Page 9 of Calculated Kisses with a Scorpio
“Mr. White, may I have a moment of your time?”
All eyes turned toward me, and for the first time in a long time, I was nervous.
He held eye contact then nodded.
“Sure. We can go to my man cave.” I stood and pushed my chair in. “We’ll be right back. Munchkin, it’s your turn to pick, so please don’t select no sappy mess.”
“Daddy, you’ll be sleep as soon as the opening credits start, so not too much on me, old man.”
Mr. White waved her off, then led me out of the kitchen and over to the sliding glass door that led to the backyard.
After removing our shoes, we went straight for the shed, and it was nice and had me ready to get something like it for my home. A seventy-five-inch television sat toward the back, and a sectional and recliner sat in the middle of the floor, and there was a gaming side with a pool table, dart board, and a poker table. It looked like a sweet getaway. My man cave was lacking in comparison, but that was because I worked more than I played.
As long as I had my television, my favorite beer, and sports highlights, I was good.
“What did you want to discuss, young man?” He offered me a beer, and I accepted.
“This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but how would you feel if I asked for your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
As if we were doing the mannequin challenge, he froze.
“I’m sorry, what? Didn’t you two just meet today?” Mr. White set his beer bottle down, so I did the same and watched as he folded his arms across his chest and glared at me. “My baby girl don’t keep secrets from me or her mother, and she’s never mentioned you. So, asking for her hand in marriage feels off. What aren’t you saying?”
I nodded and stuffed my hands in my pockets.
Talking about Diamonds & Moore business with an outsider was frowned upon, but in this case, it was necessary. There was something in me that woke up when Finley hit my radar. Then seeing her family dynamics be so close to mine, I knew I’d never experience that with anyone else. The fact that I hadn’t before, intwenty years of entertaining women, let me know I needed to act before I missed the opportunity. This was insane, but I took the time to explain everything I felt and why it was important to act before I left their home.
The more I spoke, the more his body relaxed, and my nerves eased up.
“I will admit, the timeline has me moving faster than I would normally, but?—”
He held up his hand.
“I get it, but it’s not up to me.” He smiled. “Munchkin is her own woman, so at the end of the day, the decision has to be hers to make. I will tell you that this last year hasn’t been kind, and thirty years is a long time, and starting things off with a friendship can potentially lead to more. You said you have ninety days to marry?” I nodded and so did he. “Okay. Finley can be impulsive but can be levelheaded as well, so tell her what you need, but follow it with you wanting to spend the first thirty days getting to know her. My baby girl deserves the world, and although you could fund it, . . . money means nothing to her. If you spend time getting to know Finley and everything that comes with her, then your next thirty years could last a lifetime.” He smiled. “If she agrees, then her mother and I will back you two, one hundred percent.”
“Thank you, sir.” We shook hands. “I’m actually going to say bye and head home so I can think of a few ways to speak with Finley. I don’t want to come off like a creep, especially after the wild day she had.”
He tossed his head back and laughed.
We walked out of the shed, back into the house, and into the living room where the movie was queued up, and I let everyone know I had to head out, but I didn’t miss the disappointment on Finley’s face. That had me smiling inside like a fat kid that wasabout to eat the last slice of cake. I tipped my head at her and left their house.
As soon as I got in my car, I called Von.
“Damn, bruh. Was about to send SWAT out to find you. You know you can’t just be going off grid like that. Did you forget dinner at your parents’ house was tonight? Who lives over on Hilmeade?”
“Sorry,dad. I put my cell phone in my pocket and hadn’t thought of it since. I did forget, though, so I’ll shoot Pops a message when I get home.” I started my car then looked up, catching Finley’s eyes, and chuckled at how fast she moved away from the window. “Once things settled at the Kingsland Boulevard location, I had to get shit straight with letting Camille go. As I started thinking about how her ass set me up for a lawsuit, I felt bad about shorty not being able to make her purchase. I bought it and then brought it to her. When I got there, I realized I wanted to be in her presence for as long as she’d have me. Her mama invited me to stay for dinner, and the next thing I knew, I was asking her pops for his blessing to ask his daughter for her hand in marriage.”
Von started to cough and choke.
“You so damn dramatic. I gotta be losing my mind, right?”
Dre’von and I had been friends since grade school, and he knew all of Diamonds & Moore business like he shared our last name.
Von was my business partner, and as I climbed the ladder in my family’s business, I brought him up with me. He wasn’t the type to eat off another man’s plate, so he worked just as hard as me. I considered letting him replace me as the district manager because there was no one who deserved it more than him. This man knew me just as much as I knew myself, so for me to be impulsive about something so serious probably had him ready to call an intervention.
His coughing slowed down, and he inhaled deeply.
“Yo, you serious?”
