By the rehearsal dinner, Tanya was in full-blown bridal mode.
“We just want to thank you all for sharing this special day with us.” Kenneth started his speech. “This amazing woman caught my eye the first time I met her, and I’m so blessed that she’s going to be my wife tomorrow. It was hard for me to find a woman to love forever. There was a time when I felt like it wouldn’t happen for me, but here she is folks! My lady. And soon, she’ll be Mrs. Kenneth Jamal Thompson.”
Everyone clapped, spewing “Awes” at the heartfelt words. As the noise settled, he nudged Tanya to express her sentiments.
She turned to face her fiancé’. “Kenneth, you’ve been so good to me. You’re my hero, my heart, my protector, my happiness. I love you soooo much, and tomorrow will be a day that will change my life forever!”
“Don’t make us cry!” Shauna chimed in, breaking Tanya’s speech.
Kenneth wasn’t appeased by the Matron of Honor’s interruption, however, he laughed it off to salvage the moment.
“Um, well, okay.” She continued, turning away from him. “He’s the best and I’m anxious to be his wife. I’m glad everyone could take time out of their busy schedules to come to see us become one. I never knew I could love someone this much. Thanks for being our support system as we enter this new chapter. We hope you enjoy our day as much as we do.” Tanya concluded, raising her glass.
The music started while the food arrived, Kenneth and his wife-to-be made their rounds to individually greet everyone awaiting to give personal well wishes.
“Ken, this is my only daughter. I have two knucklehead sons who jacked up three marriages between them. Break the curse son.” Tanya’s father, Moses, laughed.
“Oh Moses stop that!” Her mother said, hitting his shoulder. “You know Ryann and Lewis didn’t want to be married in the first place.”
“Yea, for a while I thought the ‘Never getting married thing’ cursed all of our kids. Then Tanya met you. And I’m glad. Take care of my baby girl.” Moses patted Kenneth on the shoulder.
“He will daddy! No doubt about that. My honey has taken care of me since day one.”
“Just look at those two. Reminds me of when we first married.” Her mother, Tamara, gushed.
“Yea it does. But you were a few pounds heavier.”
“Daddy! Be nice!”
“Oh, Tanya it’s fine. I learned a long time ago when to tune your father out. You’ll pick up on that trick too after the newlywed phase.” Tamara said before taking a sip of champagne.
“I’m so glad the lovely couple made it to the wedding rehearsal on time.” Shauna entered the conversation. “I was worried that you guys would be late.”
“Shauna I’ll keep my baby on task from now on. You are relieved of your duties.” Kenneth joked.
“Why thank you Ken. It has been a hard task for the last 15 years, and I’ll gladly hand that duty over to you.” She replied.
“Just get my baby to the church on time. You know, since I can’t see her before she meets me at the altar.” He added.
Shauna jokingly rolled her eyes then walked away to sit with her husband. She motioned to Tanya to join her.
“Why can’t she just give us a minute?” Kenneth whispered, annoyed. “I hope this isn’t a preview of how it’s going to be once we’re married.”
“I’ll be back shortly. You know how she is with this wedding thing.” She replied.
“Is everything alright?” Tamara asked, poking into their conversation.
“Everything’s fine mama. You know how Shauna is, always controlling everybody.”
“I told you that a long time ago.” Her mother mumbled, giving a strange look in Shauna’s direction.
“She’s overbearing. A blessing and a curse.” Tanya kissed Kenneth on the lips. “I’ll be right back. Keep my folks company.”
As she walked away, Kenneth gave his fiancé a love tap on the butt.
“Hey! That don’t belong to you yet!” Moses joked.
“I wanted to get you by yourself to tell you about tonight.” Shauna said as her friend reached the table. “The party bus will be...”
“Hold it.” Tanya stopped. “Does Rod need to be part of this conversation?”
“Say no more.” Rod said getting up from the table. “I need to holler at my boy Ken anyway.”
Shauna gave a stern look then continued.
“The party bus will be at your house at 10. You think you can get these people out by 8:30 so we can leave and get ready?”
“For a party, hell yea. I’ll have them out by 8:15” Tanya replied, keeping her voice low.
“Good!” She winked. “And don’t send my husband away. We don’t keep secrets.”
The blushing bride-to-be took a deep breath to prevent getting an attitude with her best friend. That breath didn’t work, luckily Kenneth walked over. A touch on the waist, from him, was all she needed to get back centered.
“Hey baby, our food is here, let’s eat.” He said softly in her ear.
“Right on time.” She replied.
The catering company prepared his favorite meal. Smothered chicken, baked potato, green beans, and chocolate cake for dessert. Tanya prepared the same dinner for him at least once a week. It wasn’t her favorite, but the smile it gave Kenneth was worth the redundant dinners.
At 8:05 pm, they gave final goodbyes and hinted to stragglers that it was time to go. Tanya grew exhausted from telling the same love stories, answering pestering questions about having babies, and listening to Kenneth’s yammering how she’s moving at a snail’s pace to sell her home. It was indeed time to party with her girls.
“I’m not ready to leave you baby.” Kenneth whined as he stood with Tanya in the parking lot.
She responded with a long, sweet kiss on his lips.
“Shauna, what’s the plan for my lady this evening?”
“Nothing you need to know!” She replied, carrying bags to the car.
“But it’s okay for YOUR man to know.” Tanya mumbled to herself.
“You okay?” Kenneth mouthed, noticing her frown.
“Yep. Everything is perfect honey.”
“Now get your final kisses in while I get my stuff together.” Shauna walked by again to go say goodbye to her husband.
“Honey, just think, this time tomorrow night we’ll be making love as husband and wife.” Tanya smiled. “And on Valentine’s Day.”
“Baby, I can’t wait until they announce you as Mrs. Thompson. I’ve been wanting you to have that name for a long time.”
The look he gave while speaking those words were so endearing. A tear of joy fell from Tanya’s eye.
“Baby what’s wrong?” Kenneth asked, catching the tear.
“Nothing honey. Absolutely nothing. I just love you so much.”
In a way, Tanya lied. Something was wrong. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. Inside, her mind told her to stop and think. Although she suppressed the yearning for that life she’d dreamt of to enjoy marriage, something pulled at her. It wasn’t a small symptom of cold feet, nor the heartfelt words of her fiancé’.
“I love you too baby.” Kenneth said, then gave her a peck on the forehead. “I’m going to love you forever!”
I’M GOING TO LOVE YOU FOREVER! The gnawing feeling stopped once those words rang in her ears.
“Alright Tanya! It’s 8:15! You know what time it is!” Shauna said, breaking up the moment.
Kenneth shook his head at the pushy friend.
“She doesn’t get out much does she?” He asked.
“Leave my friend alone. She’s been working on this party for a month. And you KNOW how she loves to plan.” Tanya laughed.
“You sure I can’t sneak you away for another ‘session’ and just drop you off before its time for Y’all to leave?” He asked, with the puppy dog eyes.
“No honey.” She replied, shaking her head. “Because if that happens I’m not leaving you until the morning.”
“Damn! Alright c
ome here and kiss me like it’s the last time.” He pulled her closer to him.
The way their lips intertwined, one would think he was going off to war. Tanya caressed the back of his head as passerby’s raved at their expression of love.
Unfortunately, the matron of honor waited impatiently in the car, literally counting the seconds for them to finish. They needed that kiss. It symbolized the ending one phase of their relationship, and moving into the next. The tail end of the kiss completed with lingering pecks. The last peck leading to another. Kenneth drew back and bit his bottom lip, to admire Tanya’s beautiful face.
“Hurry up and get down that aisle to me. Okay.” He said in a sexy voice.
“Yes I will. I love you to the moon honey.”
“I love you too baby.”
They both felt Shauna’s stares burning a hole in the windshield. Nothing would tear them from taking that time to themselves. Plus, Tanya had a major epiphany during their kiss. It was the last gesture to convince herself that she was all in. She had to get it out before leaving Kenneth.
“Honey, look. I know we haven’t been seeing eye to eye on certain things. And honestly, I don’t care about all of that now. While we’re on our honeymoon, let’s email the realtor and set up a meeting...TOGETHER. And we’ll go over everything we need to do to put my house on the market.” She explained.
That piece of news put a big smile on Kenneth’s face.
“Ok baby, we can do that. I promise, you won’t regret it. And I meant everything I said about it being OUR home. Whatever I need to do to guarantee that, I’ll do it. I want you to feel secure in our marriage. Trust me. I got us baby.” He said sincerely.
“I trust you. And....Let’s say after a good six months of enjoying each other, we can start working on baby number one.”
His joyful expression said it all.
“But ummm. We’re going to get some good practice in on the honeymoon so bring your A-game Mr. Thompson.” Tanya added. “I’ll call you tonight before I leave. Love you!”
She attempted to walk away but Kenneth pulled her back for one more moment to stare into her eyes.
“Baby, you make me so happy.”
“Even when I annoy you?” She smirked.
”Yes!” He replied quickly.
“I gotta go honey. You better not have too much fun tonight. I need you coherent tomorrow.” She instructed. “You have a woman to marry.”
“I know baby. I know.” He nodded and laughed at his future wife’s demand.
Before finally departing, they didn’t kiss. Only exchanged enduring glares into each other’s eyes.
Kenneth watched her walk away to make sure she got into the car safely. Tanya stopped and blew a kiss at him. He smiled, then waved goodbye. Shauna waved as well, then started the engine. As the car pulled off, he stood still watching it fade into the night.
Looking off into the dark road, the delight in Kenneth’s face dimmed. Thoughts of knowing what Tanya gave up for him didn’t sit well. Although excited about her finally agreeing to sell her home and start a family; that wasn’t the woman he knew talking. He wondered what changed her mind, and if she would change it back as time went on. In her attempt to show good faith in their new chapter, she unknowingly transferred the uneasiness to him.
Kenneth wiped his face hard to shake those ill feelings, then returned inside to meet up with his friends for the bachelor party.
“Awe that was the last time kissing Ken as a single woman.” Shauna taunted.
“Yea.” Tanya sighed. “The next time I’m going to kiss him will be at the altar.”
“So what were you two talking about anyway?” She pried.
“We’re meeting with this realtor he found, to sell my house.” Tanya replied.
“What?!!? I thought you didn’t want to do that.”
“I know what I said. But I’m doing this for us. I can’t keep thinking about MY wants. I’m in a partnership now.”
“Funny. Earlier today you were singing a TOTALLY different song. I guess you never know when that bug will hit ya. Changes everything for the better. I’m proud of you Tanya.”
“Thanks bestie. And we’re going to work on a starting a family.”
Tanya wanted to add more, but realized what she agreed to, and there was no turning back.
Shauna didn’t say a word. Although confused by the sudden change of heart, she was excited about her friend being completely on board, instead of somberly ranting about the downside of marrying Kenneth.
A few hours later, the party bus arrived just as Tanya finished getting dressed. The rest of the crew, consisting of bridesmaids and friends, were downstairs drinking.
I wouldn’t mind canceling this thing and spending the night with Kenneth. Tanya thought, easing her way downstairs in six-inch heels.
“What are you thinking about girl?” Her friend, Keena, yelled from the bottom of the staircase.
“Nothing. Just concentrating on not breaking an ankle. Let’s go celebrate my last night of freedom!” She replied, motivating herself to party.
Shauna handed her a double of tequila. “You’re a little late on the celebration. We’re two shots in, you need to catch up.”
Drinking the shot, Tanya cringed while the tequila made its way down her throat.
“Oh my GOD! It’s been a minute since I’ve had that! No lime?”
“No ma’am. You’re taking shots like a pro tonight. No chaser. No lime. No salt.” Keena poured another shot. “Now shoot this, and let’s go!”
Listening to the girls cheer her on, Tanya gulped the second double shot.
“Whew! That was worse than the first one!”
The ladies boarded the party bus, happy to get the night going. They made Tanya sit in the back so she wouldn’t suspect where they were headed.
“Ah! I forgot to text my honey!” She said, scrambling to find her phone.
She sent Kenneth a quick message, to let him know she leaving, then quickly put the phone away.
“Were you just texting your man?” Keena laughed. “Tonight is about celebrating you coming out of the single life. You’ll have all day tomorrow to be with him.”
“I know Keena. I told him that I’d text when I left. But for the rest of the night, Its all about my girls!”
“Time for another shot!” Shauna shouted, walking towards the back of the bus with a bottle in hand. “We need to make sure we get you nice and tipsy. Keena, hand me a bottle of water please.”
“You’re going to have soooo much fun tonight.” Shauna said, pouring tequila in a plastic cup. “Make sure you drink water throughout the night too. We have a lot to do in the morning.”
After a fifth tequila shot on the bus, the night became a blur to Tanya. They stopped at a local bar for drinks, bachelorette shout outs from the DJ, dancing on the bar, and random guys buying rounds. Next, they stopped at a popular club, hosting male strippers from Los Angeles. Of course, Shauna made arrangements to have Tanya called to the stage for a dance.
For 20 minutes, oily, muscular men surrounded her, giving all their attention. She knew Kenneth would hate it, but Tanya definitely enjoyed the view. Plus, Rod had a big night planned for the guys, which definitely involved strippers. The last club had a VIP section reserved just for them. They dressed her in a tiara and sash so everyone in the building knew she was a soon-to-be “Mrs.”
By 3AM, Tanya tapped out! She slept on the back seat of the party bus while her friends recounted the events of the night.
“Tanya, are you ok?” Keena shouted to the back. “I know you enjoyed yourself. Especially with those strippers!”
She didn’t move.
“She’s fine. Tanya needs all the rest she can get, so we can get up in the morning.” Shauna said.
“Wow, you really have her on a tight schedule.” Keena said, opening a water bottle.
“Of course, I need to make sure my girl goes down that aisle to...” Her phone buzzing interrupted the conversation.
&nb
sp; Rod sent a text displaying a puzzling message.
“What’s wrong Shauna?” Keena asked.
“Well.” She sighed. “Looks like the guys’ night ended earlier than expected.”
“What? How?”
“Rod text me earlier, guess my phone wasn’t getting good reception until now, but he said Ken ended the bachelor party early. Not sure what that was all about.”
“Well you know Ken is like an old man. The excitement of big booty strippers was probably too much for him.”
“Ugh! I don’t wanna know what my husband experienced at that party. However, if it involved strippers, I’m glad it ended early. This is his only pass to see another woman’s ass cheeks!”
“So you don’t like your man around strippers?”
“Hell no!” Shauna replied disgustedly. “We had to do some REAL negotiating to get these parties planned. He didn’t want me around male exotic dancers, and I didn’t want him throwing money at some big booty freaks. But, since Ken and Tanya are close friends, we lifted that ‘law’ just this one time.”
“Law!?!?” Kenna shouted. “Why do you two have laws?”
“You wouldn’t understand Keena. It’s a marriage thing. You single women run around from man to man, even while in relationships. When you’re married, you respect each other.”
Offended by the comment, Keena ended the conversation with a shrug. Shauna always threw her marriage up in the single girls’ faces. As if she had embarked on something that was untouchable to them.
“You sure Tanya will be ok in the morning?” One of the bridesmaids asked, joining them.
Shauna ignored the question, keeping her eyes glued to the phone. She waited for more details from Rod on the botched bachelor party.
The party bus pulled up to Tanya’s home. Some of the girls who were ok to drive went on their way, while the rest gathered their things to spend the night. Shauna and Keena helped their best friend off the bus, and into bed.
“Awe look, our girl is getting married tomorrow.” Shauna gazed at her sleeping BFF.
“Yes girl, I just knew she’d be the last one in the crew to get married, but she ended up being the third.” Keena smiled. “Now I need to get some sleep, I’ll be in the guest room if you need me.”
Devastation or Destiny??? Page 3