Love Before A Wedding

by Lenise Lee

  “Kerine!” she exclaimed as she laid a heavy kiss on each of my cheeks.

  “Mrs. Somers.”

  “Please, call me Abby.”

  “Okay, Abby. It’s good to see you again.”

  “Same here! It’s been too long! Come on, dear. Teddy’s in the kitchen.”

  Teddy was most likely Mr. Theodore Somers. The woman grabbed my hand and began to pull me back into the direction from which she had just come. I looked back at Josh and he mouthed the words I told you as he smirked at me.

  When we reached the kitchen, Mr. Somers was seated at the square solid maple wood table reading the newspaper. He looked up and the unbelievable happened. The man smiled. It was not a full force cheek-to-cheek smile, more like a thin line extending casually across the surface of what usually held a constant placid stare. This was the most emotion I had ever seen the elder Somers male display, so when all 6’5” of him stood – that’s who Josh received his height from – I was darn near floored when he, too, strolled up and place me in a big reunion type hug.

  Chapter 9

  Josh and I never did make it to Jeanette’s that night but she and Tyler understood and sounded completely relieved when we explained the situation to them over the phone. We ended up having dinner with his parents who could not say enough about how glad they were to see Josh and I together again. His mother chided him for being away so long and leaving such a good girl as me up here so close to the city and all by myself. She must have popped him no less than five times as she reminded him I could have easily been taken by the time he quit his childish ways and decided to make amends. I laughed so hard that I was in tears for the remainder of the night. I nodded in agreement with ever part of her son’s reprimand. We spent the remainder of the night at my place and come Monday morning, I was ready to hit the ground running.

  The workweek was uneventful and by Wednesday night, we were all back at the church again for one final rehearsal. The men would have the last alterations for their suits done on Friday night and Josh asked me to come along for that as well.

  Since the spa day with her Mom and sister, Jeanette seemed so well rested she seemed to float through ever day since then. Now, she looked absolutely radiant at the back of the church with a stand in rose bouquet to simulate her actual arrangement. The light shining through the windows of the building hit her face at just the right angle and she glowed with happiness.

  Tyler stood beneath the dais with the pastor behind him. He looked like a proud man and his face, too, was lit up with elation. The rest of the bridal party, which included myself, Jeanette’s younger sister Erin, a younger looking brunette-headed version of Jeanette, a good friend of ours from college named Denise, and one of Jeanette’s girlfriends from her modeling agency, lined the left side of the head of the church. The groomsmen, including Joshua, who looked very delicious in his black shorts and gray polo top, Tyler’s younger brother William, an African-American guy I recognized from some of Tyler’s dorm parties way back when but could not recall his name, and another blond-haired man who did not look familiar at all.

  The woman seated at the organ, probably the choir leader, began her version of Here Comes the Bride and Jeanette began her sultry march forward. She reached Tyler’s side and he took her gently by the hand and tucked her arm around his own and then the couple faced forward toward the minister. Pastor Smith began to explain how he would go about saying the vows and when each one of them would make the solemn affirmation.

  Although I know we were supposed to be watching the mock nuptial take place, I chanced a look at Josh and found he was already watching me. We held one another’s gaze and my mind floated to a time when I thought this scene would be our own. I wondered if this outcome was still a possibility for our future. Josh must have been thinking the same, his face had an angelic expression and his lips were slightly parted. I could almost feel his gentle kisses on my face from across the room.

  He mouthed the words I love you and my heart almost melted.

  I love you, too, I returned the declaration with small tears welling up in my eyes.

  ***

  By Friday, it was crunch time. The wedding was the following Saturday and we all needed to put the finishing touches on the arrangements, the catering, and the clothing.

  “As soon as I’m done here, we can go out to dinner. I’m dying for a good steak.”

  Josh spoke from behind the door of the changing room.

  “Okay. Hey, let’s try that new steakhouse on Lexington,” I responded as I flipped through the bridal magazine someone left on the chair I was now occupying.

  “Sounds good. Are you ready?”

  I put the magazine on the stand and sat up in the chair.

  “Yes, yes, come on. I wanna’ see.”

  Josh pulled the door back and I had to fight to stay glued to the chair. The tailor alterations were perfect. His wide square shoulders and the broadness of his chest were accentuated to perfection by the black tuxedo jacket. The dark slacks hung just right on his straight hips and large legs.

  “You look delicious.”

  I batted my eyes and he licked his lips.

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what?”

  I stood and moved to him and placed a hand over his heart area.

  “Can’t a woman say how attracted she is to her man?”

  “Yes, but not here,” he said in a husky voice as I worked my way around to behind him and gave him a nice heavy rub on the rear.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I might do this.”

  He reached behind him with one arm and pulled me to his chest and then licked at my neck and as I squealed with delight.

  “And I might not be able to stop next time,” his hot breath tickled the wet spot he left behind.

  “You two have got to behave.”

  Tyler came out from the next room and rolled his eyes in our direction.

  “You know, there are women and children present,” he chuckled as he went over to the standing mirror to straighten his white tie.

  He and Jeanette had settled for the classic and elegant theme. Jeanette and Tyler would be wearing all white, while the groomsmen wore black suits and white cummerbunds and the bridesmaids were in black dresses with white sashes around the wastes.

  “Whatever, man,” Josh laughed and pecked me on the lips again before releasing me.

  He went to the tall mirror on the other side to continuing making his own adjustments.

  “So, Keri, I think you’ll love Virginia.” Tyler said as he continued to work at getting the white silk tie just right.

  My ears perked up.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Fairfax. It’s beautiful there. I went down to see Josh once last summer. Great area.”

  “Ty, man,” Josh gave him a warning look, “not right now.”

  Josh caught the hint and he quickly moved on to the next subject.

  “Anyway, you guys mind if Jeanette and I go out to eat with you tonight? We were looking for something to do.”

  “Wait,” my hand did the halt sign in mid-air, “back-up. What do you mean I’m going to like Virginia? Who said I was going anywhere?”

  Of course, by this time, I knew the answer but I wanted that certain someone to fess up to it.

  Tyler looked to Joshua for help.

  “Tyler, I’m the one who asked the question, why are you looking at him?”

  “Because I’m the one who said you were going back with me to Virginia,” Josh admitted as he turned back to face me.

  A look of nervousness and panic settled in those blue pools.

  “Why would you tell him something like that?”

  “Because you are, at least, I thought you were going to. I mean, since we are back together, I assumed you would want to.”

  “Josh, how could you?”

  “What? What did I do this time?”

  “You mean, what didn’t you do?”

  He moved toward me and
I made two steps in reverse.

  “Keri, I don’t understand. We’re happy again. I want you to come home with me.”

  I picked up my purse from beside the chair.

  “I cannot believe this, we are right back where we started, Josh.”

  “Keri.”

  “Last time, you didn’t ask me, you demanded that I come with you. This time, you still didn’t ask me, you assumed I would drop everything and follow you. Everything does not revolve around what you want when you want it. I get enough demands at work from the jackass I have to call ‘sir’ all day. I would expect the man that I love and who I thought loved me to ask me for my opinion once in a while.”

  Joshua stood there speechless as Jeanette made her appearance from sitting with the bridal consultant in her office.

  “Keri, I do love you and that’s why I want you to be with me in Virginia. I need you with me.”

  He tried to reach for me again and again I sidestepped him.

  “Josh, I adore you. I have from the moment you brought a spark of liveliness into my meek existence but I am a person. I think, I have feelings, I have wants and desires like everyone else. Our life together cannot be built around your whims and your short attention span. Any relationship is a partnership, not a dictatorship, and I will not be forced by anyone, not even you, to do something I’m not comfortable doing. I want stability and support, and I’m not sure you’re the one to give that to me.”

  “What’s going on?” Jeanette chimed in with a look of confusion written all over her face.

  “Nothing, I was just leaving for the night. Can you take me back to my place?”

  As Jeanette gathered her own things and glanced a weary eye at Tyler, I knew it was time I stopped horsing around and seriously considered investing money in getting a vehicle of my own for times, like this one, when I needed to make a hasty exit.

  ****

  “Keri, you are being silly.”

  “Me?”

  I darted a disgusted look at my friend. We were riding to my apartment in her red two-door coupe.

  “Yes, you. You act like the poor man is trying to drag you away like a captive to some remote island. All he wants you to do is move to another state with him.”

  I threw up my hands in frustration.

  “Why is everyone missing the point? That’s not the problem. The problem is Josh thinks he can have the world move for him whenever he wants. He never bothered to ask how I felt about leaving home before he decided he needed to escape to another part of the country. He left and never looked back. To add insult to injury, he came back, made me fall in love with him all over again, and now he’s going back and trying to drag me along with him, again without asking my thoughts and feelings on this move.”

  “Honey, what did you think was going to happen? He only came up here for the wedding.”

  It was like a smack in the face. She was absolutely right. Joshua had never bothered to make his presence known before this time. He did say he had a job he loved and Tyler mentioned how beautiful Josh’s new town was. Josh really had no ties to anything up here anymore, except for a handful of people. His affections for me weren’t strong enough to keep him here before, why would I assume they would be strong enough this time around?

  “Wait, I see that look on your face. I didn’t mean it like it sounded. Yes, he did come back to be Tyler’s best man, but I know for a fact he was waiting for any excuse to come home and see you again.”

  “Yeah, right, you already spilled the beans the first time. No do-overs.”

  “Keri, stop it. I know you’re a little mad right now, but I’m not the enemy.”

  I stopped pouting.

  “I’m sorry, Jeje. You’re right. It’s just I thought we were really going to make it work this time. It never even dawned on me he would be leaving again.”

  “And tell me again why you can’t go back with him? Is this really about him asking or about you being the one who’s running away?”

  “What do you mean? I haven’t went anywhere.”

  “Exactly. What you said about a partnership is true. A couple has to respect one another’s thoughts and opinions on major life decisions. In addition, each person also has to be willing to sacrifice everything for the person he or she loves. Whether that means moving across the street or moving to the other side of the world, it’s important for each person to help the other to fulfill their dream.”

  I sat silently as I pondered her words. After a few minutes, she laid her hand on mine while I considered maybe this entire situation, or at least part of it, was my fault not Josh’s.

  Chapter 10

  By the following Monday morning, I still had not heard from Josh. I had been tempted to call him several times, but had backed out at the last moment. It seemed I was now the one afraid to make the first move toward a reunion. Every time I asked Jeanette or Tyler how he was, they only said he was getting some things straightened out back home. I had no idea he had returned to Virginia. I worried he would stay there and never come back but each of them reassured me he would be back in time for the services on Saturday. In the meantime, I had some serious thinking to do.

  While I typed away at completing an expense report, I was overtaken by a large shadow. I looked up to find Mr. Bank, Jr. studying me intently.

  “May, I help you, sir?”

  I was in no mood for his bull so he had better make his next statement a good one.

  “Ms. White it has come to my attention that you have been leaving work early over past two weeks or so.”

  “Actually, only the last week, a close friend of mine is getting married and – ”

  He cut me off before I could finish explaining the circumstances.

  “Save it, Ms. White.”

  He had the impudence to put his hand right to my face, just centimeters from touching me. Strike one.

  When he continued, he had elevated his voice to a level where this was no longer a private conversation but a public one as some of the other executive secretaries, including Carmen, were now looking our way. Strike two.

  “Again, Ms. White, I feel it necessary to remind you of this company’s attendance policy. We pride ourselves on being over achievers and working under the most professional standards.”

  I sat back in the chair closed lipped. I did not bother to look to Carmen for help, because it had become abundantly clear how this was going to end. My mind was made up and all I needed was the final straw to seal the deal.

  He leaned forward and looked me straight in my eyes. He was so close, I could have given him a clean slap across the face if I so chose, but I think smarter not harder.

  “If you are not up to the challenge, Ms. White, we can all assume your services are no longer needed in this office.” Strike three.

  There was a communal gasp from around the room. I clasped my hands together and leaned back into the leather chair. I saw Carmen stand behind her desk and thought she was coming this way but she did an about face and retreated behind her. I could not see where she went because Bank, Jr. was obstructing my view. I was on my own for this one, which suited me just fine.

  After a tense moment with him still standing there staring daggers at me and all of the other personnel who were present in the suite gawking at the scene, I reached over to my purse and Mr. Bank finally took a step back. Once I picked up my purse, and tossed a few personal items from my desk inside, I casually turned off my computer and monitor. I stood and grabbed my dress jacket from the back of the chair and swung it over my forearm.

  I walked to the center of the office, with him eyeing me cautiously the entire time, and then turned back to him.

  “Mr. Stephen Bank Junior. Please allow me to be the first to inform you of what an inconsiderate, idiotic, and barbaric man you are.”

  His head snapped back. I think the jab at his civility hurt more than the other two.

  “No matter how proper or high-end you try to portray yourself to be you are nothing more than
another sleazy, spoiled brat who was given a title he doesn’t deserve because of who he knows and not what he knows. If you paid half the attention to your accounts as you do to chasing floozies around this office and around this city, you might just realize your draining more money from this company than you are actually pulling in on its behalf. If my services are no longer required than I am no longer required to spend my time covering your ass and more time pursuing the career I deserve. I have put up with this constant hostile environment for far too long and I am done. As of today, I quit!”

  “That will not be necessary, Ms. White.”

  It was a voice that was somewhat familiar but hard to place.

  Facing the speaker, I understood exactly why.

  It was that of Mr. Stephen Bank Senior.

  “Dad?”

  Junior was just as shocked to see the old man as were the rest of us. When I saw Carmen step from behind the man as he stood in his office door, I now understood she had gone to get the big guns, the real reinforcements. I made a mental note to send her some flowers one day soon.

  “Yes, Junior, wipe that silly look off your face. I have a few things to say.”

  Junior immediately went to the attention position and clipped his lips.

  In the two years while I was with this firm, I have seen the founding member of this company exactly twice before today and only at the annual company awards ceremony. As far as I was aware, Carmen was the only one, other than the other partners, who dealt with him directly and now here he stood with a mean scowl on his face. This turn of events had definitely peeked my interests enough for me to hang around and to hear what the man had to said; especially given he had called me out by name.

  He had not changed much since those times I had seen him in the flesh. Stephen Bank, Sr. was no less than sixty-five years of age, around my height, a little thick around the middle, and with a full head of slick white hair. The tailor made black three-piece suit he wore, with the white handkerchief folded neatly in the right breast pocket, was impeccable.