Vexed

by Honey

  Ayla stumbled backward and nearly fell. “What’s the matter, Jay? You sounded like you were in need of a fix over the phone,” she said through uneven breaths. She closed the distance between them and tried to rekindle the fire with a kiss.

  Jay slapped her hard across her face. “Stop it! We’ve got a crisis. There’ll be plenty of time for that later. Right now we need to stop a wedding. Zach and Jill are in Jamaica, getting ready to get married. I don’t have the details. My contacts on the island don’t know shit!”

  Ayla rubbed the spot on her face where she’d been slapped. “I had no idea where Zach was. He’s been on leave for close to a month. That’s why I’ve been calling you. I wondered if you knew where he was. Damn it! I should’ve known he was in Jamaica with that bitch. How did you find out?”

  “A friend of mine called. She saw Jill leaving a boutique after a fitting with a seamstress for her wedding gown. Zach hired a well-known designer to dress that slut. His punk ass is over there tossing money around like Trump.”

  “It’s probably some of my damn money.”

  “Bitch, why don’t you stop lying?” Jay looked at Ayla like she wanted to yank her hair out. “None of that shit you told me about Zach taking your money and forcing you to have abortions is true! You didn’t have to lie to make me hate him. He took care of that the moment he fucked Jill.”

  Ayla turned a fiery shade of red from embarrassment. Jay had called her out, and she had no comeback. She folded her arms across her bare breasts. “What are you going to do? How do you plan to stop the wedding?”

  “I’m flying to Jamaica first thing in the morning. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep Zach from marrying Jill.”

  The sound of Jay’s voice and the haunting look in her eyes made Ayla’s flesh crawl. She shivered when different dreadful scenarios popped into her head. Sure, she was bitter that Zach had dumped her for Jill. She was a sore loser too, but was it worth flying to Jamaica to crash their wedding? Ayla thought not. She was about to express her opinion to Jay when Jay snatched her by the hair and slammed her against the wall. Jay bit down hard on her bottom lip, drawing blood. All thoughts faded when Ayla felt a finger enter her drenched well. She lost all power over her body and mind. Jay’s pleasurable sexual assaults robbed her of her senses every time.

  * * *

  “Did you hear the good news, mon?” asked Rowland, the evening concierge, as Roy inched past him on his walk to the resort’s lobby.

  Roy was all decked out in his black Sunday suit and matching striped tie. The senior driver was on his way to Born Again Baptist Church in Kingston to attend Zach and Jill’s sunset wedding. “And what good news might that be?” he asked.

  Rowland followed him. “Ms. King is on her way to Montego Bay to visit us! She called and asked that you pick her up from the airport, but you were out. I sent Littlejohn in your place.”

  “Has Littlejohn left the resort already?” Roy stopped midstride and looked at his watch, in a panic.

  “I don’t think so. He said he wanted to clean the SUV before he made the trip to the airport. You remember how angry Ms. King can become if she sees a dirty vehicle.”

  “I do,” Roy said, feeling more uneasy by the minute. He looked at his watch again. It was a gift from Zach for his kindness to him and Jill. “I will go to the service quarters garage to make sure Littlejohn cleans the SUV properly for Ms. King’s arrival.”

  Roy hurried through the resort’s lobby and out to the parking lot. When he reached the van he drove, he jumped inside and drove across the lush green grass to save time on his mission. He had to stop Littlejohn from going to the airport.

  “Wait! Wait!” Roy blew the horn frantically to get his coworker’s attention.

  Littlejohn was backing out of the garage when he heard the loud beeps. He put the SUV in park and waited. Roy exited the van, approached the SUV, and tapped on the window. Littlejohn lowered the glass.

  “You don’t have to pick up Ms. King from the airport.” Roy was out of breath and perspiring heavily. “I just spoke to her. She wants me to come. She told me to give you this for your trouble.” He gave Littlejohn one of the crisp U.S. twenty-dollar bills Zach had given him that morning. “Take it. You’ve earned it, my friend. Now go have yourself some fun.”

  With that said, Littlejohn returned the SUV to the garage, and Roy sped away toward Sangster International Airport. He had no idea what he would say to Jay or how he would explain his actions. Quite frankly, Roy didn’t have a plan at all. But there was one thing he knew for certain: Jay would not stop Zach and Jill’s wedding. He would handle his former boss by himself. There was no need to upset the bride or the groom with the situation. After the wedding he would tell them the great tale of how he’d kept Ms. King from ruining their special day.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Roy realized he was acting hastily, under the assumption that Jay had come to Jamaica to spoil the wedding. Obviously, he had no proof to substantiate his suspicions. He was relying totally on his instinct and snippets from various conversations he’d heard over the past few weeks. He’d been told that the ceremony would be a private affair. If they had invited Jay, wouldn’t he have known about it? And wouldn’t she have arrived with the rest of the family and friends from Atlanta? It didn’t take a tea-leaf reading to know that there was bad blood between Zach and Jay because of Jill. No one would take too kindly to their sibling stealing their lover.

  No, Roy didn’t know Jay’s intentions for certain. He was operating on gut and theory. If he was wrong, he’d take his punishment like a man. But if his speculations were correct, and he prevented Jay from disrupting the wedding, he would become a hero in his own right.

  When he reached the airport parking lot, he immediately removed his suit coat and tie. He reached inside the glove compartment for his chauffeur’s hat. He put it on and attached the resort’s employee badge to the left side of his dress shirt. It was time to get inside of Jay’s head.

  * * *

  “Roy, my man, how have you been?” Jay hugged her former employee and patted his back.

  “I am well, ma’am, and you?” Roy took Jay’s suitcase and turned away from her.

  “I’m great. I came to the island to relax and enjoy the wedding.” Jay watched Roy closely for a reaction of any sort. He gave her none. She followed after him.

  “Whose wedding are you speaking of, Ms. King?”

  “My brother is getting married here today. Haven’t you heard?”

  “Your brother is in Jamaica? It is not possible. I have not seen Zachary at the resort.”

  Jay and Roy continued their trudge through the airport in silence. As usual, the traffic of rushing bodies was thick. It was springtime, and visitors from all over the world had flocked to the island to enjoy its sights and culture. Once they were outside, Jay took out her cell phone and dialed.

  “I’m here. What do you know?” She paused and listened quietly as the person on the other end of the line spoke. She continued to trail Roy through the parking lot. “In other words, you know nothing, huh?” Jay shook her head, disappointed, before ending the call.

  Roy placed her suitcase in the back of the van. She climbed in the front passenger’s seat, and they zipped out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of the Island Paradise Resort.

  After some time, Jay looked at Roy. “What is the name of that little church up in the hills you took Jill and me to for Angelina’s christening?”

  “Are you sure it was I who drove you, ma’am?”

  Jay studied Roy’s profile. She honestly couldn’t recall who had driven them to the church. All Jay remembered was she didn’t want to be around Jill’s family that day, and it was raining. “Maybe it wasn’t you. I sure would hate to miss my brother’s wedding. He called and begged me to come. He’s marrying Jill, my ex. I gave them my blessing. I’m surprised you haven’t heard any of this.”

  Roy kept his eyes on the winding road before him. “I have not seen Ms. Jill.
I thought she was in Atlanta with you. Everything you have told me is a very big surprise.”

  When they reached the resort, Jay asked Roy to wait in the van while she went inside to check on something. Seconds after the double glass doors closed behind her, he removed her suitcase from the vehicle and entrusted it to Rowland before he sped away. All Roy’s suspicions had been confirmed. Jay had not been invited to her brother’s wedding, and she had indeed come to Jamaica with ill intentions.

  * * *

  “By the power bestowed upon me by the almighty God and the sitting government of the island of Jamaica, I now pronounce you man and wife. Zachary, you may kiss your bride.”

  Zach took Jill into his arms and kissed her like there was no one in the tiny sanctuary except the two of them. Not even the applause and the voices of the small choir singing in the loft behind them could break the kiss. It was Aunt Jackie’s loud fake coughing that made Zach come up for air. And even when he did pull his lips away from Jill’s, he kept her in a tight embrace. Reverend Baldwin, the Bessette family’s longtime pastor, led the well-wishers in a boisterous round of applause.

  Roy slipped inside the church undetected at that moment and thanked God the wedding had proceeded without a mishap. He clapped his hands and joined the small gathering of family and friends as they sang “Love Lifted Me” while Zach and Jill dashed up the aisle. Roy removed a handkerchief from his pants pocket and wiped his sweaty brow. He would be in hot water with the resort once Jay reported what he’d done to the new executive manager, but he didn’t care. Right now, he wanted to enjoy some delicious food and fellowship at Zach and Jill’s outdoor reception. Then he would drive them to the Blue Lagoon, where they would spend their first night as husband and wife in the honeymoon chateau on the beach. Roy’s friend Pembrick would drive the newlyweds to the airport the next morning to catch their flight to an undisclosed destination.

  * * *

  Zach sat at a table with Wallace under the white tent that housed the small wedding reception. They were smiling and watching Jill as she danced with her little brothers. Oliver, the oldest, had started the timeless tradition when he tapped Zach on his shoulder to cut in on his dance with the bride. From there, Jill danced with the other three Bessette boys in the order of their ages.

  “She’s very beautiful, son. There’s a sweet innocence about her that draws you in. Now I understand why things happened the way they did. Jill is enchanting, and she adores you, Zach. I have no doubt that she’ll be faithful to you.”

  “I know she will.”

  Zach clapped his hands, threw his head back, and howled. Orville was doing a smooth trot out onto the dance floor, bouncing and bobbing his head to the rhythm of the music. He stopped in front of Jill and did some fancy side-to-side foot action while snapping his fingers. Everyone started clapping in time, encouraging the father-and-daughter dance, and they responded. Jill shimmied and rolled her hips with her hands in the air, and Orville pranced around her. Then he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close. They rocked to the music, holding each other lovingly.

  After another hour of dancing and the traditional bouquet and garter tosses, Zach and Jill cut their modest three-tiered wedding cake. They fed each other cake to the applause and cheers of their family and friends. Zach licked icing from Jill’s fingers. The two-carat, heart-shaped diamond on her left hand twinkled under the torch flame near them.

  “They’re not gonna stop dancing anytime soon. Look at your parents.” Zach tilted his head toward the dance floor. “They’re having a good time. Dex and Ramona are too. Let’s go. Nobody will miss us.”

  Jill took in the dozen or so couples still dancing to the deejay’s eclectic repertoire. He had slowed the music down. Percy Sledge was crooning his greatest hit of all time, “When a Man Loves a Woman.” The lovers had taken to the floor.

  “If you’re ready, my dear husband, so am I.”

  Like magic, Roy appeared at Zach’s side as soon as he took Jill by the hand. “The van is this way, Mr. and Mrs. King.”

  Zach nodded. “Okay. We’re ready.”

  * * *

  A group of Orville’s friends and shipmates were taking down the tent and clearing the church’s lawn when the brown taxi pulled up. Jay rolled down her window and watched the men place pastel pink bows, streamers, and disposable tablecloths in large garbage bags. They shouted out wishes on behalf of Zach and Jill, then released the pink and white balloons into the air. The dark sky swallowed each one as they floated toward the heavens. The men’s laughter and chatter about the festive wedding that had just taken place was as irritating to Jay as fingernails scratching a chalkboard. Jay’s empty belly rumbled and jerked from nausea. She had been so engrossed in finding out when and where the wedding was being held that she’d neglected her hunger.

  Tears, perspiration, and snot slid down Jay’s face and onto the neckline of her white T-shirt. Reality had hit her like a ton of bricks. Jill was Zach’s wife. They had pledged their lives to each other, leaving her alone and out in the cold to nurse her wounded pride. Their betrayal had caused her great pain. But Jay had come to her senses and had decided against stopping the wedding by the time Charlotte called her with the accurate time and location. She had only wanted to show her face and scare Zach and Jill shitless. She had had an urgent need to show them they hadn’t outsmarted her with their secret wedding. And more than anything, Jay had intended to send them a warning message that vengeance was on its way.

  But time and circumstance had caused Jay to miss the ceremony. She wasn’t sure if this was a blessing or a curse. Maybe seeing Zach and Jill in all their wedding bliss would’ve been too disturbing and would have sent her spiraling over the edge. Jay would never know now. She only hoped the newlyweds enjoyed their honeymoon, wherever the hell they were spending it. No doubt they were relaxed and content in their own little love cocoon. And that was exactly what Jay wanted. She had plans for Mr. and Mrs. King once they got back to Atlanta. In case they hadn’t heard, payback was a bitch.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  “You don’t have to leave, Wallace. This restaurant is big enough for both of us. And this pretty girl has been asking for you.” Aunt Jackie tugged the little hand she was holding.

  “Good morning, Papa.” Nahima blew Wallace a kiss.

  Wallace reached over from his seat at the table and picked up Nahima. He placed her on his lap. “Good morning, beautiful. How are you?”

  “I feel fine. I’m hungry, though.”

  “Let’s see what Papa can do about that.” Wallace motioned for a server.

  Aunt Jackie winked at him. “I’ll leave you two alone to enjoy breakfast.”

  “That’s nonsense, Jackie. There’re two other chairs at this table. We’d like you to stay, unless you don’t want to.”

  Aunt Jackie took a seat and looked around. The server came to the table and took their orders. The adults chose the breakfast buffet, and Nahima wanted pancakes and bacon.

  “Thank you,” Wallace whispered and smiled at Aunt Jackie.

  “What are you thanking me for?”

  “Thank you for raising my children and treating them like you had given birth to them. Zach has told me about the sacrifices you made as a young woman for him and Jayla. Thanks for your forgiving spirit. You have every reason to hate me, yet you don’t.”

  “I used to hate you, because it was easier to do that than accept the truth. Belva was no saint, but you loved her in spite of it. You looked past her imperfections, and Lord knows she had many. Before our mother died, she warned Belva that her greed and impatience would get her in trouble one day.”

  Wallace waited until the waiter had served them their coffee and Nahima a glass of apple juice. “I didn’t mean to do it. Oh, I meant to wound Claudius Henry, but not my Belva Jane. That woman meant the world to me. I wanted to die along with her. My heart stopped the same day hers did, because she was my heart.”

  “I know. That’s why I was finally able to forg
ive you. It took a whole lot of praying, but I did it with God’s help. And seeing you for the first time in twenty-eight years has given me the closure I needed.”

  * * *

  On the early afternoon flight to Grand Cayman Island, Zach handed Jill a gift wrapped in shiny silver paper. “Open it.”

  “And what have I done to deserve this?”

  “With all the excitement of the wedding, I forgot to give you your birthday gift. I know your family had a breakfast in your honor yesterday, but as the groom, I was banned from it. And last night . . .”

  “I know.” Jill blushed. “There was no time for it.”

  Zach tapped the gift box. “Open it.”

  Jill took her time opening her birthday gift and was pleasantly surprised. It was a gorgeous fourteen-karat gold charm bracelet. A church with a tall steeple was the lone charm dangling from it. She kissed Zach’s cheek and wiped away the coral lipstick smudge her lips had left behind. “Thank you, Zachary. I love it, but I’m not sure if I understand why there is a church on it.”

  “We started our life together as husband and wife at your childhood church. For every milestone we reach, I’ll add a charm symbolic of it. A baby rattle is next.”

  “That is very thoughtful. Thank you again.”

  When the plane landed twenty minutes later, the honeymooners disembarked with one thought in mind. They wanted to spend every minute of their time alone on the island enjoying each other while making lasting memories.

  * * *

  Mr. Carlton Vincent, executive manager of the Island Paradise Resort, was disturbed by the complaint he had received about Roy Feagin. The young Briton who had been hired to replace Jay was very fond of his senior driver. He praised him often for his work ethic. Roy had been an employee at the resort since it first opened its doors fourteen years ago. His record was impeccable. Mr. Vincent had done a little investigation into the four-year relationship between Roy and Jay while she had supervised him. Each employee he’d spoken with told him the driver and manager had gotten along well. They’d had mutual respect for one another. But, as in most work environments, there had been pieces of gossip weaving about that painted a different picture.