Chapter 9
CHYNA
It was crazy how long it took my old ass to recover from a night of drinking. Icelynn’s birthday was two days ago, and I still felt a little queasy, but I was able to smile through it because it was lunchtime, which meant I got to see Keegan.
I confidently walked through the top floor of the building and waved at Jean, Keegan’s assistant. She smiled and waved back as I knocked on Keegan’s door.
I expected him to call out to me to come in. Instead, the door flung open, and Keegan grinned down at me as he tugged me into his office by my waist. Once the door slammed shut, he kissed my lips and then my jawline before he landed on my neck.
Giggling, I gently pushed him away. “Bae, I need to eat.”
He laughed. I loved seeing him like that. He smiled a lot more these days, and it looked so good on him.
“Don’t worry. I’ma let your body rest this afternoon. Tonight, you owe me some head, though.”
My brows dipped. “And why is that?”
“Come. Sit. I promise to feed you once I’m done with this.”
“With what, exactly?” I asked skeptically as I sat down in the chair he pulled out for me.
He gestured toward the far wall, which was blank, and confusion filled me.
“I worked real hard on this, Chyna Doll, so pay attention,” Keegan said. His voice was so serious, but I was still confused about why we were looking at a blank wall.
“Worked hard on what?”
He shushed me and pressed a button on his laptop and then on a projector I just realized was set up on his desk. The wall lit up with what looked like a PowerPoint presentation.
I squinted at the words, and nerves immediately bounced around me.
“Kee, what—”
“Hush, Doll. Pay attention. Let me get through this.”
I gulped, and my eyes snapped back to the wall. On the first slide of his PowerPoint were the words Why You Should Marry Me. Underneath those bold words looked to be some sort of record keeping.
Presenter: Keegan Slater
Recipient: Chyna Drayton (soon to be Slater)
Date: July 28th, 2026
Proposed Wedding Date: July 29th, 2026 (open to other suggestions)
“Direct your attention to slide one. This is a presentation about why you should marry me.”
“But—”
“Doll.” His voice was a warning.
I sighed. I knew it would be better if I just let him get through this, but it felt ridiculous.
Why in the world were we talking about marriage all of a sudden?
I thought we came to an understanding about not moving in together yet, but deep down, I knew that wouldn’t be the last I heard about it.
I just didn’t think he would up the ante to marriage.
My head spun as I tried to pay attention.
Knowing Keegan, there would be a pop quiz at the end.
He clicked a button on his laptop, and slide two appeared, listing the current issue and the reasoning for the proposal.
Keegan paced the length of the room with his hands behind his back as he spoke.
“You don’t want to move in with me unless you’re engaged. I understand that. In fact, I receive that. Darnell—”
I sighed. “Damien—”
“Wasted a lot of your time. You spent years with a nigga who wouldn’t put a ring on your pretty little finger.
He had no problems dogging you out but refusing to leave.
I want to prove to you that I’m not him, but above that, I love you, and I want to spend my life with you.
We wasted so much time pretending there was nothing between us, and I’m done wasting time. ”
My heart stopped. “Kee, wait, baby. Please?”
Keegan stopped pacing and cut his eyes at me. I could tell the interruption irritated him, but I didn’t care. I stood up and crossed the room so I stood in front of him.
“You . . . you love me?” I whispered as I reached my hand up and cupped his face.
He frowned. “That ain’t obvious?”
I thought about it. I’d always known that Keegan was different with me than everyone else. He protected me and took care of me like he loved me. Deep down, I knew.
“Yes, I just never heard you say it,” I whispered, feeling like I was in a daze.
His hand cupped my cheek, and he kissed my forehead and then my nose. “How could I not love you, Chyna Doll Elise Drayton, soon to be Slater?”
I giggled, though I felt happy tears slip out of my eyes. “I love you too, Kee.”
We kissed, and I felt like everything in the world was suddenly right. The pressure to find a new place, the hardships of being a single mom, and the financial struggles I endured all melted away. Keegan knew how to make everything right. How could I not love him?
After the kiss, Keegan pulled away and gestured toward my chair. “Can you sit, please? I want to get through this so I can feed you.”
I couldn’t believe he still wanted to go through with this stupid presentation, but I knew there was no way out of it.
I took my seat, and Keegan flipped to the next slide, which consisted of all the reasons a marriage between us would work.
He resumed his pacing. “We already like each other. Actually, I need to amend that. We love each other. The next step is marriage, followed by more babies.” I almost choked on my spit when he said that, but I was able to play it off like I simply had to clear my throat.
“Our sons are best friends, and they already act like brothers. They want to be brothers. Also, you laugh at my jokes. Nobody else does that.”
I laughed loudly. I couldn’t help it. This was so silly.
Keegan glanced at me, but he kept going. He tapped his laptop again. This time, the wall lit up with frequently asked questions.
“You may have questions. I have answers. Is this too soon? No. Next question . . . What will people think? Fuck them. Next. Are we moving too fast? No. And lastly, have I lost my mind? Yes, but that happened long before you came around. I was born this way, so it doesn’t count.
Any more questions?” He stopped pacing, turned, and peered at me.
And what the hell was I supposed to say to that?
“No?” I said it as more of a question. This was all happening so damn fast.
“Good.” He clicked his laptop again.
I shrieked with laughter. “You got testimonials?”
“I gathered evidence to help support my cause, yes.” He resumed his pacing. “As you can see, when I interviewed Liam, he said that you smile more when I’m around. KJ said you make the best cereal, and Jean said it’s about time.”
“Not you pulled poor Mrs. Jean into your shenanigans.”
Keegan ignored me and clicked his computer once again. This time, the screen read, The End. Will You Marry Me?
When I looked back at him, he walked toward me with his hand in his pocket. He stopped in front of me and dropped down to one knee with a ring box in his hand. I gasped. This could not be happening right now. He opened the box to show the most beautiful ring I’d ever laid eyes on.
“What do you say?”
“I say you’re crazy.”
“We already went over that. What else do you say?”
I bit my bottom lip. This was a lot, but when I looked into Keegan’s dark brown eyes, I felt I knew the answer deep within my soul.
I’d never felt as much peace as I did when I was with him.
Keegan had a way of making me feel untouchable.
He was an amazing father, and he felt like a partner and a team member.
With him, the weight of life didn’t feel so heavy.
The love I felt for him was unmatched. The answer was a no-brainer, even if it felt scary.
This was a life-altering decision. It was supposed to feel scary.
“Yes.” I smiled as his face broke out into the biggest grin I’d ever seen.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed.
He let out a loud whoop as he stood up and lifted me into his arms. I giggled as he said, “I knew my presentation would win you over!”
“Oh yeah. That’s definitely what did it.” I laughed as he kissed me all over my face.
He put me down and slid the ring onto my finger.
“You mine forever now, Doll.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I muttered as I gazed at my ring.
“Nice, ain’t it?”
“It’s beautiful,” I replied. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it.
“So, about that head later . . .” Keegan grinned like he knew he had been right about everything all along.
My head fell back as I laughed. “I got you.”
This insane-ass man was officially my fiancé, and I literally couldn't be happier.