Page 65 of See No Evil

“Here you go, baby,” he stated as he sat down. He placed four of the smaller domed plates in front of her, and everyone just sat there. Staring at her.

“Why aren’t y’all eating?” she asked.

“The first foods are in front of you. We’re sharing those. So, you uncover them, then pass each one along,” he explained.

That’s odd… but okay.

She reached for the first domed plate, on which sat a handful of beans.

“What the hell is this? I know we ain’t pay uh hundred dollars for some ninety-nine cent can of kidney beans, and it isn’t even the entire can!”

The table erupted in laughter, including Legend.

“Naw, baby. It’s a special appetizer.”

“We already had appetizers. This is supposed to be—” And then she stopped mid-sentence. “…the main dish. Hold on… It spells somethin’: ‘WILL’.” Her heart began to beat faster than it should. She snatched off the cover from the next plate. “YOU…” then the next, “MARRY…” Tears filled her eyes now. “ME! The beans say, ‘WILL YOU MARRY ME! Oh my God!!!”

Her vision blurred with tears and she could feel the room grow quiet and serious. She kept her hands on her face, refusing to look at anyone, as she felt Legend getting back up, then embracing her. A string of ‘Awwws’ ensued from the table’s occupants and their neighbors. She was shaken to her core. Shocked beyond belief.

“I love you, baby.” He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tight as she kept hiding from the world. “I want to make this official. But first, let me take care of one more thing.”

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw him reach for his phone. He typed something fast, words she couldn’t see. Her mother, sisters, brother, and Kaylee came out of a back area. Laughing, they ran towards her with smiles on their faces. Kaylee led the pack, wearing a beautiful ivory dress.

“Oh my God!” She screamed for joy when the girl raced to them and wrapped her arms around Legend, then her. Around the table, Melanie, English, and several other women sitting nearby were quietly crying and patting their eyes with their cloth napkins.

“Mama, oh my God! You knew about this, too…”

Her mother offered a husky laugh and wrapped her arms around her, squeezing, as the wait staff pushed more chairs to the table so that everyone would have a place to sit and eat.

Legend got down on one knee, causing the table to erupt in excited chatter once again.

“I asked Kaylee some time ago, if I could be her second daddy, and she accepted.” Kaylee nodded excitedly, a big smile on her face. “Now, I’m askin’ you again, in the traditional way, just like the beans said. Will you be my wife?” The man’s eyes sheened over, and he looked so serious just then.

“Yes… Yes! I’ll marry you, baby!”

Applause broke out as he reached into his pocket, pulled out a jewelry box, and opened it, exposing a huge emerald cut diamond ring, surrounded by smaller diamonds. He gently took her hand, slid it down her finger, then gradually stood back up. They kissed—a simple and sweet gesture—then embraced one another as more applause broke out.

She couldn’t stop trembling. She couldn’t stop smiling. The evening was far too wonderful, far too perfect for her to wrap her brain around what had just happened.

She basked in the moment as people began to gather around her, cuddle her, and offer their congratulations. They’d all beenin on it, and she felt all the more loved for it. Soon, their real dinners arrived, and everyone talked, laughed, and dug into the delicious cuisine. It was past ten o’clock by the time they were wrapping up the night. She and Legend said their goodbyes to their friends and family, while Kaylee stated she was going back with Grandma to her house to spend the night with her cousins. Legend led her to his truck, which was brought out front by the valet, and off they went.

She was damn near speechless, her heart still thumping. When he turned on the radio, ‘Baby I’m Ready,’ by Levert, played on the oldies R & B station. She smiled and laughed, snapping her fingers as she swayed back and forth to one of her mama’s favorite songs.

He lit a cigar, cracked the window, and drove silently. A few times she could feel him looking at her when they’d approach a red light. She kept looking straight ahead, not wanting him to break his gaze. When they arrived back at his apartment, he helped her out of the truck, then they walked up to the front door. He unlocked it, and white, pink, and black balloons were everywhere, as well as dark red rose petals all over the floor. She screamed with excitement as he closed and locked the door.

“Oh my God! Legend… It’s beautiful in here! I don’t even know what to say.” She slipped out of her heels.

“You ain’t gotta say nothin’ at all. I just needed to hear that ‘yes,’ and I’m good. I was nervous as hell,” he admitted with a smile. “Would’ve been real fucked up if you said no, and I had to come back to all this shit by myself.”

She chuckled at that as he rounded up the dogs and disappeared for a while outside with them. She paced back and forth, occasionally looking at her new, sparkling ring, and shaking her head in disbelief.

I want a summer wedding. Maybe spring, but that time is so busy for weddings. Winter is probably better. Maybe adestination wedding? But that might make it hard for everyone I want to attend. I guess I can have it right here, at Mama’s church. Legend don’t go to church, but hopefully he can just come to mine without any problems. Yeah… we’ll have it at the church…

Just then, he walked back in, his jacket gone, shirt unbuttoned, and came straight for her. He claimed her lips in a passionate kiss, grasped her by the wrist, and practically dragged her to his bedroom. She burst out laughing when she noticed ‘She said Yes’ spelled out in red balloons above the rose-petal-covered bed.

“You went all out, baby. This is so romantic, oh my goodness. Who made this balloon sign?”

“Those party planner people from that one place we went to for Melanie’s celebration. That’s why I was so insistent that I come to your apartment today, and we stayed clear of here until now.” She nodded in understanding.

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