Again for the First Time

by Raven St. Pierre

  Daddy took a seat and Luke stood beside me. He interlocked his arm with mine and then walked me the rest of the way to where Matt waited beneath the arch, adjusting the small microphone attached to his lapel. Every single one of my sisters was wiping away tears just like I imagined my mother was doing in the audience. Luke looked down, letting his eyes drag up and down my figure as he took in the sight of me in my dress. Tearing his eyes away, he discretely shook his head before shifting his focus back to the ceremony. The hint of a smile on his lips led me to believe that he liked what he saw. At least I hoped he did. My straightened hair hung down on my shoulders, left bare in my strapless dress. Not to mention, Bean had done an amazing job on my makeup, too. I wasn’t ashamed to admit that today wasn’t just about looking my best because it was my wedding day; I wanted to look good for Luke.

  Before getting started, Matt smiled at us both and then looked over his shoulder where his camera sat perched on the tripod.

  He cleared his throat before speaking. “Okay… I’ve never done this before, but I swear I’m qualified. My license to wed is right here in my back pocket,” he joked nervously. No one laughed but him. “Tough crowd,” he said quietly while fumbling with his note cards. “Uh… we’re gathered here today to witness the union of this man and woman as they pledge their vows before God and their loved ones. They’ve requested your presence at this ceremony as witnesses to the loyalty and devotion that they share. Smile at audience,” he said, trailing off when he realized he’d just read the directions he’d written for himself out loud.

  I frowned at Luke who was trying not to laugh.

  “Uh… weeeeee are put on this earth with one designated soul mate. From the day we’re born, the journey begins to find that one person with whom we are destined to spend our lives. I stand before you today, sure that these two individuals were in fact meant to be.”

  My cheeks burned when Luke smiled at me.

  Matt mumbled to himself as he re-read his last sentence in an effort to find his place. “Oh, here we go. I will not prolong the ceremony with clichéd quotes and words of wisdom, because I believe this young couple has… have… has,” Matt stumble, growling at himself softly when he messed up. I couldn’t hold it anymore; a laugh slipped out. Matt sighed when embarrassment wouldn’t allow him to go on. “Skip it. Do you, Lissette—” He paused to glance down at his notes. “Lissette Rochelle Valente, take this–”

  “Um, Valente? It’s still James,” I corrected.”

  “Slow down there, killer,” Luke added with a chuckle, prompting my sisters to chime in with a symphony of snorts and giggles off to my left.

  “Gimme a break here!” Matt said softly through gritted teeth, running his fingers through his hair. When he tried to switch to the next card, they all fell to the ground out of order. I seriously thought he might cry. He stood there for a moment and contemplated picking them up, but seeing as how there were thirty or more, he decided not to bother. There was no way he’d be able to get them back in order quickly. A thin sheen of sweat doused his face. He looked up at Luke, mouthing the words ‘I’m sorry’ acknowledging the fact that this ceremony was about to become a whole lot less traditional than it already was.

  Matt loosened his tie and prepared to wing it. “Uh… do you, Lissette Rochelle James, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The next part escaped him, so he filled in the blank with yet another improvisation. “To have and to hold, indivisible, with liberty and… and justice for all?”

  Luke put his head down. “The Pledge of Allegiance, man? Really?” he said under his breath as he held the wedding band he’d purchased for me between his fingers.

  I was shaking as I tried not to burst out laughing. Luke shook his head and smiled when he realized I wasn’t mad. Actually, I thought it was hilarious.

  “I do,” I said proudly.

  Luke eased the band onto my finger.

  “Now, do you Lucca Marcel Valente, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold and all that other stuff?”

  “Mmm mmm mmm,” Delia said quietly as Brooklyn burst out laughing, too.

  Luke rolled his eyes at Matt. “I do.”

  I eased the inexpensive ring I picked up while out the day before onto Luke’s finger.

  “Thank God,” Matt said when it was over. “By the power vested in me, I finally pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

  Those words sent a chill down my spine. I stared up at Luke and froze—we’d never kissed before and I was extremely nervous about the first time being in front of all these people. I think he sensed it because he didn’t lean in right away. Our guests were all applauding and waiting.

  “Gon’ head, girl!” Bean yelled.

  Matt cleared his throat obnoxiously.

  I swallowed and bit down on my lip as fear crept up my spine. “Okay,” I whispered, pepping myself up just before moving closer to Luke, closing my eyes the second before our lips touched.

  My sisters hooted and hollered behind me while everyone else continued with a round of applause. I felt my body melt into Luke’s as the seconds wore on. This kiss, this moment, was so pivotal in our relationship. We were now one step closer to journeying beyond physical boundaries that we’d never even threatened to cross. Now, all of a sudden, I found it difficult to think about anything else. His lips seemed to give off their own heat, registering at a temperature higher than the body’s typical ninety-eight degrees. I picked up on the hint of spearmint on his breath, too, when his tongue delved deep inside my mouth.

  Deep.

  I wasn’t ready for that. Well… my mind wasn’t, but my body most certainly was. There was just something about having him so close, causing me to overheat right there in his arms. I reached back and shoved my bouquet at Aura without separating my lips from Luke’s. Once my hands were free, I placed them both on the back of his head, feeling his soft strands between my fingers.

  “Mm-okay,” Aura said from where she stood, surprised when Luke and I lingered in our lip-lock for almost a minute. We got lost in one another so easily, forgetting that we had nearly twenty witnesses around us. Luke’s hands rested at my waist and pulled me in tighter.

  “Save some for later, boy,” his grandfather yelled from the audience. It was the sound of everyone’s laughter that pulled us free from the spell that had us in its grasp. I eased away and stared up at Luke for a moment. He’d done it, given me that feeling I thought only existed in movies. I saw stars and fireworks and all that good stuff with just one kiss. He tasted my gloss on his lips while staring like he hadn’t had enough.

  “Okay, girl. We gotta get back to Momma and Daddy’s. Uncle Troy and Lorraine are there on the grill. The food should be just about ready.”

  I didn’t look away from Luke when I nodded in response to Aura.

  “Congratulations,” Noemi said as she approached. Somehow, I managed to divert my attention to her.

  “Thank you,” I said, leaning in to hug her.

  “You look great. And enjoy the limo for the rest of the day.”

  My face lit up. “You did that?”

  Noemi nodded once. “I would’ve done more, but considering the time constraint, this was all I could think to do,” she said smiling, shooting her brother a look that made him laugh. “Oh, that and the photographer. He’s coming to get more pictures at your parents’ house. I already spoke with your mother a second ago to get the address, so everything should be good to go.”

  I didn’t know what to say.

  “Thanks, Sis,” Luke said as he embraced Noemi. When he pulled away, I could tell his sister’s kindness made him that much more aware of his parents’ absence.

  “To the limo,” Aura announced, prompting all of my sisters and Luke’s brothers to follow.

  Luke and I trailed behind everyone, walking slowly on purpose so we could talk. When he interlocked his fingers with mine, warmth radiated from his hand and covered my entire body.

  “How
are you feeling, Mrs. Valente? Anywhere near as good as you look?” he asked.

  I shied away from his compliment of course, smiling at the sound of my new last name being spoken for the first time. “I feel great.” Unashamed of how happy I was, I grinned from ear to ear. “What about you? How’s it feel to be a husband?”

  Luke ran his thumb and forefinger along his jaw-line when he smiled. “Feels amazing,” he replied. When his eyes wandered over me from head to toe, he shook his head much like he had when I met him at the altar. “And your dress is beautiful, although, I have a theory.”

  A smile flickered across my face. “A theory? About what?”

  Luke gently squeezed my fingers in between his and replied, “I have a feeling it’ll look even better on the bedroom floor.”

  My heart skipped a beat at the thought of what he was insinuating, leaving me speechless.

  We reached the limo and Luke held my hand as I climbed inside. The ride to my parents’ house felt surreal. Luke still felt like I’d dreamed him up. Every so often, I looked at him to make sure he was really there. He’d catch me and smile, maybe feeling the same thing I was feeling.

  I settled deeper into the seat, only half noticing the chatter amongst our siblings. We pulled up in front of my parent’s home and climbed out. Aura had the bag with my change of clothes inside. Luke kissed my forehead before I went my own way, following my sisters upstairs.

  “Whew! I can’t wait to get out of these dang-on shoes. My feet are on fire!” Bean complained as she sat on one of the beds in me and Brooklyn’s old room. Delia and Brooklyn already had their dresses off and back on hangers. Aura worked my zipper down and helped me step out of mine carefully. I sat beside Bean while Aura hung and bagged it.

  “So, what was up with that kiss?” Delia asked, prompting the others to laugh.

  I shrugged shyly and eased my stockings down my legs, embarrassed by the fact that she even brought it up. “What you mean? It was just a kiss.”

  Brooklyn shot me a look. “Seemed to me like if you two would’ve had that limo to yourselves, things might’ve gone down differently.”

  “O-kayyy,” Delia sang as she high-fived her. “Shoot, we probably won’t be hearing from you for a few weeks,” she added.

  My cheeks were aflame as I sat there in silence.

  “What’s that look for?” Bean asked.

  “Nothing. Y’all are just nasty. Get your minds out the gutter.”

  They were all silent and staring. “Girl! You got all that man down there to work on tonight! If your mind ain’t in the gutter, we’re not the ones with issues.”

  Aura was the only one not harping on me because she alone was aware of the fact that, Saturday before last, Luke was just a stranger who’d asked the right question on the right day.

  “He any good?” Brooklyn asked casually.

  I didn’t say anything, just reached for my bag so I could slip into the white, cotton baby-doll dress I found on Clearance yesterday for this very occasion.

  She cocked her head to the side. “Wait a minute. You two have done ‘the do’ already, right?” Brooklyn fully expected me to answer ‘yes’.

  When I didn’t say anything, her mouth fell open.

  “For real?” Delia asked. “Why not?”

  I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Because not everyone is fast and loose like you,” I shot back with a smile. She slapped my bare thigh and backed away before I could hit her back.

  “Y’all leave Lissy alone,” Aura interjected.

  “Did you know she was sportin’ the coochie-cobweb look this season?” Bean asked. I laughed and shoved her off the edge of the bed, laughing even harder at the thud she made when she hit the floor.

  “I did and I support it one-hundred percent,” Aura answered. “Brook, you could learn something from this. Keep your goodies to yourself—get yourself a husband.” She paused and her thoughts wandered in a different direction. “That’d look good on a t-shirt. I should write it down.”

  “Naw, I’m straight on that,” Brooklyn replied. “I think a girl ought to know what she’s getting herself into before making a long-term commitment. I mean… how would you know if you’re compatible?” She used her fingers as a makeshift ruler down the inside of her thigh suggestively. “You know… below the belt.”

  I threw Bean’s shoe at Brooklyn and she barely dodged it as she chuckled.

  “Brookie has a point, though. Like, what if… he’s got a little… situation? What then? You already said ‘I do’,” Delia chimed in.

  Bean put her hand up. “Now, lemme stop you right there. I think our new brother in-law passes all the tests—the shoe size test, the forearm test, the hand test.” She nodded intensely. “Yeah, I think lil’ sis is gonna be alright.”

  “Apparently, Bean’s a dick connoisseur,” one of the others said under her breath. I wasn’t sure who.

  I burst out laughing. “Y’all act like a bunch of dudes!”

  Bean shrugged. “He’s probably downstairs talking to his brothers about the same stuff.”

  I shook my head at her and straightened my dress in the mirror before freshening up my lip gloss. I ran a comb through my hair and then pushed it behind my shoulder.

  “Y’all ready?” I asked.

  “Look at you, ready to get back to your husssband,” Brooklyn said, singing the last word with a smile. “Yeah, we’re ready.”

  My sisters picked up their dresses and tossed them on the bed for now before ascending the stairs. From the looks of it, everyone was outside socializing, having a good time already. And as soon as I stepped outside onto the patio, my vision aligned with Luke’s and I could hardly believe how perfectly this day had gone so far. He was now mine. If everything went as well as it felt like it would… maybe he’d be mine forever.

  Chapter Eleven

  Luke

  She looked like she’d just stepped off the set of a movie. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Even the wind was blowing in her favor. Her hair billowed forward, framing her face before she flipped it back in place where it hung straight down her back for today. I exhaled sharply when she approached, still trying to get over the fact that she was all mine.

  Mine.

  “Hey,” she said shyly.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  She couldn’t stop smiling and I loved seeing her so happy, considering how crazy this must’ve all seemed to those around us. Her eyes went to my hand and she willed herself to take it. We turned to walk slowly toward the edge of the yard.

  My eyes drifted toward the trees lining the property as I spoke. “So… that kiss.”

  Her cheeks reddened when I brought it up, but she didn’t say anything.

  “Is there a possibility we’ll get to try that again before the night is over?” I asked, making sure she didn’t feel pressured, especially seeing as how I’d accidentally made that stupid remark about her dress looking better on the floor. It wasn’t until the words had left my mouth that I realized I shouldn’t have said them.

  Lissette’s smile broadened and I made myself forget about the awkwardness of my past comment. “I wouldn’t object to that,” she replied timidly.

  We stopped by the small fountain and koi pond. She was extremely quiet as we stood there side by side.

  “Something on your mind?”

  She shrugged. “Not really. I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m dreaming.”

  I could definitely relate. Every time I looked at her, I couldn’t believe someone like her—beautiful, funny, smart, sassy—had said ‘yes’ to me that night. The only thing keeping today from being perfect was that my mom and dad didn’t show.

  “Congratulations,” Granddad said as he approached Lissette and I from behind. She turned to face him when he touched her arm.

  “Thank you so much,” she replied politely, returning his embrace. The warmth in his eyes wasn’t lost on her. I could tell she knew my grandfather’s words were genuine and spoken out of nothing but kindnes
s.

  “That’s a nice piece of jewelry you have there. Where’d you get it?” he asked when he caught sight of her necklace.

  Lissette touched the tips of her fingers to it. “It belonged to my grandmother. My mother thought I should wear it today.”

  Granddad smiled back when Lissette did, stepping aside when her oldest sister called out to us. “I’m about to turn the music on, but I want you two to have the first dance,” Bernadine said, grinning from ear to ear.

  Lissette nodded and then politely excused herself from my grandfather’s presence. I followed and stood by as she reached for her sister’s CD collection, apparently already thinking of the song she wanted.

  “Here, put this one on,” Lissette said smiling. “Track thirteen.”

  Bernadine nodded and put the disc into the receiver she’d hooked up to three large speakers situated around the yard. Lissette turned to face me once we’d reached the clearing in the midst of the tables where our guests sat. She draped her arms around my neck and I pulled her as close to me as I could. The photographer snapped pictures while Matt had his camera rolling not too far away, reminding me of how we ended up here in the first place. Thinking of how perfectly this seemed to be working out, I turned my face toward Lissette, wondering if I’d ever get over how beautiful she is. Her eyes roamed over my features too, as if she was seeing me for the first time. I stared back at her flawlessness and couldn’t deny that my feelings for her only seemed to deepen as the days passed. We danced and her eyes slowly drifted closed as our lips touched.

  God, I loved kissing this woman—so much more than I ever imagined I would. I couldn’t figure out if the feeling was just intensified because emotions were running so high or if it was just her. Either way, if it was up to me, I’d never have to stop. Her soft hands ran across the back of my neck before coming to rest on my shoulders. Gently, she pulled away and laid her cheek against my chest. My heart was beating so hard I was pretty sure she could feel it through the jacket of my tux. It didn’t matter if she knew, though. I’d already realized that it belonged to her.