Page 13 of DeLucas After Dark

“Bitch, I’m fucking engaged!”

“What? I know you’re fuckin’ lying. You’ve only been seeing this guy for a month. What’s going on? I need the who, what, when, where, and how! Girl, tell me everything, and I mean now.”

My cousin Simone was just the salve I needed to heal my psyche. She was a spitfire who would tell me the truth and put me in my place. I really wished she was here in Italy with me. FaceTime™ would have to do.

“Moni, don’t be mad. It happened so quickly I didn’t have time to process it. Truthfully, I don’t even know why I said yes. He was just looking at me with those big expectant eyes, and I couldn’t say no.”

“So, you agree you’re moving too fast?”

“Yes, girl. I am getting all these warning signals from him, and I’m just not sure I should go through with this. I mean, why would he propose to me out of nowhere after knowing me such a short amount of time?”

“Well, you know you got those good Raymond genes. You’re damn near irresistible. You must have put it on that man so good he went right out and bought a ring.”

“See, now that’s the issue. We haven’t slept together.”

“Still? Oh, hell no! Something is not right here. Does he need citizenship to the US or something?”

“I’m not sure, but he’s lying to me about something. I can feel it. He just won’t cop to it.”

“Well, what are you going to tell your mom? You know she is going to act a pure tee fool. Then she’s going to start planning the wedding of the century.”

“I’m not too worried about Mama. She will ask a ton of questions and then get lost in the fantasy of wedding planning. Her and Auntie Michell are going to go hog wild with this one because they never thought I would get married.”

“Well, one thing I will tell you, don’t let him talk you into eloping. Convince him you need to get married in the church you grew up in. You need to bring that man home so we can meet him. I know my dad, your brother and my husband are going to want a word with him, too. Don’t you dare say I do until I have a chance to analyze this dude.”

“I promise you that. I just hate that you’re not here with me.”

“You know I can’t leave my baby so soon after having him. Besides you need to bring your ass home. The holidays are coming up. Do you know when you want to have this wedding?”

“We just got engaged tonight, but at dinner he was talking about making it official soon.”

“Okay then. We’d better get your mom on three way and let her in on the news.”

“You’d stay on the line with me while I tell her?”

“Of course, I will. No way I’m letting you face her alone.”

SHEREE

It was an hour later, when I finally got off the phone explaining to my mom how I met, dated, and was now marrying a man in less than two months. At first, she thought I was insane, but with Simone’s help, Mama finally came around.

After convincing my mom that I wasn’t pregnant and that nobody was forcing me into the marriage, she finally showed signs of excitement. She went from ‘are you sure about this’ to ‘have you chosen a date?’. By the time I was off the phone, I had a date, a theme, and my color scheme for the wedding, that I still wasn’t sure I wanted.

I have to say my family was so supportive. Here I was springing a wedding and a man, who none of them had ever met, on them and they took it in stride. As I was jotting down some thoughts from my conversation with my family, I heard a knock on the front door. Please don’t let that be Giorgio.

When I looked out of the peep hole, I got the shock of my life.Mario!What was he doing here? Oh, this was bad. The way I wanted this man should be illegal and he just so happened to show up on my doorstep on the night I got engaged.Lord, is this a sign?I’m listening. I opened the door and couldn’t help the smile that came on my face.

“Mario! What are you doing here?”

“Hello, Sheree. May I come in?”

“Of course. Where are my manners? Please…”

I stood back and allowed the sexy man to enter the house. He looked delicious in his black cargo pants and matching tee. He looked like a cop. The only thing missing was a bullet proof vest with SWAT across the chest. This had to be a test. Here I was newly engaged, horny as fuck, and here comes the sexiest man I knew, looking at me like I was a snack.

“I’m sorry to just drop in on you, but I was in town and Nicolo asked me to stop in and check on you.”

“Really? That’s so sweet. How long have you been here in Capri?”

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