The Blueprint To Love

by T'Lyn

“I knew I would find you here,” I heard behind me. Briefly looking over my shoulder, I saw Vi’Shaun’s handsome, smiling face as he made his way toward me before turning my attention back to the schematic and rolling

oooo who’s the boy toy?

“Like your father doesn’t know about our relationship.” “There is no relationship.” I sighed.

a workplace romance perhaps?

I’d truly never met anyone so delusional in my life. He thought being together was inevitable simply because he was the man I had gone the furthest with. I’d had sex with two other men outside of him, one I was madly in love with, but they couldn’t take that I made more money than them, so it didn’t work.

vi’shaun gotta pipe down if girl learns don’t want to pursue further than a fling—also men who feel threatened because they girl makes more money than them aren’t men at all idc

He knew my father wouldn’t give me Powers Construction if I wasn’t married. He and my uncle’s stupid rules basically forbade a woman being in charge. If it were up to my father, I wouldn’t be working at all, but as a little girl and his only child, he took me everywhere and that included the sites.

of course power imbalances come to play 🙄 god forbid a woman wants to open a company

I didn’t buy the whole “if you cannot lead in your home, then you cannot lead in business, especially my business” shit. Senior was my father’s older brother so he naturally followed his brother’s lead which meant he also believed married men led. I absolutely hated their antiquated way of thinking.

Talayah finished my sentence. “Going to give you the business if you don’t prove to him how hard you work. Alana…” She took my hands. “Uncle Lucas knows how hard you work. Hell, you’ve been working with him since we were little girls. Working yourself to death isn’t going to prove that any more than it already has.”

tell her friend!

The three of us chortled because that much was true and another reason I couldn’t commit to more with him despite the shit I was talking. He was probably the most conceited person I knew. He bragged constantly, lived and died for attention and compliments. He never let you forget things he did for you either. He brought those things up anytime we had a disagreement or I rejected him, but lately his go-to was reminding me I couldn’t run Powers Construction unmarried.

his ass really thinks he’s the fucking prize 🙄

My parents were very affectionate in private and public. I envied them. I craved the love they had, but wasn’t willing to be a housewife like my mother. I had nothing against it, but I loved creating and being hands on with my creations. Still, I wanted the love that they had. Nothing had changed since I could remember. He worshiped the ground she walked on and vice versa.

at least she has loving parents but i wished she would have the option to marry not because she can’t own the family business

Six years of being gone and he still wasn’t able to face the truth or my mother. The only reason he called me here today was simply because guilt was consuming him.

For with God, nothing will be impossible. I lived by that and had tatted Luke 1:37 on my forearm.

“Noah?” That voice. I hadn’t heard it in years. Slowly turning around, I locked eyes with the only woman I had ever loved. “Tameka.”

the only woman he’s ever loved? interesting.

Years ago I was so sure Tameka was going to be the woman I would marry. She was everything I wanted in a woman—beautiful, hardworking, God fearing, confident. She was all of that and more… back then.

i wonder what happened…

I spent the entire ride to my brother’s crib thinking about my high school sweetheart.

awww high school sweetheart 🥺

“Please tell me the shrimp toast is on the menu,” Kaori pleaded. “I’ve tried a few times and it was good, but not as good as yours.” “Cap, bae, your shit be better,” Smoke’s soft behind lied. He had already told me Kaori’s was good, but not better than mine.

😂😂😂 this us how i feel when i order west indian food! it’s good but it will never compare to my mother’s cooking

“Bitch down at Ruby Kisses taking more dicks than a fuckin’ gloryhole but go off. That’s your sucka ass business.”

he’s so mean ADJHSIPSUJS

We both learned and knew from very early on that Brenda was pulling the puppet strings behind the scenes. Bishop liked to make it seem like he was in control, especially in the public eye, but Smoke and I knew better. She was always the one telling everyone what to do, when to do it, where and how.

Spending time with my brother and his family got me through the mentally rough days. I struggled in private with the things I had endured over the past few years being away. Being abandoned by my parents was hard for me. I put on a strong front a lot because I didn’t need my baby brother to tweak out, but it was definitely an inward struggle.

oh noah 🥺 his parents messed up for that

I stupidly turned down my full-ride scholarship back then to put Tameka through cosmetology school because I knew for a fact that if I didn’t, she wouldn’t have gone at all.

oh his ass must’ve been in LOVE love cause to give up your full ride scholarship for someone else’s dream AND they’ve stopped said dream? i would’ve been HOT!

They didn’t understand my decision, and at the time neither did Smoke, but that didn’t matter. I understood and was in love. Tameka needed me.

smh well let’s see if she needs you now cause that’s crazy

“Naw, I know what you doing. I don’t want you to pay me back for shit in any way, Noah. I love you, KK loves you, your nephews love you. We don’t need you to cater to us, bro. Do we appreciate the shit? Hell yeah. But the cooking, cleaning up, and offering to do shit for us ain’t necessary, bro. It’s a little insulting actually because ain’t no conditions on what the fuck I do for the people I love.”

he’s such a good friend/brother 🥹 i’m glad he still has people in his corner

“When you get ya first piece of some fire ass pussy we gon’ revisit this,” he jibed. Nigga loved to remind me that I was a virgin, but it didn’t bother me. Women had been throwing themselves at me since I was old enough to understand what it meant, but I chose to wait because it was what God wanted me to do.

fictional mmc who are virgins or practicing safe sex >>>

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you when she take them clothes off and you hit with the smell of rotten eggs and gunshot residue. I love you.”

😂😭😂😂😂😂

Something told me to be rested and prepared because the deal was already sealed for me, so I was obedient.

I was Lucas’s daughter through and through, so he knew how important it was for me to get what I wanted so badly. It was my dream to become my father’s successor because I knew how hard he’d worked to build this empire and if anyone deserved to take his place it was me, his one and only child. His daughter.

He just needed the opportunity. When he got it, he was determined to keep it that way. My father trusted him and his dream, just like we all trusted Gideon now. So I felt it was only right that I succeed my father and, in a sense, be Gideon’s right hand considering we were just as close as him and his brother, but I lacked the most important requirement. A dick between my legs.

“As perfect as you are to me, Sugar, you are not flawless. You’re actually very spoiled, entitled, self-righteous, and way too independent.”

not her daddy clocking her like that

“Why do I need to be married though?” I asked, slapping my palms on my thighs. “What does that even prove?” “For business: that you’re willing to make the necessary sacrifices and decisions to make sure the Powers name and businesses thrive and live on through the bloodline, and for me personally: that you find true love and happiness,” he answered, giving me a look of sympathy. “Your mother and I are so worried we are going to leave this earth one day and you’ll be all alone.”

awww sooo they’re just worried for her happiness 🥺

It was my own fault that I was upset because it wasn’t the first time we had the conversation nor was that the first time I heard him say the rules weren’t going to change because of me. Still, I hated hearing the word no in any capacity, especially coming from my father.

this is me!

I noticed a new note from my father that we were bringing on a guy who specialized in flooring. In-house we already had plumbing, carpentry, and electric services, but didn’t have flooring. My father hadn’t mentioned that to me so I was interested to see who he’d found.

in comes bae 🤭

It was so nice and firm. Mm. Taking it upon himself because I was clearly temporarily paralyzed, he removed one of my AirPods and asked, “Why aren’t you paying attention to where you’re going?” That gravelly voice. My God, who is this man?

“Baby girl.”

pet names already

The vibrations I felt through his chest due to me being pressed against him and the hint of mint I caught on his breath when he laughed had me so discombobulated. I hadn’t ever in my life felt this way before.

she’s SHOOK

Beautiful. He thinks I’m beautiful. I had heard that all my life from my family, my friends, and the men I both dealt with and didn’t give the time of day, but hearing it from him had butterflies swimming in my stomach like a tornado. I forced myself to snap out of the trance he had me in. “Well, Mister….” “Noah,” he answered and extended his hand. “Noah Tate.”

IT’S OUR MANNNNNN

The ultimate plan for me was to marry long enough to appease my father and make it look real, but after ultimately getting the company from my husband, which I would for sure have in both the terms of marriage and divorce decree, I will divorce him.

damn

Hey. Thank you for the interest and the compliments. I rolled my eyes a little when three dots popped up, indicating he was writing back, because he was too excited for my liking,

oh girl stop it 😂😂😂

I was very responsible when it came to drinking and driving because not only could I never do a day in jail, I didn’t want to hurt myself or others. Plus, I loved it when I wasn’t driving.

I’m headed your way. Can’t wait 5535856688 Pocketing my phone, I gave my attention back to the sales associate in front of me. I had a quick stop to make before getting to

oh lord he’s still hellbent on tameka

Tameka didn’t live far from the flower shop so I shot her another text and let her know that I was outside. She replied and let me know to wait downstairs. I wasn’t exactly okay with that, but I respected her wishes.

i don’t know about her man…i’m getting iffy vibes from her

“Hey, sorry I kept you waiting,” Tameka said when she approached. Not being able to help it, I frowned when I saw her. She was dressed similarly to when I’d before, in next to nothing. Her skirt would broadcast all of her business to the world if she bent over for sure and the top was no better, showing all of her cleavage and stomach.

um girl where the rest of your clothes at?

“It better be with as much as me and La—my roommate pay.” “Oh you have a roommate?” I glanced her way. “Yeah, just an associate of mine.”

ah ah nope i’m seeing all the red flags—that cut off? she’s hiding something

She looked up at me with those pretty brown eyes I fell in love with the very first time I saw her and gave me a smile that didn’t meet those eyes. They weren’t the same either when I looked into them now. Back then they were so full of life, now not so much, but I was sure the same could be said about mine. Life happened.

“Yes, but I was just talking about money, so you think I would quit doing hair to do that?” “Honestly I didn’t think anything would ever come before you doing hair,” I admitted. “You wanted that so badly you cried about it when your father said no.”

“I did.” She nodded, moving some of the food on her plate around with the fork. “But I took a different route to make the kind of money I wanted quickly. I’m an entertainer.”

girl you gave up cosmetology for dancing?

I was completely disengaged in the conversation after learning that and really couldn’t wait for the night to be over. My brother was right. She wasn’t the same woman I’d known before, and while I knew that, I hadn’t expected things to be that different.

oh wow she really switched up—to be fair six years is a long time and people change with the times. i understand her wanting a certain lifestyle and finding a job to support it but girl you still could’ve done so with cosmetology

Things like this were what I missed and loved the most about Crescent Falls. No matter where you were from or what walk of life you came from, there were plenty of opportunities to succeed and make something of yourself. It was never too late.

Sitting a few tables away was Ms. Alana Powers looking just as disinterested in being there as I was.

poor tink tink her date is shit too 😂😂😂

“Pretty sure the same thing you are.” I chuckled. “Are you okay?” Her pretty face twisted into a frown as her brows kissed. “Wh-Yes. Are you?” “I’m fine,” I answered, stuffing my hands into my pockets. “You are,” she replied lowly but I heard her.

SKDSHAKJSSJ GIRL I KNOW THAT’S RIGHT

“Let me pray for you,” I suggested and her movements halted. “You want to—why?” “You’re stressed and clearly anxious,” I pointed out then reached for her hands. “Can I?” She hesitated for a second, but eventually slid her small, soft hands into mine. Pulling her a little closer, I said, “Close your eyes and bow your head.”

HE’S IN LOVE WITH THE LORD TOO???!?

“Don’t be surprised when God changes everything you’re going through to everything you made it through. Your breakthrough is closer than you think.”

AMEN 🤭

“Can I walk you up?” “Oh, now you’re back to being a gentleman?” “Alana—” “Wow.” She chuckled angrily, stuffing her phone into her purse. “Is that who you were talking to? Alana?”

damn not you calling her by another woman’s name now i low-key feel bad for her