17. Vani #2
I thought I’d be super excited for my first birthday free in three years, but I just felt so so.
Honestly, my emotions were all over the place.
Sometimes, I was sad, and I didn’t know why I was sad.
Shit, I was free, and that was the best gift ever.
Being released from prison wasn’t quite how I’d assumed it would be.
It wasn’t all ups and most days, I didn’t even know why the downs were there, but they’d appear out of nowhere making me feel some kind of way.
Hailey was looking real fly in a short, brown, leather wrap dress.
Lo was going to meet us at the restaurant.
I chose to wear black, high waist, spandex pants, and a cropped black shirt that hung off one shoulder.
I was carrying my black, mini-Chanel bag and on my feet, were pink, strappy heels.
Gold jewelry accessorized my look, and I was ready to eat good and drink.
The club was not in the plans for the night.
Hailey wasn’t broke when she started dealing with Azarius, but he had turned her up even more.
Just like Darius spoiled me, Azarius was generous when it came to Hailey.
I wasn’t shocked when she got a black truck to come pick us up, because we were going to drink for sure, and we weren’t driving anywhere.
“The truck is six minutes away, so we have time for a shot,” Hailey grinned as she sauntered into the living room with a bottle of Clase Azul.
“I know we’re only doing dinner, but this is your first free birthday in three years.
We’re going to be real classy but real turnt up. You ready?” she grinned.
“I’m ready,” I laughed.
Hailey didn’t even grab shot glasses. She opened the bottle and did a water fall into my mouth. I closed my eyes and swayed from side to side as I swallowed. “Whew,” I blew out a small breath as I walked in the kitchen to grab a swig of Sprite to remove the taste from my mouth.
Darius knew I was going to dinner, so I’d see him when I got home.
He had his place, and I had mine, but we alternated places.
He stayed with me for a few nights and then we went to his house for a few nights, but we didn’t spend nights apart unless he had his daughter.
I hadn’t met her yet. I was giving it some time.
Plus, I didn’t want to get into it with Bree, and I was sure she didn’t want her child around me.
I couldn’t say she was wrong but no matter how much I disliked her, I’d never mistreat a child.
That was something that wouldn’t even cross my mind.
The black truck arrived, and I settled in and popped some gum in my mouth.
“What you think Darius is going to get you for your birthday?” Hailey grinned.
“I don’t really know. He never really asks me what I want. He just knows what I like, and I always like the gifts he picks out for me. This year, I can’t think of too much that I want. He did it up with the bags and stuff when I came home.”
“Knowing him he’ll get you a horse or something.”
I laughed because it was true. Darius gave the best gifts, and I loved that about him.
Not for the material items but because he was intentional.
He paid attention. If he saw me buy myself the same item in three different colors, he’d go get the colors I didn’t have.
He even paid attention to things like the candles I burned.
He might show up with twenty candles, and they’d all be various scents that I always burned.
Darius knew my favorite perfumes. He even knew my favorite coffee brand. I didn’t tell him those things. He paid attention and observed them on his own. Being that seen felt amazing. It made me intentional about being the same way for him.
“We have to do a couple’s trip soon,” I lifted my brows at her. “Since you and Azarius started in Vegas, we gotta keep the group trips going.”
“You know I’m always down to hop on a flight. Where should we go?”
“Good question,” I pondered while staring out of the window. In prison, I made a list of places that I wanted to visit, but I didn’t bring the notebook home with me. I didn’t want to bring home anything from that place. I remembered most of the places, however.
“I definitely want to go to Africa, maybe Morocco or Kenya. Egypt. Dubai.”
“Those all sound lit. I’m kind of scared to turn up in Dubai though. Be done messed around and went to jail messing with them folks.”
Hailey and I were so engrossed in talking about a couple’s trip that I didn’t even realize until the car stopped that we weren’t at the restaurant.
We were at a shopping plaza and since it was a little after seven, a lot of the places were closed or beginning to close.
Hailey didn’t seem concerned, so I just went with the flow.
The driver opened the doors for us, and I looked around at each shop.
My brows dipped when I saw a red bow stuck on one of the suite doors.
“Where we at mane?” I asked Hailey as she stood beside me looking like nothing out of the ordinary was going on.
“I’m not the person to ask.”
Staring at Hailey, I tried to think of a response. Just as I parted my lips, a light came on inside the suite, and the door opened. Standing there dressed in all black like he wore at least once a week was Darius. My man looked so damn good, I almost forgot to ask him what was going on.
“You look good,” his eyes trailed my body
“Thank you.” I moved toward him. “Is there where dinner is?”
“Kind of.”
I heard music and when I peeked into the room, I saw people. My family, his, and the few friends that I had.
“I figured why keep paying suite rent to braid hair in when you could have your own shop.”
“Darius!” I squealed. “You for real?” I stepped over the threshold and took in the sleek white, marble receptionist counter. The beautiful décor and the luxury feel of it all. “This is mine?”
“Yeap. All five rooms. You can rent four of them out.”
I was speechless. Especially seeing the way my parents and siblings were smiling.
I hugged Darius and tried hard not to cry.
It was too early in the night for my makeup to be ruined.
There were a few tables set up with food and a three-tier cake.
Darius had once again proven my claim that he gave the best gifts and surprises.
And for him to have everyone in on it and I didn’t suspect a thing was top tier.
Intentional. My man didn’t play about me, and I loved it.
It was still sinking in that I had my own salon as I moved around the room and greeted and hugged everyone.
By the time I turned around, Darius was in the middle of the room, down on one knee, and three of the servers dressed in all black stood behind him each one holding a bouquet of red roses.
My jaw slacked, and I lost the battle with trying not to ruin my makeup ‘cus oh, I was about to cry. Like boo hoo snot.
“I have a dozen roses for every year you did in prison. I’m sorry I didn’t visit, and we both know why. But my absence made you feel unsupported, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making that up to you if you let me. Will you be Mrs. Darius Artis?”
My throat felt like it was closing up, so all I could do was nod.
That was enough for clapping and cheering to break out around me as Darius lifted the lid of a small ring box.
The pear shaped, princess cut diamond tucked inside the box was absolutely stunning.
My hand was trembling as I held it out so Darius could slide the ring on.
A lot had happened, and I was trying to digest it all.
Once the ring was secured on my finger, he stood and wrapped me in his massive frame.
I posed for a million pictures then took shots and turned up before eating.
After about an hour and a half, Darius stepped outside to take a call and when he came back in, I could tell by the tightness of his jaw that he was pissed.
He gave Azarius a slight head nod, and they stepped back outside.
I wasn’t too drunk to know that some shit had gone down.
My heart rate increased as I tried to continue to act normal.