10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace (Caselli Family Book 1)

Stevie

No stone was left unturned when it came to Jeffie. She had everything planned down to what kind of underwear that I would wear with my dress. I told her that I wanted something simple, sexy, and not over the top. This was a courthouse wedding, and I didn’t want to have to pick up a train to walk into city hall.

When people had courthouse weddings, they made promises to have a bigger one down the line. I didn’t want one and didn’t need one. All I needed was this one and knowing that Maverick felt the same as I did meant the world to me.

I’ve always had to pretend to be someone else when it came to dating. Never able to be the real me because that would turn a man off. I don’t know how many dates I’ve been on that I have heard I was different or weird. Men only saw my body, my ass mostly, and decided I wasn’t worth getting to know. They didn’t care what I liked to do, or the fact that I had a brain, too. Every conversation always led back to them wanting to go back to their place or wanting to chill.

Menace noticed things and then he went the extra step to show me that he saw me. Buying me every Lego set because he heard that I liked Legos or going to find my high school ex-boyfriend and beating his ass and making him apologize on camera, those were signs that he saw who I was. When I spoke, he heard me.

“You look so beautiful, Stevie,” Jeffie came into the room where I was getting my makeup done and sat on the stool.

Cindy straightened my hair and pulled it up in a messy updo with a side bang that swept down the side of my face. The makeup artist finished my makeup, keeping my makeup as natural as could be. I told her that I didn’t want my freckles to be covered.

Maverick always counted them whenever I woke up and he was staring in my face. The first time that I opened my eyes, and he was staring at me, I nearly fell out the bed because he scared me. As handsome as he was, the man had a menacing look to him.

“Thank you for everything, Jeffie. You pulled all this together in the shortest time, and me and Maverick both appreciate you.”

“It’s going to feel different having someone actually say thank you because your big-headed ass man never says it,” she joked.

The makeup artist put the finishing touches on my lips and then went to clean up her mess. Jeffie was on her phone, and I turned to face her. “Um, Jeffie?”

“What’s up?” she put her phone down and looked at me concerned. “Are you having second thoughts… if you are, we can run out of here together.”

I smiled. “I’m running out of here to that man. Plus, I think he would track me down and bring me back kicking and screaming.”

“As much as you are joking, that man will always find you.”

“Good.” I smiled.

She touched my hand. “What’s going on?”

“Maverick told me about he and your mother.”

I could see the anger in her eyes when I mentioned her mother. “That is not who I am, Stevie.”

It was my turn to hold her hand. “I’m not saying that is who you are, and I can tell the subject is very sensitive to you.”

“I don’t agree with what my mother has done, and Maverick has shut down any conversation surrounding it because he doesn’t want to deal with it. I pray he opens up and does therapy, but I cannot force him. My mother broke his heart, and I had never seen him that way. I picked up the pieces she left broken on the floor while she went to live her life. I choose the Casellis over my own family because they are my family. They were tossed to the side and handed crumbs and look at all of them… fucking powerful.” She reached out and pinched my cheek. “And you will rise to that same occasion becoming Mrs. Caselli, the love that this family needed.”

I smiled at her. “I just wanted you to know that I know.”

“You are now his secret keeper… his soul mate.” She smiled, as we both looked toward the door.

Estella rushed into the room with her floral dress on and little kitten heels. Her hair was pulled up into a bun with a floral headband. She rushed to Jeffie and hugged her, while Jeffie picked her up and smothered her in kisses.

“Jeff Bezo!”

“Hey my darling. Do you know how beautiful you look?”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a credit card. “Core-Core got me this.”

Jeffie started laughing. “Not he used Stellie to get you to take the damn credit card… The man is smart, and fine… got to give it to him.”

“So damn fine,” Skyler admitted as she stood there.

Skyler looked stunning in her oversized wide leg pants suit with a pair of pumps. “Wait until you see what else he does… gonna have you climbing the wall,” Jeffie snickered.

“You want me to get laid so bad.”

“And do… you can be crabby, and we know that’s the reason.” Jeffie kissed Estella, as she further examined the credit card.

“Stevie, I don’t even want to look at you because I know I am going to cry. It’s why I have been ignoring you.”

“Awe, Sky… do you want a hug?”

“Please.”

I held my dress as I walked over and she hugged me, towering over me because she had heels on, and I hadn’t put mine on yet. “Thank you for allowing me to make this decision. Supporting me and not trying to talk me out of it.”

“Do you know how hard it was not to yank you out that man’s house? Menace is a nut job and knowing that you have tamed him… and he’s different with you. He cares about you and that is all I could want for you.”

I kissed her cheek and looked at my baby cousin. “I love you and we’re always going to be a family, Skyler. Now, we have even more people that care about us… okay?”

“I want baby sister!” Estella blurted.

Skyler smiled at her daughter. “Jeffie is going to give you one, okay? So, you can have baby sister.”

Jeffie busted out in tears and Stella was concerned as she wiped her face. We both crowded over toward her and hugged her. “I am so sorry… just hearing you say that made it so real to me. Skyler, we’re a family. No matter what we go through, it’s us four in this together and Corleon has told us that. This doesn’t work without you.”

“I know,” she admitted.

“And you will have a baby cousin, too,” I announced and both Jeffie and Skyler gasped loudly, becoming excited.

“Menace is going to be a father?”

“Oh, no… I’m just saying. You know the future.”

Skyler shoved me and went toward the door. “Stevie, read the room.”

I laughed. “What?”

“I have one person that I think should witness you getting married today.” She opened the door and Alex stepped in with a suit on with his head wrap matching the black suit.

“Alex,” I gasped.

“Stevie, telling me last minute when you know the afternoon rush is crazy… even with all of that, I would never miss this. Although I have a bunch of questions and want answers soon.”

I rushed into his arms as he held me and pulled me back to look at me. “You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. Your mama would be so proud, and I know she’s watching over you.”

“You think so?” He caught my tears and peered down into my eyes with this look of pride on his face.

“I know so. I also know she would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t see her baby girl get married today.”

I sniffled. “I will be waiting for you there. Skyler called me and told me that you may have needed to see me before the ceremony.”

“She was right.”

He pinched my cheeks. “My beauty.”

The makeup artist touched up my makeup while Alex left, and I sat back down. My emotions were all over the place and I couldn’t contain them. “I’m so sorry. The tears won’t stop coming.”

“Girl, you are getting married. The tears are normal, and your future husband has paid for me to be with you all day.” The makeup artist smiled.

When my phone started ringing, I looked down and saw Maverick’s name. I picked it up and held it to my ear. “Hey Mavie.”

“What up, Wonder?”

“Nothing. I’m getting my makeup done.”

He chuckled. “Will I be able to count your freckles?”

“Yes.”

“I was calling to make sure you still wanted to kick it with me for forever?”

The makeup artist quickly grabbed a Q-Tip and held it in my waterline as I held the phone. “I wouldn’t have it no other way. Do you still want a life of paint in the bed?”

“Not crazy about it, but I’m crazy about you so fuck it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, baby. See you soon.”

“See you soon, Mitchell.” I smiled and ended the call, while the makeup artist continued to work hard to stop the tears.

“Hey Mrs. Caselli.” I turned and saw both Zoya and Kora come into the room, and I smiled while taking in their outfits.

Zoya was having a monochromatic moment with her beige high waisted pants and her dress shirt tucked in. She wore a pair of Celine sunglasses and paired it with a Chanel bag that matched perfectly with her outfit.

While Kora wore an olive green off the shoulder dropped waist dress with her Birken on her arm. Both of them wore their hair straightened as they took me in.

“You both look like money.”

“Baby, we are the money… you are, too.” Kora kissed my cheek and sat down where Jeffie had been sitting previously.

“I remember the real reason you didn’t want a full wedding, and I respect that. Some traditions you want to have with your mother, I feel the same. You love our brother and that is all I have ever wanted for him. I want Maverick to be loved, and for someone to take care of him. He has taken care of us all of these years that he deserves the same back. While we aren’t your mother, we wanted to stick to tradition by doing the something new, blue, and borrowed.”

I smiled at both of them. “Really?”

Skyler came back into the room. “I’m giving you something borrowed. This is my mom’s favorite gold hair clip; she wore it the day she had me. It means so much to me, and I want you to wear it today.”

She kissed my cheek and put the clip into my hair, and it fit perfectly. “Thank you, Sky.”

“Never mention it. Family forever.”

“Even after that.”

Zoya left the room while Kora stood up. “We all have a CH pin… every immediate Caselli has this specialized pin. There are two versions of this pin, and this one only the Casellis and immediate family wears.” She produced a gold pin with CH on it, the same one that Maverick wore on his suits. “I don’t wear mine for obvious reasons, but it is always pinned on the inside of my robe when I’m behind that bench.”

“As for something blue… well, the Caselli’s don’t really do blue, but we do black and gold.” Zoya came back into the room with an orange Hermes box.

“Bitch, a Hermes bag!” Skyler hollered.

Zoya held the box while Kora carefully pulled the bag out of the box. She pulled the most beautiful black crocodile Birken bag with gold hardware. “Your husband put in a few calls and had this overnighted from Europe because he said his boo… his words, needed something blue.”

I had made plans to tell Maverick to pay the makeup artist double because the girl was working today. “God.”

“We’re dysfunctional as fuck, but I ride for my brothers and sister no matter what. Me and Menace may not see eye to eye, but he knows I work hard to protect him… can’t stand him, but will protect him with my life. We stick together, and now that you are joining the family, we will protect you, too.”

Kora looked over at Skyler. “That includes both the future Brusters, too.”

“Guys, thank you for this. I’ve never had many friends, and it’s always been just Skyler. Marrying your brother means I get sisters, and that makes me excited.”

“More than marrying him, right? ‘Cause you can tell me,” Zoya said, and we all laughed together. “Let’s get you married… seems like all I be doing is attending weddings, none of them are mine.”

“When Big G come home… fuck you meannnn he coming for those chocolate babies, Ms. Lawyer,” Skyler snorted.

Apparently, this was an inside joke with them. “Let’s get you married. Stevie, I live my life in the shadows because I have to. I don’t even go by Caselli. I go by Case, and I’m never seen with Menace. As much as I want to be in pictures, I cannot under any circumstances be in any, and I have to keep my distance. So, if you see me in the back with this mask on, know there’s a reason and don’t be offended. I would never miss this day for the world.”

“I’m just glad that you are here, K.” We embraced and the makeup artist went to finish my make up.