Jerrold

by Katie Dowe

  Jerrold sent him a baleful look and did not say anything as they made their way into the future home of the Costa Land sports complex. The ground had been broken and the work was progressing nicely. It was slated to be ready by August and the first match to be played was by his former team and the team he had started working with. Aside from his sexual frustration, everything was going according to plan!

  *****

  “Don’t come in!” his fiancée’s urgent voice sounded as he pushed the bedroom door open later that day. He had spent almost the entire day with Alexander and they had had dinner with some businessmen looking to invest in future ventures of Costa Land and were now just returning home. He had expected to see the women huddled together as they had for the past four days, but at the hour of nine–thirty, the palace was silent as if they had all gone to bed which was unusual.

  “Noelle, what’s wrong?”

  “I am in my wedding dress and you are not supposed to see it until the day of the wedding. It’s bad luck.”

  “I don’t believe in things like that.”

  “I do, mister, so please give me time to take it off.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want my help?”

  “Jerrold, don’t you dare come in this room! I am almost done and I need to put it somewhere you cannot see it.”

  “I always thought you were a very intelligent woman,” he teased her.

  “Intelligent enough to know not to rock the boat. I am done so you may come in now.”

  He opened the door and stopped just in the doorway as he saw what she was wearing. The flesh-colored teddy was made of finely spun lace that outlined every inch of her delectable body. She had started showing slightly and the bump at her stomach had the lump in his throat hard to swallow. “It’s a preview of the wedding night,” she told him softly. “This you are allowed to see.”

  He walked into the room slowly, his body heating up with desire and intense passion.

  “What do you think?” she asked him huskily.

  “I think you were worth the wait and the excruciating agony of being without you for four very long days.”

  “This is my way of apologizing.” She wrapped her hands around his neck.

  “Then in that case, apology accepted.”

  Chapter 16

  “Another high-profile wedding with a member of the Elite Club! Famous basketball player Jerrold Littman who has been named MVP for the past two years and who has been involved in an accident that almost cost him use of his legs more than a month ago is today tying the knot with African American physiotherapist Noelle Buckner who rumor has it is also carrying their first child. The couple picked up roots and has made their home in Costa Land, the Spanish territory that is renowned mainly for producing award winning wines and is home to the handsome Prince Alexander Costa and Princess Debbie who will be taking over from the reigning King and Queen in a short while. The wedding is to be a part of an annual spring celebration which will culminate in the spring ball which will see thousands of rich society people traveling to be a part of the event. Once again, we are witnessed to members of the exclusive Elite Club and the growing numbers of African American beauties who have captured the hearts of these men. It begs the question: what is going on and what do they have that makes them stand apart from other women?”

  In the arbor that had been created for just such an occasion with the vines entwined amongst the latticework and the flower blooming profusely on either side of the beautiful artwork, there was a sense of ethereal splendor as birds chirped in the nearby trees and the morning sun shone down with a brilliance that brought out the colors everywhere! The wedding was outdoors, and they could not have asked for a better day if they had thought to ask or maybe the bride and those who had worked assiduously to bring this day about had done just that! The palace was overflowing with its illustrious guests who had traveled from several different countries to be a part of the wedding ceremony. The grounds had been manicured and leaves scraped away leaving the miles of luxuriant grass looking like a bed of rich green carpeting.

  The groom Jerrold Littman who was wearing dark blue pants that had been custom made for him and a cream jacket and light blue shirt stood with his hands folded in front of him as he looked at the rows and rows of chairs where the guests were seated. He smiled slightly as his mother who was sitting along with his dad in the front row beamed at him. Prince Alexander wearing the full regalia of his country stood next to him, a solemn expression on his handsome face. A select few reporters had been invited for the ceremony and cameramen had been snapping pictures since they got there, taking in the lush loveliness of the palace and the gorgeous backdrop of the flowers everywhere.

  Both men and the minister who would be performing the ceremony snapped to attention as the music started indicating that the wedding party was about to make their way along the thick red carpet that had been put there for such a purpose. The guests rose to their feet and turned sideways to look at the procession, murmurs of surprise coming from their lips as they saw what was happening. Leesa, Kelly, and Monique had invited most of the ‘wives’ and they were present. The first person to make an appearance, wearing a gorgeous silver blue dress that swirled around her slender frame, was Carrie, her bouquet of baby’s breath and lilacs clasped in front of her. She was followed by Leesa wearing a shimmering lavender pantsuit, then came Felicia wearing fuchsia. Kelly had on a stunning teal blue dress with tiny straps, Monique was in pale blue. Latoya, Kadine, Deandre, Aaliyah, Allison, Imani, and Afiya were wearing turquoise. Kennedy, Terri, Harper, Hailey, Tami, and Skylar had on burnt orange. Eva, Addison, Sasha, Alicia, Ebboni, and Robyn were dressed in emerald green. Amber, Stacey, Michelle, Moya, Imani, Leah, Bianca, and Brooke had on splashes of pink green and white. Princess Debbie was the last of them to take the walk and she was wearing her country’s colors, a stunning red and blue dress, holding white orchids and without her crown. She took her place among the other women and the cameras continued to click as the cameramen tried to capture that momentous occasion in history! Then the music changed and there was a hush over the crowd as they waited to see the first look at the bride-to-be. At first, they did not see anything as she was hidden by a lush rose bush at the edge of the red carpet. Collective gasps were heard as the bride made her way down the aisle on the arm of her father. Noelle was wearing a gossamer champagne colored dress that seemed to float around her slender body and managed to hide the slight bulge of her pregnancy. The dress had a scalloped neckline which revealed the stunning diamond necklace her husband to be had given her two nights ago. The dress only came to her knees and had no sleeves, but that was compensated for the long white gloves that covered most of her arms. Her thick dark hair was brushed severely back from her face and a wispy thin veil was floating down her back, twisted around a wreathlike tiara that had been placed around the intricate bun at the top of her head. Diamond drop earrings were at her lobes and her flawlessly made up face glowed from a combination of beauty and happiness.

  Jerrold standing there felt his hands tighten and his mouth go dry as he looked at the vision of unbelievable loveliness walked towards him. The carpet stretching between them was too long, he thought, his breath catching inside his throat as he stared at her. He had only passed a cursory glance over the slew of women coming towards them, but he could not manage to take his eyes off her.

  He shook his head when he realized that Alexander was saying something to him.

  “What?” he whispered.

  “Go to her.”

  Jerrold nodded and did just that.

  He took the hands she reached out to him after giving her dad a brief look. “Hi.”

  “Hi,” she murmured as he squeezed her hands.

  “I don’t know if I have ever told you that you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

  She tilted her head to the side and thought for a moment. The minister was waiting for them to begin and the guests were still standing, but that di
d not matter to them. It was just the two of them standing there before each other. “I really don’t think I have heard that before.” She glanced around and then at the improvised altar and then back at him. “There are a lot of incredibly beautiful women here so I am not sure I could qualify as the most beautiful-”

  “You are my most beautiful, most perfect, most wonderful person,” he interrupted her huskily. “You are the light in my otherwise mediocre life, the hope in my heart, and the heart in everything I do.” He swallowed. “You are the woman I have been searching for and the only thing that matters to me. You and this baby you are carrying.”

  She went into his arms and placed her head on his chest, closing her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. “Let’s go get me to be Mrs. Jerrold Littman.”

  *****

  “I am going to ask Marjorie to marry me.”

  Noelle lifted her head and looked at him. The wedding ceremony had been over the past hour now and the speeches made as well as the towering pink champagne cake cut, and the food enjoyed. She had had her first dance with her husband to the sound of Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years to which she had cried as she put her head on his chest. She heard the song and listened to the words and remembered the vows they had made to each other and she cried as she danced inside his arms and realized that for the first time in her life, she belonged to someone who loved her more than she could ever dream! He had not let go of her when the song ended but had kept her in his arms to dance the second dance with her as he murmured words of poignant love to her and promises of the forever. She had danced with Jermaine and several others including the husbands of the women who had taken her into their circle and now she was dancing with her dad.

  “That’s wonderful!” She studied his craggy face. “Are you – do you - I mean-”

  “You are asking me if I am in love with her.” He lifted his head and looked over to where the woman stood talking with some of the older people who had come for the wedding. Later there would be lots of dancing and merriment at the spring ball which was being held outdoors. “I had a love like no other with your mother and I will never be able to have that again.” He stared down at his beautiful daughter and smiled. “I saw you with Jerrold today and felt tears coming to my eyes. You, my darling girl, have found something that a lot of people never find - true love - and I am so happy for you. I love Marjorie, she is kind and compassionate and she loves me, and we can talk. I will never love another woman the way I loved your mother, but she knows, and she has accepted that.”

  “In that case I am happy for you.”

  *****

  He helped her to take her clothes off, his hands lingering on her skin. They had left the spring ball way before it was finished and came back to their home which had been cleaned and dusted and furniture bought to replace the things they had decided not to keep. It was the first time sleeping there in their own home as both Alexander and Debbie had insisted that they stay at the palace until everything was ready. It had been a very long day, but instead of feeling exhausted, Noelle felt exhilarated! She was married! Her name was now Noelle Grace-Ann Littman and she was wife to this handsome and wonderful man standing in front of her. Her eyes flared as he went down on his knees before her, his head bent as he kissed the bulge there. She was almost five months pregnant and in another four months their baby would be born. She slid her fingers through the thick strands of his coffee brown hair and felt the head of her skin as he kissed her stomach through the thin lace of her teddy. He got to his feet and stepped back to take his clothes off. He had lifted her and carried her across the threshold and placed her in the center of the room. She was ready and waiting for him as soon as he finished taking off his clothes, standing in front of him completely naked. Without a word, he lifted her and placed her in the center of the huge bed before joining her there. “My wife,” he whispered as his fingers wandered over her stomach and stayed there. “My child.”

  She placed her hands over hers and kept it there for a moment before she lifted them and cupped his face. “Do you know what I neglected to tell you?”

  “How amazingly handsome I looked in my suit?” he teased her.

  “That as well, but what I neglected to tell you, my husband, is how much I appreciate you and what you mean to me. For a very long time, I had this feeling of insecurity inside me that I could not get rid of. I would look in the mirror and realize that I was not that messed up looking high school kid who was humiliated and wanted to hide herself into a corner and immediately after I moved away from the mirror those same insecurities would haunt me. I felt that way and no matter how much I told myself that I was no longer that person, it did not make a world of difference.” Her eyes brightened with tears. “But you changed all that. You came into my life and loved me and kept telling me over and over how beautiful I am and made me believe it. You gave me my self-esteem back and made me have confidence and for that I appreciate and love you more than I can ever tell you. You are my world, darling Jerrold, and I will never let you forget that. That’s what I neglected to tell you.”

  He blinked a few times to get rid of the moisture in his eyes. “You have been trying all day to make me cry to show the world that I am not as manly as I appeared to be.” His voice was hoarse, and his hands trembled. “My wife, I love you so much and I will always tell you how beautiful you are because it is true.”

  “Thank you. Now can we get on with the lovemaking part of the ceremony?”

  “With pleasure.” He bent his head and took her lips with his in a sweet soulful kiss that had her wrapping her hands around his muscled shoulders and moving her body restlessly against his. Jerrold had planned that their wedding night was going to be spectacular, with wine in a bucket and a prolonged seductive foreplay, but it had gone to hell the minute he had seen her coming towards him this morning. When he saw her, he could think of nothing else other than getting her beneath him and it had only increased in intensity throughout the day until he had felt as if he was bursting! Now with her in his arms and his mouth on hers, he could feel his body imploding with the heat inside him. He shifted so that he was on top of her and using one had to open her legs, he guided his swollen manhood to the tip of her, hovering there for a moment as his lips devoured hers, causing the tremors inside her body. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and with one powerful thrust he entered her, his body shuddering as she wrapped around him. Noelle lifted her legs and clasped them around his waist, her fingers digging into his muscled chest as he plunged into her, retreating and then doing it over and over again until they were both caught up in the powerful passion that existed between them! Jerrold released her mouth, raining frenzied kisses over her cheeks and along her chin before going to the hollow of her throat, his tongue tasting her skin before taking little bites that threatened to drive her crazy!

  It was not long before they both succumbed to the orgasm that had them reaching for each other and calling out each other’s names, the trembling continuing long after Jerrold had moved off her so as not to crush her and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her back as she buried her face in his arms, the tears spilling down her cheeks. He lifted his head to the ceiling as he fought his own tears and tried to recover from the enormous amount of emotions raging throughout his body. They did not say anything for the moment, there was nothing left to say, no words effective enough to verbalize what was going on between them, and within minutes they had both drifted off to sleep, his arms still around her body!

  *****

  “No,” Noelle said firmly as hey sat at the breakfast table. “We are not naming our son Jermaine.”

  “Help me out here, man.” Jerrold sent a pleading look at Alexander as the prince sipped his coffee and stared at them in amusement. Noelle was six months pregnant and they had discovered that they were having a son.

  “I am staying out of it.”

  “So am I,” Debbie said with a smile. They had invited the couple over for breakfast an
d afterwards Jerrold was going off with Alexander to several meetings. Noelle was going to accompany Debbie to make her official rounds. It was the first Saturday in June and the summer heat was making its presence felt.

  “Nicholas Jerrold Littman is a perfectly good name.” She held up a hand to still his protest and pushing back her chair she got up from the table and came around to drop a kiss on the top of his head. “The discussion is finished, darling,” she added before sailing off into the kitchen.

  Alexander hid a smile with his glass of orange juice as Jerrold gave him a glowering look. “Let my husband tell you the story of the names he thought of for our children and how that ended,” Princess Debbie said loftily as she got up from the table and started to clear the dishes. She, who had become used to people placing dishes before her and hurrying to clear them away, was at this moment clearing the table with the easy aplomb that was a part of her when she was doing her royal duties. Alexander waited until she had gone off into the kitchen with Noelle before he told Jerrold with a wry smile. “I am charge of thousands of people and make decisions that affect many lives. I can stop grown men who are in charge of fortunes themselves, but when it comes to my wife I have to bow to her wishes.” He sent a sardonic glance to his friend. “That, my friend, is the power of love.”

  *****

  Their son was born the fifth day of September with his anxious father hovering the hospital room trying not to pass out as he waited for the twelve hours of labor to end and terrified that in the process, he would lose his wife. Reporters had been camped outside the compound of the hospital with the palace guards that had been assigned to them making sure that they did not venture into the hospital, especially since the princess was in residence, waiting for the baby to be delivered. He was born on a swelteringly hot Thursday morning in September with a tired but ecstatic mother looking at her son in the arms of the man she loved.

  “He has your nose and your eyes and my chin and mouth,” Jerrold murmured in wonder.