Chapter 20 Adesua Ridley #2
Gregory pitched in, saying, “All I am saying is that the room would be filled with smoke. I couldn’t even see the letters on the pages.”
Adesua saw two people board the ship who looked strikingly like Wei. He turned around excitedly and ran toward them, speaking in their mother tongue, Cantonese.
“Everyone, this is the Zhang family. My friend Kai came to the Ridley Line for work and greatly assisted us. This is his sister, Shuye. I have been spending time with their family when I’ve been away lately.”
Shuye and Kai bowed their heads with kindness.
“Thank you, Wei, for inviting us,” Shuye said, then turned to Adesua. “I saw your art at a festival I went to by myself and recognized your name. Your work is stunning,” she said softly.
Adesua hadn’t seen a beauty like hers before.
Her eyes were as dark as obsidian. They were perfectly set and lined with kohl.
Her hair was perfectly put together with an array of pearls and gold pins clipped into her onyx, finger-waved locks.
The pale-green satin qipao with intricate gold and cream threading hugged her figure very well, almost appearing white or even silver in the sunlight.
Adesua thought it was magic. Shuye was magic, as she flipped out a fan that matched her dress.
“Shuye, you are a work of art, hon; I am surprised I have never seen your face in town before.”
Shuye blushed. “I am just now getting out more, thanks to Wei and my brother. If I’m honest, I couldn’t find anyone that wanted to be my friend.”
Kavita shot a look at Adesua. They both knew exactly how she felt—an outsider in a world they were brought into.
“Well, you have a friend in me, especially my sisters.” Adesua smiled, grabbing her hand.
Just as the group was getting acclimated, the sun began to set. Their cousin Sebastien arrived with twenty more people.
“You all call this a birthday party? See, that’s why I brought reinforcements,” Sebastien yelled as he popped a bottle of champagne.
Adesua walked up to him, upset.
“Sebastien, this was supposed to be an intimate party for family and friends. You are turning this into a circus.”
Sebastien rolled his eyes playfully. “Honey, when has Wei ever been quiet in his life? You and I both know he loves a good time—a rowdy time, at that! Besides, this big ole boat could fit hundreds. I think you are being rather selfish,” he said with his right eyebrow raised.
Adesua saw Amelia coming to her defense.
“Sebastien, I think Dusie is trying to say we didn’t even prepare enough food for all of these people, and it would be rude for any new and unaccounted-for guests not to be fed, right?”
Sebastien waved to a group of their family servers dressed in all white with silver food trays.
“That’s why I called Mrs. Darla days ago to accommodate these lovely folks. You know I’m the favorite cousin. Now, enough yapping and thinking, you two. Let’s have a grand time.”
Adesua looked at Shuye and Amelia, then sent an icy look to Sebastien.
“You wouldn’t dare—”
“I did! Oops, I see him walking up the stairs now. How about I take the lovely—” He looked toward Shuye in confusion.
“Oh, I am Shuye. A friend of Wei’s,” she said, tilting her head down.
“Shuye, Shuye, Shuye, oh, I am sure you are a friend. You are destined to be my cousin’s wife. I see the stars aligning now. You know, I am a matchmaker. It’s a God-honest gift, I assure you,” Sebastien said gleefully.
Adesua turned to Amelia, exasperated by Sebastien’s antics. “Mellie, take care of our new friend Shuye while the boys act silly.”
Adesua walked past the crowds of people to get fresh air near the edge.
Then she saw him. Not Joseph, but her childhood friend Theo.
His cream suit and slightly unbuttoned pastel-blue shirt matched her dress almost perfectly.
She thanked Sebastien silently, because after the ordeal with Joseph, she needed a break from reality.
Her eyes homed in on him, as did his on hers as she got closer.
“Addie Louise, I never thought I would see you again.”
She hugged him, and he held her closer. Theo kissed the top of her hand as if it were routine with him. She looked up and saw the sun hit the streaks of gold in his hair. He smelled ravishing in the woody-amber scent he was wearing.
“How have you been, you big-time tennis player? You got too good for us in New York and left us for France!”
He gave her his slick side smile, which Adesua had always loved.
“Well, I had to, seeing you getting all loved by Joseph Blackwood. You two are a beautiful couple,” he said with sharpness.
So much for a break, she thought, chuckling to herself.
“Yes, we are. Well, I hope to see you at the national championships,” she said with haste.
Adesua gave him a quick side hug, then departed.
The last thing she needed was to get intertwined in a love scandal, but she did miss the time when her life wasn’t full of so many tasks.
When she and Theo were good friends, they’d spent their time playing hooky and going to Coney Island.
He was one of the few who’d stood out for her, never caring what she looked like. She shook the what-ifs from her head.
As Kavita and Henrik took the stage, Adesua exited her trance. Kavita’s partner, Franklin, went up to the stage. Where had he even come from? She was taken aback by all the people who surrounded her. Franklin, exhilarated, took the mic and looked out at the crowd.
“I want to say I have been listening to this fine lady sing up a storm across town with the soon-to-be-famous Henrik as a musician. They will perform a nice original song for you and special guest Duke Ellington!” At this point Sir Duke had become almost a necessity for all their family occasions.
Diego took Adesua’s hand, dancing as the music whisked them away.
Adesua saw love around her with every turn.
Amelia was twirling with Jamison. Wei offered his hand to Shuye on the dance floor.
Kavita gave short looks of love to Franklin.
And Mother and Father were smiling in the shadows of it all.
Adesua knew then that love was all around, and she prayed it would blossom into new flames as red as the roses that fell around on the dance floor, commemorating the celebration of life and love—but hopefully not blood.