Chapter 17
GOON
We spent the day in the shore house.
She sat on the back porch in the swing and read her kindle. Apparently, Navy purchased her one already preloaded with a bunch of books on it. I didn’t want to disturb her. The art of loving a woman was to know who they were.
To understand when they were at peace.
As much as I wanted to be up under her, I didn’t bring her up here for that. I recognized a woman on the verge of burn out and she needed space and solitude. I allowed her to be alone, bringing her the food I ordered, and a drink to ease her mind.
When she looked at me and asked for juice, the shit made me want to eat her pussy right on that swing. It was the small things that Zoya did that told me she wanted this. She was just scared and didn’t want to end up hurt again.
Zoya couldn’t trust her own heart and I think that was what fucked her up the most. As much as she wanted to give it away, she was afraid and felt it was safer to keep it under lock and key.
On our way to dinner in Ashbourne Hills, we bypassed Bourne Square, which was a big ass shopping area with different upscale stores.
Shit was like Rodeo drive, and all the other popular expensive areas in other states.
As soon as you drove by, you saw Lamborghinis, Bentleys and every other expensive foreign car that you could name.
Michelin star restaurants were filled with people eating small ass servings of food, while pretending to enjoy the shit. There wasn’t a soul on earth that could convince me that the people didn’t leave these dining experiences and pull right into the drive thru of a fast-food spot.
Boobie convinced me to go to one store, and here we were four stores later, and we were in a jewelry store.
“Welcome to Vitale Jewelers, please let me know if I can help you guys with anything,” the brown skin woman greeted us, but allowed us a second to look around.
I hated when sales people were breathing down your neck. As someone who was always in and out, I was always counting the security cameras and the amount of time it took the salesperson to go to the back and come back.
Today, I wasn’t on that.
Everyone knew Vitale jewelers, and I would never disrespect Shard that way. “Boobie, why we here?”
She continued to look down into the glass case that held earrings. “I need new diamond earrings. I wear studs to court because one judge told me that wearing big hoops was tasteless… it was my first case, and she called me into chambers once we were done.”
“Shit.”
“They say fucked up shit and because they are judges, they get away with shit.”
“And Kora?”
“Her too… during Dane’s trial, she made a remark about my heels… petty ass.” She snickered, as she pointed to a pair of three prong six carat martini stud earrings.”
“You want those?”
“Yep.”
I waved for shorty to come back over, and she quickly came over. “How can I help you… Mr..?”
“Wraithe.”
“How can I help you, Mr. Wraithe?”
“She wants these.”
She punched in a keycode and accessed the earrings. I watched as she pulled them out and put them in Zoya’s hand, and she tried them on, removing her hair from her ears.
“Those look so good on you.” The saleswoman complimented.
Zoya smiled and looked in the mirror. “They do… I needed a bigger pair too.”
While Zoya was checking her earrings out, the saleswoman turned her attention to me. “These are thirty-seven… let me know how you would like to process payment, and I can get you guys out of here in twenty minutes.”
If you shopped in Vitale, there was no need for the salespeople to act like you couldn’t afford it. They knew if you came up in here that you were ready to spend a bag.
“What else you want, Boobie?”
The woman smiled. “May I show you a new piece that just came in? It’s beautiful, and I have been drooling over it all week.” She waved for us to follow her.
Instead of staying in the main showroom, she brought us to a back room. “You know it’s going to cost money when they bring you to the back… ready to spend money, Pumpkin?” Boobie whispered, as I held the small of her back.
“On you… always.”
“Can I get you water, champagne, or espresso?”
“We’ll take some water,” she replied, as we sat in the black velvet chairs.
She rushed off to get the water, while I stared at my baby. I knew she could easily buy anything in this store if she wanted.
That wasn’t what I wanted for her. She had gone into her wallet plenty of times. I wanted that shit to remain closed so I that I could take care of her. I never wanted a woman as much as I wanted her; I wanted to be her provider, protector, and everything she had always dreamed of in a man.
I wanted to be her husband.
Never wanting her to want for anything as long as I was alive.
Even after I was gone, she would never want for anything and would forever be taken care of. “I spoke with Zayah today.”
I laughed. “She just stared at you, huh?”
“She makes spit bubbles and kicks her feet… she such a daddy’s girl though. Soon as Sim enters the room, the girl goes crazy for him. Kicking her feet and wanting nothing to do with her mother.” She laughed.
I smiled. “He needs that.”
“Yeah, I know. I offered to watch her whenever they needed me to… Jesus.”
“What?” I looked around.
She looked up at me with those brown eyes that could get her whatever. “If you think I’m stupid, just tell me… it’s alright.”
“Something wrong with you.. and you damn brother.”
“The face that you just made, Gerald. I am capable of taking care of Zayah… it’s like taking care of Bando.” She flipped her hair over her shoulders. “And yeah, there is something wrong with my brother.” she muttered, in clear denial about being one in the same.
I watched her organize the pantry in the shore house like we lived there. In the room she was in, that bed was made so neat that I could bounce a pack of quarters on it.
“Here’s your waters… now, this piece is one of a kind. Vitale will not be producing anymore.”
We watched as she went into the display case and removed it with a black velvet glove on. Slowly, she walked over and sat it down on the velvet tray that was on the coffee table.
Zoya gasped, as she got close to it and carefully picked it up. The heart shaped ring had a halo of diamonds with a heart shaped diamond in the center.
“This is beautiful.” She was speechless as she tried it on. “Oh shit.”
“No, it’s not broken… it’s two rings in one. The diamond goes right in the middle of the halo, and you can wear it together or separate.”
“Shit is fire... you like it, baby?”
She looked over at me with wide eyes, as she held on to her hand. “Yes… it’s beautiful. I don’t even have a reason to want it, but I do.”
“Then you get whatever you want.”
The woman sat on the edge of the empty lounge chair and smiled. “How long have you been married?”
“We’re not married… he thinks I’m stupid.”
“Zoya, I ain’t say no shit like that.”
“You implied it.”
“No the fuck I didn’t.”
The saleswoman chuckled at our small argument. “Girl, keep being stupid if you’re getting gifts like this.”
I took her hand in mine and examined the ring. It looked perfect on her. Usually, diamonds brought out the woman, but Zoya’s skin was bringing out the sparkle in the diamond. She stared at me, waiting to hear what I had to say. “That’s all you want?”
“I’m hungry now.”
“We missed our reservations because you swore you needed one thing,” I pinched her hip.
“I can get you reservations at Lully’s. It’s down the street, and you can leave your car with our valet. It’s not a Michelin star; however, the food is amazing, and you won’t leave starving.”
“Really?” Zoya questioned.
She nodded her head excitedly. “Of course… I’ll go and wrap these up and make a call. You both can relax here in the meantime.”
Before she went to box everything up, I handed her my card, as I pulled my baby onto my lap. She messed with my beard while a smile remained on her face.
This was the most I’d seen her relaxed and just existing. She wasn’t trying to figure anything out or working from her phone. Today, she was going with the flow, and I think I enjoyed it more than she did.
“Thank you for the jewelry, Goo.”
I tossed my head back and laughed at her. Shit was funny, hearing her call me by my childhood name. The only people that called me Goo were my close family and friends.
“Why you calling me that?”
She twirled the loose strand of her hair around her finger. “So, I can’t call you that?”
Her voice was so soft.
“I like when you talk to me like this.” I kissed her neck, and she moved her head back, staring at me, confused.
“What tone?”
“Damn sure not that one.”
She squinted her eyes. “Gerald, you saying I sound like a nigga?”
I kissed my teeth and looked away from her. “You know damn well that’s not what I’m saying… stop fucking hearing shit I ain’t say.”
Folding her arms, she smirked. “You did say it.”
“Yeah, ight, Ms. Lawyer.”
Zoya pinched me. “Stoooppp.”
“What I tell you about pinching me?”
I could tell she was trying to remember what I had told her. “What?”
“Don’t start moaning when I start pinching.”
She busted out laughing. “Whatever, Goo.”
The way Goo rolled off her tongue was so fucking smooth. Like she had been saying the shit her entire life.
“You know what comes with calling me Goo?”
“What’s that?”
“Not everyone gets the privilege to call me that, Boobie… calling me Goo means you not about to play games with me.”
“Hmm.”
I pinched her hip. “It may seem like some small shit, I get it. I take that shit serious because not everyone has the privilege of calling me that. Don’t get my feelings even more involved and do some corny shit, Zoy.”
“If you think I’m capable of doing some corny shit, why did you buy me all of this jewelry.”
“Baby, that’s material shit… not concerned about losing some racks. I need to know I’m not wasting my time because this matters more.” I placed her hand on my heart, and she looked me in the eyes.
“Like I said, thank you for the jewelry, Goo.” She purposely put emphasis on Goo.