Page 28 of Caden the CEO
Their lips connected, and his assurance made it a little bit easier for Dru to trust and feel safe with him.
This wasthe first time a woman had ever been interested in what Caden did—legally and illegally. He’d taken Dru on a tour of one of his pharmacies and his warehouses. She asked questions and bubbled over with excitement the whole time. It was so cute he couldn’t help but laugh and be filled with pride. As soon as they got into the car, she said, “This has been so fun and enlightening. You really are that nigga, K. I love what you do.”
“Thank you, beautiful. That means a lot to me.”
“I think it’s so cool that you offer a monthly subscription for prescriptions. And I love that you offer discounts for those whose insurance doesn’t cover their medicine. You’re really out here doing God’s work.”
His mind went back to the young lady who didn’t have insurance but had a medical emergency. She couldn’t afford her pills, because a three-month supply was over two thousand dollars. Usually, his pharmacy allowed customers to buy what they could until the total amount of pills were filled, but for her, he only charged her ten dollars for the entire prescription.
“Watching my grandparents struggle to be able to afford their medicine, knowing how much they needed it, did something to me growing up. They could barely afford their health insurance when my grandfather retired. He’d spent thirty years working for the same company, thinking he’d be able to retire and take care of them for the rest of his life, just for them to fire him a year before he was set to retire and receive full benefits. That shit broke a part of him, and it stuck with me, clearly.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Are they still around?”
“They are, thankfully. And I take pride in being able to take care of them and my parents.” When she didn’t respond, Caden looked over and found her smiling and looking at him in awe. “What?”
“Nothing. Just . . . that made me like and respect you more.”
Caden took her hand into his and kissed it. “Do you have a specific taste for lunch? I got about two hours before I have to drop you off and handle some business.”
“Hmm, can we try that new sushi place in the entertainment district?”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
When she smiled and danced in her seat, Caden laughed. He loved seeing the soft, happy, relaxed version of her. They’d been living together for a week, and so far, they hadn’t had any issues. Caden didn’t want to jinx it and say he was sure she wouldn’t leave him in two months, but if things continued to progress the way they were, he was confident she’d stay.
“Oh!” Dru said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Did I tell you Dreya said she was going to homecoming next month?”
“Nah. Last time you mentioned it, you said she didn’t want to go.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what kind of magic Granny is working on her, but she’s happier now. And maybe it’s just because she’s safe and away from Tina.”
“Could be both. You see how happy you are now that you’re away from her.”
“True,” Dru mumbled with a sigh as she looked out of the window. “Sometimes I wonder why we were born into the family we were, to the mother we have, but it doesn’t really matter. All that matters now is she’s safe, and things are finally looking up for us.”
“We might not be able to choose the family we’re born into, but we’re able to choose whether we deal with them or not. What we’re willing to tolerate. I’m proud of you for finally getting out of that toxic situation.”
“With much thanks to you. There’s no doubt in my mind that God positioned you in my life to help me get out of that. And I don’t want you to think that’s why I’m with you. I’m not with you for your hand, Caden. I genuinely want your heart.”
“I know, sweetheart, but it was nice to hear you say it.”
Truth was, there had been a lot of women in his past who wanted Caden because of his status and money. Eventually, he started using women solely for sex. When that felt played out, he stopped dating altogether. Things with Dru were progressing so naturally the drought felt like preparation for her, and Caden was optimistic about what fate had in store for them.
All weekend,Dru had been on a cloud, thanks to Caden spoiling her. Friday, he paid for her and Stevie to be treated and pampered at the spa. Saturday, he took Dru shopping. The experience was yet another reminder that she wasn’t with a normal man. He asked her what some of her favorite stores were in the mall, and Dru couldn’t really answer him. She couldn’t remember the last time she intentionally shopped for herself, let alone spoiled herself to the point where a store became her favorite.
Upon hearing that, Caden had the entire third level of the mall shut down just for her. She was able to go into one designer store after the next. By the end of the day, Chanel crept its way up as her favorite store in the mall, and thanks to Caden’sgenerosity, she ended up getting almost every bag on the shelves in the store.
New bags meant new shoes and jewelry to go with them, and new shoes needed new clothes. Her wardrobe had gotten a much-needed update, and for the first time in her adult life, Dru experienced shopping because she wanted to, not because she needed to. When they made it back home, her emotions consumed her when she saw her things had been moved from the guest room she was in her first night there to one further down the hall that didn’t have any furniture in it. By the end of the day, delivery men had set up wall shelves, a large island, a floor-to-ceiling length mirror, and a vanity that had the brightest and most natural looking lighting she’d ever seen.
All her clothes, shoes, and jewelry were put in their proper place in her dressing room, and by the time Dru was done setting everything up, she cried. There was a part of her that could admit she loved being spoiled and having a man spend money on her. That aroused her and made her happy. But on a deeper level, it was Caden prioritizing, considering, and caring for her that continued to make space for him in her heart and made it easier for her to trust and yield to him. As long as he kept that up, Dru didn’t think she’d ever want to leave him or his home.
“How will I know how to dress if you don’t tell me where we’re going to go?” she asked sweetly as Caden pulled into the parking lot of her favorite bookstore, Booked and Brewed. It was Saturday, and Caden told her not to make any plans because he was going to take her out.
“I’ll pick your outfit out,” he offered. “Will that work?”
“Yes.” She approved with a smile.
“Uh . . .” Caden squeezed the back of his neck as he cut the car off. “Also, my mama would like for you to join us at church and for dinner tomorrow. It’s a weekly thing, and I didn’t go last Sunday because I wanted to make sure you were adjusting well.She’s not going to let me miss two Sundays in a row.” His boyish smile made Dru smile. “Will you accompany me? If it’s too early for you to meet my family, that’s cool too.”
