by Sara Marion
“Jeez! I just spent ten minutes doing it for my group study tonight.”
“Group study? You do your hair for that?”
He rolled his eyes and started out the doorway.
“Who is she?” Jennah called out teasingly. He just walked away, ignoring her question. Turning she found herself smiling. She knew Chase was probably trying to get the attention of a girl in the so-called study group. She continued packing away. It was only Wednesday and she only had her room to pack as Dobry was easy enough to pack and the rest of her stuff was in storage. The packing bug hit her with her excitement of moving.
Jennah knew that it was just her need to control everything around her. She knew a big change was coming. She could feel it and it scared her. She needed to wrap her hands around the reigns and pull herself together if she was going to make this work.
***
Friday night crept up on Duke before he knew it. Somehow the week flew by and now he was getting ready to go to awards night. He was pulling out his vest and tie. He told the team to wear their best, it was a good occasion to celebrate.
Putting on his red button-up shirt, he tucked it into his black pants. He then grabbed his tie and vest as he headed to the mirror to put his outfit together. He went with a black vest and tie. He wrapped his tie around his neck and put it in place before slipping his vest on. Buttoning the three-button vest up, he looked in the mirror. Flashes of the funeral went through his mind. He hadn’t worn a vest or suit of any kind since that day. He avoided them as they brought back the memories of those days. Tonight though, tonight was different. Something was stirring within him, it had been since the night Jack interrupted him and Paxton.
“Ready?”
Duke turned and saw Lexi in his doorway. She agreed to come with him to the event. She had on a short, black strapless dress. It stopped right above her knees and she had on the sexiest black heels that had what seemed like diamonds running down the length of her foot, securing it in. “Yeah. You look amazing,” he walked over and kissed her temple. He had been running to Lexi all week, she thankfully saw him through whatever he needed this week, including coming to the banquet with him.
“Thanks. You look rather dashing yourself. Makes me want to keep you here and do other things than attend the banquet,” she ran her hands on his vest and back down. Duke smiled and knew exactly what she was talking about.
“Can’t. I’m the coach, I need to be there.”
“Then maybe afterwards,” she leaned forward and kissed his neck. Over the last week, they worked out their differences. Ella never appeared to him, he figured it was because he hadn’t seen Jennah in a while.
“Sounds like a plan,” he broke away. He was close to giving into her. “We should get going. Make sure everything is set up before the boys arrive.”
“Let’s do this,” she smiled.
Hand-in-hand, they walked through the doors to the ballroom that was set up for their awards night. Duke let go of Lexi’s hand as he walked around the room checking everything. It seemed to be flawless and looked much better than he imagined. Around the room were easels with various pictures from the season. Ryan had them edited and blown up for tonight. The liaison from the hotel came out and greeted him from behind a table where she was putting the finishing touches on.
“Mr. Avery, it’s good to see you,” she greeted, shaking his hand.
“Likewise, Miss Johnson. Everything looks great.”
“Good! The cooks are finishing up dinner but it will be ready to serve at 7:15.”
“Perfect, that gives us time for the intro speeches and to announce. Is there anything else I need to do?”
“Nope, I have it all taken care of. The wait staff should be arriving any moment, so I better go wait in the back for them to give them instructions. Just let me know if you need anything,” she smiled.
“Great, I’m good for now.” He turned and looked at Lexi. She sat at a table just watching him.
“You are sexy when you are in action,” she winked.
“That was nothing. Wait until my speech,” he then kissed her. He didn’t care they were out in public, they were alone in the room.
Lexi stood and deepened the kiss. The need between them overtook their common sense that they were in public and could only take it so far. A clearing of a throat broke them apart.
“Duke, it’s nice to see you and this is…” he trailed off.
“Ryan, this is my friend Lexi.”
“Friend, huh? Well nice to meet you Lexi. You must be a wonderful friend to have,” Ryan teased. Duke saw Lexi blush. “I’m Ryan.”
“Nice to meet you,” was all she could manage to say before she excused herself.
Duke watched her leave and so did Ryan. “So she’s a friend huh?”
“Yeah, friends.”
“No-strings? The person who scratches your itch?” Ryan raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, you make her sound slutty, which she’s not. She’s a good girl and we are just two people who don’t want relationships—”
“But the benefits of having one? Sex, events, companionship.”
Duke didn’t know how to react. He felt like Ryan was lecturing him. “We get each other.”
“I’m not judging Duke, just be careful. Things can change quicker than you think. It will just take one tiny thing before she wants more.”
Duke knew it was true. He saw Lexi’s looks getting a little longer, things getting a little cozier. She knew him, physically at least. She knew what he needed when he needed it. He could get lost with her. He wondered if a real relationship with Lexi would last, or if it would fail miserably because they had always been physical together. Besides, he had enough women swimming around in his head, he didn’t need another one.
“So,” Ryan was trying to change the subject. “Ready for summer break?”
Duke laughed at the awful transition but welcomed it. “Yeah, definitely ready for a break before football camp.”
“Can’t wait for that! I bet you are excited for next season.”
“Yeah, we are losing a few good seniors. We will definitely have a younger team, but we will see.”
They continued chatting about football until Lexi came back. She sat down quietly beside Duke, not making any physical contact. Ryan then began to include her in the conversation, trying to get to know her, but Duke figured he was vetting her out to see what she really wanted from this. He couldn’t help but smile at Ryan’s over protectiveness. Duke knew it was just Ryan looking after him.
When the team started showing up, they all broke apart. Duke went around greeting his players and their families. It was just about time for the introduction speech.
SEVENTEEN
Jennah got caught up in moving when she realized she was running late. She needed to get ready for Chase’s banquet. He reminded her several times already since he had gotten home from his half-day of school, yet here she was running late after she said she wouldn’t be.
She left her dress and bathroom stuff at Audra’s place. She knew her house would be a mess and hard place to get ready. She raced the last couple of blocks to Audra’s house. Pulling up to the drive she saw that they had already left. It was 6:45 now and she needed to be there in fifteen minutes. It was about a ten minute drive so there was no way she could make it without being a little bit late.
Rushing into the house she ran to the bathroom first to get her hair and make up done. She grimaced when she looked in the mirror. Her roots were starting to show again and he hair was an awful mess from being thrown up all day. Jennah decided to leave her hair up. She put a little serum in it to smooth it out and placed it in a bun on the crown of her head. A few strands fell in her face but she left them as they enhanced the look. Jennah then tended to her makeup. She didn’t wear a lot, just the basics: foundation, mascara, eye shadow, and a natural shade of lipstick. She liked the natural look. It didn’t take long to throw the makeup on. After looking in the mirror, satisfied with her hair
and makeup, she headed down to her room.
On her bed she noticed a dress laid out and a shoebox next to it. A note was laying on the shoebox. She picked it up and unfolded it.
Jennah Mae—
Not sure if this is you or not but I thought you might like it. It called out to me for you. Enjoy the boots as well. It’s my ‘Congrats on the new house’ present.
-A
Jennah smiled at the thought of her sister. She looked at the dress laying on her bed. It was a simple white dress with a lace overlay. She loved it. She wasn’t sure it was meant for tonight’s event, didn’t seem dressy enough but she would definitely find a reason to wear it. She opened the shoebox and found a pair of cowboy boots. They were simple as well, a dark brown with light brown embroidery on them. Perfect, she thought. Audra did well. Putting it aside, she pulled the dress out of her closet that she would wear tonight.
It was a dress she picked out at the store, but had nothing to wear it to at the time. She was glad she could finally use it for something. It was a strapless dress with a sequin body. It had a sweetheart neckline that she loved and it stopped about five inches above her knee. There was an empire waist where sheer red fabric was overlaying the sequin bodice. It was short in the front to show the sequins and her legs but was longer in the back. It gave it a flowing look. She just loved it. She paired her dress with a pair of black heels, not too high but high enough to give her legs that mile-long look. She loved her look and checked the clock. It was seven. She hoped Chase would forgive her for being late.
***
Walking down the short hallway following the signs for the banquet, Jennah could hear a speech being given. She gathered her thoughts as she made her way to the open door. She paused right outside of it looking around at the tables in view for Chase and Audra. She found them sitting near the front where the speaker was. She took a deep breath and quietly walked in towards the table.
When she sat down Chase frowned over at her for a moment. “I’m sorry, I tried to make it as quick as I could, time got away from me, kid,” she quietly explained as Duke just finished his speech and announced dinner would be served any moment.
“I figured, just glad you showed up. I didn’t want you to miss me getting any awards I was nominated for by the team,” he smiled. Jennah was thankful he wasn’t angry.
They sat back as the servers finished bringing out the food for the buffet line. Soon tables started getting up to get their fill. Chase, Audra, and Jennah soon followed suit. Jennah felt her stomach rumble as they waited in line.
“Jeez, Jennah when was the last time you ate?” Audra laughed.
“Sorry, like I said, time slipped away from me. I think I could eat a whole cow right now,” Jennah laughed.
“Please don’t,” Audra teased. “You would be ripping that beautiful dress to shreds!”
“I know, I know. Maybe next time I will wear my stretchy pants,” Jennah winked. She began to laugh as she heard Chase groan at them. Jennah figured they were embarrassing him in front of his friends.
They moved forward throughout the line, filling their plates. Jennah was waiting for the server to finish carving the meat selection they were offering when she heard Duke’s hearty laugh behind her. She turned out of curiosity and saw his arm intertwined with another woman’s. She stared at them, unable to take her eyes off of Duke. She didn’t really pay attention to him when he was speaking as she entered the room earlier but now, he had her full attention. The way he looked in his vest and tie sent her insides on going up and down as if they were on a rollercoaster. She felt like a hormonal teenager reacting to their crush. Her heart raced and her stomach dropped. He was drop dead gorgeous in his black attire. He looked over at her smiling. She quickly turned back to her sister and Chase and proceeded through the line. She felt like she was caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. She was embarrassed that he caught her ogling him.
They all returned to the table. Chase was talking to one of his teammates that was sitting at the same table. Jennah tried to listen to the adult’s conversation, but something was nagging at her. She kept looking over in Duke’s direction. There was something about him tonight. Something that was pulling at her and she didn’t know what the cause of it was. She played with the food in front of her. She took a few bites, but nothing seemed appetizing right now.
Jennah didn’t realize how much time passed but Duke got up to start presenting awards with his fellow coaches. She noticed the atmosphere in the room changed. It sizzled with anticipation from the players. Her skin felt the buzz but it was for a totally different reason. Duke smiled directly at her.
“My oh my, the crowd has gotten even more beautiful,” he winked at her and then looked around. “All the ladies in the room look quite nice tonight. Gentlemen, well, you look pretty good too,” he laughed. The crowd joined in. He continued his speech but never made eye contact with her again. One by one, Duke handed out awards. Chase had received two already, Most Improved Batter and Best Outfielder. With each award there were 2-3 pictures of that player in action. Chase was up for the Player of the Year award on the team, so were his best friends Ryan and Peter. Jennah hoped Chase would get it. This was the one he wanted the most.
“And the award goes to…” Duke looked down. “Ryan!” The crowd broke out in applause. Ryan had an amazing season from what Audra and the other parents were saying. He had the most strikeouts this season then he had in previous years he played.
“Sorry, kid,” Jennah leaned over to Chase.
“It’s okay. Ryan deserves it. I voted for him,” he smiled. “Besides Ryan is graduating and I’m still here next year.” Jennah couldn’t help but laugh. Her nephew was something else.
“I hope you all had a fantastic night. I am very much looking forward to next season. We still have about twenty minutes until they kick us out, so feel free to stay and chat for a bit,” Duke finished.
“Alright kid, I need to go get your cousin. She’s been at the sitter’s all day and I’m sure she is feeling like I abandoned her.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for coming Aunt Jenn.”
“Anytime,” she winked before getting up. She said a quick goodbye to Audra and made her way out of the banquet setting without seeing Duke. She knew she wouldn’t be able to stay away from him any longer if she stayed. She needed to keep her distance. She didn’t need anybody coming in and complicating her life, especially if Josh was still chasing her.
EIGHTEEN
“Ready for this?” Jack smiled.
“Yea, there’s no going back now,” Duke laughed as he watched Paxton head towards them.
Jack leaned into him, “How did I get so lucky meeting that girl?”
“I ask myself the very same thing,” Duke answered as the music changed. The doors at the other end of the aisle closed, preparing for the bride to come down.
Duke smiled out onto the crowd. He was about to lay eyes on his bride any moment. He hadn’t seen her since the rehearsal dinner the night before and he couldn’t wait to see her in her gown. He was like a kid on Christmas morning about to open up the biggest and best present they would get. He saw everyone turning, looking towards the back of the chapel. They were waiting for her entrance when her uncle would walk her down the aisle.
The room had Ella’s touch everywhere. From the flowers, the bows, the color and even the photography around them. She insisted on having pictures of her parents around. He thought that wouldn’t be a good idea but looking around now, he can see that it was. Somehow she made everything flow so well, but that was Ella. She was creative like that. He figured she would put them on easels like they did in the movie Armageddon but she went one step further and had them suspended from the ceiling. They hung low enough for everyone to walk by and see them.
The rest of the room was filled with a deep purple, black and crème colored scheme. Ella created the perfect wedding. The roses that surrounded them were mixed bouquets of the deep purple and crème. She had them dye to
a certain crème color since she was unsatisfied with the shade they did have. She said they were off, but Duke thought it looked fine. Duke remembered having to drag her away from the florist that day before she got arrested for an assault.
The doors opened. Duke was pulled from his thoughts. His bride was coming. The pianist started playing an acoustic version of a song he didn’t recognize at first. It wasn’t until the singer stood and began the lyrics to it. She picked out the song he would sing to her randomly. Joe Cocker’s You are so Beautiful. He waited for her to appear.
Murmurs in the crowd began when Ella was a no-show. He fidgeted from foot to foot. Where was she? When she didn’t appear after a few more moments, Duke stepped forward. He walked up the aisle towards the door, a panicked feeling settled over him. Then suddenly she appeared, but not in her wedding dress. The scene around him shifted.
He was standing in the funeral home. It was the day they were having the viewing. They opted for a closed casket because she was unrecognizable. Duke remembered going to view the body. It wasn’t his Ella but they said they identified her by the tattoo on her hip. No matter how closely he looked he couldn’t find a trace of Ella but the tattoo and Paxton’s identification, there was no hope for him.
“Duke?” He heard his name. The scene shifted again. This time Ella was surrounded by light, her belly swollen with his child. She smiled as she took a step towards him. They were in their house. She reached out and touched his cheek. Her hand was warm. Duke relished in the touch.
“I miss you,” he whispered as he leaned in towards her. His forehead touched hers, his hand finding her belly, but it wasn’t a warm sensation. It was cool but barely there. He stepped back confused, closing his eyes, scenes of the funeral came back. She was gone. She couldn’t be there.
“I’m still here, right in front of you. Open your eyes.” Duke knew he had to be dreaming. He needed to wake up. “Duke, I’m here, I’m alive, open your eyes! OPEN YOUR EYES!” she yelled. Duke fought. He felt his heart speed up.
