It was extremely bad when we were in a business meeting with others. My man commanded every room he entered. It was like he pulled all of the air out of a room when he walked in. If there was chatter before he entered, it stopped once he was there. That alone kept my panties wet.
“Pressie, come get in the shower with me,” Robert demanded. He smacked me hard on my ass before he got out of the bed. “Hurry up so we can get to Day and Sim’s house.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. The packages that I ordered for my grand boy came yesterday. I couldn’t wait to see how the outfits looked on him.
Robert had been acting weird from the moment we got into his truck. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with him. “Baby, are you alright?”
His hand that rested on my thigh tightened. “Yeah, I’m good, baby. I was thinking about a meeting I have next week.”
“It must be a hell of a meeting if you’re thinking about it outside of the office. That’s not like you. Is there anything that you need me to do?” I offered.
Our positions were stressful by nature. If there was anything that I could do to help alleviate his stress, then I would. He had proven that he would do the same for me. We were each other’s stress reliever. Now that we were in a relationship, we had discussions on how to make sure our demarcation line between our connection as colleagues and our connection as lovers was solid and understood.
He took his eyes off the road for a quick second to put them on me. “No, love. I got it. If I need you, I’ll make sure I let you know in enough time. Thank you.”
The rest of the ride to Sim and Day’s house was filled with baby talk and talk about his impending fraternity conference. The pride that sat on Robert’s chest about his grandson was strong. The company made an announcement on its social media congratulating him.
Robert and I were still a topic of discussion on corporate social media and certain syndicated shows when it came to our romantic relationship. There were people on both sides of the fence about it. The race card was brought up because, at the end of the day, had we been white, it would not have been that big of a story.
“Why does it look like everyone is here?” I asked myself more than Robert when we pulled into the gates of Sim and Day’s property. “Did I miss something?”
Robert glanced at me. “Baby, it’s a nice day on a weekend. It’s a prime day for Black people to cook out. Let me find out you’ve been too far removed from how country people do it, Madam President.”
I pushed his shoulder with a giggle. “Shut up!” My eyes lit up at the sight of my mama and daddy’s car. “Oh, Mama and Daddy are here. I hope Mama made some potato salad.”
Robert shook his head before he got out and walked around the truck to open my door. “I’m sure she did, baby. Come on.”
Rissa opened the front door. “Hey, y’all. We’re all on the back deck.”
After I kissed her cheek, I told her that I was going to wash my hands so that I could pick my baby right up when I got outside. Day and Sim’s house was massive. I was so proud of how well she was doing as a new mommy. I spent the night the first night she was home, Joy spent the next night, and I honestly think my mama and daddy have been here since.
We were a family of love, and we had a lot of it to give. Rissa, Sim, Daylen, and even Rashad’s unruly ass would have it all to soak up. I washed my hands as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
I could smell the food the closer I got to the back of the house. Their deck was the things that Chip and Joanne dreamed of. Yeah, it was a great day for a cookout, and clearly, everyoneelse knew it too. The deck was filled with our family and friends. “Mrs. Jackie, what you doing here?”
“Lil girl, you only have to call me and my husband once to invite us to a cookout that we don’t have to bring anything to. We will always be on the way.” She pulled me into a big hug. “Girl, you should have been introduced me to your mama. I got a new bingo partner.
I rolled my eyes because Julie Sampson was serious about her bingo. I learned how to play bingo at the tender age of six. When I was old enough, I went with her to the halls. It was nothing for her to win big.
“Well, I’m happy I could do that for you. Now, where is my grandbaby?” My eyes roamed the deck until they found Simonette on the oversized chaise holding DJ.
I walked over and sat down next to her. My hand went to her hair, and I rubbed it. “How are you, baby girl? You look tired.”
She gave me a faint smile. “I’m a little tired, but I’m alright. You look nice.”
“Thank you.” I stared at her. “You need to go take a nap. You don’t have to be out here with all of us. We got the baby.”
“Ma Ju, I told her that, but she refused to keep her ass upstairs. I’m about to take her upstairs in a minute, and we’re both going to take a nap,” Daylen fussed. I knew that was code for he would stay with her until she fell asleep.
“Give me my grandbaby.”’ I reached for DJ. Sim pulled him back slightly. She told me to look at the shirt that her daddy bought him. I glanced at my man with a smile because he talked shit about my shopping for the baby. Here he was buying things too.
I nodded, then took the baby out of her arms. I sat back on the chaise to bring my knees up to place DJ on my legs. “Let’s see what you got on, DJ. Your lil handsome self. You look just like your daddy.”
I was completely zoned in on him. These new babies were different. He was a little over a week old and was more alert than a newly high crackhead. I unwrapped him so that I could better see what he had on. “What is this, DJ?”
My face drew back with confusion for a split second before my head popped up to look across the deck at Robert. The only thing was that he was no longer across the deck. I didn’t hear him approach me. Now he was kneeled next to me with an opened ring box in his hand. I looked back down at the shirt that DJ wore.Glammie, will you marry GramPa?
“So, what do you say, Pressie? That elevator door opened, and I knew that you would be my end all on a business and personal level. Everything happens for a reason. I never thought that my pursuit to find a president would end with me finding the woman that I want to marry and be my forever. Will you marry me?” Robert asked.
