Risking It All

by Ambrielle Kirk

  Michael got up, and on cue, Julissa grabbed her handbag and followed suit.

  He pulled her chair from the table to help her up. “Thank you all, Christina, Richard…for the wonderful dinner. Julissa and I are ready to call it a night.”

  Myra nodded. “Oh, for sure. We all have to get up early tomorrow morning.”

  Without asking about the tab, Michael pulled out his wallet and threw two fresh one hundred dollar bills on the table.

  “This was on us, man, you know that,” Richard commented.

  “No problem. I insist. If the tab is taken care of, perhaps this will work as the tip.” Michael placed his hand on her back, as she maneuvered around the long table to leave.

  “Alright, if you insist. Well, see you guys tomorrow,” Richard said.

  Everyone said their goodbyes and some mentioned they would be headed out as well. Julissa threw up her hand as goodbye to Shanice, who was waving at her. But what she could not resist was taking another glance at Quinton. The look they shared was short, but it was like they had their own secret code through eye contact and they barely even knew each other.

  Julissa was content with leaving tonight, only because she knew that she would see him at least one more time at the wedding.

  **

  “See, my friends aren’t so bad, are they?” Julissa and Michael were in the car on the way home.

  Michael shrugged his shoulders. “Your friends were fine.”

  “Dinner was pretty good, too. That’s a nice restaurant. We should go there sometimes.”

  “Dinner was fine. I guess you can expect a new client with…Quinton requesting your help and all.”

  Though the prospect of gaining a new client should have been reason for celebration, Michael didn’t seem too elated.

  “Yeah, I guess.” Julissa pretended to be interested in straightening her skirt.

  “I didn’t like him very much, though. Just something about him…”

  She glanced at Michael’s grim facial expression. “Well, at least if he works with me that’s money in our bank accounts, right? All money has the same value, even though it may come from clients we don’t actually like. And you should know that all too well, right?”

  “Right.” It didn’t sound like he really meant that one.

  Chapter Three

  “J.H.C.! My damn feet hurt!” That was Shanice bitching.

  The other girls agreed as they rushed back to the changing room to freshen up after one hour of straight picture taking. Julissa had to admit that she was exhausted as well. She’d been on her feet since six this morning.

  “Christina looked so beautiful. I can’t believe her aunt-in-law made that dress. That was just lovely!” One of the bridesmaids recalled.

  “I know. It looked like a straight designer gown. The bodice comes off for the reception, too,” Shanice said.

  Another bridesmaid sighed. “I can’t wait for my day to get here. It’s going to be just as lovely!”

  “Waiting for that question, huh? Put out some hints. It’ll come sooner or later,” Myra said, massaging her feet.

  “I think Julissa’s gonna be next. When are you two going to make it official? We know that Michael’s not gonna let you go anywhere,” Shanice inquired, dusting more face powder across her cheeks.

  “Do you know something I don’t?” Julissa asked. “Michael’s taking it one day at a time. He’s busy with work and the expansion and all that.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t let him make that an excuse. Start throwing hints at his bourgeois ass. Nobody’s gonna be waitin’ for him to pop the question all his life. Right? You don’t need to give him another three years without any head way, do you?” Myra asked.

  “To tell you the truth, I don’t. But I’m not trying to run him off, either,” Julissa replied, reapplying more lip gloss to her lips.

  Shanice snapped her finger. “I hear that, girl. Don’t run that man off. He got money like he don’t know what to do with it.”

  “It shouldn’t be the money. Besides, if the money is gone, what’s left?” Myra asked, placing her pumps back on her feet.

  Shanice widened her eyes at Myra. “Did you not just here what I said, Myra? There is no running out. His fucking parents and grandparents and great fucking great grandparents are rich as hell too. He comes from old money that goes on and on and on…”

  Shanice was right. Michael wasn’t wealthy because of what he did. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But that wasn’t why Julissa was with Michael. Deep down inside, under the brick wall he put up in front of people, under the thick skin his father taught him to have, and despite the conceited behavior displayed at times, he was a good guy. No one had seen Michael like she had when she first met him. No one knew that Michael was capable of being the perfect man.

  The knock at the door told them that it was time to get back down to the ballroom.

  The reception setup was just as beautiful as the wedding ceremony decor. The ambience, calm and romantic. The lights were dimmed low, but the glow from the chandelier allowed for adequate viewing. The guests enjoyed appetizers and wine while the entire wedding party was introduced, then seated. Everyone watched the first dance, the father/daughter, and the mother/son dance. For the purpose of pictures, the entire wedding party danced with the partners they were coupled with during the ceremony.

  Julissa was paired with Ed. Again.

  “You doing okay? You looked a little worried after you came back from pictures.” Ed was moving in slow beat with the music, hands grasped just above her waist. There was still some room between them, of course. She was not about to upset Michael tonight, who was no doubt somewhere in the room observing the dance.

  “I’m okay.”

  “I don’t think so. Is everything going well with you-know-who?”

  “Ed, what are you talking about?”

  “You know how I feel about you, Julissa, and I’m sorry that you don’t feel the same way with me. But when I say that I want to see you happy, I really do. Even if it means that it’s not with me.”

  “I am happy.”

  “I can’t imagine that you would still be happy with that. I mean, the guy is a straight asshole. Why can’t you see that?”

  “Look, Ed. We’re not at this wedding to talk about my relationship which is none of your damn business.”

  “Okay, alright. If there’s a problem with that guy, you know that you can come to me. I understand that you don’t go to Christina and Shanice about that shit, but you know I know…I’ve kept my promise to you all this time and I will always keep it.”

  The promise. The secret that Julissa had asked Ed to keep for almost more than a year. Once Ed had jogged her memory, the image was almost like yesterday. The day she never thought that she could hate a man so much.

  “Guess what?”

  “What?” Julissa mumbled, but she was only half listening.

  “I met this girl, Amber. I think she and I can be really good together, you know. Like…she’s wifey material…”

  As Ed went on and on about Amber, Julissa drifted off.

  How could she have hated a man so much, but love him the next day? It happened almost a year ago. Julissa had attended one of Michael’s employee parties. Everything was going okay, perfect, until she was caught off guard when another man took a seat in the empty chair next to her. Michael had just gotten up to grab wine coolers from the bar.

  Obviously, the man sitting beside her didn’t realize that Michael had just gotten up from the same seat. The red low cut dress that Julissa wore that night encouraged his advances as he moved his chair closer to converse with her. The last thing that Julissa wanted to do was be rude to someone that Michael dealt with and mess things up for him, so she accepted the conversation. Besides, the guy was cute. From his buzz cut dark brown hair to the way the top two buttons of his dress shirt was unbuttoned revealing straight brown hair to match.

  A piece of something must have fallen onto Julissa’s
hair because the man reached up, commenting that there was something on it. After he pulled the piece of lint out, his fingers lingered there and he ran his hands through the length a few more times, commenting at how surprised he was that her hair was so soft.

  All hell broke loose after that when Michael appeared before them slamming both wine coolers on the table. The guy got the point instantly, stood up, and ran, not walked, in the other direction.

  Michael had grabbed her arm slowly but firmly and asked her to come with him. He blew up in a corner where he was sure no one could see him. He was outraged, hissing almost every name in the book at her for coming on to that guy. He gave her no chance to explain herself, not even to say that nothing happened. Scared to death at this reaction from him for the first time, she tried to push him. With great force, he pushed her back into the wall with the palm of his hand, almost knocking the breath out of her.

  When she’d opened her eyes again, that was when she saw Ed standing behind them. Michael’s back had been turned, so he’d had no idea that he was there. The look in Ed’s eyes revealed that he saw the whole thing. Julissa had silently pleaded with Ed, shaking her head, and practically warning him not to interfere. Ed had gotten the point and had stepped back. By the time Michael had calmed down and turned around, Ed had retreated.

  “Are you listening?”

  “What?” Julissa shook her head, blocking out the image.

  “You weren’t listening…,” Ed mumbled, as if disappointed.

  Julissa felt a hand on her waist and Quinton was standing beside them with his dance partner.

  “Everyone has switched. Mind if I have this dance?” Quinton’s voice was polite, but eager.

  “Sure,” Ed said, and they switched.

  When Quinton wrapped both his arms in her waist, she could have sworn her heart had dropped to her stomach. It felt like a million butterflies were having a party down there. It felt so different from the way Ed touched her and strangely it felt different from the way Michael touched her. It felt…right. Julissa didn’t want to look awkward and out of place with the rest of the dances, so she moved her hands to rest on his back.

  “Why won’t you look at me?” Quinton whispered, the words hitting the top of her head.

  She lifted her chin and looked at him.

  The moment their eyes met, he smiled. “You’re beautiful.”

  She blushed, lowering her eyelids and her face. “Thank you.”

  He reached between them and lifted her chin gently. “No…thank you for this dance. You know, I’m getting pretty lonely here in Atlanta. It would sure be nice if I can take you up on that offer to show me around the city.”

  “Quinton…you know I—”

  “And, please, call me Q.”

  “Q.” Julissa let the letter roll of her lips. She liked it. “Anyway, I think your cousins would be better equipped to show you the city from a guy’s perspective.”

  “I want to see it from Julissa’s perspective. Besides, I’ll only be here for another week and I need to get right down to business. How many properties can you show me in a week?”

  Quinton seemed like he was serious about the getting down to business part and she liked that.

  “As many as you want to see…”

  “Well, you have yourself a client. Are you free on Monday morning?”

  “Q, I can’t just…” When Julissa looked in his eyes again, she knew she couldn’t say no. She didn’t want to say no. “I normally work late mornings and early afternoons. That will be the best time for me.”

  Quinton smiled. “Even better.”

  “Are you staying in town?”

  “I’m staying right here…at this hotel. Can I meet you at your home?”

  “No.” Julissa shook her head. “We’ll talk about the details on Monday morning. I’ll call you.”

  “You don’t have my number.”

  “I have the number to the hotel,” she said.

  “I won’t be here all day. I have other business to tend to.” He smiled back. “I guess you’ll have to give me your number.”

  “Once again, my name is Julissa Lorenzo. I work with Remington Executive Realty. You’re good at looking things up in the phone book, aren’t you?”

  “I have a feeling that you don’t give in easily, Ms. Feisty One.” His lips were close to her face.

  “You’re right, Q.” Julissa couldn’t remember how their bodies came to be touching. They were so close to each other that she felt hard muscle beneath the tuxedo he wore.

  “I like that. I like it a lot.” His last comment resounded in her head throughout the rest of the dance. And when the music stopped and they announced that formal dining would begin, they were still in each other’s arms.

  If Shanice hadn’t pulled her away from Quinton, she may have been in a whole heap of trouble. Julissa and Quinton exchanged no more words that night, but every time they were in sight of each other, they exchanged secret glances.

  She had to admit, she anticipated her meeting with Quinton on Monday.

  Julissa finally made her way over to Michael after the dinner, bouquet toss, garter toss, and cake cutting. She knew he had been watching her every move for the last two to three hours. Michael was like that…controlling. Or maybe he was just a bit more possessive than other men.

  She leaned down and kissed Michael on the forehead. “How are you holding up? Food okay?”

  “Everything is very good.” Michael looked at her and smiled. “First time I’ve seen you in a white formal dress.”

  Christina had really flipped the script by wearing a red wedding dress with all her bridesmaid in white dresses.

  “Yeah. I guess it was a surprise to all the guests, huh?”

  Before Michael could answer, the man sitting beside him stood up and extended his hand out to Julissa. “Your significant other, I take it?” The question was directed to Michael.

  “Yes, this is Julissa, my girlfriend,” Michael responded as the man shook her hand. “Julissa, this a Ted Rows. We’ve been talking for a little while about a car dealership he’s wanted to open up for a while now. He’s looking for some financing and I told him I will see what I can do with getting a word in at the office.”

  Julissa nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Rows. A good business plan is always a good thing. But, I’m sure that Michael will take care of you.”

  “Well, thank you. It was nice meeting you, Julissa. You have a beautiful, girlfriend, Mr. Gerard…I’ll talk to you soon.”

  With that, the man excused himself and walked away from the table.

  “Well he was certainly nice,” she said.

  “I don’t know whether he was sucking up to you or me when he made that last comment.”

  “Oh, he was just trying to be nice to you.” She swatted her hand at Michael. “Why do always assume stuff?”

  Julissa saw Christina and Richard going from table to table greeting guests and she excitedly waved them over. She hadn’t talked to Christina since they were getting dressed earlier this morning. She didn’t want to send her friend off on honeymoon without having telling her how happy she was for her.

  “Christina! You are so beautiful.” Julissa and Christina gave each other a hug as Michael and Richard stood off to the side in conversation.

  “Oh, whatever! You’re the beautiful one.” Christina kissed her on the cheek.

  “Unh-uh! You have me beat, girl. Today you are the princess and got the prince to prove it.”

  Julissa and Christina giggled like two little school girls, then Christina got a serious look on her face. She turned to look at Michael and Richard, who were having their own conversation, and then looked back at Julissa. She leaned even closer and whispered, “I always thought that Ed was going to be the groomsman who would be the only one to dance with you since he practically begged us for months to pair with you. From the looks of it, Quinton didn’t seem to want to let you go once he got you in his arms. And I mean…you two were really in each othe
r’s arms.”

  “I hadn’t noticed. We were just dancing.” Julissa blushed. “It’s nothing. We were talking about his real estate…here in Georgia.”

  “Whatever…you two looked as though you had known each other for years.” Christina pulled back suddenly as Richard wrapped his arms back around her waist. “Well, we’re just making the last rounds and thanking everyone for coming out. In another hour or so, we’ll be headed to the airport.” Christina patted Richard on the chest and they both gave each other a kiss.

  Julissa smiled. “Enjoy your honeymoon, guys. You two deserve each other.”

  What she wouldn’t give to be happy like that.

  **

  “What’s for dinner tonight?”

  At only nine o’ clock on a Monday morning, Michael was already worried about what Julissa was cooking for dinner. It was going to be a long week…

  He stood beside her in their huge gourmet style kitchen and waited as she poured his morning coffee into his favorite mug.

  “Haven’t decided. Something good, of course,” Julissa replied.

  The fact was she hadn’t the slightest clue what they were having. She usually did shopping on Saturday, but that task was put on Sunday’s to do list, because of Christina’s wedding. Somehow, she’d forgotten on Sunday that she hadn’t gone shopping the previous day for the week.

  “Something Mexican sounds good. Maybe your delicious Enchiladas?”

  She stirred one half a teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of half-and-half in the coffee mug. Michael liked the measurements to be exact. He would know if they weren’t.

  Julissa handed him the mg. “Then Mexican it is.” She made a mental note to take a break from work to run to the grocery store to pick up the items for Mexican food. Then she remembered that she had promised Quinton to show him a couple properties that afternoon. “What time will you be home tonight?”

  Michael had his back to her on the way out the door.

  “Five,” he called over her shoulder and left.