you and then left because of all the females blowing up your phone. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of women throwing themselves at you, dude,” Brandon concluded. “There’s probably somebody out there who will make you forget all about homegirl.”
“Hey, man, I need you to call Joni,” Kelvin said, as if he hadn’t heard a word Brandon had spoken. “Get her on three-way. I need her to tell me where Princess is at.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I love you like a brother, but I’m not putting my wife in the middle of this again. It took Princess a long time to get over Joni’s indirect involvement in helping you contact her the last time. If she helps interrupt what could be her wedding night . . . that would probably be the end of their friendship.” The silence spoke loudly before Brandon continued, his voice soft and full of compassion. “Let it go, Kelvin. Let her go. I know you’re used to getting what you want in life, but when it comes to this situation, you need to face facts. It’s over.”
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Kelvin replied, his voice calm, resolute. “And it’s not over until I say it is.”
A different kind of pleading was happening on the other side of town. Rafael stood behind Princess, massaging her tight shoulders. “I’ve waited a year, Princess. I think I’ve been more than patient. All I’m asking is for us to take a shower together, and then let us go to sleep with you wrapped in my arms.”
Princess dropped her head as Rafael’s strong fingers moved from her shoulders to the nape of her neck. “That’s what you say now, but I think once we’re butt naked in the shower you’ll be asking for a little bit more.”
Something in Rafael snapped. He ended the massage abruptly and came from behind the chair to confront Princess face to face. “Would that be asking too much? We had about five minutes of the ceremony left, Princess. Five minutes! And then we would have been husband and wife. What’s left is a mere formality and I’ve already told you that by noon tomorrow, even that will be taken care of.”
Princess was in turmoil. How could she counter what Rafael said? It made perfect sense. True, at this time in her life she was the poster child for virtuousness and had vowed to be married the next time she made love. But she felt that even Jesus would admit that these were some pretty extraneous circumstances. How could she deny this man who’d been so patient with her? And then, an even more disturbing thought. How could she deny the feelings for the man who’d caused fireworks in her body with one simple glance?
“I know this isn’t how we imagined tonight,” she finally said, reaching out to grab the hand of the patient, understanding, worthy man whose pleading eyes now bore into hers. “I’ve been anticipating it as much as you. I can’t imagine many men who would have honored me the way that you have. But if we give in to our passion tonight, before our marriage becomes official, then the last twelve months would have been in vain.” Princess stood, placed her arms around Rafael’s neck. “Just a few more hours,” she murmured, kissing him on the cheek. “And then . . . I’m all yours.”
16
Forget You
E veryone survived the night. Derrick had still not awakened, but his vitals remained stable and his heartbeat was strong. After trying without success to talk Vivian into coming with them, King and Tai had left the hospital shortly after one in the morning. Vivian had refused to leave her husband’s side, but had accepted the hospital’s offer to have a small cot wheeled into Derrick’s room. After talking with Brandon and making a few more calls, Kelvin had gone down to the bar in his hotel. He’d drunk Johnnie Walker Blue over ice, entertained the small crowd gathered at that late hour, signed a few autographs, and finally, around three in the morning, was sufficiently inebriated to get some sleep.
“Hey, man, I need you to call Joni,” Kelvin said, as if he hadn’t heard a word Brandon had spoken. “Get her on three-way. I need her to tell me where Princess is at.”
“No.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I love you like a brother, but I’m not putting my wife in the middle of this again. It took Princess a long time to get over Joni’s indirect involvement in helping you contact her the last time. If she helps interrupt what could be her wedding night . . . that would probably be the end of their friendship.” The silence spoke loudly before Brandon continued, his voice soft and full of compassion. “Let it go, Kelvin. Let her go. I know you’re used to getting what you want in life, but when it comes to this situation, you need to face facts. It’s over.”
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Kelvin replied, his voice calm, resolute. “And it’s not over until I say it is.”
A different kind of pleading was happening on the other side of town. Rafael stood behind Princess, massaging her tight shoulders. “I’ve waited a year, Princess. I think I’ve been more than patient. All I’m asking is for us to take a shower together, and then let us go to sleep with you wrapped in my arms.”
Princess dropped her head as Rafael’s strong fingers moved from her shoulders to the nape of her neck. “That’s what you say now, but I think once we’re butt naked in the shower you’ll be asking for a little bit more.”
Something in Rafael snapped. He ended the massage abruptly and came from behind the chair to confront Princess face to face. “Would that be asking too much? We had about five minutes of the ceremony left, Princess. Five minutes! And then we would have been husband and wife. What’s left is a mere formality and I’ve already told you that by noon tomorrow, even that will be taken care of.”
Princess was in turmoil. How could she counter what Rafael said? It made perfect sense. True, at this time in her life she was the poster child for virtuousness and had vowed to be married the next time she made love. But she felt that even Jesus would admit that these were some pretty extraneous circumstances. How could she deny this man who’d been so patient with her? And then, an even more disturbing thought. How could she deny the feelings for the man who’d caused fireworks in her body with one simple glance?
“I know this isn’t how we imagined tonight,” she finally said, reaching out to grab the hand of the patient, understanding, worthy man whose pleading eyes now bore into hers. “I’ve been anticipating it as much as you. I can’t imagine many men who would have honored me the way that you have. But if we give in to our passion tonight, before our marriage becomes official, then the last twelve months would have been in vain.” Princess stood, placed her arms around Rafael’s neck. “Just a few more hours,” she murmured, kissing him on the cheek. “And then . . . I’m all yours.”
16
Forget You
E veryone survived the night. Derrick had still not awakened, but his vitals remained stable and his heartbeat was strong. After trying without success to talk Vivian into coming with them, King and Tai had left the hospital shortly after one in the morning. Vivian had refused to leave her husband’s side, but had accepted the hospital’s offer to have a small cot wheeled into Derrick’s room. After talking with Brandon and making a few more calls, Kelvin had gone down to the bar in his hotel. He’d drunk Johnnie Walker Blue over ice, entertained the small crowd gathered at that late hour, signed a few autographs, and finally, around three in the morning, was sufficiently inebriated to get some sleep.
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