Page 76 of Standing In The Sun
Now she was about to walk in there looking stupid. No job, no plan, and no excuse -just vibes.
Lunar and Kamari stayed home since court wasn’t a good place for a baby and Ahvi wanted some time alone to handle her business. That was probably Ish in her head telling her she could do something without that damn man.
Since she didn’t have Kamari with her, she pushed Lunar’s Benz to court and Ahvi had to admit, it made her feel like a boss bitch. The leather was buttery, the touchscreen felt like something from the future, but the best part of the whole ride was Lunar’s scent blowing through the vents like he was there with her.
The courthouse smelled like old coffee and bad decisions. People were posted up everywhere. Some were pacing around as if that would make their situations different. Some cried, and the rest just stared with blank expressions like their bodies gave up before their minds did.
Ahvi found a seat outside courtroom 3B and picked at the hem of her blouse, her heart punching her ribs. She was halfway planning a sob story in her head when a woman in a crumpled blazer slid up to her, holding a folder.
“Ahvi Farooq?” she asked.
“Yea.” Ahvi stood up slowly like she might sit right back down from her nerves knocking her back down.
“I’m Marla, your public defender. Quick update—we’ve passed all your case files to your attorney.”
“My what?” Ahvi squinted.
“Your attorney,” Marla repeated, like she was speaking to a child. “Elle - she’s taking over from here.”
“I don’t have no attorney,” Ahvi said, ready to argue.
Before Marla could say anything, a woman in a clean navy skirt suit walked up, heels clapping against the tile. She looked like she didn’t play about nothing or nobody.
“Ahvi Farooq?” she said.
“That’s me, I guess,” Ahvi muttered, confused as hell.
“I’m Elle. Little Lunar sent me.”
Ahvi licked her lips, her chest relaxing when Elle said Little Lunar. She knew anyone who called him that, had to be a family member or close friend. She could only nod, knowing she was in good hands. Also, she remembered the name from the top secret conversation Pimp brought up to Lunar. It was all starting to make sense to her.
Elle was all business when she stepped into the courthouse. She didn’t have time to wait for Ahvi to pick her jaw off the floor. She just nodded toward the courtroom door like come on girl, keep up.
Inside, the judge was already flipping through papers, glasses sliding down his nose like he was bored out his mind. Elle strolled up smooth and planted herself like she ran the place.
“Ms. Farooq,” the judge said without looking up. “Employment verification has been submitted. Full sponsorship agreement on file. Court is satisfied. Charges dismissed. Thirty days served noted. Probation terminated.” Bang! The gavel cracked.
Ahvi just stood there blinking and feeling like she got jumped, but in a good way. What had happened so fast? Her mind was swirling, wondering if it was all a mistake and she’d be sent back to jail when her sixty days was officially up. Or if they’d call her later in the day and tell her it was a prank because nothing had ever been so easy in her life—not until she met Lunar.
Outside the courtroom, she grabbed Elle’s arm. “Hold up, hold up - what the fuck just happened?”
Elle smiled like this was normal Tuesday behavior for her. “That was Little Lunar taking care of you.”
“But I ain’t got no damn job!” Ahvi’s eyes bucked like that wasn’t obvious. She didn’t have time for a lie because lies always caught up with you later.
“You do now.” Elle shrugged, digging into her designer bag to grab a folder like it was nothing. “You’re officially employed as Lunar’s personal chef -seventy-five thousand a year, room and board provided, daycare covered and salary kicks in today.” She showed Ahvi the paperwork with the details.
Ahvi stared at her, mouth half open. “He just—he just made me a chef? Like he putting job titles on people now?”
Elle laughed a little. “Looks like it.” She’d been in the family long enough to know and understand that the men would always stand ten toes down about their women. It didn’t matter their age either, they stood on big business from the youngest to the oldest. That always stumped her when she realized all the shit Noodle allowed herself to go through like she didn’t have a family coming with guns blazing.
Ahvi threw her hands up. “This man is crazy!”
Elle shrugged. “Runs in the family,” she laughed. “If you don’t need anything else from me, I have another meeting to get to.
“Thank you,” Ahvi gave her a half smirk because what else could she do?
Elle smiled at her again, before strutting off like she didn’t just swoop in and save her.
