Page 6 of Allure

“Don’t you got your own business to be concerned with, Alexis? And also, if I am proposing to someone, that would be what I’m going to do. I don’t need permission from a damn soul but God.”

Alexis groaned and Matthew chuckled beside her. He knew as well as I did, I didn’t give a damn. I never had. The only reason I allowed my father to think he was running something for as long as he did was because, at that point in my life, our dreams aligned. Now, they didn’t and I was going to follow where I wanted to be.

“You’re so hardheaded, man. But, I’m not going to tell you a thing. You will find out on your own,” she said.

“And will,” I responded, still invested in my task at hand.

I came upon a two-carat diamond ring in the unique shape of a rose, with white and rose gold covered in diamonds around the band. I clicked it and turned my screen so Alexis could take a good look at it.

“You like this?” I asked.

“Wow, this is beyond beautiful. Only a unique woman could see the true beauty in this,” she responded.

I knew right then this was the ring. I screenshot it and sent it over to my jeweler with a few changes and additions. Alexis placed her hands over my screen, causing me to look up at her.

“What is going on, Niko? I am used to your usual rebellious behavior, but this doesn’t feel like that. Are you going through an early mid-life crisis?” she asked.

I saw the concern all over her face, so I locked my screen and released a breath to give her my undivided attention.

“I’m cool. To be honest, this is the clearest my mind has ever been. I am ready for my life to mean more than just football. I want more out of life. I am ready to have someone to share this shit with. What’s the purpose of being rich as fuck, only to be alone and have no one to share it with? I want more than that and I am going to get it.” I left it at that as the doorbell rang.

I stood, stopping my chef from leaving the kitchen. I continued to the front and my brother Kole was outside with my parents not too far in step behind him. He dapped me up and stepped around me. I waited with the door open for my parents to make it to the door. My dad looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, but my mother was over the moon if the smile on her face was any evidence of that.

I leaned down to wrap my arms around her and kissed her cheek. Nodding at my father as he closed the door behind himself, he followed us into the living room. Kole and Alexis were whispering until we made it into the room fully. I knew Alexis was telling him about her suspicions of what I planned to do.

Kole’s eyes widened as a Cheshire grin spread across his face. He spread his arms against the back of the couch and spread his legs, getting comfortable. I swear he got on my fucking nerves. He was always looking for something to go down. I led my mother to another chair in the room, then went into the kitchen to check on the food. I wanted to make sure my family had eaten before I essentially ruined their meal.

“How is everything coming along, Jerrod?” I asked.

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll have everyone plated. You can lead everyone into your dining room. I’ll be right behind you,” he responded.

I nodded and jogged back into the living room.

“If everyone is ready, let’s head to the dining room and I’ll help Jerrod bring out the food,” I told my family.

They nodded and made their way toward the dining room. I turned to meet Jerrod in the kitchen. He handed me a few plates and grabbed the rest. It wasn’t long before everyone was served and he filled each glass with wine or whatever choice of beverage each of us wanted.

He left to head back into the kitchen to get dessert finished and to clean the kitchen back up. Once I took my seat, I didn’t waste a second before digging into the steak with mashed potatoes, and a side of baked macaroni with four different cheeses. He was the best chef in the area, if you asked me, and I used his services often whenever I wanted to feel like I was eating out in my own house.

We all ate, having small talk every now and again before my father cleared his throat. He placed his utensils to the side and glared at me from across the table.

“Enough. What did you call us here for, Niko? If it isn’t to tell us you had a lapse in judgment when you rejected that contract and you’re going back to the league, I don’t see the point,” he said.

I chuckled and forked up another bite of my potatoes before setting my silverware to the side. My mother reached over to stop him. But I was cool with getting to the point of why they were here. I just didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s meal earlier than it could have been.

I looked over at Alexis, who was trying her best not to look at either my father or me. But not Kole. He was for all the damn smoke, ready for shit to get out of hand.

“It’s funny that you can’t enjoy a meal with your son without thinking I made a mistake. I didn’t have a lapse in judgment. I am clearer than I have ever been. I actually invited you all over here for something completely different and more important, if you ask me,” I responded.

My mother then turned her attention from my father back to me. Alexis’s head shot up and shook slightly to tell me not to do it. I ignored her and returned my attention to my father, who was practically burning a hole through me with his eyes.

“I wanted to invite you all to my wedding. I am getting married on Saturday?—”

Before I could finish, my father shot up from where he had been seated. He slammed his fist into the table, causing the dishes to rattle. That shit would have shaken me as a child, but as a grown man, it didn’t have the same effect.

“What did you just say?” he asked.

I leaned back into my seat with a smirk, then dragged my hand down my face before repeating myself.

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