Dance With Destiny

by Sloan Johnson

  “Sorry,” I mutter to Mr. Rossi and stand, making my way to the lectern to give the reading. I hate public speaking, but Caroline insisted that I be the one to do this. I contemplate apologizing to everyone for holding up the ceremony, but figure telling them that I was too busy thinking about what it’d feel like to be inside Dominic’s ass to pay attention would be poor form.

  By some miracle, I manage to make it through the assigned passage about the sanctity of marriage and what it means to truly love one another. Caroline is beaming when I finish and I swear there’s a tear in the corner of her eye. Dominic appears to be relaxing a bit, which could be good or bad. Hopefully, it means he’ll be receptive to hearing what I have to say. I just have to find a way to get him away from my family because there are certain things I’d prefer to not have overheard.

  When the ceremony ends and my sister and her husband are presented to everyone, we stand and make our way to the receiving line. Yet another tradition I don’t understand. I get the bride and groom and the parents thanking their guests, but I can think of better things to do with the next hour of my life. I watch as Dominic and Andrew hug and then he moves down the line to kiss my sister’s cheek. They talk for a moment, and Dom looks directly at me before whispering something in Caroline’s ear. Something about the mischievous glint in his eye frightens me as he takes a moment to introduce himself to my parents, congratulating them on the marriage of their beloved daughter.

  In the ultimate fuck-you move, I watch as Dominic says hello to each of Andrew’s siblings and then looks me square in the eye before turning to walk away. I take a step forward, only to be pulled back into line by my brother. “What’s your problem with that guy?” Peter asks.

  “Nothing,” I respond curtly. Peter rolls his eyes, not believing me, but he doesn’t press the issue. More than likely, he thinks Dominic is someone I’ve had a run-in with because Peter is great at assuming the worst. This might be the first time I’m grateful for his high-and-mighty attitude. I’d much rather he think Dominic and I have fought over a girl than see the truth: that every time I close my eyes, I imagine what it would feel like to bury my cock inside Dominic’s ass and never come out.

  I watch helplessly as Dominic disappears into the sea of family and friends trying to stay warm on a bitter, damp Saturday afternoon. I barely hear anything that’s being said to me as I crane my neck to find Kennedy. If I can’t leave this fucking line, maybe she can go find Dominic and at least begin to clear the air for me. It’s not how I want to handle the situation, but I’m quickly becoming desperate to get him to at least be willing to talk to me later.

  Kennedy and I make eye contact and she rushes over to me. “Are you okay?” she whispers. Her face is buried in the crook of my neck and I hear Peter make some sarcastic comment about how we can’t keep our hands off one another. Let him think whatever he wants. Again, it’s better than the truth, and Kennedy and I have been playing this game for years.

  “Fuck no. Can you see if you can find him? Tell him to meet me in the lobby at six. Beg him if you have to, tell him the truth if it’ll help.” She nods and I feel the tension easing out of my body. “I didn’t even think about how it might have looked to him the other night. God, I’m so fucking dense.”

  Small, icy fingers cup my cheeks, holding firm when I try to pull away from Kennedy. “No, you’re just used to everyone assuming the same thing he did, to the point you don’t think about it anymore. Besides, it was supposed to be a one-night stand, nothing more. Hell, it probably still is, but I get why you can’t leave shit the way it is now. Don’t worry, I’ll do some damage control,” she promises me before delivering a chaste kiss to my lips. As she walks away, I realize that sending her to find him when he thinks she’s part of the problem isn’t one of the best ideas I’ve had. Then again, if it’s simply a matter of clearing up any confusion so we can act civil around one another, who gives a shit if it’s Kennedy or me who talks to him?

  Kennedy has been one of my best friends since high school. Somehow, she knew the truth about me when no one else did and still asked me to the school dance. When I leaned in to kiss her during the first slow dance because that’s what the other couples were doing, she gently pushed me away, whispering in my ear that I was her perfect man because I liked guys. That confused me until she admitted to me that she needed me as much as I needed her so her parents didn’t figure out she liked girls. That was the night we started covering for one another. As long as we looked like a couple to the rest of the world, neither of us was pressed to find a significant other. It’s a damn shame we’re not attracted to one another because part of me feels like she’s still the only person in the world who understands me.

  I’m almost to the crosswalk when I hear a woman calling my name. Not in the mood to deal with anyone right now, I will the light to change so I can make my escape and find the nearest bar until it’s time for the wedding reception. Unfortunately, today is a day when nothing can go my way and small hands land on my shoulders.

  “Didn’t you hear me calling for you?” she asks, leaning against my back, gasping to catch her breath. Even though I’ve never heard her voice, I don’t have to turn to see who’s chasing me. It’s Tony’s girl. The second to last thing I want to do today is get into it with her about me getting off with her man. I shrug her off, trying to put some distance between us.

  “Heard you, and now I’m trying to ignore you,” I say bluntly without turning to face her. Dealing with uncomfortable situations and people I’d rather not have breathing my air is something I’m good at, but this entire situation with Tony has stretched my patience and kindness past the breaking point.

  “Hey, you don’t have to be a dick. All I want is for you to listen to me.” She’s a spitfire, I’ll give her that much. And from the very little I know about her, she’s probably not going to give up easily. I turn around warily, figuring this is a bad idea, but it’s bound to happen sooner or later today and I’d prefer Gus and Mama aren’t around for it.

  “Look, I don’t know what your deal is or what you and Tony have going on, but I don’t fool around with guys who aren’t single,” I say in a single breath. I hold my hand up when she tries to respond. “And I really don’t want to get in some sort of pissing contest with you. So, if you’re worried that I’m going to cause problems for the two of you, you can just head back to Tony and tell him that there’s nothing to worry about. I love the Rossi family and Cara too much to cause drama on her special day.”

  The girl cocks her head to the side, amused by my rant. So are the other people who decided this show was better than whatever was waiting for them on the other side of the street. “Damn, I can see why he’s so into you. You’re just like him; criminally gorgeous with a big mouth that doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up.” She laughs when I finally stop talking.

  “You’re not mad at him?” I ask incredulously. Maybe they have some sort of open relationship and he’s allowed to screw whomever his dick gets hard for. Unfortunately for him, that’s not my scene. This girl is cute, but I don’t share with anyone. I haven’t thought about romance and flowers and shit for a long time, but my one rule has always been not hooking up with anyone who’s in a relationship.

  “Fuck no.” She giggles, slapping me on the arm. “Come on, I think you’re going to want a drink before we go any further. I’m Kennedy, by the way.”

  “Dominic,” I inform her, neglecting to say that it’s nice to meet her because it’s not. “I need a drink, regardless. And I get the feeling you’re not going to leave me alone until you tell me whatever you feel I need to hear. Might as well let you get it out of your system now so you don’t corner me at the reception.”

  I motion for her to lead the way since she probably knows the area better than I do. As she leads me down a side street, she’s busy sending messages on her phone. Probably letting Tony know that she tracked me down. I look behind me, realizing how far away we’re getting from where we need to be. This c
an’t possibly be a good thing. God, if this is what I get for being a nice guy, next time I’ll let everyone else figure out how to get where they’re going without me.

  We walk into a small pub off the beaten path and she heads straight for the bar. The bartender, a young woman who has tattoos covering both arms and at least four visible piercings in places other than her ears rushes over to serve us. “You two look beyond out of place in here,” she observes, placing cocktail napkins in front of each of us. “What’s your poison today?” she asks.

  Without waiting for Kennedy to reply, she sets down a shot of some amber liquid and a draft beer. Apparently, Kennedy is a regular in this dive. “I’ll have whatever she’s having, but double it up.” I place a fifty on the bar, hoping I’ll get some change back.

  “Having a rough day?” the bartender asks, quirking her eyebrow as she stares at Kennedy.

  “Not too bad, for the most part,” Kennedy replies. “But Tony’s got himself in trouble and begged me to bail his ass out. Again.”

  The bartender laughs, shaking her head. “Why does that not surprise me? I’m impressed though, took him almost forty-eight hours this trip.”

  It’s both settling and disconcerting to hear that screwing up isn’t exactly new for Tony. I’m not sure who the other woman is, but it’s obvious it’s not surprising to her that Kennedy is playing middle-man.

  “Technically, I’m pretty sure he started digging his hole before he even got to New York this time,” I chime in, more because I’m sick of feeling like the third wheel than anything else. Rather than stick my foot any further down my throat, I tip back the first shot. Damn. Tequila, warm and straight. Without hesitation, I take the second shot and chase it with a long swallow of cheap beer.

  “Oh. My. God. Is this him?” the bartender asks and I feel my cheeks flush. She stares at me long enough that I squirm uncomfortably on my seat. “At least Tony’s taste seems to be improving.” The two women share a good laugh over that and I’m left even more confused. I push away from the bar, tired of waiting to be brought into the loop.

  “Look, it’s been real. But I have a friend who’s going to be livid when he realizes I took off,” I bite out. I leave the bartender a ten-dollar bill and turn to walk away.

  “Dominic, wait,” Kennedy calls after me. For the second time in three days, my feet refuse to listen to my brain and I stop. “I’m sorry, I’ve been rude. This is my girlfriend, Dahlia.”

  “Your girlfriend?” I ask without turning back to face the women, both of whom I’m sure are finding this entire situation hilarious. Somehow, learning that Kennedy is into chicks raises my blood pressure to near-stroke levels. I heard Tony on the phone. He called her babe and told her that he loved her, talking about her keeping him warm at night. I saw them together in the parking lot. She was practically climbing his body before I even had the truck in gear. These people are a big ball of screwed up and I need to get away from it.

  “Yeah, my girlfriend,” she says very slowly, making sure my feeble mind processes the meaning of her words. “And I did warn you that you were going to want a drink. Now, will you sit the fuck down and listen instead of acting like a butt-hurt little bitch?”

  I tap out a quick message to Andrew, letting him know that something came up and I’ll get to the reception as soon as I can. “Fine. Dahlia, another round.” I motion to the empty glasses on the scarred bar. “But only one. I’d like to be able to walk into the reception without help. Kennedy, you have about ten minutes and you’d do well to not waste them calling me names. It’s not something I respond to very well.”

  “Hey, you’re the one that ran away like a jealous girl, not me,” she points out and her girlfriend snorts from the other side of the bar.

  “Good point, but put yourself in my shoes for a minute and think about what you’d think then,” I respond, tossing back the first shot.

  “You thought exactly what Tony wants most people to think. The problem is, you’re not most people to him,” Dahlia interjects, making herself comfortable on the beer coolers behind the bar. “Don’t worry, Kennedy won’t admit it, but she made the same mistake shortly after we met. These two have been playing house for so long, they sometimes forget there’s times they would be better off coming clean right at the beginning. It’s not until it bites them in the ass that either of them realize what a fucked up, delusional life they live. And in your situation, Tony didn’t think he’d ever be seeing you again, so he probably wouldn’t have mentioned it even if he wasn’t such a tool.”

  I lean in, more willing to listen to Dahlia than Kennedy. She seems to understand why I freaked out. She goes on to tell me how Kennedy and Tony have spent over ten years letting their families think they’re a couple. The way her eyes narrow when she tells me how much the families wish Tony and Kennedy would settle down and get married, I don’t think she’s any more comfortable with the ruse than I am at this point. But unlike me, she has a reason to be upset. She and Kennedy are in a relationship, where I’m not even a one-night stand to Tony, simply a quick trick on the highway.

  “Well, ladies, it’s been a blast, but I have to get back before Andrew’s dad has my balls in a vice,” I say, excusing myself. “Kennedy, you heading over or is your work here done?”

  I’m assuming that she’s attending the reception if she’s supposed to be Tony’s girlfriend. Then again, assumptions are the reason we’re sitting in this dark bar instead of enjoying drinks paid for by Cara’s family in a swank hotel lounge.

  “Sure, let me say bye to Dahlia and I’ll be right out.” Kennedy makes her way around the bar and I head outside. The sun, which offered a false sense of warmth earlier is gone and huge flakes are falling from the sky.

  If I don’t get my shit together and head inside soon, Caroline is going to send out a search party for me, but I need just a few more minutes to get my head out of my ass. Everyone’s been inside mingling for almost an hour, but here I sit, waiting for Kennedy to show up. I’m hoping she’ll turn the corner with Dominic next to her, but that’s a stretch at this point.

  Peter was right when he told me I’m being a selfish little shit today. This isn’t the first time I’ve fucked around with someone I shouldn’t have, but it is the first time it’s bothered me to have the guy pissed off after the fact. And that’s the part that has me knotted up.

  “Thought you quit that shit.” I look down at the cigarette in my hands before looking up at my new brother-in-law looming over me. I thought for sure no one would find me crouched against the side of the building, but apparently I was wrong. Crushing the cigarette into the sidewalk, I reach down to pick it up before standing.

  “I did. But it’s been a shit day and this is better than getting into a fight with Peter before the night is over.” I follow Andrew into the lobby of the hotel, expecting him to race to the ballroom where his bride is waiting for both of us. Instead, he detours into the bar, waving over the bartender and ordering two glasses of scotch.

  “That’s because Peter’s an arrogant prick who needs to be knocked on his ass from time to time. But thanks for not doing it today.” We finish our drinks faster than I’d like and Andrew checks his watch. “Damn, we have to get in there. Oh, and don’t think you’re off the hook for that shit you pulled during the wedding. I will get you to tell me why you went all space cadet on us.”

  “Ask me again tomorrow,” I say quietly. No fucking way do we have time for this conversation and I’d prefer to talk to Dominic before I tell Andrew that his friend has me tied up in knots.

  “Sounds good. But you’re not going to push it off further than that.” Andrew’s a good man, one I’m glad to have as part of the family. He’s the one who helped me figure out how to share my secret with Caroline, insisting that she wouldn’t be upset with me or judge me because of how I live my life.

  We round the corner to see the entire wedding party waiting for us outside the ballroom. “Nice to see you could join the party,” Peter hisses as I file into
the line behind him. I’ll never understand why Caroline thought it was a good idea to put the two of us next to one another. We’re like oil and water, and it’s almost too much to ask that we manage to get through a full day together without a verbal sparring match, at the very least.

  “Fuck you,” I snarl, turning to face him. “Andrew and I were down having a drink and lost track of time. It’s not my fault that I’m the brother-in-law he likes. And honestly, you can’t blame him for needing a drink before dealing with Mom pulling him every which way in there.” Andrew pats my back as he passes me and I square my shoulders. He takes his place at the back of the line next to my sister and the music begins as the DJ introduces the wedding party.

  Once again, I stumble as I make my way up the steps to the head table, this time because I’m looking for Dominic. My father is glaring at me and my mother is shaking her head as I take my seat. The two empty chairs at the family table tell me everything I need to know. Dominic isn’t here and neither is Kennedy. This can’t be a good thing.

  Halfway through the best man’s speech, I see the two of them not-so-quietly making their way to the front of the room. Heads turn as they bump into people. “Guess that explains your issue with him,” Peter whispers. When I turn to tell him to shut up, his expression is one of pity. “I never expected something like that from Kennedy. And today, of all days, damn. Then again, I suppose we couldn’t expect her to wait around forever for you to get your head out of your ass.”

  Throughout dinner, I watch the two of them whispering to one another as if they’re best friends. After the servers clear our dishes, we’re allowed to get up and roam around the room and I excuse myself, hoping to finally clear the air with Dominic. Knowing my family, the longer I allow him to dote on her, the more they will despise him and that would be bad for everyone involved. I’m only about twenty feet away from him when my sister’s hand wraps around my wrist, pulling me into the service hallway.