by Clay, Ann
They all had nicknames. Reggie was Pic-Wic, namely because her parents were working professionals who moved around every two or three years. Pic Wic was the term used for the upper and business class families. As teenagers, they’d spent nights at Reggie’s house for sleepovers and the girls all thought they were a part of the Pic-Wic Club. Although Cheri and David Miles socialized with prominent businessmen, lawyers, and politicians, they didn’t consider themselves elite. To Reggie’s friends, the Mileses were and the name stuck.
They called Mona “Speed”. She won the state record for both the one-hundred and two-hundred-meter runs three years in a row, but that wasn’t the only reason she got that name. Mona was what the old folks called fast. She didn’t like or date young men her age. She liked older men, even when she was fifteen years old.
Autumn, on the other hand, had two nicknames. “Gee”, because she was tall with a long delicate neck. It wasn’t close to the length of a giraffe’s neck, yet she held her upper body with the same grace. And looking at her from the front, she was straight up and down, but when she turned to the side, you could see the curve of a shapely behind. She’d always had the exotic look most women would die for and she got it without having to do anything to have or keep it.
Her second nickname, never repeated outside of their group because it made Autumn uncomfortable, was Quadroon. Quadroon was a name given to people of a mixed culture. Her blue eyes against her cocoa brown complexion often garnered questions from outsiders who didn’t understand how she inherited her looks. It was the kind of response she hated with a passion. Their family secret was really not a secret among the people who knew her parents or grandparents. To keep from drawing attention to herself, she started wearing color contacts that changed her eye color to a dark hazel. When she wasn’t wearing contacts she wore dark shades.
And that day, she sported a pair of Channel tortoise-shell framed shades. She’d been absent the previous three days to give her eyes a rest from the contacts she’d been wearing since two weeks before. She’d totally forgotten to renew her prescription before she left New York a month prior when her dance troop performed the last show for the season. By the time she set foot in New Orleans, she realized she couldn’t get the prescription filled until she had another eye exam.
Autumn felt comfortable enough to go without her eyewear around her friends. They already knew her story. But she wasn’t ready to deal with strangers gawking at her like she was a sideshow. She was a little apprehensive at first when she removed the glasses, especially when the boutique owner seemed astonished by her exotic looks. “Are you a model?” the woman quickly asked.
Autumn shut her down just as quickly. “No. And please, can we just get on with the dresses?” she didn’t want to be rude to the woman, but she didn’t want to explain her looks to her or anyone else. Luckily for her, the prescription would be ready for pickup before they headed to City Park for their pictures with the groom.
“I still say it shows a little too much. It’s too tight, Gee. Here, try on the last one.” Erica handed her the last of the potential gowns Reggie had selected before Autumn arrived.
Autumn took the dress and with a deep sigh headed back to the dressing room. “Let’s hope this one fits, ’cause I’m not trying on another dress today, my sisters!”
“And hurry it up, will you? I’m starving. We need food and soon,” Mona ordered.
“Who died and made you queen?” Autumn peeked from behind the curtains.
Autumn watched Reggie as she sat in the cushion-backed chair with her legs crossed. Erica sat on the floor right next to her. She hadn’t said much. Autumn recognized that faraway look she had whenever she thought about her college friend, Valerie. She knew how much she missed Val because she learned by going to counseling sessions with her that Reggie at first blamed herself for the accident, and often questioned why she was spared instead of her then roommate. It took many sessions for her to accept that the incident was not her fault. She’d met Valerie twice and had only learned of the accident and her death months after it occurred. When Reggie moved to New York, Autumn willingly opened her spare room to her long-time friend. She’d never seen anyone so determined in her life. Reggie used dance as her healing balm, which worked for her until it was time for her to reunite with Trae.
“You okay, girl?” Autumn asked Reggie.
Reggie half-heartedly smiled. “Sure. I’m so glad all of you are here. I don’t think I could get it done without all of you.” She looked at each of her friends.
“Honey, we wouldn’t have missed this for all the crawfish in Louisiana. Besides, one of us had to get married. These other two hags have no potential. They’ll be fifty before any thought of a man entered their minds,” Mona happily chimed in.
“Now, I know you can’t talk, Mona. Everybody you date has at least one foot in the grave. At this rate, you’re the lost cause.” Erica shook her head.
“Well, we’re not getting any younger, but for me, dancing is my man. And right now, I’m really happy with him,” Autumn added to the conversation from behind the curtain.
“All those sweet, hard, round behinds you get to squeeze on the stage, Miss Thing, I’m sure you can snag one of them,” Erica said.
“Trust me when I tell you that some of them try to pull more men than you do,” Reggie injected.
Just as Autumn pulled the curtain back to reveal the last gown, everyone stood and gasped. The soft sheer top blended with her brown shoulders, and the folds of the dress kissed every curve perfectly. “She’s right.” Autumn didn’t finish her sentence because she was caught off guard by her friend’s expressions as she waltzed from the dressing room. “What? Is this it?”
“Definitely.” Reggie reached for Autumn’s hand and pulled her toward the three-way mirror.
“Girl, it’s you,” both Mona and Erica replied at the same time.
Autumn looked at her reflection in the mirror. They were right. The dress was perfect, a perfect color for her skin, and the perfect fit for her body type. “Okay, ladies. This is it.”
They all stood there for a minute and admired Autumn. Even the owner stood in the mix, eyes fixed on the beauty they all saw in the mirror.
“Okay, let’s get out of here. I’m starving,” Mona said for the second time. “Hurry, get that booty back into those jeans so we can go eat!”
“You’re so single minded.” Autumn pouted and headed back behind the curtain. “I have to stop and get my contacts before we go anywhere.”
“That’s clear on the other side of the city,” Mona protested.
“It’s fine. We can stop and eat at Pavilions for lunch before we head to the park. Trish and Shelly will meet us there.” Trae’s sister and cousin were the two youngest bridesmaids.
“Why are we taking pictures?” Autumn stuck her head from between the curtain.
“These are our memories, Autumn. We’ve already talked about this. What’s your beef with taking pictures?”
“And can you hurry it up, Gee?” Mona plopped down into the nearest chair.
“Hold your horses, Mona. Dang! One would think you haven’t eaten in years,” Autumn countered.
“Like I said, the pictures are our memories.” Reggie glared at both women.
“I can’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about all of this, anyway. You and Trae are practically married already.”
“It’s important to us to make this as memorable as possible for both of our families, and for us. I want this wedding to be more than a celebration of our life together. I also want it to be for the special people who make us who we are.”
“Well, it’s romantic as hell. I can’t wait to do this myself.” Erica danced in front of the mirror.
Mona rolled her eyes. “And I’m going to starve to death before a wedding can even get here.”
Everyone turned and glared at Mona like she’d grown another eye.
Once Autumn and crew left the boutique, they stopped and picked up
her contact lenses. They all ordered something different at the little café and continued to discuss the plans for the next couple of weeks. Mona ate like she was actually starving. Her friends just looked at her and shook their heads. “We should get going.” Reggie picked up the tab, but Autumn snatched it from her hand.
“I don’t think so, sugah. This is mine, today.”
“Honey, I’m just taking the opportunity to use Trae’s credit card.”
“Trust me. You’ll have plenty of time to do that.” Mona slapped several twenties on the table to cover the bill. She trumped both by paying the check before she headed to the door.
Reggie pulled into the park fifteen minutes before the photographer asked them to be there.
“Wait, I have to put in my contacts.” Autumn fussed. She pulled a mirror from her purse and propped it on the dashboard. She instantly noticed that the coloring was off just a little. “I guess these will do.” She looked from Reggie to Erica, and then to Mona.
“Why do you have to do this anyway, girl? You’re a natural beauty. And you don’t have to explain what you look like to anyone.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Mona,” Autumn rebutted.
“She’s right, but you do what makes you comfortable,” Erica added. She always seemed to be the supportive one of the group.
“You my girl no matter what. And you still have my future brother-in-law to deal with. It’s not as easy as you think,” Reggie commented.
* * * *
Travis sat just across from Reggie and her caravan of friends. Trish and Shelly had already arrived. He waited to see if Autumn would appear before he got out of his car. If she didn’t show up, he saw no reason to stay. He tried to make out the four figures hidden behind the tinted windows of Reggie’s SUV. Travis sweated in the driver’s seat as he waited. They still hadn’t gotten out of the car.
What are they doing in there? What’s taking them so long?
He looked at his watch and then looked back at the car. They still had a few minutes. He clicked the top button on his blue-tooth. “Call Wiggins.” The indicator on both the earpiece and his phone lit up. The connection broke after two rings.
“Yo’, Travis. What’s the word, man?”
“When are you getting to the city?”
“The end of the week. I haven’t told Trae exactly when I’m coming, even though he keeps hounding me for an answer. Are we still on for the weekend?”
“Sure thing. Everything is pretty much set. I was able to catch up with most of your old teammates. It’s going to blow him away to see all of you again.” Travis’s eyes remained honed on the car as he talked to Trae’s best friend, Rykard Wiggins.
“Well, it’ll be a good reunion. You know I’m happy for Trae. Those two have come a long way.”
When the front passenger door opened and the long beauty stood outside of the car, Travis’s heart raced and he nearly lost his train of thought. “True that. Listen, Wiggins, I’ll check back with you a little later. Remember, you’re bunking at my place. The key will be in the same spot. I’ve gotta go for now.” Travis didn’t give Rykard a chance to respond.
CHAPTER 4
Travis couldn’t take his eyes off her. He couldn’t explain his sudden infatuation with this woman, not since she strolled into his great-uncle’s funeral on Wednesday. He found himself besieged by her. Her frosty responses did nothing to deter him from wanting to find out what made her tick. He managed to hide his interest in Autumn from his family. He needed to figure out what his attraction to her was before he embarrassed himself in front of his folks.
He watched her stretch her long arms over her head, and her slim tank top rose, revealing smooth, brown flesh. Travis feasted his gaze on her bare stomach, and her lean hips and ample behind. She was very beautiful. But when she turned, he was sure they connected beyond a physical attraction because she stared right at his car. Travis sucked in a breath and held it. She didn’t turn away until one of the ladies touched her arm. She then moved to follow her friends down the path toward the fountain. After she was out of sight, he released the air in his chest.
Travis waited a few minutes before he opened the driver-side door. He needed a moment to collect himself and to give the group a chance to congregate before he showed up. He stuck his hands into his jeans pockets as he strolled down to the fountain. He sauntered toward the group. A smile curved his face when he reached them.
Trish sprinted toward Travis. He was her oldest and, surely her favorite brother because Travis treated her like a princess. He opened his arms and accepted his little sister’s warm receptions.
“TK!” She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek.
“Hi, Lil’bit. How’s my baby sister?”
“Great. Are you here to take pictures with us?” She fell into an easy step with Travis and her arm immediately went around his waist.
“No, sweetheart. I’m just here to watch. I came to see how my little brother manages to keep all these beautiful women to himself.” His eyes instantly went to Autumn before they traveled to the others already formed in a lineup the photographer had arranged. Once he acknowledged everyone else with a simple glance, he recaptured her gaze.
Travis noticed her hopeless attempts to gaze at his lips without getting caught. And when he did capture her eyes, she quickly looked away. He liked her response. No doubt in his mind, he saw and understood the passion as thick as clay in her gaze. He didn’t miss how she pulled her lip between her teeth. He felt the electric sparks dancing between them and it didn’t stop until she turned when Reggie’s voice interrupted their private interlude.
“Trish, get back in line. We want to take as few shots as possible,” Reggie scolded.
Trish pouted, leaving her brother’s embrace. Travis stopped just short of the group. With his saucy smile still in place, he nodded. He didn’t miss the reaction he saw in Autumn’s face and posture.
“I’m not surprised you’re here, TK.” Trae gave him a knowing look.
“I vote that he join the crew.” Mona added. “Whew! Your brother is fine, Trae.”
Reggie rolled her eyes. “Modesty has never been your strong suit has it, Mona? Everyone, this is Travis.”
“Afternoon, ladies. Sorry you’re not taking pictures with the best-looking Brooks man.”
“Modesty doesn’t seem to be your strong suit, either,” Erica so graciously added.
Travis tipped his head toward the beautiful little lady standing right next to Autumn. “No, beautiful. I can’t say that it is. I know what I want and when I want it.” He managed to maintain her gaze long enough to acknowledge her before he moved it directly to Autumn. “Aren’t you going to introduce these lovely ladies, Reggie?”
“Autumn, Erica, and Mona.” She signaled toward each of her friends.
Travis moved forward and extended his hand. He started with Mona. “You’re saucy, I like that.” His smile broadened. “You’re very beautiful.” He shook Erica’s hand. She blushed. When he extended his hand to Autumn, once again he waited for her delicate hand. And when she finally placed it into his outstretched fingers, sparks screamed through his body. Travis held it a little longer than he should have but he couldn’t pull his hand away. He squeezed his lips tight to keep from saying something that was inappropriate for the audience.
Autumn pulled her hand from Travis’s and, at the same time, lowered her lids. “No comment for me, Mr. Brooks,” she said.
Travis stood gauging her posture, before he responded. “Absolutely.” He paused for a moment. “You can’t avoid me forever. We’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re going to make sure these two love doves get hitched. I, for one, want to make sure they get it done so I can finally get him off my hands.”
He tried to memorize every detail of her face. His nostrils flared when the scent of her cologne wafted in the air between them. Nothing prepared him for her response. Travis knew there was an instant attraction to her. Perhaps it was the long shapely legs or the p
erfect curve of her backside that pulled at his groin, but something in her eyes attracted him to her.
Autumn stared at him, speechless. The rattled rise and fall of her chest and the ever-so-slight thumping of the vein in the left side of her neck belied her attraction to him. Something about his comment had undertones no one else caught, except her.
“Cousin Travis.” Shelly broke the spell between him and Autumn.
“Yes, sweetheart. Now in addition to my little sister, you are the most beautiful woman within a hundred yards of here. No offense Reggie.”
“None taken.” Reggie tilted her head to one side.
Travis picked up Shelly and swung her around once. The teenager squealed and giggled.
“Where’s Denise?” he looked around, referring to Michael’s girlfriend. She, too, was a bridesmaid.
“She couldn’t make it. Ken will Photoshop her into the picture later,” Reggie replied.
Her answer made Travis smile. He then reached up and kissed Reggie on the forehead. “The beautiful bride. My brother is a lucky man.”
Trae pushed his brother back. “Now that you’ve interrupted our session, be gone. Today is all about me, my man.”
“You’re so right. That it is. Listen, I’ll get out of your way for a few. What’s the plan for this evening, ladies?” his eyes once again roamed from one to the other.
Before anyone could speak, Reggie chimed in. “We’re having some girl time before Erica and Mona head out tomorrow. That means no boys allowed!”
“Whoa, okay. Just thought I’d throw together a seafood boil at Momma’s house. I can also put some ribs on the grill. And then you ladies can do all the girl stuff you want afterwards.”
“What? Food? Now you know I don’t turn away a chance to eat.” Mona’s saucy grin extended from one ear to the other.
