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CHAPTER 2 –PIPER
“Yes,” I say, forcinga smile to my lips.
The room erupts in cheers as Kenneth slides the ring onto my finger before lifting me into the air. He spins me around, releases a whoop and then kisses me as he sets me back on my feet.
“You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world,” he whispers.
I look around at all the eyes still on us and keep the eye roll internal. To the rest of the room, I display the classical smile they’ve become accustomed to and tell Kenneth, “I’m glad.”
“Can I steal your new fiancée for a minute?” Kortland, Kenneth’s brother and one of my close friends, asks.
“Where’s your wife?” Kenneth asks.
Smirking, Kortland says, “Fuck you.”
I laugh before saying, “Play nice, boys.”
They don’t get along all that well and the fact that Kortland and I are such good friends aggravates Kenneth beyond measure. It’s okay, though, because I won’t give up my friendship with Kortland for any reason. If it wasn’t for him, Kenneth wouldn’t even know me.
I used to hang out at Kortland’s house with my other close friend and his now wife, LaToya. Whenever we came over, Kenneth would come around eyeing me. Initially, I was attracted to him and liked the attention he showed me until I popped up at their house one day and he was walking out of his bedroom with some girl who was zipping up her pants.
Kortland had seen the disappointment on my face and warned me away from his brother. Realizing that I had a major crush on Kenneth that I thought was reciprocated, Kortland warned me that his brother wasn’t about shit.
“Seriously, Kenny. Let me dance with her for a bit.”
“Kenneth,” my fiancé corrects his brother.
That’s another thing about Kenneth; everything is so proper with him. I shudder thinking I’ve just agreed to a lifetime of his conservative bullshit. He wasn’t always that way; not until he got elected to the city council thanks to the partners at his law firm pushing him into that arena and backing him.
I let Kortland tug me onto the dance floor where he gives his DJ a nod. I laugh when DMX’sGet It On The Floorstarts to play. One glance at Kenneth at our table shows he’s not happy about this.
Kortland and I love DMX to Kenneth’s chagrin.
“You would do this just to mess with him,” I say, laughing.
“I can’t help it. He’s a bitch. This nigga got the nerve to propose to you at my reception. Everything has to be about him,” Kortland says.
“I don’t think that he means any harm,” I soothe. “What did Toya have to say about it?” I ask, looking at his new wife as she dances on the floor with her brother.
“She cheered me on. Knowing that it would get under his skin hearing DMX. Gotta tell you that she was pissed you accepted his proposal, though. She was hoping you’d leave his corny ass on one knee.”
I laugh loudly and snort as I dance and bounce to DMX’s song. Turning away from Kortland, I shake my ass and peer at Kenneth. He’s red as fire, but I’ll make it better later tonight.
LaToya and I met in middle school, and we both met Kortland in high school. They’ve been dating since our freshman year of college, so I don’t know why Kenneth is so jealous of my friendship with Kortland. He’s tried to do everything possible to strain our friendship.
“Seriously, why’d you accept his proposal? You know what you got on your hands?” Kortland asks.
I stop dancing for a moment and stare into his eyes. “Your brother is a good man, Kortland. You and I both know this.”
“Now he is. That doesn’t mean he’s not still a hoe deep underneath. Once a hoe, always a hoe. Besides, he’s boring as hell these days and too conservative. You need a man who gets you not one who’s trying to shape you into his image of the ideal woman. Just don’t get hurt, a’ight?”
