“They probably were. There’s a difference between boys that need to grow up and get off their mom’s tit and aman.” I almost spit out the water I was taking a sip of as she said that. I’d used that exact phrase in many arguments with Craig before, and it always pissed him off.
After we had gone through at least a dozen boxes, Kendi finally cried out in triumph, holding a cell phone in her fist as she pumped it into the air in victory.
“Yes!” she celebrated, handing the device over to me, “now can we get out of your creepy basement?”
“Hell yes,” I answered, helping her up off the ground and attempting to power the cell phone on. As I guessed, it was dead, just like every feeling of love I ever thought I carried for the man who owned it.
“What time is your date tonight?” She asked as I shut the basement door behind us, locking it for good measure.
I rarely ever ventured down there because it was like every stereotypical basement in a horror movie. Irrational fears tended to plague my mind when I went down there, from monsters hiding under the stairs waiting to grab my ankles through the open steps to shadows coming to life in the poorly lit room with hands like claws ready to shred me to pieces.
“In about an hour, I still need to shower and get ready.” She followed me up the stairs with Riley in tow, the antler still hanging from his maw.
“Go shower then, I’ll raid your closet and find you something to wear.” She smiled as she approached my walk-in closet.
I plugged the phone into the charger I kept next to the bed, planning to leave it there for the rest of the evening while I was out. Leaving the bathroom door open since it was on the far side of the hall, I hopped in the shower quickly, my hair clipped up in a giant black clip to prevent it from getting wet and unmanageable.
Kendis' voice was audible over the running water as she talked to Riley, asking his opinions on outfits. Lathering myself up in cherry blossom soap, I made quick work of getting clean and shaving my legs. The project of finding his old cell phone had taken much longer than I had anticipated, and I wanted to try my best to be presentable for our first official date.
After drying off, I grabbed my white robe from the back of the bathroom door and secured it around my waist. Three outfits were lying on my bed with Riley sitting expectantly next to them, obviously wanting to get up there with his antler. Kendi was still in my closet, looking through my shoes, when I entered.
“I think those are your best options,” she said, coming out with three pairs of shoes to match the outfits. Two of the pieces on the bed I had forgotten I even owned. Craig rarely took me out, and when he did, it was always last minute, so I never had the time to try to doll myself up.
The first outfit was a dark green sweater dress with matching brown boots and tights. Next, she paired a long-sleeved black dress with a pair of strappy black heels that I don’t even remember buying, nor could I remember the last time Ieven wore heels. Lastly was a long-sleeved red romper with a plunging V-neck and a pair of black flats. I had bought the romper for Valentines Day a few years back in hopes of wearing it to a nice dinner, but the dinner had never happened. It still had the tags on it.
“Red, definitely red,” I said, picking up the romper and going into the closet to slip it on.
The romper was worn without a bra; the back had a matching plunging neckline that made it impossible to wear anything underneath it. I slipped my necklace back on, never going anywhere without wearing it. Usually, the heart was hidden underneath my shirt, the chain long enough that it sat between my breasts. Tonight, it would be on full display with the outfit. The last gift my father ever gave me out for everyone to see.
“You’re stunning, Rae,” Kendi complimented me, bringing in the other two outfits to put them back where they belonged. “How were you going to do your makeup?”
“I’m not sure, I usually don't wear much, so I don't know how to do the more complicated looks.”
“You’re in luck, go sit in the bathroom and give me what you have.” She demanded, ushering me back into the hall while Riley jumped up on the now empty bed, commencing to chew on his antler.
I did as she asked while she put the clothes up, and pulled out all the makeup I owned. I hadn’t been kidding when I saidit wasn’t much, since I spent most of my time in scrubs and working. I never bothered to play around with it much.
Flipping on the vanity lights, I took a seat on the closed toilet lid, waiting for her. Even at the hospital, Kendi’s makeup was always on point, as best as it could be with what she was limited to having. She didn’t need it though; her skin was beautiful and flawless.
“Girl, we have got to go shopping sometime and update what you call makeup,” she laughed, looking at what I had to offer.
“It’s a date as long as you teach me how to do it,” I let her get to work, applying foundation and concealer on my skin before she started on my eyes. Her options were limited with what I had, luckily, with her artistic talent, she was able to create a beautiful smoky eye before applying red lipstick that matched my outfit.
She finished up about ten minutes before Daxton was supposed to arrive and said goodbye, promising to call me tomorrow after she had lunch with her parents. Other than Michelle, I had never had someone get ready for a date with me; it was a unique feeling, having a female companion, one I wanted to keep around for a long time.
Riley had just entered his crate with his antler as I locked him inside when the doorbell rang. I smiled to myself. When he said we were going to do a full official date, he must have meant it since he didn’t let himself in right away like he had developed the habit of doing. Grabbing my black cardigan off the back of the couch, I made my way into my entryway and opened the door.
Daxton was a sight to behold in pressed black slacks and a black button-up shirt, the top buttons undone and exposing the hard muscle beneath. His eyes widened as he took me in, lust filling his gaze as he handed me a bouquet of purple wild flowers. Tears threatened to fill my eyes as I realized he got me the exact ones that used to grow in my grandmother's flower beds, the same ones that I had inked on my flesh along my entire left arm.
“Thank you,” I said breathlessly. The thought that someone had put that much effort into such a small gesture squeezed my heart. Taking them from him, I let him in so I could place them in a vase with some water, quickly finding one from under my sink. I hadn’t had fresh flowers in my house in so long that I had almost forgotten the vase was there.
“You look so fucking beautiful, Rae,” He said as I placed the flowers in the center of my kitchen island.
Turning around, I found him gazing at me from the doorway, his eyes ranking up and down my body as he took in the fitted romper, hugging the curves of my thighs and the swells of my breasts. Slowly, I walked toward him, placing my hands against his firm stomach and tilting my head up.
Daxton took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed my lips gently.
“I’m half tempted to keep you home so no one else can see you like this.” He muttered, running a hand through my long hair that I leftloose.
