Chapter 20
My heart felt as if it were about to leap out of my chest as we walked hand in hand to our table.
Danita had already let me know where they were sitting, so I led the way over to them.
As soon as we turned the corner, I spotted Gio.
He wore civilian clothes instead of his regular military attire.
Danita sat beside him, leaving two open seats across from them. Jabari squeezed my hand.
“You got this, baby. I’m here with you.”
I smiled back at him and continued walking. I mustered a smile and added excitement to my voice once we made it to the table.
“Brother! It’s so good to see you!” I gushed, releasing Jabari’s hand, extending my arms to hug him.
Gio stood from his seat, towering over me. He lightly lifted me off my feet as he squeezed me tight.
“Peanut, it’s good to see you. For real.”
“You too, bro.”
He placed me down, and his attention went behind me. I knew who he was staring at, but I moved over to Danita since Jabari and Danita hadn’t met in person yet.
“Danita, this is Jabari. Jabari, this is my sister Danita.”
Danita smiled big as she extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Amina’s boyfriend!” she squealed.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head at her. Jabari laughed just as well.
I took a deep breath and faced Gio again.
“Jabari, this is my brother, Gio. Gio, this is my boyfriend, Jabari.”
I could hear Danita squeal, and I shot her a warning look. Jabari offered his hand to Gio.
“How are you doing? It’s nice to meet you.”
I held my breath, anticipating whether Gio would return the handshake. He hesitated for a second but eventually connected with Jabari.
“Gio.”
The two released hands, and Jabari pulled out my seat. I knew Gio and Danita watched the interaction. Jabari sat across from Gio, while I sat across from Danita. The server approached the table to take our drink orders. Danita and Gio already had drinks.
“May I have an Old Fashioned?” Jabari requested. “And can she have a glass of red wine, please?”
“Coming right up!”
The server walked away, and before she could get out of ear range, Gio started his shit.
“Damn, Peanut, you can’t order for yourself?”
“I can but?—”
“I just know what she likes. So, if I can make any process around her easier, I’ll do that. I know my lady likes red wine. She loves pairing it with her dinner, so regardless of the price, my baby is getting her a glass of red wine,” Jabari interjected.
“Whew, I know that shit right,” Danita mumbled under her breath, making me kick her leg.
She looked at me, trying to act innocent. I warned her with my eyes, and she lifted her drink to sip.
“So, how did y’all meet?” Gio asked.
I didn’t want to tell Gio because he would think I was fraternizing on the job, but I knew if I didn’t, he wouldn’t stop pressing the issue.
“His mama is one of my patients. She’s been trying her hardest to hook us up together. One day, he came with her to one of her appointments, and the rest is history.”
I looked over at Jabari, whose eyes were on me. He had a smile on his face as he stared back at me.
“Amina, are you serious? Ain’t that some sort of HIPAA violation? You can’t get into a relationship with your patients.”
“He’s not my patient, Gio.”
“Patient, family of patient, patient friend, or whatever, you shouldn’t be doing it. What if your job finds out? Then what?” Gio fussed.
Jabari chuckled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t know or if they’re waiting on me to send the next floral arrangement that had the entire unit smelling of flowers. They know, and I think, if anything, they are happy for Amina.”
For the second time since we arrived, Jabari had shut Gio up. The server returned with our drinks. Danita ordered the family-style entrée for the table. Once the order was placed, Gio started asking his questions again.
“What do you do?”
“I’m a chef, but I’m opening a new restaurant. Next time you come back to the States, your tab is on me,” Jabari stated.
“Oh, so at least someone is working on their goals. When is the opening?”
Jabari chuckled. He caught the shade, along with Danita, because she stared a hole in the side of Gio’s face.
“Soon... soon, but brother, let me ask you something, man to man, nigga to nigga. What’s the problem with Amina’s grown ass dating?
She pays her own bills, doesn’t need a man for shit, works her ass down to the bone, but that’s not good enough for you.
As a big brother, leader of this family, you spend a lot of time criticizing instead of uplifting.
You continue to beat into her head that her career should be her only focus, not realizing your sister is going to die a one-hundred-year-old lady with eighty cats. ”
Danita giggled, and I kicked her again.
The entire interaction between Jabari and Gio had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I fiddled with the ring on my finger, praying and hoping the interaction didn’t go left.
“Your sister is an amazing-ass woman. She’s got me looking at shit differently.
I tell her all the time she has a spell on me because I’ve never felt like this about a woman, let alone a woman about her business.
I’m locked in on your sister, and you’re gonna have to get used to it, or we can keep doing this premature banter. ”
Gio’s face was still. He had no expression. Danita did all she could to not look in their direction. She looked all around the restaurant.
Jabari placed his hand on my knee and rubbed it. “You good?”
“I’m good.”
He lifted my hand and kissed it. We sat in awkward silence before Gio spoke up.
“You really like Amina, don’t you?”
“Very much so. She’s beautiful, and I mean that inside and out. I’m blessed that I finally met her. I was hesitant because my mama just be doing shit, but this is one time I can say my mama was right.”
“Aw,” Danita gushed. “Y’all finna make me cry.”
Here I was, letting a single tear roll down my face. Jabari had done his big one tonight, and I was beyond impressed. I couldn’t contain the feelings that rushed over me. I leaned over and pecked his lips.
“I love you?—”
I froze. I’d always thought about what it would be like when I told Jabari I loved him for the first time. My heart raced as we stared at each other.
“I love you too,” he expressed, smiling and then pecking my lips.
I didn’t care what Gio said or felt. My man had me feeling good all over. I was ready to wrap dinner up and get home to be back in my man’s arms.
“I love this for you, Amina,” Danita said. “You look happy, baby girl.” She looked at Jabari. “Thanks.” She winked at him.
We enjoyed our drinks, conversing between the three of us, while Gio sat there in his feelings.
Ten minutes later, the server had returned with our food.
She placed the family-style entrees in the middle, and we dug in.
Jabari fixed my plate first and then his.
Even though I had my own plate, he fed me from his.
I giggled and fell all over him as he continued to make me laugh and blush.
Gio cleared his throat, causing Danita and me to huff and roll our eyes.
“Don’t ruin this moment, Gio,” Danita warned.
He held his hands up in defense. “I’m not. I just wanted to say, I’m happy for you, Peanut. You deserve to be happy. I’m understanding that not all love involves career-driven goals. You know, I was never a believer in love. But witnessing this, I get the hype.”
He looked at Jabari.
“My bad if I came off a little stern. It’s just that the three of us are all we’ve got. I just want to make sure that whatever we add is worth adding.”
“I feel that,” Jabari agreed.
“I’m proud of you, sis, shit, both of y’all. Keep doing what y’all doing. Promise?”
I smiled at him. “I promise.”
I was relieved that Gio was accepting of Jabari. That meant I didn’t have to hear him constantly complaining or judging me for being with him. Tonight actually turned out better than I expected.
Danita sucked her teeth. “I ain’t even finna lie to ya. I might, and I might not.”
Jabari and I burst out laughing as Gio placed her in a playful headlock.