jaz (jhea's version)

“Alright—oh.” A voice cuts through their kiss, forcing them to pull apart. Alina glances up at the waiter who stands in front of their table, embarrassment apparent on her face. Josh remained unfazed, watching the woman next to him as if he were under a trance. Perhaps he is. They had been handsy with each other all day, and it only got worse when they got to this restaurant. She’d been teasing him, wearing his patience down pretty thin. He was ready to go now. The waiter’s gaze was fixated upon a wall across the restaurant. 

“Sorry,” Alina says, wiping her mouth with her thumb. She tries to scoot out of Josh’s grasp, but ends up pulling her back in. She peers over at him only briefly, seeing his eyes still fixated on her. Alina huffs, looking up at the waiter once more. “Do you want our dishes?” She asks, gathering the plates into a stack. Josh’s arm slips off her shoulder, his hand traveling alongside her back.

“Yes, ma’am.” He says, reaching down for the stacked plates. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” She says, flashing him a smile.

“Let us get the bill, too.” Josh chimes in, his voice heavy. 

“Yes, sir.” The waiter replies, rushing off from the table. Alina watches the waiter as he disappears into the busyness of the restaurant. Josh, on the other hand, was back on the prowl for his lady. His lingering hand had wedged between the seat and her back, grabbing at her ass roughly. She gasps sharply, turning to pull his hand from her body.

“Act right.” She scolds him, pointing her finger at him.

“You strict as hell.” He says, smiling to himself. He shakes his head softly, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. “Can’t nobody even see us back here.” He argues.

“We damn near scared the waiter.”

“He was looking too hard.” Josh tosses his card on the table before turning his attention towards his girlfriend. He props his arm on the table, leaning his head onto his hand as he watches her, his tongue lightly dragging along his bottom lip.

“I can say the same about you,” Alina says, leaning on the table in the same manner. “Watching me all night like I’m going to disappear if you look away.” She notes.

“Shit, to be real,” He starts, his eyes venturing off only briefly. “Part of me thinks I’ma wake-up, and find out this was all a dream.” He confesses with a slight smile. That smile fades away at his next words, his eyes softer than ever. “I don’t wanna go back to the way things were.” He confesses in a soft voice. 

When it came to Alina, Josh only had one fear: losing her. He didn’t want to wake up back in Florida in a house he barely lived in, or spend all his time at his loved ones’ houses because his was too quiet. He didn’t want to have to go back to sleeping downstairs in the guest room when he stayed with her, or longing for her to see him as someone she could potentially settle down with. 

“If you woke up, and everything was back to the way it was before, would you let it be?”

“Hell no,” He interjects, shaking his head.

“No?”

“No.” He repeats, still shaking his head. “If I woke up and everything was back to the way it was before, I’m coming to tell you all about the dream.”

“What if I thought you were crazy?”

“That ain’t nothing new.” He waves off, earning a burst of laughter out of the woman before him. “I’ma get my woman back in every lifetime. Trust.”

The waiter would reappear at the table, putting their conversation on a brief hold. He reaches down for the card at the end of the table, snatching the little black piece of plastic off the cloth it lay upon. Without a word or glance in their direction, he vanishes once more to process their payment. “In every lifetime?” She whispers to Josh, smiling softly at him.

“Every lifetime,” He repeats proudly. The waiter reappears, handing Josh his card and receipt. Josh quickly tucks it into his wallet. “Let’s get out of here.” He breathes as he scoots out of the booth. “The night’s still young, girl.” He says, holding his hand out for Alina. Without hesitation, she takes his hand, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet. 

“You’re not trying to go home?” She asks in a soft voice. Her fingernails would skim the sleeve of his blazer.

“Not right now.” He shouts over his shoulder as he pulls her out of the restaurant towards their next destination of the night.

————————————————————————————————

Alina was expecting to wind up at a lounge after dinner, but after thirty minutes of driving, the city lights began to thin out, the road ahead of them illuminated only by headlights. She couldn’t tell where she was, and that was a problem, considering she’s lived in this city her entire life. “Joshua?” She calls, glancing over at him. “Where are we going?” 

Josh’s ears perk at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. His eyes flicker in her direction only briefly, settling on the road once more. “Uh,” He starts, his tongue gliding across his bottom lip. “The long way home,” He lies. “I just figured we’d go for a drive, listen to some music before we make it back that way.” He explains further. Alina nods slowly, her eyes still on the man at her side. 

“Okay,” She says, her tone prompting him to glance over at her again.

“What?” He asks.

“Nothing,” She replies. 

“Nothing,” He repeats in a low voice. “Okay.” 

“I just figured we’d go dancing or something.” She confesses. “We’re not even in the city anymore.” She says, glancing out the window again. “I don’t know where we are, actually.” Josh’s thumb glides over the top of her hand to soothe her nerves.

“Just trust me, honey.”

Alina looks to Josh once more. “I do.”

“Then sit your fine ass back and look pretty before you get us pulled over. You know GSP be looking for a reason to get someone.” Slowly, Alina sits back in her seat, pulling Josh’s hand into her lap. She places her other hand over top of his, encircling his with her own. She peers out at the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that could tell her where they were. 

Fifteen minutes later, they were in front of the gate for The Madison. Josh hangs out the driver’s window, typing in a keycode to open the large gate. Slowly, the gate opens, prompting Josh to sit correctly in his seat once more. He lets out a soft sigh, driving the car forward through the gate. “What are we doing out here?” She asks, her brows lifted.

“I wanted to drive through there to see what it’s like at night. You know, to see if it’s quiet or if any weird shit be happening.” He explains. “I wanna make a decision this week.” 

“Alright…” Alina drifts off. “Do they know we’re coming? The realtor, the HOA, we don’t need anyone calling the police on us for being out there.”

“Mhm, yeah,” He answers quickly, leaving it at that. Alina stares at him for a moment longer, waiting for more than just a dismissive yeah but it never comes. Josh could feel Alina’s eyes on him, watching him for any small glance or movement that would give him away. She was suspicious. “You worried about the wrong thing.” He says suddenly.

“Our safety?” She asks.

“Girl, ain’t nobody about to bother us out there.” He says, tilting his head up slightly. “They know we’re coming out there. The hell I look like putting you in a situation where you’d get hurt, Lina? Come on now. We’re just going to drive through here and out. That’s it.” He assures her. The car was silent for a few moments; the music softly playing on the radio was the only sound heard. 

“Okay.” She replies hesitantly. Alina wasn’t trying to sound like she didn’t trust Josh; she trusted him with her life, she was just concerned. Driving by houses at night wasn’t an unfamiliar concept when trying to rent or buy a house. Plenty of people do it. They were a couple who enjoyed the quiet. If Josh is to buy a house, he wants to make sure he gets his money’s worth and that he made the right choice. “I’ll drive through the others tomorrow night.” He says, suddenly. “I wanna buy before we head back out on the road.” Josh turns onto the street the house they toured over a month ago sits, the car slowing down as they draw closer. His eyes skimmed the road, his head turning to look at the houses they passed every few moments.

“Looks quiet,” Alina says, watching as houses pass them by.

“Yeah,” Josh replies, seemingly distracted by trying to locate the house. “There it is.” He says to himself as they approach the empty house. Alina’s eyes light up at the sight of it as they turn into the driveway. The car suddenly shifts into park, and Josh quickly undoes his seatbelt. Out of the car he goes, slowly walking around the car to stand in the front yard. 

Alina watches him for a moment before climbing out of the car herself. “I thought you said we were just passing through.” She says.

“We are.” He replies, his voice distant almost. He moved through the yard, but not before looking at the other houses surrounding it. 

“In the yard and not the car, yes,” Alina says quickly. With no response to her, Josh marches to the side of the house, vanishing into the darkness. “Josh!” Alina quietly yells, briefly glancing around at the other houses in the area. No response came from the man who wandered off towards the back of the house. She peered back at the open wooden fence door he walked through, hoping he would come back for her and they’d leave, but two minutes had passed, and he was nowhere to be seen. The longer she stood waiting for a response, the more uneasy she became. The last thing she wanted was to have the police called on them for trespassing. “Joshua,” She calls louder than before, quickly stomping towards the back of the house.

Her eyes darted from left to right as she walked along the dark path to the backyard, hoping to God he wasn’t hidden in the shadows or a dark corner waiting to jumpscare her. She turned the corner, her eyes scanning the open before landing on the open door. “Lord, this boy done broke in these folks’ house.” She says to herself as she walks up the concrete steps into the large screened patio. “Josh, I want to go.” She says, stepping into the large kitchen.

The light in the living room was on, and his heavy footsteps were heard as he shuffled through the room. “Baby, come on–.” She starts, coming to a stop when she turns the corner. Josh stood in the center of the large living room, the ‘for sale’ sign in hand. Printed along the top of the sign in bright, bold red letters was the word ‘SOLD’. “What’s this?” She asks, glancing up at him.

“Ours.” He answers, briefly glancing down at the sign. He moves over to the wall, propping the sign against it. “Signed the papers and got the keys this morning.” He tells her.

“I thought you didn’t like any of the houses.” She points, recalling an early conversation they had a few weeks back about the houses.

“I didn’t say that. You asked me if I could see myself in any of them without you.”

“You said no.”

“I did.” He confirms with a nod. “That didn’t mean I didn’t like them.”

“So…” She drifts off, a small scoff leaving her lips. “I’m confused.”

“What’s there to be confused about?” He asked, looking around the living room they stood in. “I bought us a house, and you’re going to make it a home.” He tells her. Alina grows quiet at his words, wrapping her arms around her body. Her lips trembled slightly as she fought back words threatening to escape her. “Lina, I don’t want this without you. Like, the shit won’t make sense if you’re not here with me.” He explains, glancing around the room again. 

“I see us here.” He says, waving his hand over the opening. “I see us laid up on the couch,” He briefly pauses. “watching a movie that we’ll never finish because we always fall asleep.” Alina softly snorts at his words, her eyes following the swing of his arm as he paints a picture of life together in this house. He points at the kitchen. “I see us in the kitchen, cooking and sitting down to dinner together. We might dance a little in there, you feel me? A little two-step, depending on the song. I bet the music sounds better in there, too.” 

“Josh,”

“Let me finish.” He pleads, holding his hand up at her. “I can see us in the backyard, our families together for a cookout. My pops and yours might butt heads a little, but our Mamas would love each other.” A small smile spreads to Alina’s face at the idea of their parents all in the same room together. Their dads would probably argue over something silly like football; their moms, attached at the hip. 

Josh’s gaze remained fixated upon the woman before him as he slowly began to rock from left to right. His heart had picked up the pace, pounding violently against its cage like it wanted to break free. Anxiety was rearing its ugly head at him, pleading with him not to do what he’s practiced in the mirror all week. The voice in his head would tell him she’d say no; that she’ll run the moment he kneels before her. Though the idea of her doing that terrified him, he wouldn’t dare listen to it. His tongue grazes his drying lips, prepping them for the next set of words that would leave them. “I–I see myself making you my wife here.” 

And there it was: the catch to his grand sales pitch, but she couldn’t allow herself to read into it just yet. Alina’s brows furrow slightly, her brown lips parting ever so slightly to let even the smallest of breaths through. It wasn’t really a question, but a declaration–at least that’s what she’s telling herself. She had a question of her own, a curiosity for clarity. “Are you–.” Her words catch in her rapidly drying throat, preventing her from finishing her question. She quietly clears her throat to force those words out, but they refuse to come. 

Josh glances down at the floor as he fishes a velvet black box from his coat pocket. “Figured you needed a ring to go along with the house.” He confesses. Thick fingers pop open the felt lid, revealing a hard-to-miss diamond fixed upon a thin gold band. He was proposing. 

Alina’s eyes would go to the box in his hand, a shaky gasp escaping her. 

“No, you’re not.” She says, turning away from him. Tears immediately began to spill over once she was out of his view, her hand clasped tight over her mouth to stop the impending sobs. 

“Yes, I am.” He argues, reaching out to grab her hand. “Come here so I can ask you something.” He requests, slowly pulling her back to him and the center of the living room. “Alina Christine McLemore,” He breathes, kneeling in front of her. The hand that held the box lifts slightly. “I knew from the very first day I saw you that you were going to be someone important to me, and I’m so grateful you let me be your friend…’cause now I want to be your husband.”

“Yes.” She blurts, no hesitation. Josh’s brows furrow at her abruptness, but that confusion didn’t reach his mouth. There was a smile twitching at his lips at her answer. Yes, Alina was saying yes to marrying him. She wanted to marry him.

“Y-You ain’t even let me finish,” Josh says softly.

“I’m sorry—.” She says, inhaling sharply as she fights back tears. “Ask me, ask me.” She demands frantically. Alina fans her free hand across her face, trying to dry her tears without messing up her makeup. “Go on.” Josh laughs at the theatrics, briefly glancing down at the floor. He briefly lifts off his aching knee to give it some relief.

“Marry me, Lina.” He asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes!” She exclaims, doing a mini happy stomp.

Josh shoots up from the floor, arms wrapping around the woman before him. Alina staggers backwards into the wall because of the man in her arms, hitting it with a thud. 

“Sorry, baby—I’m sorry.” He profusely apologizes. Josh steps back only an inch from the woman, his fingers wrapping around the gold ring in the box he holds. Alina watches him shakily remove the ring from its box, her hand up and fingers outstretched as she waits. Once the ring was between the pads of his middle finger and thumb, he put the box away in his back pocket. Carefully, he slides the ring onto her finger, the cool metal sending chills through her body like a tiny shockwave. “Come here,” He says, pulling her in for a bruising kiss. 

And there it was, for the second time in Alina’s life, she was a fiancée.

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