with her dramatic ass, hugging me tight. “Bitch, we did it! Look at this!” she squealed.

Milan and I greeted the people, then made our way inside one last time before the ribbon-cutting ceremony to ensure everything was indeed in place.

Inside the salon was everything I had imagined.

The mirrors sparkled, the chairs were lined up perfectly, and the products were stacked neatly on the shelves.

There was this smell of fresh paint mixed with a hint of hairspray.

Every corner looked perfectly intact and ready for business.

My stylists stood behind their stations, smiling and looking good as hell.

“Okay, let’s do this,” I announced once I was satisfied.

Stepping back outside, I was given the mic to say a few words, and that I did. I kept my speech brief and to the point, making sure to thank everyone involved.

When I cut that ribbon with the big ol’ scissors they gave me, the crowd cheered like it was the Fourth of July.

Cameras flashed, and people clapped, while I swore I felt my mama smiling down on me from heaven.

My chest got tight, and my eyes started watering again, but that time I allowed the tears to flow.

I didn’t speak much about it, but losing my mother at a young age and never knowing my father had affected me in a lot of ways.

However, instead of becoming a victim of being parentless, I used it as motivation to become better.

So, getting that far was definitely an emotional milestone as well as a physical one.

Inside, it was nothing but good energy. Music was bumping, champagne was flowing, and there were plates of catered food on every counter.

Clients were already seated in chairs for complimentary touch-ups and trims, just to showcase what we could do.

People kept telling me how proud they were, how the shop was exactly what the neighborhood needed.

Every now and then, I caught Milan standing in the cut, just watching on with a smirk.

He’d shoot me a wink, giving me reassurance of how proud of me he was.

Maverick and the rest of the guys showed up, of course, and were very supportive.

Maverick’s annoying ass even bought Talina and me some roses.

Around the middle of the day, just when I thought the excitement couldn’t get any higher, Milan disappeared outside for a little while. The next thing I knew, people started screaming excitedly.

“Daija! Girl, come outside!” Tremeka called out.

I frowned in confusion, but I didn’t have time to think as Talina grabbed my arm. “Come on, sis.”

When I stepped out, parked right in front of the salon was a brand-new, all-black 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, shining so hard under the sun that it looked fake. A red bow sat on top like some shit out of a commercial.

My knees damn near buckled. “Milan... what the fuck is this?” I quizzed.

He walked over as cool as ever with keys in his hand and a smirk tugging at his lips. “This is yours, shorty. Congratulations, baby. You earned it,” he announced.

The entire crowd erupted with claps, cheers, and screams, as if they were at a concert. Talina damn near fainted as she got closer to see the inside.

I covered my mouth as tears came rushing out once more, but heavier that time. “Milan, you didn’t?—”

He cut me off, pressing the keys into my hand. “But I did. I wanted you to pull up to your dream the way you’re supposed to — like a boss.”

My heart exploded right there. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist like I didn’t care who was watching.

Thank God I had on a jumpsuit and not a dress.

Cameras flashed while I heard people yelling, “Goals!” and “That’s real love right there!

” but I didn’t pay them much mind. It was just Milan and me in that moment.

When I slid into that G-Wagon, the leather still smelled brand new, while the screen lit up like a spaceship.

I had to pinch myself. This was bigger than me and definitely put my little white Audi to shame.

As I checked it out, I felt it was proof that hard work, vision, and a man who truly has your back could change everything.

The rest of the day was a blur of love, laughter, and success. By the time we closed up that night, the balloons had become half-deflated, the champagne bottles were empty, and my voice was gone from talking to everyone. I was exhausted but glowing.

On the drive home, Milan kept one hand on the wheel, the other holding mine. I leaned back against the seat of my brand-new Benz, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.

“Babe,” I whispered, squeezing his hand, “today was the best day of my life.”

He glanced at me with that quiet confidence of his. “Nah, this is just the first one. Wait ‘til you see what’s next.”

After all that he’d already done, there was no other choice but for me to believe his words.