As the car pulled away from the curb, Vanessa gazed out the window, her mind engulfed by the thoughts of her future in the city. After living and adapting to the lifestyle of the town, she didn’t know if she was ready to be a city girl again.
Moreover, the pain in her mother’s eyes as they said their goodbyes still lingered in her mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder if her mother would do well without her.
Even her half-sister, Tanisha, had a sober expression as she waved Vanessa goodbyes, leaving Vanessa with a lingering emotional thoughts.
Meanwhile, Darryl was excited to have Vanessa back by his side, but he couldn’t help but notice the silence that had settled between them since they left her mother’s house.
Vanessa’s demureness was the opposite of how she had reacted when he told her about their departure earlier. The silence in the car overshadowed Darryl’s happiness. Therefore, he felt compelled to break the ice.
“What is the first thing you will do when you get back to the city?” Darryl asked, glancing over at Vanessa, his eyes filled with concern and affection.
Drawing Vanessa out of her thoughts, his question met her unprepared. With her lips twisted up as she thought, still, she found no answer.
“I don’t know,” Vanessa answered, her tone uninterested.
Darryl could sense the turmoil brewing beneath her uninterested answer, making him push further with her.
“Think about the things you would like to do, or should I say the one thing you’ve really missed about the city,” he asked, although he didn’t overdo it.
Vanessa’s lips pushed up as she remembered all the things she had missed about the city. After giving it so much thought, she turned to him as he focused on the road.
“Maybe I will get food at my favorite restaurant. I really miss the taste of their food.” She answered, her eyes lit up as she remembered the delicious taste of the food.
“And clean up my apartment after getting food. I left it in a mess. I can’t think of anything else for now.” She added, causing Darryl to smile at her.
“What is the name of your favorite restaurant?” He asked.
“Martin’s,” she answered, causing Darryl to frown at her taste.
“You have a weird taste for someone who does five-star restaurants and hotels,” Darryl said, teasing her about her choice.
“I’m sorry I go for quality and not for the looks. I don’t do things that glitter.” Vanessa retorted, defending her taste in restaurants.
“Coming from someone I met in a five-star restaurant. Or have you lost your memory?” He said, his tone goofy.
“That day was Carolyn’s idea. All of it, the dress, the location, even the stupid date.” Vanessa whined as she recalled the first day she met Darryl.
“Well, it will be my idea this time.” Darryl said, causing confusion to etch on Vanessa’s face.
“What do you mean?” She asked him as he stopped the car.
Vanessa scanned her surroundings and she noticed Darryl had stopped in front of the five-star restaurant they had met for the first time.
“Why are we here?” She couldn’t help but ask him.
“We are here to retrace our steps.” Darryl said as he helped her unfasten her seatbelt.
“Don’t tell me you are going in,” Vanessa asked in disbelief.
“We are going in, together.” Darryl answered, his voice firm and calm.
“No, I’m not. I’m not even prepared,” Vanessa said, staring at her simple blue knee-length dress. If she had known beforehand, she would have prepared herself to look classy. She stared at her face in the mirror, as she frowned because of having no makeup on, her hair was also tied up in a messy bun. Going into that place like that was a first-class ticket to humiliation.
“Why are you consumed with how you look when you shouldn’t be? Just so you know, you look gorgeous and perfect the way you are, don’t think otherwise.” Darryl said as he watched Vanessa pull the band away from her hair, pouring it down to cover her face.
“You are saying that because you like me. No one in there would think that,” Vanessa whined.
“Exactly what I want. I want to be the only one who thinks my wife is pretty. I don’t want other people to think that, when I can do that for you,” Darryl said with a smile on his face.
It was fun for him as he watched her retouch her face with makeup, trying to look good when she really didn’t need any of that. When she was done with the makeup, he opened the door for her to get out.
As they entered the restaurant, Darryl’s hand wrapped around Vanessa’s waist in a possessive way, his touch sending butterflies through her stomach. But despite his reassuring squeeze, Vanessa couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was underdressed to be there, even though the place was nearly empty.
She shrank, feeling out of place, but Darryl’s gentle touch reassured her as he led her to their reserved table.
As they settled in, the waitress promptly attended to them, and soon their table was full of varieties of dishes and wine. Without wasting time, Vanessa started digging into her food, and Darryl watched her with a warm smile, his eyes lit up as he watched her. He seemed to derive more pleasure from watching her enjoy her meal than from eating himself. And his gaze never wavered from her face.
Once they finished, Darryl took Vanessa’s hand, leading her to the elevator with a sense of purpose. Curiosity gnawed at Vanessa as she followed his lead, wondering where they were headed next.
“Where are we heading, mister?” She asked before her curiosity ate her up.
“Retracing our footsteps, sweetheart.” He answered as the elevator doors opened.
Leading the way, Darryl led her to a familiar hotel room. The same one where they had shared their first encounter.
“It is the same room,” She exclaimed as she got to the door of the room.
“Yes, my love.” He said as he opened the door for her.
As they entered, Vanessa’s heart melted at the memories that came flooding back. She recalled how Darryl had flirted shamelessly with her, despite having a girlfriend waiting for him.
The memories sent a mix of emotions swirling within her, but as she looked into Darryl’s eyes, she saw only sincerity and affection staring back.
Darryl took her hand, while their eyes remained glued to each other’s. Without knowing what he was doing, Darryl took out a tiny object from his pocket, placed it on her fingers and unlocked the ring she had on.
“I’m giving you a chance to choose.” He said before his lips landed on hers.