Chapter 23

23

K assadee

Two Weeks Later

“Why you so nervous?” Dynasty asked. “Dali is like a big ass kid. He’s going to absolutely love this, Kassy.”

“Are you sure?”

Dynasty chuckled as he wrapped his arm around me. “I’m positive. Is everything ready to go?”

“I think so. I’m going to walk around one last time, but I’m pretty sure this is it.”

“Aight, cool. I’m gonna go ahead and pick him up. We’ll be back in like ten minutes.”

“Okay, perfect. Thanks for everything, big bro.”

“Always, and thank you for loving my brother and doing this for him. It’s been a long time coming.”

We hugged briefly before Dynasty walked away. I wanted everything to be perfect, so I walked every inch of the football field one last time. It was my baby’s thirty-first birthday, and I wanted to do something for him that he’d remember forever. Since he was so playful and active, I had the idea to do an adult field day.

We’d spend the day doing different games and races. There were several food truck vendors. I even had a DJ and a few local artists from Jasper Lane, Rose Valley Hills, and Memphis to perform. I couldn’t wait to see Dali’s reaction to what I’d done for him. Dynasty and Kennessy kept telling me it was a bomb idea, but I wouldn’t be able to rest my mind until he was actually here.

As I said I would, I checked on everything one last time before giving the DJ a thumbs up to get started. I checked on our parents and made sure they were good before finding Mona. I didn’t trust anyone else to be the bartender since I didn’t plan on doing it myself. Just because I didn’t plan on doing it, I knew I’d end up right beside her making drinks as much as I could.

“Wassup with you and Germany?” I asked, pouring myself a shot of vodka, thankful it wasn’t hot even though it was the middle of the afternoon.

“Wow, that was random.”

She chuckled and avoided my eyes as she set her flavored syrups up on the end of the table.

“Maybe, but I’ve been wanting to ask ever since he came to see you at the bar three nights ago. Are y’all dating? Fucking? Has he mentioned anything about Twila and the baby?”

Mona sighed and leaned against the table. We definitely looked related. The only difference was her hair was darker than mine and she was petite. Other than that, we had the same honey brown skin tone and almond-shaped eyes.

“We’re not having sex. We’re just friends. I felt really bad for him after everything went down. I know he’s a cheater and shit but some hurts no one deserves, and finding out your best friend did that, especially in front of everyone, was a lot.”

“Agreed.”

“He did mention Twila. She’s getting a DNA test done in six weeks. I know he’s hurt over Vincent, but I can tell he’s really down about the baby too. That was something he’d been excited about and now there’s a chance it’s not his. I’ve been trying to keep his mind off it, so he won’t become destructive like Dali and Dynasty think he’s going to be.”

“Has it been working?”

She shrugged. “Sometimes. He’ll go missing for a day or two and I’ll have no idea what his ass is doing.”

“He said he was coming today, right?”

“Of course. He should be on his way. He asked me if I was already here, and I told him yeah.”

“Cool. Well, keep me posted about that. I’m honestly hoping that ain’t his baby, but I know that would probably hurt him more.”

We continued to talk until Dynasty texted me and told me they were pulling up. Dali had no idea why his brother was bringing him to our old high school on his birthday. It was hard as hell keeping this secret from him, but I was sure his reaction would be worth it. I’d hired a photographer and videographer, so I found them and told them to follow me up front so they could record his reaction.

My heart raced as I headed to the gate. Since things became official between us, Dali had been spoiling me. I’d been returning the same energy as much as he would allow, and this was like the icing on the cake. Dali spoiled me because he wanted to and didn’t expect much in return. That made me want to do more for him.

Take yesterday for instance. We’d gone to Memphis since that was the closest city that had a William Sanoma. They had a rose gold and copper cookware set that I saw once and showed him. I told him if I had that, I’d cook for him even more because it was so pretty. The shit was three thousand dollars and I refused to buy it myself. Without telling me of his plans, he took me there to get it and told me to get whatever I wanted for myself since that technically was for him.

I instantly fell in love with the Baccarat wine glasses, old-fashioned glasses, and highball glasses they had. He bought me a set of all three, spending a little over what he’d paid for the cookware set. Dali seemed more excited about the purchase than I was, and that was confirmed when he said to me, “I’m happy I was able to get you something you really wanted. That makes me so happy and proud.”

At that moment, my heart melted. I realized I was with a giver. A man who had money and didn’t mind using it to take care of me and make me happy. It wasn’t a means to control me; it was a way to make my life better. He genuinely liked serving me and getting me things… doing things for me. I still wasn’t sure what I’d done to be blessed with him, but I thanked God for him daily.

“Bae, what’s going on?” Dali asked, palming my waist.

“It’s your birthday party. We’re having a field day.”

“Happy birthday, little brother,” Dynasty said before giving Dali a side hug and leaving us alone.

“Huh? We’re having a what?”

Laughing, I used his hand to tug him forward. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

We walked onto the field, and he released a low, “Oh shit,” before covering his opened mouth with his fist. As I looked on, pride filled me. The photographer snapped several pictures, which I was grateful for. The surprise and happiness that covered his face was something I’d want to treasure.

“Is this real?” he asked looking down at me.

“Yep! Food and drinks are to the left, the DJ is on the right. Arcade games are in the back, and we’ll be doing the races and competitions in the center of the field.”

“Baby…” Dali stepped in front of me and took my hands into his. “You did all this for me?”

“I did. Do you like it?”

“Hell yeah! I love it. No one’s ever done anything like this for me before.” The little shuffle he did made me laugh. “This is going to be so much fun. You’re the best, Kas. Thank you!”

He picked me up and covered my face with kisses before thanking me again and running to meet up with his crew. I was sure I probably wouldn’t spend much time with him unless it was during a game, and I was more than okay with that. I wanted Dali to truly enjoy himself today, and as he wasted no time getting set up for a three-legged race, I was sure that would be the case.

The Next Weekend

This was the first time in a long time that I did not want to clock in. Dali had treated me to a spa day, and I was so relaxed all I wanted to do was go to sleep. It didn’t help that it was our busiest night of the week, but the good thing about that was Mona would be working with me and Siri said she was going to stop by. Andy had hired two more bartenders, Tate and Jackie, and things were going well with them. We’d gotten into a groove with them, which I was grateful for, since we had an influx in customers because of the events we started hosting over the summer.

After clocking in and getting set up behind the bar, I did what I always did when me and Mona worked the same shift—poured us a shot of vodka in preparation for what was to come. She appeared to be in good spirits, and I was curious about why, but the sight of a large, and I do mean large, bouquet of flowers caught my attention.

“Wow,” I muttered as the delivery man walked over to the bar. “Those are beautiful.”

“I know, right? I’ve never seen a bouquet of red roses that big,” Mona replied.

“There has to be at least a hundred in there.”

“Hi. I’m looking for Kassadee,” the delivery man said.

“Oh. That’s me.”

He smiled genuinely. “Then these are for you.”

I accepted the heavy bouquet, releasing a quiet, “Oof,” as I set the black base on top of the bar.

“Aww well we know who those are from,” Mona cooed.

Even though that was true, a wide smile spread my lips as I searched for the card. When I found it, I quickly opened it to read what my man had to say.

I’d love for you to accompany me on a date tomorrow night. Check your Zelle. Use that to buy a new dress and those heels I love to have dangling over my shoulders while I’m inside you. I’ll pick you up at seven. I love you.

I didn’t think I could smile any harder as I pulled my hair behind my ears. Even with us spending days and nights together, I loved that when it came to our date nights Dali still put forth romantic effort. Now, I was even more excited about getting through my shift so I could go to sleep and wake up to get ready for a date with my man.

After the Date

Like my home, Dali had a gorgeous mountain view. As cozy as my home was, I could fit three of them inside of his. He had a three-story mansion with lots of land. Outside, there was a pool, fire pit, and basketball court. The entire third level of his home had been converted into a chill getaway while the bedrooms were on the second level and the first had all common rooms, including his game room and home theater.

I’d say the third floor was my favorite. It had wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows that showcased stunning sunrises and sunsets along with those mountains. I’d been chilling on the plush sofa as the fireplace roared off to the side staring out into the distance. A soft jazz playlist hummed from the speakers in the ceiling. Candles and incense filled the space with an apple cinnamon scent that further ushered in fall. It was the perfect end to a perfect day and date.

As soon as Dali made his way next to me, he pulled my feet onto his lap and began to massage them. I poured him a glass of red wine and handed it to him.

“I cannot get enough of this view,” I confessed. “Mine is nice but this panoramic view is insane, baby.”

“Do you only like the view or the house too?”

“Of course I love the house. It’s like you literally built the perfect house for me.”

He chuckled before taking a sip of his wine. “I did have this house built to be your home.”

For a while, I could only stare at him. He gave me that sexy smile as his hand slid up my calf. Leaning forward, Dali gave me a slow, deep kiss. When I moaned, he pulled away.

“Wait. What do you mean, Dali?”

“I mean… when we went to look at houses, I took note of the things you said you liked and didn’t like. What you said you wanted and didn’t want for your own home. Then I had this built.”

Blinking back tears, I looked into my wine glass as I released a shaky breath. That would explain the small cardio gym behind the garage. The pool… because I loved to swim. The home theater that had all my favorite movies and shows queued. The section in his game room that was dedicated to me. The bar room that I’d decorated thinking I was helping him out… whole time it was for me.

Sniffling, I wiped a tear before it could fall, then I looked up at him.

“This is your home just as much as it’s mine,” he continued. “Whenever I’ve demolished the rest of those fears you have about us, I want you to move in.”

“I—” My mouth snapped shut as more tears threatened to pour. “They’re gone, babe. I don’t have anymore.”

“Then you’ll move in?”

“Mhm.” I agreed, biting down on my bottom lip though that didn’t stop me from smiling hard.

“Nah. I need to hear you say it,” he commanded, taking my wine glass and setting them both down.

“I don’t have any fears or reservations about us or our future. You’ve demolished them all. I want to move in.”

He gave me a sweet smile before connecting his lips with mine. I lay back, pulling him with me. There, we made love, and that time it was different. Between the roar of the fireplace, the beautiful view as our backdrop, and the wine giving me a slight buzz—the perfect ambiance had been created for us to agree to this next phase of our relationship, and I was excited about what else was to come.