Chapter 25
“Can I ask some follow up questions?” Danessa peppered her eggs.
“Shoot.” We were on the veranda of our suite, with sweeping views of the mountains, enjoying breakfast. Admittedly, I was still raw from yesterday.
My father hadn’t even called or texted in an attempt to render an apology.
Saying sorry wasn’t going to fix anything but at least it would let me know his reckless actions weren’t intentional.
Lamonte rarely thought before making moves.
He just jumped into some dumb shit headfirst and only after he started catching flack would he try to backpedal.
Most often that looked like him searching for someone else to blame because shit was never Lamonte Mosley’s fault.
If my mother forgot to bring the gravy to the table, she was a lazy bitch and deserved to be dealt with.
And if Duane, Tootie and I laughed too loudly while watching television, we needed to be punished.
I stood on what I said last night, fuck him.
“You mentioned you went to rehab. What was that like?”
“It was tough, and I was hardheaded. Even though I knew that was exactly where I needed to be, I was resistant. After a few weeks and listening to other people’s stories, I got a little spooked because it was like looking into a crystal ball and seeing what laid ahead for me if I didn’t make changes. ”
“Was it scary, the facility?”
“Nah this was the rich people rehab with cucumber water, massages, and guided meditation. I did a lot of hiking.”
Danessa pulled her leg up under her and her robe slipped from her shoulder. “Is that where your love of hiking took shape?”
“Yeah, I see why White folks are into it.”
“And then after, how was the transition back to your normal life?”
“I quickly realized I had to cut people off. The first few months were just work, gym, home for me. And then in NA they talked about finding new hobbies, new ways of having fun that didn’t include drugs.
Apparently being a hermit wasn’t sustainable.
And then I met Ashley, she was a health nut.
I’m talking protein, greens, and powders in her fucking coffee and water.
She just made sense because I was trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and she was in tune with that world. ”
“And you told her about your addiction and rehab?”
“Yeah eventually. In Missouri, me going to rehab was like an open secret. My coach shielded me from a lot of it. There was this unspoken rule with the press. In interviews they’d hint at the prior year being difficult for me, but they never came out and said it.
The owner of the Pioneers invested too much money in our team and probably threatened to ruin the lives of anyone who crossed him. ”
“Too many questions?”
“No, I expected questions. This is good.”
Danessa pushed her eggs across her plate.
Her knowing was a weight lifted off my shoulders.
For us to work, she needed to accept the good and the bad.
And since we last dated, I’d racked up a ton of bad habits.
I loved Danessa but as long as I’d known her, she’d been hypercritical of things she didn’t understand.
When we first met, life was black and white to her and she struggled to see things from different perspectives.
Over time she accepted there were variations of gray mixed in there too.
I knew telling her the truth could potentially end us, so I was more than willing to answer any and every question she had.
She needed to be able to trust me. And I needed her to know I had no plans on jeopardizing my sobriety.
While yes at times I might struggle, I would never forget the progress I made.
I entered rehab for myself and no one else and I had to wake up every morning and choose me.
My father was a lifelong addict; Duane had his struggles; I was more than my father’s son and the cycle ended with me.
“So tell me how classes are going?” My drama had already occupied too much of this weekend.
“You don’t want to hear about that.”
“I do? I come over every night and your head is in a book. I wake up and you’re on your laptop. But you’ve been tight-lipped about classes, your professors.”
“That’s probably because I feel like I’m a bit in over my head. Right now, it’s like I’m spinning several plates simultaneously with work, school, wedding planning, and you.”
Pulling my face in surprise I asked, “Me?”
“Yeah, I have to make time for you. Something I didn’t plan for when I applied.”
“Am I a distraction?”
Danessa scratched at my beard. “Yes, in the best way. I just need to find the sweet spot.”
I tossed my napkin onto my plate. “You could always put a pause on work.”
“Eventually if things get more hectic I may have to, but I just wanna stack my bank account a little bit more so I feel comfortable taking the time off. It’s an adjustment but I’m managing. I just have a little less time for me.”
“Okay, I’m just going to say the thing. And I know you’re going to dismiss it but I’m going to put it out there. I can pay your tuition and other expenses while you’re in school.”
“You want me to quit my job?”
“Not quit. You own the agency. But you could take a hiatus. Hire another realtor and collect a percentage of their sales. That would be additional income, so you didn’t have to deplete your savings. And with your tuition and mortgage covered all you’d have to think about is studying.”
“I love that you want to take care of me and that you support me—”
“But?”
“We’re not even official yet.”
“That’s just logistics.”
“I have a plan. It’s a good plan.”
“I respect that you have this law school thing all figured out. I’d expect nothing less. But I’m offering an alternative solution. One that was not available when you crafted your initial plan.”
“Look at me.” Danessa grabbed my chin. “I only need you. I don’t want to be another person you have to take care of.
The cute last-minute getaways, fancy cars, and gifts, while all nice, are not a requirement.
I do not expect those things. I do expect for you to show up for me, support me, and make me feel safe and listened to. ”
“Dating me comes with perks.” I took a sip of my tea.
“Covering law school and my mortgage is a pretty big perk.”
“You know if you wanted the rings around Saturn, I would hire a team of experts to craft a spaceship, go on a one-man mission, and yank that shit out of the galaxy.”
“I know.”
I pulled her hand from my cheek and gave it a squeeze. “So let me do this for you. Not out of obligation but because I can and want to.”
Danessa’s soft amber eyes settled on my features. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it.
“Let me take care of you, it’s the least I can do. And when you really think about it, for a guy as rich as me, thirty grand is equivalent to a regular guy paying your phone bill. It’s light work.”
“Well when you put it that way … okay.”
“Yeah?” The shock was written all over my face. I expected a hard no.
“All I can hear is Anika calling me a dumb bitch if I told her I’d declined your offer. So yes.”
“Consider it done.”
“Thank you. I feel extremely guilty, but grateful.”
Glancing at my watch, I gulped down the rest of my tea. “We need to head out if we’re gonna make our couple’s massage.”
“Mhmm, massages, well-appointed hotels, free law school a girl could get used to this.”
“That’s the plan.”
After our full-body massages that left me knocked out on the massage table, we headed back to the suite.
Danessa was chatty, talking about how great her masseuse was and how she needed to do this more often.
All I could offer was occasional uh-huhs because as we got closer to our room, the knot in my stomach tightened.
Opening the door, I stood aside so Danessa could enter first. Her loud gasp reached me from the breezeway.
“What have you done?” She called out.
“Wait you didn’t do this?” I teased. I entered the room now dimly lit with candles, red rose petals were sprinkled across the floor and over the bed.
Various gift bags from some of Danessa’s favorite name-brand boutiques were displayed in the center of the bed.
Above the bed were heart shaped balloons highlighted by red balloons spelling out, Will you be my girlfriend?
“Aldridge.” She pushed me playfully but I could still make out the distress on her face.
“Don’t even think about telling me this is too much and you don’t deserve it.”
“No, I definitely deserve this.” She picked up a bag from Hermès.
“Danessa being with you is my happy place. I knew the moment I met you there would never be anyone else for me.”
“Liar.”
“I knew after the first date I wanted another one. And after the second date I knew I didn’t want any other man buying you coffee, let alone spending time with you.
I think when God created me, he had you in mind.
He flipped through his book of creations and landed on your page, and he thought let’s create someone for Danessa.
He made me tall so I could reach items off the top shelf for you.
And he gave me a huge appetite because he knew your eyes were bigger than your stomach.
Then right before he closed me all up, he implanted an unwavering devotion to you and only you. ”
She dipped her chin into her chest. “Baby.”
“So asking you to be my girlfriend, again, isn’t too soon. In fact, I think it’s long overdue. When I agreed to come to Vegas I never expected our paths to cross. I didn’t even wish for it. Thinking you and I were beyond done.”
“But here we are.”
“Here we are, and just like that the butterflies are now taking up space in my belly and when I wake up next to you, I say a silent pray of thanks. I love you, Danessa, I always have. Shit, I always will.”