by Eden Rose
"Deal! Let's get some work done!"
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"I would like about three inches cut off the bottom and then some thick blonde highlights!" I requested from Caridee. She already had my foils ready; this is why I like this place!
"I am thinking I should get caramel highlights and six inches cut off. What do you think, Vans?"
I clapped my hands and looked over at her in the mirror. "Do it! You are going to look so hot!"
"Mrs. Rossi?" A tall man asked with bleach blonde hair and a killer tan that was obviously a fake and bake came into focus. Anne nodded and held her hand up. "Here, this is a message for you." The man handed the note to Anne and she giggled and she winked at the man. Obviously she was loving the attention.
"Dinner is at six. What time is it?"
I pulled out my phone from my bra and turned the screen on. "Its five. Well we are going to be fashionably late. I am over it!" I had the whole salon giggling about my tardiness.
"So, Savannah! How is Vincent?" Caridee asked as she highlighted my head.
"Amazingly delicious!" I squealed.
"That's good. He is so hot!" The tall blonde man came back and I laughed really hard which made my stylist yank the junk of hair she had in her hand back.
"Stop moving. Vincent doesn't like it when people are late!" She growled in my ear.
"Whatever," I snorted back to her and Anne and I both laughed because of Caridee rolling her eyes.
*
We emerged from the salon at six thirty. By the time we got to restaurant it was almost seven. Oops. Its their fault, technically. They invited us last minute.
As Anne and I strutted our new hair through the restaurant, everyone looked up besides Vincent and Ronnie. They seemed to be in a deep conversation.
"Late much, ladies?" John growled at us as we sat by our men.
"A girl needs to do what a girl needs to do, John," I said to him as I silenced my phone. Johnny didn't close the restaurant this time. I scanned the room to see who else ate here and my eyes settled on Keith.
"Kitten, do you see him?" I whispered to Anne pointing to the table that is in the far corner.
She squinted her eyes and tilted her head. "Oh my! That's Keith!" She squealed his name which made him look over here and start walking towards us.
The six foot four man strutted over to us and smiled his lazy grin. He still looked good after all of these years. It was obvious that Keith frequented the gym since his arms were huge and so was his chest. I had to remind myself to shut my mouth as his blue eyes caught mine. Never again did I expect to see Joel's brother again.
As he approached the table that we were all sitting at, I stood up and met him half way.
"Savannah! Anne! How have you been?" He hugged me so tightly that my heels came off the floor. With Anne, he must have noticed her ring because he only half ass hugged her.
"Really good. How is everything with you and Courtney?" I was referring to his wife. Well, at least his wife when I seen him four years ago.
"We got divorced. We didn't love each other," his eyes scanned my body with no shame and I smiled at him with a laughing smile. I may have had a minor crush on him when Joel and I were married. Okay, it was pretty major. "You should have divorced my brother a long time ago! I am so happy you put that weight back on."
"Um, thanks I think." I knew he was referring to my depressed six months before I filed divorce where I lost almost thirty pounds.
"No! I mean you look great!" Anne just stood there fluffing her hair out.
A male's cough interrupted our reunion. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Ronnie came up behind Anne and placed his hand on the small of her back.
I went to open my mouth to answer him, but Keith did it for us. "Hi, I am Keith. I guess you can say that I am Savannah's ex brother-in-law." He smiled and winked at me.
"Its nice to meet you, I am Ronnie Rossi." Ronnie extended his hand like the gentleman that he is and Keith took it.
"Oh, I heard that Anne got married. You must be her husband!" Keith exasperated.
"Yes, I must be," Ronnie replied with a joke in his laugh. "Uh, this is Vincent," he pointed at Vincent who was still deep in conversation but he looked up and came over to me.
"Hi, Keith, right?" Vincent asked as he looped his arm around my waist. "Its always a pleasure to meet Savannah's family." And just like that, he symbolically peed on me.
"Well, we aren't family anymore."
"Isn't that a slap in the face! You remember that when you get drunk at your friends parties and call for a ride!" I screamed out and hugged him again. "Well, I am hungry. It was nice to see you again." I turned away from him and shifted my weight into Vincent's core. "Hi," I whispered in his ear as he walked me over to my spot.
"You are late," he stated when I sat and so did he.
"Oh well!"
"You do look pretty though. We are having a get together at our place tonight. Valerie wanted to come and so did Annabeth and Bethany but they had to work."
"Okay. What is this dinner for?" I slid my hand into his pocket to squeeze his thigh. What my finger found made me squeal. There was a circle with a rock on it. If I wouldn't have known any better, I would say it were a ring. "Whats this?" I ask as I pinch it with my fingers.
Vincent smiled and looked away from me. Ronnie met his glance and shook his head.
"I told you that you shouldn't keep that in your pocket, you cafone!" Ronnie rolled his eyes and flicked off Vincent.
Vincent turned his head to me and kissed me lightly on my lips. "Don't worry about it."
"Secrets, secrets."
Ronnie laughed and he and Anne exchanged a look.
"Fuck all of you! I am hungry!" I got off my chair and walked into the kitchen to see Johnny. "Hi, Johnny!" I yelled as I walked through the door with a big smile.
"You were late! You're very lucky that I kept you a plate!" He placed a plate of food in front of me and I immediately started to pick at it. "So what were you yelling about out there?" Johnny set a glass of Moscato in front of me.
"Vincent." That's all I said when the door opened and I heard high heels clack on the floor. "He is keeping secrets." I put a bite of food in my mouth and rolled my eyes.
"You shouldn't go through his pocket, Vans!"
Anne sat next to me and Johnny gave her a plate as well as a glass of wine. "Johnny, can you please tell Anne that pockets are not private?" I flicked her off.
"This is between you guys. I do not get into Pop's affairs especially with his new position!"
"I don't even know what that position means, either!" Great, I really am in the dark. I decided to be overly dramatic. "Everyone has a secret or six. Looks like I am going to need one too!" Johnny rolled his eyes and took his apron off to walk into the dining room. "Kitten, it felt like a ring!" I squealed as I picked apart a piece of bread.
"Mm, I don't know!" She laughed and scooped pasta in her mouth but hasn't touched her wine yet. I looked from her and to the wine glass. She will tell me sooner than later.
"Ladies! The party has been moved to Pop's house! The girls are already over there!" Sammy yelled through the door.
Vincent came into the kitchen and I picked up the other piece of the bread and walked out with him. "I don't like you keeping secrets," I growled in his ear as I nibbled on it. "Is it for me?"
"You will find out!" He walked me to the BMW and opened the door. I scooched in and got settled. Since he has automatic start, I opened the convertible but grabbed a blanket from the back. "You are insane, baby doll."
I made a cluck with my mouth and said: "That's why you love me." He started driving the car and rested his hand on my thigh as I wrapped myself in the blanket. I purred as he squeezed it. "I love you, you secret keeper!" I said with a joke in my voice as I squeezed his hand.
*
Sure enough, there were cars stacked into the driveway of my and Vincent's house. I still get all giddy inside when I think of it
as our home. I thought it was funny how all of them just let themselves in even though Vincent wasn't there.
We walked up the sidewalk and I stopped half way between the car and the door. "I remember this spot a few months ago," I whispered and wrapped my arms around his shoulders and lifted myself to my tip toes to kiss him. Vincent wrapped me into his core and took the kiss further.
"I remember this spot too. I also remember you teasing the crap out of me in the car, you little vixen!" He chuckled and I knew he was referring to the time in the bar when he referred to me as a vixen in the bar. "Oh, Ms. Cavanough, you drive me insane!" He muttered in my mouth as I lifted my leg to wrap around his waist as best as I could while wearing a skirt. I kept the kiss alive and more heated since I started to scratch his back with my nails after I slipped my hand in the back of his shirt.
"Will you quit! We are inside watching you! At least do something more juicy than making out!" Leo screamed out the door. Vincent broke our kiss and I put my leg down.
Interrupted. I might kill him. "Well, haven't you heard of a little thing called foreplay?" I asked as I walked past him to walk into the house.
My new friends came to me at the door and we walked upstairs so I could change.
* Vincent
I watched as her ass walked up the stairs and out of view before I turned to Sammy and Rossi. "Is everything set?"
Sammy nodded and then gestured up the stairs. "Yeah, the girls came over early to get everything set up."
I stretched out my hands and then let out a breath. "All right, I am going to take a peek." I walked away and out to the backyard. Man, I am so nervous.
Please don't say no. Please don't say no.
Vinny walked out and stood next to me. "You nervous, Pop?"
Well, I could lie and say that I wasn't but he always has a way of calling me out on my bull shit. "Yeah. Things have been going so good and I am freaked the fuck out that this will ruin it."
We both shrugged and then he punched my arm. "Come on, let's get a shot."
* Savannah
"What is this party for?" I asked as I kicked my shoes off along with my skirt. After deciding on a pair of jeans, I put them on.
"I don't know. These men don't need a reason to have a party!" Bethany exclaimed as she sat on the bed looking at the fireplace. "This place is beautiful."
Anne, Valerie and Annabeth nodded their heads in agreement.
"Come on, let's go downstairs!" Anne declared as she scooted off the bed and for the door. Before she got too far, she turned off the fireplace. Ever since we were kids, she had a weird phobia about fireplaces. We all walked out in a single file line and I realized how nice it was to have friends who understood what it was like to be in this type of unorthodox relationship.
I peered over the railing due to my curiosity of what the evening will hold and was met with faces that are familiar. The guys, and by "the guys" I am referring to about ten of them who seem to be the closet to Vincent, were in the great room. I led the girls into there and sat on Vincent's lap.
"So, Savannah... Have you been outside yet?" Sammy asked as he looked at me. I shook my head and leaned my back against Vincent's chest; I then grabbed his hands to put them around my waist. "You probably should do that!"
Vincent pushed me off of him and grabbed my elbow to lead me outside. I hated surprises and I am feeling kind of weary about this. "Its okay, baby. I promise, I won't bite. Hard!" He puckered his lips and opened the slider. I closed my eyes because I didn't want to know what it could possibly be outside. "Come on, open your eyes!" I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut tighter. "Baby doll," I about melted onto the cement as he called me by his nick name for me, "please open your eyes." I shook my head again and I felt his breath on the side of my face. "Either open your eyes or I I'll put you over my knee and spank you."
That tone meant business, and I quickly complied. I opened my eyes to see floating candles in the pool and rose petals scattered everywhere in the backyard including the pool. My mouth dropped as I looked around and sunk it all in. This is truly the most romantic scene ever. Soft music came from the speakers that were mounted onto the siding of the house.
Finally, my breathing returned to normal and I am able to string a sentence together. "Vincent! This is beautiful!" I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed his cheek; he wrapped his arms around my back and tugged me close to his body. My favorite place. "What's the special occasion?"
Just as I finished my sentence, the slider opened and the chubby puppy that I fell in love with a few weeks ago, ran over to me. I dropped to my knees and hugged the puppy. Since I was so confused, I found it crazy that the puppy had a collar. I began to focus on that aspect instead of the romantic scene in front of me. Usually collars represent ownership. Did someone adopt the chubbster? And if that is the case, whoever pushed the puppy out is mean for taunting me. I spun the collar around so I can read the tag. With the tag in my face, there is also a ring there too.
The tag read: Will you marry me? I read the tag about a hundred times before it sunk in that he was proposing to me. The ring sparkled as the candle light hit it. This was an argyle ring that must have been about three carats. The stone was cut in a princess cut with a platinum setting with white diamonds scattered on the band.
"Savannah?" I turned around and looked right in front of me since I was still on the ground, Vincent was kneeling on the ground in front of me. "The puppy asked you a question for me."
I felt the tears swell in my eyes as I looked at him. What he just said hasn't sunk in yet. "The puppy asked me or did the puppy ask me for you?"
Vincent grabbed the puppy and took his collar off. He presented the ring to me and teased my ring finger once he grabbed my left hand. "Fine. I will ask for myself!" He laughed and slid it down my finger. "I love you. Very much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side and me by yours. Will you do me the honor of letting me be your husband?" I looked at his eyes and scanned his face. Is this for real?
"Seriously?" I whispered as the tears flooded my eyes. The slider opened and I heard people come out.
"Yes, of course. Will you marry me?" He slid the ring all the way down and I smiled. After the ring was on my finger, I jumped into his hold.
Well, the answer is a no brainer! "Yes! Yes! Of course!" I kissed him and he kissed me back. The people on the deck were clapping and I looked at Vincent with a closer glare. "On one condition."
"Really, Vans?" Anne screamed at me. I heard a bunch of people gasp as I said that.
"This time you can't take this ring off my finger while I am sleeping and you have to fill me in on things that concern our relationship," I tried to sound as stern as possible. Inside, I wasn't feeling stern, I felt like a melted piece of butter in a frying pan.
"Deal." He grabbed me in his hold and the puppy barked. "Oh, by the way... that is your puppy!"
"I have a puppy? Really?" I reached over to the puppy and picked him up. "Thank you, baby." I held the puppy tight and we both snuggled into Vincent's chest.
"What are you going to name him?" Vincent asked in my ear as I cooed at the puppy.
His name came to me like a mac truck hitting a car. "Cherub. He is a fat little cupid and I love him!"
The girls came over to me and looked at my ring as I flashed it in the light. This evening is so surprising and I am in love with my ring as I stare down at it. I am passed being in love with Vincent. What I feel for him is so huge.
"I will let you ladies talk shop," Vincent said as he kissed my forehead. "Come on, gentlemen. Let's smoke a cigar," he left us and I looked up as he walked away from me.
While standing up, I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around him. As he turned around, he took me into his hold along with Cherub. "Wait. Is this for real?" I asked as my heart raced out of my chest. There is no way that I could deal with a fake engagement for some bull shit reasons. I am hoping that he really wants to be married. To me... that is. Part of me, the irratio
nal part, wants to run away to Las Vegas so he couldn't make up some reason again. Easy. Easy, Savannah. It will be okay! I coached myself.
As he smiled down at me, he waved his friends off. They stalked away as he stared at me as if I were the only person in the world. This is an amazing feeling and I hope it never goes away. Ever. "Are you still scared?" He whispered to me. I watched his lips move and I felt the ground move from underneath me. My friends excused themselves and took Cherub inside with them. They each rubbed my arm as they walked inside.
I am scared. Very freaked out to be exact. "Yes..." I said slowly. "I am sorry, Vincent, I just... I just..."
"Savannah, I want nothing more than to marry you," he took his hand to my neck and pushed my cheek on to his chest. "I am sorry about the last time; I am really sorry. I don't know what else to do here..."
