by Tosha Damaya
He turned around, shocked at the of sound Sydney’s voice. He was talking to Jonathan about the appointment they had with the tailor for their tuxedos. He had to come up with something quick as an excuse for Sydney to hear.
“Tomorrow is Brenda’s birthday. We’re throwing her a surprise party at the office,” he replied, referring to his secretary.
Sydney didn’t expect that, but she was relieved nonetheless. “Oh. For a second I thought you were hiding something from me, not Brenda.”
“Never, baby.”
Sydney closed the distance between her and Zeke. She placed a quick peck on his lips. "I'm not in the mood to cook. Can we order something?" Sydney's feet were killing her, and she just wanted to relax.
"Yeah, we can order out or I'll even cook."
She laughed. “I don't want food poisoning.”
"Just get me whatever you order."
He moved out of the room still talking into the telephone. Sydney got an uneasy feeling in her gut. Why does he need privacy? “What in the world is going on?” she said to the empty room.
≈
The next day, Zeke stood in the mirror at the Jos A. Bank in the black tuxedo that he would wear to marry Sydney. All of his groomsmen including Ethan, Trevor, Gavin, and Jonathan were standing with him, and together they were a good looking group of men.
Zeke looked at their shopping assistant and gave him his bank card. "We'll take them. Are you sure they'll be ready for the wedding?"
The man nodded his head. "Of course, Mr. Coleman."
After the man had left the room, they started stripping out of the tuxes.
"Ethan, you're going to be the last man standing?" Gavin commented.
Ethan shrugged his shoulders. "I'm hoping not for long. It may take a little while, but I'll make Sierra my wife eventually."
"You need to," Trevor added, "Marriage is rough, but I wouldn't trade my worst days to be single again."
The men continued to talk oblivious to the fact that Jonathan was in the room as well. Zeke noticed how he had separated himself from the rest of the men, so he went and spoke to him. Zeke had a feeling that despite everything that Danielle had done, Jonathan still had feelings for her.
"I know it's hard to hear all of that, but I know you'll find someone soon."
Jonathan snorted. “I'm not looking for love right now. I think I'm going to focus on myself from now on."
"Don't let what happened with Danielle affect your view on women."
"I'm not. I let a beautiful face turn me against my family. I don't need for it to happen again. I know there're some real women out in the world, but I'm not interested right now. I still need to detox from Danielle." She kept calling him from jail apologizing. Jonathan had to get his phone number changed to stop the calls.
Zeke understood that and left it alone. He went back and finished getting dressed and heard his phone ringing. He told the guys to be quiet and answered it.
"Hey, baby," Zeke said into the phone. He ignored all of the kissing noises his brothers were making.
"Hey to you, too. What are you doing? I thought we could have a late lunch."
Zeke mentally cursed. "I can't, baby. Right now, I'm swamped at work," he lied. "How about I take you out to dinner instead?"
Sydney paused. Zeke could tell that she was crushed. "Okay. I'll be home by six. I'm going to go see Sierra after I leave the store."
"Okay, baby. I'll see you then."
≈
Sydney stared at the phone dumbfounded by the conversation. She got up from Zeke's desk chair and walked out of the office. Right now, I'm swamped at work. Why would he say that when he wasn't even at work? She didn't understand why Zeke would lie to her.
Sydney passed by Brenda's desk. "Did you get in touch with him, Sydney?” she asked.
Sydney nodded her head. “I did. I must have gotten my days mixed up. I thought today was your birthday,” she said trying to cover her tracks. “Think of the flowers as an early gift, Brenda."
“Thank you, Sydney."
"You're welcome," she said before leaving.
Sydney made it to her car and called Sierra. She couldn't wait to talk to her in person.
"Hello?" Sierra answered.
Sydney couldn't hold back the tears. "I think Zeke is cheating on me," she sobbed into the phone.
"Okay, stop crying." When she wouldn't stop, Sierra yelled. "Sydney shut up and stop crying. Are you fucking crazy? Zeke is not cheating on you. He loves you so much that it's starting to make me sick."
Sydney knew that it was true, but she couldn't avoid the signs. "He's lying about where he is, Sierra,” she explained.
“Okay, I need for you to tell me what happened.”
She listened as Sydney explained everything. Sierra realized that Zeke was lying to her, but only because telling the truth would ruin that surprise. "Syd, he's not cheating on you. I promise."
"Sierra, I’ve been so hard on him since the miscarriage maybe he found someone else.”
“He hasn’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Sierra struggled with the truth. She sought to ease Sydney’s mind, but didn't want to ruin the surprise wedding. "I was on the phone with Zeke last night," she lied. "And today I met him for lunch."
Sydney was relieved, but confused. "Why lie about it, Sierra? Zeke has never lied to me before."
"Ummm." Think Sierra. "Because we wanted to surprise you. Zeke wants to plan a spa day for you next Saturday. He wants me and his sisters-in-law to take you. They're driving over from Louisiana,” Sierra replied, pulling an idea out of her ass. Now she had a reason to get Sydney out of the house. After their spa day, she could take her to get her hair and makeup done as well. It was the perfect excuse.
"A spa day? That sounds nice. Now I feel like an idiot," she sighed. “I was ready to have a nervous breakdown."
"Well don't, Zeke would never do anything to lose you."
Sydney wiped her tears. "You're right."
"I know I am," Sierra gloated. "Listen, I have to get back to work. I'll call you when I finish, but stop worrying."
When Sydney hung up, Sierra sent Zeke a text.
Sydney thinks you're cheating on her.
A second later Zeke was calling her. "What happened?" he asked quickly.
Sierra repeated what Sydney said to her. He was relieved when Sierra told him she fixed it. "Thank you, Sierra. Maybe I should just tell her about the wedding."
"No, don't do that. We put so much work into it. I'll keep her occupied until then."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
Sierra smiled. "No problem. Don't forget that I take cash, credit or checks."
Zeke laughed before ending the call. He was already planning on getting her a gift as a thank you for everything she'd done.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The night before
Sydney looked around the dinner table Friday evening and felt blessed. She was blessed to have an amazing fiancé and family. She spent the majority of the day shopping and lunching with Sierra, Yazmin, and Jeanette. They all clicked well and had similar taste, so they went from one store to the next spending money. It was a little awkward being around Yazmin, who was going to pop any minute with her little girl. Sydney just hoped that one day she could be pregnant again.
When she got home after shopping, Zeke had a bubble bath ready for her. He joined Sydney and washed her back. Being with him in the tub was becoming her new favorite hobby. Zeke made slow, sweet love to her afterward that put her to sleep.
When Zeke told her that they had dinner plans, she didn't expect the entire family to be there as well. In attendance were Ethan, Sierra, Gavin, Yasmin, Trevor, Jeanette and Jonathan. Her parents and Momma Pearl were also at the dinner. Love surrounded her, and she felt pure happiness.
≈
"What are you smiling about, Sydney Adams?"
She turned her head and faced Zeke. "I was just thinking about how happy I am. I wish I
could bottle it up and keep it with me forever."
Zeke moved closer to her. "I have a feeling that the way you'll feel tomorrow will excel your happiness for tonight. I have a fantastic day planned for you, baby."
"I forgot about the spa. I am excited about that."
Zeke wished he could tell about the rest of the day, but she would find out soon enough. "You deserve the world, Sydney. I can't give it to you, but I'll promise to try and keep this smile on your face. It's the most beautiful thing," Zeke stated before kissing her. Their family was witnessing their moment and took pictures for a wedding scrapbook.
"I love you," Zeke whispered.
"Love you, too."
"And I love you, too!" Sierra added from across the table, everyone laughed. "Sydney say goodbye to Mr. Lover Boy, because we're having a girls’ night tonight!" Yazmin and Jeanette cheered at the mention of their sleepover.
"Girls night?" So that meant a night away from Zeke.
"Yes, a girl’s night! It's going to be fun. We already booked the Hyatt, so you had to say yes."
"What about my clothes? I have to go home first."
Sierra shook her head. "Zeke already packed for you."
Sydney was shocked. "You knew about this?" she asked her fiancé.
"Guilty. I told you I gave a great day planned for you."
They paid the bill and left the restaurant. It was hard for Sydney to leave Zeke, but Sierra practically dragged her away, so she didn't have a choice.
Sydney was mesmerized when she arrived at the hotel. It was breathtaking. She did a quick tour before taking a shower. Afterward, she walked back into the suite and observed all of the girls dressed in matching bathrobes and sweats.
"Cute. Where's mine?" she asked. She was in regular pajamas.
"You'll get yours soon, but first you need to see something," Sierra stated before handing Sydney an IPad.
She grabbed it and observed Zeke's face on the screen. "What is this?"
"Just press play."
Why didn't he just call or text me? Sydney was confused, but went and sat on the couch and started the video.
"Hello, Love. Tonight I want you to enjoy a night with the girls. Don't stay up too late gossiping and painting your nails because tomorrow you have an appointment at the spa to get pampered. After the spa, you'll head over to the hair salon. Your last stop will be at our wedding.
Sydney gasped when Zeke said wedding. So many questions were forming in her head, but Zeke answered them on his video.
"For the past few weeks, our families have been helping me plan our perfect day. Tonight, your sleepover with the girls is a bachelorette party because tomorrow you will become Sydney Coleman. I don't want you to worry about a thing. Just bring your beautiful self, because I'll be waiting for you at the end of the altar. Tomorrow you will become my wife, and we'll solidify our relationship in front of friends and family. I'm so excited to make you Sydney Coleman. I love you, and I'll see tomorrow."
The video ended, and Sydney was left feeling shocked and surprised. She couldn't believe it, so she pressed play and listened to it again.
This time at the end of the video, she started to cry. The last time she cried this much was for the loss of her unborn children, but the tears falling tonight were from pure joy and love. She couldn’t wrap her mind around that fact that Zeke planned a wedding for her. He’d just asked her to be his wife a few weeks ago. All of this was a total surprise.
Sierra cleared her throat to get Sydney's attention. "I have something for you,” Sierra passed a gift bag to Sydney.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me," she chastised Sierra as she opened the bag.
Sierra shrugged her shoulders. "He promised me presents and favors if I kept my mouth shut," she playfully replied. "But I thought it was sweet and wanted to help. I do have a small romantic bone in my body."
Sydney giggled and pulled a sweat suit out of the bag. "What in the world is this?"
"It's customized," Sierra informed her.
Sydney held the pants up and observed Sydney Coleman written on the back. She found the jacket and laughed when she read the lettering. "Zeke's best friend and wife," she read out loud.
"We have them, too," Sierra declared, pulling off her robe to reveal the maid of honor written on her back. Yazmin and Jeanette had bridesmaids written across their backs.
"This is crazy. I can't be getting married tomorrow. How in the world did this happen?" she was flabbergasted.
The girls laughed. "Stop trying to figure out how it happened and enjoy this moment. Tomorrow you're going to be a little bride, sister."
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dearly Beloved
Sydney kept her face still as her makeup was being applied. In the background, she could hear guests arriving and people talking in the hallway. She was growing more anxious by the minute and was impatiently waiting to start the wedding.
She was still shocked that Zeke was able to pull everything off. The gesture was something that you only saw in movies or read in romance novels. It was just incredible. Just thinking about how amazing her fiancé was had her emotions a wreck. Since arriving at the venue, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
Sierra grabbed a tissue and dabbed her sister's eyes. She didn't want Sydney to ruin her makeup. "Stop fucking crying.”
"These are happy tears. Have you seen the ceremony area and reception hall, it's gorgeous." It was a rhetorical statement. Sydney and the bridesmaids completed a tour when they first arrived that morning. “How did he pull all of this off? We just got our marriage license. We were planning a quick wedding, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.” She was genuinely shocked. He had pulled off the impossible. “Celebrities have gotten married here!”
“And now Sydney and Zeke are getting married here,” Sierra mocked. “Zeke knew what you wanted. He planned every detail, and we just helped. The last thing he needed to get done was the marriage certificate.”
“Do you know where we’re going for our honeymoon?”
“No. That’s the one thing he didn’t tell us. Don’t worry, you can ask him in about thirty minutes."
Sydney squirmed in her seat. "I can't wait to see him. Do you know how hard this is? I haven't’ spent a night away from him since the kidnapping.” The girls took her cell phone so she couldn't even call Zeke. She was missing him and was anxious to see his face.
"Yeah I know. I miss Zeke, too.”
Sydney chuckled. “Stop being silly.” Sydney got an idea. “Can you do me a favor and go tell Zeke how much I love him?”
“Sydney, I'm sure he already knows."
"Please."
Sierra gave in and left the bridal suite. She walked down the hall and avoided all of the staff finishing the preparations for the wedding. She got to the men’s suite and the door opened before she knocked. It was the last person she wanted to see. “Ethan.”
“Sierra.”
She smacked her lips. “Please don’t start with me. I thought we were trying to be cool with one another during the ceremony.”
They weren’t on good terms. Their initial problem was resurfacing again. Ethan wanted more and Sierra wasn’t willing to budge on furthering their relationship. He didn’t understand the big deal. They did everything that normal couples did but as soon as he wanted to give them that title, Sierra panicked.
“I’m straight.” He reached into his pocket. "Tell Sydney that Zeke loves her and to give her this." He placed the small box in her hands. "It's her something new."
Sierra took the box. Zeke told her that he was buying Sydney another ring. Sierra and the girls already got her the something old, borrowed, and blue. "I'll give it to Syd and tell Zeke that she loves him, too." She turned to head back down the hall.
Ethan stopped the urge to grab Sierra and smash his lips against hers. Maybe it was all of the love in the air because he wanted to shout from the rooftops how much he loved the silly, outspoken, and beautiful woman walking away from him. I
t hurt that she didn’t love him back.
“Sierra.”
She turned to face him.
“Save me a dance.”
Sierra smiled and nodded her head before continuing down the hall.
≈
The planner announced to Sydney that she only had ten minutes until the ceremony was beginning. She hopped up and did a last minute makeup and hair check.
She loved that her hair had big curls and flowed down her back. She didn't usually wear extensions, but she made an exception for her wedding day. Her light makeup brought out her natural beauty, and she felt like the prettiest girl in the world.
"How do I look?" she asked, turning to face the women in the room.
"Amazing."
"Beautiful."
"Happy."
Johari got up to leave. "I'm going to take my seat before someone steals it." She helped with the wedding, but wasn't a part of the bridal party. "You look stunning, Sydney," she said before walking out the door.
All of the women embraced her one last time.
"I'm so happy that my son found you, Sydney. I couldn’t think of a better fit for him. Are you ready to become a Coleman?" Momma Pearl asked.
Sydney smiled big. "Yes, ma'am."
Yazmin, Jeanette, and Sierra grabbed their gifts for Sydney.
"This is you something borrowed," Yazmin said, handing Sydney a diamond tiara. "I remember at my wedding how much you liked it. I know you wanted to feel like a princess, and this should help."
Sydney thanked her and carefully placed the tiara on her head.
"My gift will be a little more fun for you and Zeke. It’s your something blue," Jeanette stated. She pulled out a baby-blue garter. "After the wedding, get your honeymoon started by having Zeke pull this off your leg with his teeth."
The women started whistling loudly. Sydney blushed. "Thank you." She lifted her wedding gown, and Jeanette slid it up her leg.
Last but not least, Sierra presented her gift. "Do you remember that gorgeous pearl necklace Grandma Ruby wore for every special occasion?"