Page 58 of In the Safety's Zone
“Thank you.” I moved to give her a tip but Anthony spoke up again.
“I already took care of it, Phro. She good.”
The lady was nodding as she stepped back with her hands up like I was about to assault her to give her some money. Laughing, I nodded and shut the door. I was excited to open whatever was in this box especially with the way he was grinning as he watched me carry it.
“What’s in here?”
“Open it up and see, my baybeeh.”
I swear he was turning up that accent because he knew it did something to me. I sat down the large box and saw it was addressed directly to me. I pulled the tab of the tape on the side and propped Anthony on the counter so he could watch me. Iglanced up every few seconds and his grin got wider as he sat there watching me.
“What?”
“Not much. I’m just watching you and your excitement is making me happy. That’s cool?”
“It is.” I looked down and saw a box inside the box that was wrapped with bright lavender paper. “All these boxes killing me, Ant.”
“Patience, my baybeeh, it’s worth the wait.”
He sounded too confident but I was eager to see what was inside. I got the wrapping opened and saw there were multiple gifts inside. He’d shipped me a large gift basket of items and I was speechless. There were custom lavender headphones with the initials AP blinged out on the side. I reached in and saw a lavender warm up jacket that had a set of Roman numerals on one sleeve and when I figured out what they were; I teared up. The numbers represented the date that we met. Nestled in the center was a black cylindrical velvet box that had me looking at him, wondering what was inside.
“What did you do?”
“I put a smile on my face and my baybeeh’s. You gone fault ya man for wanting to see you smile?”
“No. I’m not.”
His grin told me that was the answer he was looking for. “Good. Gone ‘head and open that shit up.”
I pulled out the box and carefully opened it up, and a gasp left my lips. “Anthony!”
I pulled out the necklace that was inside of the box and it was a diamond AP² on a white gold chain.
“Don’t get on me about sending you nothing, Aphrodite. A nigga wanted to be there for you even if it was just in spirit. That way you knew I was gone be with you no matter what.”
The sentiment had me crying yet again as I fastened the necklace around my neck. The necklace fell right in the hollow of my throat and I loved the closeness of it.
“All of this is so perfect, Anthony. Thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing my baybeeh. The first of many ways I’m gone spoil you ‘cause you deserve it.”
I wiped the tears that had fallen and nodded. “I’m so thankful I have you. I feel like…sometimes you’re the only person that’s really on my side.”
“You know that ain’t true. If you got me, you got all my people. You got Billy fa sho and she count for like ten muhfuckas by her damnself.”
I burst out laughing because he wasn’t wrong. “This is true. Did you know I was wearing purple tomorrow?”
“Nah I figured y’all had to wear tennis whites and shit so I got you that to wear while you warm up.”
I pinched my arm and grimaced while he burst out laughing. “What?”
“I keep telling you I’m real. You keep it real wit’ me you always gone get this side of me, Aphrodite. Ain’t no need to pinch yourself to feel that pain. Me and my man gone take care of you and my girl good the next time I see that pretty face.”
I nodded my head and smiled, hating that I needed to get off the phone. “I got a full schedule in the morning with interviews and such. But I’ll be sure to text you.”
“You handle your business, baybeeh, and I’ll be waiting for you when you done.”
ANTHONY
