Games (17 page)

Shay was about to respond, but her cousins Taylor, Staci and Leah came and whisked her off to the ladies
’ room. She did notice Brian watching her from the back of the sanctuary.

Brian stood in the back of the church watching Shay introduce Jason to her grandparents. He was so engulfed
, he didn’t hear Shannon approach him from behind.

“Good evening, Brian.”
Shannon didn’t waste any time mending fences with last night’s angry one-sided conversation still fresh. He’d told her to never answer his phone again then slammed the phone in her ear.  “I’m so sorry I forgot to tell you Shay called last week while you were inside Starbucks.”

He noted a hint of sincerity in her tone. “How is it that you made
it a point of telling her that you’re my
special
friend?”

Shannon
pouted. “Brian, we are friends. At least that’s what I thought.” Her fingertips slowly glided down the black fabric covering his muscular arm. “I have respected your wishes concerning us and have tried to be nothing but a good friend to you.”

“Have you
, Shannon?”

“Yes
, I have. You’ve made it crystal clear that you don’t want me.”

Brian didn’t feel like debating with
Shannon; his heart was still bleeding from Shay’s latest stab. He didn’t find it fair for Shannon to take the heat intended for Shay. “We’ll discuss this later,” he finally said.

“How do I look?”
Shannon stepped back and modeled for him.

Shannon
actually didn’t look bad. He didn’t tell her, but he had noticed how her attire had changed for the better over the past couple of months. Her black dress was styled similar to Shay’s, but Shannon’s skirt wasn’t flowing like Shay’s.  The matching pumps and small purse were accented with rhinestones. In his opinion, the only thing that ruined Shannon’s look was the extra coating of makeup. It was almost like she was trying to lighten the color of her skin. He still didn’t like the blonde hair on her either.

“
Shannon, you look fine,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t continue with this line of questioning.

“I’m glad you like it,” she said then interlocked her arm with his. “So, where are we sitting?”

“I don’t know where you’re going to sit, but Marcus has reserved the first two rows for family.”

“His family can’t take up that many seats
!” Shannon exclaimed.

Brian laughed. “Oh, yes they can. You can follow me if you want, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll get a seat.”

Shannon smiled and followed Brian to the end of the second row on the far left side.

Inside the restroom Leah checked the stalls to make sure the cousins were alone. After
Leah gave the thumbs-up, Taylor let loose.

“Girl, what do you think you’re doing, bringing that scrawny little man here?”

“You are not right for doing Brian like that,” Staci added.

“If you wanted to make him jealous, why didn’t
you pick someone you liked?” Leah questioned.

“You and Brian need to stop playing this friendship game and get serious. You know you’re in love with him. Why are you playing around with Jason?”
Taylor pushed.

Shay finally opened her mouth. “How did you know his name?”

Staci smacked her lips. “Girl, please, you already know how fast news travels through the Simone family, especially, this kind of foolishness.”

“So everyone knows that I brought Jason here to get back at Brian?” Shay couldn’t believe everyone saw through her little game of get
-back.

“We didn’t know why you brought him, but we knew it had something to do with
Shannon,” Leah clarified.

The statement piqued Shay’s curiosity. “What do you guys know about
Shannon?”

“Nothing, outside of her chasing after Brian for the past several months. But he’s not interested in her,” Staci answered.

“Justin told me how she pounced on Brian at Dave and Buster’s and how your mother had to set her straight when Brian brought her out to Blackhawk,” Leah added.

Shay jumped in. “Oh no, Brian didn’t bring her into my house!” Shay threw her small purse onto the counter and slapped her fists against her hip
s.

“First of all,”
Taylor waved her index finger in Shay’s face, “it’s not your house. It’s your mother and Reggie’s house. If you would take care of your business, you wouldn’t have to worry about Shannon. You need to stop playing and tell Brian how you feel.”

“
Taylor, you sound just like my mother.” Shay pouted.

“You need to listen to your mother; she’s got a man,” Staci said handing Shay her purse. “A fine man at that.”

Shay rolled her eyes at her cousins. “I am not about to tell Brian nothing. He already thinks he owns me.”

“And why does he think that?” Leah asked. “I mean, besides the obvious.”

Shay hadn’t meant to say that. “He just does.” Shay looked in the mirror and started twisting one of her hanging curls.

Staci gasped. “I knew it! You and Brian had sex!”

This time Shay placed both of her hands on her hips and rolled her neck. “My sex life is none of y’all business!”

“So, you admit that the two of you burned a hole in the sheets?” Leah charged.

“This makes perfect sense now. You had sex with Brian and he blew your mind. That’s why you’re half-crazy.” Taylor threw her hands in the air.

“When did it happen?” Leah pressed.

Shay didn’t think it was appropriate to lie in church, even if she was in the bathroom. “Right before he graduated,” she answered honestly.

“Then why did you leave?”

“I know why,” Staci answered for Shay with a blank look on her face.

Leah turned to Staci. “Will you please explain it to me?”

“We can continue this later, but it’s almost show time and you know my big brother, Marcus, will start on time,” Staci said and started for the door.

“She’s right. Let’s get to our seats before Marcus embarrass
es us over the microphone. But we will continue this later, missy.” Taylor glared at Shay, following Staci’s lead.

“
Taylor, you had better be glad I love you, otherwise, I’d beat you down.” Shay was serious.

“Whatever.”
Taylor waved the threat off.

“Who is that?”
Shannon inquired.

“Who are you talking about?” Brian asked.

Shannon motioned toward Shay. “The lady wearing that bad gold dress with the golden hair. She looks like a model.”

A smile creased Brian’s face. “She is beautiful, isn’t she
?”

“Do you know her?”

“Yes, I do,” Brian said softly, still smiling. “She’s Marcus’s cousin.”

Brian watched her for a second longer before gaining Shay’s attention and motioning for her to join him. He then turned to
Shannon. “I’m sorry, Shannon, but the young lady needs a seat and she is part of the Simone family.”

If the news disturbed
Shannon, she concealed it. “I understand.” She gathered her purse then stood to find the young woman standing next to Brian.

“She’s moving, so you can have her seat
, that is, if you don’t mind sitting next to me?” Brian informed Shay.

Shay looked around. “Where’s Jason?”

“He’s on the far right front row with my dad and Josiah.”

“I wonder if Reggie planned it that way,” she mumbled then turned to
Shannon. “Thank you so much for yielding your seat.”

“No problem. I love that dress and those shoes are to die for.”
Shannon beamed.

“Thank you,” Shay responded modestly. Both women looked at Brian with smiles, as if waiting for him to introduce them.

Brian looked from Shay to Shannon. “This is Shannon. Shannon this is Ms. LaShay Hampton.

Both of their smiles disappeared at such a rapid pace, Brian questioned if he’d actually seen their teeth.

Shay’s effort not to twist her face failed. “It’s good to finally put a face with a voice.”

Shannon
stood speechless with her mouth ajar. Brian never mentioned Shay was coming to Marcus’s CD recording and no one stated Shay’s beauty.

“
Shannon, they’re about to start, you should run along and find a seat.” Shay offered a fake smile then sat down and crossed her long legs at the ankle. Brian shrugged his shoulders and sat down. Having been dismissed, Shannon searched for a seat.

***

Brian placed his arm around Shay’s shoulder in a blatant display of possession. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.

She looked up at him and felt that familiar tug at her heart and she offered him a big smile. His compliment was the only one that mattered to her. “Brian, I’m sorry for overreacting and bringing Jason here. I should have asked you about Shannon instead of jumping to my own conclusions, but honestly, I can’t handle the thought of you with another woman any more than you can stand seeing me with another man.”

“That’s one thought you honestly don’t have to dwell on,” Brian responded, then squeezed her shoulder. “You’re the only woman in my life, Shay; always have been. Although we’ve never defined our relationship, I think we want the same thing.”

Shay released the breath she’d been holding when the lights dimmed and the MC took the stage. One more minute and she would have told Brian everything that was in her heart. No matter how much of a heathen she considered herself to be, she couldn’t lie
in
church.

For the next ninety minutes Shay clapped, swayed and sang to the music. Marcus had written a good mixture of fast and slow praise and worship songs and Shay loved every one of them. Shay hadn’t felt this close to God in a long time and she really missed the peace she felt while in the presence of God. More than once, Brian handed her his handkerchief to wipe the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Shay listened intensely to the song lead by Marcus and her mother on restoration and made up her mind to start working on her estranged spiritual relationship. It was time. She was tired of feeling incomplete and barren. She was tired of the guilt and shame.

Toward the end of his repertoire, Marcus introduced his parents to the audience, and then his aunts and uncles along with their families joined them onstage. The collective group sang a song Marcus had written as a tribute to his grandparents. Since Shay didn’t know the words to the song, she remained seated, opting to enjoy her stolen time with Brian.

The actual size of the Simone clan amazed
Shannon. She had never seen a family as diverse as the Simones either.  Like the United States, they were a big melting pot. They were all different shapes, sizes and colors. Watching them together on stage, reminded Shannon of the old
We Are the World
video. Tall, short, fat, skinny all came together as one and gave honor to the family’s pioneers. They all appeared to love and care for one another. “How do they do it?” Shannon asked quietly. Shannon sprinted toward Brian as soon as the final song ended and Marcus took a final bow.

***

Brian remained seated on the second row with Shay.
“What an awesome performance.”

“I am so proud of Marcus.” Shay smiled. “He’s really anointed to play and sing
.

Who knew that clumsy kid would grow up to be so anointed and powerful?”

“Yeah, and who knew that a bossy Ms. Know-It-All would cocoon into such a beautiful woman?”

Shay opened her mouth to comment about Marcus again until she realized Brian was talking about her. She studied Brian’s face and decided to give as good as she got.

“And who would have thought that a naïve high-school baseball player would steal my heart and turn my world upside down?”
Why did I say that? I’ve got to get out of this church before I propose to him
, Shay scolded herself.

Brian’s full grin gave the impression that he couldn’t have been happier with her last statement. Before he could throw a comeback, Jason appeared.

“Where were you?” Jason asked. “I saved you a seat.” 

Shay was happy to see him. She needed to put some space between her and Brian. Shay stood and stepped away from her seat. Brian stood also. “I didn’t see you, so I sat in the first open seat I could find,” Shay answered. That was the truth.

“I was with Reggie. Right before the show started he rescued me from your aunts,” Jason explained.

Shay gave Brian a knowing glance. “I’ll have to thank your father later.”

Just then Shannon joined them by interlocking her arm with Brian’s. All of a sudden, Shay was ready to leave. “Brian, I’ll see you at the Snow Building. Try not to eat the entire buffet before everyone gets there,” she teased then turned to leave.