Chapter 34
Max
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Rashad said as he answered my knock at the front door. Smiling, he shook his head as his eyes raked over my suit jacket and dress shoes.
“Don’t say it,” I warned as I saw the thought pass through his eyes.
He chuckled. “I was going to say you clean up nice, but you know I’m thinking the other thing too.”
Rashad stepped aside to let me inside. He led me into the living room where Benny was sitting on the couch, watching television. He smiled at the sight of me. “Damn, you look just like your daddy,” he exclaimed.
“Don’t remind me,” I muttered as I walked over to him. I slapped and clasped his hand with the one that wasn’t holding the bouquet of flowers.
Rashad walked back into the hall and peered up the steps. “Audrey!” He yelled. “Max is here!”
Audrey yelled something back, but her voice was muffled from her likely closed door and the distance.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Benny as I sat beside him on the couch.
“Tired,” he admitted. “But, every day that I’m breathing is a good day.” He eyed my formal attire. “Why are you dressed like that? Are y’all going somewhere fancy?”
“Can’t I just look nice for once?”
“No,” Rashad chimed from the other side of the room. He was lingering in the doorway, leaning against the end of the wall. “You don’t dress up for nothing.”
“Yeah, I remember Audrey had to damn near pull your teeth out to get you in those tuxedos for your proms.” Benny paused for a moment, his head cocking as a new thought ran through his mind. “You aren’t getting on one knee tonight, are you?”
“What?” I exclaimed, taken aback by the question. “No! Audrey and I are still working on things.”
“Oh, alright,” Benny said, relaxing against the cushions. “I thought I was gonna have to beat your ass for a second.”
“For what? I didn’t even do anything.”
“You can’t walk into a man’s house, intending to marry his daughter, and not ask for his blessing.”
I smirked. “I don’t have it already?”
Benny gave me a side-eye. “You wish you did.” Shaking his head, he muttered, “Bad ass little boy.”
Rashad chuckled as he walked up to us. He perched himself on the arm rest beside Benny. “If the time comes, you know we wouldn’t be happier,” he told me. “You and Audrey may have had your ups and downs, but you’ve always been good for each other. The two of you balance each other out.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s definitely the calm after my storms.”
“And you’re the cushion who catches her whenever she falls.” Rashad gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t forget you’re important to her too.”
The click of Audrey’s heels on the surface upstairs beat me to a response.
We all rose from our seats as the clicking descended down the steps.
After a few seconds, Audrey appeared on the stairwell, looking as if she were stepping down from heaven itself.
fabric hugged every inch of skin from her chest down to her ankles, outlining every curve.
The streaks of gold in her dress highlighted the golden undertones of her brown skin and made her amber eyes pop.
Her curls were pulled up into a high ponytail.
A few tendrils hung loose around her face, framing it like a portrait.
Her glossed lips pulled into a smile at the sight of me. “Hey,” she said.
“Hi,” I breathed, her beauty having knocked most of it out of me. The flowers in my hands didn’t feel like an adequate offering for a woman of her class and beauty.
Still, she accepted them with a bashful grin. “Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” the words slipped out before I could catch them.
Audrey’s cheeks darkened under the blush she was wearing.
“Where are you going with the bag?” Benny asked, pointing to the duffel bag I hadn’t realized was slung over her shoulder.
“I’m staying over Max’s tonight,” she replied. “So, you guys don’t have to wait up.”
Ignoring their surprised expressions, she rushed to kiss both their cheeks. As she passed, she grabbed my hand and hauled me out the door. “Love you! Bye!”
I chuckled as she towed me outside. “Why did you raise their blood pressure like that?”
“What?” She asked. “We’re grown - and we’re using protection. They don’t have anything to worry about.”
I raked my eyes over her outfit, lingering on her hips and ass. “With you looking like that, they might.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
We climbed into the car and headed downtown. I was taking Audrey to one of the best steakhouses in the city. Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles and perched atop one of the five-star hotels in the area, it provided a perfect view of the city.
As we entered the restaurant, Audrey’s eyes curiously glanced around at the dining area, engulfed in a golden glow and filled with a variety of cushioned seating and tables topped with wine glasses and faux candles.
“Hello,” I greeted the hostess at the front podium. “Reservation for Guerra.”
Nodding, the hostess checked us off on her tablet, grabbed two menus and motioned for us to follow her. She led us to one of the tables beside one of the transparent walls overlooking the nearby skyscrapers and buildings.
I pulled out the U-Shaped cushioned chair for Audrey.
Her eyes were still wandering as she took a seat. “This is fancy,” she commented after I was seated across from her.
“You don’t like it?”
“No, I do. It’s just…” Her eyes finally finished roaming and returned to me. “Somehow it reminds me of our first date. Do you remember? You took me to the cute little Italian restaurant a few blocks from here.”
I raised a brow. “How? That place was nice, but it wasn’t this nice.”
“Yeah, but you were trying to impress me all the same.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to give you the treatment you deserve. I know it wasn’t much back then, but now I have the means to give you everything you want and more.”
“You were always the only thing I wanted,” she replied, giving me a tender smile. “Nothing else really compares to that.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, taking me by surprise.
Audrey giggled at the flustered look on my face.
Thankfully, the waitress came by our table and saved me from any teasing remark she was about to make.
Over dinner, Audrey told me about her long day at work.
I didn’t realize how many crazy medical occurrences could happen within one day.
With all the Grey’s Anatomy she made me watch over the years, I became accustomed to thinking some extreme cases were confined to television.
Little did I know, that shit happened nearly every shift to Audrey. And she loved it.
Despite the weariness in her body, her eyes lit up with every explanation of the science behind the treatments and her descriptions of her patients’ personalities. She always knew helping people was her calling, but she’d found a true home in the medical field.
When she offered me the floor, I didn’t have as much enthusiasm to share. I loved my job at the gym and my career, but things were awfully mundane at the moment. Even in the underground ring, our meets have been going smoothly. It’s been quiet lately - too quiet.
Given recent events, silence was the last thing I expected. But, at the same time, I wasn’t complaining. The calm gave me more time to relish in the things that truly mattered.
Like the pure bliss on Audrey’s face as she took a bite of the decadent slice of chocolate cake we ordered for dessert. Her eyelashes fluttered as they shut and her head tilted back the slightest bit. “Hm,” she moaned. “This must be what heaven is made out of.”
Chuckling, I shook my head at her.
“What’s wrong?” She asked. “You’ve been awfully quiet tonight.”
“I’m just thinking.”
She tilted her head. “About…?”
“Well, I bought you something.”
Her brows pinched together as she watched me dig into the inner pocket of my suit jacket. The crease deepened at the sight of the ring box. “Max,” she started.
“Just hear me out,” I insisted. “Before you say no, just…just listen. Please.”
Her lips pressed together, but the dent between her brows didn’t fade.
“I have been in love with you before I even knew what love was. From the moment I saw you on our doorstep, welcoming us to the neighborhood with that big ass bow in your hair and your frilly dress, I knew the only life I wanted was one with you in it. And I know…I know our relationship hasn’t been perfect.
I know I’m not perfect. Hell, I couldn’t be farther from it.
But, I love you, and I’ll do everything in my power to be the man you deserve.
If you’ll give me the chance to.” I popped open the box to reveal the ring inside.
Audrey’s eyes widened at the sight of the white gold band. Two strips of the diamond encrusted band wove over each other, creating a never-ending thread of infinity symbols.
“This isn’t a proposal,” I assured her. “It’s another token of the promise I made when we were younger. That I’ll be yours until the day God strikes me down. Even long after that.” I reached across the table and laid my palm out. “Forever, remember?”
Moisture gleamed in her eyes. Her hand rose from underneath the table. It paused over the edge as she contemplated her decision, hopeful we’ll last yet fearing another heartbreak.
My heart almost stopped at the possibility of her rejection. I couldn’t live without her - not again.
Releasing her breath, Audrey stretched her arm over the table. “Yeah,” she whispered, placing her hand atop mine. “Forever.”