17. Izael
IZAEL
It was important to me that while I was giving Talia space to grow and to heal that she didn’t feel disconnected from me. I planned to take my baby out on dates and spend time with her together outside of her place. These were things that we hadn’t been able to do before because we’d both been sneaking around behind her family’s back and acting as if all we had time to do was fuck.
She meant so much more to me than that. I hoped that she would come to learn that what we shared couldn’t be compared with anything else she had experienced. I also wanted her to realize her self-worth and let go of her past. As long as she kept living there, we had no future.
“You know, growing up watching you and Tahj, I never would have thought you had a romantic bone in your body,” she observed as she watched me finish twisting the stems of several southern red trillium I had picked along the path to the waterfall.
“I’m not a romantic, baby girl. Don’t get it twisted. This is what you bring out in me,” I replied and placed the floral crown on her head.
I sat back to admire my handiwork. “Perfect.”
“I want to see,” she remarked, reaching up and adjusting the crown a little.
I pulled out my phone and took a couple of pictures of her. Turning my phone in my hand, I showed them to her.
She smiled brightly at me.
“I love it. It’s beautiful, Zae.”
Leaning forward, I kissed her lips. “So are you.”
I turned sideways and propped up on one elbow. I loaded both pictures to my Instagram feed and captioned it: “My li’l homie from day one. #queenofmyheart.”
“What are you doing?”
“Sharing with the world who owns my heart,” I answered and turned my phone to her.
I chuckled when Talia blushed and shoved my chest.
“Why’d you do that?”
I pushed up on my elbow and kissed her neck. “I want the world to know who the most beautiful girl in the world belongs to.”
“More like you’re trying to warn those scallywags that you’re no longer on the market so they won’t hit you up in your DMs.”
I laughed. “Is that what you think?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Never been known to mess with scallywags. Maybe not the baddest woman in the world, but definitely not scallywags. They’ve all had some sort of class about themselves.”
“Is that right?”
“Hell yeah. Nothing like them losers you be sporting.”
“Well, damn. You act as if I’m just out here in the streets.”
I laughed again and pulled her down beside me. “Never said that.”
“What are you saying?”
“Just that people like that Ricky character left much to be desired.”
“We will no longer talk about he who shall remain nameless.”
“That’s cool.”
“Izael, in case I haven’t said it lately, I love you.”
“I love you, too, girl.”
I pulled her close to me and cupped the back of her head. The kiss that we shared was intense and slow. Talia’s little ass was moaning underneath our kiss and breathing hard. She had a nigga’s jeans stretched with all that shit, but my focus today was on loving my girl.
Although I knew she needed time for her heart to heal from what she’d gone through with Ricky, I didn’t plan on giving up on showering her with love. She needed it, and I loved being in her space.
When we pulled back from the kiss, she stared at me with soft eyes. Her hand cupped the side of my face, and she gently stroked it and didn’t speak any words. After several seconds, she pulled her fingers through my beard.
“Izael, you make me so happy. Everything you do is about loving me, encouraging me, and strengthening me. Never have I ever felt so protected and cherished in my life, aside from my parents and brother. But this right here…everything that you give to me makes me feel seen and wanted. Thank you for seeing me, baby.”
“Thank you for loving me back, girl.”
“Always. I want to give you my best, and I really want to put the past behind me. At first, I freaked out when I thought about you moving out. I was scared that things would fall at the wayside, and you would back up. But you’ve been so intentional about keeping us connected through daily texts, phone calls, and FaceTime.”
“It wasn’t an easy decision for me either, baby. I wasn’t ready to not see you every day. But I understood that we both needed this. I think it’ll make us stronger and better in the long run.”
“I agree. Thank you for knowing what we needed and making sure that we got it.”
“Always. You hungry yet?”
I picked her up after I finished work and drove to the waterfalls. I had packed a picnic lunch, but when I first picked her up, she wasn’t hungry. I carried the blanket and a few other items in a backpack and the picnic basket in my hand. With my free hand, I held Talia’s.
This girl had me doing things that I didn’t normally do with other females. I had never been a hand-holding type of guy, but with her, I often felt that I couldn’t get enough of touching her. So when she brushed her fingers against mine several times, I naturally took them into my hand.
“After that mile hike and sitting here observing these beautiful falls, I think I’ve worked up an appetite. Let’s see what you’re working with.”
“All right, now. You know my cooking skills aren’t on the level yours are, but I did a li’l sum’n, sum’n.”
I opened the basket and removed the box inside.
Talia gasped, clapped her hands, and with bright eyes she shrieked. “A bento box.”
“Yes, ma’am. Nothing but the best for my baby. We’ve got grilled salmon teriyaki, grilled broccoli, pork katsu, tamagoyaki, rice, spicy cucumbers, and miso mayo.”
“Oh, my goodness, and you even have shiso leaves, lemons, green onion, and red fresno chilies for the garnish. I’m so proud of you, baby. You did your big one.”
Talia leaned sideways and kissed me. I gripped the back of her head and turned what was supposed to be a sweet kiss into a spicy, steamy kiss.
I heard someone whistling on the path just beyond us, and Talia pulled back from the kiss. Her cheeks turned a rosy shade of red as she looked at the passersby on the walking path who watched us.
“Damn, if that’s the thanks I get for including the garnish, I can’t wait to see how you reward me for the taste.”
Laughing, she asked, “Did you have help?”
“Why you keep coming for me, ma? You gonna quit doubting my skills.”
“I don’t doubt you, baby. Let me taste the tamagoyaki.”
I set the box out and then set up the plates and utensils for our picnic. I removed the bottle of wine and two glasses that were in a compact chiller inside of the backpack.
“Here, pour the wine while I fix your plate.”
Talia took the wine bottle from me, and I focused on plating our food. Once I was finished, I cut her tamagoyaki into six half-inch pieces.
I fed her a piece of the Japanese omelet and sat back and watched her. Talia’s eyes closed as she chewed, and a soft hum floated up from her throat. I waited for her response before I took a bite myself. Although I knew that I nailed it, I wanted to hear her professional opinion.
“This is perfect, baby. The subtle sweetness isn’t overpowering, but it meshes well with the savory, meaty flavor.”
I smirked. “Wait until you taste the salmon.”
I ate the omelet and rice while I watched her sample the salmon. Her eyes widened, and for a moment I thought something was wrong.
“Baby. Baby, you did this?” she asked with a mouth full of salmon.
Talia wasn’t one to chew and talk at the same time, but she was doing it now.
“The salmon is flaky, tender, and it’s juicy. It’s savory just like the tamagoyaki, but without washing it out. It’s sweet and tangy at the same time. Oh my gosh, this is so damn good, Zae.”
She managed to finally swallow her food, and I leaned in and kissed her cheek.
“Careful, love. You ’bout to swell your boy’s head.”
“Which one?” she asked, wearing a smirk.
“I’m trying to be a gentleman and take you on a proper date, but ya li’l ass ain’t acting right.”
Talia was sitting with her feet curled behind her. Part of her ass was lifted off the blanket, and I reached around behind her and smacked her on the ass.
“I appreciate your proper behavior, sir, but I ain’t never shaded good dick.”
“See that’s that shit right there. I put a lot into this meal. I feel like you’re using me now for my body. You’re not appreciating what I do for you.”
She laughed at my mock whiny role and shoved me on the shoulder.
“Okay. I’ll finish the meal and even eat dessert. But I want to be hooked up tonight, sir. However you do it, I need you to get me off.”
“Nope,” I replied with a firm and fast shake of my head. “You’re no longer using me for my body. You’re gonna respect my intelligence. Thinking you ’bout to jump on this dick every chance you get and not respect me for my talent and skills. I feel so used.”
She giggled so hard that tears streamed from her eyes. I had to pat her back when she started choking.
“Damn, girl. You good?”
“No. You’re so damn silly, Zae.”
I smirked and kissed her temple. “You make me that way.”
“Sounds like I’m having a good impact on you then, huh?”
“Definitely that.”
“Think I can be rewarded with some of that Prime Grade A beef?”
Talia stretched her hand forth and cupped my dick through my jeans. I gripped her wrist, bucked my eyes, and my jaw dropped. With a gasp, I looked at a park ranger passing by. “Hey, Mr. Officer! I’m being assaulted,” I called out.
He smirked and shook his head as Talia covered her mouth and shrieked. “Zae! Oh my God.”
“Mr. Officer, you ain’t gonna help a brother out?”
He tipped his hat at me, and I stood up. I shrugged my shoulders with my arms outstretched. “Oh, it’s cool when they do it, it’s a problem when I do it,” I quoted Finesse2tymes lyrics to “Back End.”
The ranger kept walking and Talia kept laughing. That’s all I wanted, to make my girl’s day a little better one day at a time. I lived to put that smile on her face.