by Jewel Daniel
"No amount of money in the world is enough to make me marry you. Jordan, I'm leaving." She stepped toward the door. The taller man followed her out of the room.
He extended a hand toward her. "I think we met under the wrong circumstances. Let me introduce myself. I'm Kwabena Opoku."
Tamara accepted his extended hand. His hand was big and slightly rough. "Tamara Fontaine. And I am not marrying that idiot in there you call your friend."
He smiled in response. "Good." Tamara looked at him, puzzled. "Because I believe you are marrying me."
Tamara looked up at him, surprised. He was more handsome than she remembered. He exuded an aura of effortless virility and sensuality. And in spite of this stressful situation, he seemed calm and rational. He looked like the type of man women would fight over. Why would a man like him have to pay for a wife to get a green card? Was this some kind of scam?
JEWEL AMETHYST
This book would not be possible without the unwavering support of my sister and my husband. Thank you both.
This title was previously published by Dorchester Publishing; this version has been reproduced from the Dorchester book archive files.
Chaos, utter chaos, was the only suitable description of Tamara Fontaine's bedroom suite. Hair, clothes and makeup adorned every surface. Tamara sat in front of the mirror, a professional beautician applying costly makeup to her face while her hairdresser added the finishing touches to her hairdo.
"Ok, there." The beautician swiveled the chair to face the full-length mirror, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"Wow," Tamara gasped. She had never looked or felt so beautiful. It really is happening. I am getting married!
Her unruly brown hair with added extensions and burgundy highlights was gelled and brushed into submission, then swept up in a French roll with fine curls hanging over her temples. The makeup was perfect, with eyelash extensions framing almond-shaped eyes made dark brown by contacts. Strawberry lipstick and dark lip liner gave her ordinarily thin lips a full appearance. Bronze blush accentuated her newly discovered cheekbones and blended well with her smooth light brown skin. She was still dressed in her strapless corset bra and her petticoat. The elegant satin gown with a form-fitting bodice and delicately embellished train laid across the king-size bed waiting to grace her new body. It accentuated the waistline she discovered after losing twenty-five pounds. The dress was a size sixteen, four dress sizes smaller than two months ago.
Tamara's divalike first cousins, Darlene and Ebony, hovered between the bedroom and the sitting room, laughing, teasing, getting hair and nails done, wriggling into tiny dresses. In the meantime, a professional photographer, determined to capture every moment of this fairy-tale wedding snapped photo after photo, while Aunt Leticia ran around shoving a video camera in their faces.
Tamara was elated, laughing at everything. Today she and Jared Turnbull would exchange vows in the gazebo on the back lawn of their new home, the swimming pool as their backdrop. The sky was clear and blue and the temperature a balmy eighty-two degrees. And tonight, oh tonight, she and Jared were going to fulfill their love in the most special of ways, right in this bedroom. During the ceremony, her wedding planner's crew would be in here preparing the bed with fresh linens and rose petals. They would fill the heated Jacuzzi just before the reception was over when Jared and Tamara would steal away to consummate their marriage.
Ebony removed a negligee from the nightstand and held it up. "Oooh, aren't we sexy," she teased and tossed it to Darlene, who motioned to the photographer to get a shot of it. As Tamara reached for it, she tossed it back to Ebony, laughing.
"Quit playing around. You'll make me late for my own wedding," Tamara scolded Darlene impatiently.
"Looks like somebody can't wait for that cherry to be picked," Ebony taunted, laughing as she removed her hot pink satin bridesmaid dress from the hanger.
"At twenty-five, don't you think I've waited long enough?" Tamara asked.
"That thing's probably so tight, you need a jackhammer to get inside," Ebony said.
They all burst out laughing. This was the first time in a long time Tamara and her first cousins, with whom she was raised, had been able to share such lighthearted banter. She had always envied her tall, slim, long-legged cousins with their smooth chocolate complexions and dark brown eyes framed by long eyelashes. At five-feetfour inches and yo-yoing between two hundred and two hundred and twenty pounds with light brown eyes and short curly lashes, Tamara always felt like the ugly duckling among them. Worst of all, her very light complexion quickly became as red as a vine-ripened tomato with the slightest embarrassment.
Darlene, a polished twenty-six-year-old legal secretary who spent most of her energy trying to snag a wealthy professional, was the most derisive when it came to Tamara's appearance. She criticized everything from her excess weight to her wavy, sometimes frizzy hair, except when she wanted a favor. Ebony, a twentyfive-year-old single mother of two who worked at McDonalds, was less derisive than Darlene, but used Tamara as her babysitter, often without prior arrangement. Their behavior toward Tamara eroded her confidence around men and made for a sometimes strained relationship with them. But today, they had put all differences aside and lent their full support to their cousin. This was, after all, Tamara's big day, the day she committed to the man she loved.
Tamara thought about her handsome fiance, and her heart skipped a beat. They'd met barely three months ago at a career fair in San Francisco. He was six feet tall, athletically built, with a caramel complexion, whiskey eyes and a honey-coated tenor voice. Jared had solicited Tamara's help with his computer in the booth where he recruited for his financial services company. Then he surprised Tamara by asking her to dinner.
It was love at first sight. That night, they went back to his five-star hotel. He kissed her like there was no tomorrow and they struggled to contain themselves before they went too far. She was, after all, a virgin, and he was a deeply religious man. They spent the remainder of the career fair taking long walks and holding hands along the moonlit shores of San Francisco Bay, dining at elegant restaurants and sharing passionate kisses. Each kiss held a promise of the ecstasy and fireworks this wedding night would surely bring.
They parted sadly, he returning to Chicago and she to Baltimore. A few weeks later, he surprised her with a trip to Ocean City. There under the stars on the boardwalk, he proposed.
"Tammy?" Darlene's voice behind her brought her out of her starry-eyed reverie. "You need to get dressed."
Tamara smiled. "Sure," she said, carefully slipping into the heavy wedding gown.
She looked at the clock on the wall. It was a little past four. She heard the band playing outside. "Maybe we should start heading downstairs," she suggested.
Just before they stepped out of the bedroom, her best friend, Jordan, entered delivering Devon, his fouryear-old son, the ring bearer. Tamara nervously adjusted the tie on his rented tuxedo.
"Tammy, you look absolutely stunning," he said.
"Thank you." Tamara gave him a hurried kiss on his cheek, leaving bright red lip marks. "Ok, guys, let's go.
"No need to rush. The groom's not here as yet," Jordan informed them and went downstairs ahead of the girls to take up his station as best man.
The bridal party entered the formal living room, laughing and chatting, trying to get a suitable position for more photos. Just then the door opened and Leyoca Novak, Tamara's mother, stepped into the living room. A hush came over the crowd, and Tamara's face turned deep crimson. Both Leyoca and Tamara observed each other while the others stared in silence, waiting for sparks to fly.
Tamara was the first to break the silence. "I thought you weren't coming," she said tensely. It had been two mon
ths since Tamara had spoken to her mother.
Leyoca smiled wistfully. "Didn't expect me to miss my only child's wedding, did you?" She held out her arms, and Tamara ran into them. They embraced for a long time before Leyoca said, "I may not agree with your choice of a mate, but it's your choice, Tamara, and I respect your decision."
"Oh, Mommy, I'm sorry I said those horrible things to you," Tamara apologized, remembering the harsh exchange she had with her mother when Leyoca expressed her disapproval of Jared.
Leyoca waved away the apology. "Let's not get all mushy now and ruin that beautiful makeup." She held her hand and spun her daughter around. "You are beautiful, Tammy."
Tammy smiled. Having her mother at her side on her wedding day completed her happiness.
"Will you walk me down the aisle?" Tamara asked her mother.
"Of course I will. Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"No babies yet. I'm too young to have a grandchild." Everyone laughed, and the light mood prevailed. "Or am I too late?"
"Don't worry, Mommy," Tamara said, rolling her eyes. Some things just never changed. "We decided to wait for marriage."
Leyoca smiled, relieved.
A few minutes later, the wedding planner came into the room, frantic. "Everybody's here except the groom," she announced to Tamara. "Maybe you should call him, find out what's the holdup."
Tamara called both his cell phone and hotel room, but there was no answer. "He's probably on his way over here right now." Tamara was worried. Brides were supposed to be late, not bridegrooms. "Do you think something happened to him? Maybe I should call the hospitals."
Yesterday, when she last saw him, he was excitedly looking forward to the wedding. Instead of going to a day spa as Ebony and Darlene had suggested, Tamara had spent the day with Jared, making last-minute financial transactions. They had opened a joint account and added each other's names to their personal accounts. At seven he dropped her back at her home in Rosedale, telling her she needed her beauty rest.
"Let me see the phone," Leyoca said. She called the hotel front desk and asked for his room. Slowly she turned around to face Tamara. "I'm sorry, Tammy. It looks like he checked out sometime around nine last night."
"Checked out?" Tamara asked dumbfounded. She closed her eyes. "There must be an explanation."
With trembling hands, Tamara dialed the car-rental agency. They informed her that the car was turned in at BWI airport some time after ten last night. Tamara felt a headache coming on. She looked up at her mother. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
Leyoca looked at her, hurt. "Tamara, we may not see eye to eye on everything, but you know I would never hurt you or embarrass you like this."
Tamara felt the tears, but refused to cry. There would be plenty of time to cry later.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back salty tears. She stood up, held her head high, her back ramrod straight. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked the silent room. "It's time for the reception."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Darlene asked her softly.
"Whether or not that food gets eaten, I'm paying for it. We may as well make use of it."
Tamara forced a smile and led the way through the sunroom and onto the stone patio. As she walked up to the gazebo where the priest still sat, the guests trained their eyes on her. There were only about forty people, most of whom were her coworkers, family friends and distant relatives. Though she felt like hiding under her bed at this moment, she steeled herself.
"Well," she started, struggling to keep a smile on her face, "we know what most people come to weddings for: to see the bride, right? Here I am." There was a trickle of uncertain laughter. "As you can see, there'll be no vows exchanged today. Seems like the groom's got a case of cold feet." Another trickle of laughter. "Well, you know what they say: `If you're not man enough to show up at your wedding, you're not a man at all.' I'd kinda prefer to marry a man." The guests erupted in laughter, stood and applauded. "Well, we've got lots of food, and we've got a band." Tamara fixed her eyes on Jordan and smiled fondly. "My best friend always says, `Before good food waste let belly bust.' So, folks, let's get the party started."
The band struck up a hip-hop tune and Tamara danced her way down the aisle to the stone patio that would have been the dance floor. Jordan joined her, and then one by one the guests joined in. Finally the wedding planner remembered her duty and started coordinating what was turning out to be quite a party. Instead of a sit-down dinner, they served the food buffet style while the guests danced and partied into the night.
An hour later, Tamara slipped away and locked herself in her bedroom. She needed to be alone. She needed to think. Her head was throbbing and the pain in her heart was almost physical. There were people dancing and enjoying themselves at what should have been her wedding. How could Jared have not shown up?
Dammit! I deserve an explanation if nothing else. She stared at the phone, tears streaming down her face. Why did he do this to me? Why? She lay across the bed crying and hyperventilating. Just then she heard a knock on the door.
Slowly she got up, wiped her tears and opened the door. Leyoca entered and held her daughter in her arms.
"You were really brave to do what you did, Tamara. Believe it or not, I don't think I would have had such courage. I'm proud of you."
Tamara clung to her mother and sobbed. "You tried to warn me, Mommy, and I didn't listen."
"You see, Tamara, when people are in love they sometimes make bad decisions. They see and think with their hearts, and I understand. I know you loved him." They were silent for a while.
"Let's get you out of this uncomfortable dress," Leyoca said. She rifled through Tamara's still packed bags. Tamara had just moved her clothes and personal effects to their new home. She hadn't finished placing them in the closets and dresser. Tonight would be the first night she slept there, and she'd expected to share it with Jared. The thought brought fresh tears to her eyes.
When the tears subsided, Tamara asked, "What did you see in him that I didn't?"
"Intuition. He was just too smooth."
Tamara changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She walked over to the window and looked down at the revelers partying on her lawn. They were doing the Electric Slide, a mandatory dance at weddings. "You know, I have that honeymoon package. It's too late to cancel or postpone it now. Maybe you and Carl could take an impromptu vacation."
Her mother smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, honey. My schedule is booked solid for the next two months. I canceled a series of meetings today to be here, and I still have to promote my book. Plus Carl is still in San Diego."
There was a soft rap on the door before Jordan entered. "You're in capable hands. I'll go check on the party." Leyoca hugged her daughter one last time and left.
"I wish there was something I could say to make it better,"Jordan started.
"Companionable silence would be nice," Tamara responded, and they both laughed. Then she broke down in tears. After she regained her composure, she said, "You know, there's this part of me that hopes that he'll walk in here with some valid explanation-like he was unconscious at the emergency room or somethingand we still get married. I've been such a fool."
"He had us all fooled," Jordan said comfortingly. "Time will heal the pain."
"I was supposed to be in marital bliss tonight. I was supposed to lose my virginity on this very bed tonight. Now I'll be sleeping in this mammoth bed all alone."
"Marriage and marital sex is overrated anyway. Three kids later and there isn't even a marital bed," Jordan confessed. "You're lucky if you can get one night without five people squashed in your bed."
"Yet you manage to keep Becky pregnant." Tamara laughed through her tears, thinking of Jordan's stay-athome wife who was pregnant yet again. Tamara knew it was a difficult time for them since Jordan recently had been laid off.
Jordan sighed. "The last time we made love was probably when she got pregn
ant."
Tamara couldn't help smiling. She had never thought of marriage beyond the wedding night and the honeymoon. She moved to the window again and looked down at the partiers. The numbers were dwindling as guests slowly left.
"I know just what you guys need: a nice romantic vacation, just the two of you. How about an all-expensespaid European cruise, complete with a honeymoon suite and every conceivable luxury?"
"Don't even think of it, Tammy..."
"Look, Jordan, it's too late to cancel, and I've already paid for it."
"What are we gonna do about the kids?" he asked, warming to the idea.
"Leave them with me. It beats being in this big house all alone. I can have Ebony's girls over, and it would be one giant party."
Jordan smiled. "Someday I'll repay you for this." He hugged her. "Let me talk to Becky about it."
A few hours later, the guests had all gone, and Tamara settled down for the night. She was not alone. Her relatives insisted on spending the night to keep her company. Since the master bedroom was the only furnished bedroom in this huge house, Darlene and Ebony shared the king-size bed with her, just like they had as kids when they lived in the tiny apartment in East Baltimore. Leyoca and Leticia slept in the sitting room on the sofa bed and Kayla and Katanya, Ebony's kids, slept on an airbed in one of the guest rooms.
Before drifting off to sleep, Tamara smiled ruefully. She expected marital bliss tonight, but instead out of the ashes of despair emerged the hope of familial unity, love and acceptance. Despite their diva ways, Ebony and Darlene truly cared for her. And her mother, amid her stoic self-controlled facade, loved her more than anything else. Maybe it wasn't a bad way to spend her wedding night, after all.
Eight months later
It was wet-soggy, soaking wet. Rain came down in torrents and ran off the glass walls of Tamara's sunroom in sheets. Thunder cracked loudly, sending Jordan's son Devon diving for cover. Eight-year-old Kayla, Ebony's oldest daughter, watched the sheets of rain flow down the glass.