Chapter 12 #2
The hostess took the stage again to call out bingo numbers.
There were usually a total of ten games called.
She called two before giving people a break to continue eating and socializing.
After twenty minutes, she called five more games, with Jiselle winning the third.
She nudged me with a huge smile, obviously proud of herself for switching cards and the entire table clapped for her while she picked out a piece of jewelry.
She chose small diamond earrings despite telling me earlier she wasn’t interested and the event went on.
We sat in silence while the auction commenced. I rested a hand on Jiselle’s knee. She left one hand atop mine while the other gripped the paddle to bid.
I saw the moment something caught her attention, some vintage purse. The moment they announced the starting bid of five thousand dollars, she threw the paddle up.
It quickly became apparent that it was between Jiselle and another wife after the price rose to twelve thousand dollars and they were the only two volleying back and forth.
“What kind of purse is it again?” my father whispered.
“It’s a vintage crocodile Chanel purse. It’s a collector’s piece,” she said.
“And you want to collect this piece?”
“Mhm.” Jiselle nodded and lifted her paddle again.
I wasn’t sure what the purse was worth but I was down to pay whatever if it put a smile on her face.
“Bet twenty,” he whispered.
Jiselle lifted an eyebrow. I grabbed the paddle from her and lifted it.
“Twenty thousand,” I called out.
“Do we hear twenty-one?”
The wife lifted her paddle. I lifted mine.
We made it to twenty-nine before my father lifted his paddle.
“Thirty-five thousand,” he announced. Jiselle’s head snapped in his direction. “We can do this all night, Mike,” he said.
Several people in the crowd chuckled but he wasn’t joking.
“Forty thousand!” Mike called out.
“Forty-five,” my father countered.
There was silence for a beat.
“Sold!” The hostess clapped her hands.
“Put it under my number.” I lifted my sign and she nodded.
“Okay! Got it! Put it under fifteen thirty-nine.”
“Congratulations on your bag, sweetheart.” My father winked at Jiselle.
She beamed.
“I’ve got half on it,” she whispered.
“Jiselle,” I chuckled. “I’m not taking your money. I promise, I’d planned to donate an obscene amount of money regardless. At least now we get to take something home for it.”
She leaned in and I kissed her lips then her forehead before we faced forward. I nursed my drink while they auctioned another bag, two antique watches, five paintings, and a vacation to Greece.
Once they finished, dessert was passed out and the final few games of bingo were called.
After winners were announced, everyone stood and said their goodbyes.
“We should take a group picture,” my mom said immediately.
I looked at Jiselle. She looked at me.
“Okay. Sure.”
“I just need to check my hair and makeup first.” She pushed away from the table. “Jiselle, do you want to come with me?”
“Of course.” She pushed away from the table and I stood to help her to her feet.
She and my mother walked off together, my mom linking her arm through Jiselle’s and my father and I said our goodbyes before heading to claim Jiselle’s new purse.
“So, it’s safe to assume things are serious,” he said.
“Pretty safe.”
“And you know her well?”
“Enough.”
He nodded. “I’m happy for you and want you to know we’d love to have you both over for dinner sometime.”
“I’ll pitch it to her.” I looked in the direction of the ladies room then back at my dad. “She’s the one.”
“The one?”
“Yeah. I’m positive. That’s your daughter-in-law.”
“Then, definitely make sure you come over.”
“There’s two of them,” I blurted. “Two people I care about and plan on spending my life with.”
“Do they know about each other?”
“Yeah. We all hang out.”
“Well, congratulations.” He hit me on the back and chuckled. “How you got two women to agree to that is news to me, but if it’s working, good for you.”
“I didn’t mention two women. You did.”
I met his gaze. He lifted an eyebrow.
My parents knew I messed around with men. I didn’t hide things from them. I’d come out extremely early in my life and never once questioned their support.
“So, what’s up, Kiano? You’re going to have the best of both worlds?”
“That’s right.”
“And they agreed to that?”
“Yep.”
“Alright.” He nodded and squeezed my shoulder. “I want you to be happy and you know that but don’t call yourself playing with anyone’s feelings.”
“I’m not. I promise. We’re good and the communication is great.”
“Then why isn’t he here?”
“He had work.” I shrugged. “But we hung out earlier today.”
“Hm.” My dad looked me over then nodded. “Bring them both to the house.”
“We’ll see. He isn’t the friendliest.”
“Well, you must be trying to create true balance in your home because Jiselle is one of the friendliest women I’ve ever met. I mean, did you see the way she had our partners giggling?”
“Yeah. She’s pretty personable.” I chuckled.
“I don’t know her that well but me and your mom like her and I’m sure we’ll like…” He paused.
“Stone,” I offered.
“I’m sure we’ll like him too.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
I straightened automatically when I saw Jiselle and my mom walk out of the ladies room. The four of us took a group picture then I took one with my parents and one more with Jiselle before we headed out.
Jiselle and I waited for my parents to hop into their ride before we got into mine.
“Do you want to call it or you want to come home with me?”
“You want me at your house?”
“I want you wherever I am honestly.”
“Okay. Let’s do it. I’d love to look through all of your shit.”
I laughed.
“That’s fine.”
She took that chance to start digging through my car. She looked through my glove compartment, middle console, and inside my passenger side door before glancing into the backseat. She seemed happy with finding nothing and settled into her seat.
“How do you feel about the event? Did you hate it?”
“Nah. It wasn’t bad honestly. I had a good time.”
“So you’d attend again?”
“If I was invited, yeah. I’d attend again.” Jiselle peered into the bag holding her new purse and whistled. She danced a little in her seat and I snickered.
“Alright. So, tell me about that purse again.”
“It’s a 1997 Chanel Green Crocodile vintage mini bag.”
“And it’s worth a lot?”
“There’s one available right now for over two hundred thousand dollars, Kiano.”
I whistled. “Fuck. People are paying that shit for a bag?”
“Don’t front. You would pay that for a bag if I put it on my wish list for real.”
“You’re right but I’d rather buy you a fucking house,” I deadpanned.
“And I’d accept it.”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm.”
“How big of a house would you want?”
“Maybe like five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a gym.”
“I can do that.”
“I bet you could.”
I turned into my long driveway and Jiselle did a double take.
“Is that your fucking house back there?”
“Yep. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, pool, hot tub, and pool house. We can add another bedroom and a gym though.” I glanced at her and watched as she tried to stop herself from smiling widely with her over exaggerated eyeroll.
I helped her out of my car and inside. As soon as the door closed behind us, Jiselle kicked her shoes off, and damn, I could see this for us after every event for the rest of my life.
I locked my door and walked up behind her. I gripped her waist and pulled her back against me. She tilted her head to the side and I kissed her shoulder and up her throat. She turned her head toward me and I kissed her softly.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, baby.”
“You’re welcome.” I traced her hip and grabbed her zipper with the other hand. “Are you keeping this on?”
“No. You can unzip me.”
“Alright.” I kissed her throat again then slid the zipper down. “I’m already counting down to the next time I can get you in a pretty little dress like this.”
“The formalwear is what does it for you?”
“Mhm.” I kissed her shoulder but held the top of her dress shut. “You can get a shirt from my dresser. Go upstairs and it’s the second door on the right. Feel free to dig around while you’re up there.”
“Trust me, I will.”
“I know.”
She turned and kissed my cheek then grabbed her dress where I held it and headed toward the stairs.
I shed my suit jacket and tossed it over the back of my couch, left my cufflinks on a living room end table, and headed to the kitchen to get water. I took a long sip and paused when Jiselle walked in.
She’d thrown on an old college T-shirt of mine and a pair of my socks, her hair up in a little messy bun, a full face of makeup. I smiled as she entered the kitchen.
“You want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” I asked.
I was well aware that neither of us had eaten the food offered at the event and I needed to put something on my stomach.
“What kind of jelly?”
“Whatever kind you want. I have options, baby.”
“Apple?”
“Done.”
I grabbed everything and made us two sandwiches each while Jiselle dug through my pantry and fridge. She pulled out a bag of grapes, grabbed a cup, and filled it halfway.
When I finished, we went out the back door and sat at the small patio table.
We sat across from each other. I reached over, grabbed a grape from Jiselle’s cup, and tossed it into my mouth.
“Thank you for dinner and letting me tag along to your event,” she said after her first bite. “And for the purse.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
“That’s the second time you’ve called me that tonight,” she pointed out.
“And you don’t like it?”
“No. I like it. It’s cute.”
“Good.” I took a bite of my sandwich and nodded.
“Do you want kids?”
“What?” I blinked at her.
“Do you want kids?” she repeated.
“Of course. Do you?”
“Yeah. Stone and I think one or two could be nice.”
“You and Stone, huh?”