One Year Later
"Baby have you seen my red tie?" Mark yelled from his bedroom.
We were celebrating our first anniversary together for being with each other for a year. I had on a babydoll black dress with black booties and a gray trench coat that laid over me. I grabbed his red tie which laid in the bathroom where I was in mid brushing my tangled mess. "Here." I said handing him the tie.
"My God, Alina!" He said taking the tie and my hand.
"Mark." I laughed at his kind compliment. "We're going to be late. I need to finish my hair."
"Okay okay but Ya know we really don't have to do this dinner thing." He said wrapping the tie around his neck.
I finished brushing my hair out and tucked it behind my ears. I helped him with his tie, although I was in booties with a high platform I still had to stand on my tip toes to reach around his neck. "May I remind you that you set up these reservations."
"You're right. Why am I the luckiest guy in the world?" He asked grabbing my waist.
"Happy anniversary sweet boy." I said kissing him sweetly on his lips. He grabbed me with both arms making me feel protected, safe and loved. "Mmmm." I moaned against our sweet escape.
Heading to our dinner reservations I thought about our journey so far. Since last year of November we started off as a rocky couple. Since the year we've grown together so much. Naturally, my love Mark is a gentleman he still opens the door for me, he talks to me everyday and in all possible ways he makes me feel wanted. My left hand laid on the arm rest which was joined by Marks like the norm.
A lot hasn't changed for us as well. We still live separately, we still are extremely busy outside of school, I'm still a virgin, Mark is still extremely popular, and Our families still remain on the same status.
Finally arriving, the restaurant was immaculate. Everybody was dressed to the nines, cars were sent to valet parking and everybody was either mid age or elderly. Mark and I stood out completely. Not only were we the youngest but we were the only interracial couple which caused so many stares. I hated the attention we caused by our skin. Mark didn't believe it was because of our race, he thought it was because our age or his status. I knew because of the looks being made.
I did my best to ignore some of the dirty looks. We were greeted immediately by our waiter who gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. "So many people are starring." I said uncomfortably whilst looking at the menu.
Mark looked up from his menu at me. "Probably wondering what we're doing in a place like this at such a young age." He cheerfully said. "I'm thinking a rare New York strip steak with Benihana rice."
I wanted to roll my eyes at his first remark but I decided to keep cool. "Sounds great." I said.
"Well my oh my Mark Morelli! How are you?" Squealed a Mid aged woman with mink on her neck.
"Ahh hi Carol. It's good seeing you, I'm great, this is my—."
She glanced over at me then reframed her attention back to Marks. "How's your dad? I haven't seen that old man in months." She said obnoxiously.
"Uh yeah he is well. This is my—."
She interrupted him again. "Well tell the man I'd love to get drinks sometime and catch up. Have fun with your um."
"Girlfriend." I said to the menu ignoring her presence.
"Mark you never mentioned you had a girlfriend." She said in a testing manner.
Mark looked at me, I dropped the menu on the table.
"Well it was great seeing you, tell your old man what I said." She said as she snickered off with her ugly mink.
I broke my stare from Marks and picked the menu up once again. "Alina, I didn't know she—."
"Are you two ready to order?" Our waiter said approaching the table.
I was the first to speak. "May I have the tortellini with the tomato kale and spinach Italian salad." She wrote everything down and took my menu and asked Mark for his order.
"Baby I'm sorry. I had no idea she was going to say all that." Mark said at a low and hushed tone, he rested his hand on the table. "I was trying to introduce you as my girlfriend; you seen how she interrupts."
I put my hand in his. He had a lot to learn about when it came to society. I didn't want to talk about the way I had felt right now. I really just wanted to enjoy our day with one another. So I changed the subject. "Are you ready for graduation next month?" I asked randomly.
He raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of conversation then proceeded, "I'm nervous. I haven't heard anything back yet about getting into the business school."
"You will." I said confidently.
"Then I don't know about drafts to pro ya know?" He said quietly.
"I thought you talked to your agent and coach?" I asked confused.
Mark explained to me that he doesn't want to go pro in soccer, it's too much traveling for him and he enjoys business. It's concerning me that he is even bringing this up.
"I did but they still think it's best in my interest to see the offers and go from there." He said unsurely.
"You're going to miss it once it's really gone." I said now fidgeting with my dress. I partly did this because of the continuos stares we were receiving.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I think I'd miss you so much more being away."
I smiled in return. I hope he doesn't make his decision based on me, I hope it's for himself.
"Well I don't want to talk about school. I want to talk about us." He let go of my hand. "I got you a present and I know you told me not to but I couldn't resist."
I watched him as he pulled out a small box from his coat pocket hatching over the chair. My heart was nearly beating out of my chest. "Uh" I mouthed looking around.
People were watching intently and it made me extremely nervous. Please don't be a ring, I'm definitely not ready for a proposal, I thought. We've talked about marriage but for the fun of it not on a serious manner. Even if it was a ring, I don't see how I could turn the man that I love and see a future with down. I know people looked and frowned but at the end of the day it was only us, nobody else.
He scooted near me. Taking my left hand into his. Intertwining our fingers. "Alina, this past year flew by quickly and has been the most memorable, loving and significant one ever to me. I want to take this day and mark it with something special. That way no matter what happens you'll always remember our first one together." He opened the box displaying a gorgeous gold necklace. I inhaled so loudly that I forgot to exhale for a moment. I felt my eyes began to water. "Babygirl, never had I felt so much content in my life. I love you sooo much sweet one, thank you for putting up with my weird ass." He finished kissing me on the cheek then my lips.
I didn't care at that point who stared. I was so in love with Mark Morelli. "Baby, I love you so much." I said my voice cracking. He stood up to put the necklace on my neck. I looked down to see the heart closer. It had the smallest initials of M.M. displayed on it. My heart and mind was full of so much affection.
The waiter came to our table with our two dinners. She smiled at the both of us. "Congratulations you two, y'all are an amazing couple." She said before leaving us two alone.
For the rest of our evening I had a cheesy ass smile on my face. "How's your food?" He asked digging into his steak.
"It's so good." I said putting some tortellini on my fork for him to taste.
"Mine is way better." He said smirking after trying my pasta choice.
He fed me a piece of his New York strip with the Benihana rice. Talk about a five star rating. "So I talked to my brother." He said as we enjoyed our dinners.
"Yeah, how is he?" I asked.
"He's getting married. His fiancé wants to meet our family and for once Michael agreed to it." He said after dissolving his steak.
"That's great news. So he's coming here like to Kansas?" I asked.
"I don't know if it's great but yes he's coming home." He said.
"When is he coming?" I asked hoping it wasn't around Christmas time.
"He's got a flight on the fourteenth of December. He wanted to make my graduation." He said.
"Well I look forward to meeting them." I said as he smiled at the thought of his big brother.
"I know we were going to have Christmas at your place, but I was thinking maybe we can do half and half?" He said in a question form.
"I think it's only fair that because you did Christmas with us last year, I should do it with you this year. My family will understand. They love you." I said not trying to sound disappointed.
I never missed a Christmas at our house and this being the first year I felt a little down. I mean on the other hand I was happy to meet Michael and his fiancé, but extremely nervous to meet the others like his father, especially.
"Here is your check and a speciality on us." Our waiter said placing the chocolate dessert on the table and the check near Mark.
"Mmmm, thank you so much." Mark said. He pulled out his credit card and returned the check to the waiter. He smiled and pranced off.
"This was nice of them." I said reaching for my spoon. He waited for me to dig into the chocolate lava, strawberry delicacy. I took a bite and pushed the entire plate to myself. "Sorry, it's all mine." I said jokingly.
He reached over and took a bite. "Whoa." He said in agreement.
——————
After the restaurant we decided to head to back to his apartment to dress down and talk more. Pulling into the complex I pulled out my corny gift to him. It was a card and small pocketbook of us and how far we've came.
"What's this?" He asked in awe.
"It's nothing compared to your gift." I said truthfully.
He read the card aloud and then tore open the gift. He opened up the pocketbook that was filled with pictures of us and small sticky notes of his constant phrases, his forgetfulness, the wrong lyrics to songs which made it completely hilarious and reminders of how much I truly do love him regardless of his moods.
"I love it baby, and you!" He said wiping his face. "Nobody has ever done this for me."
"I know how much you love to keep pictures so I wanted you to always have a few of us." I said giving him a hug across the arm rest. "You mean the world to me babe."
He shut the truck off and walked around to help me down. "You're the best Alina." He kissed my forehead. "God I love you." He chimed.
The way he always said those three small words always melted me. I cannot believe that God had blessed me with an angel, a man that not only who I truly wanted to be with forever but an individual who unknowingly helped me out of my hardships, my depression mainly.