Page 4 of Stay Awhile
Chyna shook it and tilted her head to the side as if she was trying to guess what was inside, giving everyone else a laugh as she peeled open the envelope to reveal the five thousand dollar gift card I had given her.
“I need friends like you!” One of Chyna’s cousins spoke up.
I laughed as Chyna leaned over to give me a hug. “She is more than just my friend. This is my sister! We couldn’t be more close if we tried.”
Chyna then sat back down as the server came over to the table to take everyone’s orders. It seemed as if the dinner went by extremely fast, and everyone was asking for their check when Chyna’s boyfriend, Ryan, stood and got the servers attention, letting him know he could give him the check for the table. Chyna looked up with wide eyes, practically swooning over his kindness.
I loved that my friend was being loved properly. It only made me want love even more for myself. Ryan continued to stand as if he couldn’t find his next footing to sit his ass back down. My stomach tightened as his eyes scanned everyone in the restaurant before pushing the chair he was once sitting on to the side. Then he turned Chyna’s chair to face him.
No words needed to be said as he kneeled down on one knee and took her hand into his own. Chyna’s free hand immediately went up to her mouth as her eyes watered. The feeling in my gut twisted as Ryan professed his love for her.
I watched as he reached into his back pocket for a velvet ring box. The entire restaurant was staring. Some people were even recording the moment, myself included, because I wanted my friend to have this moment saved forever.
“Chyna, you’re everything to me, and you know I’m not a man of many words, but I couldn’t let another day or year goby with you as my girlfriend. You deserve way more than that. The only title that’s acceptable for an amazing woman like you is wife. I say all that to say…will you marry me?”
Chyna’s face was covered in tears as she nodded erratically before he slid the ring onto her finger and pulled her in for a kiss. The entire restaurant went up in applause, myself included. A few lone tears slid down my cheek as I smiled at my best friend getting her happily ever after. I wish I could say that my tears were just for her happiness. Most of my tears were for her, but a few drops were for my hope. Those few pieces of hope in my heart that I kept close to my chest for keeping finally broke. In the witness of a love I hoped to feel of my own, but a dreaded feeling reminded me that I wasn’t like Chyna, and I would never be worthy.
I wiped away the tears on my face and pushed my feelings to the back. My friend deserved all of me and all of my happiness for her. It wasn’t about me. I walked over to Chyna as her eyes met mine and a soft smile came across her face as she walked slowly in my direction.
“Let me see that ring,” I told her as she lifted her hand up.
“He did good, didn’t he?” she asked with pride shining in her eyes. I nodded and looked over her shoulder in his direction with a smile before returning my attention to her. I pulled her in tightly for a hug, and she whispered in my ear. “This is only the beginning, and our friendship will not change.”
I hated that on a day that had nothing to do with me that my friend was consistently worried about me. It made me feel even worse, but I did my best not to show it. The night seemed to almost fly by after the proposal. I wanted to be home and by myself. So when everyone finished talking, I took that as my out and headed to the valet stand.
Once my car finally pulled up, I gave Chyna and Ryan another hug, then headed home. After pulling into the driveway,I walked into my modern two-story home and turned off my alarm, then locked the door behind myself. I kicked off my heels and made a beeline for the stairs to get into the shower. I needed to regroup and get my head back on straight for tomorrow.
Sunday Dinner
I had just left the office not too long ago. My family insisted that we needed to see each other every Sunday. I hated to sound ungrateful, especially when there were people who didn’t have family at all. But mine could smother a damn bear. Sometimes their overbearing behavior got to me, and most times I loved every second I had with them.
Aside from the segment in the day where it was all about me and how they need to figure out how to find me a man. One who could deal with my quirks of overworking or my behavior of just wanting to be left alone most days. I didn’t think it was weird one bit that I enjoyed moments with myself.
If you asked me, one day they were going to be asking me for advice when they felt as if they lost themselves in their relationships. I knew how to give myself space to breathe and I felt that was a good thing.
Once I pulled up to the high iron gates that guarded my parents’ home. I took a deep breath in as I spoke to Marcellus, the gate attendant, before he allowed me through. Someone might have sworn my parents were the president and the first lady by the way they had this place guarded. My parents worked for the government to help with security, so it was only right that they took their own methods and advice for their own place.
I drove up the long driveway until I noticed my siblings’ cars parked around the large fountain in the center of the roundabout driveway. I parked, then pulled the visor down to check out my makeup. I brushed my brownish-red curls from my face. I decided to let my loose wave curls drop around my shoulders today. With my makeup, I decided on a brown lip to cover my full heart-shaped lips; I refreshed it before grabbing the two bottles of wine from the passenger seat.
I left the jacket to my suit in the car, since I planned to relax as much as I possibly could. Before I could ring the doorbell, the door was snatched open with my sister smiling big on the other side. She quickly stepped out and closed the door behind her. I rolled my eyes because I knew they had to be starting their bullshit already.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes briefly before looking back up at my sister. “What is going on, Reign?” I asked.
Her large hazel eyes widened more than I thought they could as she smiled big, showing all thirty-two of her teeth, only further irritating me.
“What makes you think something is going on?” I turned to go back down the stairs when she reached out to stop me. “Please, Skye, don’t go. Wait, give me a chance to explain,” she pleaded.
“What exactly is there to explain? I am going to assume y’all have someone in there who thinks they’re getting ready to meet me in hopes of dating? Am I correct?” I rattled off question after question.
Reign bit her lower lip and wrung her hands together. I knew my assumptions were correct because she only did that when she was nervous. I wasn’t in the mood for this shit. I just wanted to come here, get a meal that I didn’t have to cook, maybe hear a little about their lives, and be around family. I didn’t plan to beset up by folks I didn’t ask to set me up, especially when they all thought they knew what I liked, but honestly, they were picking peopletheyliked. It never had anything to do with me. I groaned aloud at the thought.
“Maybe, but it didn’t happen the way you think it did. David knew him when they were serving overseas together in the Navy. Jim came into town, and we offered him a home cooked meal here because he hadn’t had one in a while. Then we slightly mentioned your name, but you don’t have to treat this as a date. It’s just a meal. You just might connect with this man more than you’re thinking, Skye. Just give it a chance. For me,” she begged with her lip poked out.
I wanted to snatch all her hair from her head, but I reframed and waved my hand in front of myself to tell her to lead the way. I had a game plan in mind; I was going to eat my dinner and enjoy my wine. Then be the first one out of this house. I wasn’t remotely going to entertain the idea of this mess, especially not anyone David knew.
The moment we stepped into the house, I could hear laughter in the distance and the clanking of dishes. I rolled my eyes and released a breath, then smiled. The moment we stepped into the room, the chatter almost ceased. It made me feel like I had a stain on my shirt or as if I had walked in on them talking about me, but I wasn’t going to put too much thought into it.
Everyone was already seated and, of course, they left the seat next to the strange man for me. He wasn’t bad looking. He had supple mahogany colored skin, a bald head, but a neatly groomed goatee mustache. I could tell he had a sense of style because of his attire.
