Ashes Remain

by Alethea Stauron

  And

  Lucius grits his lips away from the area. His eyes boil. He stands back in a corner, controlling his breathing as his balled fists make impressions in his palms. “If they can play this game, so can I.”

  Newly implanted thoughts brew in David’s mind. At first a seedling idea… then… out of nowhere irritation buds. He becomes angrier, “Wait a second.”

  The scene dawns on him…

  “Wait a second.” David witnesses what Lucius had seen through the minds of others. Several couples snickering at his friend. Older couples appalled from the choice of body language slipped nonchalantly through seemingly harmless dance moves. David shakes his head. An anvil of realization falling over his thoughts. He leans toward his bride, “Amber, who’s that with little sister? I’ve never seen him before. Is that Lucius holding her like that?”

  “No,” shaking her head, “Lucius has blue eyes. He’s still overseas. She just told me,” swapping a sweet champagne sip with her breath. “That’s right…” She nods, “Drake. That’s his name. He’s just a friend… a total cowboy.”

  David arches a brow, “A friend,” and stares down at Amber. “Sweetie, that’s not how a friend dances with someone else’s girl.” He presses off the side of his feet, bumping the table. A couple groomsmen hands cup glasses when David says, “This has gotta end. He’s basically molesting my little sister in public.”

  Amber catches his arm, “Don’t embarrass her. Or do anything on our wedding day,” as her lips make a silent… Please.

  Hesitantly, he nods. Soon after, shortening distance between him and his bride, “If this dance continues… we’re gonna have to ask the children to leave. Do you see it now? Excuse me, but I have to stop him.”

  David holds dominant footing outside the dance floor, waiting for cowboy eyes to meet his. Once Drake glimpses over, David’s stern hands make gentlemanly gestures for him to follow… and plainly obvious.

  Drake slows, cussing below sounds of music. The railroad spike of a protective glare from across the floor doesn’t flow easily over him.

  The hell does he want, Drake thinks, Can’t he see I’m working here?

  And

  Drake casually looks off the other way, acting completely ignorant. He pulls his Josephine puppet closer. David angles a glaring jawline with a slight squint. “He did not just,” nearly sliding heated steps onto maple flooring.

  An arm taps David’s, “Congratulations,” a family guest told him.

  He nods, “Thank you.” And makes slowed steps, caused by well-wishers toward the center. David complements his guests, encouraging them to continue dancing instead of delaying him. Several suits pass by when, “Hey, man,” tapping rather harshly on Drake’s shoulder, “Come here.” David’s signaling allows no choice when pulling new blood a foot away from her.

  Shit. This guy never gives up. Drake swivels back. Suddenly what seemed smaller in the distance has grown in size. Breathing down at him. He’s looking up at David, “Well, you’re a big guy. Aren’t ya?” Drake nods, “Sorry, but this dance is taken.”

  “I’d like to speak with you,” David stares through a wincing smile, “Now…”

  Reluctantly, “Alright,” Drake nodded.

  David tries escorting Drake to follow. He ganders back, and witnesses Drake pardoning himself with lips touching the corner of Josephine’s ear. “Hey, Jojo.” Drake tells her, “I’ll be with you in a minute. Why don’t you go sit down and drink your grape juice?”

  “Okay,” she said, gladly taking her seat back at her table. Her much quieter and more private table away from curious onlookers.

  David waits halfway, sneering without realizing it until Drake catches up. David’s shoes dig with every step, stomping like Lucius had transferred with thought as he ushers Drake. He ushers him into a partially secluded area, so the two men can speak. David spirals back with folded arms, watching his reception. Drake stands beside him moments later, and they’re both staring at a wedding party — in awkward silence.

  Drake speaks softly in order to break the awkwardness, almost too delicate to hear. “You called me over,” swallowing possible fears he previously had. “We’re all just having fun here. No harm in partaking, if the music’s right. Right?”

  “I didn’t choose that song.” David’s deep brown eyes gaze down, “Do I know you?”

  “I’m Josephine’s new roommate,” hiking a brow, “Drake. Drake’s the name. And we’re two consenting adults.”

  All expression leaves David’s face, “Who? What did you just say to me,” balling fists until knuckles pop. “Are you… insinuating…”

  Drake steps back toward crowded maple, bumping into someone. He swiftly angles over, grabbing a man’s attention like a shield next to him, “Sorry, sir. I think the groom’s talking to you.” He successfully snatches Amber’s cousin to acknowledge back toward David, buying himself a natural excuse to walk away. A few more eyes in the area grow in making contact. Drake adds more into the conversation with a few rolls of his hand.

  “Yes…” Amber’s cousin says, “David? You wanted to ask me something?”

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” David said. His eyes follow someone trying to escape. David says, “Excuse me.” passing around a few tuxedos before catching Drake’s arm. “You running away?”

  Drake withdrawals his sleeve calmly. Dusting it. He adjusts his hat. Drawing, yet, more attention. His gesturing gaze suggests an audience has grown in the last ten steps from where they were standing. A few people are definitely staring amongst the noisy crowd.

  But…

  David asks anyway, “You wanna tell me what you just said?”

  “Dude,” Drake jostles his cleanshaven chin, “You have no idea how many cards I can play right now…” signaling catastrophe with a flick of his nose, “… in front of all these people. Do you really wanna do that?”

  “Is that a threat? Remember where you are,” glancing at his hat, “cowboy.”

  “That’s what I’m talk’n ‘bout,” hovering his face closer to David, “You’re not gonna make ‘er hate ya by making a scene in front of all these people…” he nods at a few studying over, “… on your wedding day,” a smooth latch in his words plummets David’s situation into a coffin, as Drake continues, “Are you?”

  David wrangles his chocolate brown eyes up, recognizing unwanted attention. Attention he promised his bride he wouldn’t create. A position Drake has easily placed him in, in a matter of moments. David notices Amber gripping her glass, losing trust in her groom’s approach with her expression. A bulldozing truth of how he’s handled the situation so far, crushes him when her cousin steps over, and asks, “Is there a problem, David?”

  David backsteps. “No.” A hefty expression of being stuck in a spot he’s lost all power in. “We’re fine.” David gazes back at Drake, nodding a pseudo-smile toward several onlookers… until… they turn their eyes away from the underground dogfight growling beneath his chest.

  Drake whispers, “Now you know who I am,” measuring out distance between him and David. He continues, “Josephine and I were just leaving to take our heat somewhere else.” David’s feet are bolted, watching Drake scurry like a snake toward Josephine.

  Drake strides with every bit of growing attention. He was easily the life of the party on the floor which he currently cuts through. He’s not dancing anymore. His lessening smile is monitored. The air he carries around him has diminished from previous exuberance. What happened? People notice the atmosphere. The change in demeanor. Several surrounding family members, some of which David has recently met for the first time. Such attention places David in a weak position where he stands.

  Only standing.

  Only watching.

  Watching as Drake almost hovers toward Josephine once he’s off the dance floor. Now, he’s at the table. A predator over a lamb. Drake leans across her shoulder, stopping her from speaking with David’s youngest sister. He glides gently down her arm between a crowd of people ch
atting around her. He occupies small space with seemingly harmless reason. But glances back toward David using a sinister glare from the corner of his eye and a rising smile.

  “No,” David whispered, “she can’t be… serious about…” his words fell. They fell from a hollow spot on the dance floor. Hollower by the moment as he watches without hearing what’s said. Only his mind is left in imagining what was insinuated before.

  Drake speaks into Josephine’s ears. His body angles as if making sexual proposition. Easily constructed for his silent audience gripping palms in the background. An audience staring with a hole in his heart. Drake is sure to make his tongue touch his lips several times with his words. Every vowel spoken slowly. The more sensual, the more evident his desires.

  Josephine arches her neck toward him, “Speak up,” angling her jawline a little. “I can’t hear you.”

  “Can we go,” Drake stares as David’s eyes bulge, “I lost my key and I can’t leave your door unlocked while I’m sleeping.”

  David’s stomach grows a sick feeling, watching Drake’s tongue nearly licking the maid of honor’s ear. The sensual gestures of how his mouth forms around his words. Facial movements close to her. His body rubbed closely against her in a tight space between chairs. But she’s not bothered. “Why…” David whispered through his sorrow, “… little sis?”

  But

  Drake continues his role of lustful predator eyes, “I have to help some orphans in the morning with an early delivery. I already told your friend you’re gonna help me. You don’t have to say goodbye. He knows how giving and kind you are,” and signals toward random people at the table, “everybody knows. Took me forever just to get over to you. Probably take an hour if you said goodbye — Maid of honor and all.” He grins, catching every bit of David’s attention. Drake stands, hunching over her shoulder, angling his head down.

  And

  David sees the top of a cowboy hat. Half of her face and neck shielded beneath felt. Hiding what could be going on underneath the shaded rim. Drake speaks alongside her neck, appearing as if he’s kissing her jawline from those close to where David stands. Drake tells her, “What do you say? Am I standing out in the cold ‘til you get back? I guess I don’t mind. Kinda used to it.”

  Josephine swivels back a gentle touch, apologetically brushing his cheek under his hat, “Of course we can go. I wouldn’t do that to you. I’m not inconsiderate.” She arises, grabbing her matching purse.

  Drake assists her up, nearly pressing hands across her breasts as he covers her with a silky turquoise wrap. Just as he escorts Josephine through lobby doorways, he glances at David, “Bye y’all,” and winks.

  ◆◆◆

  David is fixed in place. His stare is barred at a blank space toward lobby doors. Amber sneaks over to her silent groom. His expression is gnawing on the same thought for several minutes. Amber asks, “What is it, honey? Why’re you staring at nothing,” signaling him to pay attention. After the second snap of her fingers, “… and, stopping people from dancing in this area. You’re in the middle. People think you’re waiting on me.”

  “I don’t like him,” David grinds his teeth.

  “Who?”

  “That new guy. Drake. He’s bad news.”

  “That’s what you’re doing over here?”

  “He’s a jerk, Amber.”

  “Oh, David… you have to let Josephine be an adult. She’s not really your little sister. I’m sure it’s nothing. She’s not interested in Drake. He’s just a renter.”

  “How do you know? Didn’t look like that.”

  “She told me. She’s waiting for Lucius to come back. He proposed before he left. You know how stuck she is on him. Won’t even leave the house in fear that she’ll miss him. She wouldn’t sleep around,” patting his arm, “She said she’s faithful. Look, she might not be in church with us anymore, but she’s not like that. You know her. A good girl like me and Carissa. Her daddy raised her better.” She tenderly rubs his shoulder, trying to press him back to the reception, “Come sit with me. We leave in an hour and I haven’t seen some of these people in ages.”

  David nods at his wife. Amber gracefully steps with an evening gown toward half eaten pineapple coconut frosting. He swivels his expression toward lobby glass, “If that’s true…” he sneers, “this guy’s a total ass.”

  Drake trails Josephine’s bumper. He covets a nice hidden area beside trees and her shed. Followed by a catty-corner parking job, making ruts beside the shed and yard art lining the driveway. Josephine glances back at newly turfed terrain. Great, she thinks, at least it’s the country. She smiles over, “If you have early deliveries, don’t worry about me leaving after you’ve gone to bed. I don’t drive at night. I rarely drive early in the morning.”

  “I was leaving it open for you,” excusing his choice of parking arrangements. He nods with a half quarter turn from soft ruts beside yard art, “Forgot… sorry,” and follows her across stone steps. Josephine’s fingers slide into her purse between her wallet and wedding memorabilia. Drake reaches into his pocket, jostling separate keys in his grip.

  The jingling snaps her into a pause from juggling her own keys in hand. “Hey, I thought you didn’t have your key?” She points her chin, “What are those?”

  “Yeah,” unlocking the door without a twitch in his movement. “Found it loose on my floorboard. Dumb luck I guess.”

  Her head bobbles a few times pass the threshold and rubs her temples. “We left early though.”

  “You didn’t have to. Turns out I wouldn’t have waited after all.”

  Her purse newly hangs by a thin strap over a wall hook. She places her keychain in a dish under her family portrait, and says, “I was tired anyway.” She yawns, “They were about to leave for their flight. I gotta get showered before bed. Been an exhausting day.” She stretches her lips to one side, “I guess wine —

  “Grape juice,” he interrupted.

  “Well, whatever you wanna call it… made me tired after not eating all day.”

  Drake stares down perky breasts with her shoulders back. A mild stretch induces her grunt, sounding more like an exhausted moan. Completely oblivious to her audience while she undoes a shawl button from behind. Josephine says, “Thanks for coming. It was fun.”

  “Wait,” drifting an inviting palm toward her, “we’re both still dressed.” He sways a smooth chin, “I’d love finishing our dance before you go to bed,” and gestures at her thighs, “Amazing dress, Jojo. I was having fun until we were interrupted. Felt like I was teaching you some’n ‘bout dancing.”

  “What was it about?”

  “Our dance?”

  “No,” flicking a cockeyed lip, “What did David want?”

  “Oh,” half squinting over at her “He just wanted to ask for favors. Nothing serious.”

  “What favors,” a floating hand draws him in continuing, “Does he know you?”

  “What about our dance,” changing his tone, “I’d rather talk about that. You need to get your money’s worth with that dress.”

  “What favors,” snagging her unamused brow.

  Drake teases, “You know you’re a little scary… asking questions like that? Doing that eye thang? You remind me of my momma when I’s in trouble.”

  “So I’ve heard,” folding her arms, “What favors?”

  “Ugh… you sure you wanna know this,” angling his expression, as if she might not.

  But it doesn’t work.

  “Yes,” she nodded.

  “Okay. But I was trying to be nice in not telling you. He asked if he knew me,” his eyes practicing remorse, “I told him I make deliveries for our community, and you should’ve saw the greed in his eyes… must be hormones from the wedding.” His head bobs toward his shoes, as if digging through air, “I guess he recognized the kind of work I did. Asked if I could make some deliveries for ‘em in the future,” floating his brows as if praying, “for free.”

  “Free?” She looks off through a wall, trying
to make sense of it. “I guess he does know how you help your community — him working for the city and all. I didn’t think of how your careers intertwined.”

  “Yep. We’re both city servicemen. But I already told you I give all I can for the little kiddos. I can’t survive on that hospitality anymore. I’d be eating trash if it weren’t for you.” He brushes over linen, “Probably would’ve sold this shirt I’m wearing… just to eat some’n tonight.” His hand stretches out for her much like reaching for a lifeline, “It’s why my fiancé left me,” and caresses her upper arm. His words speak softly against her, “She used me ‘til there was nut’n left. Just a broken man… never loved again by a woman,” and raises one of his tangled brows, “I was gonna be homeless until you helped me. You’ve done saved my life, and the lives of those children in giving me some’n you didn’t use. Some’n as simple as a parking spot and a bed to sleep in. Imagine what you’re doing for others. Giving me a little. I wish I could repay you.”

  His expression falls, “But as embarrassing as it was for me, I had to tell him no. I’m scared he’ll ask me again,” stretching his gaze toward her, “best not bring it up with him,” shrugging, “To keep from awkward situations of reminding me how powerless I am, and reminding me how easy it is to end my life. Maybe he’ll forget.”

  “I didn’t think of that.” She touches three fingers toward her collarbone, “I’m so sorry,” and places her other hand over his shoulder, “Don’t think like that. I’m sure it’ll blow over. We won’t mention it.”

  He lowers his voice, pouting between words, “I lost ev’thing.” Out of nowhere he sobs behind loosed fingers. But she must have known the conversation would spread such an influx of emotion. He’s already told her he’s sensitive in so many words. Josephine glances over toward the tissue box, and he continues, “She left me. Josephine, she left me. She took ev’thing from me,” his voice cracks, “Including my heart.” His palms purchase an area of her upper arms. His tears bags doing their best to swell. Well in his role, Drake gazes solely in her eyes, as if pulling moisture from her hazel. “And now you’re mad ‘cause I can’t help your friend. I know it.” His legs appear weak, plopping down in a chair, covering exercised tears.