Watch Me Take Your Girl (8 page)

Chapter 14

“
Heard Gabrielle came
back early,” Heshan said.

Tyson
was at Padma’s new restaurant and had just finished up making various cakes, and cream cheese croissants. He took off an apron. “How’d you know that...oh, let me guess...your brother.”

“Yeah. Dilvan told me
. He said she didn’t want to work things out with him.”

“Why should she when she has a real man like me?”

“Dilvan seemed pretty upset about it.”

“Well, he can’t say he didn’t have his chance. Like I told him before...he didn’t know what to do with her...didn’t know how to treat her, but I do. I love her, Heshan. I admit I wasn’t as forthcoming with the way I felt about her before, but now that I know I can’t live without her, I want the world to know it, too.
That’s why I’m proposing tomorrow morning.”

A look of shock covered Heshan’s face. “For real, man?”

“Yes. She’s the one for me, and I know Dilvan thinks he loves her and I’m not trying to start no family drama...I just know what I want and I want her.”

Heshan frowned. Concerned. “Are you sure you
’re ready to do that again, I mean pop the question?”

“Yeah. It’s been
what...six years since Desiree? I’m ready.”

“Man...Tyson I’m just concerned. I don’t want you to find yourself in the same predica
ment that you did with Desiree.”

“What do you mean?”

“Desiree told you repeatedly that she wasn’t seeing anyone else...that you were the one for her, but turns out, she was cheating on you. Now I’m not saying Gabrielle is seeing anyone behind your back, or that she would do such a thing because I consider her to be a person of high morals. However, the look on Dilvan’s face when I saw him this morning was one of determination. It’s like, he can’t work, sleep...he can’t do anything because he’s so focused on getting Gabrielle back...just don’t seem fair for you to get caught up in another scandal.”

“I appreciate the concern, Heshan, but your brother is no threat to me. I think he knows it’s time for him to move on
, and if he doesn’t know, I’ll make it clear to him whenever he needs a reminder.”

“A
ll right, man,” Heshan said. “Well, you know you have my support. I think you and Gabrielle are awesome together.”

“As do I.”

“So how are you going to ask her to marry you? Are you going traditional with the typical dinner, roses and handing her the black velvet box across the table, or are you doing something creative?”

“You know me...
have to be creative with it. Here’s what I was thinking. So you know I go running every morning.”

“Right, right.”

“I’ve found a nice size seashell that will hold her ring. I’m going to get up an hour earlier than she does, plant the seashell with the ring inside on our path, then while we’re running, I’m going to pretend to be out of breath right where the seashell is located, pick up the seashell and hand it to her and wait for the ring to fall out.”

“Awesome, man.”

“Yeah...the only problem is, I’m not sure whether or not she’ll say yes. As a matter of fact, I don’t think she will.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s already been through what she
thought
was a marriage and a bad one at that...so not sure if she’s ready to jump back into something.”

“There’s only one way to find out, man.”

Tyson sighed. “Yep. Only one way to find out.”

Chapter 15

Gabriel
le watched Padma
smile from ear-to-ear when she opened the door to let her in.

“Come on in, darling. I trust you had a good time at the opening yesterday.”

“Yes. It was very nice, Padma.”

“Good.”

“So I wanted to tell you some news,” Gabrielle said, rubbing her hands together anxiously.

“
Yes?”

“I’m moving back.”

Padma’s face lit up. “You are?”

“Yes. Tyson and I worked out our differences. We really love each other, Padma. He cares for me, he respects me and I know his
goal, every morning when he wakes up, is to make me happy.”

“Oh
...I’m so happy for you guys I could just scream.”

Gabrielle smiled.

“Are you moving back in with him or to the apartment?”

“With him.”

“Good. I know Tyson is thrilled.”

“He is.
”

“Are you thrilled?” Padma asked, when she saw something
fleeting in Gabrielle’s eyes.

“I am. I just feel
somewhat overwhelmed.”

“Why?”

“Well, not only is Tyson good-looking and muscular and smart...he can cook and he...he’s like a dream come true. I just hope I’m ready to handle a man like him. I’m still young and very much inexperienced when it comes to love. I told you that even before Dilvan.”

“Yes, you did. But it’ll be different with Tyson, honey. After all he’s been through, I’m sure his commitment to you is coming from a place of love.”

“All he’s been through...” Gabrielle repeated.

“Yes. He told you about Desiree I’m sure.”

“Yeah. He did.”

Padma shook her head. “He was in love with that
woman...walked in on her in bed with his best friend.”

“His best friend?”

“Yes. That’s why you don’t see Tyson hanging around with too many people. He loved his best friend like a brother. Now, he only associates with his cousins.”

“
Wow. I was aware she cheated on him. I didn’t know the man was his best friend.”

“Yeah. I
think that’s what hurt the most...hurt him bad. For a while there, I didn’t think he would make it.”

Gabrielle felt knots in her stomach.
“What do you mean?”

“He fell into a deep depression...lasted about two years. And honey, I know at some point, you’re going to hear this story so I might as
well tell you. His best friend was killed in a convenience store robbery in Chicago.”

“What?”

Padma nodded.

“But
...but I thought he was married to Desiree. Tyson told me that Desiree was married with two kids.”

“She is married with two kids and a
new
husband. His best friend is dead. For a while—” Padma paused. She wanted to give her further details surrounding Tyson’s friend’s death, but she didn’t want to present Tyson in a bad light. Besides, she knew Gabrielle was in love with him and she knew, personally, that Tyson was a good man no matter what people said about him or the rumors surrounding his friend’s death.

“Anyway, after all that happened and he came out of his slump, he wanted to go back and join the Marines but—”

“Marines?” Gabrielle questioned. There was a lot she didn’t know about the man she loved.

“
Yes. He joined the Marines right out of high school. He wanted to go back after all the chaos with Desiree...instead, he went to culinary arts school, studied in Paris for a few years, then moved to Atlanta, opened a restaurant before settling here in the Outer Banks. Now, he has restaurants all over the country.”

“He does?”

“Yes, honey.” Padma giggled. “Tyson may not show it, but he’s a very successful businessman. He owns about twenty, high-end restaurants. He opened them up in a span of four years.”

“How do you know all of this about him?”

“Because he’s close with Heshan. Heshan and Tyson are cousins, but they’re as close as brothers.”

Gabrielle nodded. “Yeah. I noticed they are very close. Heshan seems to be closer to Tyson than he is to his own brother
s.”

“
He’s pretty close with Prasad, too. He just doesn’t get along with Dilvan that well. Honestly, Prasad and Heshan don’t get along well with Dilvan either.”

“
Why is that?”

Padma sighed. “I just think it’s due to Dilvan’s ways. You saw for yourself how Dilvan behaves.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“At any rate, I know we’re off the main topic at hand, but Tyson is a good man and would make a great husband for you, Gabrielle. I know you’ll be happy together.”

“Thanks, Padma.”

Chapter
16

“
So I figured
we’d go out to dinner tonight if that’s okay with you,” Tyson said, watching Gabrielle open the front door and step into the living room. He was sitting there on the couch in a slouched position, wearing a pair of black slacks and a Hugo Boss, striped dress shirt, holding a bottle of Dasani and watching TV.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Not in a cooking mood tonight, huh?”

“Just think we need to sit down and talk,” Tyson replied, giving her a quick glance.

Gabrielle smiled and nodded.
They did need to talk. She had much she wanted to talk to him about, especially when it came to his past.

Tyson
sprung up from the couch and said, “I’m ready if you are.”

“Okay. I’m ready.”

~~~~~

At the restaurant, after a waitress showed them to their seats, Tyson looked at her in a longing way. He loved her dearly. He wanted this woman more than he needed his next breath. She did it for him – made him nervous
, excited and ready for love – a difficult thing for any woman to do after what he’d been through, but she did it and he liked it.

“So how are you feeling tonight, Gabrielle?”

“I feel fine. You?”

“Couldn’t be better,” he respon
ded. “How’s Aunt Padma?”

Gabrielle frowned a little.

“What?” he asked.

“Oh, never
mind. I keep forgetting that she’s your aunt. She’s good...glad you brought her up, because we were talking and she mentioned something about you that I didn’t know.”

“What’s that?”

“You were a Marine.”

Tyson sighed. He
didn’t want her to know that about him, but if he planned on marrying Gabrielle, he needed to tell her things before she learned them second-hand from someone else. “Yeah...I was.”

“How long?”

“Five years. Anything else you want to know about me, sweetheart?” he asked with challenging eyes.

Gabrielle watched
a smile form on his handsome face.

Tyson stared at her
, fully analyzing her again. He’d already made up his mind that this would be the woman he would marry. The woman who would have his babies. She, however, was damaged and he was not sure if she was ready for the commitment he needed her to make. That’s what he intended to find out tonight.

After they’d had a glass of wine just to mellow things out a bit, he asked, “How do you feel about marriage?”

Gabrielle shrugged.

“You don’t know,” Tyson asked, then took a sip of wine.

“I don’t have good experiences with it if that’s what you’re asking. You know that firsthand.”

“Is it something you would ever consider doing again?”

Gabrielle stared at the intensity in his eyes and she knew he wasn’t asking this question for the heck of it. He was asking because he needed to know for himself. But would he really want to marry her after all she’d been through with his crazy cousin?

“Gabrielle?”

“Um...maybe I would consider it but it would have to be to the right person.”

“Who’s the right person?”

You are
. Those two words were on her mind, in her heart and hanging on the tip of her tongue. “Um...”

“Sweetheart, I know you’re a little shy,” Tyson began, but before he could finish, their lobsters arrived. Once the waitress made sure they had everything they needed, Tyson continued, “
As I was saying...I know you’re a little shy, as a matter of fact, I love that about you. It turns me on actually.”

Gabrielle felt her stomach quiver. The man hadn’t even touched her and she was already feeling the effects of his c
harm wreaking havoc on her senses.

“It does?” was all she could muster.

“Yes. Very much so.”

Gabrielle watched him dip a chunk of lobster tail in the butter and ease it in his mouth
. Now his lips were glistening with warm butter.

“Well, you know I was a M
arine. Now there’s something else you need to know about me.”

“What’s that?”

“When I dedicate myself to something, or someone, I’m all-in. Everything I do is done very thoroughly...from the way I cook to the way I love.”

Gabrielle nodded.

“I love you. I want you. I want to make love to you, and I apologize in advance for being so forthcoming with you but I need to know this. Have you thought about making love to me? About what it would feel like?”

Gabrielle gasped
feeling goose bumps crawl up her back. “Um...”

“You never thought about it?”

She had thought about it briefly, but Dilvan was the only man that she’d had an encounter with and nothing about that experience was pleasant.

Tyson saw her thinking entirely too much so to keep things simple, he asked, “Gabrielle
?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to make love to me? Yes or no?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts.”

“Tyson...I...I don’t know how to make love to you.”

“I’ll teach you.”

“And I don’t want you to hurt me.”

Tyson dipped his fork in his plate. “Do you think I would hurt you?”

“I don’t know,
” she said, barely looking at him.

“Look at me.”

Gabrielle locked eyes with her seductor.

“Do you think I would hurt you?” Tyson asked again, this time staring into the depths of her eyes.

“No.”

“I wouldn’t,
and trust me if it did hurt, it would be in a good way. A very good way.”

“Tyson, why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to know what you’re getting into when we are married.”

“Married?”

“Yes. Married.” Tyson pushed his plate away, dabbed his mouth with a white napkin then took a sip of wine. “Am I the right person for you, Gabrielle?”

Gabrielle opened her mouth but not a sound escaped her lips. W
hen she watched Tyson stand, drop down to one knee, she nearly fainted.

“A week ago,” he began, “I asked your father for permission to make you my wife and he gave me his blessing.”

Tears dropped from Gabrielle’s eyes. Tyson batted them away with his thumbs. They had a private corner in the restaurant, because he knew this is what she wanted – something private.

“Now, my dear Gabrielle, I proclaim my love for you in the form of this ring.” He removed a sm
all, black box from his pocket.

Through tears, Gabrielle watched as the diamond sparkled under the dim lighting.

“I love you, Gabrielle, and I want to make you my wife. Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she replied,
leaping into his arms and hugging him tight. “Yes, I will marry you, Tyson.”

When they parted, he slid the ring on her finger.
She hugged him tightly again, squeezing him and inhaling his calming, manly scent. Then she looked at the ring. “It’s a perfect fit. How’d you know my size?”

A smile touched his lips. “When I came to visit you at your Father’s
home, I tried it on your finger while you were sleeping.”

Gabrielle dabbed her eyes with a napkin, while Tyson sat down again.

“Tomorrow,” he said.

“What about tomorrow?”

“We get married.”

“Oh my. Tomorrow, Tyson?
”

“
Yes. Long engagements don’t work for me, darling, and I don’t want to waste any time making you mine.”

Gabrielle, still red-in-the-face smiled even harder
and dried more tears. She was going to get her happy ending after all, this time from the right Alexander man.