16. Khaleya
rehearsal dinner
Jace and Simone had arranged for everyone’s rides to the venue since it was an exclusive location. I figured since there were so many high-profile guests, they wanted everyone to be comfortable.
Myheir and I sat in the back of the car, preparing to allow others into our bubble.
I knew this was going to be new for me—this was the first time I’d meet his ex.
I’d learned exactly who she was before we got here.
Not from any help from Myheir; he avoided all talk of that woman like she was the plague.
But I knew I was going to have to ask the tough questions, because I was not walking into anything blindly.
“I have to ask, Big, and I need you to be honest. Don’t let me walk in there and not know everything. What happened between you and Mia?”
He released a sigh, then glanced down at me.
“It was a while ago. But I understand where you’re coming from.
I should have told you. Years ago, I planned to propose to her in the middle of this nice-ass restaurant.
I even got down on one knee. The whole restaurant seemed to have stopped moving when I did that.
She looked around that damn room, then back at me.
Then quietly told my ass to get up, then walked away from the table. ”
He paused, and my mouth was almost on the floor. That was embarrassing as hell. I wouldn’t have wanted to talk about her ass again either. I sat still, waiting on him to finish.
“I followed her out on the terrace, only for her to tell me I’m not marriage material and she never planned to marry me.
That she thought I knew it was just supposed to be for fun.
That was the day I decided to take life more seriously.
Shit, I hadn’t really laughed since. Well, until I met you.
I want you to know she doesn’t hold a candle to you. ”
“Aww, you don’t have to say that to make me feel better, Big. I already knew that—I saw a picture of her. Baby, you upgraded majorly,” I said with a smirk.
Myheir chuckled with a shake of his head, then bent down to kiss me.
I glanced outside of the window to see the castle in the distance and a few other cars ahead of us. Once we made it to the top, valet was at our door, opening it for us. Myheir stepped out first, then helped me.
He took my hand into his and led me into the castle. They had someone there checking our coats, so we did that first, then went to speak to the bride and groom. The moment we stepped into the main hall, there was one single long rectangle table with plate settings and gifts at each plate.
Lilac flower arrangements were all throughout the room. I glanced up at Myheir and pulled at his hand to get his attention.
“It is so beautiful in here, Big.”
He smiled and nodded. “They did a damn good job.”
I glanced around until my eyes landed on Jace and Simone. The moment she noticed me, she waved me over with a big smile. I pointed in their direction so Myheir saw where I was pulling him to.
Jace dapped him up the moment we walked over, and Simone pulled me into a hug. She had on a lace champagne-colored dress that was out of this world. If this was what she was wearing at her rehearsal dinner, I knew she wasn’t half-stepping for her big day tomorrow.
“It’s beautiful in here, and so are you. If this is the rehearsal dress, I can’t wait to see the wedding gown. I also appreciate you allowing me to come to the dinner. I know it’s just for the wedding party.”
Simone waved me off with a bright smile.
“Girl, please. Your man is barely part of the wedding party.”
Myheir glanced over with a lift of his brow. “Who got the rings?” he asked.
She smiled and patted his shoulder. “You know what, you might be right. Let me go head,” she joked, and did a zipping motion with her hand across her lips.
Before Myheir could respond, Mia made her entrance known. Her fiancé, or boyfriend, was holding the back of her dress like this was her wedding. In my opinion, trying to upstage the bride was tacky. The funny thing is she looked a mess and not as good as she may have thought.
“Simone! I’m here,” she announced.
I glanced over in her direction with a small smile. Myheir reached out and took my hand into his own.
“We just wanted to speak. We’re going to find our seats,” he told Jace.
I knew he just wanted to be away from this hoe, and I got it.
I didn’t want to be around her ass either.
The moment we turned to leave, Mia called out to him.
I knew all that shit she was doing was for him.
Some bitches just didn’t have no couth about them.
You standing in your own brand of wedding dress with another man, wanting to slob on the next girl’s man’s dick.
“Myheir, so we just aren’t speaking now?” she asked.
He glanced down at me, and I shrugged. Then he glanced over his shoulder.
“I’ve seen you many times before, and you kept it moving, so do the same now. Don’t put on a show because you see me here with my girl. Now go be here for your friend. Have a good night. You ready, baby?”
I nodded and followed his lead. I didn’t expect for him to put her in her place like that. But go head, Big, get your back. You can tell when hoes just like to be the center of someone’s attention. It’s sad.
We walked around the table until we found our names, so we took our seats.
“You don’t want to talk with anyone else here?” I asked.
He shook his head and brought my knuckles to his lips.
“Nah, I’m around who I want to be. Those are Jace’s friends. I spoke to who I needed to.”
I tipped my head back for a kiss, which he obliged, giving me a few kisses. I reached up, wiping some of my gloss from his lips, only for his freaky ass to kiss the tips of my fingers too.
“Sir, didn’t I thank you enough earlier?” I asked in a low voice only he could hear.
He smirked, then kissed the side of my neck.
“Shit, I could never have enough. You know what—” he stopped and glanced down at his watch.
“This doesn’t start for another twenty minutes, we early. Take yo’ ass in the bathroom real quick, I just want to have you on my tongue while I’m eating. I’m sure everything we try is going to be even better with you in it.”
My head shot back as I cracked up. He was insatiable, but so was I. I stood and adjusted my dress, then made my way towards the bathroom. The moment I stepped inside, I looked over my figure in my cream silk spaghetti-strapped dress that draped over my curves.
When I saw this in the shop earlier, I knew I had to have it, and it was the perfect dress for the occasion. I spruced up my curls a bit when the knob twisted to the bathroom. I turned, expecting Myheir, only for Mia to walk in with a smug look on her face.
“Am I not who you were expecting? You’re the bathroom attendant, right?” she asked.
The glimmer of mischief in her eyes let me know she knew for a fact I wasn’t a damn bathroom attendant.
She was used to intimidating bitches who felt she was better than them.
She had got the right one. If she kept it up, I was going to have her ass strung up on one of these coat hooks, like Queen Latifah did ole girl in Bringing Down the House.
“You’re used to being a bully and a mean girl, that you don’t even realize how stupid you look.
Can you imagine trying to beat your ex to the bathroom with his new woman?
When you leave, that man still gone eat this pussy, and then we’re going to have a good dinner.
Now go head and say the bullshit you’ve been waiting and practicing to say all night. I’m sure Simone told you I’d be here.”
I smiled and crossed my arms.
Her mouth was practically on the ground, but she tried to quickly recover.
“You’re so damn classless. Clearly I’m still going to be the only woman he ever asked—”
“To marry you? Yeah, I know about that, honey. You regret it, don’t you. Go back out there with your personal brand of Lord Farquaad and act like a good friend who is here to see her friend get married. I would hate to beat yo’ ass in here and show you how classless it can get.”
Her face was practically beet red as she turned to storm out of the bathroom, only to bump into Myheir, who had a glass that spilled red contents all over her white dress.
My hand shot up to my mouth to stop the laugh that was bound to slip out.
“Damn, my bad,” Myheir said as she had a mini tantrum and rushed from the bathroom.
He glanced over at me with a lift of his brow.
“Do I want to know what happened?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you later, but we might want to get back out there.”
Myheir gave a smirk as he walked further into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.
“Nah, I came back here for a taste, and I’m gone get that. You have any objections, Doll?”
I cracked up as he reached beneath my dress only to find out my panties were already off. I held them out, and he quickly took them, bringing them to his nose, then stuffing them into his pocket.
“Make it quick, Big. I’m sure that hoe is out there telling everyone. I kind of told her you were about to eat my pussy, so if she could hurry up that would be nice.”
“I can’t make you a liar, baby. Oh, and don’t get to shouting that damn social security number again, Doll.”
He dipped down and lifted my dress, diving in head first.
the wedding…
Myheir showed me the rings before we came, but seeing Jace and Simone exchange their vows was one I’d never forget.
When we came out of that damn bathroom at the rehearsal dinner, everyone was looking, so I knew she’d told them.
But I didn’t give a damn, and neither did my man.
Jace and Simone cracked up at our antics, so it didn’t bother me one way or another.
Mia chose to stay her raggedy ass as far from me as she possibly could, as she should. Myheir and I were seated with his parents, so I had a great time even though I didn’t know many people.
Myheir was mingling with a few clients, and his father was right with him. His mother was still at the table with me, so we’d been talking about all the beautiful brown women and men in attendance.
“I’ve been holding back all night on asking you this.”
I turned to face Meredith with a confused expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing is wrong. Um, I hope I’m not overstepping, but Darren told me how your grant slipped through the cracks. I told him how I wanted to always be part of something. I’ve always just been a mother and a wife. I want to be part of something I can see growing into something special—”
She paused, like she was getting her bearings together.
“I say all that to say, I would love to help you, to become a silent partner of sorts.”
My eyes widened, and I opened my mouth but closed it, then tried again.
“You don’t have to do that. I know Myheir probably brought this to your attention—”
“No, I told you how I found out, and he doesn’t know a thing about this. I won’t be in the way. I just want to be part of something. Maybe I can pass ideas with you, or I can be a very silent partner. Either way, I can help you, help me.”
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her. I hated feeling like I had to leave my dream behind. But clearly, that wasn’t the case. God always has a plan.
I felt him before he said a word.
“Mom, what did you do? You alright, baby? You ready to head out?” Myheir asked question after question.
“Relax, Big. Allow me to introduce you to my new business partner, and not a silent one, either. I want your input too.”
Myheir and Darren smiled.
Meredith’s eyes widened. “I have so many ideas. When we get back home, we can get started.”
I nodded. “I would love that.”
Kissin’ You by Total started playing. Myheir held his hand out for me.
“Would you like to dance, Doll?”
“I would love to, Big.” I placed my hand into his dramatically.
“Excuse me, Cedric,” I said to Darren.
“No problem, Julia. Don’t trip out there,” he responded, stepping to the side and taking my seat next to his wife.
I cracked up while Myheir shook his head and led me into the crowd of other couples dancing.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me into the warmth of his body.
I mouthed the lyrics dramatically as we swayed. He leaned down and pecked my lips a few times.
“Who knew I’d have my best-kept secret swaying in a crowd full of people to Kissin’ You?” I mused aloud.
Myheir lifted his brow. “What secret? Girl, we stopped following those damn terms the second you thought you were going to go on dates with a dude named Marco or was it Miguel.”
“No, it was Ma—”
Myheir stopped swaying and gave me a look that said if I corrected this man’s name, he knew something.
“I mean, it definitely had to be Marco or Miguel, Big.”
“That’s what I thought.”