by Deidre Berry
My heart leapt for joy. It was the first favor Junior had done for me in his life. I never would have thought the day would come when my baby brother would come through for me in such a big way.
I was happy to see Nelson. Still, I didn’t want to let him off the hook that easy. He needed to suffer a little more in order to fully appreciate my forgiveness. “Apology not accepted,” I said, stepping back to close the door in his face.
“Tori wait!” Nelson said in such a heartfelt way that it made me pause.
“What is it?” I asked.
“You’re really not gonna make this easy for me, are you?” he asked, almost pleading.
“And why should I listen to you, Nelson? After everything you unnecessarily put me through?”
“Because I see things differently now. My mistake was allowing people to make me feel like I was betraying Kara by being happy with you,” he said. “It just seemed easier to walk away than to have to deal with all those conflicting emotions.”
Nelson’s honesty and sincerity touched my heart. I recalled Fatima’s take on the situation and softened towards him. Just a little bit.
“I know you’ll always have Kara in your heart to a certain extent, Nelson, but it is possible to have more than one love story, you know.”
“I know that now, and that’s why I’m here. I have so much love for you, Tori,” he said. “I want us to stop all this back and forth, where we’re on one day and off the next. I want us to be exclusive.”
“What about Miss Thing I saw you with at the fundraiser tonight?”
“Now there you go with the assumptions,” Nelson chuckled. “You didn’t notice the family resemblance? In fact, if you had bothered to look closer you would have seen that I was with a whole group of family members.” To prove it, Nelson pulled out a wallet-sized family portrait.
“Oh,” was all I could say when I saw Miss Thing standing next to Oliver, and a woman I presumed to be Nelson’s mother.
“Peace offering?” he asked, holding up a takeout bag from Capital Grille.
“It depends on what you have there.”
“It’s all probably ice cold by now, but I have some lobster rolls, caviar, and I also brought a couple of mango-lime tarts that I made myself.”
Okay, that did it. I moved aside and allowed Nelson to step into the foyer. He immediately pulled me to him, and we hugged for what seemed like forever.
47
Two Years Later
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the good Reverend announced, “By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife!”
The wedding was beautiful from start to finish.
Of course, I’m just a teeny bit biased because I planned the whole thing, but it turned out to be a fantasy come true, just like I had envisioned it would be.
Yvette was a beautiful, blushing bride. Then again, it was the middle of July and 110 degrees inside the church, but she was a blushing bride nevertheless.
“Say cheese!” the photographer said, as the wedding party posed for pictures on the steps of Greater Missionary Baptist Church.
Nadia, Simone, Alicia and I all served as bridesmaids, though none of us were crazy about the yellow taffeta dresses with the wide satin sashes that Yvette insisted we wear.
But at least Yvette looked beautiful, in a silk, champagne-colored Vera Wang gown.
I like Daniel for Yvette. Not only does he have a warm, kind heart but he also mellows her out, and treats her like she is the queen of his dreams; the one that he has been waiting for all his life.
As for Nelson and me, well, we have been together a little over two years now, and while we are growing closer by the day and enjoying each other to the fullest, neither one of us feels compelled to rush to the altar.
However, with the way things are going between Simone and Fatima, there just may be another wedding on the horizon.
It only took me a month or so to apologize to the both of them for the cold shoulder I had given them the night they came out as a couple. True, it was a shock to my system, but it did not warrant being so close-minded and unsupportive. I had been avoiding Simone partly because I didn’t know how to be around her since she turned lesbian, which is stupid because as it turns out, she is still the same sweet, free spirit I met during my first week of college.
Simone and I have seen each other through some of the best and worst times in our lives, and no matter what, she will always be my friend. I don’t care who she’s sleeping with.
“Is it just me, or is this dress itchy as hell?” Simone asked, after the picture-taking was over.
“It’s not just you,” Nadia and I said at the same time, and laughed.
Yvette said, “I’m so sick of hearing you all complain about those dresses, I don’t know what to do!”
“Anyway, congratulations, girl,” I said, giving Yvette a hug. “You did it!”
“Thank you!” she squealed, grinning from ear to ear.
“Yeah, looks like all those how-to-get-a-man manuals paid off for you, girlfriend!” Nadia said, taking her son from Alicia, who had been holding him.
Nadia and Terrell weren’t together anymore, but they did share a beautiful eighteen-month-old son.
We were all worried about how good of a mother Nadia would be since she wasn’t exactly what you would call the maternal type. Plus, she was ambivalent about her pregnancy all the way up to the moment she gave birth to Quinn, but now she is so in love with that little boy, you can hardly peel her away from him for any real length of time.
I have to give it to Nadia. She doesn’t date or party the way she used to, and her newfound maturity proves that there is no better way to grow than to be forced to think of someone besides yourself.
48
Tori Carter Creations grossed 1.7 million dollars last year. Not bad, but this year I’m pushing for at least three million.
Junior has a lot to do with the fact that TCC is thriving. Yeah, the boy’s gonna be alright, after all. He now has the same energy and enthusiasm for event planning that he had for playing basketball, and is so committed to his career, he hasn’t called in sick on me one time. On some mornings, Junior even beats me getting to the spacious office that I lease in Midtown.
In the event-planning industry, business is always slow in January, so I decided to close the shop for a week, and take a much-needed vacation. I didn’t have any specific plans and had not even given leaving town a thought, until Nelson said, “Let’s go to Hawaii.”
We were at my house, cleaning up the kitchen after having just finished my infamous spaghetti dinner.
Now, you know me. I normally ask the five W’s before making decisions, but all it took to convince me was one look outside where it was thirty-two degrees, and snow was falling from the sky.
“Hawaii, here we come!” I said, breaking out into a happy dance.
Nelson got on the phone and started making the arrangements, and I got busy packing.
The whole airport experience was a nightmare.
The crowds, the confusion, extra-tight airport security, and the ick factor of having to stand barefoot on the same filthy carpet that thousands of other barefooted people have stood on.
However, all was forgotten the moment we touched down in Maui. Hawaii is so tranquil and serene, it forces you to slow down, sit quietly somewhere, and just appreciate your surroundings.
And that is exactly what we did.
Besides shopping and attending a luau, Nelson and I didn’t see much of the island for the first two days.
What can I say? Hotel sex is the best!
Besides, we were going to be there for five more days, so there was plenty of time to get around to taking a helicopter ride around the island, snorkeling, and all that other good stuff.
Earlier this evening, Nelson and I were snuggled together on the veranda of our suite at the Wailea Beach Resort, watching the sunset. The gentle breeze coming off the ocean was warm, and carried with it the glorious s
mell of the tropics. To me, it felt like romance was literally floating through the air.
At that moment, Nelson laid his head on my shoulder and casually said, “Let’s get married today.”
“We can’t do that!”
“And why not?”
“Because there are some things you don’t just jump up and do at the spur of the moment. And getting married is one of them.”
“And yet, people elope all the time.”
“Well that’s not my style,” I said. “When I tie the knot, I want to be surrounded by family and friends at an extravagant ceremony, followed by a lavish reception.”
“I know that you’re all about the bling, Tori, but how many ostentatious, high-priced weddings have you been to, and after a few years, the couples aren’t even together anymore?”
“Several,” I had to admit.
“And that right there should tell you that it’s the love and dedication that is most important.” Nelson cupped my face in his hands. “It’s not about the cake, the dress, the flowers, or any of that other stuff. Everything we need to make this happen is already here—and that’s me and you.”
He definitely had a point. Nelson waited patiently while I mulled it over for a few minutes. My mind was saying, You deserve to have that big, beautiful, fantasy wedding that you were robbed of. But my heart was saying, Why not marry this man today? I have come to love Nelson with every fiber of my being, and I trust him with my life. Not only is he my lover; he’s my best friend, mentor, and number one cheerleader. Besides, how can you not want to marry a man who brings you coffee in bed every morning, along with turkey bacon, a fruit cup, and a whole-grain muffin with whipped honey butter that he has made himself?
After reminding myself of all the reasons I didn’t want to be without Nelson, my apprehension dissolved into certainty. The only problem was that I had packed a couple of nice sun-dresses, but nothing near good enough to get married in.
“What am I going to wear?” I asked Nelson.
He smiled, taking that as a yes.
“I’ll see if the concierge can help us out.” He dashed into our suite to make a phone call.
I stayed outside on the terrace, continuing to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean, thinking that Mama and Daddy were going to kill me for not sharing my wedding day with them.
“Great! We’ll see you soon,” I overheard Nelson saying to someone on the phone.
He stepped back out onto the terrace, and must have been reading my mind because he said, “Don’t worry about your parents, Tori. I’m sure they’ll be happy for us. But if they raise too much hell about it, we can always have another ceremony and reception when we get back home.”
After he showered, Nelson left to buy a suit at one of the nearby shops, and to round up a Justice of the Peace.
Before he left, he told me, “If I’m not back in an hour, meet me outside in the botanical garden.”
“Alright,” I said, rushing to the bathroom to take a quick shower.
I was doing my hair and makeup, when there was a knock on the door. I tied the belt of my silk kimono robe, and opened the door to see the concierge waiting there with the simple, but beautiful, Roberto Cavalli dress I had been kicking myself for not buying when Nelson and I went shopping days before.
“Congratulations!” beamed the concierge, handing me the garment bag along with a bouquet of orchids.
I said, “Thanks,” and cheerfully handed him a tip.
After closing the door, I slipped into the dress, which flattered my figure and fit me perfectly.
By this time, Nelson’s hour was up, so I grabbed my bouquet and made my way down to the lobby. I was a little nervous, yet bubbling with excitement at the same time. I was so busy looking for Nelson that I didn’t even notice my father, who was by the doors leading out to the botanical garden.
“Looking for someone?” Daddy asked.
I turned around and almost went into shock.
“Ohmigod, Daddy! What are you do—” Before I could finish my sentence, I noticed he was wearing a tuxedo.
I also noticed the garden was lit with about a thousand votive candles that definitely were not there the evening before, when Nelson and I took a stroll after dinner. Dozens of chairs were dressed in cream silk, and sitting in them were a bunch of familiar faces. There was Mama, Junior, Trey, Aunt Vera, Yvette and Dan, Cookie, Nadia, Simone, Nelson’s parents, and so many others. Everybody was dressed up, smiling, and clapping for me.
I was speechless. All I could do for a few minutes was stand there and cry like a colicky baby.
A red velvet aisle runner littered with white rose petals extended forty feet to where Nelson was waiting for me by a mammoth cluster of poinsettia trees, dressed with deep red petals. Daddy dabbed my tears with his handkerchief, and whispered, “You’re in good hands, now. That’s a damn good man waiting for you out there.”
I nodded, and whispered back, “I’m so glad y’all could be here for this.”
A saxophonist stepped out front and began to play an instrumental version of “Here and Now,” while a Luther Van-dross sound-alike sang along.
I took a deep breath, and smoothed my dress out. “Do I look okay, Daddy?” I asked.
My father got all choked up. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words would not come, so he just nodded his head and smiled his approval. Daddy and I joined arm in arm, and then walked together down the aisle, towards my destiny.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
THE NEXT BEST THING
DEIDRE BERRY
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The following questions are intended to enhance your group’s reading of this book.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Tori’s DSWYE rule prohibits dating neighbors and co-workers. Is this a good rule to live by, or should everyone be considered fair game?
With the divorce rate being more than fifty percent, are lavish weddings ultimately a waste of money?
How many dates do you think are sufficient to determine if a man is for you or not?
Did Tori place more importance on planning her wedding to Roland rather than the relationship itself?
Is it possible for a heterosexual man and woman to have a strictly platonic friendship?
Would you permit your significant other to have close friendships with other women?
Yvette’s reliance in dating manuals eventually led her to husband #2. Has any “how to get a man” manual ever been helpful to you?
What are your thoughts about prenuptial agreements?
What do you think is an appropriate amount of time to grieve the loss of a spouse?
Is it ever worthwhile to reunite with an ex, or should past relationships always stay in the past?
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Copyright © 2009 by Deidre Berry
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ISBN: 0-7582-4106-2