Six Weeks Later.
Jayla’s Thirtieth Birthday.
Khalid
The weekend was jam-packed with activities; a hosting gig at a local community event on Friday, Londyn and Chance’s engagement party on Saturday, and now we were spending Sunday celebrating my shorty’s big birthday with what she thought was a surprise dinner for two but was really a surprise dinner with all of her closest people.
Keeping that a secret had been the hardest part, especially since I couldn’t communicate with everyone involved without her getting suspicious. Even now, as we were on our way to the restaurant, she had a little attitude with me for being on my phone when I was really just trying to make sure everything - and everybody - was in place.
With the thumbs up emoji reply from Londyn - followed by the ring emoji that she couldn’t stop using for no reason since Chance proposed - I put my phone away just as Jayla groaned, “You and that phone are going to drive me crazy.”
“I’m sorry, gorgeous. It’s away for good now. We’re here,” I told her, catching the excited smirk on her face when she realized we had pulled up to the fancy little restaurant she had been dropping hints about for the last few weeks, knowing good and well I picked up on everything she said. And after helping her out of the car, and admiring her fine ass from behind, we made our way into the spot, immediately being directed to the private room in the back.
“A private room, huh? What’s that all about?” Jayla asked with a teasing grin as I grabbed her hand to guide her there, feeling more and more anxious the closer we got since I wanted things to be perfect for her.
So without giving anything away, I replied, “Only the best for the boss lady.”
She gave my hand an appreciative squeeze as I casually led her into the room. And when she realized what was happening, she dropped my hand so she could use hers to cover her mouth just as everyone shouted, “Surprise!”
I was sure to fill the room with people she actually cared to celebrate with. Jamila and Shaq who had somehow made up after couchgate. Londyn and Chance who were still glowing like some damn lightbulbs from their new engagement. The host of friends I remembered her being out with all those months ago and the small handful of associates from work she liked. And then there was her mother who I would’ve never guessed she’d get back on better terms with so soon. But after Colleen dropped into town a week after the dinner disaster to apologize, and the two of them started seeing a family therapist - not go on a therapy reality show like Jamila had apparently suggested -, things were thankfully on the up-and-up; the hug to her mother being the first one Jayla gave before dishing them out to everyone and wiping her happy tears along the way.
“How did you guys all pull this off without me knowing?” she asked as she dabbed at her eyes in a way that made sure her makeup stayed intact.
For whatever reason, Shaq felt he had the right to speak up for everyone in the moment. Though I was surprised to hear something normal come out of his mouth when he gestured my way to say, “Gotta thank ya mans for that. He was on it.”
The look Jayla gave when she turned my way had the moths in my stomach going wild, her eyes wide as she asked, “You did this?” And after I answered with a nod, she grabbed me by the back of my head to pull me closer so she could whisper straight into my ear, “You are so getting Natasha’d tonight.”
Natasha’d.
Because the shit had become a verb over the past few weeks Jayla and I had spent together, letting things develop between us in the most organic way possible while also taking full advantage of premium perks.
We were figuring each other out, maintaining our business relationship since Jayla refused to let me quit being an influencer with all the money I would’ve been missing out on, and having so much fun along the way that it was easy to fall in love with each other. But if there was one lesson I had learned, it was to give Jayla room to go at her own pace which meant the “L word” was being kept locked away until she was ready.
Still, that didn’t mean I couldn’t tease her about it, taking to the front of the room to announce, “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?”
It took a moment for the chatter to settle, especially since the first round of alcohol had already been delivered to the tables. But once it did, I started, “First, I wanna thank y’all for coming out to show Jay some birthday love, and for managing to keep it a secret from her nosy ass.”
That earned a laugh from the group, but a teasing side-eye from Jayla as I continued, “Secondly, thanks to the crazy deal Jayla just landed for me with Nike, everything’s on me tonight. So please eat and drink up.”
Of course they were cheering at that, giving me time to pull Jayla to the front to join me as I finished, “And last but not least... Jayla, from the very first time I saw your incredibly ambitious ass leaving work late, I knew I had to get to know you. And now that I’ve had the honor and privilege of being able to do just that over these last few months, I have one question for you.”
The panic in her eyes when I dropped to one knee was something I wished I could’ve taken a picture of, her eyes pleading with me not to do what she thought I was doing. And since I wasn’t, I could only smile when I pulled a box from my pocket, popping it open to ask, “Do you like these earrings I bought you for your birthday?”
Since everyone was in on the joke, the room bursted with laughter as Jayla smacked a hand against my shoulder to squeal, “Oh my God! You almost gave me a heart attack!”
With a teasing smirk on my face, I stood up from the ground to ask, “What? You thought I was going to propose already?”
She didn’t answer, only dabbed at her fresh wave of tears before teasingly snatching the box from my hand. And with the closer look, she took notice to their true significance, inhaling a sharp gasp as she sang, “The black diamonds. Like the ones you have. They’re… everything. Thank you, baby.”
“You’re welcome, shorty. Glad you like them,” I told her as I pulled her into a hug, landing a little kiss to her forehead and then one against her lips.
Her eyes were locked on mine when she expressed, “I love them. I love… you.”
Oh shit.
Now I was the shocked one, giving a look to ask, “You serious?” since I couldn’t have possibly heard what I thought I had. But once I saw the proud smile on her face as she pulled her lip between her teeth and nodded to confirm I had heard her right, it damn near felt like it was my birthday too being able to finally tell her, “I love you too, Jayla. I love you too.”
The End