Mateo sighed deeply and once again yelled, “I love you, Chanel.”
She didn’t respond. She marched toward her project building without turning back to look at him or saying that she loved him too. Mateo sadly drove off.
That night, Chanel could be heard crying from her bed. Claire, lying on the opposite side of the bedroom, slyly grinned at her sister’s grief, assuming that Mateo had broken up with Chanel. Now things could go back to normal in the household, with Chanel once again being the outcast.
***
Chanel sat in silence and stared aimlessly out the window as the city bus navigated its way through the Brooklyn traffic. It was a sunny afternoon on a warm spring day, and she was on her way from school. She didn’t want to think about Mateo, but she thought about him all the time. She missed him. It had been a week since their argument and he was calling her every day to apologize for his actions. Chanel wanted to be stubborn for a moment. She proclaimed to Mateo that she needed time to think.
The bus traveled down Ralph Avenue and approached the next stop, where she would get off. She was shocked to see Mateo’s pearl white Range Rover parked near the bus stop.
She stepped off the bus and Mateo climbed out of the SUV and approached her with a wide, bright smile and clutching some colorful flowers in his hands. Chanel was surprised by his unexpected presence, but she looked at him deadpan. He always had a knack for finding her at the right place at the right time. She remembered not giving him her apartment number inside the building, and yet he and Pyro were knocking on her door on one of the coldest days of the year.
“Are you stalking me?” she joked.
“I missed you, and I had to see you,” he said.
He handed her the flowers and she happily accepted them. “I missed you too.”
“Can we go for a ride somewhere?” he asked her.
After a brief hesitation she said, “Sure.”
Always the gentleman, Mateo escorted her to the SUV and opened the passenger door for her. Chanel slid inside with a lot of eyes watching her from afar, seeing her being courted by the young and handsome Hispanic male with the nice truck. Some of those eyes were envious.
Mateo started the vehicle and drove away from the area. Chanel always felt like a queen inside his white chariot. Where is he taking me? But she didn’t really care. Being with him again felt good.
Mateo drove to the nearby park. He liked parks. He told her that they were always a relaxing place for him—the greenery, the playgrounds, and the kids. Parks were temporary escapes from the bustling cities.
They went for a walk around a trail that neighbored a small pond and talked. Mateo was very apologetic. He wanted her to forgive him about the other day, but she already had. Mateo took her hand in his. Every time they touched, there was a spark between them.
“There is no one else, Chanel, and there will never be—not now and not in the future,” he said.
“Why don’t you want to have sex with me?” she asked.
They stopped walking and he looked at her with deep love and concern. “Because you’re the purest thing I have ever been with. And-and, I don’t want to treat you like all the other women I’ve been with—like you’re some whore, because you’re not. You’re ready to give me your virginity and I truly respect that, Chanel. You’re giving me something special, and I want to give you so
mething special in return.”
Suddenly, Chanel found Mateo bending a knee in front of her, his hand still in hers. She looked at him with some alarm and astonishment. “Baby, what you are doing?”
She kept her eyes on him and his eyes were locked on her. Is he doing what I think he’s doing? she asked herself.
“Chanel, you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on, and I fell in love with you swiftly, and I know you love me for who I am, and . . .” he paused for a moment and reached into his inner jacket pocket and removed a black velvet case. Chanel couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He opened the case to reveal a rose gold, 5-carat diamond engagement ring.
He continued with, “Will you marry me, Chanel? I want you to become my wife.”
Chanel stood there with her mouth open. “Mateo,” she uttered in amazement.
“Say yes, beautiful, and I promise to always take care of you. You’re willing to give me your virginity and I’m willing to give you my last name and make your very first experience count. It’s my special thing for you.”
No other nigga would have done this. They would have probably fucked her and used her. But Mateo wasn’t an ordinary dude.
“Of course I’ll marry you,” Chanel excitedly accepted.
Mateo smiled so big that he got his ears wet. He slid the engagement ring on her finger and it was a perfect fit. How did he get that right? But her man was always full of surprises. Mateo finally stood up from his knee and Chanel threw herself into his arms and they kissed so passionately that things almost became X-rated in the park.
It was hard for them to pull away from each other. Their love was strong and Mateo wanted to show the world how much he loved Chanel. He wanted the young girl to become his wife. He didn’t want to lose her.