Chapter 11
The ballroom was transformed into something special once Tammy’s mom and Darious’s mother came together and brought Tammy’s dream wedding to life. White wooden chairs lined the floor on each side, where thousands of white and yellow rose petals covered the aisle Tammy was going to walk down. Crystal doves hung from the ceiling like chandeliers, and the cream-colored walls shimmered with glitter everywhere. A large white piano sat off to the side with a paid professional playing love songs from the ’90s. Two tall water fountains sprayed mist into the air several yards away from the altar, making its background look beautiful.
The mothers had really done their thing. Large crowds of people poured into the ballroom, and it turned out to be way more than what was on the guest list. Luckily, there was enough room and chairs to seat everybody that came.
“Damn, dog. You really ready for this?” Lamar asked Darious while he rocked baby Jordan in his arms.
Darious chuckled. “Nah, homie, I’m good right now. I could have chosen anybody, but I didn’t. I chose her.” He nodded.
“Nigga, that’s the best answer you could have come up with. Anything outside of that, we might have been fighting up in dis place,” Lamar laughed. “But on a serious note, Tammy is like my little sister, yo. Treat her right, and no matter what, don’t ever put ya hands on her,” Lamar said, poking Darius in the chest.
Darius respected that coming from him. Lamar wanted him to know that she had men in her family who loved her and weren’t going for the abusive spouse relationship. Darius would get touched quick, fast, and in a hurry, and depending on the weather, he might get buried. He understood that quite clear.
“Oh shit, homie, ya folks is here,” Darious said, nodding toward Falisha. The hairs on Lamar’s neck stood up. He wasn’t sure if she was going to show up. Falisha was known for being shaky and undependable, but there she was standing right in front of his face when he turned around.
He looked down at Jordan, fearing she was about to do something stupid, and he would have to ruin the wedding by whooping her ass. Surprisingly, she showed no signs of a threat; in fact, she looked hurt. She leaned over and kissed Jordan’s head, then wiped the single tear that fell down her face. She wanted to hold him, but that would have made what she was about to do even harder.
“I wanted you to know that I’m not going to be at the court hearing on Wednesday,” Falisha spoke in a sad tone. “I’m not going to fight you for custody, so you don’t have to pay a lawyer. I think our son is better off with you than me, and I give you my word that I will never bother y’all again. Take care of our boy,” Falisha said, leaning in to kiss Jordan one last time before turning around and walking away.
Lamar watched Falisha walk away , and his heart dropped. He’d hurt her badly; she didn’t even want to be a mother anymore, at least not a mother to his child. It was a tough blow, because despite what they were going through, Lamar did want baby Jordan to have both his mother and his father in his life. His intentions were only to have some legal rights over his son, but he had pushed too hard, and now he’d pushed Falisha right out of both their lives. He just stood there sick, sorry, and confused, but the thing that he began to feel immediately . . . was alone.
* * *
Lisa’s plus two was Naomi and Nate. It seemed like the moment they entered the building all eyes were on them. People who knew Lisa were happy to see her with somebody after all this time. Nate was a catch too and had quite a few ladies huddled up, whispering to each other about how sexy he looked.
“You know all these people?” Nate asked, looking around the room. “They are staring hard.”
“I know some of them from the neighborhood.”
“Uncle Lamar!” Naomi yelled, running across the lobby.
After hugging and letting Naomi kiss baby Jordan, Lamar walked over to Lisa. He glanced from her to Nate with a curious look on his face. Lisa smiled, then introduced the two.
“A’ight, Lamar, can you keep an eye on Naomi while I go find Tammy?” Lisa asked, looking around for Tammy’s dressing room.
“Yeah, I got her. Go and do ya thing,” he answered.
Then Lisa did something that Lamar, nor anybody else in the building that knew her, thought they’d ever see again. Right before she left, Lisa gave Nate a peck on his lips. It wasn’t a major tongue-twirling, lip-locking French kiss, but it was a kiss nonetheless, in public.
“What did you say ya name was again?” Lamar joked to Nate.
Aside from the wedding, this definitely was going to be the talk of the night, and Nate was in for one hell of an interrogation once Tammy and Kim cornered him.
* * *
“Damn, girl, you rocking this dress,” Kim told Tammy, who stood in the vanity mirror putting on the finishing touches.
Tammy didn’t go with the traditional wedding dress like every other bride. She rocked an all-white pencil dress that came down to the lower part of her thighs. It was form-fitting, showing off all her sexy curves. On her feet was a pair of white Giuseppes with gold buckles, matching the gold trimmings on her dress. Her curly lion mane hair stole the show, making the whole outfit come together something fierce.
“Don’t be lying to that bitch,” Lisa said, walking into the dressing room. “She’s killing that dress.” Lisa laughed as she looked Tammy up and down.
She gave Tammy a hug and a quick smooch, trying to avoid messing up her makeup.
“Where’s Naomi?” Tammy asked, looking toward the door.
“Oh, she’s downstairs with Lamar and Nate,” Lisa answered.
“Nate?” Tammy and Kim said at the same time.
“Yes, Nate. I think it’s time I start entertaining the notion of having me a little boyfriend. Nothing serious, though. Just somebody to talk to and go out with from time to time,” Lisa explained.
“Yeah, well, we need the full skinny on that situation,” Kim said.
“Yeah, but not today. Today is my day, heyyyyy!!” Tammy said, snapping her finger in their faces.
A knock on the door got all three of their attention, then in walked Chris, shocking everyone. Tammy couldn’t believe that he was there, and then had the nerve to look good, rocking a pair of True Religion jeans, a white Polo tee shirt with an oversized black horseman, and a pair of black-and-white Jordans to match the shirt. Louis Vuitton belt, iced out chain, even icier watch, pinky ring, and a nice-size studded earring for accessories made Chris look like he was a rapper on his way to a video shoot. He was thugged out to the core.
“Hi, ladies,” he greeted with a pleasant smile. “Y’all look good.”
“Hey, Chris,” Lisa replied, giving him a hug.
Kim did the same, giving him a hug and a playful punch on the arm.
“Do y’all mind if I talk to my kids’ mom for a minute?” Chris asked.
The girls didn’t mind. They knew Tammy and Chris needed a moment. But just in case it popped off, they were going to be close by.
“Come on, Kim,” Lisa said, walking out of the room.
Before Kim exited, she gave Chris a warning. “Don’t start no shit up in here, nigga.”
Chris smiled, watching as the door closed. He looked back over at Tammy and shook his head with the same smile on his face.
“You look beautiful,” he said, walking over to her. “You know, I always imagined that you would look this beautiful for me on our wedding day. I pictured us having it in a more romantic place than this, but I guess this will do.”
“Come on, Chris, don’t start. Today is my wedding day,” Tammy said.
“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to stop by and show you some love, that’s all. Com’ere,” he said, reaching out for a hug.
Tammy stepped in, wrapping her arms around him. This really meant a lot coming from him. She didn’t expect this much. “Congratulations,” he whispered in her ears as he held her tight.
It seemed as if Chris didn’t want to let her go, and Tammy kind of felt the same. It felt like this was the last h
ug they would ever share.
“I love you,” Chris said, then placed a small kiss to the side of her cheek.
That kiss was followed by another kiss to the cheek, and then another, each of which got closer and closer to her lips.
They squared off face-to-face. His forehead rested on hers. Her nose rubbed against his, and in a moment of passion, Tammy kissed him. In seconds, they were lip-locked, sharing space with each other’s tongues. Chris’s hands moved down her back until they reached Tammy’s ass, which he immediately palmed.
Tammy’s pussy got wet at his touch, and before she knew it, Chris had lifted her up by her ass and carried her over to the futon. He laid her on her back, reached in, and pulled her panties off. Tammy tried to sit up, but Chris pushed her back. He pushed her dress up and over her waist, and wasted no time in planting his face into her pussy. Tammy moaned, feeling his mouth smothering her clit. He licked and sucked on it for almost a minute, making it even wetter than it already was.
“We can’t do this,” Tammy whined, looking down at Chris’s head swaying side to side. “Oh my fuckin’ God, boy,” she moaned, throwing her head back. “I hate you.”
When she opened her eyes, Chris was on top of her. He didn’t even get his pants all the way down before he grabbed his stiff dick. With no hesitation, he pushed his long dark flesh inside her. She gasped as it filled her canal. Involuntarily, her arms wrapped around his back.
“Dis daddy pussy,” Chris whispered, pushing the tip of his dick up to her back wall. “Say it,” he demanded, looking into her eyes.
One stroke, two strokes. “Who pussy is it?” he asked again. Three strokes, four strokes. “Say it,” he demanded. Five strokes, six strokes. “Dis daddy pussy. Stop playing and say it,” Chris demanded.
Every stroke got deeper and harder, intoxicating Tammy’s mind and body. She didn’t want him to stop, but she knew he had to before they got caught. Seven strokes, eight strokes. “I love you, Tammy,” he whispered. Nine strokes, ten strokes. “Who pussy is it?” he asked again.
Tammy couldn’t fight it any longer. She was no longer in control of her thoughts. No longer in control of what her body yearned for. “Dis ya pussy, Chris. Dis daddy pussy,” she moaned, trying her best not to scream out his name.
Eleven strokes, twelve strokes, thirteen strokes. “Damn, I love ya, girl.”
Chris’s come splashed inside of Tammy, causing her to have an orgasm of her own. She bit down on his shoulder as the orgasm rumbled through her whole body. She knew she was wrong, but it felt so good. Having Chris inside of her felt right, and there wasn’t anyone who could tell her anything different.
In the midst of enjoying each other’s tenderness, bathing in each other’s fluids, the front door to the dressing room opened . . . and standing there looking down at Tammy underneath Chris’s body, was none other than . . .
Chapter 12
As Luther Vandross’s “Here and Now” played through the speakers, Tammy nervously walked down the aisle. Although she was sure the beautiful, elegant, white dress was the reason for all the stares, she couldn’t help but feel that all eyes were on her for a different reason. Her uncle, the last living relative on her mother’s side of the family, accompanied her. In her hand, she held a colorful bouquet of flowers, and on her face was the fakest smile she’d ever worn in her life. Visions of Chris on top of her, digging his pole deep inside of her only minutes ago, smothered her thoughts. Traces of his sweet saliva was still on her lips. That, along with remnants of his come seeping out of her still-throbbing nectar box was enough to make her want to run and hide.
Guilt was an understatement, and Tammy didn’t know what had possessed her to go forward with this marriage after what she’d just done. Selfishness was the only thing that made sense—not wanting to lose out on being Darious’s wife, while at the same time, harboring a huge amount of love for Chris. In a nutshell, she wanted to have her cake and eat it too, which had nothing but disaster written all over it. Luther Vandross’s crooning interrupted her thoughts,
When I look in your eyes, there I’ll see, all that a love should really be. And I need you more and more each day, nothin’ can take your love away.
Lisa tried to keep a straight face during Tammy’s slow stroll on top of the flower petals that lined the center aisle of the church. Though she truly wanted to yell out, “You ain’t shit,” she kept her composure.
At one point, Tammy even glanced over at her for approval of what she was doing, but Lisa only lowered her gaze, not wanting to return any eye contact. This was something she couldn’t approve of, and she hoped Tammy reconsidered before it was too late. But from the determined look on Tammy’s face, she was getting married at all cost.
“You take care of my niece,” Uncle Teddy told Darious when they finally arrived at the altar.
Darious smiled and gave him a handshake before Uncle Teddy presented the bride, and then walked off. Mesmerized by her beauty, Darious couldn’t take his eyes off of Tammy. She, on the other hand, could barely look at him.
The pastor began, and right in the middle of him quoting a scripture from the Bible, Tammy stepped slightly to the left and turned toward Lisa who had a blank look on her face. She leaned in and tensely whispered so no one else could hear, “Am I making a mistake? Am I wrong for going through with this?”
Everyone in the building looked on, and even Darious had a curious gaze on his face, wondering what was going on with his bride-to-be.
In a low tone, Lisa answered, looking directly in Tammy’s eyes. “Only do what you are able to live with for the rest of your life.”
They stared at each other for a moment before Tammy turned back around and stood beside Darious.
“You having second thoughts?” he asked in a concerned tone.
Tammy stared into his eyes for the first time that day and saw nothing but pure love. She saw compassion, comfort, care, and concern . . . everything a husband should have for the love of his life. There was no way possible Tammy could turn away now, and the guilt that she felt in the beginning had turned into regret. What happened with Chris was something that should have never occurred, and after today, she knew it would never happen again.
“I’m sure you’re the one,” Tammy responded with a huge smile. She then turned to the pastor, letting him know that it was okay for him to proceed.
Throughout the service, Kim and Falisha kept looking over at Lisa suspiciously, wanting to know what Tammy had whispered to her and trying to figure out what was going on. Neither was aware of what had happened in the dressing room just moments ago, but both Kim and Falisha were thirsty for something good to gossip about. They were going to remain that way too because Lisa wasn’t trying to say a word about what she had seen.
“Congratulations!” friends and family yelled out after the pastor instructed Darious that he may now kiss his bride.
It was official. Tammy was now Mrs. DuPree. Joy and pride consumed her heart, and it felt as if she had a clean slate from this point on. She planned to keep it clean. To the best of her abilities.
* * *
“Excuse me, Lisa,” Darious said when he walked up to the reserved table. “Do you mind if I have a word with you?” he said, not wanting to be rude by just telling Falisha to get up.
Lisa looked over and nodded at Falisha to leave.
Falisha stood, but was reluctant to move, wanting to stay and be nosy.
“Congratulations,” Lisa said with a smile. “I know I haven’t made it my business to get to know you. I hope that will change, now that you and my girl tied the knot.”
“I know this might sound crazy, but you’re the closest person to Tammy, and the amount of love and respect she has for you is crazy,” Darious began.
Lisa was ten steps ahead of him, and she already knew what he wanted to talk to her about the moment he walked over. “Ask ya question,” she smiled, making him smile in the process.
“Do you really think she loves me?” he asked.
/> “Of course, I do. That girl is crazy about you,” she answered.
“But what did she say to you when we were at the altar?”
“She asked me if I thought that she was worthy enough to marry you,” Lisa lied. She hated to lie, and she so wanted to tell him the truth, but it wasn’t her place to do so. If the truth was going to come out, it wasn’t going to be by her. “Enjoy ya marriage and don’t hurt my girl,” Lisa concluded before getting up from the table to leave.
“Thanks,” Darious said. He also got up and headed back to the front where Tammy and the rest of his family were seated.
As he turned around to leave, Darious glanced over and saw Chris leaving the ballroom. He wanted to be sure that it was him, so he walked to the exit door. By the time he got outside, Chris was gone. Darious stood out front looking around, and the only thought in his mind was, Why the fuck is Chris at my wedding?
* * *
“Hey, Chris,” Falisha greeted, seeing him in the parking lot.
“Damn, Falisha, that thing look crazy,” he replied, taking in a full-body mental note. “Girl, you thicker than a second-grade crayon,” he joked as he checked her out.
“Shut up, boy. And who car you got? It better not be stolen.”
The all-black 2012 Chevy Impala sat clean, featuring tinted windows, leather seats, a touch screen TV in the center console, with a wood grain finish throughout. He had a straight-up dope boy car.
“Falisha, if anybody should know me, it should be you, and you know I get at a dollar. I’m doing me right now, minus the trappin’. By the summer, I’ma pull up in something crazy with a V-12 under the hood. You can ride shotgun wit’ ya feet up if you want,” Chris said, standing there looking like he was about to take a picture.
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