Page 46 of Off the Charts
“Wow,” was all I could say.
He flashed a smile then licked his lips. He talked about me bouncing my leg, but any time Vayce got nervous, he licked his lips, and it was the cutest thing. “I hope this doesn’t feel selfish since I brought you to my crib. I made us reservations for dinner but had no energy for a nigga to be constantly asking if we needed a refill or hearing somebody ugly ass, crying ass baby.” I chuckled seeing that he was irritated at the thought alone. “So, I did this at the last minute. If you not fucking with it, I can push through that shit and ma?—”
I placed a hand on his cheek. “Vayce, this is beyond perfect. I love intimacy and thoughtfulness. You hit the nail on the head. Thank you so much.”
He studied my face for a minute then sighed. “Aight. You’re welcome, J.”
Kicking my shoes off, I stepped onto the blanket, loving the feeling of the plush material. He helped me sit then placed a kiss on my forehead.
“You straight?” I nodded. “I’ma go get the food.”
“Can you get the wine out of my bag too?”
He nodded and jogged into the house. While I waited, I took pictures of every detail down to the tea candles around me. I was floating. The sun was setting on our way to the house, so the ambience was perfect. I opened the card addressed to me.
J,
Stars represent hope, guidance, and new beginnings. Each of these, you’ve provided for me, and I pray that as time continues, you will start to notice them within yourself. I don’t think you realize how bright you shine so tonight will serve as a refresher. When you look up, I hope you are reminded how one light can illuminate the world and that’s how you make a nigga feel, J. So…cheers to being loved, catered to, fucked good, and treated in ways you didn’t know existed.
-Vayce
I held the card to my chest as if keeping it there would help the words transfer onto my heart.Wow. I hated using the word perfect but was it okay to say that Vayce lacked many flaws?Waiting for a man like him made every tear and heartbreak of the past worth it.
In the distance, the door opened and closed. I quickly swiped the tears from my eyes just as he returned with a black bag as well as the wine. He settled on the blanket, laying out the food.
“The card was beautiful. I can’t thank you enough for all of this.”
“It’s from here,” he tapped his chest. “You’re welcome, J.”
I was about to pour the wine, but he took my hand and placed it back on my lap.
“I got this,” he mumbled.
I laughed, letting him do this thing. Along with the three-course dinner from Ashwood Prime, he had a charcuterie board with a side of wings. Everything looked amazing. When my stomach growled, I knew saving my cheat day was the right move.
“Let’s bless the food,” he reached for my hands. We interlocked fingers and bowed our heads. “Heavenly Father, thank You for being able to come before You. Thank You for the meal we are preparing to receive and for the love You give us. Allow us to have a beautiful night and thank You again for giving me J.” My breathing caught at the mention of my name. “Amen.”
“Amen,” I opened my eyes. “Again?” I repeated.
“Again,” he forked some of my salad. “I’ve thanked Him for you every day since the evening we spent in the garden. I will continue until we’re old and gray up in the cabins sitting in those same rocking chairs, we sat in almost every night this summer. That was the start of our forever.”
I stared at him in awe for a minute. Vayce’s tone was always like he hadn’t said anything or as if his words meant nothing when they meant everything to me. I didn’t have the words to respond because my heart was fluttering out of my chest. I knewhe meant it because he showed it past his actions and in how he prioritized everything regarding me.
“Here, mama. It’s smoked. I order this for lunch a lot,” he held the fork to my lips. “Open your mouth.”
I blinked myself out of the daze and accepted the food. As I chewed, I was shocked at the flavor. “Mm. That shit is good. How the hell did they learn they can smoke a salad?”
“Told you,” Vayce smiled. “And you know niggas will fry anything or throw whatever on the grill just ‘cause we can.”
We shared a laugh. Outside of the music playing on his record player, we ate in silence. I didn’t eat beef or pork, so while he dug into his steak, I fucked up the wings from The Chicken Hut with my Caesar salad and a yeast roll.
Once we finished eating, Vayce turned onJason’s Lyric. He sat with his legs in front of him and I stretched out on his lap. He told me a few weeks back that this was his favorite movie and after finding out I hadn’t seen it, he judged me so hard. So far, it was pretty decent, but we couldn’t stop running our mouths for me to truly watch it.
“I got Zion’s birthday gift and no I’m not telling you what it is,” he said, knowing damn well I was about to ask.
“Boooo. This nigga stinks.”
I told him about the conversation with Zy the other night and he thought it was the funniest shit.
