“We’d better get going, or else we’re going to be late for the rehearsal,” Brooklyn said, breaking the spell.
Landis stepped out first, put on his robe, picked up Brooklyn’s robe and held it out for her. After putting on their boots, they strolled back to their room as if it were a balmy ninety-degree day, in love and totally oblivious to the cold.
Chapter 13
The rehearsal at the church was seamless. The wedding party was small, and the ceremony would be simple; no complicated dance steps to learn for a YouTube video, just an ordinary church wedding. After an hour of rehearsing, the bridesmaids and groomsmen had their roles down, and now the group was exiting the church on their way to dinner.
The rehearsal dinner was being held at Tutto il Giorno in Sag Harbor. The quaint Italian restaurant was situated near the harbor and was Pepper and Michael’s favorite eatery in the Hamptons. For their ceremonial dinner, they had rented out the entire restaurant for the event.
“Don’t you just love this place?” Pepper asked Brooklyn once they were seated.
“It’s adorable. I love the canary-colored walls, and the white wainscoting gives the room a warm, cozy feel.”
“That’s exactly why Michael and I love this place! Besides, the food is amazing.”
“Good, because I’m starving.” Brooklyn leaned closer to Pepper and whispered, “Landis and I worked up an appetite earlier this evening.”
“Do tell.”
Brooklyn looked across the table at Landis, who was sitting next to Michael. “Let’s just say we gave relaxing in the hot tub a new meaning.”
“You guys are like a couple of horny bunny rabbits.”
“What can I say? We have insatiable appetites and it isn’t just about the sex. Tonight, we admitted our love for each other.”
“Oh, Brooklyn, I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m ecstatic, too. I haven’t told Landis this yet, but I’m thinking about buying a condo in Manhattan so we can be close. Long-distance relationships are hard. In the beginning everything is rosy, but over time, the flame dies out. I don’t want that to happen to us. I’ve waited too long to be with Landis, and I’m not wasting any more time.”
“You’re making the right decision. You living on the West Coast and Landis living on the East Coast is too long a distance to travel on a regular basis,” Pepper commented.
“I’m finished with the tour. After I complete the last two tracks on my new album, I’ll have free time and I plan to spend that time in New York with Landis.” Brooklyn glanced over at her lover again.
Landis winked at her as he rose and excused himself from the table.
“Good for you. I’m glad you’re not taking what you have with him for granted. Landis is a catch and I’m sure he has women throwing themselves at his feet on a regular basis,” Pepper commented.
“I can imagine the women are on him like white on rice. He’s handsome, smart and successful. What woman wouldn’t want him? But he’s all mine now, and I’m not letting him go,” Brooklyn said with conviction in her voice.
As they were talking, a tall, attractive woman with a short pixie haircut approached Pepper.
“Excuse me, Ms. Daniels. How’s the service?”
“Hi, Jesse. Everything is perfect. The server brought our cocktails and we’re just chatting before dinner comes out. Jesse, let me introduce you to my dear friend Brooklyn,” Pepper said.
“Oh, I know Brooklyn. Well, shall I say I have all of your CDs?” Jesse gushed.
“Thank you,” Brooklyn said.
“Brooklyn, this is Jesse, the manager here. She’s great! She has planned the entire menu for our rehearsal dinner. All I did was make the phone call.”
“It’s been my pleasure to arrange this special menu for you and your guests. Let me go back in the kitchen and check on the first course. It was nice meeting you, Brooklyn,” Jesse said, before leaving the table.
Landis was coming out of the men’s room and bumped smack into his ex-girlfriend. He stopped in his tracks, stunned.
“Jesse! What are you doing here?” he asked, completely shocked.
“Hello, Landis, how are you?”
“Uh…I’m good. What are you doing in the Hamptons this time of year?” he asked, trying to determine why his ex-girlfriend was in this part of Long Island during the off-season.
“I’m the manager here.”
“Manager? You don’t work on Wall Street any longer?”
“No, I got burned out. Working on the Street was turning me into an evil monster who barked orders at anyone who crossed my path. So I quit my job, and bought a small cottage here in Sag Harbor. A friend of mine is the co-owner of this place. He offered me a job, and I jumped at the chance for a welcomed and much needed change of pace.”
“Good for you, Jesse.” Landis studied her face. “You look relaxed. I don’t see those stress lines that used to wrinkle your forehead.”
“Thank you. I’m extremely peaceful these days. Landis, I really need to apologize for the way I treated you when we were dating. I was rude to you for no reason. You’re a good man and didn’t deserve that type of treatment.”
“Thanks, I appreciate your apology.”
Jesse leaned up and kissed Landis on the cheek. “Can we be friends?”
“What’s going on here?” Brooklyn asked, walking toward them on her way to the restroom.
Landis’s gaze darted between Jesse and Brooklyn. For an instant, he felt as if he had been caught cheating. He quickly got that thought out of his head. He had nothing to hide. He reached out for Brooklyn’s hand and held it tightly.
“Jesse, this is my girlfriend, Brooklyn.”
“Yes, we just met. Landis, I’m so happy for you. Well, let me get back to work. Goodbye, Landis,” Jesse said and walked away.
“What was that all about? And why was she kissing you on the cheek?” Brooklyn asked.
“Jesse is my ex-girlfriend, and she was apologizing for her offensive behavior during our relationship.”
Brooklyn reached up and wiped Landis’s cheek with her hand. “Just so you know…I don’t want any other woman kissing on my man for any reason.”
“Yes, ma’am. Don’t worry. You’re the only woman I want kissing me.”
“Good. I’ll be right back.”
When Brooklyn returned from the ladies’ room, Landis clenched her hand and they walked back to the table, quite the happy couple.
Chapter 14
“Harder!” Brooklyn tried to muffle her scream as Landis bent her over the footboard of their bed.
“You want more?”
“Yes, yes!”
It was the morning of the wedding, and Brooklyn and Landis were indulging in their own private honeymoon activities. They had confessed their love for each other and were now comfortable verbalizing during intercourse.
“Is that all for me?” Brooklyn asked, looking over her shoulder at him when he firmly pushed into her.
“Yes, baby!” he said. Landis cupped her rear. “Is this all mine?”
She pushed back against him. “It’s all yours. Can you handle it?”
Landis placed his large hands on each side of her hips, brought her closer and pressed himself deeper.
“Oh, yes! Yes! That feels amazing!”
Brooklyn and Landis rocked back and forth. They were working so hard that the headboard began knocking against the wall.
“We’re going to wake up the entire house,” Brooklyn whispered. “Let’s get in the bed.”
Landis gave another firm push before ejecting himself. “I think we’re going to need another condom before this one breaks.” He rolled the used condom off, wrapped it in tissue, tossed it in the trash can and replaced it with a fresh one.
Brooklyn lay on her back in the middle of the bed, with her knees bent and one foot on the nightstand. She crooked her finger at Landis. “Get over here and finish what you started.”
“With pleasure.” He wedged himself between her firm thighs. “Is this what you want?”
“You know that’s exactly what I want.” Brooklyn licked her lips in anticipation of the delicious feel of Landis firmly inside her. “Stop teasing me and start pleasing me.” She put her other foot on the nightstand, locking Landis between her legs.
“I want you to beg for it,” he said, putting the tip of his penis into her opening and then pulling out.
“Please, please can I have some more of that?”
“I don’t know.” He moved again. “How bad do you want it?”
Brooklyn turned her head from one side to the other. His teasing was driving her crazy with a sexual need that she had never known before. “I’ve never wanted anything more.” She reached up to pull him toward her, but he moved back out of her reach.
“Put your hand down. I’m running this show.”
His baritone voice alone was enough to make her juices flow, and she shuddered with yearning. “I love a man who can take control.”
“And I love a woman who can handle me.”
Brooklyn watched as Landis took hold of himself and stroked her up and down. She groaned at the sight and opened her legs even wider. She had never wanted a man like she wanted Landis. They were evenly matched, sexually as well as intellectually, and the combination was a potent aphrodisiac. Brooklyn arched her back and scooted closer to him.
“Let’s wait until after the wedding. I think you’ve had enough of me for now.”
Brooklyn tightened her legs around his thighs, gripping him in place. “Oh, I don’t think so, mister.”
Landis chuckled. “I do like your persistence. How can I say no?” He inserted his penis one inch at a time until he was all the way inside her. Landis knocked over the nightstand as he began moving.
Brooklyn pulled him on top of her and wrapped her legs around his lower back. She bucked and pumped, matching him move for move. The friction against her inner walls felt divinely erotic. She closed her eyes and totally gave in to him. “Oh, yes, baby!”
“Tell me when you’re coming.”
“Okay, just don’t stop.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. You feel too good to stop.”
Their bodies were intertwined as they passionately made love, giving in to each other with abandon.
“Now, now…I’m coming now!” Brooklyn said with an urgency in her voice.
Landis picked up the pace, ramming himself as far into her as he could go. “I’m coming, too!”
After reaching ecstasy simultaneously, Landis slumped down on the bed next to Brooklyn. “That was amazing! I could stay here with you all day and not leave this room,” he said, hugging her close.
“Yes, it was marvelous, but we have a wedding to attend. I need to get going. Pepper wants all of her attendants to dress at the church,” Brooklyn said, sitting up.
“Are you sure we don’t have time for a quickie?” He stroked her hip. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready for round two.”
Brooklyn glanced at him, and as tempting as the offer was, she knew that if they started up again, she would be late. “No, I can’t. I don’t want to disappoint Pepper on her wedding day. But trust me, after we get back from the reception, I promise to rock your world!”
“You promise?”
“Yep.”
Twenty minutes later, Brooklyn was showered and dressed. She gathered the maid-of-honor dress that was hanging in the garment bag on the closet door and put on her coat. She looked around for her phone but didn’t see it. Brooklyn remembered putting her phone on the nightstand, and then recalled Landis knocking over the table as they made love. She knelt down, picked up the phone and put it in her purse.
“Okay, honey, I’ll see you at the church,” she said, giving him a kiss on the lips.
He returned her kiss. “Okay.”
As Brooklyn made her way down the winding staircase, she couldn’t help but think how lucky she was to have found the perfect man for herself.
Chapter 15
The quaint, century-old white frame church was located a short distance from the center of town, surrounded by towering snow-covered evergreens. The first thing Brooklyn saw as the limo parked was a huge Christmas wreath with dark green leaves and bright red holly berries decorating the door. She stepped out of the car and noticed how quiet and serene the surroundings were. The sun was shining brightly, causing the snow to sparkle like diamond dust.
This is a perfect day for a wedding, Brooklyn thought as she made her way inside.
She marveled at how elegantly the church was decorated. Lavender silk organza bows were tied around the edges of the wooden pews that lined the center aisle. Floral arrangements of white and lavender roses in huge crystal vases were placed on white columns near the altar. There was also a unity candle in a sterling-silver holder with a silver lighter behind the altar.
“Good morning. Are you ready for your solo?” Mr. Vance, the pianist, asked as Brooklyn neared the front of the church.
“Good morning, Mr. Vance. I certainly am. I can’t wait. Am I the first one here?”
“No, Pepper is in the bridal suite. Come on. I’ll show you where it is.” Mr. Vance led Brooklyn through a wooden door adjacent to the choir loft and down a short carpeted hallway.
As they were walking, Brooklyn tripped on a piece of the carpet that was a bit tattered. “Oops.” She held on to the wall to break her fall.
“Be careful. This church is old and well used. Underneath that carpet where you almost fell is a trapdoor. During the days of slavery, this church was part of the underground railroad.”
“Oh, wow! I love hearing facts about those times. It’s so interesting to me.”
“If you have time tomorrow, I can give you a tour of the entire church and show you the tiny crawl space where the slaves hid.”
“That would be awesome. Can I bring a guest?” she asked, thinking that Landis would probably enjoy the tour, as well.
“Of course, bring whomever you like.”
“If I can make it, I’ll call the church and let you know.”
“Not a problem, I’ll be here either way. Here’s the bridal suite. The bridesmaids will be dressing in the room across the hall.”
“Thanks, Mr. Vance.”
Brooklyn opened the door and went inside. The room was filled with antiques. A mahogany vanity table and mirror were near the far wall, and a cranberry velvet chaise longue was positioned opposite the vanity table. Brooklyn looked around the room and saw Pepper’s wedding dress hanging on a hook behind the door, but she didn’t see her friend.
“Pepper, where are you?”
No answer.
Brooklyn put her dress and purse on the chaise longue, crossed the room and knocked on another door, which she assumed was the bathroom. “Pepper, are you in there?”
Brooklyn put her ear to the door and could hear sniffles. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door. Inside, Pepper was sitting on the edge of an old-fashioned claw-foot tub with her head held down.
“What’s the matter?” Brooklyn asked, rushing over to her friend.
Pepper raised her head, revealing her tearstained face. “I can’t do this,” she said, in a soft whisper.
“What? Why are you crying?”
“I don’t think I can marry Michael.”
“Why? He’s the love of your life.”
“I know but…” A flood of tears stopped her words.
Brooklyn reached for a tissue and handed it to Pepper. “You’re not making any sense. Just the other day, you said that you knew you were goi
ng to marry Michael the first time you laid eyes on him.”
Pepper wiped her face and blew her nose. “I’m scared, Brooklyn. What if the marriage doesn’t work? What if the sex fizzles out and he cheats? What if—”
Brooklyn promptly cut her off. “Look, Pepper, there are no guarantees in this life, but what you and Michael have is the real deal. You guys have already built a life together. You’ve been together since college. Now don’t you think that if the relationship was doomed to fail, it would have fallen apart years ago?”
Pepper held her hands in her lap and rubbed them together. “I guess you have a point.”
“Of course I do. You’re just nervous, that’s all. I’m sure most brides get the jitters before they march down the aisle, which is understandable. This is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life.”
“That’s what scares me. Suppose I’m making the wrong decision.”
Brooklyn sat down next to Pepper and put her arm around her friend. “The wrong decision would be for you not to marry Michael. The happiness and sheer joy I’ve seen from you two over the years is inspiring. I don’t have a crystal ball, but if I had to guess, I’d say in years to come, you two will be celebrating your golden anniversary in this church surrounded by your children and grandchildren.”
A smile began spreading across Pepper’s face. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely! Now stop all this crying and let’s get you dressed. We have a wedding to attend.”
They both stood up, and Pepper hugged Brooklyn tight. “Thanks for being my friend and snapping me back to reality. I had a momentary meltdown, but I’m back now! Where’s my dress? I’m getting married!”
Brooklyn helped Pepper with her hair and makeup, and then into her white, beaded Vera Wang gown. She then slipped on her maid-of-honor dress and refreshed her makeup.
Once they were all dolled up, the two friends stood in front of the mirror and admired their reflections.
“Wow! You look stunning,” Brooklyn said.
“So do you. Wait until Landis sees you. I’m telling you that man is likely to propose today, you look so good.”
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