Chapter 4
The ceremony only lasted about fifteen minutes. It was sweet and sincere, and then it was over before I knew it. After the minister pronounced them man and wife, he made an announcement saying that Ash and Abigail were taking off to spend some time together before the reception party but that we were welcome to stay at the aquarium as long as we liked.
The atmosphere was beautiful and everything, but I decided to go home right away. Most of the other guests were still there when I left, mingling around in the tunnel before it was reopened to the public.
I caught sight of Lance just before I walked out. He was talking to someone, and he shot me an expression like maybe he regretted not being able to get away from them. I had been catching him looking at me ever since he heard me singing Barracuda. I just smiled at him and continued walking toward the exit.
Abigail and her immediate family were the only people I knew, and they were preoccupied. I wasn't going to stick around and wait in line to talk to Lance just because I thought he was shooting me looks. I was in a good mood the whole way home, though. Any feelings of frustration I had toward my mom had been nullified by the fact that her obsession with making me perform Ann Wilson had actually paid off for once.
I told her and Aunt Regina the whole story when I got back to the condo—I went to my unit to get Sheila, and we walked straight to my mom's. I told them there were Barracudas in the aquarium and that I busted out singing the Heart song when I saw them. I added a little fluff to the story, saying that a super-hot guy caught me singing and basically fell under my spell because of it. I made it seem like he was googly-eyed over me the whole time, and pretty much left his date because of it. They ate it up, cracking up and making me tell it a second time with more details. They even got out the CD and played the song so they could get the full effect.
I had forgotten how much fun I used to have singing rock anthems for my mom and aunt. They totally got into it, singing along, and making facial expressions like they were at a real rock show and I was the best singer ever.
Aunt Regina, feeling in the mood, made me sing Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac after I finished Barracuda. It was her favorite, and she nearly cried when I performed it for her. Of course, the CD was playing in the background during both performances, so the real singers were there to catch me when I fell. But still, my mom and Aunt Regina really made me feel good with the way they reacted to my singing, saying things like I missed my calling and I should try out for The Voice.
I had a few hours to kill between the wedding and reception, so after spending a half-hour or so at my mom's, I went home and changed so that I could take Sheila for a walk on the beach.
In what seemed like no time at all, I was back on the road again, headed to the reception party.
"So, Miss Abigail already got married?" Matt asked the question from the passenger's seat as we drove to The Bombay, the exclusive country club where Abigail and Ash were having their reception.
"She sure did," I said. "They had a small ceremony earlier this afternoon."
"I thought I was going to the wedding," Matt said, looking confused and vaguely disappointed.
"You are, pretty much," I said. "The party is considered part of the wedding. Most people are only going to that part of it."
"But you went to that other part?" Matt asked.
"I did. And Abigail asked me why you weren't there with me."
"Because you didn't pick me up," Matt said.
I couldn't help but let out a little laugh as I glanced across the console at him and saw how serious he was. "I know," I said. "I should have. She would have loved having you there, and you would have liked it. It was at the big aquarium."
"Aw, mannn!" Matt said with precious sincere disappointment, causing me to laugh again.
"Don't worry, I'll try to take you guys back before school's out."
"That's coming up," he said.
"Next month," I agreed. "I can hardly believe it."
"You serious? Are you gonna take us to the aquarium?"
"I'll try," I promised. "I think it's kind of expensive, so we're gonna have to talk to everyone's parents."
"Is it the one with the sharks?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, it is."
"My mom will let me go there," he said. "I've already been like two, three other times."
"Well, we've got to make sure everybody else can afford it," I said.
Even as I said it, I knew I would pay for the ones who couldn't afford it. I would make it happen now that I had promised it to him.
I glanced at Matt again. "You look super handsome in your suit," I said. "Abigail and Ash are gonna think I'm with Will Smith when I walk in there."
He cracked up at that. "My mama said I look like Denzel," Matt said, wiggling in the seat with excitement and still grinning from ear to ear. He moved a bit like Stevie Wonder, shifting and swaying despite the fact that he wasn't blind. He had a sweet, high-pitched voice that got even higher when he was happy about something. Aside from the color of his skin, Matt physically didn't have a lot in common with Will or Denzel, but he was truly a beautiful soul and happened to be one of my all-time favorite students. I would be sad come May when he would graduate and move on.
"I hope they have some good food at this party," Matt said. "I like those little snacks they have at parties."
"You mean finger foods?"
"Huh?" he asked. I glanced at him to find his expression skeptical and his eyebrows furrowed, like he might think I was talking about eating actual fingers.
"Finger foods," I said. "That's what they call the little bite-size food you eat at parties. I guess it's called that because you pick it up and eat it with your hands."
"Ohhhh." He smiled and nodded, looking relieved. "Yeah. I'm gonna eat a bunch of that finger food. I hope they have those little doughnut holes with icing and cream in the middle. You know, the cold ones."
"We can't eat too much, though," I said. "We gotta watch your sugar so you don't get sick at the party."
"Don't worry, I brought my insulin." He patted the little black insulated lunchbox where he kept all of his diabetic supplies.
"Are you gonna dance?" I asked.
He laughed, swaying again and shaking his fists as if testing the waters.
"I know you have moves," I said, glancing at him for a second.
"Yeah," he agreed, confidently.
"I don't know if there'll be any seventeen-year-old single ladies there, but if not, they're missing out."
Matt laughed again, acting shy and delighted at the same time.
There were a ton of cars at the country club. It was about a thirty-minute drive from Matt's house, and we hit a little traffic on the way, so we arrived a few minutes late. I felt somewhat anxious, but having Matt with me made me feel much better. He held his insulated lunchbox in his left hand and I latched my arm in his right so that we could walk in together. I couldn't have asked for a better escort, and I was thankful that Abigail had mentioned him coming with me.
The moments after we arrived were a huge whirlwind. There were so many people there—two or three hundred, at least. We followed signs to a huge banquet room and were stunned with how big the crowd was when we stepped inside. Matt and I looked at each other with matching wide-eyed expressions that made us both laugh as we entered the room.
There was chaos everywhere—loud music coming from a live band that was on a stage, a dancefloor full of people, and table after table of people sitting with food and drinks around the edge of the room.
"This is the best party I've ever been to," Matt said, stretching upward to yell in my ear only seconds after we came in the door.
"Me too," I yelled back, without glancing at him.
I led us further into the room, staying on the lookout for any sign that I was headed the right way. I was relatively sure that there was no assigned seating, but I looked around at the tables, searching for place cards just in case.
"I see the food table,"
Matt said, tugging me to the right side of the room.
"Let's find a seat first," I said. "We'll set our things down so we can have our hands free. That way we can hold more snacks."
"Yeah," he said, nodding.
Many of the tables, even the ones that were empty, had things on them—plates or purses, or something that made the seats look taken. We walked toward the corner of the room where I found a table that had a few empty places. It was relatively close to the food, so I figured it was safe to set our things down and leave them there.
"This isn't hand food," Matt said once we made our plates and got back to the table.
"Finger food? No, it's not. It's even better, don't you think?"
Matt nodded excitedly as he stared at his plate. The spread of food really was delicious looking. It was a full-on meal. There were two pasta dishes, a rice dish, and tons of veggies and seafood. The music was loud, and it was relatively dark in there, so nobody was shy about eating—especially not Matt and me.
Two other couples sat with us, and they introduced themselves as musicians who played with Ash in the symphony. I told them my name and that Matt and I were friends of the bride and left it at that. They were highly intelligent people who knew each other, but I wasn't intimidated in the slightest. I had already decided to relax and be myself... a feat which was pretty much effortless with Matt by my side.
We had the best time, laughing, eating, watching people get brave enough to make their way to the dancefloor, and making plans to do so ourselves. Matt was always all smiles, and he had a magnetic personality, so we made quick friends with others at our table. There was never a dull moment. Between the music, the food, and the conversation, I barely had time to notice the handsome man from earlier that day.
Lance.
We had been there for a half hour before I even spotted him, and the only reason I did was because I noticed him talking to Abigail. He was no longer wearing the grey suit from earlier. He had on dark pants (maybe even jeans) with a light denim button down shirt and a plaid jacket in what looked to be brown tones. Both his shirt and jacket were fitted, and I realized I loved the way he dressed—loved his style. It was formal enough for a reception, but still slightly quirky, which I didn't expect after seeing him in such a sharp suit that afternoon.
At first, I couldn't get a good look at him. I saw him hugging Abigail, and I was thinking to myself that she knew a ton of handsome guys. I experienced a flood of nerves when I realized it was Lance.
My eyes were still locked on him a few seconds later when, abruptly, he faced my direction, looking straight at me. There was a great distance between us, but I knew he had caught me looking at him.
There was nothing for me to do but try to act normal and glance away. Matt had been talking about wedding cake, and I turned to him, continuing the conversation without skipping a beat.
Chapter 5
Lance
He noticed her when she first arrived—the girl from earlier that day at the wedding. The singer. The one with the smile. She was wearing the same dress she had on at the aquarium, so he spotted her the moment she came in. She was walking arm in arm with a young man who was carrying a square bag and smiling broadly. Lance thought he had good reason to smile. That woman was so free and easy, she radiated kindness and confidence.
Lance was the owner of a store called All Things Fish. They were Miami's largest distributor of fish and accessories for ponds and aquariums. His father had started the business, but Lance had taken over when his dad retired. He had a brother and sister, but neither of them were interested in the family business.
Lance was extremely interested, though—not only because he enjoyed working with fish but also because he was an extremely driven businessman. He had nearly doubled the net worth of the business since he had taken over, and he was just getting started. They had recently expanded to online sales, and were quickly becoming the Zappos or Amazon of fish.
Abigail was a marine biologist and one of Lance's top traveling technicians. She worked in homes and businesses all over Miami, maintaining ponds and aquariums. She had met Ash while on a pond cleaning job, so Lance couldn't help but feel like he had a small part their connection. He liked Ash a lot and was thrilled that Abigail had found happiness.
"How long are we staying?" Layla asked, glancing into her purse.
Lance regarded his little sister with a look of frustration, and she widened her eyes at him. "Trey's asking when he should pick me up," she said.
Lance wasn't ready to go—especially now that the young lady had arrived. "We haven't even been here for an hour."
"I know, but you said we wouldn't stay long."
"We won't," Lance said, standing up. "But I'm not ready to leave yet. And if Trey's in that big of a hurry, he can come here to pick you up."
"I told him that already," she said. "He probably will if you plan on staying too much longer. Where are you going?" she added. Lance gestured to Abigail, who was standing at the edge of the dancefloor, talking to some of the guests. "I'm going to talk to Abigail."
"To tell her goodbye?" Layla yelled as he started to walk away.
"No, not to tell her goodbye. Call your boyfriend and ask him to come here if you're ready to leave."
"I will," Layla said, digging in her purse again.
Lance and his sister were sitting at a table full of people they both knew—employees of All Things Fish, so Lance didn't feel bad about walking away from the table and leaving Layla there. He headed across the way so he could congratulate the bride and talk to her.
Abigail grinned when she saw Lance walking in her direction. She thought about how funny life was. Five years ago, when she had first come to work at All Things Fish, she had the biggest crush on him. Many women did, so she wasn't alone in that. She had never told him about her feelings, and things had always remained professional between them. Back then, she would have given anything for him to read her mind and ask her out. But, my, how things can change. She had been in such a hurry for someone (especially Lance) to notice her back then, and now she had the attention of the only man in the world who she wanted it from.
She smiled at Lance as he approached.
"You look happy," Lance said, noticing her expression as he got closer.
"I am happy. So happy."
The two of them hugged.
"Thank you for being here," she said, stretching up to speak close to his ear. "And thank you for the gift. It's too much."
Lance looked around. "It's not," he said. "Just don't tell anyone else I did that."
She laughed. "I won't. But you didn't have to do it."
"I wanted to," he said. "You mentioned wanting to go to Paris for your honeymoon, and I knew right then what I was going to do."
Lance had been to Paris several times, so he knew the best places to stay. As a wedding gift, he had taken care of the hotel accommodations for Ash and Abigail's honeymoon. It was a lavish gift, but Lance was generous, and besides, Abigail was a good friend and a valuable asset to his business. It pleased him to treat them to a nice time in Paris. Ash and Abigail had no idea what it had cost him, but seven nights in one of the nicest hotels in the city couldn't come cheap, and they had thanked him a hundred times.
Lance hated to bother Abigail with an enquiry about one of the wedding guests, but he simply couldn't get the girl off of his mind. He glanced her way in preparation to point her out and found that she was looking at him. Their eyes locked, but only for a second before she turned, smiling and talking to the guy next to her. Her smile—even from that distance—caused Lance to feel a protective, possessive feeling, like he wanted to be the recipient of it instead of that guy sitting next to her.
"Do you?" Abigail asked like maybe it wasn't the first time she had said it.
"Do I what?" Lance asked, glancing at her.
She smiled. "I was asking if you recommended any other restaurants," she said. "Did you hear me say your mom had already told us about one?"
&
nbsp; "No, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. She probably told you to eat at Les Amis."
Abigail smiled and nodded. "You okay?" she asked, noticing how distracted he was.
Again, Lance glanced at the girl in the pink top. He nudged his chin in that direction. "The girl in pink over there. The singer. Is she a friend of yours, or Ash's?"
Abigail squinted into the crowd, trying her hardest to figure out who in the world he was talking about. She had no idea who he meant when he said there was a singer. She thought of Ash's fellow orchestra musicians as she looked into the crowd, but couldn't come up with anything.
"The one balancing a spoon on her nose," Lance said. "Wait, it fell off. Now the guy next to her is doing it."
Abigail laughed when she caught sight of Matt with a spoon on his nose. She could see, even from across the room, that he was intensely cross-eyed with the effort to keep it there. That young man was good for the soul.
"Oh my gosh, that's Matt," she said, giggling. "That's my friend, Sidney, and her student, Matt. He's awesome."
"What kind of student?" Lance asked. His tone was slightly agitated, and Abigail glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows.
"High school," she said. "She's a high school teacher."
"She's not… they're not…"
"Oh, my gosh, Lance, of course not."
Abigail pushed at his shoulder. "What in the world would make you say that?"
"I don't know. I can't really see them that well from here. To me, it just looks like they're having a grand old time—like they're laughing and chatting it up."
"They are!" Abigail said. "Because she's funny and amazing. She teaches special ed in the public school system. Matt is one of her students. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Sidney was at the aquarium earlier today."
"I know. I met her. Sort of. I didn't get her name. I just heard her sing, and then it was too late to—"
All In (Miami Stories Book 2) Page 3