"My girlfriend is royal," I told my boys.
Aamon laughed, like he always did. We grew up side by side, from dusty streets to high school exams, surviving broken bones and broken hearts. Frank just stared at me, the same way he always did when I was dreaming too loud.
But this time, I wasn't dreaming.
Rose was more than my childhood friend. She was my heartbeat the girl who stood with me before the world knew my name. While rumors whispered that she was out of my league, I ignored them. My father was CEO of Mopani Copper Mine, and with my family's influence, I was planning something no one could forget.
A surprise proposal.
"Don't overdo it," Frank warned me that afternoon. "All those gifts, all that effort for six years maybe it's time to see what she's made of when you've got nothing."
At first, I thought he was joking then it made sense.
"We'll fake everything," Aamon added, eyes gleaming. "Your dad lost the mine. You lost everything. Let's see if she still wants you when you're broke."
That was the plan. I'd fabricate the downfall say the mine deal collapsed, my accounts frozen, even our shop in Chisokone shut down. I wanted to see if she'd still love me when there was no glitter, no gold.
Because if she did then I'd know.
And when I finally proposed with the ring from the top dealer in town and the keys to her new sports car in my pocket, she'd know I was hers forever.
What Rose didn't know was that I had just inherited the gold export rights for all of Zambia. I had the certificate of mineral trading in my briefcase I wasn't just rich. I was the future of Zambian mining.
My girl was from the Sparks family mining royalty. In Zambia, there were only eight families above them in power. And if she chose me at my "lowest," the Sparks would have no choice but to embrace me.
"She'll be the mother of my children," I said confidently.
Aamon clapped my back. "Look. Rose and Shanel they're coming."
We were standing outside the biggest fashion shop in the entire Copperbelt, the crown jewel of our business empire a place Rose never knew I owned. I was saving that for the wedding reveal.
Frank was staring at me again, shaking his head like I'd already lost. "You're mad."
I just smiled.
I was mad in love.
But as they pulled me into the trans-rail shop to wait, I could hear their voices in the back, whispering things I couldn't catch. Something in Aamon's face shifted.
"Wait till you propose," he muttered. "Then you'll learn the truth."
"What truth?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
And for the first time, I wondered were my boys jealous? Was I being naïve? Or was there something they knew that I didn't?