Chapter 8
Crimson
Weddings. A wise man once said, A man who gives up his freedom and their way of thinking to walk down the aisle to combine their lives with another is a fool. I had mixed emotions about that quote. Because standing in the quaint groomsmen’s room in Chateau Heaven and watching my boy, Ant, get ready for his big day, made me envy him.
He’d found someone who had agreed to love him through his flaws, weaknesses, and most importantly for who he was as a man. That’s all we could hope for in our lives was for someone to look at us and see their whole world.
“Crim, can you put that damned joint out before you have all our tuxs smelling like that shit?” Ant shouted over his shoulder.
Stifling a laugh, I flicked the bud I was holding out the open window and stood from the stoop I was sitting on. “Aight, man, it’s gone.”
“Damn, I’m so fucking nervous.” Ant wiggled his shoulders and legs, as he threw his head back toward the ceiling. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this shit.”
“Shit, me neither,” I mumbled.
“Really, Crim?” he asked in frustration while straightening his bowtie in the floor-length mirror. “You’re my boy, and if you can’t see this shit for me, speak now or forever hold your goddamn peace, nigga.”
“I don’t, man.” I rubbed a hand down the side of my face. “I mean the Ant I know loved the women. You remember when you dated those twins and you couldn’t figure out who you liked the most, so you started dating their cousin?”
Ant chuckled. “Fool, I was in my twenties. That’s the type of shit we do at that age. I’ve grown up. It’s time to settle down, we can’t play the field forever.”
“Why not?” I asked him wholeheartedly. “One woman can’t possess all the things a man needs.”
“True dat,” Ant agreed and turned to face me. “But you have to figure out which woman possesses the things you can’t live without. All that other shit,” he fanned his hand in the air, “is superficial. It’s cool to have the woman with the baddest body and prettiest face, but what about her brain?” He slapped a hand on my shoulder. “Can she maintain a house? Can she raise kids? Can she be the backbone of the family? Those are the questions you need to ask yourself, Crim.” He pointed a finger to my temple.
“Damn, Oprah, when did you become all smart and shit?”
Ant smiled and jabbed me in the chest. “Get that shit out of here.”
“For real tho, man, you haven’t seen those qualities in anyone you’ve dated?”
“Maybe,” I said, returning to my stoop and rubbing my goatee in deep thought.
If I was being completely honest with myself there was one person who made me forget all the bad shit in my life and who knew me better than I knew myself.
“Brynn,” we both said at the same time, as our eyes locked.
“You fucked that shit up,” Ant stated, shaking his head.
“Yeah, I did.” I clasped my hands together. “I’m a stubborn son-of-bitch.”
“Yes, you are.”
“But this not about me. Today is your day, bro.”
“It is,” Ant hooted. “But when you’re out here talkin’ nonsense that even you don’t believe, I have to set you straight.”
He was right. I have played the field, but I knew firsthand that the right woman could have me in a chokehold.
“Crim, you found your soulmate at a very young age.” Ant continued. “I’m in my damn thirties and I’m finally feeling this way about someone. I still remember those nights we sat up in college until four in the morning talking about how much you were in love with Brynn. You knew then but you were an idiot.”
Nodding, I fell back against the beige wall feeling like a fucking fool that I didn’t have the courage to tell her how I felt all those years ago and walking out of her office that day. I’d been miserable ever since. I’d even been sleeping with my phone next to me in hopes that she’d call but I knew she wouldn’t. This shit was on me, and if I wanted it to work, I had to fix it.
Brynn peeked her head in the door jamb. “Hey, y’all ready?” She eyed me suspiciously and then focused her attention back on Ant.
Yeah, I’m going to make this right again, I thought.
Ant slid his tuxedo jacket on, and I did the same. Twisting to the side, he took one last glance in the mirror, and said, “I’m ready.”
The walk down the aisle was all a blur, as I stood at the altar, while watching Ant shed a tear for his soon-to-be wife standing next to him with a white veil covering her face. As my eyes roamed in front of me to Brynn standing between Ant and I, I figured Ant was right when he said a man had to grow up and figure out what was important in life. She wore a lavender dress, and her hair was pinned up on the top of her head in a tight bun. She looked stunning, as a few curls graced her neckline.
Of course, she was the only woman standing on the groom’s side, because Ant wouldn’t have it any other way. Rob nudged me in the back, and glancing over my shoulder, I smiled. Damn, I couldn’t believe the four amigos were back together again. I couldn’t help chuckling at the name our mothers had given us.
The vows were said, and just like that the wedding had ended in fifteen minutes. The music blared over the loudspeaker as Ant and his new wife marched down the aisle kissing and hugging.
The wedding party coupled up and walked down the aisle. Brynn strolled in front of me, walking by herself. When we reached the church foyer, I caught up to her and whispered, “Can we talk?”
She looked up at me, rolled her eyes, and kept walking.
Damn, I thought. She wasn’t going to make this easy.
An hour later, after we took pictures and mingled with guests, I had peeped Brynn in the cocktail hall mingling with some of our old college buddies. It wasn’t a good time for us to talk, but I had already decided she wasn’t leaving this wedding until I had spoken to her.
I waited for the right time as I stood in the corner of the banquet hall, watching her work the room. She glided around like an angel, and the more I watched her the more I wanted to kick my own ass for walking out of her office that day. I had no excuse other than I was a stupid ass man.
“Bro, if you keep watching B any harder you might literally undress her with your eyes.”
Smacking my lips, I side-eyed Rob. “Whatever, man.”
“Ant told me y’all had a thing for a hot moment.”
“I figured that fool told you, he can’t hold water,” I stated, sipping my Hennessy.
He stood next to me and followed my gaze. Folding his arms, he revealed, “I always thought y’all made a cute couple, but we were all friends. I wasn’t sure if you two could make the transition to lovers and not fuck up y’all’s friendship, like y’all are doing now.”
Tuning Rob out, I saw Brynn smile and hold a finger up to someone she was talking to. She started making her way toward the narrow hall leading to where the restrooms were located and realized that was my time to make my move.
“Keep that thought,” I told Rob as I set my drink on the table next to me and sprinted across the dance floor toward the area Brynn had just left.
She had already disappeared, and I figured she had gone into the restroom, so I positioned myself between a small nook that was separating the bathroom and the janitor’s closet. After several seconds, she came out walking past me, while smoothing out her dress. I gripped her hand. She tried to pull away from me, but I held on.
“Can we talk?”
“No, Crimson. I told you if you walk out of my office to keep walking.”
“I know, but please … I’m idiot.” I smacked my forehead.
She shook her head and wiggled to be freed.
She wasn’t budging, and I could hear people coming down the hall, so I picked her up, opened the door to the janitorial closet, entered, and closed it behind me, blocking it with my body.
“Move, Crim,” she warned.
“Not until you hear me out.”
“Why? I did that already and it didn’t get me nowhere.”
“Listen, I was an idiot. I got upset at the thought of losing my father’s farm and the stress of it all was weighing on me. I took it out on you, and although I wished you would’ve told me, I do understand it’s your job.”
“Whatever,” she said, folding her arms.
“Brynn, all I’m asking for is your forgiveness. I know I’ve asked for it twice, but what can I say, I’m fucked up.” I placed my head in my hands.
“You’re not fucked up, Crimson.” She twisted her lips. “Maybe a self-centered jerk and an asshole at times … oh, don’t let me forget a selfish prick.”
“Okay, I get it Brynn,” I groaned. “Whether not you let me in again as your lover, I don’t want this to ruin our friendship.”
I turned around to leave, and she said, “So that’s it? You give up that easily?”
“Huh?”
She gathered the dress she had on in her hands and reached underneath to pull down her lacy purple panties.
“See, the thing about this, Crim, is I know who you are. I figured you’d walk out of my office that day because that’s what you’re used to. You remember when you told me back in school that your motto was to get people before they get you?”
I nodded, slowly realizing I had an issue with control and feeling rejected.
“Can you forgive me?” I asked as I brought my forehead to hers and closed my eyes.
“Crim, no matter how much I try to stay mad at you it doesn’t work. Baby …” She paused as I backed her up against the wall and lifted the long dress to her waist.
“Baby, what?” I teased next to her ear.
She moaned when I took a handful of her ass cheeks and squeezed them lightly. Damn, I thought. Brynn was the type of woman you only found maybe once in your lifetime. The cool thing about it was we created a friendship first and then somewhere down the road we became more than that. However, both of us were a little scared to take that leap, not knowing what would be waiting for us on the other side. Not sure if we could make the transition from friends to lovers.
It took us fifteen years to figure out we were meant to be and there was no escaping it. She was it for me.
I thrust inside of her, stalling at the sensational feelings rippling through my veins.
There wasn’t much I could say as my hips rocked into her more, as she drew me deeper in a way that only she could. Burying my head in her neck, I lifted one of her legs from the floor and there was where I found my release, as I shot my nut straight into her.
Yeah, I’m finally home.
* * *
Brynn
All the threehundred and something guests stood on the rooftop of Heaven Chateau to show homage to 4/20 day. My mother and Crim’s mother stood off to the side, getting acquainted with one another. After all these years they had finally met.
In true fashion Ant pulled it off to get married on a day that started all of our friendships. All the people who were weed smokers stood in a cluster, lighting up their joints. I couldn’t be any happier to have my boys back in my life.
“I missed this,” I said to Rob who had a hand around my waist.
“We have to make this day a day for us to reconnect no matter where we are in the world, “Ant chimed in, with an arm propped up on Rob’s shoulder.
“We’re there,” Crim piped in, with his arm swung around my neck.
Chuckling to myself, I thought, These are my guys. I was a lucky woman to have these three men in my life, and even luckier to have one as my lover. I glanced up at Crim staring out at the folks down below gathering around to light up.
“Hey, B, that was a really nice article you wrote on Crim’s Cannabis farm.”
Crim’s head snapped toward me. “You did your 4/20 column on me?” he asked in shock.
Nodding, I revealed, “I wrote it four weeks ago. Although you and I weren’t really talking, I knew you had one of the best products out there. I’m a professional, I try not to allow my personal feelings to get in the way.”
“Why didn’t you tell me in your office that day?” He asked.
“And miss seeing you sweat?” I snorted. “Now where is the fun in that?”
“Baby,” was all he said when his eyes misted over. He brought me to him in a hug and kissed my forehead.
“It’s time,” someone shouted in the crowd.
We all flicked our cigarette lighters precisely at four-twenty and took a drag of the natural herb. Ant, Rob, Crim, and I stood at the edge of the rooftop in a line, with our arms around each other’s necks. It resembled the ending of the movie The Wood.
It only took a wedding and my blog to bring us all back together again, four best friends who vowed to love each other for life.
“I love you,” Crim whispered close to my ear.
“I know,” I said, as Rob shouted out, “I heard that shit.”
“Ugh,” Ant muttered. “Is this what our lives going to look like when we see you two?”
Crim jabbed Ant and Rob in the chest. “Shut up, fools.”
And just like old times, they started horseplaying and placing each other in headlocks. Smiling, I took another puff of the joint I was holding, kicked off my heels, and joined in the fun.