His words were so sweet but then they gave me pause and I needed him to clarify one thing. “Are you calling me your magical negro?”
“Tiana…Jesus Christ, no!” He looked frustrated again before he dropped to one knee and for the second time in my entire life, my mind was blank.
“Wait, what are you doing? You’re too young for your knees to be giving out on you like this.”
“Princess Tiana, my knees didn’t give out but I swear my heart will if you don’t let me get this out.”
Wait… “Parker—”
He shook his head and continued on with what he’d planned to say. “Love isn’t something that I was taught to look for in a partner. I was taught to value only the superficial, which was against everything my soul craved. What I feel for you is something that I know hasn’t existed in my bloodline for at least a hundred years. I’ve always wanted to break generational curses and be a better man than the ones I grew up with and were related to. And I succeeded in that financially and philanthropically. But meeting you showed me that I could do more than that. I could be a better partner, husband and one day father if given the chance.” He pulled out a box that seemed too large to hold a ring, despite all his professions of love. I swore if he had a friendship bracelet in this box I was going to cuss him out after he put it on. Cause I might be mad but I wasn’t dumb.
He held the box in his hand before he took mine and took a deep breath. “Tiana, will you marry me?”
My knees now felt like the ones that were going to give out. And when he flipped open the box and let me see what was inside I almost screamed.
“SHUT UP!”
My hands went to my face partly from embarrassment and even more so from shock. I could see there was a reason the box was so damn big. The ring inside the box was enormous. So large that I was sure a standard ring box wouldn’t have held it. I didn’t know anything about diamonds besides the fact that Stew hadgiven my cousin one that was absolutely stunning. But this ring, even in the moonlight, sparkled as brightly as the stars above.
“Baby, don’t cry. I can handle anything else but you crying.” I didn’t even realize that I was crying but when I looked at him, he looked blurry and I knew it wasn’t because of my astigmatism.
“You want to marry me?”
His blurry form nodded and I cried harder. “Yes. I want to wake up every morning like I have since you’ve been spending the night. With a smile on my face and my dick nestled in between your booty.”
My head flew back as I cackled laughing thinking about the first time he ever said that word. “I’m so glad you were quick to break the habit of calling it a cock.” I gagged even saying that word cause it was so fucking gross.
“Baby, when you told me that I wouldn’t be allowed back inside of you calling it that, that word evaporated from my vocabulary.” He was being serious but I had to laugh at the memory of the moment.
Mid-stroke he’d said something aboutcumming on his cockand despite the euphoric state I’d been in, he immediately got taught a lesson in the quickest way to dry up a Black woman’s pussy. Instead of getting mad he got down on his knees to get me right and that was probably the moment I knew I was a goner.
“And we stan a man who has no problem with taking direction.”
“Enough to marry him?” He seemed nervous to ask but I had to press him slightly.
“Are you sure?”
“Tay, I had the ring made. Not just made but I had them searching for almost eleven months for this diamond. I talked to your mother and father. I have a photographer out here witnessing the fact that you’ve got me on my knees begging—”
My brow arched thoughtfully, “I haven’t heard you be—”
“Please, baby. Please be my wife.” He didn’t give me a chance to say anything else, just took the diamond mountain he was trying to say was a ring and slid it on my finger. He didn’t hesitate and the ring slid on as smooth as butter, which let me know he’d planned this to a T.
I looked down at my hand and the ring’s facets were throwing out sparks despite it being nighttime. I went with my initial reaction and screamed so loud before giving him a kiss and then turning to the house.
“RACHELLE! MAMA! DADDY!” I went right through the same patio doors and stood in the space between the kitchen and the den.
“Tiana, why are you waking up my baby?” Stew was the first one stomping out of the kitchen and Rachelle was giving me the stank eye from the sofa. Stew must’ve given him back to Ray so that he could finish cooking. I didn’t bother to close the door that led to the backyard before I started waving my finger in the air and doing high kicks the way I had when I was in high school. TheDesperado Divasmight have a new team member because I could definitely give them a run for their money right now.
Thankfully, Dougie didn’t stir even when his mama sat up to look at me like she was about to put me out of her house. My daddy came in behind my mama followed by my auntie and uncle. I was still just jumping up and down because I couldn’t believe this was real.
“You said yes?!” My mama’s eyes were dancing and I knew she was excited to see the ring on my finger. But her words stopped me cold. She had an apron tied around her waist and her hair was pulled up into a bun. She was like looking into the future since we looked so much alike only she was old school and kept her hair pressed weekly.
“Oh! OH NO!” I turned around and ran back out through the patio doors without saying anything because I hadn’t ever givenhim an answer. Parker was now standing there with his hand slid into the joggers he’d changed into after the game. He had a calm look and a smile on his face like he knew I’d be coming right back out.
Damn him for knowing me so well.
“You forget something?”
