“Maybe you should lead with cheese and noodles.” She enjoyed another scoop of food.
“You have a little cheese at the corner of your mouth.”
Danessa licked both sides of her lips, missing the cheese entirely. “Did I get it?”
“No, I got ya.” I steadied her face and kissed the cheese sauce until it was gone. Which morphed into me devouring her full lips with mine. When we finally separated, I couldn’t help but stare. Danessa always appeared lightheaded and disjointed after we kissed as if she’d spun in a circle making herself dizzy like I used to do as a kid. The fact my kiss could cause her to unravel made my heart race.
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t think I have the words to express what I’m feeling. Sometimes things are better left unsaid. You know.”
“Yeah, I do.” I retrieved a forkful from the casserole dish, feeding it to Danessa.
Dress shoppinglike anything in Las Vegas was an experience. Crown and Veil Bridal Boutique was the same shop I went to for my wedding that never happened. They offered private suites, unlimited champagne and spirits, and a charcuterie board I couldn’t keep my hands off of. As the maid of honor, it was my responsibility to ensure every event leading up to the wedding was giving immaculate vibes. You only get married for the first time once.
“Anika would you hurry up?” my mother called out to my sister who was in the dressing room trying on the first dress.
“These dresses have lots of hooks, buttons, and snaps. Be patient.” I popped a fig in my mouth.
“Did you not have lunch?”
“I had to shift my appointments to make the dress fitting, so I skipped lunch.”
“Well at the rate you’re eating I’ll have to pay for another board.” Jemini’s side eye was vicious. I’d often attempted to replicate it but never quite measured up. It was the arch of her full and perfectly manicured brow.
“You’re not paying for any of this. Not the fitting, not the wedding, not the reception party.” The cost to reserve the fitting was five hundred dollars. If you purchased a dress here it was applied toward the purchase price, but if you didn’t, you were shit out of luck. No dress, no deposit, and no fucks from the upscale Black-owned boutique. This was how you curated the illusion of a luxury in-demand product. We did the same at our real estate firm. It gave off exclusivity and rich people loved to think they were getting an experience no one else could.
“My future son-in-law is wealthy and more than happy to provide.”Do you see how she made it about her?
“He’s happy to provide for Anika, not you.”
“What crawled up your butt, hmm? Why are you always looking to pick a fight?”
“Me?”
“Yes, this is a happy time. Anika is getting married. You’d think you’d be happy for her.”
Bitch. She would just love to cause a rift between Anika and me. She hated it when we teamed up on her and if she could get Anika to switch sides, the ref would be counting to ten on my ass.
“Iamhappy for her.” Honestly, I thought all of this was a joke and in a few months Dante and my sister would go their separate ways. But I had no intention of raining on her parade. She was happy, which I would respect and when it all turned sour, I’d be there to comfort her.
Anika brushed through the arched doorway in a heart-stopping cream dress. “Oh sweetie this is stunning,” Jemini gushed.
“I thought I’d start with traditional looks first. Although I’m not sold.” Anika stepped on to the circular podium. “What do you think, Nessa?”
The dress was far more conservative than the wearer. High neckline, lace, full puffy skirt. “It’s a beautiful dress for someone else.”
“You’re right. It’s not me. On to the next one.” Anika swept out of the room. I may not be onboard with the nuptials, but I wasn’t going to have my sister wearing a dress that didn’t mesh with her personality. Anika was the life of the party, and her dress should reflect that.
“How’s Aldridge?”
“Why?” I eyed Jemini suspiciously.
“Just wondering how he’s settled in.”
“How would I know?” I’d learned the hard way not to share important information with my mother. She would either find ways to make me doubt myself or hold it close for a future point in time when she could use it against me. When I told her I was getting cold feet, she ran to Marcus betraying my confidence. I had to do damage control for months, which forced me to stay longer because I was a people pleaser, and I didn’t want to disappoint Marcus or his family, who’d taken me in as their own.
“He’s your client. Don’t you two talk about things outside of real estate?”
