Chapter 12 #2
“Work was good,” she responded while turning around and looking at the boxes. “What is this?”
I placed my hand on top of the box.
“This is your outfit for the night and shoes. I am taking you out.”
Her mouth damn near dropped. How shocked she got over lil’ shit was cute to me.
“What? Where are we going? Where is Amir?”
I smiled, brushing her hair outta her face.
“Amir is with one of our cousins.” I took a deep breath and pulled Islah into my arms. “I was trying to rush us into getting married when Keith helped me remember that we haven’t got to enjoy being engaged.
We came back into town to deal with bullshit, and now that the bullshit is gone, I need to show you… ”
Islah lifted an eyebrow. “Show me what?”
“Show you the man you’re gonna marry. We have been so tied up with Gio shit, then work, and Amir. I need to make sure you always know you are the number one lady in my life, forever and always.”
Islah blushed, damn near speechless, and kissed me.
“Let me go get ready,” she said, picking up her boxes.
“I’ll be out here waiting for you.”
She disappeared down the hallway, and I went and sat on the couch alone with my thoughts and smoking my blunt.
Realizing for the first time in a lil’ minute that my phone wasn’t dinging, I wasn’t on the hunt for a nigga, and instead of my girl worrying, she was in our room sliding into something I was gonna take off her later.
My phone dinged beside me, taking me out of my thoughts.
Again, it was Keith with work shit, what we were low on. He was typing at the same time I was. I had to tell that nigga to hold all that shit off until I was back in the office. This night was for Islah, then I put my phone on DND.
A few more minutes passed, and I heard heels clicking against the hardwood.
I stood up, turned around, and she was standing there, looking like the love of my life.
I bought her a short red dress that hugged every curve she had. I loved her in gold. She had on lil’ gold earrings, her engagement band was gold, and the necklace I made for her sat on her chest nicely.
“Did you just make this one?” She already knew how to peep out my work.
I smiled, walking over to her. “Yes, I did…just for you.”
I took her hand and spun her around. The heels matched the fit right. Her hair was wavy, all the way down to the crack of her ass. My baby looked too good.
“Well?” she asked as I stood back, staring at her.
All I could do was lick my lips. And she laughed at me.
“Love? Baby, say something.”
“You so damn fine, I almost don’t want to take you anywhere.”
Her smile got wider.
“You are ridiculous.”
“Nah, baby, I am serious.”
I reached out my hand. She took it, and I led her to the door.
The ride downtown was smooth. We listened to the radio, and I listened to her sing her heart out to Ella Mai.
I love that shit. I love that she was opening up more and more. I love that I brought her peace.
Every now and then I’d glance over at her.
Every time she caught me staring, she’d smile.
Every time she smiled, I caught myself doing the same shit on some first love type shit.
The restaurant sat tucked away near the water.
Private, quiet. The type of place where money walked without screaming. I hopped out the car with my folder in one hand, and holding Islah’s with the other.
She looked at it, but didn’t question me.
The hostess recognized me as the jewelry designer when we walked in and walked us past the main dining room toward a private section overlooking the city.
Candles flickered, soft music played, the view was crazy. Atlanta stretched out beneath us like somebody poured diamonds across black velvet.
Islah sat and looked around.
“Oh my God, Love.”
I smirked. “You like it?”
I watched her eyes bounce back and forth around the room before looking back at me.
“I love this.”
Good, that was exactly what I wanted to hear. The waiter came back around once we were settled in our seats and got us our drinks and appetizers then our dinner order then gave us the dessert options.
I barely paid attention while the lady talked. My attention stayed on Islah.
Once our drinks and food orders started coming out, we ducked off in our own world, and I felt like I was on Cloud 9.
Islah talked with her hands when she was explaining something. She smiled when she got excited, and her eyes lit up every time she started talking about the wedding, Amir, more kids, vacation spots.
By the time our food was cleared away, Islah was completely relaxed.
The stress she’d been carrying for weeks was gone.
I reached beside my chair and grabbed a black folder.
Immediately, her eyebrows lifted.
I slid it to her and watched her open it slowly.
“These are houses…” She looked at me, confused, as she flipped through the papers.
“These houses are for sale…”
“They are. I want you to pick out which one you want.”
Her head shot up to me fast.
“What?!” she said fast.
I laughed at the expression on her face.
“That was one of the things on your list when we met, right?”
She nodded her head slowly.
“So, I am knocking another thing off your list. Pick a house.”
She was still in shock.
“But the wedding, Love…”
“You said six months from now. We can move in the house before or after that. Just tell me which one that you want, and I will handle the rest.”
I reached into my pocket and pulled my wallet out, flipping through my cards and handing her my black one.
“This is for you, to take care of the wedding shit. There’s no limit on that card, so do what you want.”
Islah took the card from me. She was speechless again, looking between the card and the houses.
Finally, she looked up at me.
“Why are you doing all of this?”
She asked me that like I was doing something wrong. I sat up and leaned across the table.
“Because I am a provider.”
That smile came through, even though she tried to hide it.