I'd been in love with her for as long as I could remember but before that, she'd been my best friend and, essentially, a part of my family. Her parents had shipped her away to the Shilling School for the Gifted in Cincinnati, where my brother and I were attending. I was eight when I first laid eyes on her. The long silky black hair and those curious hazel eyes were enough to make a boy stop and consider the opposite sex. At that age, I hadn't known what it was that made her so appealing; other than her looks but as the years past and we both grew into adults, I found that we held a lot of the same ideologies about life. She was success driven as I was, and took family seriously, as did I-having grown up with just my mother. I figured the inevitable would happen and we'd somehow gravitate toward each other. She had to have known the torch I was carrying for her. It was in my eyes. My emotions always were, my mama used to say. She'd never seen it or if she had, she'd been a damn good actress.

I prayed to God every night for the opportunity to make this girl the center of my world. She'd never really noticed the depth of my feelings and I was way too shy to ever truly let her know how deeply they ran. She'd never been timid about letting others know how she felt, even when we were in school and the status quo called for demureness.

"Do you think your brother is cute?"

"What?" I asked from across the lunch table.

Rochelle tilted her head to one side and gave a half smirk. She'd known that the question would throw me off. Since eleventh grade last year, she'd discovered a knack and a fondness for shocking and confusing me to no end. I was beginning to understand what my Uncle Charlie had said about women just making you want to put a bullet through your head and end it all.

"I asked if you thought JD was cute," she tried to hide her smile.

I thought for a moment, considering the question and then raised a disgusted eyebrow. "Why would I even answer the question? He's my brother. That's sick."

"It's not like I'm asking you to go kiss--"

"Okay, whoa!" I held up both hands and scooted away from the table a little. "Don't even finish that sentence. This is getting just a little too weird for me." I ran a hand through my dark hair which I'd let grow since the summer because Rochelle had mentioned she'd liked guys with longer hair.

"Why are you asking me about James anyway?"

I nervously picked up my fork and poked at the turkey salad Mama had sent from home.

She shrugged and looked away sheepishly. "It was just a question. I mean, he's gotten taller and is finally growing facial hair...I just..."

Unconsciously, I touched my chin. I'd been shaving for almost two years and she'd never said a damn thing about my hair.

"Never mind," she waved the subject away and scooted closer, as if trying to tell me a secret. Her eyes darted over my shoulder for a split second before she smiled. "Don't look now, but Claire Ussery is checking you out."

My eyes widened and I turned slightly but Rochelle grabbed my chin. "Don't look, idiota. Didn't I just say that?"

I closed my eyes and prayed silently. "Is she coming over?" I whispered in distress. "Please say she's not coming over."

Claire had been following me since the beginning of the year. She was a freshman who had taken up stalking as her major past time. At first, I'd been flattered that someone was swooning over me for a change but then, it'd just turned down right creepy when I'd found her waiting for me outside of a bathroom stall.

How did anyone miss a skinny blond chick sneaking into the guy's restroom?

"Rochelle, is she comin--"

I stopped speaking when she stood and looked straight over my head; where I guessed Claire was sitting with the popular clique.

"Excuse me!"

Out of my periphery, I saw each blond head turn toward us and every blue eye glare.

I put my hands on my head and groaned. She always had to make a scene and that temper of hers was lethal. Her long hair swayed as she swiveled her neck which punctuated each of her words.

"Si, I'm talking to you." Her thick Puerto Rican accent always seemed to surface when she was annoyed or just plain angry. "Why are you staring at my boy?"

Her emphasis on the word ‘my' had my head shooting up. The entire lunchroom was silent, watching the quiet exchange between Claire and Rochelle. After a moment and a saucy glare at Claire, Rochelle sat down and the surrounding chatter commenced.

I sighed in relief. "Why did you do--"

"She's still looking, let's give her a show." She moved closer and reached her hand out for me. "C'mere."

I held my breath as her thumb ran slowly over my jaw and caressed the rough texture; due to a lack of shaving the day before.

"When'd you start growing a beard?" She asked softly, but I barely heard anything over the beating of my own heart.

The world completely fell away. It was just her and I in the entire universe.  I swallowed inaudibly and lifted my lids to catch a glimpse of her inquisitive gaze. Her breath tickled my skin. I knew this would be the moment I'd waited for since I was eight.

"Well...I-" I began to lean forward.

Only a few more inches and her lips would be on mine. I gulped and held my breath.

Just...a little closer...and--

The shrill ringing of the lunch bell broke through my serenity.

Rochelle groaned and pulled way, gathering her books "Damn it. They never give us enough time for lunch. You know, I could teach this Italian class in my sleep. It's ridiculous that they make me take..."

Her voice trailed off as she walked away. I barely noticed chairs scrape against the floor as students prepared to discard their lunches and return to the last class of the day.

I blinked, having forgotten where I was or what I was supposed to be doing. I sat where I was as Rochelle began to leave. When she noticed I wasn't following, she turned back to me and lifted an eyebrow.

"Jonathan. Italian class awaits us. Venire su, saremo tardi!"

We'd be late, she said. She was always worrying but no one would care. The two of us were the most studious upperclassmen at Schilling. We had more pull than the jocks with the teachers but thank goodness I also had an in with them, via my brother James.

"Hey, are you coming?"

Finally snapping out of my daze, I collected my books and followed. When I caught up with her, I swung my arm over her shoulder and gave her a lopsided grin.

"I'd follow you anywhere," I half joked.

She chuckled and let me escort her to class.

She'd never know the truth of my words. I had intended to follow her wherever she went; as Claire Ussery-esque as it sounded. At the time, I had no idea that she was oblivious to my feelings for her. I figured she'd been playing dumb this whole time.

But it was I who was fooling myself.

After twenty years, I should have seen something; known that I was the only one in this, but I always had an excuse for her. For me. For us. No, not us. There was no us. It'd all been in my head.

All in my damn head. 

Jonathan Denson

The day James, my little brother, was married, I’ll never forget. Who’d have thought the most conceited, self-observed, promiscuous man on the planet would find the one woman who could break him of it all? And hadn’t it been even more ironic that they’d come together because of a lie? Tayla Maxwell had become my sister by happenstance; before it’d been official and before either her or my brother had known it.

It hadn’t been an easy road for them. Hell, even the most treacherous of roads couldn’t describe the kind of mayhem their relationship had endured. But they’d come out stronger and even more in love.

Her business was thriving and with mine, James’s and Rochelle’s connections it was only a matter of time before she’d be opening chains in all the major cities across the country. I knew that would probably be a long time coming because they’d be so wrapped up in being newlyweds they’d probably never leave the house. Then when the kids started pouring in, they’d really be bombarded.

James and kids…who’d have thought that one?

I smiled to myself as I thought of an exasperated James chasing a tiny, golden skinned, diaper clad toddler around the house.

At least someone around here was genuinely happy, I thought as I looked upon the lovebirds sharing a slow dance and pretending like they were the only two people in the room.

I shook my head and made my way over, as the music ended and the two shared a kiss.

“Get a room, you two,” I called out.

Their heads snapped in my direction.

Tayla — or Tater-tot as I aptly bestowed upon her — smiled at me and reached out her arms for a hug.

“You’re next you know,” she whispered in my ear and gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek before pulling away.

“I don’t have any prospects,” I said, trying to push down the feeling of disappointment and smile in spite of it. “But we shall see.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure we’re related? Johnny, you have your pick here,” James gave me a pat on the shoulder and surveyed the ample amount of beautiful women in attendance. “Weddings are like an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

I chuckled when Tayla delivered a soft blow to his abdomen. “Don’t listen to this fool. Unlike some people, you have higher standards and deserve a nice girl to spend your time with.”

“You’re saying I don’t have high standards? I mean, you’re not very nice but I married you, didn’t I?”

“Best decision you ever made, kid.”

I felt a tug of envy as James tipped his new bride’s chin up and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. I would forever wonder how my brother had ended up with such a level-headed woman like Tayla Maxwell. Though, they were complete opposites in most aspects, they complimented each other like no other couple I’d ever seen.

“It’s about time to cut the cake, guys.” Rochelle’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

My pulse quickened as I watched her guide the newlyweds in the direction of the cake and caught full view of her attire. She wore a powder blue strapless dress that accented the golden hue of her skin and showed off her long legs which were adorned with white pumps. Her dark hair was slicked back, curled and pulled into a side pony tail.

Once the couple was in their respective places, ready to shove cake in each other’s faces, Rochelle turned to me with a rehearsed, cordial smile.

“Hi, Jonathan.”

Ah, we were going to play games.

“How’s it going, Rochelle?” I wasn’t really interested in how she was doing. It seemed she’d been doing pretty well from the looks of her attentive date; who was retrieving a champagne flute for her. It’d burned my butt for the past few hours the way she wielded the guy around as if he were her best asset.

We hadn’t spoken much in the past few months since I’d kissed her at James and Tayla’s engagement party. I hadn't brought it up because I was way too chicken-shit. Also, what man wants to relive his romantic short-comings?

That had been fine with me; I wouldn’t have known what to say to her anyway. The awkward silence wasn’t what I’d expected from someone I thought I had formed a pretty solid relationship with over the past twenty years.

How times certainly change people, I thought as her date moved toward us with a smile and her champagne in hand.

“Thank you, Lamar.” She gulped down the cool liquid eagerly; giving me the impression that she was trying to use the alcohol to calm her nerves. Once she’d finished off the drink, she gave me another tight smile and gestured toward her date. “Jonathan, have you met Lamar Hernandez?”

I turned my attention to the deep auburn skinned gentlemen. His hair was equally as dark and if not for his name, his features would have given away his Hispanic heritage. “I don’t believe so. John Denson, older brother of the groom.”

I reached out my hand and took Lamar’s in a firm handshake. “Good to meet you, man. I knew you looked familiar. You’re the big guy’s attorney.” His heavy accent and quick tongue made it difficult to decipher what he’d just said.

I had to keep from rolling my eyes at Lamar’s reference to my brother as the ‘big guy.’

“I represent my brother, only because he is my brother. Not necessarily because I like it.” I chuckled at the joke only I seemed to get. “I have my own firm downtown and I’m also advising my sister-in-law in her new business matters.”

“That’s great, man. A family affair; I like that. That’s really cool, man.”

If this guy called me man one more time…

“Lamar’s trying to get his PR firm off the ground,” Rochelle relayed for her date because she could see the way I was looking at the moron…I mean gentlemen.

“Ah, a fellow business owner.  It’s too bad you’re not a lawyer, I could have gone for some stiff competition.”

Lamar and I both laughed but Rochelle’s face suddenly set in a glare. She had caught the subtle double meaning and I had to give her a lopsided grin. This guy was definitely no competition.

Maybe playing this game would be more fun than I thought.

“Lamar, do you want to dance?” She asked suddenly but never took her glaring eyes away from me.

“Sure, Shelly.” I cringed inwardly as he secured an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side. “Hey, it was great meeting you, John. We’ll talk some more, yeah?”

“Sure,” I gave him a quick smile and watched them make their way toward the dance floor. When I lost sight of them in the crowd of swaying couples, I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.

I looked at my flute of champagne and decided that I was going to need much stronger alcohol.

****

Kaleesa Blake

I finally found the white linen covered table with my small name tag placed in the middle of a sparkling cream colored plate with gold trim. Kalenda Black, it read and I frowned.

Who the hell was Kalenda?

My name was Kaleesa Blake for Pete’s sake. I had helped Tayla with the seating chart months before and knew that I was seated next to her brother-in-law. I looked to my left and read Jonathan Denson. From that deduction, I knew that this was supposed to be my seat. I wouldn’t dare mention this to Tayla. She’d been under so much stress trying to make everything right; this little faux pas with my name would surely get someone’s head chewed off. I would just keep this to myself.

I smiled as I watched my new boss put her head in the crook of her groom’s neck and sway to the soft groove of Musiq Soulchild crooning about love never changing.

I loved weddings.

It wasn’t just the promise of a new life but also the solemn oath before God, friends and family that made me sigh contently. There was no real guarantee that love would last but there was always the hope that if two people loved each other enough, they would fight to keep it. Maybe I was a hopeless romantic but I would believe in true love until the day I died. I wasn’t so sure about happy endings but I knew love was worth fighting for.

“Would you like to dance?” I looked up and spotted an African-American man in a grey suit, accented with a dark lavender tie. His salt and peppered hair gave away his age but his skin was almost void of wrinkles. He smiled lazily and it was then that I recognized him; not the man, per se, but his kind. His upturned expression and the way his eyes zeroed in on my cleavage were definite signs that his intentions weren’t to get to know me. Also the subtle sway of his body and the goofy grin on his face also told me that he’d taken advantage of the open bar.

I shook my head and placed my clutch on the table. “No thank you,” I said quickly and I turned my attention back to the dance floor.

“Oh, c’mon, beautiful,” he said and took the seat next to mine. “I know you wanna cut a rug with me.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and placed his hand over top of mine. I cringed at the smell of alcohol on his breath.

I was about to cut something alright, if he didn’t take his hands off of me.

“No, but thank you.” I gritted my teeth and peeled my hand away.

That was the last time I’d tell him nicely.

“Ah, honey—”

“Uncle Charlie, I’d advise that you stop hitting on this young lady before I tell Aunt Valerie on you,” a deep masculine voice threatened.

The man I now knew as Uncle Charlie quickly straightened his back and turned toward the voice. “Hey, my boy! Oh, I was just asking this beautiful, lonely lady if she’d like to dance.” Uncle Charlie patted my hand and looked over my shoulder sheepishly before standing.

“I’ll bet you were.” The stranger’s voice was full of amusement but still stern. “I believe you’re in my seat.”

“Oh, right.” Uncle Charlie stood quickly. “Where’s your Auntie anyway?”

From the way Uncle Charlie looked behind him, I’d guessed that my savior had pointed across the room. The older man gave my hand one more pat before making his exit. When I thought he was out of earshot, I turned and smiled up into deep green eyes. I had to clear my throat to find my voice again.

“Jonathan, right? The other brother?”

I’d met Jonathan Denson in passing before and he’d always been very cordial; a quick greeting and then he’d be gone. At first, I’d put him off as saddity but beneath the exterior his eyes showed a depth of pain. I wondered what a guy with such great looks, a thriving business and wonderful family had to be pained about.

“Kaleesa, right? The new CPA?”

I smiled as he came around and sat in his appropriate seat. “That would be me. Good to see you, again.”

“Good to see you too. I’m sorry about my uncle. He thinks he has a way with the ladies; as most men in this family seem to think.”

I lifted a suspicious eyebrow. “He’s your uncle…by blood? I can’t say I see a resemblance.”

“No, no.” He chuckled and I was vaguely comforted by the sound. “More like an appointed family member than anything. He’s my godfather but I thought it ridiculous to call him ‘Godfather Charlie’ or just ‘Charlie.’ So, I opted for ‘Uncle Charlie.’”

I nodded with a smirk. “Appropriate. Any other genealogy I should be forewarned about?”

“None that I can think of at the moment,” he said and shrugged off his black suit jacket which gave me perfect view of his sculpted arms under his white dress shirt. I tried to keep from staring as he continued. “James is married now, so I guess that leaves me but I’ve never claimed to be a ladies man.”

A sexy man who had no idea how sexy he was. Could it be true?

“I don’t mean to sound forward — well, okay I do — but with your looks, I can’t believe women aren’t falling all over themselves.”

His laugh was so infectious, I found myself smiling. “Well, I…I’m sorry. I don’t quite know how to respond to that one.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” I waved him off. “You’re smile is more than enough.”

What had gotten into me? I wasn’t normally this upfront with a man I barely knew and a white man at that. Maybe it was the champagne…yeah, that had to be it. I was going to pull a Jamie Foxx and blame it on the alcohol.

The slight blush in his cheeks gave him a boyish charm that I was quickly becoming enthralled with. And that smile just wouldn’t quit.

“Why, Ms. Blake, if I’m not mistaken I’d say you were flirting with me.”

“Me? Nah.” But my smile betrayed me. I didn’t want to flirt with him but it was just too damn easy. He made it easy to get lost in those eyes of sea green and his easy-going aura.

“I wonder, can you flirt and dance at the same time?” He stood and extended his palm to me in invitation.

“I’ve been told I’m the ultimate multi-tasker.” I said as I placed my hand in his.

****

Rochelle Galena

Was it some kind of a crime to want to choose the person I was with? Was it so wrong to want to decide how I wanted to live my own life? I’d been asking myself these questions for the last few months — since the kiss. I should have smacked the hell out of Jonathan for just acting on impulse like that. I’d known he’d been carrying some kind of torch for me in high school but I ignored it. I thought it’d run its course, as most grade school infatuations do. I didn’t need any more complications when I left for college or another tie keeping me in the area. However, when the time had come to go off to school we’d inevitably ended up at Ohio State. I knew he hadn’t made the decision based upon me because I hadn’t told anyone what school I’d attend. Fate had a sense of humor, I supposed.

Since being shipped to Schilling’s School for the Gifted in Cincinnati at the tender age of eight, all of my choices had been made for me. I’d never wanted to leave Puerto Rico. I’d never wanted to attend an American school and I sure as hell never wanted to get mixed up with the opposite sex. Yet, somehow, my path had been forged for me; be it by destiny or what have you.

Destiny.

I’d thought long and hard about it for a while as I looked on at the newly married couple swaying on the dance floor. If there were two people destined to be together, it was definitely Tayla and James. God help me, I liked her too. She was spunky, funny, she didn’t back down from me — which was something I respected — and she was exactly what James had needed at the time.

Was Jonathan what I needed? Was he my destiny? I was getting a massive headache trying to figure it out. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t like Kaleesa Blake in his arms.

I narrowed my eyes and took a long sip of my champagne.

Maybe leaving things to chance wasn’t what Fate wanted of me. Maybe I’d been given a challenge — a test of my willpower of sorts.

I took down the rest of the cool, bubbly liquid, and I watched Jonathan spin Kaleesa into his body and hold her as she laughed freely. Their faces came close and something passed between them. My breath hitched when I saw the instant spark. A ball of jealously formed in my belly and I clenched my fist.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

I looked up and James stood over me with a silly grin plastered across his face. He was so happy it almost made me sick but I was glad to see him finally with someone who could match him in every way.

“My thoughts are worth more than that.”

“Can I get a discount? I do over pay you to babysit me.” He placed another glass of champagne in front of me and I gladly took it.

After a moment of silence, I looked over at his solemn expression. “Stop. You know staring annoys me.”

“What doesn’t annoy you?” James shrugged.

“Good point.”

“So, I heard Johnny put it on you.”

I choked on the champagne and watched him with wide eyes.

Christ, that came straight out of left field.

Once I got my breathing under control, I took a second to clam myself before I spoke.

“First of all, you need to keep your voice down.” I pulled on his lapels so that we were closer, just in case someone was eavesdropping. “Secondly, it was a kiss. No more. And I’d appreciate it if you’d just drop it.”

I released his collar and made a move to stand.

“Now why would I want to go and do something like that?” He said smugly.

I turned sharply with fire in my eyes.

Stubborn fool.

“You don’t have a choice, because I’m not talking about it.” I brought my attention back to the dance floor when a circle formed around a couple obviously cutting a rug. The music had changed and the rich sounds of horns followed a quick salsa beat.

The first genuine smile of the night threatened to break through. John would surely come looking for me to dance. We’d taken Latin ballroom classes a few years ago after one of John’s grateful clients had mentioned his wife owned her own dance studio. We were given a month of private lessons. Those were the days when things weren’t weird and awkward between us. He’d have to forget about all of that—if only through the song—with the current beat pulsing through the speakers.

People continued to clap and cheer for the couple making a spectacle of themselves in the middle of the dance floor. We could show up those amateurs, whoever they were. I was sure of it.

I looked around again; where the hell was he?

“Looking for Johnny?”

I ignored James and stood to see if I could get a good look at the duo on the floor. It was probably some cute old couple shimming away and doing their best not to break their artificial hips.  

I had to get a good look at this.

“Hey, husband-o-mine!” Tayla ran up with her hands extended and quickly grabbed James. “C’mon and dance with me. Your brother is about to show you up!”

I almost tripped on my Manolos.

“Jonathan’s out there? With who?” I tried to sound disinterested but I was fuming on the inside.

Tayla’s nonchalant attitude and lack of a response said everything.

“Kaleesa, right?” I deadpanned.

She shook her head. “Kaleesa is dancing with…Lamar? I think that was his name.”

What the…

“My date, Lamar?”

Judging by her wide eyes, I suspected she’d said more than she’d wanted to.

Kaleesa Blake was becoming a damn thorn in my side; and the only way to deal with thorns was to grab the tweezers and rip them out as quickly as possible.

Game on, Ms. Blake. Game on.

Kaleesa

The remaining wedding guests had filtered out of the party and into the parking-lot to send off the happy couple. I waved enthusiastically, even though I was anything but, as Tayla and James’s car speed off into the darkness. I was tired. Honestly, tired didn’t even cover the spectrum of things I was feeling at the moment.

I was plum tuckered out! And there was still straightening up to do in the banquet hall. I pulled my cell phone from my clutch and checked the time.

Midnight.

I groaned as I listened to the blaring music coming from the non-stop reception. I was never going to get out of here before twelve-thirty.

“Not having a good time?” I was startled by Jonathan’s voice. I turned and noticed that he’d taken off his tie and had discarded of his jacket. He had a relaxed grin on his face as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

God, how I envied him.

“I’m having a great time. I’m just dreading having to possibly kick out some rowdy drunken folks. We only reserved this place for another thirty minutes.”

“Don’t worry about it. If you’re tired, you should go home.”

I shook my head and rubbed my shoulder to help release some of the tension I was feeling. “Can’t. It’s my job to—”

“You’re only job tonight is to have fun. It was deemed so by boss lady.” His grin widened.

I chuckled. “Is that so? I didn’t get that memo.”

“I have a written deposition. It’s all legal and such. Nothing you should concern yourself with. The only thing you need to worry about is...” Without warning, he took my hand, spun me and dipped. “Having a good time.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter as he held me in place for a moment, searching my eyes.

“You have very beautiful almond-shaped eyes, Miss Blake.”

I sobered and gave a sly smile. “You have very nice teeth, Mister Denson.”

He chuckled, allowing me to straighten but continued to hold me around the waist. “I have nice teeth? That’s definitely a new line.”

“My dad was a dentist. I had the cleanest teeth of all my friends. Most people had yearly check-ups, whereas my sister and I had daily ones.”

He nodded, putting space between us. “Ah, I see. No wonder why you have such a great smile.”

“Now, that’s a line.” But I smiled despite myself and began to make my way back to the reception.

“I noticed you said ‘was’. So, he’s retired then?” He asked as he caught up to me and matched my pace. “I was really hoping to get a friend discount.”

I felt a quick stab to the heart and suddenly I wasn’t so exhausted or jovial, but I answered. “He’s dead. Both of my parents, in fact.”

He touched my shoulder comfortingly and made me halt. “That was insensitive of me.” His eyes held an understanding I hadn’t expected to find. I was relieved to see anything but sympathy.

“It’s alright. You couldn’t have known.” I offered a reassuring smile and began to walk again.

Though the car accident had happened a couple of years ago, the hurt was still fresh. I wasn’t able to speak of them without becoming emotional, up until a few months ago. I’d had a difficult time remembering anything but all of the times I wished I could have taken back before they’d died. My sister had recommended I see someone but I wasn’t quite ready to open up to a stranger...so why was I so compelled to tell John everything?

I began to slow my pace as we moved closer to the sounds of jubilant intoxication. I really wasn’t in the mood to be harassed by all of James’s single buddies or ‘Uncle Charlie’ again.

“I think I’m going to take a walk.” I turned sharply and looked up into John’s handsome face. “I think my brain is going to rattle out of my ears if I have to listen to all the commotion. I’ll see you later.” I began to walk in the opposite direction.

I was about twenty yards away when John called out to me. I whipped around and watched him jog closer.

“Would you like company?”

I wasn’t so sure I wanted or needed company.

“Do you think I need protecting, Mister Denson?” I raised an eyebrow as I eyed him carefully. The man had fantastic bone structure.

He shook his head. “Excuse me for being presumptuous, but if I was a man on the prowl and I saw you alone, I’d go after you.”

“I should not be flattered by that comment.” I laughed nervously and wrung out my hands. “You’re quite strange, Jonathan.”

“You’re very beautiful, Kaleesa.” He said with unabashed conviction. My eyes widened in surprise. I wasn’t completely sure if he was trying to flirt with me or if he was on some kind of honesty kick.

I’d had a few men in my life call me hot, sexy, thick, and a few other endearments I’d like to forget but I’d never been called beautiful by anyone other than my daddy. I could feel heat rising in my cheeks as he continued to grin down at me.

Wordlessly, I turned and began walking. My heels clicked against the brick pathway, filling the warm night air. When I didn’t hear his accompanying footsteps, I looked over my shoulder and asked, “Are you coming?”

His smile was slow as he caught up and we strolled into the darkness together.

****

Rochelle

The aspirin Beverly had given me did nothing to sate the pounding in my head. I’d have cut out earlier but it was my job to see that everyone made it home safely and that the venue was back in its rightful place before I left.

It’d already been a long night and my so called date had proven himself quite useless, dancing with other women before he even thought to ask me to accompany him on the dance floor. I could see the self-righteous twinkle in his eye when the women began flocking his way once they discovered he’d trained in ballroom dancing. I practically had to book a reservation to dance with my own date, and he happily put me on his list. I should have seen the pretentious son of a bitch coming a mile away. I almost convinced myself that he was worth a second date. The loser hadn’t even been worth a first.

Kaleesa Blake had been the first of his dance partners and I couldn’t help but pin all of my misfortune of the night on her. I couldn’t see what everyone else saw in her. She wasn’t anything special. Yes, she was educated and thankfully competent in her job but what was the real hoopla? I was determined to keep close watch of her…and maybe do a little more than keep a close watch.

I shook my head of thoughts of Miss Blake and concentrated on massaging my terrible headache away. It was nothing short of amazing that, in a room full of people, I could feel so alone. This night just had to end and it had to end now. I reached for my clutch and pulled out my BlackBerry; something I knew would keep me distracted. Self-pity was a pet peeve of mine, I couldn’t stand other’s wallowing in it and I’d be damned if I did.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

I looked up, making sure I put on my best “fuck off” face. The pristinely clear hazel eyes had my glare faltering just a bit. Once I pulled my gaze away from his, I noticed he was tall in stature, giving me the impression that he was probably one of James’ professional athlete friends. His skin was a deep coffee color and absolutely flawless. Under any other circumstances, I’d have regarded him with indifference and let him sit in any of the vacant seats. But just as well, these weren’t any other circumstances and I was tired of men with that pretentious gleam in their eyes.

“As a matter of fact…” I trailed off, hoping he’d catch the hint and go the hell away.

“I’ll just be a second. I need to rest my feet.” He pulled out the chair across from me with the same friendly grin plastered on his face, which annoyed me.

Anyone that happy all the time had issues they were trying to conceal, in my opinion. I chose to continue to check for messages and missed calls that I knew didn’t exist. I’d told everyone that I was going to be consumed by this wedding for the next few days, and not to disturb me.

“My name is Kameron, I’m—”

The poor bastard had no idea what he’d just done. I’d almost felt sorry for him…almost.

“Look, whoever you are, I can’t honestly say I give a damn at the moment. I’ve had a hell of a day with a date who would rather sale raffle tickets to every available female in the room for his affection than spend a single solitary second with me. I can’t breathe in this dress, my feet have blisters the size of moon craters on them and I have a migraine that could rival blunt force trauma to the head. You’ll have to excuse me if I could care less who you are in relation to anyone.”

I took a deep breath and studied his surprised expression. I’d never been so overtly rude to a complete stranger before but he’d picked the worst time to test his flirtation skills. The only ounce of satisfaction I felt was in the fact that I’d wiped that annoying smile clean off his face. For that, I was truly proud of myself.

“You know, it’s alright if you put away the penis repellant.”

“Excuse me?” I asked in disgusted.

“You heard me. I only came over to rest my feet, as I told you. So, please don’t flatter yourself on my account. It’s no wonder your date would rather have roaming eyes then continue to wait around for that cold exterior to melt. A word of advice the next time some poor soul tries being friendly with you: be a decent human being and not a frigid bitch. Enjoy the rest of the wedding,” he sneered and rolled his eyes.

I shut my eyes as I listened to the harsh scraping of his chair against the hardwood floor, indicating that he was leaving me alone. When I was sure he was within a safe distance, I opened my lids to watch his retreating back.

I stood slowly, trying to maintain some kind of dignity as my vision became blurred with unshed tears. I wasn’t easily broken by anyone but I’d had a hell of a day and the fact that a stranger had called me a proverbial ice queen cut right to the core.

To hell with the party and the guests, I thought. I’m outta here.

****

Jonathan

“Carson Palmer is a terrible quarterback.”

I gasped and laid a hand over my heart. “To make such statements is just…it’s…completely true. He is pretty terrible.” I chuckled and dropped my hands to my sides.

“I was about to wonder about you, but I’m happy to see I won’t have to have you committed.”

“Aw, I didn’t know you cared.” I batted my eyes and watched a brilliant smile engulf her face, illuminating her syrup colored eyes.

“I don’t,” she shrugged dismissively. “It’d be a civic duty I do, putting you away.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we have the same views then; although, I could probably find more clients in a psych ward. You’d be surprised how many times a day I end up being someone’s therapist.” I shuffled my feet as our pace slowed and we rounded a corner.

“Boy, you have no idea. I’ve dealt with crazy. If you ever meet my sister…well, let’s hope you don’t meet my sister. If there ever was a physical definition of crazy, she’s it.” Kaleesa giggled and it brought a smile to my own lips.

We’d been walking for a good twenty minutes before we fell into an uncomfortable silence. I hadn’t spent this much time with another female that I wasn’t related to or in love with in months. It was refreshing to be able to have a simple conversation with someone of the opposite sex without all the innuendos that would have thwarted getting to know each other.

“Ah, so you’re an identical twin then?” Bringing into question her sanity seemed to be another ice breaker. I tried to hide my smile but the disapproving look she gave me was too much.

“Very funny.” She rolled her eyes but that infectious smile wasn’t far behind.

“I have my moments.” I said proudly.

“Too bad this isn’t one of them.” She retorted.

I snorted and tucked my hands in my pockets as we began to head toward the back of the building where a fully flourishing garden sat unoccupied.

“Genes are a funny thing. I mean, look at me and James. Obviously we have similar features but our personalities couldn’t be more opposite.”

“I’ve noticed. He’s very…”

“Abrasive? Pompous? Reckless? Any number of these adjectives would describe my brother without being the least bit out of line.”

“I was going to say different,” Kaleesa laughed and sped up her pace in the direction of a gazebo fitted with soft hanging lights. When she reached the arch entryway, she turned and titled her head slightly. “But of course you do know him better than I do.”

“That I do, but it’s you I’d like to get to know.” I stopped in front of her and gave her my most charming smile. That was one thing I would agree to having in common with James: charisma. Although, I knew in which circumstances my allure was appropriate, unlike my brother.

“What is it you want to know?” She didn’t seem very thrilled with having me poke around in her personal life.

“Whatever you’d like to share.” I gave her a reassuring grin, hoping to calm her nerves.

“I’m not accustomed to telling my life story to a complete stranger.”

“Alright, well, my name is Jonathan Denson. I’m twenty-nine years old and my birthday is January 22nd, which makes me Aquarius. I graduated from Ohio State with a business degree and a business law degree. I love dogs and thought about getting one this past year—”

She waved her hands to stop my confessions and gave me a confused look. “Wait, wait, I thought you wanted to know about me.”

“I thought if I told you things about myself first, you wouldn’t think of me as a stranger.”

I would never get tired of watching that smile begin to form, brightening up her entire face.

“You’re a smooth operator.” Kaleesa shook her head but continued to grin.

“Are you a Sade fan?” I inquired, hoping to back into this getting-to-know-you game another way.

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you know about some Sade?”

“I know all about Sade! We go way back.” I began to side step back and forth, doing my best rendition of Sade’s hit song, Smooth Operator. Kaleesa could no longer contain her laughter as I did a spin and attempted to grab her to join me.

“Oh, no!” She began to back away with her hands up in warning. “You and those moves need to back up before you hurt someone.”

“Bet you’ve never seen moves like this.” I began to do the snake, snapping to a nonexistent beat. I was sure I looked as uncoordinated as Jackie Chan in Rush Hour, maybe even worse — but I didn’t care. The only thing that concerned me was making Kaleesa, who was double over in hysterics, feel comfortable. She was at the point where her laugh was completely inaudible and her body shook with laughter. Her eyes were closed, her arms were wrapped around her stomach and large tears were cascading down her rounded cheeks.

“Stop…stop, please. I can…can’t…can’t breathe.” She managed to wheeze out through her fits of laughter.

I stopped long enough to allow her to catch her breath and moved closer to her. “It was too much for you, huh?”

“Something like that.” She said as her laughter completely subsided and she whipped at the moisture on her cheeks. “I haven’t laughed that hard in…ages.”

Internally I was beaming with pride, but externally I kept my composure and gave her a small smile. “I’m happy to oblige if you need a laugh at someone else’s expense or you’re ever having a bad day.”

“You did prove yourself to very useful—” She was cut off by the slamming of an adjacent door and what sounded like a muffled growl in the distance. We both stopped and looked at one another. “Sounds like someone else isn’t having much fun.” She whispered as we continued to listen.

I was about to reply when the disgruntled person began talking to themselves in fast disjointed Spanish. I recognized the voice immediately and felt a surge of guilt. I hadn’t thought of Rochelle in the last hour since I’d been with Kaleesa. Even though I wasn’t on the best of terms with Rochelle, she was still my best friend and I couldn’t just abandon her when was obviously in need.

“It’s probably best to stay out of that person’s way.” She grimaced and turned to me for agreement.

Only half listening to Kaleesa, I turned and gave an apologetic look. “I should see if she’s alright. Could be a cousin with too many drinks in her.”

“You have a cousin who’s fluent in Spanish?” She gave me a knowing look that told me she knew who the person was and why I was so concerned. “I should head back anyway, about time to shut this baby down.”

I wasn’t sure if it was the change in mood but I thought I detected some disappointment in her voice. Mutely, I turned and headed in the direction of Rochelle’s bevy of muffled cursing and pacing. I stopped short when I heard her sniffle and treaded carefully as she came into full view. She began angrily wiping at tears she was unable to control. I knew this must have pissed her off more, besides whatever had offended her in the first place. The fact that she couldn’t control the emotions brought on by its catalyst was a trait in her I had always been baffled and annoyed by. It was ironic to me she couldn’t understand my feelings for her were uncontrollable and, at times, unwanted.

“Rochelle.” I said cautiously, so as not to scare her.

She whipped around quickly, her dark eyes ablaze and ready for a fight. When she realized it was only me, her gaze relaxed but turned cold and unfriendly.

“Yes, Jonathan?” She tried to hide her face.

“I heard you over here…wanted to make sure you were alright.” I looked around, possibly expecting to see Lamar somewhere in the vicinity but I was happily disappointed. “Where’s your date?”

She cleared her throat and wiped idly at a stray tear. “I’m fine. And as for Lamar, he’s really none of your concern.”

I nodded in understanding. I knew the guy was an idiot, I’d seen it the moment I’d laid eyes on him. Whatever he’d had inadvertently created the perfect situation for me. Although I never enjoyed seeing the people I cared about in pain, this was an opportunity to show Rochelle I was the better man.

“I’m sorry.” I tried to muster up some kind of sympathy for her state of distress, but honestly, all I wanted to do was say, “told ya so.”

Fortunately for her, I kept that to myself.

“No you’re not. Just stop acting like you’re sorry he turned out to be a complete waste of time. I’ve known you most of my life Jonathan. I can tell when you’re gloating.”

It was at times like this that I remembered Rochelle wasn’t just any old girl I was trying to impress or who didn’t know me well. She was my best friend. She knew me as well as a person could know another. I couldn’t hide my emotions from her, so why was I even trying?

“If you know me so well, why would you bother brining him at all? To my brother’s wedding? Really Rochelle?”

“Stop making this about you!” She shouted into the night air. “I didn’t invite him here to hurt you. I wanted a companion who wouldn’t suffocate me. I wanted to be around someone who didn’t make me feel like I’m in the wrong for not reciprocating his feelings. Just…just go away.” She waved me off and turned her back.

Her words had cut deep. I’d never asked her to reciprocate my feelings, only to give them a chance. Although, I guess I hadn’t really waited for her to get used to any of it. I’d been carrying around twenty years of pent of frustration and now that everything was out in the open, I should have been relieved. But all I felt was more guilt.

“I never pushed you! For twenty years, I kept my distance. I’m sorry about how it came to a head but I’m not sorry I got it out there. I’m not pushing you to do anything. I just want you to see that you don’t have to go looking for a good man. I’m right here.” I took a deep breath and deleted the pace between us, making sure to get close enough so that she would hear me as I spoke lowly. “Make sure you know what you’re doing, Rochelle. Keep pushing me away like this and you’ll get just what you ask for.”

I was tempted to touch her naked shoulder but resisted and stepped back to make my way to the front of the building. The urge to see Kaleesa’s face and hear her soothing voice came suddenly but passed quickly.

Tonight, I was going home alone.

****

Kaleesa

At twelve thirty on the dot, I did a quick dance when the last guest’s car taillights rounded the corner and disappeared. Thank you, God, I cheered silently.

“Dios mio, is that the last of them?” I turned to see Rochelle exiting through the front doors of the reception hall, which was now completely silent. I could see no evidence of her having cried, of which I was relieved.

How could I pretend to care about the emotions of someone I knew didn’t much care for me at all?

“It is indeed.” I nodded and turned away.

“The clean-up crew will get anything we missed.” She said and stood next to me.

I wasn’t accustomed to having to speak to her one-on-one. Since my initial interview months ago, she’d pretty much kept her distance and I did the same. If we spoke it was usually business related and indirect.

I had no problems with Rochelle, at least until she turned those glaring eyes on me. I wasn’t sure of the cause of the contempt between us but if she wanted to play nice today then I could play nice as well.

“That’s good.” I waited a beat, wondering if we were going to make small talk.

“Everything went off without a hitch and I have to partially thank you.”

My eyes widened. This was more than she had ever said to me since I’d started working for Tayla. And I’d never heard her utter a single nice thing to anyone…let alone me. Maybe I’d been wrong about her. The stress of a wedding can put people in strange moods. Maybe she’s not so bad after all, I thought as I turned to face her.

“I was happy to help. Tayla’s a great boss and friend.” I smiled softly and was met with a pleasant surprise — her own smile.

“I know this is long overdue but I wanted to apologize to you for my rudeness during your interview. It was out of line and completely unprofessional.” She said apologetically.

I waved her off. “Completely forgotten. We all have those days.”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” she chuckled. “But I really do apologize. I hope that we can become…friends.” The way she’d said ‘friends’ had made me feel a little uneasy but I pushed the feeling away.

I hadn’t wanted to hold a grudge against Rochelle but somewhere deep inside of me I was a little disappointed that she was extending an olive branch. I’d gotten the impression the first time we’d met that once you got on Rochelle’s bad side, you pretty much had no hope of ever getting back into her good graces. Seeing as I’d never actually done anything to offend her, I could only assume she was just a straight bitch. Now, I was mentally recanting all of the mean things I’d ever thought about her.

“Of course.” I nodded and felt suddenly lighter. This was going to be a good thing, especially with Tayla gone the next week. We no longer needed her as a buffer.

“Good.” She smiled and began heading toward her car. “Well, I think it’s time for me to head home. We have some Maxwell business to discuss in the next few days but that can wait. Have a good night, Kaleesa.”

“You too, Rochelle. Good night.” I waved as I watched her saunter toward her car and get in.

When her engine roared to life and her vehicle began to move, I pulled my car keys out of my clutch and pressed the unlock button. I was about to reach for the handle when a hand cupped my elbow. I let out a quick shriek and whipped around to see John standing there.

“Jesus, John! You scared me half to death!”

He held up his palms in surrender. “Sorry. I just wanted to say good night before you left. Don’t go Taebo on me.”

I rolled my eyes and pressed my back against my car door. “You’re lucky I don’t know martial arts or it would have been your head buddy.”

“I don’t doubt that you could kick my ass.” He grinned and gently moved me aside to open the driver’s side door.

I paused, not sure what his angle was. “What are you doing?”

“Holding the door open for you. Making sure you get inside your vehicle safely. Being a gentleman. Take your pick.”

“You’re just too much.” I shook my head in amusement and finally settled into the seat. I reached out to close the door without a word. I stuck the key in the ignition and waited for the car to come to life, all the while averting my eyes away from his probing gaze through the glass.

Finally having had enough of being scrutinized, I rolled down my window and stuck my head out. “Thank you, John. Good night.”

“Good night, Kaleesa. See you soon.”

I bit my bottom lip and contemplated whether or not to reply as an attractive single woman would to an attractive single man.

What the hell, I thought. You only live once.

“Looking forward to it.” With that, I put the car in drive and eased out of the parking spot. Once I was a good distance away, I took a look in my rearview mirror and could still see his pristine smile as I drove off into the night.

 Rochelle

I never put much thought into making someone else’s life a living hell. I was calculated, yes. I could also be a stone cold bitch when I wanted. But making another human being’s life miserable had never seriously crossed my mind until recently. I wasn’t sure what had come over me lately. The wedding had been a week ago and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was headed down a road I wasn’t entirely sure I could follow and not lose myself in the process.

 

Befriending Kaleesa had been like moving a chess piece, all a part of the strategy. I’d had it in my mind that I’d lure her into some false sense of security and then pull the rug out from under her. I hadn’t really formed a plan as to how I was going to do it but then I took a step back and analyzed my motives. Why was I so upset with Kaleesa? How would getting back at her help anyone? And more selfishly, how would that help me? I wanted to work on mine and Jonathan’s friendship, first and foremost. I couldn’t let Tayla and James come back to a dysfunctional family, not that we were all that functional to begin with.

 

I needed time alone with him to sort out my own feelings and be completely sure about whatever I decided. I had no right to ask for his time, as I had been pushing him away all these months but I knew that was my only chance. Pushing him away hadn’t helped and ignoring the whole situation hadn’t done a damn thing. Maybe I needed a new tactic.

 

Similarly, in tenth grade when I had run for student council president, Janice Kellerman was my competition and a damn good opponent being that it was a measly student-run organization. She wasn’t the nicest of girls but she also wasn’t as ruthless as I was; a trait that I possessed with utmost certainty. The problem was, I had a conscience that sounded exactly like my mother — accent and all. Rochelle, now you know it is not right for you to do this. Win with dignity.

 

So, I chucked my plans for world domination and began my campaigning. I only hoped it would be enough, as most of the kids in school feared me, thought I was stuck up, or maybe even both. But as luck would have it, I didn’t need to do much of anything besides sit and watch the situation unfold. The day of elections came and Janice’s name was listed under the Vice President’s section. She’d been outraged at first, until she’d won the seat. Being the only other person vying for president, I had won unopposed. Of course people had suspected me, but I hadn’t done a thing. I let fortune be my guide and it had paid off. At least back then I had a clear cut idea of what I wanted, unlike now. I wasn’t sure which way was even up at the moment. My mind was spinning a mile a minute and I couldn’t get a firm grasp on what I was feeling emotionally.

 

Did I want John, or didn’t I want him? Your guess was as good as mine. All I knew was that I had to stop running and see if he was, in fact, the guy for me. I had a right to explore whatever feelings I had for him and see if they could possibly blossom into something more. I was fully prepared for rejection. I had to finally put on my big girl panties and face this. Running was no longer an option.

 

Besides, my mother’s voice in my head wouldn’t be quiet long enough for me to stop and think about any other option but this one.

 

It was Thursday before I decided to call Jonathan, just to make friendly conversation. To see if there was any hope of having a civil conversation or salvaging what was left of the mess I’d made.

 

“John Denson, Esquire.” A smiled a little at the professional tone of his voice.

 

It sounded like he was waist deep in work and not paying attention to the read out on his phone. I was positive that any other time, especially after what’d happened at the wedding, that I wouldn’t have gotten such a greeting.

 

“Hi, Jonathan.”

 

“Rochelle?” The surprise in his voice was expected. “Hi. What, uh, what’s going on? Is something wrong at Maxwell’s?”

 

“No, no. Everything is fine here. I was just finishing up some paperwork.”

 

“Oh.” He paused, as if waiting for me to reveal the true intention of my impromptu phone call.

 

I cleared my throat to fill the uncomfortable silence. This was going to be much harder than I’d thought.

 

“Well, I just wanted to call and see how you were.” I closed my eyes at how pathetic I sounded. “Talk to you later.”

 

“Wait, Rochelle.”

 

I did as he asked and stayed on the line, anticipating what he’d say next. I don’t think he was even sure of what he wanted to say. But I stayed and waited.

 

After another long pause, I heard him sigh. “Are you hungry?”

 

I wasn’t really hungry but I wasn’t going to turn down a chance to share a meal with him. “Sure. How about lunch in twenty minutes?”

 

“Okay. I’ll pick you up from Maxwell’s.”

 

“See you in twenty.”

 

It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt much lighter than I had in months and a small smile spread across my face as I organized Tayla’s desk and gathered my purse to leave.

 

****

 

Kaleesa

 

Crunching numbers wasn’t my favorite part of the job but when I discovered an anomaly and found a way to correct it, a sense of pride always surged through me. I loved doing algebraic equations to help clear my mind of things. Numbers were a constant. Numbers never changed and equations could always be used to solve even the most ornery of figures. They never talked back, got mad at you or resisted when you were right on the brink of discovery.

 

Yep, numbers were the perfect companion.

 

If only they could talk to you when you were feeling down.

 

I paused my problem-solving and put down my pen with a sigh. My sister and I had gotten into last night over something I could barely remember. But because we could never stay on subject when we argued, the heated discussion switched to my reasoning for not coming to see the family more often.

 

“You moved out here to be closer to us, yet I feel like I see you less than when you lived across the country,” my sister scolded through the phone.

 

“Shauna, I’m sorry. I’ve just been—”

 

“Very busy,” she finished for me. “I know, I know. I’ve heard that excuse before.”

 

“My work is not an excuse. It’s important to me and I’m just getting started here. Give me a break,” I pleaded, but my tolerance for her attitude was wearing thin.

 

She may have been older than me, but she wasn’t going to talk to me as if I were one of her children.

 

“Maybe that’s the problem. I’ve been giving you too many breaks, letting you make too many excuses. You know the fourth anniversary of mom and dad’s death is coming up in a few months?”

 

I couldn’t have forgotten even if I wanted to.

 

“Of course I do. Give me credit here.”

 

“And Audra’s seventh birthday is in two weeks. She’s been asking if you’re even going to make time to be at her party.”

 

I rolled my eyes, knowing my little niece was more concerned with the party itself than who would actually be there. “Really, Shauna? You think I’d miss my own niece’s birthday? I appreciate you thinking so much of me,” I said sarcastically

 

“Don’t turn this around on me. You’re the one who hasn’t been around.”

I sucked on my teeth, trying to reign in my growing annoyance before I spoke.

“And I’m about to be the one who ends this conversation.”

With that said, I closed my phone.

It was a childish move, I know, but being chastised like I was the one about to turn seven just irked me to no end. My sister was always the protective type and the trait got even worse after the passing of our parents.

I couldn’t say I didn’t appreciate having someone in the world that cared about me enough to badger me about the things I rarely thought about. She kept on me about a lot of things, but after a while I began to depend on her too much. She began neglecting her own family to make sure I was alright and settled in my new place after my move. Distancing myself had been the only solution. And thankfully, I had her husband, Nick, on my side.

How the man put up with Shauna and stayed sane, I’d never know, but the two we practically made for either. Though exact opposites in every way, they also complimented each other like no other couple I’d seen…until Tayla and James. Couples like those two made me ache for someone I could call my own, someone I could depend to help me through tough situations, be the shoulder to cry on, and make me laugh when it was (and wasn’t) absolutely necessary.

Suddenly, an image of John doing the snake came to mind and had me chuckling to myself. I looked over at my phone and contemplated calling him but decided against it as I picked up my pen again and got back to work.

“Kaleesa Blake.”

I snapped my head up quickly and replaced my goofy smile with a confused frown.

“John? What the—I mean, how did you get here?”

His easy-going grin never wavered as he mocked thoughtfulness. “Would you like the long version or the short version of the birds and the bees talk?”

I snorted and shook my head. “Spare me. What are you doing here?” I began to stand from my chair.

“Oh, I’m—”

“Jonathan, are you ready?” Rochelle asked as she appeared over his shoulder.

She wore a relaxed expression and her eyes seemed clearer than they had in days. That gut-tugging feeling that something sinister was going on in her head didn’t come and I was thankful for it.

However, looking upon them and seeing how good they looked together had something else flashing within me that I fought to ignore.

When he finally looked in her direction and then turned back to me, his smile seemed forced and his eyes were apologetic. “I’ll talk you later, Kaleesa.”

“Feel free to take your lunch now if you want. Everyone else is on break too,” Rochelle said before turning to walk behind John. “Have a good lunch. I’ll be back in an hour.”

All I could do was nod as I picked up my pen again. “You too.”

I watched them exit and returned to my numbers; this time, without the least bit of enthusiasm.

****

Jonathan

Awkward moments were pretty much a staple in my life, but unlike most people, I could talk my way out of the most awkward, mundane situations. I knew that being a lawyer was right up my alley when I was about ten and I could charm my mother out of giving me a whooping when James and I had misbehaved.  Although I felt bad for my brother, because most times mama could see right through James’ charm and would spank him anyway or just for the hell of it, I wouldn’t have traded my rhetorical talents.

But today it seemed I was at a loss for words.

Rochelle had contacted me out of the blue and we had agreed to lunch. I had to admit, I was somewhat excited that she had finally decided to call but something inside told me not to get my hopes up. I had missed Rochelle’s company and I knew she’d also missed mine but too much had gone on between us to just forget the past and start fresh.

There was also Kaleesa.

I had been thinking about her sporadically throughout the entire week since the wedding. It would come at the most odd times; when I was just sitting around not doing much of anything. A funny commercial on TV would prompt a thought about her and I’d grin out of nowhere, thinking of her contagious laugh.

The image would come about so strongly that I’d shake my head just to will it away. The other day I had burned toast in the oven thinking of something funny she’d said last week. My mind had checked out so quickly that when I returned to reality, smoke was coming from my oven and my bread was completely chard.

That had never happened to me. Not even with Rochelle; who was calling my name at the moment.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I blinked.

She raised an eyebrow but repeated herself. “I was just saying I’m glad we’re having lunch together. It’s been too long.”

“Oh, right, yeah. Too long.” I nodded and pushed the pasta around on my plate.

We sat in silence for a long while. Neither one of us spoke or made much eye contact during the meal. It was enough to make me want to scream.

“Why is this so weird?” Rochelle asked, breaking through the unbearable quiet.

I let loose the first real smile since we’d arrived at the restaurant. It was so like Rochelle to say the first thing that came to her mind when she was uncomfortable.

“Because there’s this elephant in the room that you’re ignoring and I’m avoiding talking about because I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

She twisted her lip in thought and cast her eyes toward her plate then back up at me. “We just need to get it out there.”

“Okay.” I nodded and cleared my throat. “I love you. And not in the way a brother loves his sister. I’ve felt this way for quite some time and the night of the engagement party just felt right to finally let you know. I was fully prepared for you to stand there blinking, possibly slap me, or hell, even throw your champagne on me. But you just turned and walked away. That, I wasn’t expecting. Then, you started avoiding me like the plague. I was hurt, confused, and pretty much heartbroken.”

Rochelle closed her eyes, trying to absorb the things I was telling her. I could see remorse and guilt in her body language, but that wouldn’t make up for the time I’d spent experiencing those feelings.

“I honestly didn’t know,” she began. “I would like to say that I was fully prepared but I wasn’t. You blindsided me and I didn’t know what else to do. You’re my best friend. You and James are my family, my brothers, and I don’t like the fact that that’s changing. I hate it. So I took the easy way out and tried pretending like it never happened.”

“I guess you see how that one worked out,” I joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

She gave an airy laugh; music to my ears. “Not my proudest moment.”

“So…where do we go from here?” I asked after a lengthy pause.

“I guess we take it slow. See what happens.”

I considered the idea for a moment before I nodded. “I like that plan.”

Once we finished with lunch, I dropped her back off at Maxwell’s. I think we were both feeling much more comfortable around each other again. We’d definitely had to work to get back to the level of comfort we had before but I was sure we were on our way to something good…maybe even more than good; great even.

 

“Well, I’ll see you later. Thanks for lunch,” she smiled softly.

I leaned over the console to give her a hug and kiss her cheek. I felt her stiffen for a moment; as if I was going to try to kiss her lips instead. The light touch of my mouth against her skin was brief but I knew this meant something new. This was a new chapter for us and I was motivated to see where it was headed.

I lingered a little longer than necessary and I searched her eyes as she pulled away, trying to gauge her reaction. Rochelle gave a tiny smile I wasn’t sure was completely genuine before she thanked me again and exited the vehicle.

I sat in the parking space for a moment, trying to get a handle on what I was feeling. I wasn’t exactly feeling sparks, like I had expected and I wasn’t feeling let down either. I shrugged it off and backed out of the space, wondering if I should call James before he got home or wait to speak with him afterward.