by Ancelli
“I need a favor.”
“Sure, what’s up?” The waiter placed their meals in front of them, and Marco started eating.
“Can you DJ at my birthday party next week? The guy I hired bailed on me. I’ll pay you for your services.”
“Why didn’t you ask me in the first place?” He picked up his fork. “Is this your way of making sure I’m there to celebrate your special day?”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she replied.
He could hear the smile on her face. It sounded weird, but he could tell when she was smiling over the phone. “Are you smiling?”
Alicia chuckled. “Yes, you seem to have that effect on me. I’m renting the turntables and other stuff. Do you need anything else?”
“If I do, I will get it.” He leaned back in his seat, and Marco stared at him with a smirk on his face. “How have you been?”
“Good. I have to go, Perry. I’m helping Mia with her homework.”
“Mia told me she didn’t have any homework when I picked her up today,” he pointed out, and Alicia didn’t answer. “Bye, Alicia. See you next week.” He swiped his fingers over the screen. “She can’t lie right.”
Marco stared at him, chewing. “She did ask you for time.”
“That time ends on her birthday.” Perry began eating. “You should join me at the gym tomorrow. That’s if Milan lets you.”
“Lets me?” Marco said, cleaning his mouth with a napkin. “She’s my wife, not my master.”
Perry watched him closely. Was that what people had thought of him when he was with Lorie?
“My bad.” Marco cleared his throat, as if he’d been reading Perry’s mind. “I wasn’t talking about you.”
“Whatever. She couldn’t tell me what to do. That’s why it turned physical.” Perry felt like he had to defend himself. “I’m tired of people thinking I’m weak because I will not knock the shit out of her. If I released my anger on Lorie, she would be missing teeth.”
“Calm down. I didn’t mean it the way you’re taking my comment.” Marco put down his fork. “I was joking.”
Perry swallowed. He’d overreacted. Man, Lorie had fucked his head up. “Sorry.”
“I’ll join you tomorrow because you need a stress reliever, and I’ll finally meet the man that molded you into a boxer.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Chapter Twelve
As the guests started arriving, Perry had the music blasting in Alicia’s back yard; throughout the years, he’d made a list of her favorite songs. Alicia had turned her backyard into a mini-club, with lights hanging from side to side over the makeshift dance floor, and a few tables with chairs surrounding the area. She’d gone all-out for her birthday: she deserved nothing but the best. He knew most of the people staggering in, neighbors and co-workers.
Dawn, the neighbor right next door to Alicia, waved her hand at him. “It’s good to see you having fun.”
He smiled. He hadn’t felt so liberated in over a year.
“Hey, Perry.” Talia waved her hand. “Do you remember me?”
It was the teenage girl from McDonald’s. “Of course I remember you, Talia.” He walked around the table and gave her a side-hug. “How have you been?”
“Great!” She beamed. “I’m almost finished with my degree in engineering.”
“Damn, girl, you’re doing great things! Are you still working at—”
“No.” She laughed. “I hate smelling like food. I’m a full-time student.”
“Good for you.” Perry stepped back behind his set, pulling on his headphones. “The guest of honor will be down soon.”
“What?” Marco laughed when he saw Perry playing with the music. “She got you working while she parties.” He held Milan’s hand in his, helping her down the stairs.
“Whatever.” He was happy to see Milan. She hadn’t been out much since she’d given birth to their baby and had a stroke. Marco had been overwhelmed at time, but he never showed it. Their weekly talks worked in both their favors, enabling them to get shit off their chests.
“Hi!” Milan waved her sparkly cane in the air at him. Her left side was slowly coming back to normal. “Where’s the birthday girl?”
“Inside, still getting dressed.” Perry came around the turntable and kissed Milan on her cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better.” She smiled, exposing her dimples. “I heard you’ve been spoiling my son.”
“I can’t lie.” Perry grabbed a chair for her to sit. “You’ll be my date tonight, but we won’t tell your husband.”
Milan giggled. “It’s not Marco you need to worry about, but your baby-mama. My sister is done sharing your ass. This can be both your divorce and engagement party.”
“Really, Milan!” Marco covered his mouth, laughing. “She has a point.”
Perry stared at them. The love between his friends had grown stronger after the baby and her stroke. He glanced at his cell phone and saw that Alicia had texted him. Coming down in five minutes.
He grabbed his cell phone, and replied: Patiently waiting. Perry changed the song playing to “B-day” by Tank and Chris Brown.
Alicia walked through the back door, dancing, and his manhood instantly jerked. He’d kept away from her until that night.
“It’s my birthday,” she sang, smiling and moving her hips in a circular, sensual way.
She took his breath away. Alicia didn’t normally wear her hair down to her shoulders, and her makeup was perfectly done. She wore a strapless red shirt with skinny jeans, tailor-made for her curvy body. Her black-polished toes played peekaboo in her pumps.
“It’s time to have fun,” she screamed with a drink in her hand and Byron stepped up behind her, whispering something in her ear. Alicia’s smile disappeared when she saw who it was and she moved away from him, strolling down the stairs, straight to Perry. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
“Happy birthday, beautiful.” He winked. “I left a gift on your dresser.” Perry had done what he should have years ago. He’d poured out his heart out in the letter; hopefully she would finally forgive him.
Alicia took a sip of her fruity, alcoholic beverage. “Thank you!” She went off and mingled in the crowd as “Brown Sugar” by D’Angelo played.
Perry needed some of her brown sugar right about now. He regretted turning down her most recent offer, but that was what he got for trying to be a stand-up guy.
Byron walked over to him. “You don’t know how to take a hint?”
“Carry on.” Perry thinned his lips. “You don’t want a piece of me—”
“Is that a challenge?” Byron rested his hands on the table, leaning forward.
Perry placed his headphone down. “I’m warning you!” He banged his fist on the table.
Alicia grabbed Byron’s hand, pulling him away. “You are not going to ruin my party with your jealousy. I want him here, and if you have a problem with that, then you leave.” She raised her eyebrow. “I made things clear with you when you showed up uninvited again to my house. I want to be alone because honestly I don’t know what I want. You agreed to be friends, so act like one.” She walked off.
Byron clenched his jaw and pursed his lips as he watched Alicia talk with her sister.
Perry cracked his neck, glaring at the man who’d dared to touch Alicia, but he didn’t have the right to be jealous of anything Alicia did while he was fucking married to that psycho. The song changed to “Pearly Gates” by Pitbull. Alicia strolled into the middle of the dance floor and started dancing. He was hypnotized, watching Alicia have fun. Her smile and laughter were captivating. He’d missed out on so much.
The night went on, and he continued his role as DJ. Marco handed him a drink.
“How are you really doing?” Marco stared at him.
“I’m…liberated.” He raised the glass and took another sip. “I’m taking ownership of my life, and that woman right over there,” he pointed at Alicia, “was my past, and is my future.�
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Marco snickered. “I couldn’t be happier. You two belong together. What about old-boy over there?” He tilted his head toward Byron as he danced with Alicia.
“She’s not in love with him. He was a distraction from me.” Perry looked over toward the dance floor. He didn’t like the way Byron was touching Alicia. “I may sound like a prick, but no one can love Alicia like I can. I never should’ve listened to her when she told me to marry that lunatic.”
“What’s done is done,” Marco said. “Live in the now. Don’t let the past hold you back from what is right in front of you.”
“I won’t.” Perry changed the music to Alicia’s favorite genre: reggae. “Luv” by Tory Lanez began playing, and he strolled over to the dance floor. He tapped Alicia on her shoulder. “May I?”
Turning around, she smiled around and started winding her hips from side to side. Alicia bent her knees into a low position and rotated her hips in a circle. Yep, she was tipsy. She inched closer to him and he followed her lead. This had been their hobby, back in the day: they would go clubbing every now and then and dance the night away. Perry had taught her how to salsa and merengue and she’d taught him how to wine. Alicia gazed into his eyes, and he could see the desire in her irises, just like the old days. Dancing was an aphrodisiac to them; every time they went out, they’d ended up making love. She turned around, grinding her ass on him, and he couldn’t hide the erection she was causing him. He placed his hands on her hips.
“Damn!” Milan laughed.
Alicia rapidly turned around, embarrassed. They stared at each other as “For Free” by Drake began playing.
Perry smiled, inching forward. “Your momma said you need to stop giving up your goodies for free.” He laughed, and she smacked his arm.
“Really!” She wiped the sweat rolling down her forehead with the back of her hand. “I need to freshen up.”
“You want me to join you?” he whispered in her ear, hoping she would say yes.
“Nope. Remember, I need to stop giving it up.” Alicia smirked and walked off the dance floor, up the stairs, and into the house.
***
Alicia had had a little too much to drink. She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Sweat rolled down her forehead and back. She wiped her face and retouched her makeup. Perry was driving her libido crazy. She couldn’t deny her feelings for him, and she didn’t want to. When she looked back up, Byron was behind her. “What are you doing?”
He touched her ass. “You know what I want, Alicia. Stop playing hard to get.”
She smacked his hand off her butt. “I’m not playing hard to get.”
“Don’t act like a little virgin now.” Byron placed his hand on the bathroom door, blocking her in. “You can’t tell me yes, yes, and then all of a sudden tell me no.”
“What?” Alicia looked at him, dumbfounded. “I can tell you no whenever I want. I don’t like a pushy man. Is sex all you think about when it comes to me?”
“You’re the one that put it on me.” He moved closer to her. “Come on Alicia, just a quickie.” He inched closer.
“Byron.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m warning you. I said no!”
“What’s going on?” Milan walked into the bedroom.
“Nothing,” Byron answered. “We wanted some time alone.”
“No, we didn’t.” Alicia pushed him to the side, out of her way. “Why don’t you go back to the party and sober up a bit, because you’re riding on thin ice. Or better yet, just leave.”
“Whatever!” He raised his voice and stormed out of her bedroom.
“Are you okay?” Milan asked.
“Yes, he’s showing his true colors.” Alicia sat on her bed. “I needed some fresh air.”
“In the house?” Milan sat next to her.
“Perry is driving me crazy. Everything we shared is coming back to me in full effect. I can’t seem to shake him off.” Alicia lay down in the middle of the mattress. “I can’t be without him in my life. I said I came back for Mia, but in reality, I also came back for him.”
Milan watched her. “Like we all didn’t know that. You guys fucked up. He did his thing, and you did too. In the end, you only hurt each other by being apart. Imagine how different everything would’ve been if he hadn’t blown up and you hadn’t taken that job.”
Alicia closed her eyes. “You don’t know how many times I wish I could take back that day and how stupid I was. We were slowly pulling apart. The communication we once had was nonexistent because we were so busy working hard that we took each other for granted.”
Milan combed Alicia’s hair with her fingers. “You have a second chance.”
She turned away from her sister. “I can’t have him.”
“Why the hell not?” Milan lay next to her. “He’s getting a divorce and you two are meant to be. Technically, you were the one that pushed him into that woman’s arms and you know it. I think you should take what is rightfully yours.”
There was a small, black bag and an envelope on her dresser. Perry had mentioned leaving her a gift in her room.
“Perry has never stopped pining over you. Lorie was a mistake he made, a one-night stand that didn’t go away…” Milan continued talking as Alicia got up and grabbed the envelope, opened it, and started reading.
Mi amor,
Happy birthday!
This letter is a little too late, but I have to get this off my chest. I’m tired of carrying something that belongs to you. I purchased this gift about five years ago, and I hid it in my top dresser, away from you. I was waiting for the perfect time to give it you, but every time I thought it was the right time, something came up. I wanted to have everything you ever dreamed of before I asked you. We worked our asses off day and night. You took on another job and I even went back to fighting (as you already know) so we could have the things I promised you, because to this day, babe, I would do anything for you. If you said you wanted the moon, I would die trying to make it up to space just for you.
I’m so fucking proud of all your accomplishments. You were/are my shero; you made me a better man. You pushed me to do better. Because of you, I finished my degree, and now I’m a successful broker. And you gave me the biggest gift a man could ever ask for: my first child. You and Mia became my life. I prayed that I would be enough for you two. You sacrificed so much for me.
I was having an awful day. The deal I was working on fell through and everything I had planned for us that weekend did, too. I was counting on that money to do something special for you. We had never been on a vacation, and I was planning a week-long getaway for us. I wanted to take you to St. Kitts to pop the question, but that never happened. Instead, I allowed my machismo to get in the way. I assumed you had accepted the job in Chicago without telling me, and my world crashed around me. Instead of congratulating you, I made you feel like shit, and baby, I’m so fucking sorry for making you feel like that. I tried to make it up, ask for forgiveness, but what was said couldn’t be taken back. You left and my heart shattered into a million pieces.
I lived just to live because my heartbeats walked out on me, and then Lorie started talking to me, saying sweet things about the man that I was, and then later on making me feel like what you and I had wasn’t real. She said that women have a sense of obligation when they’d been with someone so long. I thought we were forever. She fucking messed with my head. I let her put things in my head about you, but that doesn’t matter now.
Everything that happened was my fault, but I never stopped loving you, and I never will. Open the box…
Alicia tipped the bag over and grabbed the box. She slowly opened it, and gasped. She wasn’t expecting a ring. It was a small, white gold solitaire ring. Tears ran down her face. Perry had kept this ring all these years. Her heart started racing; when he’d asked her to marry him the day she’d left, he’d meant it. She covered her mouth. “What have I done?”
“What did you say? Are you even listening to me?” Milan asked, but
she didn’t answer. “I’m going back to the party.”
Alicia continued reading as her sister left the room.
It isn’t much, but it was all I could afford back then. This ring is a symbol of my love for you. The circle represents my everlasting love for you. It will never end. I never gave Lorie a ring, because my heart never belonged to her. I married her out of obligation, but I wanted to share my life with you and only you. It’s always been you, Alicia; she was just a night of stupidity that turned into years of misery. Alicia Stone, all I’m asking for is another chance to prove myself to you. Forgive me. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to properly marry me sooner. I love you!
She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then drew the ring out of the box and slipped it on her ring finger, smiling. This should’ve happened years ago; they’d both been too stubborn that day. Alicia stared at the piece of jewelry, and fixed her hair. She was about to do something she should’ve done long time ago: reclaim what was rightfully hers. Alicia strolled out of her room to her party.
As soon as Alicia came through the door, everyone began to sing “Happy Birthday”. Marco rolled a small table with a three-tier pink cake up to her. She gazed over at Perry. The man had her heart from day one, and then she looked at Byron, taking yet another drink after trying to push up on her. It was evident who she wanted. After the cake cutting, the crowd sat enjoying the music and each other.
“It’s time for Karaoke!” Milan grabbed the microphone from the table. “Who wants to be first?”
Alicia raised her hand, then came down the stairs and joined the party, taking the mic away from her sister and grabbing another one. She looked over at Byron and then she twisted to the side, gazing at Perry. “Let’s start it off with… “My First Love” by Avant and Keke Wyatt.”
That had been one of their favorite songs back in the day. The music started playing and she threw him another mic. “This is a duet!” She sashayed to the dance floor. “Don’t you want to hear us sing together?” she asked the small crowd.