Jaded (The Butterfly Memoirs) (6 page)

“Sorry, that was my fault.”

I patted her knee. “Life happens; we adjust and move on. I appreciate your willingness to help me. I’ll let you know when things start picking up again.” I surveyed the spread of snacks and selected a few of the chocolate mini bars. “How are things with Luke? Having fun playing house?” A curious burst of laughter from Ebony drew my attention. I creased my eyebrows and looked back and forth between them. “Did I miss something?”

Kaitlyn shook her head. “The man is a pig. I spend more time cleanin’ up after him than I did behind my two brothers back home. I mean really, how hard is it to put the lid down on the toilet? I nearly fell in the other night.”

“See,” Ebony chimed in. “You have to train your man. Most men aren’t used to having a lady in the house. It took a few weeks with Brian, but he’s got it now.” She laughed. “At least I didn’t have to worry about the pig part. If anything, he’s neater than me.”

I smirked. “That’s one of the benefits of living alone. No need to worry about open toilets or picking up anyone else’s mess.” I thought about the disarray of my hotel room. Since moving, I’d banned housekeeping from entering my room. My personal life was off limits when it came to my employees.

Ebony glanced at her watch. “Brian called earlier and said he’s coming home on time tonight. He wants to go on a date, so…”

Both of my friends’ attention turned to me. I forced myself not to roll my eyes. For a moment, I wished I had a man anxious to spend time with me tonight.

Oh wait, I did have a man waiting on me at the hotel, well, two actually; Ben, and his hot twin, Jerry.

“Okay, let’s get started.” I pulled the laptop out of my bag. “We have two weeks left. It appears the big stuff is taken care of. Your family already has their plane tickets, right?”

“Yep, they’re all set,” Ebony replied, lounging on the sofa.

“Good. Their rooms at the Inn have been reserved. Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night in the honeymoon suite before taking off in the morning?”

“Hell no,” Ebony laughed while shaking her head. “I don’t want to spend my first night as Mrs. Young in bed wondering if my parents are next door and can hear us.”

Kaitlyn and I chuckled.

“Understood.” I opened the wedding file and reviewed my list of to-do notes. “Okay, the caterers have been set up, and flowers will be delivered on the morning of the wedding. That leaves decorations…what time do you ladies want to start?”

“I’m open for anytime,” Kaitlyn said. “We’re still spendin’ the night at the hotel, right?”

“Yeah, I reserved the largest room for us. We can spend a few hours decorating downstairs before going up for drinks and some fun. Whatever you want, Ebony, I’m game.”

“Sounds good. My sister, Lashana, should be here in plenty of time to help set up. Yaz, you guys are going to hit it off. Brian’s sisters will also be helping. My mom and Mrs. Young will probably stay around for a little while, too.” She laughed. “Brian’s sister, Bridget, is determined to hire a stripper for the night.”

“I like her already!” Kaitlyn sat up, her eyes widening.

I chuckled. “What does Brian have to say?”

“I haven’t told him, but he knows how wild his sister is,” Ebony replied.

“What do the guys have planned?” My attention went to my notes.

“I have no idea. Whatever it is, I’m taking care of all his needs the entire week leading up to the wedding. He’s going to be so tired that if they do have a stripper, he’ll have no desire to touch her.”

I cracked up. “Just don’t wear him out too much, or he won’t be able to stay awake during the ceremony.” I reached for the strawberry daiquiri Ebony offered upon my arrival. “Now, last but not least, it’s time to try on our dresses. If anyone needs anything altered, I’ve met this wonderful seamstress who could do the job in no time.”

We headed to the spare bedroom where our dresses were being kept until the eve of the big day. Ebony stopped at the closed door and keyed in a code on what had to be a real estate padlock.

“Brian is nosey. I told him he could not see the dress until our wedding day.”

After a moment we were in the room. All of our dresses, shoes, jewelry, and other miscellaneous items acquired for the wedding were piled around the room. Nearly every inch of available floor space was occupied. After a few minutes, we’d cleared a big enough space to maneuver around without stumbling over one another.

Her colors were a chocolate brown with brilliant blue accents. The dresses Ebony chose for us were strapless floor length numbers with a thick satin ribbon that wrapped around the waist, while ruffled fabric flowed from the bodice. I loved the way the dark fabric accentuated every curve.

But nothing compared to her dress. We’d spent nearly a month in search of the perfect gown. In the end, we settled on an elegant halter type number, which flowed flawlessly over her voluptuous figure and flared past her knees into soft-layers. It reminded me of tulip petals.

Brian would be pleased.

Kaitlyn and I stepped away after we finished fussing over the tiny buttons of the sexy number.

“Can you breathe?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ve been damn near fasting for the past two weeks. I can’t afford to gain a pound until this day has passed.”

Kaitlyn and I tried on our dresses next. I was helping her with the zipper when we ran into a problem; it could not go up all the way.

“Uh, Kaity, what have you been eating?” I asked.

She blushed. “Crap, I was hopin’ this wouldn’t happen.” She sighed. “Guys, I’ve got to tell you somethin’…”

Ebony and I glanced at each other. “What?” we said in unison.

She gazed at her fingers as she wrung them nervously. “I’m pregnant.”

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. “What?”

“Oh my God! Congratulations!” Ebony cried, as she hugged her.

After the shock wore off, I did the same.

“Oh no, Ebony, your dress!” Kaitlyn cried. A quick assessment assured there were no traces of makeup on the immaculate material.

“It’s okay,” she said, turning her attention to Kaitlyn. “I can’t believe it, you’re pregnant? How far along?”

“I’m a little over two months. I found out yesterday.”

I did a quick math calculation in my head. Could this be the reason why she’d been anxious to move in with her boyfriend? “What did Luke say?”

Her eyes went to her hands. “He’s still adjustin’ to the idea of being a dad, but he’s gonna be great, I just know it.”

I didn’t miss the water collecting in the corners of her eyes. Something told me it wasn’t from happiness.

Ebony took over the conversation by going on and on about how great being an auntie would be, and how wonderful it was to be getting married. Realization sunk in…both of my friends had something to make their lives whole.

All I had was an incomplete business plan.

I diverted my eyes and focused on a box of decorations sitting across the room. Hurt, anger, and pain were a constant theme in my life.

Was I cursed to play the role of best friend and auntie for the rest of my life? Where was my ray of sunshine, my bright spot that made life worth living, even when times got rough?

I felt a hand land lightly on my shoulder. “Are you okay?” Startled, I forced my attention back to the conversation. Ebony’s concern not only shown on her face, it was audible in her voice. She held a tissue in her hand.

I couldn’t be crying. I wiped my cheeks. Yep, those were definitely tears.

“I’m okay,” I lied. “I’m so happy for you guys. You’re marrying the man of your dreams, and Kaitlyn is about to enter motherhood.” I accepted the tissue and blew my nose. “Both of you are moving forward with your dreams.” I plastered on a smile. “I’ve got plans of my own…”

They looked at each other and drew me in for a group hug.

“The perfect man will find you when you least expect it,” Ebony said matter-of-factly.

I shook my head. “Right now, I’m focusing on me. Javan ruined my desire to have another relationship.” I immediately cringed at the mention of his name. Ebony didn’t seem fazed by it. “Love isn’t meant for everyone,” I said, trying to smooth it over.

“That’s not true,” Kaitlyn said. “There’s someone for everybody. The one for you may not be lookin’ the same time you are. Your paths will cross one day.”

Words spoken by a woman who had everything I secretly wanted.

“Speakin’ of which, do you have a date for the weddin’?” Kaitlyn inquired.

Oh. Shit.

After months of preparing to give my best friend a day to remember for the rest of her life, I forgot about finding an escort for the evening.

Did I want the headache or the hassle? Finding someone willing to accompany me for the evening would not be hard. Hell, my phone rang off the hook with calls from men in my little red book. I avoided their calls, not even listening to the suggestive voicemails. After Javan, sex dropped to the bottom of my list of things to focus on. I no longer entertained the concept of a ‘sex only’ relationship with zero strings attached.

I was at a vulnerable point in my life. If a man said the right thing, my panties would drop without a second thought, no doubt pulling my heart right along with them.

I didn’t have the strength or the fortitude to withstand heartbreak again.

But I couldn’t show up to Ebony’s wedding alone.

A call to one of the guys in my book would fill the empty void for the night, but at what cost? No doubt they would expect me to spend time in their bed as payment. My heart couldn’t afford to pay the bill.

Zachariah Givens
.

Why did he pop into my head?

Well, he was the first man I’d spent time with in months, and he didn’t have any attachments. He also wasn’t looking for a relationship.

He was handsome enough, and I imagined outside of his work attire, in a nice suit, he’d fit the bill.

I could imagine spending a few hours with him. After talking during lunch and the evening spent with him and his mother, there was no doubt he was intelligent. I enjoyed conversing with him. We could spend the evening together in a room full of people and keep each other entertained.

At the end of the night, we would shake hands, say good night, and expect nothing in return.

“I know the perfect person to ask.”

Chapter 8

Yasmine’s car sat in the driveway of my mother’s house. I glanced at my watch. She should have been gone an hour ago. Was everything okay? Instinctively, I checked my cell phone to make sure the ringer was on; there were no missed calls or messages.

I forced myself to breathe steady before shutting off the car. There was no reason not to trust Yasmine. For the past three weeks, she’d faithfully checked on my mother. As a result, my mother blossomed from the additional attention.

I climbed out of the car, determined not to dash to the front porch.

When I reached the bottom step, Yasmine’s laugh floated in the air as she backed out of the door. My heart stopped as if seeing her for the first time.

Her skirt adhered to every curve of her body, stopping past her knee. What should have been simple was much more. A slit went up one side to reveal her thigh; high-heeled shoes accentuated slender calf muscles adding a sexy tilt to her glorious backside. The shirt hid behind a jacket, which fit her narrow waist, and flared over perfect hips. Her short hair was pulled away from her face; its curls hooked behind her ears.

Despite her exuded beauty, the happiness in her eyes and playful smile in response to something my mother said were what captured me.

She stopped, startled by my presence. “Zack!” A hand went to her chest.

I stood on the steps. The sound of my name on her lips sent desire to my groin, a now familiar reaction anytime she laughed, said my name, or damn, even looked at me.

“Hi,” I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose. Whenever Yasmine was in my vicinity, my nose began to sweat, making it impossible for the frames to stay put.

Yasmine smiled and cocked her head. “How was your day?”

I ignored my mother’s knowing glance as she walked onto the porch. “Good, thanks for asking. What about yours?”

“Better, since spending time with your mom. She is one of the smartest women I know. Meeting her was a blessing.”

“Glad I could help.” I stuck my hands in my pockets and looked away, ignoring the twinge of jealousy.

“Zack, are you okay?” she asked.

I cleared my thoughts. “Yeah, I’m good. Hi, Mom, how are you feeling?”

My mother stood next to Yasmine. “Younger now that Yasmine comes by.”

I chuckled. “What do I do? Make you age faster?”

My mom’s laughter rang outside. “No, silly. There’s something about having a young woman come to me with a load of questions. You’re a man, you wouldn’t understand.”

I guess not.

“Zack, do you have plans for dinner?”

My eyebrows rose at Yasmine’s question. “Um…,” I glanced at my mother. We had a standing dinner appointment nearly every night. Either I brought something over or we ordered in.

“Not tonight he doesn’t,” my mom volunteered.

Yasmine glanced at my mother, and then turned her grey-gaze to me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to interfere with anything.”

Laughter appeared in my mother’s eyes. “No, you’re not disrupting a thing.”

I chuckled on the inside. “Guess I am available.”

“Good. Are you still interested in taking me to dinner? I’m free now if you are.”

My mom stepped behind Yasmine and made a shooing motion over her head. I coughed to keep from laughing. “Where would you like to go?”

“I’m in the mood for Italian, if that’s okay?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Good. There’s this great place not far from here…”

My heart dropped at the mention of the restaurant she selected. “That’s fine with me,” I lied. “If you want I can drive.”

“Okay,” she hugged my mom and walked down the steps.

I walked up to my mother and kissed her cheek. “You’re too much,” I whispered.

“Don’t I know it,” she laughed. “Go have fun.”

***

The restaurant she’d chosen had the reputation of being ‘the’ spot for romantic interludes. For someone who claimed not to be interested in dating, coming here was an unexpected choice.