Page 62 of Made to Love Ya

“No, baby. We’re right on time. Come on.”

We settled in, and shortly after receiving our champagne, we were served herb buttermilk southern fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, corn on the cob, green beans, and garlic butter mashed potatoes. With the good food, great company of the other couple at our table, and the jazz band playing, I felt so satiated that I didn’t think I’d be able to paint.

“Look at you. I forgot you knew how to draw,” I gushed as I leaned over and looked at Izael’s canvas toward the end of the session.

In the hour and a half that we had been painting, I’d barely managed to finish painting my pre-drawn scenery, and he had created one from scratch. I had focused so intently on applying the right colors to the chocolates and champagne and filling in the intricate lines of the roses that I hadn’t bothered to look at what anyone else was doing.

“Ahh, I do a little sum’n, sum’n,” Izael muttered as he put the finishing touches on his painting. He drew a bowl of chocolate roses with strawberries inside of them and two glasses of champagne, one with lipstick. They were on a large silver platter beside a pool.

“That looks good, bro,” Marlon, the other man at the table complimented.

“Thanks, bro. But not half as good as what your wife did,” Izael replied.

Sonya, Marlon’s wife, had gone all out and created an entire setting. She painted a room with a fireplace in the background, a charcuterie board lying in front of the fireplace, and two glasses of half-full champagne. Two droplets spilled from a champagne bottle laying on the floor just a little out of the scene.

“She loves this shit, man,” Marlon confessed.

“You need to quit selling insurance and sell your paintings,” I interjected.

Sonya’s eyes sparkled. “We’re working on that now.”

“Good luck to you with that.”

We made a little more small talk before the evening was over and Izael was driving me home.

“You sure you don’t want to come up for a nightcap?” I asked.

I was definitely feeling horny after all the champagne that I drunk and the romantic evening I enjoyed.

“No, baby. What I’m going to do is walk you up, see you safely inside, and give you a kiss that will leave you begging for more. But we’re going to do this. We’ve got this. Ours is the stuff that dream relationships are made of, and I’m determined to give us our best shot.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet.”

He kissed my lips again before he came around to my side of the car and helped me up. True to his word, Izael checked my house, walked back to the door, and left me with a kiss that had my panties wet.

“Good night, baby.”

“Good night, Zae.”

“I’ll call you when I get in the car.”

“Okay.”

It was our custom to talk on the phone until he arrived safely back at his place. Sometimes, the conversations went a little longer, but mostly I would fall asleep, and he would end the call.

My heart danced in my chest. He was right. Our relationship was the stuff that dreams were made of. I was thankful after all the losers, God had blessed me with the man of my dreams, and he was placing a new dream in my heart every single day.

TALIA

“This is so cute, Zae.”

“What’s that, babe?” Izael asked as he helped me out of the car.

“Our first friends’ date night together. I wish that Tahj had come.”

“Your brother ain’t quite ready to see us like this yet. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s coming around but that nigga?—”

“I think you’re gonna have to eat your words, bae.”

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