Playtime Rules

Epilogue

One year later

"I don't play by rules anymore," she confessed to her friends as they sat outside and had drinks on her new veranda. "And I'm having the best time of my life!"

"Yes, you are girl!" Janelle cackled. "Fuck those rules, just live your life. You look good, and you're rich, bitch!"

"What my girl said." Cassietta had her arm around Janelle and they were snuggled up and kissy-faced with each other. The two were now a couple. Since Janelle figured out she wanted to switch teams and get cozy with Cassi. It shocked her to her core that her two best friends were now in a relationship.

"Day by day, no rules, no games."

That's all her playtime rules were. A game she played. To protect her heart from getting broken. All because one boy broke her heart back in the day. Thankfully she was able to get past that. JeVonte was her everything.

"And yo girl finally put a sista down," Janelle said.

It was true, she brought Janelle and Cassi along in her businesses. Janelle was so busy trying to make ends meet and meet rich men, and Cassi was always used to getting money from her parents. She hired them on, trained them and they were well on their way to fat bank accounts like her. She went from a one-person crew to a team that continued to build her dream.

"JayJay and I are trying to be like you and Jevonte," Cassi said. "So in love, living together, businesses thriving, and stacks of money."

True, a lot had happened in a year. She used her money from house flipping and invested it in several businesses now. Ten months ago she bought a run-down building in south St. Louis that needed lots of tender loving care. There were office spaces on the first floor and eight apartments on the second floor. Once it was revamped, she moved into one of the office spaces. All the apartments were rented out within days of becoming available.

One of the reasons she was interested in the property was that it was the perfect spot for JeVonte to start his business. There was an industrial kitchen and space for him to store pre-packaged meals. Customers could come by and pick up their orders. He also did home delivery for an extra fee. His business had only opened the last six months and he could not keep up with the demand.

JeVonte was the hardest-working man she had ever known. Once she told him what her plans were to invest in his business, he went right into it, working with her to come up with a plan.

"Girl, this has not been the easiest year. I feel like I've worked harder than I ever have in my life. I would never want to work for someone, but working for yourself is hard. And other people relying on me to get paid...huh!"

"You have enough money stacked up you can retire early," Cassi said to her.

True again. Her friend knew all her business because she was very open about it. Before she paid herself, she made sure money went into retirement, savings, and investments. Twenty-eight and was in a place in her life far better than her parents could have imagined at that age.

"Weird for me to say this, but losing my parents...blessing in disguise. I thought I was lost in life. Devastated. They left me the house and me flipping that, it was the start of it all. Yes, I feared I would crash out or something, I was still in college, wild and partying. But something my parents taught me was the value of the dollar. Investments, savings, retirement. Pay those first. Because they penny peddled through life, what they left me was a nice goose egg to start living."

"I'm glad I met you in college and we're besties to this day," Cassie came over to her and hugged her. "And I am glad you got rid of the dead weight."

She was talking about Tamyra, the girl she had known for years before she met Cassi and Janelle. Just goes to show you, anyone could backstab you. Jealousy was a hell of a drug. She still heard from Tamyra now and then wanting to make amends but she was over it.