Chapter 37 Asia
I couldn't help but feel a little giddy after getting off the phone with Nyree. Now the whole world knew about us.
Bella hearted my status and commented Congratulations on both me and Nyree's posts, but I had a feeling we would be having another conversation soon.
I wanted to stop being so scary and just come out and tell everybody we were already married but now that we had announced our engagement, if we went and changed it to say we were married, people would look at us like we were crazy.
Soon as I had that thought, I wondered why I was worried about other people’s opinions?
What bearing did their opinions have on my life?
Not to say that I believed in living recklessly despite my current position, but at the same time, people often fell guilty of letting other people's thoughts run their lives.
It was time out for that. The only opinions that should matter should be those who we cared about and who cared about us.
And even then, sometimes their opinions shouldn't hold much weight either.
As I focused on my work, I became more settled in my heart about me and Nyree.
Once I finished, I went to the kitchen to start cooking dinner. It would be the first time I prepared a meal for my husband and I hoped he liked it. Fried chicken, green beans, and potato salad. Maybe a quick cake for dessert.
I pulled out my phone to Doordash us some wine too, then I added an order of candles from a nearby store to make it romantic.
Suddenly, I was feeling like Suzie Homemaker out this bitch and I wasn't mad at it. As the aromas of the food and the soft scent of the candles filled the room, I realized I could get used to this. Used to being a wife. To being married to Nyree.
I stood back, admiring my handiwork. The table looked perfect with the mismatched plates that somehow complemented each other, just like me and Nyree. The candles cast a warm glow across the apartment, and the food smelled divine, if I did say so myself.
My phone buzzed on the counter. It was Bella again.
Girl, we need to talk!
I smiled, typing back: Later. Cooking dinner for my man.
Three dots appeared. Look at you all domestic and shit!
I sent her a quick, We’ll talk tomorrow, I promise, and set my phone down. As much as I loved Bella, tonight was just for me and Nyree.
I had just pulled the cake from the oven when I heard a key in the lock. My heart fluttered. This was the first time he'd used the key I'd given him, and something about that simple act made everything feel more real.
The door swung open, and there he was—my husband—standing in the doorway with a suitcase in one hand and his camera bag in the other.
"Hey beautiful," he said, his smile lighting up his entire face. He stepped inside, set his camera bag down, and leaned in for a kiss that was sweet but quick.
"Hey yourself," I replied, watching as he set the suitcase down. "What's all this?"
"I figured I would bring a few things and do the rest tomorrow," he said casually, as if moving in with me was the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it was. We were married, after all.
I couldn't help but giggle. "The rest tomorrow, huh? You sure didn't waste no time moving in."
He grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "No, I didn't. Is that a problem?"
"No, I guess it isn't," I said, matching his grin. "We might as well get it done." Then I held up a warning finger. "But I'm-a tell you right now: Don't be leaving your funky socks all over my floors either. And there better not be no shit streaks in your draws."
For a second, Nyree just stared at me, his expression frozen between shock and amusement. Then we both lost it, bursting into laughter so hard I had to lean against the counter to steady myself.
"That's how you do me?" Nyree asked, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Shit streaks, Asia? What am I, twelve?"
I shrugged, still giggling. "Hey. I heard men can be nasty."
He stepped closer, his laughter fading into something else, something heated that made my skin tingle. "Oh, I can be nasty for sure."
The air between us changed, charged with electricity. A blush crept across my cheeks as I caught his meaning. "Go wash your hands so I can feed you."
His eyes darkened at my words, catching the double entendre. With a smirk that promised things to come later, he headed to the bathroom.
I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. This man had a way of undoing me with just a look. I turned back to the stove, stirring the green beans one last time before transferring them to a serving bowl.
When Nyree returned, we settled at the table, the candlelight casting shadows across his handsome face. He took a bite of the fried chicken and closed his eyes.
"Damn, Asia," he moaned. "This is incredible."
Pride bloomed in my chest. There was something deeply satisfying about cooking for him, about nourishing him.
"You like it?" I asked, though his reaction had already answered my question.
"Like it? I'm thinking about marrying you all over again just for this fried chicken." His eyes sparkled with humor, but there was sincerity beneath it.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," I promised. "Wait til you try the cake."
We ate and talked, sharing stories from our day, falling into a comfortable rhythm that felt like we'd been doing this for years instead of days. After dinner, Nyree insisted on helping with the dishes, standing beside me at the sink, his hip bumping mine as we worked together.
"This feels right," he said, handing me a plate to dry. "Being here with you. Us."
I nodded, unable to find the words to express how perfectly right it felt to me too. Instead, I reached out and wiped a bit of crumbs from his cheek, letting my fingers linger against his skin.
He caught my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm, his eyes never leaving mine. The dishes were forgotten as he pulled me against him, his lips finding mine in a kiss that started soft but quickly blazed into something more urgent.
"The bedroom," I murmured against his mouth. "Now."
We barely made it there, shedding clothes along the way, hands exploring, mouths hungry. When we fell onto the bed, I felt like I was burning from the inside out, consumed by a need that only he could satisfy.
What happened next transcended anything we'd shared before. It wasn't just sex; it was a union, a communion of souls as much as bodies. We moved together in perfect harmony, as if we'd been created for each other.
"Us against the world, baby," he whispered against my skin as we lay tangled together afterward, our bodies cooling in the night air.
"Us against the world," I agreed, resting my head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart.
We fell asleep like that, wrapped in each other's arms, secure in the knowledge that whatever happened, we'd face it together.
Morning came too soon, sunlight streaming through the curtains I'd forgotten to close. Nyree was already up, moving around the room as he got dressed.
"I have a photo shoot today for a new daycare," he explained when he saw I was awake. "They want the pictures before the grand opening next week."
I stretched lazily, enjoying the pleasant soreness in my muscles. "What time will you be back?"
"Early afternoon," he promised, leaning down to kiss me goodbye. "And don't think I've forgotten about that cake I never got around to eating last night."
From the way he said the word cake, I knew he was talking about eating me instead because he certainly had cake last night for dessert.
I laughed. "Your priorities are all wrong, husband."
"My priorities are exactly right," he countered with a grin, giving me one more kiss before heading out.
The apartment felt empty without him, even though until recently, I'd been perfectly content living alone. Funny how quickly you could get used to someone's presence.
I made myself a cup of coffee and settled at my desk to check emails before starting work. My inbox was full of congratulatory messages about the engagement announcement, which made me smile. There were a few client requests, some notes from Guiseppe about the Messy Tees line, and—
My finger froze over the trackpad as I spotted the email at the top of my inbox. The subject line made my blood run cold.