Page 54 of Double

“This is festival clothing, Double. All of the outfits were festival clothing. Are we going to a festival?”

“This is my secret. Actually, I have more than one secret because I got you a gift.”

“A gift? Why?”

He bent down slightly and kissed my lips. “Because you’re mine to spoil however I want to.”

I smiled.

“And because I wanna celebrate your new position at Passion’s Project.”

“Technically, I don’t have the position. I have to design this Halloween sneaker ball before your grandparents can actually make a decision.”

“You got it,” he assured me. “Now come here.”

I stepped closer, and he picked up an oversized velvet box from the console table next to where we stood. I watched in silence as he opened the lid, revealing a delicate gold necklace with a teardrop-shaped charm hanging from it.

“What is this?” My eyes were wide with surprise.

“You’re my September baby, and obviously, sapphires are your thing.” He gestured toward my wedding ring. “I saw this necklace, and it was all . . . dainty, and it had this unique peachy, caramel-colored stone hanging from it. I asked my Aunt Summer what the stone was, and when she told me that it was a cream sapphire, I knew it was yours.”

My hand flew to my mouth, and I stared at it. It was so beautiful.

“Turn around.”

I quickly turned around so that he could put it on me. Once he was done fastening the clasp, I reached for the stone, taking it in my fingers. “I’ve never seen a sapphire this color. It’s gorgeous.”

“You’re gorgeous, Sweetheart. It reminded me of you—of your skin. It’s unique and beautiful, just like you.”

I stood on tiptoe and puckered my lips so he would know to kiss me. His lips were soft on top of mine. “Let’s go. I still have some surprises in store for you.”

I was surprised when Double took us into the downtown area of the city. I had been living in Chicago for two months and had only been downtown in passing. It was early April, so the temperature was cool, but it was exhilarating. The big buildings, the lights, the traffic, and the people. It was after 7:00 p.m., and there were still crowds of people on the street.

Double and I ate a delicious sushi dinner then held hands as we fast walked down the street. Not even a block from the restaurant, he slowed to a stop. I looked up and saw the marquee for the place we were about to enter. It read, “Tonight: King Cobra.”

“Oh my goodness!” I squeaked, already starting to fangirl. “Oh my goodness! You’re bringing me to see King Cobra? I love him. He’s my favorite artist.” Tears pooled in my eyes at the thought of seeing a musical artist from home.

People hustled past us toward the venue as I stood there, fighting back tears. “Yes, Sweetheart. Even though I gave you some pushback about going back to the island, that doesn’t mean that I can’t bring some of the island to you.”

I threw my arms around his neck and held on. His arms wrapped around my waist, and he held me while I softly cried. After a few minutes, he spoke softly in my ear. “Let’s go inside and find our seats. It’s cold out here, and you’re not dressed for the weather. I’m not tryna have you end up sick.”

“You’re right. Let’s go inside.”

Double took my hand and led me inside. When I saw a vendor selling merch, I had to stop. The colors arrested me because they were the colors of home—deep yellows, vibrant greens and reds, sunset oranges, and ocean blues. Double purchased a hoodie, a travel cup, and a tote bag for me. We stepped into the auditorium, and he showed the usher his phone screen, which held images of the e-tickets. We walked for what seemed like forever, and I definitely wasn’t surprised when we ended up in the center section on the third row.

“Wow,” I said as I settled into my seat. I set my purchases on the floor in front of me and hugged Double. “Thank you for doing this. Thank you for giving me a little taste of home.”

“You gave up a lot to come here, Sweetheart. I know your back was against the wall, and you didn’t have a choice, but that doesn’t minimize the sacrifice or the loss.”

A lone tear slid slowly down my cheek at the idea that this man saw me. Even though the days of me crying for twenty-four hours straight had ended, he knew I was still mourning the loss of everything familiar. That touched my heart. So did the fact that he kissed the tear away.

“I just wanted to give you back a little bit of Iredia, . . . even if it’s only for tonight,” he continued.

“I’ll take it,” I told him.

When King Cobra took the stage and belted his first notes over the reggaeton beats, my hips swung with a mind of their own. I sang, danced, shouted, screamed, and slow wined. A few times, I felt like King Cobra and I made eye contact, but I told myself that I was tripping. With the glare from the lights, I was almost positive that there was no way he could make out individual faces in the crowd.

Double indulged me to the fullest during the show. If I stood on the chair, wrapped my arm around his neck, and started to sway, he swayed right along with me. If I twerked my booty on him, he slapped my ass. By the time the show ended, I was both exhausted and exhilarated.