Noel used his free hand to pick up Jaylen and the three of them strolled down the aisle together, as a family. For that brief moment in time, Ryla was truly happy. They stood in the receiving line, shook hands and gave hugs just like any other newly married couple would do. However, Ryla kept her eyes averted from Noel’s. She would probably burst out in tears if he glared at her again.
“Ryla you look simply beautiful...marvelous.”
“And Noel, you are quite handsome.”
The guests were showering them with so much love and attention that Ryla began to relax and enjoy the fact that she was now Mrs. Noel Carter—that was, until Danetta approached and said, “You didn’t have that talk with Noel, did you?”
“Don’t rain on my wedding day, Danetta, not now!”
Danetta grabbed her arm and moved her off to the side. “It’s about to storm on your wedding day. Girl, haven’t you noticed the looks Noel has been giving you when he thinks no one is looking?”
Ryla waved off the notion of Noel being upset. “He’ll be fine once we get through the honeymoon. I have a lot planned for us.”
“I just wish you would have thought this through,” Danetta said while rubbing her temples, the stress showing on her face.
“Well, no one is as perfect as you, Danetta. But guess what? I still like my life just the way it is. So back off, okay?”
Raising her hands, Danetta said, “Hey, I’m on your side. I just want you to be happy.”
Ryla wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged her. As they pulled apart, she kissed Danetta on the cheek. “I know you only have my best interests at heart, but be happy for me. Because I am so happy, okay?”
Danetta nodded.
“Are you and Marshall prepared to babysit Jaylen tomorrow?”
Danetta smiled. “We’re actually very excited for the opportunity. I plan to pick Jaylen up from your mom’s house early tomorrow morning, and then I’ll take her to breakfast and to the mall.”
“She’ll love it. Thanks.” Ryla walked away to join Noel and the rest of their guests in the ballroom. As she headed toward the bridal table, Ryla heard her guests commenting on how lovely the room was. It had been her dream to have her wedding at the Four Seasons, and Noel had made it all possible. She would have to figure out some way to thank him.
Noel was already seated as she approached the table. Dinner was being served. He stood and helped her into her chair, but right away turned back to a conversation he was having with Ian.
Ian was saying, “I’m glad you finally listened to me and left the surprise factor out of the wedding, if you know what I mean.”
“Ryla is full of surprises, all right,” Noel responded, and then picked up his fork and started shoving food in his mouth.
Jaylen skipped to the table and hugged her mom and dad. “We did it,” she said. “We’re a real family now.”
Noel visibly winced.
Ryla had thought that Noel would come around and see that their marriage was the best thing for both of them. What was she going to do if Noel refused to work with her? “Yes, baby, we’re a real family now,” Ryla affirmed.
The DJ called out for the first dance of the evening. A dance meant for husband and wife. Ryla glanced over at her husband. He had already stood and extended his hand to her. She sighed in relief as she walked out onto the dance floor with him, while Etta James crooned “At Last.” Ryla put her head on Noel’s shoulder and swayed with the music. Everything was going to work out—it had to, because her love had finally come back, and he was hers...at last.
Noel leaned his head down and whispered to her, “I don’t care how beautiful you are. I’ll never let you destroy me again.”
What was he talking about? She didn’t want to destroy him; she wanted to care for him. Didn’t he know...? Couldn’t he see in her eyes how much she loved him?
“I’m not trying to destroy you, Noel. I only want the best for you and us.”
“Then annul this farce of a marriage. I don’t care if I lose this election, because soon enough you’ll walk out on me. Just do it and get it over with.”
But annulling her marriage was the last thing on Ryla’s mind. She had plans to show Noel just how good they could be together if he would just give her a chance. She took her head off his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Can’t you see that this way is better for us?”
“Better for us? Or better for you, because once again you are doing exactly what you want, regardless of my wishes.”
“We’re married, Noel. Don’t you remember? This is our dream. Dance with me and let’s just enjoy the moment.”
The song ended and Noel dropped his arms and walked off the dance floor. Ryla was about to follow him, but then her father tapped her on the shoulder.
“It’s my turn,” Ryan said with a nervous grin on his face.
“Sure.” Ryla reluctantly took her father’s hand and allowed him to guide her around the dance floor. It was truly a magical day. Noel would come around—Ryla was sure of it. He was the man of her dreams and she didn’t want to imagine a world without him in it. But she did admit to herself that things might be a bit better between them if she had talked to him before the ceremony. So they could have been on the same page concerning the whole “I do” process.
* * *
Better for us? How could she possibly think that tricking him into marrying her would be better than being honest and up front? Ryla was always going to be Ryla, and Noel needed a drink.
“You did it.” Donald slapped Noel on the back. “My little brother is all grown up now. I guess you won’t need me anymore.”
His brother somehow always showed up at just the right time. Because if he had been another second later, Noel would have been over at the bar, downing shots as he would ice-cold water on a hot summer day. “Yeah, I guess I did it.”
Donald’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s with the frown? You’ve got a beautiful wife and a wonderful little girl. We should be celebrating rather than looking so sad.”
“Thanks, bro, I’ll take that into consideration.” Noel walked away from his brother only to run into Ian.
“Well, you’ve got the wife. Now all we have to do is win this election.”
Noel had made a point to enjoy his engagement, because he hadn’t thought there would be a marriage. Now everyone wanted him to enjoy a marriage that never should have taken place. He raised his hand and halfheartedly said, “Whoo-hoo.”
The smile dropped from Ian’s face. “It’ll get better, man. She’s a good woman.”
After that Noel was like a robot. He cut the cake, laughed and talked with guests, performed a few line dances and spent the rest of the night dancing with Ryla. He then stood at the door, shaking hands and saying good-night, as guests left the ballroom.
Ryla and Jaylen sauntered over to him. Jaylen laid her head against his leg. “I’m tired, Daddy.”
“Of course you’re tired—it’s past your bedtime.”
Ryla put her arm in his. “I’m getting sleepy, too. Do you wanna go up to our suite?”
She had played him like a fiddle the entire time. Noel now felt like a fool for inviting her to come up to his suite once everything with the wedding was over and done. He had been trying to tell her that he wouldn’t mind rekindling a little somethin’ somethin’, while she had known that she didn’t need an invitation. As Mrs. Noel Carter, she had access to every room in their suite.
Noel had to hand it to her—the girl had skills. But he could see in her lust-filled eyes what she wanted from him tonight. He had asked her for an annulment, but now Noel knew that Ryla had no intention of following those instructions, either. But he wasn’t the one to be tricked. His mother always said, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Game on, as far as Noel was concerned. �
�Yes, Mrs. Carter, I am ready to go to our suite.”
“Let me take Jaylen back to my mother and then we can head on up.” She lifted an eyebrow, giving him a suggestive look.
Noel grabbed hold of Jaylen and said, “Baby girl, don’t you want to see where your mom and dad will be staying for the weekend before you go off with your grandmother?”
“Yes, Daddy. Mommy said you are staying in the president’s room.”
Ryla laughed. “No, baby, I said that we’re staying in the Presidential Suite. The room doesn’t belong to the actual president.”
“Then why do they call it the Presidential Suite?”
“It’s just a way of saying that it’s the best room they have. The room is fit for a princess, like you.” Noel touched his daughter’s nose with his finger. He then grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s go up to the room.”
Ryla put her hand on Noel’s shoulder. “Baby, I’m sorry but we won’t have time to give Jaylen a tour of the room. My mom is ready to go home. And I doubt that she’ll want to wait on Jaylen.”
“That’s fine,” Noel said nonchalantly. “Jaylen can spend the night with us. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, honey?”
“I’d love it.” Jaylen started dancing around the ballroom.
Noel was almost giddy inside as he watched Ryla’s face drop. Evidently, she thought he was too dumb to catch on to the little game she was playing. But he was about to show her how champions played the game.
Chapter 19
Noel thought he was slick, but Ryla had his number. She wasn’t about to let anything else get in between the consummation of their wedding vows. While Noel was giving Jaylen a tour of the suite, Ryla called her mother.
“Hey, sweetie, I’m getting tired. Is Jaylen ready to go?” Juanita asked when she answered the phone.
“I’m getting ready to soak in the tub. Why don’t you give Noel five more minutes with Jaylen and then come and get her.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks, Mom. We appreciate what you’re doing for us,” Ryla said and then hung up the phone. She hummed as she went into the luxurious bathroom and ran a bubble bath for herself.
Ryla leaned her head back against the base of the tub and allowed the jets to take her away. The day had been full of so many emotions and so much activity that her muscles were tight and truly needed that massage that she and Noel would be getting the next day. Even though the jets were soothing her aching muscles, Ryla only allowed herself about fifteen minutes in the tub. This was, after all, her honeymoon night.
Her bags had been brought to the room earlier in the day, when Noel thought she’d be hiding out here with him, giving him the weekend of a lifetime without the benefit of marriage. She almost giggled as she thought about that day, but it was possible that Noel was waiting for her in the bedroom, so she finished up in the bath and hurried out.
She towel-dried herself and then layered her body with a Christian Dior fragranced body lotion. Ryla then slipped into the silky white number she’d bought to drive Noel out of his mind with desire. She put a silk robe on over her gown. But just before she opened the bathroom door, she changed her mind, took the robe off and left it in the bathroom.
Strutting into the bedroom, Ryla struck a pose in front of the bed. It was at that moment she noticed that the bed was empty. “Where is he?” she mused as she began to search over the thousand-square-foot suite. She soon found Noel and Jaylen sleeping on the sofa in front of the television. Noel was stretched out on the couch, while Jaylen lay on his chest. They were sleeping so soundly that Ryla almost hated the thought of waking them, but this was her honeymoon night.
Standing next to the headrest, she nudged Noel and then whispered in his ear.
Noel jumped, almost tossing Jaylen onto the floor. He grabbed her and held on as he focused his eyes on Ryla. “What time is it?”
“It’s midnight.” Ryla pointed at Jaylen and whispered, “My mom was supposed to get her. Let me go call her.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Noel sat up. “Your mom came to pick her up, but Jaylen wanted to spend the night with us, so I told her to go on home.”
So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? She stood in front of him so he could get a full view of the way her beautiful silky gown clung to her body. She watched his eyes travel the distance. Ryla smiled, because it was obvious that he liked everything his eyes beheld.
“You ready for bed?” he asked.
Ryla put her hands to her neck and rolled it around as if she was massaging it. But what she was really doing was trying to give Noel another free look at her form. When she turned back to him, she said, “I’ve been ready for bed for hours.”
“Is that right?”
“Mmmph.” She was looking him in the eye, trying to transmit some I-really-want-to-be-with-you signals.
Noel stood, picked Jaylen up and slung her over his shoulder. “Well, let’s all go to bed then.”
“What?” Ryla grabbed Noel’s arm. “You are not really considering taking Jaylen to our bed tonight?”
He turned to her with a clueless expression on his face. “Oh, do you not want me to put her in bed with us?”
“It’s our honeymoon. Are you crazy?” She put her hands on her hips and declared, “No, I certainly don’t want Jaylen to sleep with us tonight.”
“Good. I’m glad you got that off your chest.” He then walked past her, went into their bedroom and laid Jaylen in the middle of the bed. Noel then grabbed his pajamas out of the dresser drawer and walked off toward the bathroom.
“Why are you doing this, Noel? This is our wedding night.”
His hand was on the doorknob as he flung back, “In this family we do exactly what we want, and nothing that anyone else wants, remember?”
* * *
Noel didn’t sleep well. Jaylen kept jabbing him in the gut and Ryla’s perfume was doing a number on him, causing him to think of things a husband wanted to do with his wife. But he reminded himself who he was, and that he had conquered bigger problems than this in his thirty-two years on earth. Ryla wouldn’t win this fight.
He punched his pillow, flopped around on the bed and then willed himself to sleep. When this weekend was over, Ryla would be filing for an annulment, and that would be that.
By morning, Noel had a crook in his neck and was so tired from being jabbed and pushed that he wanted to keep his eyes closed for another hour. But sunlight was beaming through the room. And Noel noticed something else. Jaylen wasn’t asleep beside him any longer.
He opened his eyes and sat up in bed. The blinds were open and no one was in bed with him. Noel threw the covers off and went in search of his little girl.
Ryla was humming as she strutted around, watering the flowers that were set on tables around the suite. She had taken off the silky white nightgown that had clung to her like a second skin. Now she was in stilettos and a hunter-green gown that ended just above her knee. It wasn’t as sexy as the gown she had worn last night, but Noel had to admit, those stilettos set it off. “Where’s Jaylen?” he asked, hoping that his little girl would come to her daddy’s rescue.
“Danetta picked her up already.” She put the water pitcher down and said, “Breakfast is on the terrace. What would you like to drink this morning? I ordered orange juice and apple juice. But if you’d like something else, I can have it brought up.”
She was playing her lady-of-the-manor role to the hilt, but Noel wasn’t interested. “Why did you allow your friend to take my daughter without consulting me?”
“Why did you bring our daughter to the room last night without consulting me?” she threw back at him.
Noel rolled his eyes upward. “I’m done with this conversation. I’m going to eat my breakfast and then pack my bags.”
She followed him out to the terrace and sat
down across from him. As he piled ham, bacon, eggs and breakfast potatoes onto his plate, Ryla said, “We need to talk about what’s going on between us.”
Noel began wolfing the food down like a hungry refugee. “Nothing’s between us but Jaylen. So, unless she is what you want to talk about, I’m not interested.”
Ryla held up her left hand. “I am your wife, you know.”
“Not my fault,” he said as he kept eating.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?” Her voice took on a pleading note.
Noel finished his food, wiped his mouth and then asked, “What day would you like to meet to file for the annulment?”
“Why are you being so unreasonable?”
“Why didn’t you follow the plan?”
Shaking her head and blowing out hot air, she stood. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” She left the terrace.
Noel got up and followed her back into the suite. “Don’t walk away from me, dear wife. I thought you wanted to talk. So let’s have it.” He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. “You were supposed to call this wedding off yesterday, so why didn’t you? How could you even stand there and repeat those vows to me?”
“You know why I did it.”
“No, I don’t.” He pointed a finger at himself and started jabbing himself in the chest with every word. “Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life. Because I knew I was going to be reciting vows that I meant.” He turned his pointer finger on her. “But you stood there repeating those sacred words even though you didn’t mean any of them.”
“I meant every word of my vows to you,” she shot back.
“That’s a bold-faced lie, and you know it.”
“Why would I continue on with the ceremony if I didn’t mean those words...if I didn’t want to be married to you?”
“I have no idea why you do the things you do, but I do know that you didn’t mean those words. Or you never would have run off eight years ago.” He ran his hand over his hair, sighed and continued. “You would have told me about my baby and we would have gotten married a long time ago.”
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