2. Maxwell
CHAPTER 2
Maxwell
Friday afternoon I arrive at Kamaya’s apartment since we’re going to the wedding venue together. Westin and Bree already live nearby in Stamford. We’re the only ones from our office who live in Jersey City, and we’ll be the last to arrive in Greenwich.
Taking the elevator up to Kamaya’s place, the tension increases in my body, knowing we’ll be spending so much time together. With the hour-long drive to Greenwich and wedding festivities this weekend, I’d be seeing a lot of her. Lately, it was difficult being around Kamaya because I felt different about our friendship, and I also know how she feels about Zach. I’ve wasted too much time daydreaming about Kam and I together, knowing it’s pointless to do so.
When Kamaya finally opens her front door, she’s only partially ready, even though she assured me we’d leave as soon as I arrived.
“Woman, you’ve had plenty of time to pack,” I call from the doorway.
Kamaya lives in a studio apartment that she should have left when her lease was up. Instead, she signed on for another fifteen months in what I lovingly call the shoebox . She insisted she didn’t need a bigger place, but the way she nearly bumps into her things scattered about her place drives me crazy.
“This place is way too small,” I say.
“It’s intimate, cozy!” she yells back, heading towards her closet.
I shake my head. There’s no getting through to her about this apartment. The only plus side is I didn’t worry about her in this area of the city, and she was close to the train station to get to Manhattan and work. Most of her family, except for her youngest sister, lived close by in Fort Lee. Other than me, she was on her own over here now that Nicole was around a lot less.
Thankfully, I was able to keep a close eye on her even when we weren’t at work.
“I’m ready to go,” she says, finally moving her suitcase near the door.
“Are you sure?” I ask, pointedly looking up at her hair.
“Omigod, the satin rollers!” she exclaims, reaching to remove the items from her hair. “Thank you for reminding me! I would have walked out of here looking a mess. I’m a little too comfortable around you and didn’t even think about the rollers.”
I try, unsuccessfully, to suppress my laugh. She looked adorable trying to run to the bathroom and remove the contraptions in her hair at the same time.
“What are friends for? I’m going to take these to the car,” I say, pulling the handle on her suitcase. “Think you’ll be ready by the time I come back up?”
“Yes, I’ll be quick,” she says.
Once Kamaya finally finishes her hair, we are able to get to Connecticut in just under the projected hour on Google Maps. The drive north is fortunately uneventful, minus some traffic as we get closer to our exit. Kamaya and I like a lot of the same music artists, and our ride to the venue is chill. One thing about our friendship is how easy it is to get along. We teased each other at times, but we were peas in a pod.
The hotel and resort where Ava and Brandon are getting married is one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Not that I expected any less with both of them coming from wealthy families and having successful businesses of their own. Ava is a chef turned food influencer. The popularity of her social media and cookbook made her a celebrity. Brandon came from a wealthy English family and had received an inheritance years prior. If the hotel was anything to go by, no expense had been spared for their wedding.
Kamaya releases a low whistle before getting out of the car. “This is exceedingly elegant.”
“Agreed,” I say.
The Circle Hill Hotel has even more lush acres of grass than the website did justice. The main club house looks like an old ranch-style mansion. Acres upon acres of finely mowed grass surround a manmade lake. The hotel grounds with a cobbled walkway make the space seem cozy, though the grounds are sprawling.
At the check-in desk, the attendant provides us our keys, and we realize our rooms are next to each other. This scenario is ideal since if our rooms were separate, Kam and I would spend most of the time trekking to the other person’s room. But knowing that Kam will be separated from me by only a wall has me feeling apprehensive.
Just how thick were the walls in these rooms anyway? The times when we’d actually be in our rooms would be distracting to say the least. Hearing Kam in the shower and picturing her nude, wet body could be awkward. Or worse, what if she hooked up with a guy while we were here and I had a front row seat to hearing them?
Or even worse, what if she hooked up with Zach?
The last thing I wanted was a front row seat to Kamaya with anyone, but especially Zach Stapely. There is something smarmy about the man that I’ve never liked. Kamaya could certainly do better. Since she thought I was already so anti-love, I’m certain my advice against the man would fall on deaf ears.
“Earth to Max,” Kamaya says, waving her hand in front of me.
“Right,” I say, reaching for the handles to our bags.
“This hotel is incredible,” Kamaya says as we walk to the far end of the hallway. “Rare to get a room on the first floor, huh?”
“Yeah, we’ll be very close to all the action,” I say, seeing the entrance to the area where Brandon and Ava will be exchanging their vows tomorrow.
“Here’s your key card,” she says, extracting mine from the two in her hand while I push her bag into her room.
“This room is lovely,” I hear Kamaya say right before we each enter our respective rooms.
The stately room is a mixture of warm tones of cream, burgundy, and dark gold. The space is immediately relaxing as soon as one steps in. The carpeting in the room sinks under my footsteps. A large king-size bed awaits me in the center of the suite.
As I check out the amenities, a knock sounds at the door. It’s not the front door but the sound is coming from near the wall to my right.
As soon as I open, there is a waiting Kam on the other side.
“Hey roomie, looks like they gave us connecting rooms!” Kamaya says.
She looks beautiful standing in the doorway, even in jeans and a simple top. I don’t realize I’m staring until she flips a lock of hair back and laughs. “What is it?”
I shake my head. “Um, nothing. I guess we should join the others now.”
“Yes, looks like we’re already missing a lot.” Kamaya looks down at her phone. From my vantage point, I see the home screen lit up with multiple notifications from the wedding party group chat.
“As bridesmaid and groomsman, we have to be there for the bride and groom this weekend. But you and I should still see if we can take advantage of all the amenities they have at this hotel,” I say.
“Oh, yes,” Kamaya says. “We have to take advantage because once this wedding is over, we’ve got our work cut out for us on the Van Zandt assignment.”
Ava and the wedding planner stood by the entrance of the banquet hall, directing everyone to where they needed to be for tomorrow afternoon. I could see Brandon’s frustration at the length this process was taking and had to hide my grin. By the looks of things, we were in for a long day.
“Max, finally!” Ava says when she sees me. I arrived a few moments after Kamaya. “You should be standing next to Kamaya since you’ll be walking her down the aisle.”
Ava’s bouncy curls are loose but look like her hands have been running through them due to the stress of wedding day preparation.
Kam moves from where she’s standing with Bree and beckons me over.
“I texted you that we’d started, but you didn’t answer.”
I feel around in my pockets. “I knew I left something behind.” I sigh. “I’ll be back.”
Kamaya smiles. “I know weddings can be stressful for brides, but Ava is turning into a bridezilla. She’ll have your ass if you don’t get back here quickly.”
I turn to see Ava, the wedding planner, and Ava’s mother talking, all their backs turned away from where Kamaya and I are standing.
“I’ll be back quickly,” I say, slipping through an exit on the opposite side of where I came in.
Once I’m back in the room, I check that my phone is fully charged and return it to my back pocket. Then I open the door and halt at the familiar voice in the hallway.
“Everything’s going according to plan,” I hear Zach say. I peek out the crack in the door and see him presumably fishing for his keycard to return to his room. “Yeah, everyone is under the impression that the journal was hacked. They have no idea who is behind it, I’m certain. Look, I need to change for the rehearsal dinner…”
I don’t hear the rest of his sentence because he’s shut the door.
Everything is going according to plan. Under the impression the journal was hacked.
Who was he talking to? It sounded as if Zach knew more than he was saying. Was he talking to the hacker behind what was going on, sabotaging the company he worked for?
I knew something was up with that man. I could never put my finger on it, but I immediately got a bad vibe from him the day we met. What Brandon and Kamaya see in him, I’ll never know. Zach’s smarminess has only worsened in my mind after hearing that conversation.
My phone alerts me of an incoming text from Kam:
Ava wants to practice coming down the aisle in pairs, where are you?
On my way , I text back.
Securing the door closed behind me, I turn at the sound of another door opening. Zach appears in a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and chinos. Perfectly dressed as I was used to seeing him. One positive I could say about the man was his attention to detail.
“Max, I was just on my way over to the hall. Walk with me?”
“Uh um—sure,” I say. It would have been objectively rude to flat out refuse him, especially since we were heading in the same direction.
“I think you’ve known Brandon almost as long as I have. I’m glad he’s found someone who’s made him happy,” Zach says, appearing to be in an improved mood. Whoever he was speaking to and whatever nefarious plot they have cooked up seemed to put extra pep in his step.
“Yeah, Brandon and Ava are very lucky,” I respond curtly. The walk over to the rehearsal area is short, and both of our long strides quickly eat up the distance.
“You know, I get the feeling you don’t like me much,” Zach baldly states.
“Well, I—” I say, trying to defend myself but thrown for a loop at his candidness.
“Kamaya and I have been building a rapport, and I sense that you are protective of her.”
Where was he going with this? “Yes, very much. She’s like a little sister to me,” I say. A bald-faced lie. I felt anything but familial feelings towards Kamaya, but Zach was the last person I would express that to. I didn’t trust Zach as far as I could throw him, as my old man always says. From day one, my gut told me something wasn’t right.
My gut was never wrong.
“If you say so. I just wanted to let you know you don’t have to worry,” Zach says.
“Finally, there you two are!” Ava exclaims as soon as we both walk through the door. “Zach, you’re supposed to be with Sophie.”
Sophie is Ava’s younger cousin who’s also a bridesmaid. I move over to the empty space next to Kamaya.
“What were you and Zach discussing? Your face was very intense.”
Right now didn’t feel like the correct place to talk about what I overheard, nor did I think Kamaya would be interested in anything negative about Zach. I’d have to hold on to what I knew.
For now.
“Nothing to worry about,” I finally answer, smiling for good measure. I had to get through this wedding weekend, but I’d keep a closer eye on Zach.
Finally Saturday’s wedding commenced, and Ava and Brandon were officially dubbed Mr. and Mrs. Eastwood. After the ceremony and a flurry of wedding party photos in the cherry blossom garden, the best and only part of weddings that I truly enjoy finally arrived: the reception.
After Ava’s brother and the best man, Asher, gave his speech wishing the newlyweds eternal wedded bliss, the wedding party and guests danced and ate the rest of the night.
Taking a breather from the crowded dancefloor, Kamaya and I stand around the small cocktail table enjoying our glasses of champagne.
“Uh-oh, your admirer is making her way over here,” Kamaya says.
I look over and see Sophie Wells, Ava’s first cousin and bridesmaid, making a beeline towards me. Sophie is a beautiful woman, albeit on the younger side for me. She’s wearing an identical pink off the shoulder dress to Kamaya’s.
“So, Maxwell,” Sophie says, placing her small hand on my forearm. “You promised me a dance earlier.”
“I’m taking a break, but maybe later,” I say.
Sophie pouts, acting entirely too whiny, which reminds me I am becoming too old for women in their early twenties.
“Okay, I’m holding you to it, Max.”
Kamaya takes a sip of champagne, waiting for Sophie to get out of earshot. “You’re just breaking hearts over here.”
I shake my head, stalling by taking the final sip in my champagne flute. “The older I get, the faster I can spot trouble. Sophie has trouble written all over her. Plus, the last thing I need is to get involved with Brandon’s cousin-in-law or whatever she is now. Remember how all relationships are doomed?”
“Maybe not the mindset to have at a wedding,” Kamaya says, placing her drink down on the table.
“I’m not going to have this conversation with you again, Kam.”
“How did I become friends with such a love cynic and curmudgeonly man?” she asks, smiling.
“Probably because I’m not only handsome and charming but also a lot of fun at parties,” I say. “Speaking of which, we should get back out there dancing.”
I wrap a hand around her wrist, dragging her along with me back towards the dancefloor.
“Max!” she exclaims, giggling as we join the guests for the rest of the night.
The next morning, the sunlight streaming in the windows wakes me and my mouth is extremely dry. After several glasses of champagne that freely flowed courtesy of Ava’s sponsorship, I don’t remember what else I drank. Rookie mistake to mix liquors.
Kamaya and I were on the dance floor for hours. Every Black wedding dance from the electric to the cha-cha slide was danced last night, and now I have a pounding headache to go along with sore feet.
Speaking of feet, I look down and realize I have one shoe on and I’m still in my groomsman tuxedo. I can’t believe I fell asleep nearly fully dressed. Kamaya and I came back to her room, turned the TV on, and ordered fries with spicy aioli and a few beers from room service, and next thing it’s morning.
I look around the room. When I spot the glittery purple suitcase, I realize I’m still in Kamaya’s room.
We’re on the loveseat in the room and Kamaya shifts in her sleep when I sit up. The warmth of her body is now gone. Sometime during the night or in the flurry of all that dancing, the thin strap of her dress slid off her shoulder, offering an alluring view of the tops of her breasts.
Whoa.
The gentlemanly thing to do is to cover Kam with a blanket and return to my room. Just look away and pretend I didn’t see anything; except I don’t want to leave. Waking up with her in the quiet this morning feels…right. As if waking up together is completely normal.
I quietly stand and try picking up my discarded shoe when I hear Kam stirring behind me.
“Max?”
“Hey, go back to sleep, it’s only—” I look at my watch and see that it’s just after 7:30 and let her know. “I’m going back to my room.”
Kamaya’s eyes start drifting closed and before I think she’s fallen asleep again, she says softly, “Please stay.”
Please? Well, now I couldn’t just abandon her. Clearly, in her sleep-induced haze, she wanted me near. I grab a blanket and cover us both, rejoining her on the settee to drift back to sleep, feeling content and glad I could stay.