Page 101 of 10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace

“Heard you.”

As we inched near the Mona Lisa, I became nervous. I rubbed my hands as we came near, and she grew more excited to see that picture. The ring in my pocket felt like a weight as we got closer.

“Mavie, do you hear that?” She stopped and looked around.

I pretended like I didn’t hear her favorite song playing throughout the museum. “Nah, what you hear?”

“‘Fire and Desire’… you don’t hear it, Duke?”

He looked around and then nodded his head. “Yeah, I hear it. Boss, you don’t hear it?”

I smiled. “How they know this is your favorite song?”

We were in front of the Mona Lisa, and she didn’t give a damn. She was trying to get to the bottom of how they knew toplay this song. When she turned around to the manager, I pulled the ring out of my pocket and got down on one knee.

Something I just knew I would never do. Marriage was never in the cards for me, and even when Rah and Ghost told me that it was something that had to happen, the shit felt like a death sentence.

This didn’t feel like that.

I ain’t never felt lighter and surer of someone in my entire life. Loving and protecting her was my only job. Helping her accomplish her mental bucket list was all I cared about these days. Duke stood back, as we listened to her ramble to the manager about how much she loved the song.

“Stevie?”

She quickly turned around and then jumped back when she saw me on my knee. “Mavie, what are you doing?”

“Baby, what else it look like I’m doing.”

She slowly walked closer to me. “I mean, I know what you’re doing… but why are you on your knee doing it?”

I looked down at the box before staring up into her eyes. “You are what home feels like to me, Wonder. My house has never felt like home until you came. I wanted to ignore how I felt about you, but I couldn’t…. you wouldn’t allow me to. Always there with that smile on your face, being you. Baby, you are you without any apologies. You accept me and all that comes with me without judging me. Stevie, you are my safe place, and my biggest trigger. You see past Menace and see me in a way that I never let anyone else see me. You love me with all my flaws and shit because you love me. You are my home, and I want this with you forever. I want to smell yo’ pussy every time I need to calm down…I wanna eat that shit right now, too.”

“This fucking man,” I heard Duke laugh behind me while the director looked mortified by my choice of words.

“I want to hear you hum me to sleep while rubbing my beard every night. You got me fucked up, I can’t even sleep without you next to me now… this started out one way, but I want it to end another way… Stevie, will you spend forever with me… never leave me?”

Her face was soaked as she stood there, kneeling down in front of me. “Maverick Kojack Caselli,” she started.

I pulled away from her quickly. “Why the fuck do you keep making up names, Wanda? That ain’t even my middle name… I don’t have a middle name.”

She snorted while laughing through her tears, holding my face. “I want to make up names with you for the rest of my life. I want to love you and feel the love that you give me, Mitchell. I want to make your smoothies and separate your sauce from your chicken forever.” She kissed my lips as I pulled her into my arms and hugged her ass so tight.

I was so caught up that I forgot to put the ring on her finger. “The Eaton name was full of traditions and keepsakes. I bought this ring a few weeks ago because I want this ring to be passed down in our family… the Caselli family. I want this ring to be passed down for years… my pops said I made the right choice.”

“Did he?” She stared at the emerald cut twenty-four carat engagement ring. “This is beautiful, Mavie.”

I tossed the box to the side and slid the ring on her finger. I may or may have not sized her finger when she was sleep one night. “Don’t take this ring off, Wanda… I ain’t playing with you.”

She flashed the ring to the manager who smiled nervously. He was still on edge with the words I said, and the way I tossed that ring box. “Beautiful.”

“The ring or her?” I asked, and Wonder started to laugh.

“Stop, Mavie… what made you get me a ring?”

I got up from my knee and tried not to focus on the trillions of germs on my knees while I hugged her. “Didn’t like you walking around without one. I respect you not wanting a big wedding, but I would be damned if you don’t have a big ass rock on your finger.”

“And a new car maybe… so I can stop using yours.”

I kissed her lips. “My cars are yours, Wonder.”

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