Before she could fully curse Antonio out, movement caught Jackie’s eye. Mya was motioning wildly in her direction. That meant Gideon was here. It was time to get this surprise proposal popping.
“If you’ll excuse me.” Jackie ran a hand through her short-cropped hair. “I have something I need to handle. In the meantime, don’t drink all my liquor. Don’t hit on any women here, especially my friends. And if I catch you eating my baked beans, I’ll throw the entire pan on that cream linen suit of yours. Looking like a tired ass uncle at the cookout!”
Jackie threw up her middle finger as she walked away. She heard Antonio yelling after her, “Hey! This is an Off-White original!”
After greeting Gideon and Tanika, Jackie made her way to the DJ booth on stage. She smoothed down her denim jumpsuit, tapping the mic a few times to get everyone’s attention before speaking.
“Hey y’all! Thanks for coming to my annual backyard jam. I appreciate all my clients, family, and friends who made it out. Including Uncle Roydell, who is trying to hoard all the Hennessy White. I see you Unc! You ain’t slick.”
Uncle Roydell held up his very full glass of liquor and nodded. As Jackie laughed, her eyes landed on Antonio once again. He was staring at her, smiling with those deep dimples and perfect teeth. His lips were so full, with just a hint of pink. Jesus, those lips. Lips that she’d been intimately familiar with, but that was ages ago—
Jackie shifted nervously as she tried to regain her composure. “Anyway, I hope you all have a drink in your hand because I want to give a toast. I don’t normally do this, but I feel like it’s only right. I want to toast my amazing cousin, Dr. Gideon Miles, who just returned home from six months in Central America with Vision Without Borders, providing vision care to thousands of people who otherwise would be without. I’d also like to toast Gideon’s girl, my brilliant best friend, Tanika Ryan, who, along with the efforts of WWSN, raised over a million dollars on behalf of the late Lauren Miles. Please raise a glass on behalf of my cousin and my bestie!” Glasses began to clink all around, which Jackie took as her cue to get off stage. She didn’t like the fact that Antonio was boring a hole into her soul with his stare. Realizing she was still gripping the mic, she pointed in Gideon’s direction. “I’m turning it over to my cousin now. He has some words he wants to say.”
Jackie passed the mic to Gideon and hurried to grab a glass of champagne, readying herself for the proposal. She had no idea why she was so anxious. Maybe because she knew just how far Gideon and Tanika had come, and she needed this moment to be perfect for them. Searching for comfort, Jackie beckoned PeeWee her way, scooping the hefty pup into her arms, nuzzling her nose at his collar. PeeWee was the perfect emotional support animal, but before Jackie could fully relax into the hit of doggy dopamine, she felt the presence of someone standing close to her. She didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was. She could smell him.
“Nice speech, Miles,” whispered Antonio. “Didn’t know you could be so sentimental.”
“Please,” admonished Jackie. “I’m trying to watch my cousin propose to my best friend, and you are ruining the moment.”
“My bad. Sorry.” Antonio said softly. But then he leaned in closer. “You smell incredible. New fragrance?”
Itwasa new perfume, but Jackie wouldn’t dare tell Antonio. For what? So he could buy it for one of his many sugar babies or groupies-of-the-week?
“It’s PeeWee’s dog shampoo. You want the name of it, for your bitches?” Jackie rolled her eyes. PeeWee let out a slight whimper as she hoisted him tighter in her arms.
Antonio sighed, and Jackie felt the low sound of it in her belly. She did not like the effect this man had on her.
“What makes you think I got bitches?” he asked. “I don’t deal with bitches.”
“Not anymore,” mumbled Jackie.
“I know you aren’t calling yourself a bitch, Jackie.”
Jackie swiftly turned to face him. “Who said anything about me?”
Antonio’s face immediately softened. “Jacqueline, please. You don’t know the whole story.”
At that moment, Mya flew past Jackie, carrying a box and handing it to Gideon just as he dropped to one knee. Jackie let out a breath. Saved by the engagement! Thank goodness, because Jackie didn’t know how long she could handle being near Antonio without punching him in the face.
Without saying a word, Jackie left Antonio’s side and joined her friends, who were gathered near the beaming couple. Tears formed in Jackie’s eyes as she watched Gideon pour his heart out and a weepy Tanika accept his sneaker-themed proposal. The engagement fit their personalities perfectly.
Sneakers were not Jackie’s thing. She lived in designer heels that took her from short to at least medium height—and besides, if she was going to receive a gift from a suitor, she preferred diamonds or cash. Single life suited Jackie just fine, though. She had her girls and PeeWee. They never let her down, unlike the men and women she’d dealt with in the past.
Fully crying now, Jackie extended her congratulations to the happy couple. Realizing she was squeezing PeeWee so hard she might cut off his circulation, Jackie kissed her pooch on his head and let him down. She watched him wander toward his air-conditioned doghouse and let out a sigh, relieved she didn’t have to keep the proposal secret anymore. Jackie hated keeping big secrets from her friends She glanced at Antonio.Although…
After Tanika finally looked inside the sneakers and found her engagement ring, the crew headed to the dance floor to celebrate. Tanika stayed hugged up on Gideon in a blissful daze.
As Jackie was hitting her second spin on the electric slide, Bronwyn moved in next to her, giving her major side eye.
“What is it?” asked Jackie. “Why are you looking at me like I accidentally fed you a chicken leg?”
“So, what’s the deal with you and Antonio?”
Jackie rolled her eyes as she moved her feet in time. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Sliding up to her, Mya bumped Jackie with her hip. “Spill it, girl. Something is up with you and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dimpled.”
Jackie huffed as she moved her hips to the music. “That is a discussion for another day over mimosas…lotsof them. Bottomless. Right now, we are celebrating Tanika and Gideon. Where are they, anyway?”
