It was mid-January when Gina finally returned to work. She had more than enough sick time to cover her days so she wasn’t worried, but she’d missed her students. She proudly sported her rock on her hand. News spread like lightning in the teacher’s lounge. Most of her coworkers came up to her to inquire about Michael and to offer heartfelt congratulations.
She faked her excitement until she felt some glimmer of enthusiasm. She called Colleen and told her the big news. She made sure her tone bespoke a blissful happiness at her impending nuptials. Colleen demanded that they get together for dinner that very night. She agreed, knowing that tonight would be the big show-and-tell.
Colleen did not give Gina a chance to ring the doorbell. The door flew open before her fingers even touched the small device. She entered with a huge grin and her left hand swooping in the air. She hoped Colleen would be too thrilled to question her closely.
“Let me see it!” Colleen demanded, grabbing Gina’s hand. “Whoop whoop.” She let out a shrill whistle. “Tell me everything,” she squealed. “I mean, I cannot imagine you getting married and all that. That is so exciting, I mean . . . So, I guess you figured out which brother you really loved, huh?”
“Well,” Gina hedged, trying to remain cool. She shifted her eyes away from Colleen. “There’s a little more to it than that. Colleen, I found out that when we first started dating, Michael had a one-night stand with his old girlfriend Karen. Then he had her living at his place until she got on her feet. Well, he never told me, and I found out by accident. I was so livid that I broke it off with him and took a cab home. Well . . . then . . .” Gina wrung her fingers together. Then in one breath, like she was getting the world off her shoulders, she said, “Keith came over, and told me he loved me, and . . . We slept together. We were going to tell Michael and let the chips fall where they may, but then we heard about Michael’s accident. So, we ended it. And, now . . .”
“You’re marrying Michael?” Colleen finished with a deadpan tone and a resigned expression.
“Yes.”
Colleen looked unsure. “So, all that hoopla you came in here with was just a front.” She gripped Gina’s hand and led her to the couch. “Gina, remember all the things that you were saying to me the other day? What happened to being true to yourself and love? I know you, and you don’t sleep around. You wouldn’t have given yourself to Keith if you didn’t have genuine feelings for him.”
“I am being true to myself,” Gina protested. She hoped Colleen would stop because she wasn’t trying to have second thoughts. She was resolved to do this.
“I don’t think so. It sounded to me like you really felt something for Keith. I’m not sure that those feelings are something that you can easily dismiss like that.”
“I didn’t dismiss them,” Gina countered. “I just made a decision between two men that I really care about.”
Colleen wasn’t convinced. “Gina, you seem sure that you can turn your back on your feelings for Keith. Are you positive this is the right thing to do? I mean, it’s obvious that Keith is the one that you love. You’re drawn to him like a magnet. Gigi, think twice about this.”
But Gina’s mind was closed. Colleen wished she would heed her warning. Instead, Gina changed the subject. “So, have you called Terence?”
“No,” Colleen shifted. She was now in the hot seat.
“Now, who’s denying her heart?”
Colleen sighed. “I don’t know, Gina. I just need more time to sort this all out.”
“Look at us,” Gina moved her hand between them. “The two of us have finally found love.”
“Yeah,” Colleen gave an unladylike snort, “and now we’ve both experienced heartache.”
“Michael’s made so much progress that I imagine it’ll be time for me to go home, soon. I can’t believe it’s the end of February already. Where did the time go? Well, right after the wedding I’m out of your hair. I was going to fly home and come back, but Michael convinced me to stay.” Gerry amended. “April is a great time of the year for a wedding, don’t you think?” In one swoop, she flicked her hair out of her face and pierced her gaze on Keith.
Since Michael had left the hospital, he’d been recovering at Keith’s home. Gerry had stayed to take care of him and was now helping with the shotgun wedding arrangements. This meant Gina had been around, too. Everywhere. Anywhere he went, it seemed she was there. His home that had seemed so large before, now felt small. Keith’s solution was to keep himself busy and scarce. He worked at the office until past midnight at times, and when he was home, he retreated to his room or his office. Work was the excuse he used, but he knew it was all about Gina. He avoided her as much as he could.
She did the same too. She didn’t make eye contact. Instead, she waved or uttered a quick, “Hi,” before going into Michael’s room. He couldn’t be near her and not have her.
Keith couldn’t verbalize any of this to his mother, so he merely said, “Mom, it’s been great having you here. Trust me, you’re not an imposition at all,” intending to head to the office. He was within feet of the front door when his mother grabbed his hand. Looking into her knowing eyes, he knew that the moment he’d been avoiding had arrived.
“I know how you feel about her,” Gerry stated softly.
She said it so matter-of-factly that Keith did not even bother to deny it. Actually, it would be a welcome relief to finally talk about his emotions. “You also know the obvious reason why I can’t have her,” Keith declared, flicking at imaginary lint on his pants, knowing he sounded downcast and forlorn.
Gerry tried to comfort her son. “I cannot imagine how you must feel, but I just want you to know that I love you.”
“I know.” Keith patted his mother on the arm. “Michael loves her, Mom, and I know that Gina loves him too.”
“But does she love him the way that she should? Michael is talking marriage here. I hope that Gina isn’t sacrificing herself because she feels that she has to be with him.”
“She genuinely loves him, Mom,” Keith reassured his mother. “I can only wish them happiness and be happy for them.”
“You’re a good son and wonderful brother,” Gerry said. “Someday, whether you believe it or not, you’ll get lucky in love.”
Keith did not bother to answer his mother. He already knew this was it for him. He could only treasure the wonderful experience that he and Gina had intimately shared. Hopefully, that memory would ease some of the pain of his heart and carry him through a lifetime.
He nixed the idea of leaving and went into his home office, where he poured himself a strong drink. He swallowed the contents in one swig. Then Keith poured himself another drink. He knew he had to pull himself out of this stupor.
Michael and Gina’s wedding was only about a month away. He’d used that time to gather his wits and stand with his brother. Michael asked him to be his best man, which was no surprise.
Keith picked up the phone to call Gina. Then he stopped himself middial. He couldn’t call her. What was he going to say? Don’t marry Michael. You’re making a big mistake. Marry me instead.
Chapter Thirty-four
Terence unlocked his hotel door to see both his mother and the bishop standing in the hallway. There was only one reason why they both would be here, he thought. He braced himself. Maybe they figured that together, they could convince him to change his mind about taking the ministerial position. Well, they were both about to be very disappointed because he was not about to change his mind.
Terence let them in and politely offered them something to drink. They both declined. He could feel an excited air about them, and he became curious.
“We got married,” the bishop announced without preamble.
“Married?” Terence asked. He looked from one to the other in amazement. He hadn’t even known that they’d been dating or anything.
“It was a spur-of-the-moment thing,” Francine explained nervously. “When you get to be our age, you sometimes learn that you just have to j
ump.”
“I see that,” Terence said. He still couldn’t believe it. His mother married. So, did that make the bishop his father?
“Please say that you approve,” Francine begged. She wrung her hands in doubt. The bishop grabbed her hands to offer his moral support.
“Of course,” Terence said. “This is good news. I could actually use some right now. Wow.” His mother was married.
Francine jumped up and impulsively kissed her son with delight. “Thanks, son. I hesitated to say anything to you, considering your own situation.”
“Mom, please.” Terence waved off her concern. “I’m not so selfish that I can’t be happy for you. You deserve it, and I couldn’t have asked for a better stepdad!”
Bishop gave Terence a hug. “Keep your chin up, son. I’m praying for you. Trust that God will work everything out for the best.”
“I know,” Terence affirmed, with a gusto he did not feel. He watched his mother and the bishop acting like two doves as they left arm-in-arm. Terence missed that feeling. He sat down and thought about Colleen. For the millionth time, Terence wished that he could kick himself for doing such a stupid thing. He didn’t even know why he had done it, and he was sickened by his own heartless stupidity.
He understood if Colleen never wanted to see his face again because he was having a hard time looking at it himself.
Terence sighed. He thought back to his honeymoon. He and Colleen had been at the beach and all the girls had been eyeing his ring. They were young, hot-blooded, and beautiful girls. One, in particular, seemed to have set her sights on him.
Dana had approached him and had made her intentions known. He had told her he was visiting the island on his honeymoon. That was why he had been caught off guard when Dana had stood in his mother’s house and lied about that. She had come onto him strong, saying, “If I were your wife, I’d know better than leave you alone for even a few seconds.”
As a man, Terence had been flattered and reacted to having a woman that close. He was stupid enough to allow Dana to lure him into a secluded place. Colleen had been in their suite taking a shower, and she was none the wiser.
Terence remembered how he’d protested when Dana had kissed him. At first, he had kissed her in return, but then he had pulled away. However, Dana was not shy. She had other plans.
It was all a blur after that. The next thing he knew, they were both naked. Then, fate stepped in. Terence hadn’t been able to perform. It had been so embarrassing, but he took that as a sign. He had wished Dana farewell after getting her word that she would never tell a soul what had really happened. In a state of panic, Terence had called his mother and gave her a rundown of what had occurred.
Naturally, Francine assumed that he and Dana had sealed the deal. He had omitted that pertinent part of the story. He preferred everybody thinking that they had slept together. It was the more manly option. He supposed that Dana preferred it that way too. The younger woman prided herself on her capabilities and irresistibility, so it wouldn’t do for her to tell the truth either.
When he had confessed everything to his mother, Francine dismissed it and told him to put the incident out of his mind. He had hung up the phone, grateful that God hadn’t allowed his flesh to take over. He knew in his heart of hearts that he loved Colleen.
After he had returned to the suite and taken his shower, he’d been glad to find Colleen had fallen asleep. Relieved, he had fallen to his knees and uttered a prayer of thankfulness. He’d also made a vow that he would never put himself in such a compromising position again.
Not once did he imagine that his mother would use that information for her own selfish purposes. He didn’t even know how his mother had found Dana. But it might not have been that hard, since he knew that he had told his mother she was a former Miss Jamaica.
He had even forgotten about what had almost happened with Dana until she showed up, lying through her surgically perfected teeth. She could have told his mother the truth. He figured that Dana had her own selfish reasons, like getting a free trip to New York. His mother told him that she was still there. She hadn’t returned home on her due date, and he was willing to bet that she was in the arms of some other wimp.
Now, he wished he hadn’t allowed his pride to get in the way. That was the only thing stopping him from confronting Colleen. It was so silly that he didn’t want Colleen knowing he’d been incapable of performing.
He felt like it would make him seem less in her eyes. Colleen hadn’t even given him a chance to explain anyway. She was done with him, and he knew that she meant it. She was fed up, and there was nothing he could do about it unless he told her the embarrassing truth. He would too, if he thought that it would make a difference. He shook his head. Colleen wouldn’t want him now, even if he were the last man on earth. He didn’t think there was a prayer on earth that could change that.
Michael took a cab to Gina’s house. He had stopped by his place to get the last of his clothes and to check on things. He and Gina agreed that he would move into her house while they hunted for their own.
The front clerk had given him a note from Karen. She wrote that she was blissfully happy with Arthur. Arthur was planning on taking her on a cruise to the Caribbean. He felt good that things were obviously going well for the couple. He honestly wished the best for Karen. She deserved to find happiness as he had with Gina. Karen had also given him her new phone number. He paid her a courtesy call but was relieved to get an answering machine. He left a quick message about his upcoming marriage before bidding her good-bye for good. He deleted her number after that.
Michael tipped the driver and used the key Gina had given him to enter her home. She was due in any minute, and he intended to be there.
Tonight they were going over their wedding plans. He strode into the kitchen and started preparing a meal. He wasn’t as good of a cook as his brother, but he knew enough to get by. Michael felt confident that everything was going to be all right.
Suddenly he paused.
Everything was going to be all right.
“So I can make everything all right.” Gina had uttered those very words right before he had awakened. He was sure about that. Michael thought and thought. What did Gina mean by that?
Her words puzzled him throughout the entire evening. It wasn’t really what she had said as much as it was the way she’d said it.
He tried to recall the exact tone and inflection in her voice when she made that declaration. But Michael found that it was still too fuzzy for him to figure out. Sheepishly, he grinned and touched his bandaged head. Maybe the bang had softened him and had brought out this new sensitive side. He couldn’t believe that he was dissecting Gina’s words like this. However, he was definitely going to ask her about it as soon as her feet stepped through that door.
That was exactly what he did.
Gina hadn’t even taken her coat off when Michael bombarded her with the question. She wasn’t prepared for it, and Gina was willing to bet that he wasn’t prepared for the truth. “I don’t remember now,” she looked him in the eyes as she lied. “I must have been talking about everything with you and Karen. I guess I wanted you to know that Keith had explained everything to me.”
She maintained eye contact until Michael looked away first, determined not to let him see just how rattled she was on the inside. Had her answer satisfied him?
She quickly excused herself to go wash up while Michael set the table for five.
Gina had called Michael to tell him that Colleen was coming by to help with the wedding plans. She needed her friend there for two main reasons: she needed help with the wedding, and she wanted to get Colleen out of the house. Her friend needed some fresh air. Gina hadn’t known Colleen to be such a hermit. But, she supposed love could do that to you. Love will make you do things that you never thought you would. She could testify.
Keith came across her mind for the hundredth time that day. She wondered how he was doing. She would find out that night.
&n
bsp; Michael had asked if he could invite Keith and Gerry. Of course, she’d replied with a sugary, “Yes, what a great idea, Michael.” She couldn’t very well say yes to Gerry and no to Keith.
Gina groaned. She didn’t know how she was going to get through this night—planning a wedding with one man when she was in love with another.
That didn’t sound right. Gina quickly rectified her thinking. She was in love with Michael. She just had a thing for Keith. Yes. That sounded much better.
Colleen arrived first. To Gina, Colleen looked much better than she did the other day. That was a start. She would quiz her about Terence later.
She hoped those two somehow would work things out. A year ago, she never would have felt that way. A lot had changed since then. She was less about black and white. Gina had discovered that there were shades of gray.
Terence and Colleen were in love with each other. Gina did not doubt that for a New York minute. The man just had some serious issues but, shoot, there wasn’t much better than him around.
Keith showed up alone. His mother pleaded a headache. To Gina, he looked haggard and beaten, and she could tell that he had not been eating or sleeping. He looked like he needed a shave too.
“Wow, Bro,” Michael shot out, “you look like some old lady ran you over with her car.”
“Well,” Keith countered, addressing his brother, “the girls seem to like it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Michael conceded. “But I don’t know why they are so smitten with that ugly face.” Michael playfully punched Keith on the arm.
Gina turned away at that comment. She didn’t like what Keith said one bit, and she didn’t want it to show. Keith wasn’t lying, though. He still looked good in a rugged sort of way.
Keith greeted Gina and Colleen amiably and sat down at the dinner table. Everyone dug in to eat.
On the sly, Colleen checked Keith out. She could see what Gina saw in him. He oozed with masculinity and raw charisma that would make any woman drool. She could appreciate that even though she herself was not attracted to him. She could, however, fully understand Gina’s predicament. Colleen saw Gina bravely trying to remain unaffected and unmoved by Keith’s presence, and to someone who didn’t know her, it seemed as if she’d succeeded. Colleen knew better, though. Her friend was about to come apart at the seams. Thankfully, Michael was oblivious to the underlying tension.
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