Smoke and Mirrors (DE)

34. Difficult decisions

" For me?" Grace asked rhetorically with a cheesy grin, her fair cheeks taking on a rosy color as she blushed accepting the two dozen bouquet of yellow roses from valet as they opened her car door.

She hugged the bouquet to her chest, turning to look at Joseph who was still in the driver seat of their white Lamborghini Urus with a small smile on his face.

" Thank you," She said sweetly, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers as Joseph got out tossing his keys to valet.

" You remember this place?" He asked, taking her hand as they headed upstairs to the roof top of a restaurant in downtown New York. It was a perfect night out, the sky was clear and the air was chilly but not too uncomfortably cold.

" Yes, this is where you asked me to be your girlfriend," She giggled as they got onto the elevator. Grace looked up at him narrowing her eyes. " Are you about to propose to me again?"

" No,"

She kissed her teeth rolling her big hazel eyes making Joseph let out a small chuckle. " Relax, I told you I got this," He said squeezing her shoulder in his large tattooed hand.

" You're taking too long, I'm going to change my mind," She said sassily placing her free hand on her hip.

Joseph smacked his lips. " You the one that don't want your old ring no more, you could've just put it back on,"

" Well you shouldn't have taken it," She countered smartly.

Joseph chuckled hastily and wiped his hand down his face. " Bae why you tryna argue wit me right now, I'm tryna take you on a date and do something nice and you tryna fight wit me,"

" Okay okay I'm sorry," She laughed making Joseph shake his head playfully.

" Yo ass crazy man. I don't know what the fuck I'mma do wit two of you, I might just run away from home," Joseph jested.

" Whatever," She chuckled playfully pushing him out of the elevator as the doors opened onto the roof of the building. " Aww baby—," Grace cooed softly stoping in her tracks upon seeing the setup, poking out her plump bottom lip.

Joseph had rented out the whole roof top terrace and had it cleared with a candle lit path leading from the elevator to a lonely dinner table in the center of the terrace covered in a white cloth and scattered with vibrant red rose petals and more lit candles. An out door heater was placed thoughtfully by the table and a pianist played a delicate tune off to the side on a shiny black grand piano. It felt like they were the only lovers left alive up there and they had an amazing view of the city, they could even see the stars more clearly from up there.

Grace adores how romantic Joseph is even though he swears up and down that isn't his thing, but when it comes to Grace he's going to pull all his best cards every time even if it's just for a casual dinner date. He worships the ground she walks on and he makes sure she always knows and never forgets either.

" You always make me feel so special like a princess," She said adoringly as Joseph pulled her seat out before taking his respective seat across from her.

" That's what I'm supposed to do," He said suavely, opening his cloth napkin and draping it across his lap covering his black Giorgio Armani slacks before looking up at her, a small smirk tugging on the left corner of his lips as he admired her from across the table— so elegantly beautiful, delicate and angelic.

Grace felt butterflies begin to flutter in her stomach aggressively as she looked away shyly tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. " Stop staring at me, you're making me nervous," She laughed as they acted as if this were their very first date all over again.