CHAPTER 47
TREY
July was Paula’s birthday.
Trey did not surprise her.
Mostly.
He asked what she wanted.
“A weekend where I make zero decisions.”
His eyebrow rose.
Anthony treated the ring search like a design commission and therefore became intolerable within twelve minutes.
Malcolm was more useful. Danielle was terrifyingly useful.
Trey listened to all of them and then returned to what he knew about Paula: she liked beauty, but she distrusted spectacle when spectacle tried to speak for her.
The ring needed to feel like her hand, not his ego.
“Careful.”
“Not like that.”
He smiled.
“Although…”
“Paula.”
She laughed.
“For real. I want you to plan it. All of it.”
“Explicit authorization?”
“Yes, counselor.”
“Budget?”
“Don’t insult me.”
“Preferences?”
“Warm. Water. Good food. No crowds.”
Trey planned.
A quiet resort.
Private villa.
Ocean.
Spa.
Reservations.
Transportation.
Everything handled.
This time the care landed exactly as intended because Paula had chosen it.
At the airport she handed him her passport.
“See?”
“What?”
“I can surrender logistics without surrendering citizenship.”
Trey laughed.
For four days Paula did almost nothing.
She read.
Slept.
Swam.
Ate fruit in bed.
Called Danielle once.
Ignored Nia twice.
Trey worked for exactly forty minutes before Paula closed his laptop.
“Gold weekend.”
“We’re not home.”
“Gold is a concept.”
He obeyed.
On her birthday night they ate outside near the water.
Paula wore white.
Trey looked at her too long.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You have a face.”
“I’m allowed.”
After dinner they walked barefoot along the shore.
Trey had no ring.
No hidden photographer.
No proposal.
Paula seemed almost surprised.
That pleased him.
Back at the villa she said, “I thought you might.”
“Propose?”
“Yes.”
“Disappointed?”
Paula thought.
“No.”
Trey nodded.
“Good.”
“Why good?”
“Because I want you expecting a life, not a production.”
Her eyes softened.
“Trey.”
“Happy birthday, PK.”
She kissed him.
The proposal could wait.
The certainty did not need spectacle to survive.