“This looks great,” he said. “Your girls did all this? They can decorate for the wedding too.”
“I’m having a professional decorate the castle.”
“The castle?”
Kimberly glared at Ron. He was such a man’s man, that she suspected he’d never look at the website links she sent him, or the link to her Pinterest page with bouquet arrangements. But he didn’t have to let her know he didn’t pay attention. He was supposed to fake that part.
“The stunning cliff side castle in Negril where we’re exchanging vows.”
Ron feigned understanding. “I knew what castle you were talking about. The one with the bathtub outside on the patio of the honeymoon suite. I plan on using that multiple times.”
“What we gone do with that little plunge tub?”
“I’m gonna plunge my juicy wife right on in there.”
Kimberly laughed. “You’re nasty.”
“You like it. You better be glad the guests are starting to arrive, or I’d take you back to our hotel room to give you a trial run.”
Kimberly almost did wish they were back at their suite at the Marriot Marquis. She was worn out from managing the mass production of her hair products. A nap before this party would’ve helped. A party in her and Ron’s honor meant that she had to be on. The last thing she wanted to do was tell and re-tell the story of how Ron proposed, or share her wedding plans. She just needed a pillow and a soft mattress.
“It’s not too late to go back to the hotel,” Kimberly said. “I’m so tired.”
“Just a few hours and we can duck out of here, even if everyone else is still partying.”
As guests started to crowd into the space, the DJ played the music Kimberly and Ron had loved in college. 90s R & B, Biggie, Pac, Little Kim. It was the soundtrack of their love story.
“I feel like stepping,” Ron said. “Let me go find some of the frats.”
Ron kissed Kimberly’s neck and she felt the familiar tingle that she felt whenever he touched her. She’d hoped that he would stay near her so that they could receive congratulations together, but she also loved when the frat brothers got together.
Hahna walked over with her arms outstretched and Sam in tow. Kimberly took the warm embrace from one of her Maids of Honor and one from Sam as well.
“Hahna, are you working out?” Kimberly asked. “Your face looks slimmer.”
“You noticed? I’ve lost four pounds thanks to Twila dragging me to the gym every day.”
Kimberly lifted an eyebrow. They hadn’t invited her to work out, and usually they had their weight loss missions together.
“She has me drinking green stuff in the mornings,” Sam said. “I prefer bacon, but the green stuff is all right.”
Kimberly laughed. “What’s in the green stuff?”
“Plants and dirt. And I think I can taste banana.”
Hahna hit his arm. “He is exaggerating. It does not have dirt in it. That’s probably just the kale.”
“Kale does taste like dirt,” Kimberly said. “And kale chips taste like dried dirt.”
Sam cracked up and gave Kimberly a high five. “I’m making shrimp and grits in the morning. You’re welcome to join.”
“He’s such a diet killer,” Hahna said. “I need to get this belly on flat for the wedding.”
Kimberly pressed her lips together and nodded. So, they were trying to get fine for her wedding without including her? It wasn’t like they weren’t already going to look better in their dresses. It wasn’t like they would have to wear the same kinds of corsets that felt like the jaws of life.
“Where’s Twila?” Kimberly asked, wanting to not think about being overweight.
“She just texted me that she was looking for parking. There was a paid lot down the street.”
LaShea, Kimberly’s assistant, rushed over to Kimberly with a worried look on her face.
“What’s wrong?” Kimberly asked as the young woman stood in front of her with wide eyes and flaring nostrils.
“Did you know that Ron’s ex-wife was coming?”
Kimberly relaxed, but she could see why LaShea would think this was an issue. She placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, trying to calm her.
“It’s okay. I knew she was coming. We invited her. Did she bring her husband with her?”
LaShea shook her head. “No, she brought two other white women with her. Maybe her friends?”
“Oh, I know this ho didn’t bring her homegirls to your engagement party,” Hahna said. “Let me text Twila and Debbie.”
“Do not text them,” Kimberly said. “It’ll be fine.”
Sabrina spotted Kimberly, waved, and started over with her friends behind her. All three of them had similar long hairstyles with big barrel curls. Sabrina’s hair was deep brown, but the other two were shades of blonde. All three looked athletic and fit, and completely out of place. Guests turned heads, especially the women. The men did also, but less conspicuously.
Kimberly regretted inviting Sabrina into her space. She made eye contact with Ron, and he nodded. He crossed the room quickly, but not in time to make it to her before Sabrina. Hahna and Sam would have to do as protectors.
The women pranced up to Kimberly, edging Hahna and Sam to the outskirts of Kimberly’s space bubble. Hahna frowned but didn’t move farther away. One of the women was standing almost shoulder to shoulder with Hahna. Hahna didn’t move.
Sabrina gave Kimberly a tiny hug that Kimberly barely returned.
“Glad you could make it,” Kimberly said. “You brought friends?”
“Oh, I hope it’s all right,” Sabrina said. It wasn’t. “We are on our way to a charity auction tonight, but I wanted to stop by first and congratulate you and Ronald.”
“Ron!”
The voice was one of Sabrina’s friends—the lighter blonde. Not the one damn near elbow-bumping Hahna, though. Ron gave her a weak smile. Kimberly winced as the woman hugged her man. It was way too much. Ron untangled himself quickly, though, so that was good.
“Hi Wendy. It’s been a long time.”
“Too long.”
Ron held out his hand to shake the other friend’s hand. It seemed like she was pretending not to see his hand. After being left hanging for a few seconds, Ron shrugged and dropped his hand.
“He’s trying to shake your hand,” Hahna said loudly, right in the girl’s ear. Kimberly almost laughed at this, because the girl’s face had to have Hahna’s spittle on it they were standing so close. Not Hahna’s fault though. All she’d done was stand her ground while someone tried to act like she was invisible.
“Thanks for coming, Sabrina, Nicole, and Wendy.” Ron said.
“Of course, Ron. I wouldn’t miss it,” Sabrina said. Her words slurred as she spoke. She’d clearly already had a few glasses of wine. In fact, the whole crew looked a little drunk.
“Well help yourself to the food and beverages,” Kimberly said. “There’s a cookie and cupcake station for dessert. The cupcakes are divine.”
“Can’t do wine and cupcakes,” Wendy said. “Don’t want to be all bloated in this dress.”
Nicole looked at Kimberly’s not bloated, but fluffy belly and smirked. “I don’t think bloating is a concern here,” she said.
Nicole was the first to walk off to the buffet. That was probably a good thing, because Hahna looked about a half second away from yanking out Nicole’s high-priced hair extensions. Sam had his hand around Hahna’s waist. He looked ready to intervene if necessary.
Sabrina mouthed the word ‘sorry’ as she and her friends pranced away the same way they pranced in.
“What the hell?” Hahna asked, beating Kimberly to the punch. “Like that ho really came in here and didn’t speak to neither one of y’all?”
Ron closed his eyes and sighed. “They were her bridesmaids when we got married. Not sure why she would bring them.”
Hahna snatched her phone out of her purse and started texting.
“Don’t text Twila,” K
imberly said. “They said they were going to another event, so they’ll be gone soon.”
Hahna shook her head. “Too late. She and Debbie will be inside soon.”
“Don’t let her start nothing,” Ron said. “We don’t need any negativity.”
Kimberly gave Ron a look that could’ve melted his nose hairs. Sabrina had started it by bringing her bridesmaids to their engagement party.
“Why would she bring those girls? They weren’t invited, and they’re not even friendly.” Kimberly said. “If anything happened it would be Twila finishing what she started.”
“Nicole’s hated me since before we were even married, and they’re her best friends. I guess Sabrina feels some kind of way about all this,” Ron said. “But she should’ve stayed home.”
“All what? Our marriage plans?”
Ron didn’t get to respond to that question because Twila and Debbie marched into the party on a mission.
“Where’s the ex?” Twila said instead of hello. Kimberly sighed and glared at Hahna. Hahna shrugged.
“She and her friends are across the room, but look,” Kimberly said, “don’t worry about it. She can feel however she wants to about me and Ron getting married, but she’s not going to stop the show.”
Ron led Kimberly away from her friends, although Kimberly didn’t feel comfortable about leaving Twila unattended.
“I think if we just ignore them, they will leave,” Ron whispered. “Sabrina’s looking for attention for some reason.”
For some reason? Kimberly knew the reason. Just like her little friend, Nicole, had scoffed at Kimberly’s belly, Sabrina was trying to figure out how her ex-husband had chosen a plus-sized black woman to be her replacement.
“I don’t know what she’s looking for, but if she and her friends act up, I guarantee she’s gonna find it.”
Kimberly watched Abena and Traci walk in with their husbands. They’d apparently already been warned about Sabrina and her posse, because they walked straight over to Twila and Hahna. After a few words, they went and sat at the bridesmaid’s table looking like a tribe of black girl warriors.
The men, including Sam, scurried to the buffet and brought wine and food.
“Looks like everything is going to be fine,” Ron said. “Let’s go say hi to some of our other friends. You’ve got colleagues here, right?”
“I do.”
“Well, calm down and come on. No one will hold you accountable for anything Sabrina does.”
Kimberly took Ron’s outstretched hand and he smiled as he laced his fingers through hers. She smiled back. That one little gesture calmed and centered her.
Samantha walked into the party, still wearing her office clothes. Kimberly waved at her and pointed over to the bridesmaid’s table. She rolled her eyes. Probably didn’t want to sit with the other women, but there was nothing Kimberly could do about that. They were all her line sisters too. Kimberly just hoped that Samantha didn’t do or say anything to add to the tension. The air in the room was already heavy enough.
Chapter 12
HAHNA
I couldn’t believe Samantha walked into Kimberly’s engagement party looking like she was going to a middle-of-the-day staff meeting at work. The kind of meeting she might’ve brought her second cup of coffee and a cookie to get through. Her clothes matched that kind of meeting—an ill-fitting suit and sensible heels. Even her hair said staff writer. A bun pulled to the nape of her neck and loosely held together with straight pins.
Samantha sat at our table but didn’t say hello. Just sat on down and acted like none of us were there. She took out her phone and started scrolling.
“You can’t speak?” Debbie asked.
Samantha ignored her, although I know she heard her. I wondered what her beef was with us. Maybe it was just the fact that she wanted to be the Maid of Honor. But it could’ve been something else.
“Samantha, have you met my boyfriend, Sam?” I asked.
Sam grinned. “I’m pleased to meet another sorority sister of Hahna’s. Do you go by Sam for short? If so, we might have to do Sam one and Sam two for the wedding festivities.”
“Or you could go by Hahna’s Sam,” I said. Sam kissed my neck, so I guess he preferred that choice. “Except, Samantha never goes by Sam. She and Kim used to have a thing in college about preferring people call them by their entire names.”
“Yet, Kimberly fell back from that,” Samantha said. “Pleased to meet you Sam.”
“She did. When Ron started calling her Kimmie Kim it was over,” Abena said. “They were so cute even back then. I’m so glad they found each other again.”
Samantha went back to looking at her phone.
“You got somebody you need to call?” Debbie asked. “’Cause we’re at a party and it’s hella rude for you to be on your phone.”
“Well, sis, sometimes remaining gainfully employed requires you to take time away from partying to handle your business.”
Debbie scoffed and looked Samantha up and down. “What are you trying to say about me?” she asked. “I am gainfully employed.”
“Gainfully might be questionable,” Samantha said. “But yay you for being a taxpayer.”
I looked at Twila for help with deescalating the minor drama, but she was watching them with spectator’s eyes. All she needed was a bowl of popcorn.
“So, Samantha, as member of the bride tribe, we need to get you caught up to speed on a situation,” I said.
“What situation?” she asked.
I tilted my head over in the direction of the drunken Sabrina and her two friends. “Ron’s ex-wife and the bridesmaids from their wedding.”
Even Samantha couldn’t hold her dry expression on hearing that. She dropped her jaw as she looked over at the three women. They were flirting with a few of the frat brothers, even Sabrina, who was definitely married. I didn’t know about the other two. To the guys’ credit, none of them seemed to be flirting back.
“Why would she come to this?” Samantha asked the question all of us wanted the answer to.
“Why would Kimberly and Ron invite her?” Twila asked. “I know they’re trying to have a decent relationship for Ron’s kids, but this is too much.”
“Ron had kids with her?” Abena asked.
“Yes, two pretty little girls. Twins,” I replied. “They’re in the wedding, so I can imagine they’re inviting the mother since it’s out of the country.”
“Still,” Abena said. “They didn’t have to come to this.”
I held my breath as Angela Cummings walked into the party. She was a colleague of Kimberly’s at the law firm, before she’d launched CurlPop. But, Angela had also gone to college with us. She’d shown interest in Gamma Phi Gamma during rush week the year we pledged but hadn’t made the line. It was awkward with her ever since, because she made it awkward. Like why would she wear a pink blouse and blue skirt? Our sorority colors.
Angela smiled when she saw us and came straight to our table. It was a twelve-seat table, so there were empty chairs, but I wished there weren’t. Angela wasn’t bad news, but she wasn’t good news either. She was the little segment about the local zoo at the end of the broadcast. She was news that no one could use.
Angela sat at the table and hugged Samantha who was in the seat next to her. There was no one directly on the other side, so no additional hugs were given. Traci could’ve reached her, but when Angela sat, Traci twisted in her chair so that she gave Angela her back.
“Hey y’all,” Angela said. “It’s been a while since we’ve all hung out.”
I lifted an eyebrow. We’d never all hung out.
“Yes, that would’ve been in college,” Twila said. “So, hell yeah, it’s been a while.”
Neither Traci nor Abena introduced Angela to their husbands, and I had no reason to introduce her to Sam. But, I wasn’t going to be rude.
“Sam, this is Angela. She went to school with us too.”
“Another Gamma girl I see with the pink and blue,” Sam s
aid.
I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow and he yelped. Definitely didn’t want him to go down this conversation route.
“Not yet,” Angela said. “I am hoping to get into an alumni chapter as a graduate.”
“Oh, I just thought . . .”
“That she shouldn’t be wearing our colors to a Gamma event especially if she wants to pledge?” Abena asked.
Sam shook his head. “No. I just thought that she was one of the crew. I apologize, Angela. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
“No problem, you didn’t mean anything by it,” Angela said. “Plus, you’re too handsome to offend me.”
Sam gave her a confused glance. “Um . . . thanks,” he said.
Abena’s husband Kyle stood and stretched. “I’m going to go over to the DJ booth,” he said. “They need help with the sounds. My brothas, y’all want to come with me and leave the ladies to whatever they talk about when we’re not sitting there?”
Sam jumped up so fast I almost laughed. He must’ve been looking for an escape route. I guess I could’ve used one too. With Samantha and her bad attitude, and wannabe Angela, this table was getting on my nerves.
“So, are all you guys in the wedding?” Angela asked. “I think I’m going to try to come to Jamaica. I love a destination wedding.”
“Yes, her line sisters are her bridesmaids,” Debbie said.
A woman giggled loudly, and of course, we all looked in the direction of Sabrina and friends. Wendy’s hand was placed squarely on Kyle’s chest as she threw her head back and laughed about something.
Before I could intervene, Abena and Traci were already on their feet.
“Don’t start anything,” Samantha said. “Clearly, they’ve had too much to drink.”
Abena ignored Samantha and marched over to the action with Traci and Twila following closely behind.
“You’re not going too?” Samantha asked Debbie.
Debbie cleared her throat and shook her head. “Nah. I can’t. I’m still on probation from the last time I had to beat a ho’s ass.”
All the Things I Meant to Tell You Page 7
