Page 18 of Aquarius Awakening (BLP Signs of Love #20)

Date Night Interrupted

Since my move, I enjoyed starting my mornings on the patio.

This apartment had brought me peace in ways I could never have imagined.

It was a bit strange at first realizing that there was no one to come home to.

For the past five years, my world revolved around being a devoted wife to Mason.

Now, I tried to find ways to fill that void without feeling like I was missing out on something.

My sketching consumed a lot of my time. I found that if I were focused on my craft, there would be no empty moments to wallow in self-pity.

A knock at the door interrupted my morning routine.

I wasn’t expecting anyone, and it was rather early, so whoever it was would eventually go away.

I was too comfortable to get up from the couch.

I continued to enjoy my view until curiosity got the best of me.

As I made my way to the door, I checked the peephole.

From what I could see, there was some kind of package.

I opened the door to grab a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses.

I opened the card that was wedged in the bouquet.

Would you do me the honor of being my date this evening?

Circle Yes or No

-Jakey

He was so damn corny, but it was so cute. I went out onto the patio to grab my phone. As I called Jacob, I couldn’t stop myself from blushing.

“I’m hoping you circled yes,” he teased when he answered.

“What if I circled no?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t because you’re dying to know what I have in store for you this evening. So, what do you say? Can I come pick you up at six?” he probed.

“Yes. I’ll see you at six.” I snickered.

A loud “Yes!” escaped from Jacob as I chuckled.

We talked for a little longer. Each time I inquired about his plans, he changed the subject.

The only reason we ended the conversation was that he needed to get Jada ready for school.

All Jacob told me was to be dressed to impress.

I didn’t know how to take that. All I knew how to do was dress my ass off.

After I placed the roses in a vase, I went into my closet room.

It had been such a relief to go into the next room to get my clothes as opposed to having them all over.

Now came the test of finding something. After a bit of searching, I decided on a gold sequin dress that crisscrossed on the back.

I would pair it with gold strappy sandals and an orange clutch.

A nice updo and some diamonds on my neck and wrists would bring everything together.

I was giddy with excitement as I imagined all the possible things we could do.

One thing I loved about living in New York was that there was always something to do.

At 6:00 p.m. on the dot, my punctual date arrived at my door to begin our evening.

“You look stunning, love. I can’t wait to walk around the city with you on my arm,” Jacob complimented me.

“It’s my first time going out with a celebrity, so I had to be dressed to impress,” I teased.

Jacob chuckled. “Now I’m a celebrity? Let’s go before we wind up staying in for the night.”

I locked up my place and then walked hand in hand with Jacob. When we arrived in the lobby, Jacob led me to an awaiting truck. He helped me inside before climbing in. Once we were both seated, Jacob grabbed my hand again. This time, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

My panties instantly became wet at the feel of his soft, moist lips on the back of my hand.

Jacob casually stared out the window as the ride began.

I sat back and got comfortable. He had yet to mention where we were going.

The anticipation of the unknown almost made me reach for my phone.

I knew he would just peel it out, my hands if I pulled it out.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up at the New Brook Aquarium.

“What are we doing here? Isn’t the aquarium closed at night? And why are we all dressed up for this?” I asked as I rattled off every question that came to mind.

“Shhh. Just relax, love. Have some faith in me. It’ll all make sense in a few. I promise,” he insisted. Jacob’s grip on my hand tightened, which caused me to relax.

When the car came to a complete stop, we got out and headed for the entrance of the aquarium. There was no need to knock because the door opened as we approached.

“Mr. Grant, good evening. You and your guest can follow me this way,” the guy who opened the door directed.

Jacob and I did as instructed and followed him. I saw a sign that read 4-D Theater . As we stepped into the theater, it was dark except for the light from the candles. They were placed at the end of every aisle along with red rose petals. We were escorted to seats in the middle of the theater.

“Your show will begin in two minutes. When it’s over, I’ll be back to escort you to the next exhibit,” the escort informed us.

“Good looking out,” Jacob replied.

I grabbed the 4-D glasses off the seat before I sat down.

“This is very unique, but why did we get all dressed up for the aquarium?” I asked.

“We are dressed up for the dinner that we have scheduled when we leave here,” he explained.

“Dinner? You had me worried for a second. I thought I wasted a good dress on some animals,” I teased.

“Very funny, love. I had to think outside the box before I asked you out. You’re very special, so a regular dinner and movie wouldn’t work for you,” Jacob replied as he kissed my forehead.

The movie began to play. It was a 4-D interactive about sea lions. Jacob was once again feeding my intellectual Aquarian spirit. I would never have expected sea lions to be so interesting.

Jacob’s phone rang just as the movie ended.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve got to take this. It’s my mom,” he stated.

I couldn’t gather much from the conversation other than his apology. Jacob told his mother he would be right there and ended the call.

“Love, I’m so sorry. My mother had plans for tonight, and it slipped my mind. I have to go home to be with Jada. Look, I know our night wasn’t supposed to be this way. Do you want to come to my house?” He asked.

“Are you sure you want me to meet your daughter? Isn’t it too soon for that?” I inquired.

“If you aren’t comfortable, I completely understand. I don’t think it’s too soon for anything. It’s up to you,” he responded.

“I’ll come with you, but you still owe me a fancy dinner,” I teased.

He grabbed my hand as we made our way out of the theater. Thankfully, our driver was still outside. Jacob also lived in Brooklyn but on the other side of town.

After another thirty-minute ride, we stopped in front of a tan brownstone.

Jacob assisted me out of the car then walked up to the door of his home.

He held the door open and then led me inside.

Jacob’s home was very modern. The vibe was similar to that of my apartment.

As he came through the door, a little chubby-faced girl with his pecan complexion ran over to him.

“Daddy, you forgot Nanna had a date tonight,” Jada voiced.

“Nanna doesn’t have a date, baby girl. She is going out to dinner with her friends. Don’t you see we have company? What do you say?” Jacob coached.

“Hi, I’m Jada. It’s very nice to meet you,” Jada recited in the cutest little voice.

“Hi, I’m Faith, and it’s very nice to meet you as well.” I introduced myself as I smiled at her.

Before any of us could say anything further, Jacob’s mother entered the living room.

“Jacob, you got me rushing,” she complained before she stopped and looked at me.

“Faith, is that you?” Jacob’s mom, Serena, asked.

“Mrs. Grant, it’s so good to see you again,” I noted as she approached me for a hug.

“If I had known Jacob was out with you, I would have canceled my plans,” she replied.

“You mean the date that you have tonight? I thought you were going to dinner with your girlfriends,” Jacob interjected.

“He’s all in my business but never told me he was going to see you. Let me get up out of here,” she whispered to me before she walked over to Jada to give her a kiss on the cheek.

When she got to Jacob, she playfully punched him in the arm. I laughed at their interaction. Mrs. Grant had always been a character.

“I’m going to order Chinese since we didn’t get a chance to eat. Is that okay with you?” Jacob asked.

I nodded in agreement. At this point, it didn’t matter what we ate.

“Daddy, can I have the monkey brains?” Jada asked.

“Baby girl, how many times does Daddy have to tell you it’s called lo mein, not monkey brains?” Jacob corrected her.

“I know, Daddy, but monkey brains sound funny,” she replied as she laughed at herself.

Jacob just looked at her and shook her head. Jada’s mother might have passed, but she was surrounded by love. I was happy I had come along because I was initially going to have him take me home. This side of Jacob was another layer to add on to what I liked about him.

Jacob placed the order then went into the back of the house, leaving Jada and me on the couch.

“Do you want to watch a movie with me?” she asked.

“Sure,” I agreed.

“My favorite movie is the one with the talking pets, okay?” Jada stated.

“Okay,” I confirmed.

I sat back on the couch while she used the remote to turn on the movie. Jada took a seat next to me as the movie began. Jacob came out of the back with a T-shirt and a pair of sweats that he handed to me.

“I’m sure you want to change into something more comfortable,” he offered.

“Daddy, no talking while the movie is on, remember?” Jada chastised.

In a low whisper, I said, “I’ll change when the food gets here. Thank you.”

Jada stared at us sternly. Miss Thing didn’t play about her movie time.

Jada and I remained quietly seated on the couch until dinner arrived. Then she paused the movie to eat her monkey brains. Baby girl was quite the character.