Back to Reality (28 page)

“I’m always busy, but I just walked in my office so I can give you my undivided attention. How are you?”

“I’m good. We just arrive
d at Serenity. You should see this place. It looks even better than it did on the website.”

“Are you
trying to get me to take you to Serenity?” Ty joked good-naturedly.

“
Please,” I retorted sassily. “I just took myself to Serenity.”

Laughing
, Ty said, “True, true.”

Smiling into the receiver, I switched the phone to the other ear.
“But I am looking forward to going to New York with you again.” 

“I’m looking forward to that too baby girl.”

“I think about when you took me to New York for my birthday often,” I admitted softly.

“
Is that right?” Ty asked sexily.

“Yes…” I let the word drag out as I lowered my voice. “And I—”

The knock at the door scared me and I jumped up. “Sahara! I need your help!”

“Ty, Emily is banging on the door. Can I call you after dinner tonight?”
I walked to the door and opened it. Emily burst in the space with two dresses in her hand. I held a finger up so that she knew to wait a minute.

“I look forward to it.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Hanging up the phone, I immediately point at the classy, blue dress in her right hand.  “Wear the blue one. Save the black one for tomorrow.” I winked at her as I tossed my phone onto the bed.

“I love and hate not knowing what we are about to do!” Emily exclaimed excitedly as she bounced out of the room and back to the room next door. Laughing, I proceeded to get ready for our night out.
 

Dressed
in an elegant black and white Diane von Furstenberg flare dress, I sat at a large rectangular table in the Serenity dining room.  Emily was on my right at the head of the table.  Patricia Campbell, Emily’s cousin on her father’s side, was on my left.  She was Emanuel’s age and as children, we all played together whenever she visited from Texas. But as we got older, she stopped coming to visit.  And after the accident, I never saw her again.

“So Sahara, how are you?”
Patricia asked once we’d ordered.

“I’m well,
Patricia. Thank you. How are you?”

“I’
m fabulous! Call me Patti,” Patti said before launching into a forty minute monologue about her newly single status. When she finished telling me about her date last weekend, she asked, “Are you dating anyone?”

“Yes, I am.” I smiled thinking about him.

“I need to take this. It’s Anthony. Probably calling to check in. I’ll be right back,” Emily announced before leaving the table, grinning from ear to ear.

Patti
patted her lips with her napkin. “So tell me about your man, Sahara.”

             
“Are you still with Manny?” Brenda interrupted from her place at the table, directly across from Patti. Brenda was loud and obnoxious with every glass of wine she finished off. She worked with Emily at the elementary school and they both got their teaching certifications together. She was probably my least favorite of the group.

I gaped at her and shook my head.
I didn’t even know she was listening to the conversation,
I thought incredulously.
I just want her to stop talking before anyone else can jump in.

“I saw you two at Emily’s opening! You two were all over each other!”
Brenda cackled with glee. I didn’t think she was intentionally trying to make me mad; however, it was clear she was trying to make a scene.

“Emanuel and I are good friends,” I said simply and hoped that’d be enough to shut her up.

“If that’s what you want to call it, I want to be good friends with Emanuel Mills!” Janet spoke up from her seat next to Brenda. Janet went to Delta Southern University and even stayed in the same dorm I was in freshman year, but I didn’t remember her.

“
Are you guys talking about Manny?” Cassandra, another teacher from Thomasville Elementary School, asked from the far end of the table. “I saw Manny, Mark and Q playing at that end of the summer thing at The Smoke Room. I knew he could play, but I didn’t know he could sing! Girl, you should’ve heard him! I’d seen them play before and I heard him on background vocals or whatever.  But he never, never ever, sang before…not like that. He did that song ‘Gone’ and he sounded better than the original!” Cassandra added excitedly. “A friend of mine is dating Q. She said that Q said that the song was dedicated to some girl.”  Looking over at me, with her arched eyebrows raised apologetically, Cassandra continued, “Ashley or something like that.”

Patti
and I looked at each other and before we could correct the rumor mill before it got cranked up, Emily returned.

“I have shots!” Emily yelled happily.

This is going to be a long weekend,
I thought as Cassandra, Janet, and Brenda giggled like school girls over Emanuel.

Chapter 29
    

             
I woke up from my nap feeling refreshed.  Even though we had an early night, I was tired from traveling and that awful dinner.  Dinner wasn’t over soon enough for me; but I managed to stick it out. And we all were pretty tired by midnight so we each retreated to our rooms immediately after dessert.  The food was delicious, but the dinner companions were mostly dreadful. 
Or maybe I just forgot what it’s like to be friends with more than one person at a time,
I chastised myself as I made my way to the bathroom to get ready.

We all met at 10am in a private cove at the end of each floor for
a gourmet breakfast. After breakfast, we had complete spa treatments with massages, mud wraps, facials, manicures, and pedicures.  Most of the women opted to get their hair done as well. Emily, Isabella, Monique and I didn’t trust just anyone to do our hair, so we went to hot yoga instead. When we all met up again, we had lunch in the same cove as breakfast.  They brought up sandwiches with the crusts cut off and other finger foods that didn’t amount to a hearty breakfast. I rubbed my belly as it grumbled and looked at the clock.
It’s almost 7pm…there’s not much time before dinner,
I thought as I grabbed my phone. We all planned to meet in the lobby at 8pm.

Sahara Lee: I’m about to start getting ready. Are you up?

Emily Mills: Yeah… I wasn’t able to take a nap. I’m too excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sahara Lee: LOL GOOD! Will you send a reminder text to let everyone know that we are leaving at 8pm?

Emily Mills: Of course! And thanks again!

Sahara Lee: You are more than welcome!

             
This is the type of friend Emily has deserved all these years,
I thought, pleased with the difference the last six months had made to my relationships. I smiled to myself as I styled my hair in a faux-hawk, pinning my hair in place with gold combs that just barely showed.  I kept my make-up minimal with gold, shimmery eye shadow and a tinted gloss.

             
Carefully, I squeezed into the white Herve Leger stud-bodice bandage dress. The dress was tight and hugged my curves perfectly. The gold studded bodice shrunk my waist and made my ample breasts and hips look even fuller.  I stepped into my 6 inch black Christian Louboutin peep toe pumps with gold spikes and looked at myself in the mirror.
I love these shoes,
I thought as I turned to check out how long my legs looked with the extra height. Grabbing my black cropped sweater and black spiked Louboutin clutch, I left the room and met the other ladies in the lobby.

We boarded the party bus and headed to dinner at
a downtown steakhouse.  The food was delicious and the company wasn’t as awkward as it was the first night.  The table naturally split into two groups and I truly enjoyed the group of women who were at my end of the table.  I didn’t offer much in terms of conversation; however, I laughed hard and often.

Patti was the most talkative of the bunch. Isabella, Anthony’s sister, was th
e youngest of all of us at 25 and she was hilarious.  Monique, Emily’s friend from Delta Southern University, was extremely witty and had amazing one-liners. Rounding out our group was Emily, who I hadn’t seen as happy or relaxed as she looked over dinner.  Looking at her with these women made me happy and sad at the same time. 

I’m happy that Emily ha
s these people in her life. But I’m sad I wasn’t here for her throughout the last ten years,
I thought as I glanced around the long table. Neither Isabella nor I had much to contribute when the rest of the ladies reminisced over the past, but the conversation never felt awkward or strained.

By
the time we boarded the party bus after dinner, I could almost imagine what my life would’ve been like if I didn’t push everyone away.  I imagined spending my weekends with Emily, Patti, Isabella and Monique instead of alone. I imagined having girlfriends and going out and just enjoying life. When I finally got out of my own head, I realized we had pulled up to our location.

“Oka
y ladies, we are here!” I announced as we pulled up and parked around the back of the building.

Conversation ceased and excited squeals rippled through the bus as everyone peered out of the tinted windows to figure out where we were.

“Where are we?” Cassandra called out from the back of the bus as she handed Olivia and Brenda large shots of vodka. All three quickly drowned their shots and clanked their glasses.

“
Wait one second,” I replied mysteriously, walking off the bus. I could see a man in all black standing by the rear entrance. Walking as fast as I could on cobblestone in heels, I glanced behind me to make sure everyone was on the bus.

“Ms. Lee?”
the man in all black asked as I approached the door.

“Yes…” I said cautiously, slowing my stride. “And you are…?”

Opening the door all the way, his friendly face was illuminated by the soft glow of the light. “I’m Darin Jones.”

Instantly recognizing the name and the voice of the man I’d been communicating with for the last couple months, a smile instantly covered the uncertain
expression that was on my face.

“Hi Darin! Nice to finally meet you!” I shook his hand firmly.

“We have everything set up for you in the VIP Lounge. Are you ready?”

“Yes!” I clapped my hands twice before rubbing them together. “Let me go get the others.”

I walked over to the bus and as soon as the driver opened the door, the ladies quickly filed out.  The excitement in the air was palpable.

“Okay ladies… follow me,” I called over my shoulder as I headed toward the rear entrance.

Emily grabbed my arm and I assumed all of the other ladies followed suit as we became a caravan of provocatively dressed women.  One of Darin’s coworkers held the door open for us as we followed Darin through a dimly lit hallway, up a flight of stairs. As we got closer, we could hear the pounding beat of the music. The walls seemed to shake with each step. I heard eager squealing behind me as we approached a large door. Darin looked back and smiled before swinging the door open. Everyone screamed.

“Welcome to Paradise, ladies
. Have a good time,” Darin said as we entered the VIP Lounge situated right above the DJ booth.  Typically reserved for celebrities and other high profile patrons, Club Paradise’s VIP Lounge was the best spot in the club with its large couches, private dance floor, personal waitress, and view of the entire club.

While we were soaking in the view from the balcony of the VIP Lounge,
the waitress brought in a tray full of champagne glasses. We toasted to kick off the bachelorette festivities and after the DJ gave us a shout out, the celebration began. We danced to everything. We sang loudly. We spilled drinks.  We had a ball. At 2am, we drunkenly trudged to the party bus. Cassandra, Brenda, and Olivia were sloppy drunk and needed to be helped to the bus.  Emily was tipsy enough to continue singing off-key long after the music stopped playing, but with it enough to have a text conversation and walk to the bus without tripping.  I didn’t drink much at all as I wanted to make sure everything went well. Everyone else fell somewhere in between being drunk and tipsy.

Once we got back to Serenity Resort and Spa and the other women were in their rooms, Emily wanted to have some girl-talk time. I followed her into her room and immediately took off my shoes.

“Did you have a good time?” I asked tentatively.

“Did I?! That was the most fun I’ve had
since… I don’t know. Ever!” Emily responded excitedly. Throwing her body across the queen sized bed, landing with a thud. “I probably should’ve gotten drunk though. But the way Cassie, Bren, and Livie were putting them back, I wasn’t trying to look like that.”

I laughed in response. “They don’t drink often, do they?”

“No. So they were cutting loose. Tomorrow, I’m going to have to ask Brenda why she kept throwing herself at Darin!”

“And that was before she got drunk!”

“Yeah. That girl is a nut. I love her though. But she is cray!”

“So all in all, everything was okay?”

“Are you kidding me? Everything was amazing!”

“I’m glad!” I sat in the oversized chair in front of the bed, curling my feet underneath my folded legs. I rubbed my chilly legs and then looked up to find Emily watching me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Patti told me what the other girls were saying. About Emanuel.”

Oh,
I thought as I kept my face expressionless. “Okay…” I said, drawing the word out.

“Are you sure you’re okay singing with him? I want everything to go smoothly on Tuesday.”

“Everything will be perfect. I haven’t talked to him yet, but we both love you very much. Nothing will stop us from making sure your day is everything you’ve always dreamed it to be.”

Emily brushed the hair from her face and a serious look creased her features. “
I don’t know what exactly was said the last time you two talked. And honestly, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to get in the middle of whatever you two have going on. I love you both and I hope that everything will just run smoothly now that you’ve both moved on.”

As she said it, I felt
my stomach drop.
Moved on?
I wondered.
With his life? With Ashlyn? 

I opened my mouth to speak, but a knock on Emily’s door interrupted me. Emily and I looked at each other—my expression was questioning while hers was sheepish.

“Drinking makes me horny!” Emily whispered loudly before rolling onto her back in a fit of giggles.

“I knew you were texting him! You were smiling way too hard to be checking emails!”
Rolling my eyes, I scolded her playfully. “Geez, you couldn’t wait one more day!” 

“He works Monday so if I don’t get any tonight, we won’t have sex again until our wedding night!
You’d do the same thing!”

“Absolutely!” I said as the knock sounded at the door again.
Putting on my shoes, I walked to the door and opened it without looking. Standing in the hallway was a tipsy Anthony who looked surprised to see me.

“
Ummmm?!” he questioned, looking at the number on the door and then back at me. His facial expression was priceless.

“You’re at the right place,” I said with a laugh.
“She’s inside.” I stepped back and let him in.

“Thank
you, Sahara,” Anthony said as I closed the door behind me.

Turning to walk next door to my room, I froze
.  The broad shoulders and muscular body dressed in jeans and a leather jacket could’ve belonged to anyone. But the thick black hair and heavy black boots could only belong to one person.

“Emanuel?
” I choked out, my heart beating wildly in my chest.  My voice wasn’t loud, but I knew he heard me in the silent hallway.  Other than my voice and subsequent haggard breathing, the only sound was the elevator making its way through the shaft. “Emanuel?” I repeated slightly louder.

Even from yards away, I could tell he heard me because he tensed up. Slowly, he turned around and just stared at me
. The look he gave me gutted me and my eyes instantly welled up with tears. Biting the tip of my tongue, I took a few tentative steps toward him.

“Can we talk?”
I asked.

Turning back toward the elevator, he pressed the down button in quick succession as if he thought it would make the elevator come faster.  “
No. I just came to help Anthony find the right room.”

“Please. I just need a minute of your time.” I continued walking toward him. 

When the elevator doors opened, he walked in without a glance back in my direction. As the door was closing, I made a split second decision and stuck my arm in between the closing doors.

“What are you doing?” Emanuel barked. “What do you want?” Hi
s voice sounded tired.

I tucked
my clutch under my arm and brought both of my hands to my heart. I didn’t want any awkwardness between us to negatively affect Emily’s wedding.  I didn’t want any unresolved feelings to pop up. But when I looked into his eyes, I just wanted to tell him everything I was feeling. I wanted him to know that I was sorry that I shut him out completely. I wanted him to know that I did what I thought was right. I wanted him to know that I still thought about him.  I wanted to tell him that I never meant to hurt him.  I wanted to just confess everything to him and let him fix it for me, like he used to. But when I opened my mouth, only two words escaped. “I’m sorry,” I apologized sincerely. Even with the heels, I had to look up at him.  His grey eyes were stormy and unfocused.

Stone faced, Emanuel turned away from me and faced the doors.  As soon as the door opened, Emanuel bolted out. I struggled to keep up with him as his long legs moved swiftly across the lobby and through the exit.

“Fuck!” he yelled to the sky once he got to the end of the sidewalk. 

I stopped in my tracks, rubbing my arms profusely.
I forgot how cold it was,
I thought as my teeth chattered.