Aries_Mr. Adventure_The 12 Signs of Love

by Tiana Laveen

  “I’m… I’m unarmed. I’m Snow Apperson.” She spread her legs apart as if waiting to be frisked, her feet rocking in her three-inch black heels. The canary yellow skirt she wore paired with a black blazer and white blouse could be covered in splashes of red if she made the wrong move.

  “Come closer, Ms. Apperson,” the man with the bullhorn ordered.

  Taking a deep breath, she walked timidly towards the crew, then paused when she met eyes with a man she recognized. The bastard with the bullhorn was none other than her lover’s best friend, Joshua Burman. There he stood in his police uniform, billy club, and gun on his hip.

  “Oh, for fucks sake…” she mumbled under her breath and dropped her arms, placing her hands on her hips. “Josh, what’s going on here?” she hollered out.

  “You have the right to remain in love. Anything you did or said caused this man to fall in love with you…” Joshua walked towards one of the fire trucks behind him. The driver side door opened and out popped Alex, dressed in his firefighter uniform from head to toe. Her entire body grew hot, her limbs lost muscle control, and she felt weak at the damn knees.

  Oh my God…

  Dressed the way he was, he slowly approached her and removed his hat from his head. Joshua raced to him and handed him the bullhorn. Alex nodded his thanks and kept right on towards her until they were eye to eye and only the sweet-smelling air could come blowing between them.

  She looked behind her, drawn by the commotion, to see a bunch of people gathering. The office personnel, fellow lawyers—including her boss and Brittany, who she had no idea was even on the premises—and a couple of clients who were in the midst of consultations. Their smiles said it all. She turned back towards Alex.

  “I should kill you.” Everyone burst out laughing, including him.

  He slid his arm around her waist and brought her close. Placing the bullhorn to his mouth, he began to speak.

  “I’m not good at stuff like this, so I got some help.” He pointed towards Joshua and the rest of the misfits the man had dragged along with him. “But, uh, I know you already know this, but I love you to death, Snow. When I’m sure about something, I’m sure about it, you hear me?”

  “Yes, I hear you, and everyone else does as well because you have a bullhorn, Alex.” At this, the crowd erupted in laughter.

  “Well, I did all of this for you because you deserve it and I want everyone I care about to witness it. I want you to marry me, Snow.” Her eyes stung with tears. He pulled a black box from a turnout trouser pocket on his uniform and stared at it for a spell. When the man looked back into her eyes, his expression said so much.

  Awww, Alex…

  “I wanna…” His voice came out hoarse and cracked. “I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, Snow. I took a big chance by doin’ this. If you say no though, at least the ambulance is there to haul my lifeless, embarrassed ass away.” People burst out laughing once again, including her. “So, will you marry me and then live the rest of your life regretting it? I sure hope so.”

  At this, another round of laughter filled the space around them. Alex was a damn fool, but she wouldn’t have him any other way.

  “Yes! I will definitely marry you, Alex.”

  She jumped into his arms and closed her eyes tight, trying to stop the happy tears from trailing down her cheeks. Then, she kissed him hard, the kind of kiss that promised to deliver more later on that evening. Placing the bullhorn back to his mouth, Alex turned to the crowd as if he were on some damn stage and they, his audience.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the fine lady said yes!”

  To the sounds of applause, he opened the box to reveal a rose gold diamond encrusted band with East-West settings around a large, shiny emerald cut diamond that practically blinded her. He slid it on her ring finger and layered her cheek with quick kisses, the scent of his uniform mixing with his cologne and the sweetness of the spring air sent her into nostalgic overdrive.

  People surrounded them, giving high-fives and hugs, offering congratulations and showing their phones, demonstrating they’d recorded the whole damn thing. Her entire office was in on it. Brittany gave her the biggest hug of all.

  The receptionist took the bullhorn from Alex. “Everybody!” she announced. “We’ve got appetizers, cake, and punch inside.”

  The guys in their squad cars and gear rushed past them and paraded in the building like a bunch of hungry hippos.

  “We’ll be inside in a minute,” Alex called out, his arms wrapped tight around her as he showered her with affection.

  Was this real? Had this man really done all of this for her? For them? Of course he had. He was the same Alex who’d bullied her into a game of Hide and Go Seek. The same Alex who had a jealous temper tantrum and called Hugh everything but a son of God. And the same man who’d waltzed into a party uninvited and turned a cocky ho into a quiet heifer-in-hiding, who no one had heard from in weeks.

  Before long, everything was quiet and no one was around. Only the two of them, in a special world of their own.

  “Now look, Snow, no funny business. I wanna get married right away… soon as possible.”

  “Why? Afraid I’ll come to my senses?”

  “Yes!” He chuckled, though they both knew it was all in good fun.

  “You’re so impatient, Alex. I thought you were getting better about that. I want a nice wedding and that takes time to plan.”

  “No, it doesn’t. Get the right people and it can go by quick. Why does it have to take so long?”

  “Typical.” She rolled her eyes. “I have no idea why you still surprise me with these sorts of comments. Look, Alex, it takes a while because I want to find the perfect dress. We need to secure a venue and the best places are booked months, many times years in advance!”

  “You women make stuff too complicated. Just go right on down yonder, you know, right here down the road to that little weddin’ boutique and buy yourself a gown, have it fitted and everything. You’re only going to wear it once so it doesn’t need to be too expensive. We can get married at the lodge. They only need a couple of weeks advance notice because I have a membership. It’ll only run us probably fifty dollars max and best of all, I can get Charlie to cook the food.”

  “The Moose Lodge, Alex? You can’t be serious! The place where you go to drink beer and play pool with Josh, Kyle, and the others? The same place that serves week old wings and stale potato chips? And is this the same Charlie who can’t see outta one eye and puts salt in every damn thing, even on hotdogs? You’ve lost your mind. Oh my God!”

  “What’s wrong with that? I’ll just tell him easy on the sodium is all and we won’t be havin’ chips, so them being stale is a non-factor.”

  “Oh, I get an upgrade of out-of-date pretzels instead? Nothin’ is too good for ol’ Snow, is it?”

  “Look girl, a good decorator can pretty the place up. The Moose Lodge is a blank canvas. You and Brittany can go right on over to that craft store and buy all that silly shit with the glitter. I’ll pay for it. The Dollar Tree on Folly Road has a bunch of supplies, too. You can get real creative and we can save money and have this done in no time.”

  She looked at the man, completely dumbfounded. Alex was dead serious.

  “I see I am going to have my engagement ring appraised.” She sighed. “This beautiful thing looks real, but for all I know, with the way you’re talking, you may have gotten this from some Beauty Supply store.”

  “Well, see, that’s not true. I paid a good amount of money for that damn ring—a hell of a lot because I know you’re used to elegant, overpriced shit. I had my mother and sister help me, or trust me, I probably would’ve gone on down to the pawn shop. It still would’ve been real but Mama said a second-hand engagement ring was bad luck… that some crackhead or whatchamahoozie could’ve brought it in after stealin’ it from some poor, innocent old lady. I was dead set against going to the expensive place they dragged me to but we flipped a coin and Mama won. She never did give me my quart
er back.”

  All she could do was burst out laughing, pull him close and kiss him till death do them part…

  Four months later…

  Alex sat on the front steps of the church, the light breeze blowing through his hair. The temperature was supposed to soar into the eighties, but right then, the early morning sun was perfect, delivering a perfect seventy-two-degree day.

  Citadel Square Baptist Church was known to Alex since he was a boy. He recalled being dragged there practically every Sunday—he and his brothers by the tip of their ears. Dad was usually asleep thirty minutes into the sermon. His sister went willingly, always sporting a pretty little dress with her white patent leather shoes. He grinned and dropped his head when he recalled tossing those very shoes in the lake one day when she’d made him angry. That had earned him one week’s worth of being grounded in his room.

  Every now and again he still attended service, especially on Easter and New Year’s Day and sometimes just because he wanted to hear a word from the Lord. He and Snow had decided upon his church rather than hers due to the accommodations.

  Citadel was 60,000 square feet, to name one glaring difference. Snow went to a small, hometown church that could barely house a hundred people and she admitted that her attendance had dropped off as of late. The dwelling was striking and beautiful with its high, arched cathedral-like ceilings, inside balconies, and solid construction. He knew when he brought his baby to see it she’d fall in love with the look of the place of worship. As a cherry on the icing, his church was also multicultural, allowing other congregations to worship there, such as a Chinese church that rented space and a Swahili one, as well. Citadel was filled with love, the Good Word and food for the soul. All of this made it the perfect venue.

  Snow was duly impressed and stated she felt at home there after she met with his pastor and some other members of the congregation. A young lady at the church who taught Sunday school and also helped to plan weddings presented her portfolio to Snow. No… the woman wasn’t one of those fancy, high priced decorators, but Alex asked that she trust him, that he’d seen some of her work for their Christmas displays and she was phenomenal.

  Snow, Brittany, her sister Paris—who he had the pleasure to meet and spend quite a bit of time with—and several other of her friends had gotten together countless times for dress fittings, meetings with the wedding coordinator, and selecting the hall for the reception. Now, the day had come.

  “Alex, you may want to come on in now,” the coordinator said. “The bridal party will be here in less than ten minutes.”

  He got to his feet. Buttoning his satin dark blue vest and tugging at his black tuxedo jacket, he peered up into the sky for a spell. What a beautiful day it was indeed.

  God, you sure are good to me, even when I ain’t been that good to myself…

  The coordinator’s walkie-talkie radio jarred him out of his thoughts; they’d gotten high tech with this wedding stuff. He chortled at the notion. Although he did long for simpler times, he was getting the woman of his dreams, so it was a small sacrifice to make.

  Moments later, he was yucking it up with Joshua and his brothers, his face warm with laughter. He didn’t miss the wink that Kyle tossed Brittany’s way at the rehearsal dinner the night before. The man was completely smitten. The two had been going out regularly, getting to know one another. Dan looked dapper in his attire and had been supportive beyond measure, despite his personal hardships in his own marriage which were ongoing. Rob stood there looking rather sheepish. The man had been annoyed to discover he wasn’t a part of the wedding party. He and Alex had a sit down about the matter and squashed it, so he added him at the last minute, trying to forgive and forget. He addressed his “sometimes” friend straight and with no chaser…

  I don’t like your mouth, Rob. You try and start shit for no damn reason. If you’ve got beef with me, let’s grill it. Don’t act like a pussy and be passive aggressive. You’re a pretty boy. You don’t like when I tease you about it—fine, I get it. I’ll stop calling you a Ken doll if you stop pushin’ my fuckin’ buttons…

  Then they shook on it. Now here they all were, packed tight as sardines. They’d had fun playing around, pushing one another and acting like it was just another day in high school. Mama and his sister sat in the front row, next to a few cousins and his aunts and uncles, too.

  Mama was dabbing her eyes already. The pretty woman was dressed in a navy-blue gown, looking like a prom queen. Mama was a stunner, and had a heart made of pure gold. She never thought he’d settle down, but now he’d proven her wrong. She liked Snow a whole damn lot, and so did his sissy.

  His brothers stood up there with him, looking proud as if they were getting married, too. Suddenly, the chatter stopped as the announcement came that it was time for everyone to get in place. Joshua and his boys disappeared, preparing to walk the bridesmaids down the aisle. “Better Today” by Coffey Anderson sounded through the speakers. Alex clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and rocked slowly to the music. Going deep within himself, he murmured the lyrics as he fought the emotions…

  “You made me better today, baby. Every prayer I’ve ever prayed was answered today.”

  He opened his eyes and smiled as he witnessed the parade. One by one, their friends came down that white runner to the song “I Choose You” by Ryann Darling. Then, Snow emerged. You could’ve heard a pin drop…

  There she stood in a snow-white crystal beaded gown that showed just enough cleavage to make him salivate. The bodice was detailed with strips of shiny navy blue material, which gave it a unique, stunning, and royal appearance.

  Swiping his hand across his mouth, he had to catch his breath as he leaned back ever so slightly, his heart pounding hard within him. Charlie Wilson’s “You Are” came on as everyone got to their feet. Her boss, Mr. Coffle, walked her down the aisle, a proud smile on his face. Snow had said he had been like a surrogate father to her since she’d been at the firm. Once the song ended, they stood in silence staring at one another. The woman’s chest rose and fell, her collar bones prominent and dusted with little dabs of glitter.

  “We’re each other’s heroes…” she whispered, blinking back tears.

  And that was it. Alex rested his hands on his knees and broke down. He was mortified, but he couldn’t stop the flood of tears, couldn’t reel himself in.

  “Thank you, God! Thank you so much… don’t know what I did to deserve ’er, but thank you!”

  He felt a firm rub on his back, knowing it was Joshua. Then he heard others begin to cry. This was so unlike him. He had no doubt his face was bright red and that damn vein in the middle of his forehead was protruding. When he stood back erect, his face was burning hot, he worked on composing himself and getting his act together.

  “It’s okay, baby… I love you!” The beautiful lady blew him a kiss, her cheeks also wet.

  He grabbed hold of her hand and stood straight, trying hard not to break down once again as the pastor navigated them through their vows.

  “Before we finish, it has come to my understanding that Mr. Valentine wishes to say something to his bride,” the man announced before taking a step back.

  Taking Snow’s hands in his, Alex smiled at the woman, and she smiled back.

  “A man by the name of Leo Tolstoy said, ‘The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.’ I had neither.” This was met with a few chuckles. “I unfortunately wasn’t joking.” The mood grew somber. “It’s true, and it didn’t serve me well. Sometimes it’s not about the chase; it’s about the wait. I’ve spent most of my life chasing things and people because it made me feel like I was doin’ something. I needed to constantly be moving. This woman right here taught me that sometimes just slowing down, declaring yourself and sitting back will get you better results. In other words, what God has for you is for you.”

  “Amen!” someone shouted.

  “It’s our job to ask for it, to do our best to receive it, and then thank Him when we do. In my l
ifetime, I’ve met all sorts of people from all walks of life. I’ve traveled all around the country. My parents raised their kids to go after what they want, no matter what obstacles might be in the way. That was a good lesson, but sometimes I took it to extremes. I live my life fast, seeking adventure, chasing the next thrill. Well, love isn’t just some adventure. It’s something you take care of and nurture, too. You gotta earn it. You can’t bully your way to it, you can’t buy it, you can’t coerce it to come your way. It requires time and patience. It requires humility and humbleness. Some things, if rushed, give you bad results. Rushed food rarely tastes good. Rushed paintings rarely look good, either. But when that chef or painter takes their time, they make a masterpiece. God took His time when he made my Snow.” The woman’s lips quivered as another tear fell from her eye. “He prepared her just for me, and I was prepared just for her.”

  “This wasn’t sloppy work. This took time. He let us marinate with life experiences so we could appreciate one another when we finally set eyes on each other. I’m so in love with this woman, it hurts. She stirs the fire in my belly, makes me want to be a better man… a man with the ability to take a few deep breaths before I rush in, think things through, smell the roses before I race past ’em. I’m rough around the edges and she’s smooth as butter. We’re one now. That’s kinda strange, isn’t it?” He smirked. “I guess somethin’ all soft in the middle and rough around the edges would kinda look like a half-melted candy bar that’s been out in the sun too long then placed in the freezer before it’s too late.”

  At this, it seemed everyone, including the pastor, couldn’t hold in the belly-aching laughter.

  “I knew it was just a matter of time,” Snow teased. “Things were just going too well, weren’t they, Alex?!” She threw up her hands, her eyes dancing with mirth. Pulling her closer, he linked his fingers with hers.