Ghost
I spent the entire day working. By the time we made it to the house, all I wanted to do was climb in bed and hold Luxe for the rest of the night.
Luxe had other plans. She asked me to run out and grab something for her.
Claimed her period had come on, and she was out of period panties.
I wasn’t sure how those things worked, but I asked her to ride with me to get them, and she said that she didn’t want to because she didn’t want to bleed all over herself while she was out.
The store wasn’t too far from the house, so I could leave her at home for a few minutes.
She was safe and secure for the time being. What harm could it do?
“And make sure you grab the right ones. I sent you a picture to your phone. I know how you men can be when it comes to y’all going in the store,” she said from the bathroom.
“So you just gon’ sit in the bathroom ’til I make it back?”
“So I won’t make a mess anywhere. It’ll be fine. I’m sure you won’t be gone long. Go ahead.” She shooed me, and I left out the bedroom and headed for the door.
I stood there in the aisle at Walmart, searching for the panties that she sent me in there to get. It felt like I’d been standing there for years, trying to get the right things.
“Do you need help with something?” one of the workers asked when she passed.
“No.” I took one final look at the picture Luxe sent me and grabbed the panties off the shelf. This was my first time ever having to buy something of this sort before. I just wanted to hurry up and get out of the store.
It seemed as if everyone wanted to look at me when I passed like they just knew what I was in here doing. I stopped at self-checkout and waited my turn.
“My daughter loves those,” a woman said, gaining my attention.
“Excuse me?”
She pointed at the panties in my hand. “Those.” She snickered.
“Buying them for my girlfriend.”
That sounded weird leaving my lips, especially knowing that Luxe didn’t want to tell anyone about us. It was like she was ashamed of my age or something.
“That’s sweet.”
“Next!” the associate called out, and it was me.
I stepped to self-checkout and rang the panties up and then paid for them.
As I was leaving the store, the thought of getting her some of her favorite snacks and stuff crossed my mind.
There was a gas station in my parking lot, so I drove up there and grabbed her some stuff.
I didn’t know much about periods, but I did know that some women craved certain stuff during that time.
I knew something was up the moment I opened my apartment door.
For starters, the lights were off, which meant Luxe hadn’t stayed in the bathroom like she proclaimed.
It wasn’t completely dark in there. A warm, golden glow stretched across my hardwood floors, coming from a shitload of little candles scattered throughout my living room.
I stopped in the doorway with the Walmart bags hanging from my fingers. “What the fuck?”
I’d been gone forty-five minutes. All because Luxe had sent me on a got damn scavenger hunt for period panties.
Not pads or tampons like a normal person.
Period. Fucking. Panties. Apparently, there was a difference between the black box and the purple one.
I’d learned that after standing in the feminine care aisle for fifteen minutes, staring at a wall of products like I was trying to defuse a bomb.
Now, standing in my doorway, I was starting to think the whole shit had been a setup.
I stepped inside, kicked the door shut, and took another look around.
Lil battery-operated candles lined the entertainment center, coffee table, and kitchen counter.
Black-and-gold balloons floated near the ceiling.
A banner hung crookedly across the wall.
Happy Birthday Ghost!
Wasn’t no way Luxe did all of this by herself in the short time I was gone. Somebody came in and helped her.
I stared at the banner then the balloons and then looked at the bags in my hands. “Man, what the fuck?”
“Surprise!”
My head snapped toward the hallway. Luxe stood there wearing one of my black T-shirts, her hair falling around her shoulders, and the prettiest fucking smile I’d ever seen. She lifted both hands, wiggling her fingers at me like she’d just pulled off the greatest heist in American history.
I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even think of a smart-ass remark. I just stood there, looking at her. She’d found out. Somehow, this nosy-ass woman had found out.
“How the hell you know it’s my birthday?”
Her smile widened.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yeah, actually. That’s why the fuck I asked.”
She laughed. I dropped my keys into the bowl by the door and slowly walked farther inside, taking everything in.
There were framed pictures of us sitting on the entertainment center.
One from the night we’d gone to dinner. Another she’d taken when I was asleep on the couch, her face pressed against mine while she threw up the peace sign.
That sneaky lil shit.
There was a cake on the kitchen island, too, with black frosting, gold lettering, and a miniature version of a Glock sitting on top. I walked over to it.
Happy birthday to my favorite problem.
A laughed escaped my lips. “Problem?”
She came up beside me, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
“Would you prefer pain in my ass?”
“Depends. You got a cake for that one too?”
She rolled her eyes, and I looked around again. “Babe, you did all this while I was gone?”
She nodded. I couldn’t believe she had pulled off something like this. No one had ever done anything like this for me before. I hadn’t celebrated my birthday in years, which was why I hadn’t even mentioned it. The shit was just another day for me, for real.
My mama called every year. Savion usually sent some smart-ass message. A couple of the guys might buy me a drink if they remembered. That was enough. I’d never needed balloons, candles, or a cake with my fucking name on it. At least, that was what I’d always told myself. Luxe reached for the bags.
“Did you get my panties?”
I looked at her, and she just stared back and then burst out laughing.
“Oh, you think this shit funny, huh?”
She nodded so hard her hair bounced.
I held the bags above her head when she tried to grab them.
“You sent me to three different stores!”
Her laughter grew louder.
“Three, Luxe!”
She signed, “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t look sorry.”
“Because I ain’t really sorry.”
I shook my head, fighting a smile.
“You’re a fucking menace and got the nerves to talk about me.”
She finally managed to snatch the bags from me.
“And you’re welcome.”
I caught her wrist before she could walk away. “C’mere.”
She turned, and I pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my face in her neck. For a minute, nothing left my lips. She didn’t speak either. Her arms slowly circled my shoulders. I kissed the side of her neck.
“Thank you, babe.”
Her fingers moved against my back. I pulled away just enough to see her face.
“You’re welcome.”
My lips caressed her forehead, then nose, then mouth. She smiled against my lips.
“Happy birthday, Ghost.”
I rested my forehead against hers.
“Best one I’ve had in a long fucking time.”
Her expression changed. Luxe cupped my face and said, “Well, it’s not over yet.”
My brow raised because now I was interested.
“Don’t start,” she said and stepped out of my arms.
“I ain’t say shit.”
“Your face did.”
“My face always look like this.”
“Unfortunately.” She took me by the hand. “C’mon. I have something for you.”
She glided me and said, “Close your eyes.”
“No.”
“Ghost.”
“Luxe.”
Stopping, she planted her hands on her hips. I folded my arms. We mugged each other. She pointed at my face, not even budging.
“Close your eyes. You’re going to ruin the surprise.”
“Bossy as fuck.”
“And yet, here you are.” She playfully rolled her eyes, and I closed mine.
Something rustled in front of me. A drawer opened, then closed. I heard her moving around, followed by the sound of something heavy being placed on the coffee table.
“Don’t peek.”
“I ain’t fucking peeking.”
“Your left eye is twitching.”
“That’s because you’re getting on my nerves.”
She laughed. A few seconds later, her hands settled on mine.
“Okay, open.”
My eyes opened, and the air left my lungs. A black presentation case sat on the coffee table. My name was engraved across the top. Not Ghost. My actual fucking name. I stared over at her. She was grinning from ear to ear.
“Open it.”
I sat down slowly. The case had some weight to it when I pulled it closer.
I released the latches and lifted the lid.
A custom pistol. Not some off-the-shelf piece she’d picked up because she knew I liked guns.
The mufucka was beautiful. Matte-black finish.
Deep burgundy accents. Custom grips. My initials engraved along the side and tucked into the lid was a small plaque.
For the man who makes me feel safe.
My body went rigid. Completely fucking still. For a long moment, I didn’t even touch the gun. I just stared at the plaque and then turned my attention to Luxe. She was watching carefully. That excited smile she’d had a second ago was starting to slip.
“Do you like it?”
I looked back down.
“Babe . . .”
She shifted her weight.
“I know you collect them, and I remember you showing me that one you wanted. I couldn’t get the exact same one customized the way I wanted, so I had someone help me put this together. And before you start fussing, yes, I made sure everything was done legally.”
I barely heard the last part. My eyes were still on those words.
For the man who makes me feel safe.
She’d been through enough shit to make anybody afraid of their own fucking shadow. And she’d written that about me.
“Ghost?”
I closed the case, not because I didn’t like what was inside. But because if I kept looking at that plaque, I was liable to embarrass the fuck out of myself.
I reached for her.
“C’mere, Luxe.”
She stepped between my knees. I wrapped my arms around her hips and pressed my forehead against her stomach. She went quiet. Her fingers circled my hair. I held her tighter.
“Nobody ever did no shit like this for me.”
Her hand stopped moving. I exhaled.
“I mean, my mama always made sure I had something growing up, but this?” I shook my head. “You went out your way to do all this shit, and I ain’t even tell you what today was.”
She gently lifted my chin. I looked up at her.
“You shouldn’t have to ask somebody to celebrate you.”
Fuck.
I looked away. She touched my cheek.
“Look at me.” I did, and her eyes softened. “I’m glad you were born.”
My jaw tightened. She smiled.
“Even if you get on my damn nerves.”
A laugh broke out of me before I could stop it. “There she go.”
She leaned down and intertwined our lips. I pulled her into my lap, holding her there as I kissed her again.
“Thank you.”