Chapter 5
As I pulled in front of the address Free gave me, I placed a call to my sister, who didn’t answer on the first ring. I instantly became irritated when her voicemail came on. The one time I needed her, she wanted to be MIA. I called her again as I put my car in park.
“Finally,” I complained about how it almost went to voicemail again before she picked up.
“I got a life too, you know,” she replied.
I snorted. “Oh, now you got a life? I’ma remember that the next time you’re blowing me up too, since you wanna act funny.”
She laughed. “Oh my goodness. Get out of your feelings. What you want anyway? Don’t you have a date to go on?”
I released a shaky breath. “Yeah, I just pulled up outside her crib. You think she’s going to like what I have planned?”
“Yes, Tai. Relax, boo. It’s going to be great.”
“It better be, or I'ma whup your ass for talking me into this.”
She giggled. “More like you’re going to cash out on an AMG because you’ve found the love of your life. Bye! Don’t keep your future wife waiting.”
“Wait, wait! Do you think the cupcake is corny?”
“Who cares if it is or isn’t, Tai? You want to impress this girl or not?”
I huffed. “Yes, I want to impress her.”
“Then grab that cupcake, get your ass out the car, and go ring the doorbell. Goodness gracious, please act like you’ve had pussy before, son.”
I reached for the cupcake on the passenger seat.
I wanted to be different, and since I bought her so many bouquets the other day, I chose to bring a red velvet cupcake instead of red roses.
I could’ve been thinking too deeply, but it was true that I wanted to impress Free.
She was already guarded; I didn’t want to give her more reasons to be.
“You know this isn’t the typical kind of situation, but aight. You right. I am acting like a little bitch. Bye then, and I ain’t calling you for nothing else either.”
I didn’t give her a chance to respond before I hung up on her. Instead of turning the car off, I opened my door, hopped out, and took quick strides to Free’s front door. I rang the doorbell and waited while doing my best to regulate my breathing.
The door came open a few seconds later. As it opened wider, I smiled when I saw Free materialize before me.
She was wearing a red, Asian-inspired, lace dress that exposed her breasts.
They were glistening like some glazed donuts.
I had to avert my gaze before I forgot we were practically strangers and bit one of them.
I whistled and blew out a breath. The slit up the side of her dress exposed her toned leg.
“Wow. You look amazing,” I complimented her.
She blushed as her body twisted from side to side. “Thank you, Stanley. You’re looking quite handsome yourself. Is that for me?” She pointed at the cupcake in my hand.
I nodded and handed it to her. She happily accepted it. “Yeah, I figured I would do something different. Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Yes. Let me sit this in the kitchen, then we can go.”
I stood in place while she went to handle that. I glanced up just as she came back with a gold clutch in her hands. The sound of her heels clacking across the floor was so satisfying. Free was so fucking sexy. I needed her to be mine. “Ready.”
I reached out a hand toward her. Something in me shifted around when she placed her dainty little hand in mine. I waited patiently while she locked up, then I escorted her to my car.
“A Lamborghini Urus? No, you got money for real,” she joked.
I chuckled. “I told you I do alright for myself, beautiful.”
She turned to me as I lifted the butterfly door for her to slide inside. “So, the humble type?”
I shrugged. “I don’t attach my worth to materialistic things, because they come and go.”
I felt her eyes studying me as I closed her inside. The walk to the driver’s side was quick. I hopped in, then shot off like lightning.
Free screamed in the passenger seat. “Boy, slow the fuck down!” When I glanced over toward the passenger seat, I saw her holding on to the door frame for dear life.
I chuckled before easing off the gas a little. “You just have to get used to it, but you’re good. I promise.”
She didn’t look convinced and continued to hold on to the door until I pulled in front of the building that housed the steakhouse where we were having dinner.
I pulled into the lane for valet parking, then climbed out. I tossed the keys to the attendant, then opened the door for Free. She was slow-moving and paused to adjust her dress before taking my hand in hers. I escorted us to the elevator and then to the top floor, where the steakhouse was located.
Free gasped when the hostess led us out on the terrace deck for our private dinner.
The table was set with a vase filled with vibrant red roses.
The harpist I hired for the evening began to slowly strum a tune, enchanting the air with every cord plucked.
Free stood beside the table as I pulled her chair out.
She was completely mesmerized by the setting sun.
“Wow. This is beautiful,” she murmured, but I was close enough that I could hear her. The view we had was of Mount Juliet in the distance with rolling hills and lush, green forests. I could admit I was nervous at first, but I felt more at ease now that I was sharing space with Free.
I finally pulled her chair out for her, and she took a seat. After I tucked her in, I joined her on the other side of the table. The waitress came over to pour us glasses of champagne. We were tasting everything on the menu tonight, so she didn’t ask what we wanted.
I noticed Free was super quiet, and I found her watching the sunset with tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.
She nodded and sniffled. “Yeah. This is just my favorite time of day.” She turned to the harpist. “She sounds like an angel.”
I looked over at the young girl who looked like she was in a world of her own while playing melodies that sounded as though they came straight from heaven. “I thought so too when my sister showed me her videos.”
She grinned. “Oh, so she doesn’t come with the restaurant reservation?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I figured I would give you some good music to listen to in case you got tired of hearing my voice.”
She lifted her glass of champagne with the most adorable grin. “I don’t foresee that happening, but it’s the perfect touch. Makes me want to talk to you even more now.” The longer she looked at me, the louder my sister’s voice became in my mind.
Becoming shy, I dropped my head to hide my smile. I wiped my sweaty palms down my legs to dry them off, then lifted my glass to meet hers in the middle of the table. “To not getting tired of each other’s voices,” I said, feeling more confident than when I pulled up outside of her house.