Chapter 19
“Mommy, can we please take a break?” I begged. “I’m tired.”
She and Auntie Karen had shown up at my house this morning, bright and early, saying we were all having a mommy-daughter day. Maceo didn’t put up a fuss. He simply handed over his bank card and told us to have fun on him. I’d dragged myself out of bed to take a shower and get dressed. By the time I got downstairs, Salima was there, and so were two men to guard us while we were out.
I was so happy that my mother and Auntie Karen didn’t say anything about us having guards. Given that Salima had been kidnapped before, I was sure she appreciated the gesture. In reality, the guards were there because of the shit we had going on now. My mother and aunt were oblivious to that, and I wanted to keep it that way.
We’d been running the streets for four hours now, and I needed a nap. Currently, we were in a boutique, looking at shoes. I wasn’t sure why my mama needed a new pair of heels, but she’d already tried on five different pairs.
“You wouldn’t be tired if you weren’t up all times of night,” she reminded me.
“I went to bed at a decent hour last night, thank you very much. You interrupted my beauty sleep.”
She scoffed, and I knew she was about to be dramatic. “Well, I’m sorry if spending time with the woman that gave birth to you is so exhausting.”
Auntie Karen rolled her eyes. “Dial it back, Cicely,” she said. “Listen, Sharina. You only get one mother, and none of us knows when it’s our time to go. Enjoy these moments while you can.”
Her saying that had me thinking about the bounty on our head. She was right about that. I didn’t know how much time I had left with them, and I should make the most of it.
“I’m sorry, Ma,” I said, kissing her cheek. “You know I love spending time with you. Next to Salima and Darlyn, you know you’re my favorite girl.”
“I guess I’m chopped liver,” Auntie Karen mumbled.
I giggled. “You know you’re my boo, too, Auntie.” I kissed her cheek. “I’m just grouchy because it was a long night. I’m getting old, man.”
“Baby, you’re only twenty-six,” my mom said.
“Twenty-six, going on twenty-seven, which means I’m almost thirty.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”
“I wonder where I get that from.”
She gave me a strong side-eye, then smirked. “Whatever. Let’s just finish shoe shopping, and we can go get something to eat. I saw a pair up front that would be perfect for you. I’m gonna go grab them.”
She walked off, and Auntie Karen followed her. I turned to Salima and crossed my arms.
“All right, spill it.”
“Huh? Spill what?”
“Y’all are up to something. I can feel it in my spirit.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My mama wanted to go shopping, and you know Stanley loves me spending his money.”
“Mm-hmm. I’m not stupid, you know.”
“Of course you aren’t. You may be a little paranoid, though. Maybe it’s all that sneaking around you and Maceo were doing. You know Deuce clued me in on everything that’s come up lately.”
I sighed. “Of course he did.”
“This is scary, Sharina. It’s taking me right back to that warehouse.”
Now I felt bad. I knew her getting kidnapped was a traumatic thing. She hadn’t just been taken… She’d also taken a life. That changed a part of her forever. I hadn’t gone that far. Had I pulled my gun out on someone before? Yes. Had I actually shot at someone? Again, yes. But to pull a trigger with the intent to kill?
Nah, I hadn’t been down that road.
I mean, if I had to do it, I would. I wasn’t a scary bitch. While I knew I couldn’t beat everybody and some even had the power and means to end my very existence, I’d never go down without a fight.
“I’m trying to be as safe as possible right now, Salima,” I assured her. I motioned to our security for the day. “Hence the reason Frick and Frack are here. And Smoke is following us, even though he thinks we don’t see his big ass.”
I’d peeped his old-school car lingering around every location we’d been to today. I didn’t bring attention to him, just allowed him to stay “incognegro.”
“You have to tell Aunt Cicely and Uncle Paul what’s going on.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. If I tell them, my daddy is gonna come snatch me up and beat Maceo’s ass. I can’t let him wear all the blame for this, Salima. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to be a ride or die for that man. You know me. If he’d kept this shit a secret any longer, I was gonna follow his ass until I knew what he was up to.”
She chuckled. “I know, with your nosy ass.”
“This will all be over soon, and we can get back to the important things, like planning my wedding.”
“I still can’t believe Maceo proposed without a damn ring.”
I rolled my eyes. “It was an emotional moment, girl. I could have said no, but I didn’t. I’m not sweating it, so y’all shouldn’t either. A ring is coming, and it will be sitting pretty on my little finger.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Go on.”
“Do you think he would have asked if all this hadn’t been going on?”
I sighed. “Yes, Salima. Maceo has told me a thousand times that I was going to be his wife. It’s just… he won’t admit it, but I know he’s afraid. One person he was close to is dead, and the other is missing. It’s like they are being picked off one by one. If something happens to either of us, I at least want to say I got to experience the joy of having him as my husband before one of our eyes closed for good. It’s not me being desperate or settling. I love that man, and he loves me.
“He’s given me a life I never dreamed of growing up. While my heart’s desires are at my fingertips, I love him for who I get to be when I’m with him. Myself. My loud, obnoxious, ghetto, larger than life personality is everything he loves about me. I’ve never had to change who I am for him to see me.”
She swiped a tear from her eye and pulled me in for a warm hug. For a moment, we stood there, locked in our embrace. When she pulled away, she kissed my cheek.
“You grew up on me,” she jested.
I giggled. “Just a little.”
Our mothers came back over with more than shoes in their hands. I shook my head. No wonder they had taken so long. My mother was holding up a beautiful yet sexy, white carousel dress with sheer puff sleeves. Aunt Karen held up the perfect pair of heels to compliment it.
“Where y’all going in that?” I asked, hands on my hips.
“It’s not for us,” my mother said, thrusting the dress at me. “It’s for you.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you have the shape and legs to pull this off.”
I looked at the dress and shoes before playfully flipping my hair. “You know… I would look good in this. I don’t know where I’m going to wear it, but I’ll try it on.”
“Good!”
My mother was a little too excited, and I didn’t know why, but something told me I would soon find out.
Everyone was definitely up to something.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I was so tired that I didn’t even bother to put away the mountain of clothes and shoes I’d purchased today. I simply put it in the corner of the room, stripped, and climbed my ass into bed. I wasn’t sure where my man was, but I needed this nap.
A few hours later, I was awakened by featherlike kisses on my shoulder. My eyes fluttered open to see Maceo hovering over me with a smile.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said softly.
“Hey, baby.”
“You must have been tired for you to leave everything out.”
“Man, those women ran me ragged today.”
He chuckled. “You sound like Grams. Did you have a good day, though?”
I nodded as I reached up to touch his face. “I did. Thank you for treating us.”
“No problem.” He reached over and turned on the light beside the bed. “You got enough energy to come somewhere with me?”
That was precisely the moment I realized he was dressed in a suit. His locs were freshly redone and styled into a low bun. Damn, my man was fine.
“Why are you looking like my favorite meal?” I asked.
“So I look like a fish sandwich basket from Mr. Luckey’s?”
I giggled as I playfully slapped his chest. “Shut up. You know I love my fish sandwiches.”
“I know. What do you say?”
“I guess I can make myself presentable. Ironically, my mama and aunt picked out this bomb ass dress and heel combo for me today. I had a feeling they were up to something.”
He grinned. “You don’t say?”
“What are you up to, Maceo?”
Instead of answering, he leaned over and kissed me gently. “Get up and get ready.”
Without another word, he left me alone in the room. Tossing back the covers, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. After pulling my hair into a bun, I headed into the bathroom to shower. As I cleansed myself, I tried to imagine what this man had up his sleeve. When Maceo did surprises, he went all out.
Now that I thought about it, it was probably the reason he handed over his card so quickly for us to go shopping and had security there by the time I got out of the shower this morning. I smiled to myself, knowing that whatever he was planning had to be worth him going through all the trouble to get me out of the house.
Twenty minutes later, I was stepping out of the shower and drying off. I did my skin care routine of moisturizing every part of my body before brushing my teeth and finding something quick to do with my hair. I settled on the tried-and-true topknot, adding a pair of classic diamond studs to my ears and a diamond teardrop necklace.
Simple but cute.
Walking back into the bedroom, I pulled the boxes containing the dress and shoes from the bag. I slipped them both on before spraying on my favorite perfume. Going into the closet, I grabbed a small clutch that matched my attire and placed my essentials inside before heading downstairs.
Maceo was sitting on the couch, waiting for me. When he looked back and saw me, he stood to his feet and rounded the couch. His eyes slowly perused me from head to toe. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached for me.
“You look beautiful, mama,” he said softly.
“Thank you, daddy.” Even in heels, I still had to tiptoe to kiss his lips. “Is this good enough for tonight?”
“This is perfect.” He cupped my chin. “ You are perfect.”
I blushed. “Where are you taking me, sir?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blindfold.
I smirked. “Oooo, do I get a quickie before we go?”
He laughed. “Yo! I swear you are always thinking about my dick.”
“It’s a magnificent dick, baby.”
“I know it is.”
“Cocky ass.”
He grabbed his crotch. “You love my cocky ass. Now… turn your pretty ass around and let me put this on you.”
I playfully rolled my eyes and turned around, making sure that I pressed my ass against him. A chuckle escaped his throat as he covered my eyes.
“You keep playing with me, woman.”
He gave my ass a hefty slap before grabbing my hand and leading me out of the house. Carefully, we descended the steps, and he led me to the car. Settling in the front seat, I was giddy with excitement. When the car began to move, I squealed.
He laughed. “Calm down, Sharina.”
“I can’t help it! You know how much I love surprises, especially from you.”
“I know, love.”
He reached over and grabbed my hand, then kissed my knuckles. For the duration of the drive, I sat there with a smile on my face, singing along to the R&B playlist he put on and squeezing his hand every so often. When the car began to slow down, I sat up in my seat. Then it came to a stop.
I heard the driver’s side door open and close. A few seconds later, my door opened, and Maceo grabbed my hand to let me out. The next thing I knew, I was being swept off my feet.
“Baby!” I squealed in delight. “Don’t drop me! And don’t have my ass out!”
“First of all, you love to have your ass out. Second, I’m not gonna drop you, woman.”
I giggled as he carried me wherever he was taking me. I could tell we’d entered a building because the sound of the street noise disappeared entirely. He carried me for a little bit longer before placing me on my feet. Feeling his presence in front of me, I reached out and placed my hands on his chest, prompting him to cover them with his.
“I love you, Shar,” he whispered in my ear.
“I love you too.”
“I didn’t do this right the first time, so I had to come correct.”
The blindfold was removed from my eyes. When I opened them, my hand flew to my mouth. We were standing in Salima’s place, and the space was fully transformed. White and red roses and candles were everywhere. The spot we stood in was decorated with a white, rose-covered, heart-shaped arch with red rose petals littering the floor. Bouquets of roses sat on pillars and with more candles lining the walkway. A Marry Me? sign was displayed in big light up letters.
“Maceo…” I whispered.
Footsteps caused me to turn around. I gasped as our families poured into the space, dressed to the nines with smiles on their faces. I turned back to my man in disbelief.
“Let me try this again,” he said, winking. Clearing his throat, he grabbed my hand. “Sharina Nicole Gladden… my baby. My best friend. My rider. I wasn’t looking for love when we crossed paths. Neither of us were.”
“Damn right about that,” Deuce said, making everybody laugh.
Maceo chuckled. “There was something about you that I couldn’t put my finger on. Now, I might have been a little thirsty in asking my sister to get your number for me?—”
“Nigga, you were parched!” Smoke hollered.
His mother slapped the back of his head. “Let my baby finish! Go on, sweetheart.”
We both couldn’t help but to laugh.
“All jokes aside, I found everything I didn’t know I needed when I found you. You are the light at the end of every long day. Peace in the midst of a storm. Happiness when the world around me is falling to pieces. The way you love the people who love you is the single greatest thing I’ve ever witnessed and gotten to experience.
“I’m not the most religious man, but I thank God for you every morning I wake up to you, and every night I fall asleep next to you. You’re the person I can’t wait to come home to. I know when I walk into that house, my entire world is waiting to greet me with open arms. I never realized how much I needed that until you.
“Marriage… kids… happily ever afters? You made me want that. You give me something worth living for. I don’t know how many days I have on this earth. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I know that I want the rest of my days to start and end with you.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Lifting the lid, he presented me with the most beautiful ring that had me tearing up and thankful I’d forgone makeup tonight. Dropping to one knee, he pulled my hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Sharina Nicole Gladden… will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I nodded through my tears. “Yes…” I whispered. “Yes.”
He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on my finger. The moment he stood to his feet, I was on him, crashing my lips into his. Our family clapped and cheered as our tongues wrestled.
“That’s my nigga!” Smoke yelled.
“We next!” Kilow added, causing us to break our kiss. We looked back to see him holding hands with Deja.
“Don’t make me jack your little ass up,” Maceo threatened.
Deja rolled her eyes. “Worry about yourself.”
Maceo looked back at me. “I’ma fuck your little brother up,” he declared.
I giggled. “Leave my baby alone. He’s a good boy.”
“He’s a menace.”
“You’re a menace…” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “But you’re my menace.” I grinned. “Mrs. Maceo Dillinger… that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
He mirrored my smile. “It damn sure does.”