Over the Hedge: Part 2- The Finale (Lucky in Love)

by Minerva Vesta

  And, possibly the most nervous I’ve been in my life.

  It was the night of the H&G Annual Awards Ceremony, and I was ready for the night to be over. After the crazy weekend, Lashawnda and I had and then finding out about Jenny’s disloyalty, I was ready to enjoy a lazy Sunday at home with my woman. And, if things went according to plan, she would be my fiancé by the end of the night.

  The ring my mother gave me was perfectly timed. For the last few months, Lashawnda and I have fallen into an easy-going lifestyle filled with comfort and contentment. I felt like the next logical step in our relationship was marriage. But I knew perfectly well I had a woman at home that liked to over analyze things. Now, this personality trait wasn’t all bad. When it came to work, or her managing the household budget, it was a godsend. I, on the other hand, could be a little impulsive. It was great having my other half be more levelheaded. I just knew a marriage proposal might come with her over thinking if we were ready to take the next step.

  Like I told my mother, I was ninety-nine percent sure Lashawnda would say, ‘yes’ to becoming my wife. I was generous giving her that one percent. That woman was destined to be mine since the day I got my first sniff. I shook my head. I can’t believe it‘s been ten months since she walked into that elevator. Come hell or high water, I already knew how this thing was ending. Only thing left to do was ask her.

  The anxiety of proposing to Lashawnda sent me in a panic. I woke up with a lump in my throat. My nerves were already starting to get frayed with anticipation. When I kissed Lashawnda good morning, I held on just a little longer than normal. She gave me that look I’d become accustomed to reading. The one that says, ‘baby tell me all your problems and I’ll make it all go away.’ I answered her concern with a deep soul-searching kiss that left us both breathless.

  Once I left the house, I drove straight to her parents’ house to ask her father for her hand in marriage. The experience was worse than when I’d met them naked outside Lashawnda’s apartment. Palms were clammy, armpits felt like a summer day after a Florida thunderstorm, and my throat was desert dry. Even with my extensive vocabulary, my tongue wouldn’t allow me to ask the one question I came to ask.

  “Sir…I…sir I’m h-h-here today hopping. No, I’m not hopping. I’m hoping, well…um yes, well…” I let out a frustrated breath and wiped my sweaty palms against my trousers.

  I was thankful I had the good sense to wear pants and a long sleeve shirt. I could only imagine the splotchy rashes that were forming on my skin. Taking a very slow steady breath, I squared my shoulders and sat forward in my seat.

  “Sir, Lashawnda and I have been together for about eight months, now. We’ve known each other for ten. During that time, I have grown to love her greatly. We’ve learned a lot about each other. We’ve even purchased a home together. Something I know you didn’t agree on initially. But we’re building a strong foundation, so we can spend the rest of our lives together,” I said, trying to list the highlights of our relationship.

  I was beating around the bush, but I was scared to death of what Mr. Price’s answer would be. After all the issues with Crystal’s marriage falling apart, I wouldn’t be surprised if he said, ‘no.’ The man wasn’t making the situation any better. Mr. Price had sat behind the desk in his office and gave me a long silent stare—not speaking a single word.

  “Sir, I love her with everything in me. And, while some men might be comfortable living as we are, now…I’m not. I want to make a vow before God and man that I plan on being with her till the end of my days. I want to honor her as my wife and no longer as my girlfriend. Sir, I am asking for your blessing of our union. I am asking for Lashawnda’s hand in marriage.” I explained with more confidence than I felt.

  The silence was palpable.

  “Break her heart. You will die.” Mr. Price stood, shook my hand, and pulled me in for a bear hug.

  That was almost eight hours ago, and I felt just as anxious as I did then, now.

  I walked around the ballroom, admiring the layout. I was impressed with H&G’s efforts to celebrate the company’s accomplishments over the course of the year. They went all out by keeping the event at one of the city’s most renowned five-star hotels. On my entry into the building, I was certain I’d spotted a celebrity or two, another perk of living close to the Florida beaches. Yet, not even the sight of some overpaid celebrity could distract me enough from my intended purpose that evening. I checked my watch for the hundredth time since entering the building. It was getting close to the start of the first speech and Lashawnda was nowhere in sight.

  She arrived before me to help with the setup. On my way to the hotel, she called and said she needed to return to the house to change her outfit. She had a run-in with one of the waitstaff. Literally, she ran into the young man carrying a tray of fresh bacon wrapped scallops, with a lemon aioli sauce. Lashawnda said she got drenched in it and needed to change. She wasn’t going to walk around smelling like seafood all evening.

  I checked my watch again, anxious for her to come back soon. It had been an hour since her call. She was slated to give a speech honoring Dr. Barnes. It was the first time an assistant was chosen to do it; usually, an executive did it. But everyone agreed Lashawnda was the only person worthy of giving the honorarium speech. Unbeknown to her, she would also be honored that night for her achievements. Dr. Barnes had been adamant about recognizing all Lashawnda’s hard work.

  At the thought of Dr. Barnes, I saw the older man standing a few feet away. I bit back my laughter as I watched him visibly cringe from his wife’s ministrations to fix his tie. I made my way over.

  “Good evening,” I said shifting out of the way from a passing waiter.

  “Hello, Sean. How are you doing, dear?” Juliet Barnes hugged me and kissed my cheek.

  “Colcord.” The older man nodded. “Are you ill?”

  “No, sir,” I replied quickly.

  I attempted to adjust my posture and school my facial features to make them appear more relaxed and less like I was ready to jump out of my skin.

  Unconsciously, my hand went to my pocket where I wrapped my fingers around the black velvet-lined box that held the engagement ring. I had done that at least a hundred times since leaving the house. The value of the ring was only one of the reasons I felt nervous about having it in my possession. The fact it was now a family heirloom, representing my position as the last of my mother and father’s bloodline, was the other one.

  A hearty slap on my back and roaring laughter took me by surprise.

  “So, tonight is the night, eh?” Dr. Barnes inquired with a broad grin. “I remember when I asked Juliet. I was practically biting off my fingertips waiting for her answer.”

  “Sir…” I began in confusion. “I-I don’t know what you mean.”

  Dr. Barnes smiled slyly and pulled me closer as he whispered in my ear. “You’re going to ask Price to marry you.”

  It shocked me that he hit the nail right on the head. I hadn’t even told Brent or any of the guys, yet. The only people who knew were Lashawnda’s parents and my mother.

  “How did you know?” I asked.

  “I saw the outline of the box in your pocket. That added to your jitteriness explains it all,” Dr. Barnes said.

  “Is it that obvious?” I nervously rubbed the back of my neck.

  Dr. Barnes patted my shoulders.

  “Trust me, Colcord; you have nothing to worry about. I’m sure Price has her dress all picked out as we speak. I know that girl is head over heels in love with you.”

  “Yeah, I hope you’re right,” I replied with a nervous chuckle.

  “If she says, ‘no’, then it would benefit me. That means I can get rid of you and things will go back to normal.” Dr. Barnes’s words threw me for a loop.

  “Excuse me?” I could feel the corners of my face pull tight with annoyance. This man was my boss and someone I respected. However, his comment was enough for me to forget those things.

  “Well, then she won�
��t leave me. I’ll have Lashawnda back to myself,” Dr. Barnes explained with a shrug.

  “Sean, please excuse my husband.” Mrs. Barnes placed a hand on her husband’s forearm, shooting him a warning glare. “What he’s trying to say, but failing, is that he’ll miss Lashawnda when she goes back to school full time. He knows that she won’t be his assistant forever.”

  “Juliet, that’s not what I meant,” Dr. Barnes barked.

  “But it is.” She patted his arm as if he was a child. Turning back to me, she smiled fondly. “For the last few weeks, he’s been walking around the house muttering to himself about what he’s going to do when she’s gone. Somehow, he rationalized it in his mind that things were perfect before you came along, and if you’re not there anymore, things will go back to being that way. My husband is panicking right now. Even when our girls left for college, he didn’t show this much emotion. Please don’t take anything he says personally. He obviously doesn’t know how to communicate his emotions. I’m sure Lashawnda isn’t even aware of how much she means to him.”

  “She doesn’t need me to bombard her with flowery sentiments. Price is a smart girl,” Dr. Barnes said defensively.

  Mrs. Barnes sighed audibly. “Congratulations and good luck, Sean,” she added, with a motherly pat on my forearm. With a brief nod Dr. Barnes escorted his wife into the ballroom.

  So much for having his support.

  I took out my phone, dialing Lashawnda’s number to see how far away she was.

  “Why is it that I always get stuck in traffic at the worse possible moments?” Lashawnda asked as soon as she picked up.

  “I have no idea,” I answered in amusement.

  “Can you please do me a favor and tell Mallory I’m running a little late? She can move Dr. Barnes’s recognition toward the end of the list. I should be there by then.”

  “No problem,” I said.

  “Thanks, babe. Let me get off this phone. Some of these people are driving like they are crazy,” she replied.

  “You be careful,” I said before disconnecting the call.

  My voice sounded as if I was pleading to her. There were times I wished I had a hand in every aspect of her life. I wished I could control everything around her to keep her safe and protected. I wondered if I was the only man that got anxiety when his woman got behind the wheel of a car or just left his presence in general.

  I turned to see Mallory standing next to the podium and started making my way over to her. The room was packed with people from work dressed in their finest and ready to party. I nodded in acknowledgement at a few but kept it moving. Mallory was hunched over the table at the entrance checking off names. I plastered a smile on my face and waved to get her attention.

  “Hey there. Where’s your girl?” Mallory asked.

  “She’s stuck in traffic. She asked if you can move Dr. Barnes’s recognition further down on the program,” I relayed the message.

  Mallory briefly scanned the room. “Well, I don’t think that should be a problem.” She eyed me thoughtfully. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I quickly excused myself and went to the bar. Could it be I was so nervous about proposing I was sweating again?

  I desperately needed some liquid courage. Signaling to the bartender, I ordered a double shot of bourbon. The young woman behind the bar looked at me for a second longer than what was necessary. I audibly gulped, wanting to sniff my pits or check my fly to make sure nothing was out of place.

  “You have…” she motioned a finger around her face to indicate there was something on my cheek. I looked in the mirror behind the bar and saw the lipstick stain. It must have been left behind by Mrs. Barnes.

  “Thanks.” I nodded to the bartender, dropping her a twenty for her tip. She’d just saved me from complete embarrassment. How would it look, asking my woman to be my wife, with another woman’s lipstick on my face?

  I took my drink from the bar and walked out of the ballroom. There were lounge areas in various spots throughout the lobby. I needed to get control of myself. It was one thing to have Dr. Barnes notice my nervous state, after all the man was a world-renowned scientist. Making observations was his life’s work. But, to have Mallory notice how nervous I was is a bad sign.

  Reaching into my pants pocket, I shifted the ring box, so that I could sit comfortably. Bringing the glass to my lips, I took a heavy gulp. It was a few minutes until the program began, and I was counting down the time, constantly looking at my watch. On instinct, I took the watch off and read the inscription on the back.

  No time like the present. Live hard. Love harder.

  I was glad to know I was truly living my father’s wishes. I was enjoying my life, and I have learned how to love.

  I decided to wait in the lobby for Lashawnda. It would be about twenty more minutes before she arrived, and the program would have already started. I knew she would feel more comfortable if we walked in together, rather than her making an entrance by herself.

  I found a quiet spot in one of the secluded enclaves. It was close enough that I could see Lashawnda when she arrived. But, tucked away, so I could have a moment of privacy. A few staff members from the lab passed by and said their hellos. I was thankful they didn’t stop and wanted to have a long drawn out conversation. I wasn’t in the mood to be social with anyone at the moment.

  Pulling out my cell phone I sent a quick text message to Brent.

  Me: Hey what’s good.

  Brent: Sup, man. Nothing much just sitting at home relaxing.

  Me: What, no plans for the night?

  Brent: Nah. I’m going to take a night off and enjoy my own company.

  Me: Ha ha ha. You know what that means; you need a woman in your life.

  Brent: For a neuroscientist you’re pretty stupid. What does one thing have to do with the other?

  Me: I wonder what Crystal’s up to tonight? LMAO

  Brent: Shut the hell up.

  Me: Just pulling your chain, man.

  Brent: Yeah well, she’s out with a group of her friends, tonight.

  Me: WOAH!! How did you know that?

  Brent: She mentioned it earlier. And, don’t ask me anymore questions about her.

  Me: My bad…

  I pulled up the favorites in my contact list and hit the call button next to Brent’s name. He picked up after the second ring.

  “Well, if you wanted to hear the sound of my voice you should’ve just called, sweetie. No need to send me text messages first,” Brent said upon answering.

  “I’m going to ask Lashawnda to marry me tonight,” I responded ignoring Brent’s quip and getting straight to the point.

  There was a brief silence. I knew I threw him for a loop. I hadn’t told anyone besides my mother and Lashawnda’s parents about my intentions tonight. I remember when Jackson was going to ask Sarah. It was like the bro council had to be involved for him to decide how he would ask. Lashawnda and I were very close to our friends, but I knew she wouldn’t want me to do anything over the top and showy.

  “Are you sure?” Brent asked.

  “Of course, I’m sure,” I replied, sounding far more defensive than I intended.

  “I just want to ask now, so I know what your answer was. If you’re ready, then there is nothing I need to say but congratulations,” Brent conceded.

  “Thanks, man.” I took another long swig from my glass, emptying the contents. The tension was easing from the warmth of the liquid combined with the conversation of my best friend.

  “I can’t imagine two people more perfect for each other than you and Lashawnda.” Brent sighed. “Never thought I’d admit this, but I’m sitting here with an old cell phone filled with contacts of about thirty different women who I know I can call for a good time tonight. And, yet I’m jealous as hell that you’re going to be spending your night with the same one from now until the end of time. Congrats, bro. I mean it. You’ve found a good one that compliments you well.”

  “I appreciate it, man.” I scan
ned the lobby for a glimpse of said lady.

  “So, I’m guessing you’re calling me because you need a pep talk?”

  I chuckled. “You know me so well.”

  “Well, Dr. Colcord, I’m sure, ‘the little lady,’ as you are apt to call her, will be more than happy to be your wife. She is already fulfilling that role. Might as well give her the title. Not only does she put up with your neediness, she also cooks like a five-star chef to keep you fed and healthy. And, I know she must put in work in other areas of your life because you stay smiling and can’t wait to get home at night. The reverse is also true for her. I’ve never met a woman smile at the sound of her man’s voice or gets all giggly when he professes his love. She is sweet, yet she knows how to handle you like no one else does when you get all Hulk on us. Communication seems on point. She’s financially stable and definitely not a gold digger. And, I actually like her.”

  “Should I be concerned you seem to have such insight into my relationship?” I asked jokingly.

  “Like I said, anyone can see how perfect you all are for each other.” Brent reminded me, voice heavy with sarcasm. He’s constantly giving me shit about my excessive PDA with Lashawnda.

  We both laughed.

  “I brought you this,” came the sound of a feminine voice from behind me.

  I looked up to find Jenny Reed standing with her hand outstretched, holding a glass filled with an auburn colored liquid similar to the one I was already holding.

  “I’ll call you back,” I said into the receiver before hanging up.

  The tension I felt earlier was instantly replaced with irritation. It had been a few days since the news broke about Jenny sabotaging the MIND Project and selling us out to another research team. The office rumor mill had her reasons for doing it including money to supporting a drug habit. Our IT security team was still combing through all the servers to ensure they removed the viruses she left behind.

  “Is there something you need?” I asked, standing from my seat, not wanting her to feel as though we were about to have a heart to heart. The woman had almost ruined one of the biggest projects I had the pleasure of working on. I didn’t feel like I needed to be nice any longer.